Last week while working away at my desk, someone approached me and said "I see your aknes" (I mean acne, but ak-nes is exactly what was said) while at the same time pointing out on their own face the exact location of my acnes.
Now, not much that comes out of Turkish peoples mouths surprises me much anymore, but I have to say, I was upset. Hormonal, sensitive and upset.
I replied by saying "thanks for pointing that out because I didn't notice them myself as I didn't bother to look in the mirror at all this morning". But my sarcasm couldn't hide the golf ball welling in my throat which I swalloed away quickly to avoid the tears from welling up. I'm so over peoples straight rudeness. Where is the cultural sensitivity? Or is it all just one way here for the foreigners to follow?
During my time here, I have become accustomed to inappropriate comments and questions, and I accept that some things are very "normal" for these people to ask, but it still seems to shock me about peoples lack of boundaries and sensitivities, also bearing in mind that I am a foreigner and maybe such comments and questions are not the go. But I'm not sure they ever consider that fact.
Kilo aldın mı?, "did you take kilos?"
Kilo verdin mi?, "did you give kilos?"
Kaç kilosun sen? "how many kilos are you?"
are all very standard questions that I have been asked and get asked by people in Turkey, not to mention questions about my salary, how much rent I pay or how much I paid for a house.
A few days later I was talking with the acne comment person and I told them that they offended me. I kindly tried to explain that that is one of the very big cultural differences between Turks and foreigners and that there are some things you can and can't say to people. But the more I talked about it the more I felt that they were getting offended. So I gave up.
So, tell me people, what is the most outrageous question you have been asked by someone, in Turkey or anywhere? There has to be something worse than the aknes comment.
