Recently, I stopped off at the Louvre. (Let me interrupt here just to note how nice it is to start a story with “Recently, I stopped off at the Louvre.”) It’s usually best to visit a restroom upon arriving at such places, especially if, like me, you tend to get lost despite a familiarity with the building, the plan for which is gripped tightly in your hand.
Close to the museum entrance, there was a newish boutique called “Pause WC” (Toilet Break) its shelves stacked with designer toilet paper, a wine with “pissoir” in its name, and a selection of appropriately themed books. The boutique was attended by uniformed men and women both friendly and professional.
A sign at the cash register discreetly showed the pee break prices: 1Euro for a special toilet, 1.5Euro for the “spa japonais.” I don’t know what was special about the first because I was distracted by the promise of the Japanese one. I paid the fee. For the price it had to be good. A very kind attendant asked me to wait patiently because someone was using the remote control. I waited.
Behind a curtain and a door, I was given a lesson in using the toilet. First, you have to sit down, but don’t worry; each one is cleaned with 99% bacteria killing antibacterial cleanser after each use. You must sit, because the spa only works when it detects weight.
“To use the remote control, aim there at the side of the bowl. This button is for a stream of water, these are for massage and this one is activates the dryer. I suggest you try all the buttons.” I learned that such toilets are "smart" ones in that they remember a person by their weight and will automatically adminster that person's preferred massage sequence. I of course waited until the instruction giving attendants had exited and quietly closed the door.
First surprise, a warm seat. For this, I was unprepared. I tried the buttons. The first sent a perfectly aimed stream of water. I marveled at its accuracy. The second emitted a steady ps-ps-ps-ps, also accurately aimed. The third was a variant of the second, pssssss-psssss- pssssssss. I cannot say if it was an entirely pleasant experience, yet it was indeed memorable. I finished with a very powerful air dry.
Upon exiting, I returned the remote control to the cash register attendant, and announced, “That was the best pipi break I ever had.”
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
On the Street Where I Live...
Istanbul is a city of both great beauty and equally great ugliness, sometimes on the same street. Rumeli Hisari remains one of the "authentic" areas of the city, complete with old and crumbling wooden houses, restored ones, gece kondu ("night" houses illegally built), modern rectangular blocks...
The photo above is of my neighbor's house. She's the one who wanders the streets collecting bits of wood with which to build a new one. From the image, you can't quite appreciate the scope of the scrap pile. The one in the back is even more impressive. My kitchen window looks out onto her mess and several plum trees. I like to watch the cats play in the trees.
Recently, I stopped to say hello to my neighbor. We went through our usual ritual, "Who are you, where do you live, what do you do?" She then abruptly dismissed me with a flick of her hand. I accepted my dismissal. While headed down the stone path, I turned back to see her giving me a friendly wave.
The other day, she was seated on the curb in the sunshine, shoes and socks removed, examining her feet and talking to several people. My housemate told me they were asking her to sell her land so they could build a new residence in is place. While her home is indeed an eyesore, I hope she said and will continue to say no. For some odd reason, I like her and her determination.
I live on the ground floor of a three level building where there is access to a garden and sort of patio area. This is Ayda, the top floor neighbor's dog. We often play catch, although she doesn't understand the rules of the game.
This is my building. As an apartment, it's nothing outstanding, though the views from the balconies are. I have balcony envy, though we do have limited views of the Bosphorus from the garden.
Out the front gate and to the right is an abandoned house. Sometimes I'm quite sure there are squatters inside, though I have no direct proof. I dream of winning the lottery, then buying this house and restoring it. In fact, I dream of restoring several houses within a two-block radius. To the left and downwards is a shell of a building. Recently, parts of its wall collapsed onto the stone path in front of it. These paths are actually streets with names. Apparently there are many in Rumeli Hisari. This one is Durmus Dede (Grandfather) Sokak. It is slippery when raining, and always steep. In front of the collapsed house and during the right season, it is spattered with figs and a pomegranite or two.Sunday, March 29, 2009
More decisions
Again, thank you for your comments. Wish I had another gripe about English. I'm sure one will come up sooner or later.
To take a decision is something a group does and it's an action that was done in the past.".... That decision was taken.... , they then took a decision on the matter"...and really the word would be " made" in 90% of the time.
My British neighbors, who are quite daft in most ways, TAKE decisions all the time, even though they're usually wrong. They have bad judgment in general and she is drunk by noon on most days. I think it's an Anglo thing--a Britishism. But since you are in Istanbul, it doesn't really matter, since although most Americans MAKE decisions, they are apt to also MAKE a mess.
Real people make decisions and take actions.
Committees, because they don't actually do anything except make decisions, would like to flatter themselves by considering decisions to be actions; thus they speak of themselves "taking decisions."
To take a decision is something a group does and it's an action that was done in the past.".... That decision was taken.... , they then took a decision on the matter"...and really the word would be " made" in 90% of the time.
My British neighbors, who are quite daft in most ways, TAKE decisions all the time, even though they're usually wrong. They have bad judgment in general and she is drunk by noon on most days. I think it's an Anglo thing--a Britishism. But since you are in Istanbul, it doesn't really matter, since although most Americans MAKE decisions, they are apt to also MAKE a mess.
Real people make decisions and take actions.
Committees, because they don't actually do anything except make decisions, would like to flatter themselves by considering decisions to be actions; thus they speak of themselves "taking decisions."
Monday, March 23, 2009
Taking more decisions...
More comments - thank you!
I'm from the midwest and we all make our decisions. I've never taken mine anywhere.
In Hollywood, one takes a meeting...to make decisions.
Because I now do considerable editing work, I am intrigued by the question you raise about "taking a decision." I did a tiny bit of Internet sleuthing and came up with three sets of comments that seem to conclude that "taking a decision" is a Britishism. Are a number of your English-speaking colleagues either British themselves or the products of having learned their English from British teachers? That might explain the use of "taking." I myself always use "make a decision," or, if the end result is generated by deliberation by a group, I think I would use "arrived at a decision."
I'm from the midwest and we all make our decisions. I've never taken mine anywhere.
In Hollywood, one takes a meeting...to make decisions.
Because I now do considerable editing work, I am intrigued by the question you raise about "taking a decision." I did a tiny bit of Internet sleuthing and came up with three sets of comments that seem to conclude that "taking a decision" is a Britishism. Are a number of your English-speaking colleagues either British themselves or the products of having learned their English from British teachers? That might explain the use of "taking." I myself always use "make a decision," or, if the end result is generated by deliberation by a group, I think I would use "arrived at a decision."
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Taking decisions... comments
Thank you for the comments! The following were sent to my e-mail account. If you don't see a comment you sent directly to the blog, I might have accidently deleted it... Please forgive and resend??
A decision is made, or in the case of consensus, "come to", "reached" or "arrived at". This indicates a journey of sorts, weighing pros and cons, considering possibilities along the way and then arriving at a place where deliberation stops and action (or non-action) is "taken". My two cents.
Yes, groups "take" decisions. It's perfectly correct. But it's also a quite formal, and perhaps somewhat pretentious. A lawyer or a clerk of the court might write/speak this way, but I don't think it's normal. In academia, at least the parts I'm familiar with, a department would, after discussion, "conclude" or "decide". If there were a lot of argument, the department might "reach a conclusion". I can imagine the faculty as a whole "taking" a decision, though, or a board of directors, so probably the phrase has legal, or legalistic, overtones.
I make decisions. My children make decisions. The committee made a decision.
I take pills. My children take pills. The committee takes no chances.
I outen the ligh--- oh no that's Pennsylvania Dutch.....
I think the difference has to do with British/American English. In England, people regularly take decisions. In America we make them. I think.
Taking a Decision
One of the hazards of being an expat is developing the potential to use your own language incorrectly, not in big glaring ways, but in little ones, and not realizing it. Once in a while, I catch myself saying “I opened my phone” instead of saying “I answered” it, even after many frustrating attempts to convince a student that one turns on the lights/projector/television etc. I’ve almost resigned myself to “opening” rather than “turning on.”
There are misuses of certain words, however, that irritate. Forget about kids who announce “Hocam, I’m boring,” (indeed Tolgay, you are) in the middle of the lesson, or those who say “funny” instead of “fun,” or “scary” rather than “scared.” I can’t really be too fussy about that, especially since I only learned grammar through studying other languages.
No, the examples that grate on my nerves usually come up in the English office. For a group of people whose job it is to foster communication, we do it very poorly. Announcements are not announced in meetings, but are posted on the walls, bulletin boards and storage spaces. Posts have included such gems as: “All unit plans must be sent until Friday.” (“Until” instead of “by” is frequently tossed around because, I think, it’s the same word in Turkish.) I fixed it after about the 3rd such notice.
The following example annoys me no end, and not just because I really like to be right as often as possible. At my school, we “take decisions.” To me, this is like nails on a chalk board. Never in my life have I heard of a “decision taken” until I started to teach here. Where I come from, we make them, we don’t take them. Like “opening the lights,” the source seems to be from a direct translation from Turkish. Finally, I asked – and politely thank you! – if I could change the notice on the white board to read “made” rather than “taken” and explained my reasoning. We just don’t say it.
The following morning, my colleague opened a Longman dictionary (the same one we insist the kids buy but seldom if never use) to show me that decisions are indeed taken, but when they are taken by a group after deliberation. Far be it from me to argue with the dictionary. The dictionary has all kinds of good, useful but not often or differently used words. I admitted the error of my ways.
And yet, I’m still bothered. As a result, I’d like to take an informal survey of my fellow native English speaking friends. Do you ever take decisions, with or without a group, sans or avec deliberation? Please don’t look it up in the dictionary, just let me know how you express the completed act of coming to a decision. I'll post your responses.
I thank you in advance.
There are misuses of certain words, however, that irritate. Forget about kids who announce “Hocam, I’m boring,” (indeed Tolgay, you are) in the middle of the lesson, or those who say “funny” instead of “fun,” or “scary” rather than “scared.” I can’t really be too fussy about that, especially since I only learned grammar through studying other languages.
No, the examples that grate on my nerves usually come up in the English office. For a group of people whose job it is to foster communication, we do it very poorly. Announcements are not announced in meetings, but are posted on the walls, bulletin boards and storage spaces. Posts have included such gems as: “All unit plans must be sent until Friday.” (“Until” instead of “by” is frequently tossed around because, I think, it’s the same word in Turkish.) I fixed it after about the 3rd such notice.
The following example annoys me no end, and not just because I really like to be right as often as possible. At my school, we “take decisions.” To me, this is like nails on a chalk board. Never in my life have I heard of a “decision taken” until I started to teach here. Where I come from, we make them, we don’t take them. Like “opening the lights,” the source seems to be from a direct translation from Turkish. Finally, I asked – and politely thank you! – if I could change the notice on the white board to read “made” rather than “taken” and explained my reasoning. We just don’t say it.
The following morning, my colleague opened a Longman dictionary (the same one we insist the kids buy but seldom if never use) to show me that decisions are indeed taken, but when they are taken by a group after deliberation. Far be it from me to argue with the dictionary. The dictionary has all kinds of good, useful but not often or differently used words. I admitted the error of my ways.
And yet, I’m still bothered. As a result, I’d like to take an informal survey of my fellow native English speaking friends. Do you ever take decisions, with or without a group, sans or avec deliberation? Please don’t look it up in the dictionary, just let me know how you express the completed act of coming to a decision. I'll post your responses.
I thank you in advance.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Moonlight
Unless it’s raining or I’m wearing impractical shoes, my favorite part of the day is walking home from the bus stop. Turn right at the mosque and down the steep hill. Below and to the left, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge spans the Bosphorus. The endless stream of cars crosses under its lights contrasting with my peaceful street.
Last week, there was a full moon. In the evening, the ever present clouds cleared. The moon shone brightly to the right of the bridge, visible between buildings flanking the street. An elderly woman walking ahead of me set her bags on the ground. She turned moonwards, and with eyes closed and elbows bent, placed her hands palms up in a gesture of prayer. She mouthed silently. I didn’t want to interrupt her private moment, yet couldn’t help sneaking peaks at her as I passed. I doubt she knew that she had provided me with a most beautiful instant.
Last week, there was a full moon. In the evening, the ever present clouds cleared. The moon shone brightly to the right of the bridge, visible between buildings flanking the street. An elderly woman walking ahead of me set her bags on the ground. She turned moonwards, and with eyes closed and elbows bent, placed her hands palms up in a gesture of prayer. She mouthed silently. I didn’t want to interrupt her private moment, yet couldn’t help sneaking peaks at her as I passed. I doubt she knew that she had provided me with a most beautiful instant.
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