Top, this is at durumzende. He’s throwing on that flatbread wrap, held just above those hot coals. I’m not sure what else happens from there, but I think a big part of the flavor has to do with the smoke and those coals.

Second from top, I had this for lunch yesterday, the left are köfte, kind of like a Turkish spiced meatballs. On top of them is a grilled long hot pepper, I think we call it a cubanella or something. To the left is just a simple plate of onions, bean, tomato, and parsely – ingredients, I must add, you see over and over again in many foods here; everything is fresh.

I need to get a picture of the bean soup they have called fisulye. It’s basically pureed tomatoes with olive oil and some hot pepper. What’s interesting is I had this a lot growing up; my father’s background is from southern Italy and they make it almost the same way. They too use a lot of onions, tomato, parsely, and those long hot peppers.



Third from top an example of primary care appointments. Notice you can see the time slots available – everything only 4 minutes! Erdem explains how this makes for a weak system of quality care. Doctors just don’t have the time. It’s typical for them after a few minutes to pass of the same medicines they have used so many times. Obviously this doesn’t always work and the pharmacist is left to better manage the patient.

Bottom, one of the guys in my room, Osman… his family has trees that grow these nuts and they will send them to him at the dorm so almost every night we talk and eat these nuts. He says next week they are harvesting a different variety, some kind of green ones.