Monday, May 29, 2006
Leaving on a Jet Plane
We were happy to make it to JFK Airport airport in one piece (or actually 10 pieces if luggage and handbags count separately), and even happier to meet Turkish Airlines employee Suna Serpin; we gave her our last copy of EH and asked her to share it with her colleagues. Suna said it was no coincidence that we came to her desk-- an avid reader, she was actively looking for her next book to read and said a positive book about Turkey landing in her hands that day was nothing short of "a gift from God".
Unfortunately, the glow of Suna's compliment was short-lived as the 11 hour flight home was punctuated by the wails some very unhappy toddlers. Thankfully only a few of the 13 babies and toddlers surrounding us were feeling distressed!
The sleepless, aggravating flight did make it all the more pleasant to return home to Istanbul, where the chatty Ataturk Airport passport control personnel quizzed Jennifer about her favorite Turkish foods. The customs controllers made us open every suitcase-- the first time we've experienced such a thing. Not that we had anything to hide, but Jennifer's technique of packing the dirty laundry on top quelled any deep searching into her gear while Anastasia skated by on her charm.
Before long we were out in the sunny, sweltering city...
