My First Phone Call

The adrenaline-induced elation that occurs when I accomplish something in Turkish is real. I've been here for almost 11 months and have avoided doing anything on the telephone. God it's intimidating. I don't know why...

I needed to make an appointment with my doctor. He speaks English but the thought of talking on the phone was intimidating. What if we had a language problem? Oh well. When you need to see the doctor, you need to see the doctor. Stop fucking around and just do it.

I called the number on his card, thinking it would reach him. Wrong. A secretary answered the phone. Fuck.

I stumbled my way through making an appointment. She quickly realized that I was a foreigner. The following dialogue has been translated into English for your reading pleasure:

Her: Blah blah blah Clinic. Blah blah blah
Me: Doctor Hakkan, please.
Her: Blah blah see blah blah blah appointment blah blah?
Me: Yes! I want to make an appointment.
Her: Oh! You want to take an appointment. (Ugh damn differences in verb collocation from English to Turkish. We take, they make.)
Me: Yes!

Her: Today?
Me: No.
Her: Tomorrow?
Me: No. (Dammit, she's just so fast, I can't think of the words quickly enough to be anything other than stupid!)
Her: Monday?
Me: Yes!
Her: What time?
Me: Uhhhhh (brain stalling to convert first to 24-hour time and then to Turkish and get the prepositions in the right places). At 14:30, please.
Her: Ok. 2:30?
Me: Yes.
Her: Name?
Me: (spelling it in Turkish for her.) But I have two last names.
Her: I found you here.
Me: Great.
Her: blah blah blah control blah blah blah?
Me: I don't know. (both of us laughing)
Her: Ok. No problem. 2:30 on the 10th.
Me: Yes. Thanks!

That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I strutted around my apartment for a few minutes, amidst the boxes and the mess of moving. I felt good. Really good. I just made my first phone call in Turkish. That's right, yabancı succeeds at doing something that an 8-year-old Turkish kid could do. Shouldn't I be encouraging this elation by making phone calls more often?

Why not now? I needed to fill my propane canisters and I had avoided going down to the street. I peered over my balcony at the phone number on awning of the water and propane store across the street. I'd talked to the guy before. He'd remember me, surely.

... ring ... ring... ring...

Some girl, or prepubescent boy, answers the phone.

Me: I want a new propane. Mine is empty.
Person: blah blah blah your address?
Me: You very close I am. (Dammit I should just stick with the simple sentence structures and not try to do fancy things like say: I'm close to you). Sema Apartment, 399 Midhatpasa.
Person: (seriously confused) blah blah blah blah
Me: uhhhhhh
Older guy who remembers me: Hello?
Me: Hi! I'm the foreigner!
Older guy: You want a new propane?
Me: Yes!
Older guy: The tall one or the fat tank?
Me: The fat tank.
Older guy: blah blah blah sixth floor, right?
Me: No--the fifth floor.
Older guy: Ok.
Me: There's only a fifty lira note--is that ok?
Older guy: No problem.
Me: Thanks!

Wow. Two phone calls in one morning. I feel like I've accomplished a tremendous amount. It's going to be a good day.