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Troubles in Turkish Paradise A Tourist's First Aid Kit How to express 'urgent' needs, legitimate concerns, and complaints in Turkish (plus a selection of general purpose whines, moans, bitches, and howls...) For the times when things don't go quite the way you planned... Extra: Mature Foreign Women, Case History #1! Mature Foreign Women, beware the Turkish lothario! Other Troubles in Turkish Paradise The Gossipy Who's Who of Turkey, index The Top Ten Turkish Movies of All Time #5 Selvi Boylum Al Kazmalım (The Girl in the Red Scarf) Related: Things you shouldn't do in Turkey Surviving the Turkish Internet A Boy's (and a Father's) Worst Nightmare About Circumcision Teetotaling THY Flight Attendants want a passenger alcohol-ban Turkish Airlines (THY) and the Non-Alcoholic Tissue-Towels Is the Drinking of Alcohol Forbidden by Koranic Decree? Deadly counterfeit-rakı concerns of Spring 2005 A word about purse (or handbag) snatchers (kapkaççı and gaspçi) Threats of Terrorism and Religious Excess A word about power outages Is this page really necessary? What's this? A foreign visitor in need of first-aid in Turkey -- for either medical or non-medical reasons?! In this fabled land of milk and honey?! What could possibly go wrong?... Why...there hasn't been a really scary medical alert in all the time we've spent here (more than 16 years now). And the 'heartland' of the country (both north and south of the Bosphorus) boasts the friendliest natural hospitality a foreigner can find anywhere in the world! Still... we (grudgingly) admit the possibility. You may have noticed that most 'bad' Turkish tourism reports come out of Istanbul. This arises because its population ['guestimated' recently at between 15 and 20 million over-crowded souls] suffers from typical 'big international city' problems, aggravated by the influx of a large number of multi-ethnic 'grifters' over the years. But in fairness (from the point of view of crime-statistics at least) Istanbul is actually pretty tame -- compared with the other big cities of the world. For example...in the 1994 Interpol Statistical Year, there were 251 murders committed in Istanbul -- including sensationally-reported 'terrorist' killings. In Chicago the number was 1027, in LA it was 1556, and New York it was 2202. In the same year there were 197,148 reported robberies in Tokyo; 152,968 in Rome; 11,747 in Istanbul. Also in the same year there were 963 reported rapes in Vienna, 856 in Tokyo, and 41 in Istanbul... Click just below to view the 'comparatively mild' 2000-2003 Country-Wide murder-rate statistics in our Newspaper Reader's Encyclopedic Dictionary -- see cinayet. But all those favorable statistics don't soothe the hurt, if it's your trip that gets interrupted, disturbed, or ruined because of an unpleasant olay -- no matter where it might happen to you. Olaylar even happen to us... Every time we are just about to become too Pollyanna-ish about Turkey, we run into a göt lalesi who brings us back to earth with a thud -- about once a year, on average... Gosh, Marvin. They're lucky. Seems like I can't get through a single day... If you'd stop wearing tank-tops and short-shorts to the Little League games... Are you suggesting I throw away my entire summer wardrobe? So what's a gal or guy to do if confronted, God forbid, with a medical emergency -- or by a situation that requires a stiff spine? Must you simply roll over and die? Or, are you at the mercy of the serseri minority? Why of course not! At least you won't be -- after you commit this entire page to memory !!! weellll, a couple of phrases, then... Phrases for health-related situations... English Turkish Translation Pronunciation Comment Call a Doctor! Doktor çağırın! dohk-tohr chah-rihn   Call an Ambulance! Ambulans çağırın! ahm-boo-lahns chah-rihn   Can the doctor come here? Doktor buraya gelebilir mi? dohk-tohr boo-rah-yah geh-leh-bee-leer mee??   It's an emergency! Acil vaka var! ah-jeel vah-kah- vahr   Is there a hospital around here? Buralarda bir hastane var mı? boo-rah-lahr-dah beer hahs-tah-neh vahr mih?   Is there a doctor around here? Buralarda bir doktor var mı? boo-rah-lahr-dah beer dohk-tohr vahr mih?   Is there a drug store/pharmacy/chemist around here? Buralarda bir eczane var mı? boo-rah-lahr-dah beer ehj-zah-neh vahr mih?   Is there a dentist around here? Buralarda bir diş hekimi var mı? boo-rah-lahr-dah beer deesh heh-kee-mee vahr mih?   I'm sick. Ben hastayım. behn hahs-tah-yihm   My friend is sick. Arkadaşım hasta. ahr-kah-dah-shihm hahs-tah   I'm dizzy. Başım dönüyor? bah-shihm der-noo-yohr   I'm going to throw-up/vomit. Kusacağım geliyor. koo-sah-jahm geh-lee-yohr   I'm on medication for (ailment name)... (Ailment name) için ilaç alıyorum. (ailment name) ee-cheen ee-lahch ah-lih-yoh-room Ailments: anemia/anaemia (kansızlık), constipation (kabızlık), cystitis (sistit), diabetes (şeker hastası), diarrhea/diarrheoa (ishal), gastroenteritis (gastrit), headache (baş ağrısı), heart condition (kalp hastalık), high blood pressure (tansiyon), indigestion (mide fesadı) I need an English speaking doctor. İngilzce konuşan doktora ihtiyacım var. een-ghee-leez-jeh koh-noo-shah dohk-toh-rah eeh-tee-yah-jihm vahrn   I've got ('ailment name'). ('Ailment name') var. ('ailment name') vahr Ailments (with proper first person singular suffix): anemia/anaemia (kansızlığım), constipation (kabızlığım), cramps (krampım), cystitis (sistitim), diabetes (şeker hastalığım), diarrhea/diarrheoa (ishalim), fever (ateşim), gastroenteritis (gastritim), headache (baş ağrım), heart condition (kalp hastalığım), high blood pressure (tansiyonum), indigestion (mide fesadım) I've got/caught a cold. Nezle oldum. nehz-leh ohl-doom   The doctor may ask... Turkish Pronunciation English Translation Comment Nasıl hissediyorsunuz? nah-sihl hees-seh-dee-yohr-soo-nooz? How do you feel?   Neyin var. neh-yeen vahr? What's the matter/what's wrong (with your health).   Ağrı hissediyor musunuz? ah-rih hees-seh-dee-yohr moo-soo-noos? Are you feeling any pain(s).   Neresi ağrıyor? neh-reh-see ah-rih-yohr? Where does it hurt.   İlaç alıyor musunuz? ee-lahch ah-lih-yohr moo-soo-nooz Are you taking any medication?   Uyuşturucu kullanıyor musunuz?? oo-yoosh-too-roo-joo kool-lah-nih-yohr-soo-nooz?? Do you use narcotics?   İçki içiyor musunuz? eech-kee ee-chee-yohr moo-soo-nooz?? Do you drink alcoholic beverages?   Sigara içiyor musunuz? see-gah-rah ee-chee-yohr moo-soo-nooz?? Do you smoke cigarettes?   Phrases for distressing but non-threatening situations... Turkish English Translation Comment Aküm bitti. Kısa devre kablosu ile çalıştırın mısınız? ah-kyoom beet-tee. kih-sah deh-vreh kah-bloh-sooo eee-leh chah-lihsh-tih-rihn mih-sih-nihz. My car battery has died. Would you give me a jump start [with your cables]?   Seni beğenmiyorum. seh-nee beh-ehn-mee-yoh-room I don't like you.   Seninle dans etmiyorum. seh-neen-ley dahns eht-mee-yoh-room I don't want to dance with you.   Efendim? eh-fehn-deem I'm sorry, I didn't understand. What did you say? (Click the following to read A true 'Efendim' story or to have a full explanation of the various uses of 'Efendim.')   Beş para etmez. besh para eht-mehz It is utterly worthless.   Olmaz! ohl-mahz! No way!   Çok küçük/gürültülü/pahalı. choke koo-chhok/goo-roo-too-loo/pah-hah-lih It's too small/noisy/expensive.   Çok yorgunum. choke yohr-guun-uum I'm very tired.   Ben yabancıyım. behn yah-bahn-jih-ihm I'm a foreigner.   İsmim Kildare Mulrooney. ees-meem Kildare Mulrooney (..or..Benim ismim Kildare Mulrooney.) beh-neem ees-meem Kildare Mulrooney Otel İstanbul'da kalıyorum. oh-tehl ees-tahn-buul'dah kah-lih-yoh-ruum Lütfen, beni otelim'e götürün. luut-fehn beh-nee oh-teh-lee-meh grr-too-roon My name is Kildare Mulrooney. I'm staying at the Istanbul Hotel. Please take me back to my hotel.   Genellikle, salatalar, sebzeler, falan yiyebilirim. ghe-nehl-leek-leh sah-laht-lahr, sehb-zeh-lehr, fah-lahn yee-yeh-bee-lee-reem Fakat ekmek gibi şeyler yemeyebilirim. fah-kaht ehk-mehk ghee-bee shey-lehr yeh-meh-yeh-bee-lee-reem Usually, I can eat salads, vegetables (and various sorts of vegetables). But I can't eat things like bread. Lütfen... Yemeğin içinde buğday, arpa, yulaf, çavdar yiyemem. I can't eat food that contains wheat, barley, oats, or rye...please. The sentences at left and above may prove useful, if you suffer from Coeliac Disease -- which produces an allergy to the gluten contained in wheat, barley, oats and rye. With appreciative thanks to PD for your contribution. December 2005 Dikkat! Bu ilaçları röntgen bozar. dee-kaht...boo ee-lahch-lah-rih rern-t-ghehn boh-zahr Careful! X-rays will ruin these medicines. A sign to place on a package... Şoförlü bir araba beni karşılayacak, sanıyordum. shoh-fer-luuu beer ah-rah-bah beh-nee kahr-shih-lah-yah-jahk sah-nih-yohr-duum or Şoförlü bir arabanın beni karşılayacağını sanıyordum. shoh-fer-luuu beer ah-rah-bah-neen beh-nee kahr-shih-lah-yah-jahh-ih-hih sah-nih-yohr-duum I expected a car with a driver to come meet me.   Kaybolursa, 6 Ağustos'tan önce aşağıdaki adrese teslim edin. kahy-bohl-uur-sah ahl-tih ahh-uus-tohs ern-jay ah-sha-ih-dah-kee ah-dreh-seh tehs-leem eh-deen If lost, deliver to the address below before 6 August... A sign to put on the outside of your luggage... Phrases for threatening situations... (The nasty .1 %...) Turkish English Translation Comment Seni gücendirmek istemem, ama... seh-nee goo-jehn-deer-mehk ees-teh-mehm, ah-mah I don't want to offend you, but...   Üzgünüm, benim ülkemde adet değil. ooz-goo-noom beh-neem ool-kehm-deh ah-deht dehh-eel I'm sorry, that's not customary in my country.   Lütfen rahatsız etmeyin. luut-fehn rah-haht-sihz eht-meh-yeen Please don't disturb me.   Bana dokunma... bah-nah doh-koon-mah Don't touch me...   Olmaz! ohl-mahz! No way!   Toz ol! tohz ohl Get lost. Literal meaning is, 'Become dust!' Kızgınım. kihz-gih-nihm I'm angry.   Ben yabancıyım. behn yah-bahn-jih-ihm I'm a foreigner.   Ne yapıyorsun? neh yah-pih-yohr-suun? What are you doing?   Beni rahat bırakın. beh-nee rah-haht bih-rah-kihn Leave me alone.   Buradan gidin! boo-rah-dahn ghee-dihn! Get out of here!   Siktir git! seek-teer geet! F**k off! This is boldly (and obviously) 'off-color'. Polisi çağırırım/ararım! poh-lee-see chahh-ah-rihm/ah-rah-rihm! I'll call the Police!   Polis çağırın! poh-lees chah-rihn [You there!] Call the police!   Defol git! deh-fohl geet! Get out of here!   İMDAT! eem-daht! Help!   Sample Letters of Complaint The events described in these letters are true -- only some names have been changed... So in the case of the dodgy tour operator, beware of the Tursem (its real name) tour operator in Izmir -- unless you like your customer service really 'cheap and nasty'...And in the case of the bungling builder, be sure to pray fulsomely to the 'God who Wards-off Dingbats' -- before buying property in Turkey... Related: Mature Foreign Women, Case History #1! Mature Foreign Women, beware the Turkish lothario! Other Troubles in Turkish Paradise Surviving the Turkish Internet Things you shouldn't do in Turkey Things you should do in Turkey A Boy's (and a Father's) Worst Nightmare About Circumcision Teetotaling THY Flight Attendants want a passenger alcohol-ban Turkish Airlines (THY) and the Non-Alcoholic Tissue-Towels Is the Drinking of Alcohol Forbidden by Koranic Decree? Deadly counterfeit-rakı concerns of Spring 2005 A word about purse (or handbag) snatchers (kapkaççı and gaspçi) Threats of Terrorism and Religious Excess A word about power outages Tour Operator, letter of complaint (English) Tour Operator, letter of complaint (Turkish) Bungling building contractor -- letter of complaint (English) Bungling building contractor -- letter of complaint (Turkish) Unrelated fun: Maganda, The Racy Turkish Lout -- a risqué illustration of the word zipper Aysel, The Turkish Lout's daughter -- has a sexy job interview technique Ferdi Tayfur - Arabesque (Arabesk) Singing Sensation Turkish Movies - Best-Looking Bad Girl of the 1970s, Sevda Ferdağ Bad Girls of the 1970s Turkish Cinema, Aliye Rona The Gossipy Who's Who of Turkey, index The Top Ten Turkish Movies of All Time #5 Selvi Boylum Al Kazmalım (The Girl in the Red Scarf) What Merry Turkish Widows Want What Wily Turkish Widowers Want Fast-working Turkish Diet -- with Alcohol included! Turkish Cartooning, cartoonists, and funny cartoons Discount Phrase for the Turkish Bazaar The 'cold and delicious' ice cream of Kahramanmaraş Association Football - Our Least Favorite Sport Turkish Terms Of Endearment Turkish Personal Names Politically Incorrect Turkish Humor Why Off-Color Turkish is important too Turkish Movies, Index Habibullah and The Great Cannon Caper A Simple Turkish Thing

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