Two more weeks of Turkishness

I have just 2 weeks left here in this country, and I'm still in denial. I keep telling the people around me how much time I have left, in order to remind myself that I'm leaving. It's not that I don't want to go back to the US. It's just that I haven't seen the US in almost 2 years. I've gotten used to this place. Since my old roommate left, I spend considerably more time with Turks than I do with Americans. In the last month, I've especially found myself becoming more comfortable being myself in my "new" language, and more Turks have commented how I've learned to communicate more naturally. I love learning, and every day I learn new words or phrases from every day conversation. I've even mastered 2 new Turkish dishes! Several months ago I wrote about learning in class how to make a bulgur pasta-like dish with a garlic tomato sauce (see previous post). Tonight I made it all by myself, with the help of a friend to chop and grate and form. She said it turned out great! Two weeks ago I made Turkish beans and rice and had my neighbor (who is an excellent cook and a good friend) taste it for me. She said the only thing I needed to change was to add more salt to my rice (I didn't salt it). Next week I think I'll try soup. I'm trying to soak up every moment of my cross-culture experience, drinking as much tea as possible, and stopping to sit and talk with an aquaintence for a while or have dinner at their house when asked even though I was originally on my way home.