It’s not just the who that is dictated by tradition, but the how. The decorum of those present at the tea house I visited seemed possessed by this same binding tradition, defined by time. In the more conservative Southeast of Turkey, the spirit of the Middle East becomes even more evident. The çay evi, as the tea house is known in Turkish, rules the neighborhood; and in turn, there are rules to follow. If you don’t like your tea, the tulip-shaped glass is flipped. The upside down nature signals its inadequacy. If you can’t drink anymore, the glass is placed on its side. Words aren’t exchanged, nor are they needed. It’s the social pact.
As I passed from table to table, making my way deeper into the tea house, the character of the place changed from what I originally saw from afar. Because the knowledge of my presence had diffused as efficiently as the sounds of the breaking of a daily fast at dusk during Ramadan (that clatter of plates heard everywhere, all at once), in the tea house everyone’s attention seemed diverted for a moment. Tables waved for my attention; each man wanted to meet me. Or, as I heard from clicks of a shutter on several cellphones, retain evidence of what they had seen inside the tea house– just as I, admittedly, was doing as well.
The subdued chaos of the çay evi continued as I left. Tiles clinked, plumes of cigarette smoke drifted in the air, and the teenage tea runner (a boy, of course) shuffled through the tables with his charge of incoming tea. The social decorum continued, as unchanged as it had for centuries.
To be invited into a Turkish tea house is like being invited into a secret society. Accept it with dignity and linger long enough to sip at least two glasses of tea.
A note to tea connoisseurs: Turkish tea, which is infamous for its strong brew is prepared with a no-nonsense approach: no milk, just sugar. The leaves are grown in the northeast region of the country.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Anna Frisk is a modern nomad seeking a yurt (or tipi). Since leaving her humble home of 200 in Iowa, she has lived in Okinawa, Japan; Beijing & Zhengzhou, China; Santiago de Chile; Baeza & Madrid, Spain; and currently Fethiye, Turkey. Her next big move is scheduled for Arequipa, Peru. Follow her nomadic lifestyle on her blog, Nomadic Ventures, or elsewhere in the digital realm. —nomadicventuresmedia
