Monday, January 20, 2014

Monday, January 20, 2014 - No comments

An Unappetizing Way to Start the Day....


Trying not to stare.  Trying not to stare.  Really wanna take a picture.  Being polite and focusing intently on my screen instead.

It’s one of those “sleep in the Atatürk Airport Starbucks” kinda nights.  I have an early morning flight home to Canada in a few hours and since I wasn’t keen on spending 400 TL for a few hours in the airport hotel, two armchairs pushed together was the next best option.  Having done this multiple times before, with various combinations of friends, it makes me feel kinda nostalgic, actually.

I rolled in at just after one this morning, got myself a mint tea in hopes of it making me sleepy, tucked my carry-on safely underneath me, and settled in with earplugs for an attempt at a few hours of shut-eye before the long trip really begins.

And...sleeping just became rather difficult.  Apparently they are also using this Starbucks seating area as some sort of transfer lounge, and about half an hour ago forty or so Middle Eastern men descended upon the area in a rather exuberant way.  I finally gave up, called the two hours of sleep I’ve had “enough” and got coffee to keep me awake through the next bit until I'll go through security and passport control.

And - no joke - the man in the chair across from me has just taken off his shoes and socks and is rubbing some sort of herbal cream very meticulously on his heels and between each of his toes.  In between swipes, he grabs swigs of coffee.  Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!!!

Okay, now he's got his shoes back on but he's taken off his shirt and is only wearing a wife beater and is rubbing the cream (foot cream - I saw the label) all over his neck in a very methodical, eyes-closed-and-breathing-deeply-to-relax sort of way.  Under each strap, at the base of his skull, on his temples.....

People are watching with great interest.  I’m very curious as to where he's from.  Earlier, he asked me in Aussie-ish English if he could sit in that chair, but looks more light Middle Eastern or Eastern European.  Can't ever imagine a Turk doing this.....

Shirt's back on.  He's tied a striped scarf around the top of his head, sorta like a turban, and is now resting like it's a pillow....

And now, the scarf is around his waist, baseball cap on, and he's off to board a plane.  Or perhaps to cause someone else's stomach to turn.