Birthday on the Bridge

We arrived in Istanbul on Gykeria's birthday so of course we had to go out and celebrate. Galata Bridge is a double level bridge with restaurants/coffee shops underneath and a road on top. We decided to make our way from one end to the other to see what was on offer before deciding on a place to go to. It took ages!!! As we walked past each establishment we were wooed by the employees and promised special discounts, it was almost impossible to walk away, we landed up pulling each other out of their clutches (of course we enjoyed every minute of it!)
Turkish man: "Hello my beauty, come come, I give you special price, delicious food, come come, beautiful girls, oh so beautiful! I give you flower"
He proceeded to fold a serviette into a rose!


We oohed and aahed and were about to sit down when we heard someone calling us:
Turkish man from next door restaurant: "My lovey ladies, that is a paper flower, I give you real flower, come come beautiful ladies, I give you special price, come come"


Ching... chong... CHA! Paper beats actual. Why? Because the paper guy promised to give us a cake! We really are cheap dates.


Not only did we get cake but fruit and fire too! *shrugs* who knows why the fruit comes with fire!


AND we got "3 flowers for 3 princes" we assumed he meant princesses.


Just when we thought it couldn't get any better a little band popped out of nowhere and starting singing happy birthday! This was the best unplanned party ever!

You don't know Jack

Try and order a Jack & Lime in Greece. At best you will get freshly squeezed lime juice, at worst concentrated lemon juice. No matter where I went in Greece there was no lime cordial to be found.
"Peite mou"
"Jack and lime parakalo"
"E??"
"Tzak me lime"
"Tzak me lemoni?"
"Oxi, tzak me lime, L-I-M-E"

*holds thumbs*
"Oriste, tzak me lemoni"
*sigh*

I've been back home for almost 6 months and only now stumbled across www.sastore.gr and what do you know they sell Rose's Lime Cordial! I would have gladly paid the 5,5 euro, if only I had known! The next time I visit Uncle Jack in Greece I'll be sure to pop past the SA store first.



.

Lost in Translation

- Have a cookie. Its peanuts *heavy greek accent*
*a green cookie? maybe he means pistachios*
- ok, thanks *takes a bite*, *swallows hard*
- oh...... you mean its spinach

its peanuts = its speanuts = eets speenats = its spinach

.

Love is blind. Not deaf

I'll just have a glass of water thanks

In Greece, it is assumed that you know what you want to order without having had a look at the menu. Requests for a menu are met by a grumble and followed by crappy service from that point on. How the flip am I supposed to know what I want to order if I dont know what you serve?!?
*menu arrives*

Huh? What is Water Ice? That's like saying Hot Cold or Up Down... aah dont you just love Greek Engrish? Good thing I can read greek, poor tourists. *stares blankly at the greek writing* So a Water Ice is a granite? erm, what? Turns out its actually a Slush Puppie *shrugs her shoulders*

Greek Engrish and oh-so-gay shirts

All the boys are wearing sparkly shirts, not just a sparkle here and there, really really ridiculously sparkly shirts! I may be wrong but I just dont see straight South African boys following this trend (I hope I'm wrong, the clubbing scene here is so fabulous, sparkly shirts dancing all around, its like a disco ball on steroids!)

Greek Engrish

Pool rules at the Nicopolis Club, I nearly died laughing!