Life: Idiotropic

I met Senur not long after I moved here, but like a lot of the Turkish ladies, she was quiet and didn't speak a lot of English, so it was hard to connect with her. Most of the Turkish ladies stay together at our International Women functions because of the language barrier. She stood out in that not only is she a beautiful blond woman - not common in the Turkish community, but she always has the most amazing necklace and earrings on. Once I asked the question - where did she get them? She made them. Wow. I went through the jewelry making phase in high school, but I couldn't imagine making anything as intricate as what she could put together.

Last year she spent months designing and making about 40 sets of earrings and necklaces to raffle off during the Turkish wedding night. I bought a lot of tickets, but I didn't win.

This year, I finally asked her if she would have some time to teach me how, and today, she did!

I'd asked if I could bring a couple friends along and my Spanish friend, Maria, knows Senur as well, so she and Joana (otra Espanola) came as well.

We all picked through a tin of finished necklaces to find a "model" that we liked. Then Senur helped us find the beads, wires, and other pieces that we'd need to make it and she supervised while we worked.

It was simple - four ladies sitting on the floor surrounded by boxes of beads in all shapes, sizes, and colors, working on our necklaces and looking for help once in a while. It was unusually quiet as we all tried hard to concentrate and the talking we did was a crazy mix of English, German, and Spanish with an occasional Turkish word used that I couldn't repeat if I had to - the sounds are very difficult.

Senur had a tray set out when I arrived with a fruit topped cake on it, plates, and cups. Not long after she brought out hot cheesy wiener wraps (crescent rolls with hot dogs and cheese - not expected from a Turkish woman - I was surprised) still steaming from the oven.

She offered drinks to us. The Spanish declined. She put a plate of food in front of Joana. Joana said she couldn't eat and Maria would only eat one small wiener wrap. So I got the big plate. She offered drinks again and I had coffee and the Spanish let her bring them water. It is her culture to have something prepared for guests, and I understand how disconcerting it can be when guests refuse. I laughed later when she said that no one ate and told her that the Spanish don't eat. Really - in the morning, it is especially true. They eat very little with their coffee. And even later, the portions are always small.

When we'd finished, she asked us all to pick out a "model" for next time which was music to my ears! I would love to go and visit with her again. And, I learned that jewelry isn't' her first love. She did oil painting first and had very nice paintings in her home that she had done. She wants to learn ceramic painting, so she's going to come to my home soon and I'll show her how to work with ceramic paint.

**Side note: Another thing that struck me about this day was the quality of the materials that Senur works with. She gets all her materials in Turkey because it's cheaper there and she did have a handful of glass beads. But she had no silver - only inexpensive metals, and most of the beads that she uses are plastic! Some are the same beads I've purchased for my daughters to play with. So, working with them felt strange - I'm used to picking out beads with more weight and value. But, when it was finished, my necklace and earrings were stunning. They hung well. The weight was nice. And when worn, no one can tell it's plastic. I would never have guessed that Senur wasn't wearing something quite fine.