Yes, I do enjoy linguistic ignorance from time to time. I met with a Turkish Couchsurfer when I was in Istanbul who generously spent two days showing me the city via the Bosphorous ferry and a drive along the Golden Horn. He wanted to give me a crash course in the Turkish language and I had to explain that after almost two weeks in Kyrgyzstan, where I was speaking in Russian all the time and sometimes interpreting (one of my most loathed activities), I wanted to be in the bliss of linguistic ignorance and understand little to nothing of what is said around me. My brain needed a break. When you are in a city as beautiful as Istanbul, and so full of history, just soaking it in is a delight.

Here are some photos of what I enjoyed looking at and admiring.

When I walked into the Hagia Sophia, I wondered, “Why do so few Americans have passports?” With wonders like this former cathedral that became a mosque under the Ottoman Empire, reasons abound to travel the world.

 

A little language fun…

In Russian, this börek shop would mean Idiot’s börek (meat or spinach filled pastries)!

 

Palace doors along the Bosphorus. I adored walking along the Bosphorus and appreciating the ornate doors of the old palaces.

 

Ignorance is bliss!

 

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2 COMMENTS

  1. It happens a lot, especially to Spanish speakers! Its funny how a Californian bank sounds in Spanish “Rabobank” “rabo” means either tail or u00a0butt. Also many Brazilian futbol players have very funny names to usu00a0Spanishu00a0speakers, while foru00a0Portuguese-languageu00a0natives it common name for us its totally different. Take for example Kaka the famous brazilian soccer star if you change that to caca than meansu00a0fecesu00a0in Spanish!! Or Elano another famous Brazilian futbol u00a0player isu00a0Spanishu00a0it literally translates too “The Anus.” Yesu00a0definitelyu00a0ignorance is bliss in most cases XD

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