Kidfest 2006

Last Sunday was spent visiting friends and family. We went to the (beautiful) apartment of Meltem's friend Esra, where a number of our circle and their kids gathered for brunch. It was lots of fun. I'm happy to report I got my Elvin fix:





Meltem was also popular as a soccer coach:



And I must introduce Sena, Esra's daughter. She's a couple of months older than Elvin, I think, and is definitely high on the list of cuties. She's also incredibly friendly and comfortable with people, even at age 1.



And so the adults don't feel left out, here's some of them. From left to right: Derin, Ilker (Sena's dad), Ant, Durul (Elvin's dad).



And here is Tuba, Ant's wife. (The names don't sound as goofy in Turkish as they do in English; Tuba is a tree in Paradise, and Ant means "oath.")


(Yes, that's Sena in the background.)

The brunch was fun, then we went to an aunt's house faaaaar away on the Asian side. There I was buttonholed for almost an hour by an uncle who is a pious Muslim (and a surpassingly nice guy); he wanted to pick my brain about Arabic and my knowledge of the Qur'an. Interestingly, he asked me if I was "moved" when I read or heard the Qur'an in Arabic. I had only heard about this notion; some Muslims think the Arabic of the Qur'an (having been written by God, of course) is so transcendentally beautiful that you can be moved to convert even if you don't understand it. Sorry. It's not.

Anyway, gotta get prepared to face my students. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and hopefully I will post something relevant.