So, since selling the car, we have also sold our apartment and our house and to us, that’s great news! The idea has always been to buy a large piece of land, build our house and remain their until we receive the call from our makers. I wish we had found the land but no, even though we’ve been looking on and off for a few years, we’ve still not found what we are looking for. People say, ‘lower your standards’ or ‘does it really matter where it is’ to which I say ‘no’ and ‘yes’ in that order. I know, it is unlikely I will find exactly what I’m looking for and I will admit to being a fussy cow. So what will we do?
I am and always have been a firm believer in bricks & mortar and I abhor renting so that is not an option. Myself and Mu have ‘debated’ our options over the last few days. He seemed to think we would buy an apartment for the time being, bless him… I soon put him straight. In the end we have come to the conclusion we should build, but sadly not the dream house. We are now thinking of building 4 semi’s, one for us, one for the land owner and two to sell. And, where there would normally be hundreds of ceramic tiles there will be green as I am insisting on a garden. I can do another stop gap while I wait as long as I have mother nature on my doorstep, even if it’s only a little bit of her to care for.
My reason for writing this though was the reaction from the family. My mother in law had been crying her eyes out as the village drums have been beating incessantly with the rumor that we are skint and are selling off all of our possessions!
Born and bread in the city of London, I don’t think I will ever get used to village mentality; be it the small closed Kurdish village that my mother in law lives in or Altinkum. I have found people are far too interested in other peoples business here, they want to know the ins and outs of a ducks ar*e (to coin a phrase) and they take great delight gossiping about what they think they know. It’s ‘little life syndrome’ but, I guess that’s all part and parcel of ex pat living isn’t it?
I find it sad the so many people have a problem with success. Compliments come at your double barreled with a sting in the tail..for instance, on losing weight: ‘oh well done….just a shame about all the stretchmarks now’ or on getting engaged ‘oh congratulations and don’t worry he will be able to afford a proper diamond in a few years’ that kind of thing. I am of course worldly wise enough to know it is their own insecurities that make them act this way but my poor mother in law takes everything at face value.
Murat has often said the village gossips are just waiting for the fallout and I think it must be the same in villages worldwide?
As for gossip, well I don’t think I’ll ever have enough time on my hands to care….I’m far too busy getting on with life!