But oh, what shall that next assignment be? I shall tell you forthwith. I’m going to work for the government!
Ironic, eh?
Istanbul Teknik Universitesi (That’s Istanbul Technical University for those of you who can’t puzzle out the intracies of the unique Turkish tongue) has offered me a job for next academic year. Is it a good job? Oh, my friends and fellow (wo)men, no, it absolutely is not. This job, which will force me to commute across continents (or move house to a strange and exciting new place), represents not only a substantial pay cut (we’re talking 2/3 of my current salary), but also the loss of my most prized possession – private health insurance. Oh, I’ll still have the public variety, but can you imagine what a public hospital in Turkey is like? Try it.... Ok, now add more urine. That’s it.
So, why in the name of Allah would I do such a thing? Am I tired of eating sushi for breakfast and drinking champagne out of the skulls of Anatolian farmers? Well, no. No, I’m not. But there’s a benefit more alluring than an extra XXXX dollars a month. And that, my patriotic peers, is freedom.
I'll essentially be working 1/3 of my current hours, so the trade-off is more than fair. Oh, and the 3-month paid holiday in the summer helps. But more importantly, with the 11 or so teaching hours, I'll have the opportunity to open my own business. Oh yeah, I wanna be a businessman.
The goal is simple – get people to translate documents for me, charge as much as possible, and pay them as little as possible. Is that how capitalism works? The details are not important, and not really planned out. Just like everyone else in this country, I'll kiss my prayer beads, mutter a "Bismillah" and refuse to think about the consequences of my own actions (yes, I'm starting to get too comfortable here).
Anyways, that means it looks like I’ll be giving one more year of my life to this country of infidels. May God himself save me from the Starbucks on Bahariye Caddesi, the TGIFridays on Bagdat, and the McDonalds lounging languidly by the bull on Alti Yol. And the duck, the noble-winged simple-minded duck is still pacing around the fish market in my little Kadi village.
Look at this crown of thorns.
Aaron
