Life in Constantinople.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 November 1922, Page 4

Life in Constantinople.

A NEW ZEALANDER’S EXI’ERI- | ENCES. A New Zealander who has been v,s ting Constantinople, writing a few b months ago (before the .Eastern trouble) says of life there :—A few' nights , * after my arrival I was taken to a then- ! j tie at Stamboul, which began at 11 p.m. The play, being all in Turkish. I did not have a very clear idea of it , but the people were amusing to watch There was a special gallery, where all the women were herded together. After the theatre we went to see the Russian Circus. Everyone goes to bed very late here. At first it seemed extraordinary to have dinner at 8.30 or 9 p.m., and go to pictures about 10 but one grows accustomed to all things It is so hot in the afternoon that the ‘ host thing is to sleep, and then go and I play tennis when it is cool, about 6 or 7 o’clock. The most delightful part ' of the life are the picnics on tha Bosphorus. Wo have a launch, and a party goes up the Bosphorus. some- . times nearly to the Black Sea. YYo / • eat Russian salad, ham. tongue, sausages, etc., and drink gin. whisky. : eider, beer, or lemonade either on i hoard the launch or on some shady 1 bench. Then comes bathing in the > most lovely water really warm, and no 1 danger of sharks. The Bosphorus is so 1 beautiful that it is really sad to see L the dilapidated condition of tec houses . overlooking it. The Turk never lioth- )■ ers to repair anything when it is liro- - ken—lm just leaves it until it rots to t pieces. These houses are dirty, and 1 the floors so broken that it is a ’ wonder the people do not fall through into thg water. i. Our domestic arrangements are ra- ; thor strange. We have a Greek lnuise--1 maid and a Turkish cook. The cook ! knows no French or Fnglish, so that we never hv any chance get what we s order. The housemaid knows a very little of both. Fortunately she i- - intelligent and we •‘moo” for milk. • “grunt” for bacon, am! “Imp” for cheese, and frantically bunt out words ” in the Gieek phrase book. At any rate, they are clean, which is a great p joy. Our Inst, n Russian, <ooked most - wonderful dishes, but the kitchen was t littered with mouldy cabbage leaves, f rotten tomatoes, bad meat, etc., and |. the bread was always, cut with an 0 oniony knife. The .me belore him. a Persian, was always having ihe devil - in him” (out of a boUR). ; We had a most interesting drive the t other day, but to Iho Belgrade forest ’ and house by the shore nt the Bosphorus. We had fea by the aqueduct [■ built bv Constantino the First, boiled . the kettle under one of the arches. ' This aqueduct is a wonderful example - of the building of those times. It is " in perfect condition and is in fact still • used. The Grand Bazaar is a most fascinating place, one can spend hours , there (piite happily. One walks through endless streets and Rolls into ■ the little shops, and one man conics out ' and says. “T have kimonos, lady, very niie, \ erv cheap." and another calls ' attention to the beauty of his silks and so on. Tt takes ages to buy anything. ’ as they always name an absurdly high price, and one has to beat them down gradually, f was there all one morning and ended up with two brass candlesticks. ! Wo spent a delightful evening one Saturday, dancing at the Summer Palace Hotel. This hotel is at a place called Thcrafia. ibout an hour’s drive. The roads are perfectly fiendish. The ; lintel ovci looks t’’e Bosphorus, and after the dances lie went out oil the 1 terraces and watched the ships. There was a splendid band, really goad Kus--1 si,in musicians, playing. The dancing went on till 2 a.m., and then vo had the long drive home. Same of the

restaurants are very charming. There is one where on sits at little tables under the trees. and from every I,■•ranch hang, red white and blue lights. A most extraordinary crowd of Greeks rolled here, their table manners are appalling and they all use the toothpicks vigorously.