Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 19:09:09 -0500

From: Ron Rabin RABINRL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SNYBUFAA.CS.SNYBUF.EDU

Subject: Re: urgent help needed



As a Peace Corps volunteers in Turkey, my wife and I had many of those

"I can't understand you because I know I can't understand you" experiences.

These are most fun when you can witness the transition. I sat down next

to a man on an intercity bus who was reading a newspaper. Without lowering

the paper he greeted me and we exchanged ritual conversation. When

we got to the point in the ritual where he asked, "Memleketiniz ne?" (where

are you from--literally "what is your country" but meaning what part of

Turkey), and I answered, "Americaliyim," the conversation was suddenly

over. He physically jumped when I answered, so "deceived" had he been.

Ron Rabin

Buffalo State College