In Turkey, black tea is a tradition, not a burden

My research work, entitled, Dummy, the Sketch of a Newspaper Page Layout, was selected among the communication theory and research papers for a symposium, with the theme, Communication in the Millennium, organised by the Faculty of Communication Science, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey. Out of over 1,000 papers submitted by individuals, companies, organisations and universities from […]

My research work, entitled, Dummy, the Sketch of a Newspaper Page Layout, was selected among the communication theory and research papers for a symposium, with the theme, Communication in the Millennium, organised by the Faculty of Communication Science, Anadolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey. Out of over 1,000 papers submitted by individuals, companies, organisations and universities from different parts of the world, only 35 papers were considered.
After weeks of preparation and more research, it was time to leave for Turkey. The thought of those long queues at screening points at the airport can be exhausting, so I made my way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, three hours before my flight scheduled.
Long after the plane got off the ground, my attention was drawn to the voices of two kids who screamed as if they had lost one of their parents. They seemed to be in trouble. Out of sympathy, I wanted to ask if they needed any help. And I waved a piece of binding paper I was reading to help calm the kids down.
As the journey progressed, I noticed that I sat between an elderly person from Sokoto State and a youngster from Abuja. I was lucky to see people I could freely talk to in an environment where people rarely talk to each other. And it was a wonderful experience. During our discussion I discovered that the elderly person was going to perform the Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia while the youngster was going back to London after holidays in Nigeria.
The journey, which started from Abuja on board the Egyptian Airline, was pretty hectic. There was a stopover at Cairo for about four hours before connecting a flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
On arrival at the Istanbul airport, I quickly submitted myself for immigration checks at the desk meant for foreign travellers. I was careful not to make mistakes as that would cause unnecessary delay. And to make the remaining journey easier, I consulted my map for more information. To see someone waiting with my name on a big board always makes me uncomfortable; hence I had informed the Organising Committee that I would find my way with the help of my map, which indicated the international arrivals, next area (ground floor), and a subway to the metro station marked by banners.
To go through the subway metro station, one is required to pay for a ticket before going in the direction of the metro to Esenler-Otagar. Surprisingly, before I could get to the point where I would buy the ticket, someone, from nowhere, had purchased two tickets and handed one to me. And alas! Before I could say a word, he had left. That action instantly created an impression that the Turks are wonderful people.
After few minutes, the train I travelled in had reached the Otagar bus station. When I alighted at the station I learnt that all the buses going to major towns, cities and villages in Turkey move from Otagar and work for 24 hours. There were different transport companies: Ismail Ayaz, Anadolu, KamilKoc and others.
I bought a one-way ticket to Eskisehir with only 35 Turkish Lira and waited in the waiting room, where I watched television meant for relaxation. There were also a canteen and a tea bar.  Moments after I had sat down, I took a deep breath and thanked the Almighty Allah who gave me the opportunity to embark on this adventure made possible through the Dummy.
I further observed that Otagar is a big, modern and beautiful station. Everything seemed to work perfectly, including security operatives. I think the station is one of the best and least complicated bus terminuses in the world.
Looking through the window from the waiting room was a good experience. On a building in Turkey, it is pleasurable to share a view on beautiful cloud formations as well as the movement of cars, buses and people. It is a country where things are made to work for the benefit of the people.
Sitting beside me on another table was a young fellow who was dressed as if he was ready for a wedding party. I looked away, but I was pleasantly surprised when the steward approached me with a cup of tea and Cig borek, pointing at the young man to indicate that he had paid for the order. I thanked him and drank the tea. And before I could put down the cup, another order of the black tea was already on my table again.  Sipping the second cup was easy, knowing that nobody would care. I said, “Thank you, sir,’’ not knowing that he could neither speak nor understand English. Along the way, however, we started communicatingthrough an interpreter, a lady who understood English. We chatted for the rest of the time before we departed. We were going to different directions.
 
Eskisehir by road
The five-hour journey to Eskisehir was just like travelling by air.  We were very comfortable. The transport company and the buses were enticing. Inside the bus there was a personal television screen in front of me, with an option to select either national or international news channels, movies or games.
There was no fear of armed robbery, and there were no accidents on the road, no over-speeding. The most interesting part of the journey was the wireless connection, which was free of charge. The new information technology facilities on the bus were fascinating. As I sat in the bus, almost bewildered, watching the beautiful landscape through the window, I noticed that on the next seat were an old man and his son sitting close to him.
The old man asked for my name and my country. When I said I was from Nigeria, the first person he mentioned was Daniel Amokachi, a Nigerian professional footballer who played for a Turkish club-side known Beşiktaş. Emmanuel Amuneke was also mentioned. He played in Turkey. I wondered why the people proudly mentioned Nigerian professional footballers whenever I said I came from Nigeria. It was as if they were the only thing that mattered to the Turks. They were respected.   
The next question the old man asked was if I would have time to visit his farm. He narrated how he became a farmer at a tender age but now has a big farmland, big machinery. He is obviously among the famous farmers in Turkey. He said he became a farmer at the age of 19, adding that he was listed among the best farmers in his village. He has also travelled to over 50 countries to obtain more knowledge on farming.
To my surprise, he gave me an analysis on how Nigeria became one of the world’s highest consumers of rice in the world. He said rice was one of the most popular regular foods among Nigerians. In Nigeria, almost every family eats rice on a daily basis, he added, saying that rice importation is so high that only a foolish foreign investor would ignore an opportunity to invest in it. According to him, two years ago, he read in the papers that in one year alone, Nigeria spent N891 billion on rice importation.
My Turkish farmer and friend assured me that if he had the opportunity to get a farmland in Nigeria he would help the country to achieve her dreams in agricultural development. Rice exportation is his big dream for Nigeria. He has the logistics to achieve that, he boasted. He said his dream was achievable because Nigeria has very large expanse of fertile farmlands. According to his analysis and statistics, with a population of over 167 million people, any popular food in the country would be a huge income earner for farmers.
The old man looked very simple. He was travelling with his son and there was no bodyguard of any sort. Unlike Nigerian billionaires, he wore a simple T-shirt and a pair of jeans.  
The bus steward interrupted our discussion by asking all the passengers, one after another, what they wanted – the Turkish tea or coffee, with an option to include cake or biscuits and a small can of water. We were served twice before we reached our final destination.
 I asked for more cups of tea. I can’t remember how many times I asked the steward to add more tea. The traditional Turkish tea is black. Turks use special, curved tea glasses and a small plate underneath to make it easier to carry and serve. The tea, some of them said, is sometimes called “a conversation starter.”  It is generally believed that conversations flow better with the tea at hand. As if to corroborate this assertion, our discussion continued, uninterrupted.
As I approached my destination, I drew the attention of the bus steward. I brought out my hotel address. It was very close to the university. My farmer and friend laughed, saying I should not worry since the steward knew everybody’s destination. He assured that, even if I slept the steward would wake me up when it is time for me to alight from the bus. Then our discussion continued and even got more interesting as he told stories of the olden days in Turkey and across its borders. I was happy to meet such a wonderful man.
 
Reception/cocktail party
Not long after I checked into my hotel in the central area of Eskisehir, I realised that the institute where the reception took place was very close. It would take a five-minute walk from the hotel.
During the reception, some people looked as if they were surprised to have a person with different skin colour and traditional attire in their midst. And there were over 100 participants. Truly, I looked very different and easy to identify.
Another drama of sorts ensued when Professor Erkan Yuksel, president of the committee on the symposium, called for general introduction and handshake. During the introduction, there was a pool of professors, associate professors and doctors. I was the only one without a title. Almost all the participants wanted to take my photograph. Nearly all the cameras available greeted me with a snapshot. I became tired.
The next day I rushed to one of the shopping malls to buy sunglasses because the cameras were very sophisticated and could be dangerous to one’s sight. Every step I took throughout the duration of the historical event appeared to have been captured on a camera.   
I learned that the people were originally form Crimea, but may have migrated southward to Turkey, according to historical records.
A Turk further explained that tea as a beverage was imported from China in the 10th century. Another source added that the people started trading on and consuming the beverage since 400 B.C. In 1924, Turkey parliament passed a law on tea cultivation in the eastern part of the Black Sea region. In 1940, an additional law that supported the farmers and protected their rights boosted the cultivation of the tea in that region.  
This is unlike what obtains in Nigeria, where farmers are hardly encouraged. It was, however, gathered that recently, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja, said the federal government was set to inaugurate 600 equipment on agriculture. He noted that Nigeria was set to stop rice importation by 2015.   Recently, too, the minister and the chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, signed a Rice Investment Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the federal government and Dangote Group to invest N160 billion to boost rice production and processing in the country. It is hoped that the federal government would protect Nigerian farmers and encourage them as they strive to checkmate the smuggling of rice into the country.
As a result of the action of Turkish government, black tea is not just a source of food in the country; it is a tradition of sorts. It is the second most consumed drink, after water. In Turkish culture, one does not lack the black tea in one’s home as guests are always entertained with it. In the same vein, a guest is not expected to reject the offer; it is not accepted in Turkish tradition.
In most of the joints visited, friends, relatives and visitors were seen catching fun over cups of black tea. Other delights that go with the tea include lemon, apple, orange, strawberry and many more.
My best memories at Anadolu University were cultivated during the keynote speeches by Professor Roger Norman and other prominent and important speakers during the 12th International Communication in the Millennium Symposium on International Journalism. They expounded on “Old Media Versus New Media: Misconception and Paradox in New Media.” Dr Zekiye T. Gencer spoke about “New Communication Technologies and Changing Consumption Structure: A Research on University Students.”
The Gala Night at Gaga Restaurants, a place surrounded by water, was another pleasurable event. There was a bus that conveyed participants to some parks on a city tour every evening.  
At the Kent Park, which has an artificial beach, we felt as though we were by the seaside. There was also the Sazova Park, which is about science, culture and arts. It boasts of interesting features like children’s playground with many tools, an underground turf, artificial aquatic animal area, a ship in the water, called Pirate Ship, with so much fun inside, as well as beautiful attractions for family tour.
Outside the Pirate Ship are many beautiful areas where visitors and locals can go for picnics and hold parties and wedding ceremonies. It is a wonderful site.  
Colourful pedestrian bridges provide access from one side of the river to another. Small boats are also available for those who want to take an adventure on boat-riding in the river. It was a beautiful scenery full of people of all ages. The water area has a lot of restaurants, fully crowded. And the weather was cool.
The visit to the Central City of Eskisehir was concluded with a stopover at Odunpazari, where we had a long walk at the UNESCO World Heritage site. The place has an old, beautiful architectural building called, “World Capital of Culture.” The houses were decorated with Tatar cultural dressing with designed handmade bags, pillow covers, bed-sheet materials and handmade local jewellery, including rings and necklaces. Here, it is not difficult to find unique and handmade gifts since there are numerous shops that specialise in local artistic designs and creations.
In addition to other attractions, people and delicacies, visitors to Turkey will definitely miss the black tea and how it starts useful conversations, as well as creates and sustains relationships. It has, indeed, become part of the people’s tradition.