complete the whole day wearing the same varsity jackets outfit
At weekends in winter, we frequently go walking in the glorious blank varsity jacket Taurus Mountains, setting off at the crack of dawn in order to ensure that the expedition makes maximum use of the fantastic weather conditions and of course to ensure a safe return home before dark. Our companions are a mixture of expats and Turkish men and it’s easy to spot the difference between the two races. The non-Turkish members of the group manage to complete the whole day wearing the same outfit, whereas the Turkish chaps stop at regular half hourly intervals, whip out of their vast backpacks to get a clean T-shirt and spend 10 minutes or so to change. This process is repeated throughout the day, thus probably doubling the time in which the walk could otherwise be completed. Their clothing sets the standard for Iditarod mushers, Arctic explorers and hunters. Their boots and mitts are life-saving warm. The latter have a finger extension to work a camera or pull a trigger. If you’re hunting musk ox or filming polar bears in 30-below-zero weather — or if you’re 10 deep varsity jacket on a tree stand all day in Saskatchewan or Worcester County, you can confidently endure the chill with their equipment.
At first I thought this was perhaps a tactic to slow down my rather impatient and notoriously fast-walking husband, but have since realized that it is done out of sheer fear of succumbing to some mysterious ailment brought on by the wearing of slightly damp clothes. So ingrained in their psyche is this habit, that nothing I can say has any impact on them.
That said, over the years, I have noticed a subtle change in the number of clothes I wear in winter. In the early days of my settling in Antalya, I would persist in having bare legs and arms throughout the winter months, despite the surprised and often horrified looks from my Turkish colleagues, who were all firmly wrapped in many layers of dark clothing. Now I watch any of my visiting friends or family leave the house without a coat in alarm, and feel the need to warn them of the temperature when not in the sun.
With ticks exploding this season, Sawyer’s or Duranon permethrine spray is the best insurance varsity letterman jackets against Lyme disease. Used by the military, they’re my reliable protection on all Amazon expeditions and African safaris — or doing Lyme disease research here in Massachusetts. I buy a case every year. Applied to clothing (not skin!), they’re non-carcinogenic and effective through six washings.
However, today is Sunday, so I don’t need to worry about changing 16 3 year olds umpteen times a day. Instead I can thoroughly enjoy Antalya’s winter as I wander down to the lovely Karaalio lu Park and gaze in awe at the beautiful blue sea backed by the snow capped mountains glistening in the bright sunshine.
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