The right people in the wrong place

There is in Istanbul a huge souvenir market.

They call it the Grand Bazaar and according to the Wikipedia (God bless the Wikipedia) it has more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily.

Grand Bazaar

Lanterns (would have liked to have more space in the backpack…)

Apparently the Spanish-speaking customers are very important (while we were walking around we could hear people from Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico…) and that’s why around 30% (or maybe more) of the vendors speak good or really good Spanish!

On the other hand, and not only in Turkey but all across Europe, in train stations or all those places where you need detailed information about an specific thing, the people working there doesn’t speak a word in English, ie:

Bus Station in Skopje:

- We are going from from here to Gevgelia by train. We want to know if there is a bus from Gevgelia to Thessaloniki.

- Skopje – Thessaloniki. Today, 11AM, 180 MKD.

- Yes, I know it… but is there any bus going from Gevgelia to Thessaloniki?

- Thessaloniki. Today, 11AM, 180 MKD.

Train station in Thessaloniki:

- Excuse me… I know that there are no international trains. We want to go to Sofia but the bus office is closed…

- Sofia? No trains. Only bus.

- Yes, I know, but the office is closed.

- No trains, only bus.

- Yes, but it’s closed, the bus departs at 4:30 and there is a sing saying that today they will open at 5. Can I book my ticket here?

- No trains, only bus

- Chingada madreeeeeeeee!!!!

So, the conclusion is that the English and Spanish-speaking people is NEVER in the places where you REALLY need them.

Haydarpaşa train station in the Asian part of Istanbul

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

La gente adecuada en el lugar incorrecto

Hay en Estambul un mercado de artesanías enorme.

Lo llaman El Gran Bazar y según la Wikipedia (¡nunca te mueras, Wikipedia!) tiene más de 58 calles techadas y cerca de 4,000 tiendas que atraen entre 250,000 y medio millón de visitantes al día.

Gran Bazar

Lámparas (ojalá hubiera tenido más espacio en la mochila...) 

Aparentemente los clientes hispanohablantes son muy importantes (mientras andábamos fisgoneando por ahí pudomos escuchar a gente de España, Colombia, Arngentina, México...) ¡y esa es la razón por la que cerca del 30% de los vendedores (quizás más) hablan buen o muy buen español!

Por otra parte, y no sólo en Turquía, sino en toda Europa, en las estaciones de trenes o en todos aquellos lugares en los que requieres de información detallada acerca de una cosa en específico, los trabajadores no habla ni siquiera una palabra en inglés, por ejemplo:

Estación de autobuses en Skopje:

- We are going from from here to Gevgelia by train. We want to know if there is a bus from Gevgelia to Thessaloniki.

- Skopje – Thessaloniki. Today, 11AM, 180 MKD.

- Yes, I know it… but is there any bus going from Gevgelia to Thessaloniki?

- Thessaloniki. Today, 11AM, 180 MKD.

Estación de trenes en Salónica (Thessaloniki):

- Excuse me… I know that there are no international trains. We want to go to Sofia but the bus office is closed…

- Sofia? No trains. Only bus.

- Yes, I know, but the office is closed.

- No trains, only bus.

- Yes, but it’s closed, the bus departs at 4:30 and there is a sing saying that today they will open at 5. Can I book my ticket here?

- No trains, only bus

- Chingada madreeeeeeeee!!!!

Así pues, la conclusión es que la gente que habla inglés y/o español NUNCA está en los lugares en los que REALMENTE la necesitas.

Estación de trenes Haydarpaşa en el lado asiático de Estambul