Asian women enjoy ‘tapioca’ days in Istanbul
It’s just passed noon, and there’s activity in the kitchen. Someone’s always knocking on the front door – guests are arriving. Everyone has a plate of dishes…
It looks like a women’s day in the Turkish tradition, where housewives get together once a month at a home to chat over a home-made meal. This meal, however, does not consist of stuffed green peppers or grape vines; instead there is tapioca, Cathay chicken and Sumatran-style curry meat. The guests are women from countries like Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Istanbul Asian Ladies Group has more than 50 members. They are from a vast region stretching from India to Japan, including Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand… Some are the wives of foreigners here for temporary jobs and are thus here for just a few months while others are married to Turkish men and have lived here for years.
Each has her own unique story but they all share the experience of being Asians living in Istanbul.
Once a month they get together at a member’s house. Don’t be fooled by the name of the group being Istanbul. There are some who come from Ankara and Bursa, too. The only condition is that they bring a traditional dish from their country.
