Yunus:
Well, it's like rubber time in large parts of the world. It's like two o'clock doesn't mean two o'clock. It could mean four o'clock, it could mean the next day.

Steph:
Exactly.

Yunus:
For example, for me, I'm from West Turkey. We're more aligned with the Mediterranean culture. So two o'clock again might mean around two o'clock.
We say “around two o’clock” just to be honest about it. Because we also have this idea of being kind. You don’t want to hurt people.

Steph:
I never know because my formative years were in New York City, which is just so intense. When I moved to California and people said “around this time,” I didn’t know what to do. So I’d just show up at the beginning and bring something to keep me busy.

Yunus:
Yeah.

Steph:
I wouldn’t get annoyed, but I didn’t know what to do.

Yunus:
“Around 2 o’clock” means it can be 1:30… or 2:30… maybe 2:45.

Steph:
Exactly. I had a friend who would say “between 1 and 1:30,” and I was like thank you, that I can deal with.

Yunus:
Let’s make a scale. There’s 1 and there’s 3. If I say 2, it means somewhere in the middle. Not too close to 1, not too close to 3.

Steph:
Being in a place like Shanghai where everything takes an hour, I actually appreciate that.

Yunus:
They have their own terms here too. In Mediterranean cultures it’s more linear. Here it’s more circular.
For example, “next Friday” can be confusing. You have to clarify which cycle you mean.

Steph:
I’m still getting over “behind being future.”
Okay, in Turkish, what’s your hand gesture for the future?

Yunus:
For future, you go sideways.
For past, inside, like a circle.

Steph:
Oh my gosh. Okay. That’s new for me.
So backward is similar to English.

Yunus:
Yeah.

Steph:
For listeners: Yunus is doing a sideways motion for the future. I did Zumba last night so I’m thinking in steps, which is not helpful.

Yunus:
If I say “let’s do it later,” I might push outward.
If I feel like it’s far away, it might shift slightly. But it’s always outward.

Steph:
Yeah. In English, future is in front, past is behind.
But I’ve heard in Greece and maybe China, past is in front because you can see it, and future is behind.

Yunus:
Turkey is in between. We mix everything. Backwards, sideways, everything works.

Steph:
That feels accurate.

Yunus:
Also we use this a lot.
(Italian-style hand gesture)

Steph:
Yes! The “mama mia” gesture.

Yunus:
We use it all the time. Like “I’m telling you,” or “it’s beautiful.”

Steph:
That’s so New York of you guys. I have Italian parents so I get to say that.