Karagöz shrugs his shoulders – the other puppets celebrate!

Posted on November 7, 2012 by lizcameron

Dia de los Muertos 2012 election presidential obama ted kennedy

The Dia de los Muertos puppets educated by Turkish Karagoz puppets about last night’s election – and the venerable Senatory Ted Kennedy who would likely be thrilled at the new promise this election brings for Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act) not to mention the election of our new Senator, Elizabeth Warren (Image by Liz Cameron)

Last night, the night of the elections in the U.S., Karagöz stayed up late with M. to see if Green Party candidate Jill Stein would win, shrugged his shoulders & did some “cheer up” somersaults when she didn’t.

I was exhausted from physical therapy and a painful time after grading, not to mention the anxiety of watching the electoral vote tally. So, off to bed early with a late night whisper of great news from M. that I thought was a dream until early morning insomnia revealed the truth of an out LGBT senator, a “binder of women” heading to DC – including both the first Asian-American and practicing Hindu women elected to the Senate ever – dubbed by some a “Fox News Nightmare”.  And so much more good news as well.  I wish all in our country saw it this way – and I wish that the presidential race had not broken down on embarrassing racial lines, but all in all I’m thrilled and most of the puppets are as well.

Mr. & Mrs. Obama, dancing (Image by Liz Cameron)

Walking the mile to my doc’s appointment today, the puppets were all a-flutter as I listened to the morning-after, sleep-deprived political pundits on my iPhone as the snow began to swirl. Stopping their a-flutterness upon spotting some of their kind, namely, puppets, they stopped for a good chat with the Mexican Dia de Los Muertos puppets who were celebrating in a store window – and who educated my Karagöz puppets about the venerable late Senator Kennedy as well.  You can see one of those Mexican puppets dressed up like Senator Ted Kennedy – as well as a couple of puppets dressed up like Mr. and Mrs. O. dancing on their inauguration night.

A Dia de los Muertos puppet in honor of the late Senator Ted Kennedy (Image by Liz Cameron)

After battling with doctors, it was a tiring day and despite a good larger reality in the U.S. tonight, I have a sore right hand, so I’m stopping.  The puppets nod their approval, even Karagöz.

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The puppets consult Rumi re: the U.S. Presidential election: Karagöz goes green – the rest of the puppets yell Gobama!

Posted on November 6, 2012 by lizcameron

English: President Barack Obama, First Lady Mi...

English: President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Malia Obama watch as Sasha Obama lights a candle in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Français : Le président Barack Obama, la First Lady Michelle Obama et Malia Obama regardent Sasha Obama allumer un cierge dans la cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Karagöz has been heckling me for weeks, saying things like  “Vote your conscience, and wreak havoc!”  M. agrees with the first part of the sentence, but not the second,  I think Karagöz has been whispering in his ears at night again.

 

As for the rest of the Karagöz puppets, now that I am off the computer most of the time, they have mastered the art of the iPad, and are searching up a storm about how the U.S. presidential candidates would impact the Ottoman Empire…if only they really understood that those days are *over* – they are a little confused. Safiye Rakkase, the vainglorious dancing girl, explains she will vote for Obama because he and his wife have the best dance moves and that Mrs. O. has the best clothes.  Esma rolls her eyes at that.

 

Overall, the majority of the Karagöz puppet troupe have decided on their candidate after consulting the works of Rumi, and have taken to parading around the house yelling “Gobama!” on an endless, cacophonous basis.  They are, of course, inspired by the Million Puppet March, in honor of PBS and Big Bird (see links below).

 

“What was it,” I asked quietly, “that you read in Rumi’s work that made you decide on Obama?”

 

“It was this quote,” Esma the hippie puppet said, pointing to the book on my nightstand, “right here:”

 

“People of the world don’t look at themselves, and so they blame one another.”

 

“Obama seemed as though he looked at himself the most.”

 

…and now that *that* is settled, how shall I break it to them that they are not eligible to vote today?

 

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The Karagöz puppets help me to learn the “easy button” for Turkish-American dinnertime

Posted on November 6, 2012 by lizcameron

ıspanaklı poğaça

Hitting the “easy button” Turkish-American style, olives and ıspanaklı poğaça for supper on the fly (image by Liz Cameron)

As you may recall, these days, I can only type with my right hand due to a rotator cuff injury in my left shoulder. That means no food prep that involves chopping, for one…and tonight, well, I just wanted to collapse in an indulgent puddle of salty tears, but even those would not spring forth. I also locked myself out of the house after a medical visit and waited in a local cafe for 3 hours until M. finished work. Not a stellar day.

The puppets sat on the window ledge next to me as I winced through grading 18 papers, worrying about how to fix dinner. Mercan Bey, the spice trader, sat and watched the Central American cooks prepare this & that. Celebi paced back & forth restlessly until he explained that he needed to take off on important business…

…an before long, there was M., with his brilliant smile & a big hug – and Celebi on his shoulder, yelling “remember the easy button!” And before I knew it, M. Had whisked us all off to the local Armenian bakery for some olives & ıspanaklı poğaça (spinach pastries) that we demolished faster than high teenagers in a McDonalds.

ıspanaklı poğaça

ıspanaklı poğaça! (image by Liz Cameron)

Thanks, Celebi and M., for teaching me about the “easy button” for dinner in a Turkish-American household.

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