The "I-think-we're-sailing" lessons (Dad)

After months of keeping an eye open for sailing lessons in English the clouds finally parted and I enrolled in a group lesson with 3 Brits who work for Kipa grocery and department stores (owned by Tesco of the UK). The price was great and the idea of learning to sail a 9 meter boat was something the landlubber in me had always wanted to do.


Lesson 1: 


It's 9:05a Sunday afternoon and I'm the last to arrive at my first sailing lesson. OK, I think, so this is new. I've gotten used to Turkish time which is sort of like NYC time in that 5 - 10 minutes late is generally acceptable especially if you're buying and not selling. This by the way is in contrast to Tehran time where arrival within an hour of the designated time doesn't raise even a single well-plucked eyebrow. The wind is not so good for true sailors but good for beginners and we learn to tie some knots.


Lesson 2: 


I have to drive our Fiat Doblo like a maniac but this Sunday I'm on time. Our sailing instructor/captain by the way is an incredibly polite young Turkish woman who speaks English passably well and is very efficient with her commands. At less than 100 lbs. she leaves no doubt as to who is in charge and her instructions send four beefy guys scrambling all over the boat in an effort to please her, I mean learn to sail. The wind was pretty strong even in the marina and she gave us the choice as to whether we wanted to out. ..little did I know what I was in for....rolling waves...Yasemin putting on foul weather gear...texting in the back of the boat...one arm always ready to take the tiller

Where's the captain?