A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat

One quote that struck me in this reading reads, "Turkey did not seem to exist in Pomegranate that morning" (page 8).  The immense takeover of tourism in Pomegranate seemed to have caused the Turkish culture to disappear.  Although things like authentic Turkish food and souvenirs continued to exists for visitors to purchase, the locals began to deny their past.  Things such as the Turkish national headress, a fez, were forbidden for locals to wear.  There was only one man that Seal could find wearing a fez.  Seal's account of his conversation with the man made it clear that it was okay for tourists to wear a fez, but not in "normal life" could Turkish residents wear them simply because they they were not seen as modern.  The many changes that came with the tourism industry in Pomegranate caused the loss of the Turkish culture.

Seal's explanations of the changes in Pomegranate make it very clear that there is a big interaction between economics and culture.  The mass amounts of money brought in from tourists caused the locals to become accustomed to certain ways of life that the tourists brought in.  Food, music, and language was all adapted to that of the tourists.  One huge example is that of nudity.  When Europeans began to visit Pomegranate, their nudity along the beaches caused outrage and disrespect to the locals.  Culturally, nudity was unheard of, let alone a woman showing the bottom half of their legs.  Once the locals accepted that tourism brought in capital, they started to embrace what would positively affect their businesses.  Postcards of nude women were sold at stands near the beach.  Sales were the priority in Pomegranate, and the locals adapted to changes in order succeed in the economic side of life.

Having visited Cancun, Mexico over spring break this year, I noticed a huge conflict between tourism, culture, and economics.  First of all, being a huge resort hub for mass amounts of tourists, resorts, bars, clubs, and stores all accepted U.S. dollars.  In addition, I did not come across one Mexican employee at our resort that did not speak English.  The restaurants, buffets, and beach grilles all served burgers, fries, and chicken fingers, all while playing popular American songs on their stereo systems.  All of these things are exactly what our culture is in the U.S.  Although all of these things were of huge convenience to my group of friends, I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of Mexican culture that I experienced.  I would have enjoyed more authentic Mexican food, music, and the Spanish language.  Though many people take excursions to go visit ruins in Mexico, it is also known to be dangerous to venture outside of your resort.  We went downtown to Señor Frogs one night.  I thought maybe I would see more culture this way. There were street vendors and the like, but I still only encountered the English language and U.S. currency.  I chose to make use of the Spanish that I know by occasionally speaking to the employees at our resort, as well as in the airport, in their native language.  For me, it was not only fun, but it also gave me a little sense of their culture.