Today, March 7th in Ankara

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Hello friends,

 Today, March 7th was also a day full of meetings and good experiences.

We started the day meeting with Hulya and her parents at noon at Hacibaba Cafe. Her parents are very nice and sweet persons and we thanked them for giving us the opportunity of meeting them. In the middle of many conversations on different issues and çay and food, her parents invited us to a village 50 km away from Tunceli and who knows, we might spend a week end with them in June, together with Hulya. At 3;30 pm we said good-bye and hugged with lots of human warmth. We agreed with Hulya that she will come to the next meeting of experience. She was happy for spending so much time with us.

Walking home, after buying Isabel and Donatella bus tickets for tomorrow and having bought some sweets, a 100 m away from home, we met with Murat, his friend Ayca and his photography teacher, Asli in the middle of the street. They had just passed by our house to meet us. What a wonderful coincidence to meet on the street. Of course, we all went back home for çay and sweets. Murat's friend, Ayca, is a very beautiful and sensitive person, she speaks English and helped us a lot in the conversations. Asli is also a very sensitive person and after having suffered depression, decided that life is very beautiful. So, two persons in an interesting and open state. Murat taught them the texts which are posted on the walls of the salita and Asli took the book and started reading, while Peter and Donatella prepared çay in the kitchen. Lory and Isabel talked with the three of them in the salita and it was all very lively, while Murat took pictures.

When çay was ready we all went to the kitchen and talked for a long while in a very happy atmosphere, with lots of attention. We invited Asli and Ayca to the next meeting of experiences, next Wednesday. Murat was very happy to meet with us. They left at 6:00 pm and we had a short nap, before the date with Aylin and Zehra at 7:30.

Before, our nap Yüksel arrived with his son Shiar, while he played on the computer, Yüksel talked with Isabel who wants to practice Turkish. A while later, Yüksel's cousin, Erkan, arrived. A young and very nice man with whom we had çay, sweets and chats until 8:00 pm. In the meantime, Aylin warned us that she was sick and couldn't come. Neither could Zehra. Mehdi let us know that he was waiting for us in his house to do a small celebration and a well being ceremony. So, at around 8:30, Lory, Isabel, Donatella and Peter went off to his house, while Yüksel brought his son home to his Mom and Erkan stayed at home waiting for Yüksel. Before we left, we invited Erkan to the next meeting and also to come to Mehdi's house with Yüksel.

When we got on the bus in Kizilay, the driver told us it was a bus with cards and we couldn't pay with coins, so we had to wait for the next one to pay with coins. But, a man stood up and told us to get on and that he would pay with his card. We thanked him and wanted to give him the coins, but he said no, that it was ok. We got sweet looks from various persons who nodded in consent and looked at us aimably. There was and old man who wanted to give us his seat, but we said no and thanked him. There was a very special and soft atmosphere in the bus in this moment. When the man who payed for our tickets was about to leave, we said good-bye and thanked him again and the old man touched his arm and said he had done a very good thing. It was all very interesting, a moment full of this new sensitivity expressed by all who were on the bus. Something soft, of shared goodness.

We reached Mehdi's house and he was waiting for us with çay, cookies, chocolate and fruit and welcomed us with his special human warmth. After a while, Yüksel also arrived, without Erkan, who according to Yüksel had gone to visit his family but would be back next Wednesday for the meeting.

After some great conversations, listening to some beautiful Iranian music, Mehdi showed us the pictures of his family, especially his mother and the love he feels for his family was very obvious. We chose a beautiful picture of his Mom, to repeat the well being ceremony for her, we had agreed to do.

We went back to the living room, for the ceremony, guided by Peter in English but in a freer way, accompanying closely and something strong and beautiful arose, asking for Mariam, Mehdi's mother and each one also for the persons very dear to them. Finishing the ceremony, the living room was charged with well being and something else and we hugged with intense softness. It was a very special experience, charging Mehdi's house with our best wishes, together with 6 friends. All were moved and thankful.

We continued to watch some short videos on historical place and ancient Persians, among them Persepolis. Very inspiring.

At midnight we said good-bye and went back to our house and left Mehdi super happy with shining eyes and we were also happy.

We got back home and talked until 2:00 am.

Another day full of good experiences, again contributing to strengthen and deepening our relationships and opening new ones.

Clicking on the picture, you will open today's album.

With a big hug for everyone,

Isabel, Donatella, Lory, Mehdi, Murat, Yüksel and Peter