Stinky poo

I am not sure why deodorant isn't universally accepted.  Apparently Turkish folks, men in particular, must consider the use of personal hygiene products an affront to their masculinity.  It is not unusual to crowd into an elevator and find yourself nose to armpit with someone who smells like they haven't bathed or washed their clothes for days.

 Last week we went to a fine restaurant in downtown Ankara.  Once seated, a strong objectionable odor drifted in, and I frantically did a self check to make sure I wasn't the culprit.  Passing muster, I sniffed around to make sure Nabil wasn't the guilty party.  He too was cleared.  At first I couldn't be sure if the odor was coming from inside or outside.  French doors opened onto the street and I thought it was possible that the odor might have been a mix of city sewage and street smells. The sickly sweet stench gathered in small waves, flooding our space and then retreating, until I finally realized that the waitstaff was emitting this pungent odor as they buzzed around and between the tables.

 Of course, bad smells are another of  Nabil's pet peeves, and so I cringed as our waiter moved in closer to take our order, with his armpits positioned just to the left of Nabil's head and perilously close to his nose.  I was sure he wouldn't be able to hold himself, and before the order was completed, he blurted out the obvious,"My god, man, you smell awful!".

Not one to mince words or spare embarrassment, Nabil has gone on a personal mission to clean up the air quality in Turkey. In fact, he has ordered a case of "DIRTY BRITISH" deodorant (especially chosen for resistant and hard to treat body odor ) to be dispensed throughout his company.  Perhaps he will start carrying an extra stick in his pocket and dispensing it as the need arises.  Sadly, his vigilante efforts are like pissing in the wind.  A stinking strong wind at that!

I can only hope the P&G folks are doing their homework. 

The market is ripe...I hope someone fully penetrates it.