|
Hi jwallace,
There is too much unemployment in Turkia. Even people with university degrees can not easily find a good job and if they do, sallaries are extremely low in Turkia. Other than that many things are extremely expensive as well.
The average sallary in Turkia is the lowest comparing to EU countries.
Electricity, oil, phone charges and internet connection is the most expensive of the World in Turkia. I don't think there is a country that can beat us on these but even if there is we are among the top.
Other than that cars and electronical items are very expensive as well. A car is considered a luxury.
For a simple home computer you would have to save money for six months. It is simillar with kitchen appliances. Any big item such as a fridge, washing machine, or oven will costs as much as a month's income of a person that is in a position as you describe.
Of course you can not give your whole sallary away to buy something like a fridge. You must save for it for many months. Say, you are saving a quarter of your low sallary, which is extremely difficult, then you will buy a fridge in 4 months. Assuming you want to buy a fridge, a washing machine and an oven. You should be expecting to live like a plant for at least a year.
Anything that comes from abroad will be very expensive. Branded clothes and any branded items are first to mention. In a low level income people can not easiliy have a dinner outside. I'm not talking about fancy restourants but about the corner fast food shop. Sitting in a cafe and drinking a tea is luxury. Eating a sandvich outside is a luxury. McDonalds etc. will be not a place to eat. It will be too expensive for you.
With the quarter of your sallary that you saved you can only buy a pair of branded trainers. As a result you won't buy them.
In certain ages, for instance between 16-19, teenagers feel like their looks is very important and they want to wear nice things. Parents of average income will not easily buy a pair of branded trainers for their kids. But the problem is that, others, who have more money, will do and the kids will feel second class at school. Therefore many parents are spending lots of money for their children to prevent them to feel second class and of course they can not buy most of the things they would like to.
Since any type of meat is extremely expensive there are people who can not afford to buy meat for months. Even buying a kg beef is a luxury that you can not afford on a low level income. If a factory worker, or an ordinary office worker (with a high school diploma) would take home a kg of beef the family would be happy not only for a day but for a whole week and they would consume it very carefully.
On a low level income you don't take your children to the supermarket because they will want things that you can not afford e.g. a chocolate.
When I first started working as a teacher I was send to a small village in South-East Turkia (Güneydoğu'da bir köyde başladım öğretmenliğe). I went there with the local bus together with the villagers and when I arrived a few children came and they helped me carrying my items.
Afterterwards, the children and I were having a chat and resting a bit. It was a very hot summer day. We were in front of my new one room flat that was next to the one room school building.
I unpacked a few boxes. I had brought some food with me. I started preparing sandviches for them. One of the children was surprised. He said, "What is this?" and I told him it was a sausage. He was a ten year old boy and he had not eaten sausage in his life.
This was ten years ago. I was 24 at the time. I still remember it like yesterday. It was a difficult year for me. For six months of the year the weather was unbearably hot and whenever some officials arrived in the village to check the school I had to weat a suit jacket. I only had a thick one for winter. As a teacher I couldn't afford buying a summer jacket in my first year.
That year I started learning English and hoped that it would help me for a better life. Life is very tough in Turkia, jwallace.
|
