Congratulations, Taramasalata!! (Galatasaray)

So Galatasaray beat Schalke last night, then.

Or maybe it stayed 2-2, putting them through on aggregate. Or possibly ended 3-3 or 4-4.

All I know is that Galatasaray made it through to the Quarter finals. 

I guessed this, partly because as I went to grab some bread from the shop next door the shop-owner, for once, didn't notice me and therefore grunted at me entirely in Turkish, his gaze fixed determinedly on the tiny TV monitor in his shop. It didn't matter, I know numbers and "goodnight" in Turkish anyway. The tiny score on the tiny screen was 2-2 as I left.

But I know the result thanks to the informative car-horns which rang out throughout the night, taking me back to 2008 in Shoreditch, North London when Turkey (surprise, surprise) inexplicably made it through to the semi-finals of the European Championships, somehow getting past a superior Croatia. 

Up and down Kingsland Road, a twenty-something strong convoy of Turk-packed cars drove, blaring music, waving flags, beeping horns etc...I believe it's called celebrating, something we English football fans are not so used to.

We loved it. Living in North London (and when England don't qualify) you have to make Turkey your honorary team for the tournament, even if only to get cheaper kebabs from the local takeaways. And the kebabs suddenly get even cheaper when you come in cheering on "Tur-Kee-Yeah!" as your neighbours have laboriously taught you, and mentioning names like Nihat and Semih, which you have learnt entirely for the purpose of cheap/free doner meat and chips.

So last night, as Galatasaray fans celebrated their famous win (or draw, I still haven't looked the final score up) last night, rather than being kept awake by the noise I found myself feeling more at home than ever.


(I like that Google tries to correct "Galatasaray" to "Taramasalata". Nice try, Google)