I have been trying to formulate a way to describe Arko to some who do not understand its strong scent. Some may be subjective or opinionated but mostly grounded in fact.
I spent 16 Months stationed in Turkey, near Adana. I hit the ground running and I hardly ever spent a single weekend on the base as I explored the back country, the seaside resorts/beaches, and especially the small towns and castle ruins. I learned the language and the culture. Nothing is as fun as seeing a farmers market or bazaar and ditching the truck to go see what kind of deals could be found. Outside of the major cities I never really encountered a mean person. You see, the Turks are extremely proud of everything Turkish. That means if an ignoramus like me shows up wanting to do something or learn something Turkish, they will hold your hand through the task until you can do it. It’s a matter of pride for them.
Along with this I learned the good with the bad. The word bad may be debatable since some things may not be bad, just different than anything I and an American are accustomed to. While Turkey is a second world country, they are not quite as developed as America. Running water, electricity, natural gas, things we take for granted isn’t piped into every home. The simple potbelly stove in the center of the house can be for warmth and cooking. If it can burn, it hit the stove. Plastic, coal, wood, rubber, all combines for a pretty bad odor in the urban areas.
The lemon scent is ingrained in everything Turkish. The absolute worst that I hated while there was the Turkish version of Pine-sol. When it was time to mop the floors, a single drop seemed like an absolute assault on all senses. I had to walk out and let it air out and dry up before I returned. But other things like a type of cologne was used in most all restaurants and roadside food vendors. After you were done eating, it was customary for the host to open the lid and squirt a handful for you to splash on your hands, arms, neck and face. This washed away the funk smell of cooking and made you presentable for the rest of your journey. I liked this enough that I bought myself a bottle as a memento of Turkey. It is about 50% alcohol, 50% lemon scent. Strong, lasting, and sometimes offensive if you aren’t accustomed to it. My Wife hates it. I usually splash some on and chase her around the house…
Now for something that may seem opinionated and I will be as tactful as I can without offending any of our members. Some cultures have different outlooks on personal hygiene than what we in America may have. It may be grounded in religion, lack of services, or upbringing, but some cultures may not shower daily or use deodorant. This isn’t bad, only a matter of perspective, especially when some customs are deeply rooted in different beliefs than what us Americans can relate to.
Before I got to use the Arko last night the wife smelled it in the bathroom and came to find me to tell me I made the bathroom smell like Turkey. When I used Arko for the first time, I reached for the lemon cologne, and the scents were a clone of each other. The scents from the Turkish products we use here in the states are strong for a reason. They are meant to last through the day to give the user that strong scent of lemon. Some users find it too strong, but remember, it is meant to be. Especially considering it might have been envisioned to be used in a different environment, like Turkey. I think the Arko haters associate the strong imitation lemon scent with the over-the-top smell of Pine-sol used to clean bathrooms. I cant deny they are similar. Not really the urinal puck others claim. Turks on the other hand associate the strong lemon scent with clean, and unsullied. Also, if you ever visit Turkey, you wont find any urinals either, so they wont know what a urinal puck smells like.
I found a link that describes a bit of the attachment Turks have with the lemon scent.
http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=191649
So to close, I would like to apologize in advance if I offended any ethnic community member. This isn’t meant to offend, rather to enlighten B&B members about Arko and its use in its country of origin. I also tried hard not to make any assertive blanket statements to prevent any controversy. I’m not trolling for a fight.
My first use of Arko took me back to the seaside vendor in Mersin. He cut and grilled the lamb chops for us as we waited. We were hungry from swimming all day. The Mediterranean air filled with grilled chops and wood charcoal. When finished the burly fellow walks over and squirts the lemon in his hands and smears it all over my face laughing the whole time. That’s where Arko takes me.
I spent 16 Months stationed in Turkey, near Adana. I hit the ground running and I hardly ever spent a single weekend on the base as I explored the back country, the seaside resorts/beaches, and especially the small towns and castle ruins. I learned the language and the culture. Nothing is as fun as seeing a farmers market or bazaar and ditching the truck to go see what kind of deals could be found. Outside of the major cities I never really encountered a mean person. You see, the Turks are extremely proud of everything Turkish. That means if an ignoramus like me shows up wanting to do something or learn something Turkish, they will hold your hand through the task until you can do it. It’s a matter of pride for them.
Along with this I learned the good with the bad. The word bad may be debatable since some things may not be bad, just different than anything I and an American are accustomed to. While Turkey is a second world country, they are not quite as developed as America. Running water, electricity, natural gas, things we take for granted isn’t piped into every home. The simple potbelly stove in the center of the house can be for warmth and cooking. If it can burn, it hit the stove. Plastic, coal, wood, rubber, all combines for a pretty bad odor in the urban areas.
The lemon scent is ingrained in everything Turkish. The absolute worst that I hated while there was the Turkish version of Pine-sol. When it was time to mop the floors, a single drop seemed like an absolute assault on all senses. I had to walk out and let it air out and dry up before I returned. But other things like a type of cologne was used in most all restaurants and roadside food vendors. After you were done eating, it was customary for the host to open the lid and squirt a handful for you to splash on your hands, arms, neck and face. This washed away the funk smell of cooking and made you presentable for the rest of your journey. I liked this enough that I bought myself a bottle as a memento of Turkey. It is about 50% alcohol, 50% lemon scent. Strong, lasting, and sometimes offensive if you aren’t accustomed to it. My Wife hates it. I usually splash some on and chase her around the house…
Now for something that may seem opinionated and I will be as tactful as I can without offending any of our members. Some cultures have different outlooks on personal hygiene than what we in America may have. It may be grounded in religion, lack of services, or upbringing, but some cultures may not shower daily or use deodorant. This isn’t bad, only a matter of perspective, especially when some customs are deeply rooted in different beliefs than what us Americans can relate to.
Before I got to use the Arko last night the wife smelled it in the bathroom and came to find me to tell me I made the bathroom smell like Turkey. When I used Arko for the first time, I reached for the lemon cologne, and the scents were a clone of each other. The scents from the Turkish products we use here in the states are strong for a reason. They are meant to last through the day to give the user that strong scent of lemon. Some users find it too strong, but remember, it is meant to be. Especially considering it might have been envisioned to be used in a different environment, like Turkey. I think the Arko haters associate the strong imitation lemon scent with the over-the-top smell of Pine-sol used to clean bathrooms. I cant deny they are similar. Not really the urinal puck others claim. Turks on the other hand associate the strong lemon scent with clean, and unsullied. Also, if you ever visit Turkey, you wont find any urinals either, so they wont know what a urinal puck smells like.
I found a link that describes a bit of the attachment Turks have with the lemon scent.
http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=191649
So to close, I would like to apologize in advance if I offended any ethnic community member. This isn’t meant to offend, rather to enlighten B&B members about Arko and its use in its country of origin. I also tried hard not to make any assertive blanket statements to prevent any controversy. I’m not trolling for a fight.
My first use of Arko took me back to the seaside vendor in Mersin. He cut and grilled the lamb chops for us as we waited. We were hungry from swimming all day. The Mediterranean air filled with grilled chops and wood charcoal. When finished the burly fellow walks over and squirts the lemon in his hands and smears it all over my face laughing the whole time. That’s where Arko takes me.
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