For those of you who don’t know, our business (not OUR business actually) has gone bankrupt a couple of months ago and I have been unemployed ever since. (It has been almost three months). I can’t help but using the words “our business” despite the fact that I had no affiliation with the business capitalwise (except for being an employee) because after four years of work, it kinda felt like family. And it still does…

Anyway, like many other things, this new “unemployment” thing, which has become the new shape of my care-free life, has its upsides and downsides. Downsides are obvious; the company which I used to dedicate my days and weeks and months and years (not limited to working hours) is now rests in its grave. And I was very much involved in its burial – which made the progress even more unbearable. Well, I don’t think I need to mention the financial results of this bankruptcy that affected our household. The fact that my wife and I were on the same payroll has only amplified the damage and doubled the ups and downs of this unemployment thingy.

The only “good” thing that has been going financially is the unemployment allowance my wife and I are receiving at the end of each month. However, we each receive an amount approx. minimum wage and it hardly covers the rent we pay in this wonderful town(!) named Bodrum. Result: parental intervention.

When you think of it that way, your parents are kind of like the IMF or the World Bank. They are very much willing to give you a shoulder to lean on, yet that shoulder comes with a mouth full of advices about how you should recover from the adverse effects of unemployment and get back in the game ASAP. Followed by a constant lecture of why you should become a government employee instead of pushing your luck in the private sector (and suffer from its ups and downs). After a while, you begin to pursuit every chance of employment only to avoid these unpleasant conversations with mum and dad.

Believe me, after all those phone conversations, the money you took from them kind of feels like hard-earned cash. (Kidding).

And what do you know right? Parents DO know best after all. (Seriously)

Upsides? There are many.

First of all I got all the time in the world. Literally. I began to take long walks around town, carelessly, and even lost a couple of pounds by doing so! On the other hand, having to spend time at home is not the worst thing that could happen. I finally find the time to enjoy the satellite network we have been paying for, for more than two years, begin to spend more time in the kitchen and simply savor my time at home.

Besides home, the places I used to visit have morphed into something else as soon as I removed the time constraint. Turns out you CAN sit around and read 100+ pages of your favourite book in a coffee shop, who’d knew, right?

Even during the holidays, I used to spend half-a-day for work (either early in the morning or in the afternoon) when I’m with my friends and relatives in Izmir. But during last week, after almost three years (even including the off-days(!) we took for our wedding) I have finally took(!) an actual week off and reminded myself how it used to be back then. Just me and my wife, drifting from one place to another, making schedules only to visit our mutual friends, cousins, nieces and nephews… I felt like an eighteen year old.

During my time in Izmir, I even bumped our car into a tree, only to show you how care-free I was. (Well, this was kind of unpleasant – we did not even get this repaired yet)

And since we got all the time in the world, we now have the chance to search for better deals for shopping and enjoy buy-1-get-1-free movie tickets on week days! (I know it sounds optimistic but it feels good when you get 2 tickets to a movie for only 11 TL – approx. 5 USD at current rate).

…

Well, I think I have mumbled enough. I am unemployed and actively seeking for a new job. If you or your friends are looking for a wonderful individual (or perhaps just me) to hire or to work alongside, I guess you know how to reach me.

Take good care.

Your faithful servant*
Ihsan

*Depending on the salary and other terms.