Cultural Collision

I was showing my Turkish friend, Elise, some postcards I'd bought and was getting ready to mail. We were trying to locate the Galata tower on one postcard, so I could show someone where I live in the massive city. I began writing my message on the back of the card, and she noticed I'd already addressed the postcard.

"You're not going to put it in an envelope?" She asks.

"No. It's a postcard."

"But still...anyone in Turkey could read it. If you put it in an envelope, you'd have more room to write on the card. And you could include some pictures and drawings in the envelope too!" She's thrilled to be sharing her brilliance with me.

"I don't want to include pictures--they're already on the postcard. And I can't draw. If I wanted to send an envelope, I would. I want to send a postcard."

"But without an envelope? They sell envelopes for postcards, you know."

"Do they now? They sure don't sell them WITH the postcards. Besides, this is besides the point. Postcards are meant to be mailed without an envelope. Hence the space for a stamp and address." I'm seriously failing to see her logic, and she is seriously failing to see mine.

We continue back and forth, back and forth, she insisting I put it in an envelope, me insisting that I don't want to. I finally extend my arms across the coffee table and push my palms towards her. "Turkish culture." Revert the palms to me, "American culture." Turning the palms down to the table, "Cultural collision in between."

She laughed. And I mailed the postcards without envelopes.