Free tea for Chinese visitors brings fortune to man
by Daily Sabah with AA
ISTANBULDec 06, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah with AA
Dec 06, 2016 12:00 am
A simple act of kindness for three foreigners changed his life, said Selami Çınar. The 52-year-old man living in the western city of Bilecik believes offering a glass of tea for three men was what allowed him to escape from bankruptcy.
Çınar, a greengrocer, saw three Chinese men passing by his shop in 2009 when he felt that they needed some help and invited them to his shop, offering tea. The foreigners, who turned out to be staff members of a cement plant run by a Chinese company, were impressed by this out-of-blue offer, Çınar thinks.
The men were responsible for the catering service for the plant's staff and when they returned to Çınar's shop the next day, they made a purchase of vegetables. This was followed with new orders, all paid in dollars.
The greengrocer eventually became a regular supplier for the plant and sold more produce than he could imagine, saving him from bankruptcy, Çınar was able to pay his overdue debts after a lengthy period of troubles when he could not even afford to buy something for his family.
His story is a reflection of the Turkish public's unconditional hospitality towards foreigners, be them poor refugees from Syria or wealthy European tourists, who are at the least offered a glass of tea.
As his profits quickly increased, Çınar expanded the store and later purchased a cafe. With the extra time and money, Çınar now also chairs a local branch of the Turkish Red Crescent.
After seven years, he fondly remembers his Chinese friends who even gave him free loans when he needed cash and said it was those three foreigners who brought him to where he stands financially today.
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