I’ve seen my future, and ….

…it’s been told by a rabbit.

Yes, that’s what I said.  A rabbit.

About a month or so into my time here in Istanbul, I was on a bus with my friends Melody and Joe.  I happened to look over and saw a man on the street with several cute bunnies on a table.  I said, “Oh, look at the guy selling bunnies!”  To which Joe said, “Oh, no, they are telling fortunes.”  Mind you, he said this very casually, like it was no big deal to have a RABBIT telling FORTUNES.

Weirdest thing, ever. But aren't they cute?

“Ummm…the bunny  is telling fortunes??”

Yes, indeed.  This is a common thing here.  There’s usually momma and baby bunnies together.  I’m not sure if there’s a methodology to which bunnies pick which fortunes, or if it’s the power of the group of bunnies that make for a better fortune.  Regardless, I’ve been both fascinated and highly amused by this.  And, have been looking for a Bunny Man ever since.

Jackpot.  Yesterday, I was with Melody looking for a place by the water to sit and enjoy a snack and a beer, and I saw him.  I immediately paid the guy three Turkish lira, and had Melody at the ready with my camera.

So, the guy has a kind of a box with pieces of paper folded inside.  He asked which language I wanted my fortune in, then held the box up to the bunny (in this case, it was the Momma Bunny), and the bunny actually nibbled up my fortune, which was then passed, slightly damp with bunny saliva, to me.  Incredible.

My fortune is the following:

 “Is it to govern the people? Think of much more carefully. Otherwise these type of behavior will take you away from the people you love step by step.  Try to be positive and don’t worry people.”

Deep, I tell you, deep.