In the 90’s era, while we were still getting used to private television in Turkey, I was attending high school. As all teenagers were starting to discover new things and getting into new hobbies, what I was interested in was different religions. Why not? My mom's a protestant, my dad's a Muslim and a lot of my friends were Jewish. Also I have been interested in “mysticism” since I was born. When you add these all up, it won’t surprise you that I started to study religions. After I while I got bored of the modern religions and went into more ancient religions. They were a lot more interesting and entertaining.What really caught my interest was the old Indian religion, better known as shamanism.

A lot of different tribes have adapted shamanism in their own way, but they still have some common points. One od these common points is having a mystical animal called a “totem animal”. This is also called a “familiar” or an “ally”.

Normally, to learn your familiar, you go to your tribes shaman, and he chants and puts a spell on you, uses some magic, and later tells you your familiar. After you learn your familiar, you start studying that animal, try to learn it’s ways and try to gain its wisdom. Quite simple, right? Well, there’s a small problem if you think about it.  Where the hell am I going to find my tribes shaman?

I dont know if I was reading too much Carlos Castenada those days, or if I was obsessed about knowing what my familiar is, but I had a dream one night. I was on a very big hill. It was near autumn and the leaves were falling down. And I was talking with a shaman.

As it happens with most dreams, the details slipped away when I woke up, but I can still remember the two major points in my dream. One is, the shaman showed me my familiar and told me its name . It was a small white animal climbing a tree. It was a weasel.  The second thing I remember is the small speech he made. He said: “Don’t look down at this animal. One day, it will save your life.”

As a teenager, it’s a bit of disappointing to find out your familiar is a weasel. You expect a more “cool” animal. Like a lion, or a tiger.

I mean, what does a weasel do anyway? It steals eggs, strangles birds... Not very inspiring is it? Later I studied this animal, and was quite impressed to learn that this little thing is actually a very cunning animal, and a swift hunter. It has to be, in order to survive. That's how it can survive the attacks from dogs and foxes. Still, a weasel isn’t a tiger now, is it ?

Years passed, and as every bird does, I left my nest. Well, only temporarily, I just went to a  university in a different city, but anyway. As most youngsters did those days I grew my hair, tried to act different, went into useless lefty-righty fights, worked all night to pass the finals, found a girlfriend, got cheated by her and so on... The weasel thing, slowly slipped away from my mind.

Three or four years ago, I went to Singapore. A once in a life time opportunity for me to engage in the Asian culture, see new places and of course meet Asian beauties. (I still had long hair those days, and I stood tall as an average Asian person ( I’m around 6 foot tall ) so I felt lucky). The hotel my company arranged for me was in Geylang. Geylang is the place where all the Malaysian population lives. A place where all the hookers, drug dealers , gamblers live. Police used to bust joints three times a day in those days. You could say it’s Singapores harlem.

Thank goodness I was from Turkey. When they learned I was from a Muslim country, they took me in as a brother, and I could tour all around the neighbourhood without going into any trouble. Normally all the guests used cabs, as you can be knifed easily.

There was still five days for my flight when I found out what I dramatic situation I was in. I had only five dollars with me, when I separated my cab fee to the airport. A meal at an avarage place costs you around three dollars. I could have easily survived for a few days, but five days was impossible.

I went outside for a walk. While walking I thought about all the different possibilities. I couldn't borrow money from the company, as the asian culture is unfamiliar to lending money. I couldnt ask money from my parents, a week would have passed until I received it. I couldn't draw money from a bank with my credit card, because once when I tried to see if it worked and it hadn’t. What was I going to do?

I heard a noise from the end of the street. A lot of Malaysians had crouched near a glass cage and were shouting like mad. As I had nothing better to do, I went to see what was all the commotion about.

The glass cage was long and thin, and it was separated in the middle by another sheet of glass. At one side was a cobra, and at the other side was a small animal looking terrified. I didn’t quite understand what was going on so I asked the man in front of me. It turned out that it  was an illegal gambling scene.They were betting money on the animals, and which ever survived would win the money.I know it was cruel and also inhumane. But when you dont have money to live, you can’t get too loyal.

Everybody was betting on the cobra. When you looked at the animals conditions, that was the only logical thing to do. At one side a very confidate and poisonous deadly snake, and at the other side a small and thin animal, shivering with fear, trying to run away.

I couldn’t make out the animals type,  so I asked one of the betters. He laughed and told me the animals name:  “Weasel”.

I put all my money on the weasel, the organiser smiled at me and gave me a piece of paper written W-5 on it. All the bets were placed. The glass in the middle got removed and the fight begun.

The cobra striked a few times, the weasel barely avoided them. Everybody was supporting the cobra by cheering its name. 

“Cobra  Cobra “

As I was one of the few people who had bet on the weasel, I was only whispering “Come on Weasel, come on my boy, you can do it, come on weasel”. But to be honest, I wasn’t hopeful about the situation. The weasel really looked pathetic. The cobra swayed from right to left and suddenly jumped from the far end of the cage to the weasel. Suddenly the weasel that looked terrified until that moment, stood tall, locked his eyes on the cobra, hunched its back and jumped towards the cobra.

Was it of the excitement of that moment or another thing, I am still not so sure about it, but I saw the event that happened in a few seconds as it was in slow motion.

The weasel had jumped a bit higher then the snake. While it was passing above the cobra it suddenly lowered its head, bit the cobra from the head , locked its jaws on it, and landed on 4 feet. The cobra wrapped itself on the weasels body as a last chance, but it was too late. A few seconds later it fell dead and the weasel dropped its dead body on the ground. A very unfamiliar holler was heard from behind.

“GOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL”

What can I do? It’s the first time I‘ve attended a match like this. I dont know how to cheer.

After all the money was split between the animal owners, the gamblers and the fight managers, I had won around 65 dollars. This would be easily enough for me for a week. I went to the weasels owner to talk to him. Unfortunately he didnt know any english. In order not to make him very nervous, I just thanked him and left the scene before the cops arrived.

You know, in films the Star of the movie turns around to look for the last time. I just had this urge to do that. I did it,  and at that moment, I thought I saw something. Was it just me, or did that weasel blink at me ?