Things I can't find

Because I am too busy to make sentences for my blog, I have decided to make lists. Here’s the first:

Surprising things I can’t find in Istanbul

1. Horseradish
2. File folders
3. Vanilla extract
4. Rubber cement
5. Watercolors in tubes

Comments about the surprising things

1. Wasabi is a good substitute.
2. When I used the one file folder I brought from the US as a visual aid, it was opened, looked at from all directions, heads were shaken thoughtfully, and then I was asked in a vague tone of incredulity and amazement, "what's it for?" Then, when I explained, came the question, "how does it work?" And I am just as confused about how exactly the Turks organize their paperwork.
3. I now realize why Turkish desserts taste different.
4. May be available somewhere, but I don't have the verbal skills to explain. You try pantomiming "rubber". Then, "cement".
5. This one I was able to explain and was told, "oh, they aren't allowed in Turkey." And I'm pretty sure I understood that right but couldn't wheedle the "why" out of the salesman.