Lifestyle & Commentary

A feeling that was about to disappear in the chaos of life suddenly hit me so hard that I had to sit down and...

By Abdelrahman Mahmoud Permaculture. Does the word ring any bells? If yes, and you are already well acquainted with the concept, then hold on a minute...

If we were to take our students’ grammatical grasp of English as a direct indication of their level of intelligence, and were to recognize...

Being an expat is difficult. You need courage to leave not only your comfort zone and sense of security behind, but also your lifestyle,...

It's been a long day in Istanbul, and here you are, going back from work, school, or an anime world portal. In addition, you're...

“İnek var!” an alien called to the driver. “İnek mi var?” I replied to her great surprise then suddenly as if by pure magic inek appeared in...

Up until last year I was a happy man, a contented man, living in that commercial hub cum residential suburb of Bakırköy. Bakırköy’s unique...

Wherever you go, there you are.  And wherever you are, there is someone who wants to be somewhere else.  After living in the United...

It was a bright, sunny Saturday, during my very first trip to Istanbul, when I went where very few tourists would dare – Yedikule...

Valentine's Day in Istanbul isn't necessarily for everyone, but it's got much to offer for those in love and plenty of potential for romantic...

On the morning of February 6th 2023, the citizens of Turkey woke up to the tragic news of a 7.6 magnitude earthquake affecting major...

It has been incredibly tragic day; the deaths of those workers in the Soma mine seem so senseless, we've been having a hard time...

“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in...

Moving to a new city, where you don’t really know anyone? There is a lot of excitement when you open a new chapter in...

Before I left for Istanbul, I had many friends promise that they would come and visit me. Unfortunately - since life gets in the...

Have you ever heard of the word yabancı, which also lends its name to this platform? If you've ever visited Istanbul, you’ve probably heard...

Many will be quick to share the story of how prophet Mohammed cut his robe as to not disturb the slumber of a cat...

My favorite season in Istanbul is fig season. Never having seen or eaten a fresh fig in my life, I was fascinated by this...

Having lived in Istanbul going on a decade, I have seen a lot of people come and go. It becomes almost like clockwork. Every...

This October, the Yabangee community enjoyed a wonderful basketball match-day with Darüşşafaka Tekfen - one of the top teams of the Turkish Basketball League....

I'd be hard pressed to think of a more wholesome group activity I've taken part in these last few years, than when a group...

I lived in Mecidiyeköy for my first few months in Istanbul. That part of town is interesting in its own right, and it was...

“Silence is the worst. Whenever a thick cloud of silence descends, the yapping voices inside me become all the more audible, rising to the...

Moving from Poland to Turkey was definitely a big cultural shock for me – people, living conditions, working etiquette, and even foods were (and...