Ten Things I Have (and Have Not) Gotten Used to about...
I have been living in Istanbul for four years. Just writing that sentence makes me dizzy.
As a Spanish expat living in this amazing city,...
Top 10 Best Things About Living in Taksim
I lived in Mecidiyeköy for my first few months in Istanbul. That part of town is interesting in its own right, and it was...
Istanbul Productivity: Six Cafes to Head with Your Laptop Near Taksim
Taksim Square is a place that is planned into almost every trip to Istanbul, one way or another. The name “Taksim” means “division”, from...
Thanksgiving for Expats in Istanbul: A Taste of Home Away from...
Thanksgiving is a beloved tradition, a time for gathering with family and friends, sharing a festive meal, and reflecting on the things we’re grateful...
Go Anywhere and Belong Everywhere! – Girl Gone International
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...
Tips for Living Eco-Friendly in Istanbul
Moving from Poland to Turkey was definitely a big cultural shock for me – people, living conditions, working etiquette, and even foods were (and...
New Year Bibliotherapy: 10 Turkish Books to Read in 2021
Even though decades pass, some stories and books are ageless. Reading is more than just a hobby, as books also help us manage mental...
Coming to your senses: The Olfactor
“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is...
Just for Fun: Seven “Best” Turkish Foods
When Tas decided to share her cheeky and genuinely pretty accurate list of worst Turkish foods (looking at you leblebi!), my inner Turk compelled...
Three Significant Barriers in Expat-Local Romantic Relationships
Being an expat is difficult. You start a new life somewhere you probably have very limited knowledge about. All your old habits and automatized...
Searching For Orhan Pamuk’s Hüzün in Istanbul
Before moving to Turkey, I read Orhan Pamuk’s autobiographical work “Istanbul”, in hopes of getting to know the city in advance. Let me tell...
Introducing RIFA: Robert’s International Football Academy
RIFA - Robert’s International Football Academy was started by Robert Mullally in 2012, with the dream to change lives and perspectives through sport. How?...
An Alternative Saturday Activity: Memory Walks of Karakutu
As a person who has a deep interest in the contemporary history and the treatment against the minority groups, I tend to get super...
Three Romantic Ideas for Valentine’s Day in Istanbul
Every year, with the arrival of the first day of February, we know what is ahead of us -Valentine’s Day! While some can’t wait...
The Heat of Summers Present and Past
I’m pretty sure we hit traffic the first time I visited Ortaköy. I distinctly remember being in a taxi for what felt like ages,...
Awkward Tales from the ‘Bul #1: The Shopkeeper
The man who runs the corner shop next to my apartment building has a very strange approach to business, whereby he literally just changes...
Black Cats and Slippers: Turkish Superstitions
The first time I visited a Turkish home, I got perplexed upon hearing the phrase ''Don't walk barefoot, you'll get a stomach ache.'' Have...
Remembering Prince: A Purple Paisley Park in My Heart
'The girl on the seesaw is laughing
For love is the color this place imparts...
Admission is easy, just say you believe
And come to this place...
2018 Resolutions for the Common Yabancı in Istanbul
Old-school followers of Yabangee will likely have noted that we love starting the year off with resolutions (How to Stop Being Such a Yabancı:...
Everything Wrong with the ‘Limon ile Zeytin’ Bus Etiquette Animations
You barely catch the bus. You jump on, and it’s crowded, of course. But you squeeze your way in. Stuck in between strangers invading...
The Respite of Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands
Every time I head out to the islands, I look back on the Istanbul skyline as I imagine the first astronauts gazed down upon...
The Language of Swimming: Freestyle or Overarm
Being Australian and living in Istanbul, one of the hardest things to cope with at first was the difficulty of finding a pool to...
You May Just Be An Istanbullu When…
OK, I’ll admit it: I hate these lists. They’re usually a shortcut to thinking. Besides, I’ve always fancied myself more an impressionist than medievalist,...
“Dialogue Tableware” Ceramic Studio Ortaköy
Since i love to learn new skills and to keep my hands busy doing and creating things, it wasn't so far to participate in...