Finding and Following Your Way
“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you,...
A Cat, A Rat, and Two Teyzes
It started with my husband spotting a rat on his way to work.
"Don't get scared, but I saw a mouse on the ground floor...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Flight Volunteers Needed: Take a Pet to their Forever Home
Flight volunteering for Cihangir Cool for Cats and our network of rescuers is easy and will cost you nothing! We will take care of...
The Fasting and The Furious: On Istanbul Taxi Drivers
This past week we read of some journalists from Hurriyet Daily News going undercover, disguised as tourists, to shine a spotlight on Istanbul’s notoriously...
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...
Fall Resolutions for Yabangees in Istanbul
There is no better time to start working on your resolutions than the Fall season! Don’t believe me? Let me show you why.
Most people...
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...
Tails of Istanbul: Despair to Hope for Stray Cats and Dogs
It was a bright, sunny Saturday, during my very first trip to Istanbul, when I went where very few tourists would dare – Yedikule...
Just for Fun: Seven “Worst” Turkish Foods
Wow, I know, that was a controversial title wasn't it? Now that I've got your attention, can I just say that obviously this 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...
Exploring Istanbul’s Not So Obvious Metrobüs Etiquette
If you ever feel like having a quick tour of Istanbul from the Asian to the European side (or vice versa), just buy an...
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...
The Consequences of Overstaying in Turkey
Turkey is a fantastic country all year round, very popular amongst tourists around the world for its historic mosques, various street vendors and its...
Beyond the Bosphorus: Views of a Long-Term Yabancı
Having lived in Istanbul going on a decade, I have seen a lot of people come and go. It becomes almost like clockwork. Every...
Shopping for Unmentionables: Buying Underwear in Turkey
As a young teenager I was a tomboy, so getting my first bra wasn’t something I looked forward to. When the fateful day came...
On Being Happy in Istanbul
Being an expat living in Istanbul over the past few years, I often get asked this question: Are you happy in Istanbul? This query...
Alo 171: Ministry of Health’s Support Line to Quit Smoking
If you or a loved one are thinking of quitting smoking this summer, and you've got a basic handle on Turkish (or want to...
The Art of Nothing in Istanbul
Nothing: nothing to do, nothing to fix. No work to go to, no garden to tend. No meetings to go to, no dance classes…absolutely...
Romance of the Roma: Hıdırellez, Spring time and the ‘Gypsy’ culture...
Perhaps there is no word more loaded and simultaneously mythologized yet scorned than the term “gypsy”. From Fleetwood Mac to Cher to Lady Gaga...
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...