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:...
10 Tips for Coping with Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness as...
Being an expat is difficult. You need courage to leave not only your comfort zone and sense of security behind, but also your lifestyle,...
For the Love of Teaching (and Ice Cream)
If we were to take our students’ grammatical grasp of English as a direct indication of their level of intelligence, and were to recognize...
Expat Life: Why I chose to give birth in Turkey
Finding out that I was pregnant came as a complete surprise, my husband actually found out before I did, but that's a whole other...
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...
16 LGBT Friendly Cafes and Bars in Istanbul
With so many rapid changes happening in Turkey and the world, along with all the changes in our personal lives, the LGBT community needs...
Pet Life: On Having a Dog in Istanbul (The Adventures of...
Many will be quick to share the story of how prophet Mohammed cut his robe as to not disturb the slumber of a cat...
5 of Turkey’s Best Eurovision Performances
With Eurovision being a week away, selected artists are already making their way to Kiev, Ukraine, where this year’s song contest will be held....
Awkward Tales from the ‘Bul #5: Döner Kebab
Three weeks ago, I was taking the metrobüs with my brother from Şirinevler, on a very rainy day. Being as crowded as it was...
Awkward Tales from the ‘Bul #2: A Bit of Football Never...
I went and played my first game of football for a team in Turkey, adding to several other nations around the world in which...
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...
Terrorism in Turkey
Let’s first and foremost acknowledge the great privilege of being able to choose your place of residence. Most people are not granted the luxury...
I Wake Up Torn
“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in...
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...
In Memory of Barış Mumyakmaz
It's with great sadness today that we've learned of the passing of long-time friend and contributor Barış Mumyakmaz.
A graduate of Galatasaray University and the...
166 Reasons Not to Leave Istanbul
These last months have not been easy. Our hearts ache for the country that has been a welcoming home away from home for so many of us....
A Moment for Istanbul
This weekend has seen the country suffer yet another senseless terror attack, leaving 5 dead and 39 injured in the heart of our beautiful,...
Broke and Lost in Istanbul
“Habitash! Habitash!”
The unfamiliar deckhand appeared as a silhouette, repeatedly emphasizing this made-up word as though I would finally understand what it meant the sixth...
That Pink Elephant Mystique: A Celebration of International Women’s Day, in...
“Silence is the worst. Whenever a thick cloud of silence descends, the yapping voices inside me become all the more audible, rising to the...
The Allure of Elsewhere
Wherever you go, there you are. And wherever you are, there is someone who wants to be somewhere else. After living in the United...
Remembering Bowie: An Occidental Ode to the Original ‘Space Oddity’
My first memory involving David Bowie is from when my Aunt took me, at age 4, to a screening of “Labyrinth”. The details are...
We Are With Istanbul
This week has been one of sadness and deep reflection for all of us in Turkey. These heinous, tragic attacks are all too frequent and...
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,...
A Moment for the Victims in Ankara
This weekend has seen the country suffer its worst terror attack to date, with two bomb blasts in Ankara leaving over 95 dead and 240 injured. The tragic...