Anatolian Travel Archives: Stratonikeia
Aside from the yet to be excavated ancient settlement near my home in Turunç (near Marmaris), Stratonikeia was my first, official, ancient city experience...
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...
Yabangee Travel Blog: A Week In Georgia (The One Near Russia)
Article and photos by Louis Herman
My trip to Georgia (known locally as Sakartvelo) this January started with a quick flight to Trabzon from Istanbul,...
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,...
Life Hack: Trafi Türkiye App
About a year ago, Yabangee featured a review of some mobile apps that can help you get around and navigate Istanbul’s often confusing public...
Yabangee Recommends: “Where should I take my tourist friend who won’t...
“Where should I take my tourist friend who won't admit to being a tourist?”
There are two very different types of friends who come to...
Eight Suggestions for a Kid-Friendly New Year’s & Christmas in Istanbul
While we are leaving 2017 behind, all sorts of celebrations for Christmas and New Year's Eve are underway. We are regularly bombarded with countless...
Anatolian Travel Archives: Zelve
The Zelve Valley is an extraordinary landscape located in the Cappadocia Region of Central Anatolia. Dusty, rose-colored spires with knobby crowns balance against a...
Anatolian Travel Archives: Eflatun Pınar
We raced against the sun to reach the spring before all light had gone, Seçkin at the wheel and me biting my nails with...
Istanbul: What I Remembered, What I Forgot
Memory is a funny thing. As much as it keeps record of reality, it also creates a reality of its own. As expats, we...
Yabangee Recommends: Ciğerci Hulusi
“Where do I take my Turkish friend who just moved back from abroad out for dinner?”
For anyone who loves Turkish food, the approach that...
Anatolian Travel Archives: Mustafapaşa
In the midst of all the fairytale magic of Cappadocia, there lies an overlooked jewel embedded in the valley known as Mustafapaşa. Despite its...
A Guide to Istanbul Earthquake Preparedness
With all the disturbing events in the news recently, it is easy to forget the more mundane, boring threats of life: pickpockets in Taksim,...
Beers of Turkey – Then and Now
Beer, one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to mankind, can be very nutritional when consumed in moderation, and therefore has the well-earned name...
Levantine Lessons: Discovering Syria in Istanbul
“Light is more important than the lantern,
The poem more important than the notebook”
― Syrian poet, Nizar Qabbani
To the general public, Syria has become...
Turkish 101: Lullabies of Anatolia
Turks have always admired and emphasized oral traditions in poems, sagas and rhymes throughout their history. Babies grow up with lullabies, children play alongside...
Yabangeese: The Lexicon of the Yabangees
I guess it comes with the territory of being an English teacher abroad, but it is always fascinating to me to watch how language...
Istanbul Parks and Treats: A Pairing
Spring is the time for long, meandering walks before the scorch of summer sets in, preferably with a beautiful view and treat in hand....
A Beginner’s Guide to Turkish Hip Hop, by Ege Çubukçu
As a follow-up to our interview with rapper and all-round nice guy of Turkish hip-hop, Ege Çubukçu, we asked him to put together a playlist for those...
Living Abroad Blues: Coping with Loneliness
When I first moved to Istanbul in 2016, I too experienced loneliness. After all, I was a foreigner in a new country, who did...
The Tulip Pilgrimage: 12 Reasons to Visit Emirgan Park ASAP
The spring air has awoken the residents of Istanbul out of the drudgery of rainy winter cold. With great gusto, the masses emerge from...
Camel Wrestling in the Land of the Efe
Camel wrestling is, in a word, raucous. Smoke permeates every inch of the earthen amphitheater, so much so that it is difficult to make...
Technomads: A 13,000 KM Pedagogical Road Trip to Mongolia
After a few years in Istanbul and a very yabancı life, it is time for us to go on a big adventure in 2020!...
Yabangee Recommends: “Where’s the best place to break up with someone?”
“Where’s the best place to break up with someone?”
There are several specific rules when you're about to break someone's heart in Istanbul. One, don't...