When you’ve never lived in another country, it’s easy to take for granted how things go at a wedding. So when I attended my first Turkish wedding on Friday, Aug. 2, I didn’t know what to expect or how it…
Year: 2019
Monday marked my third month living in Turkey. The anniversary prompted me to reflect on how things have changed, from feeling utterly lost in my new environment to feeling a sense of confidence and acceptance. When I say “acceptance,” I…
Two Turkish pop music stars. One night. Two separate locations. It might seem unlikely, but it just goes to show that anything can happen in Istanbul. The Queen of Cities has been leaving visitors awestruck for more than a millennium….
Watching a performance of whirling dervishes – who worship God by twirling into a mesmerizing spiritual frenzy – is a hallmark of any visit to Turkey. If you go on a tour, such as an evening Bosporus Tour in Istanbul,…
Aboard the shuttle to the office, I turned back toward Yusif – the only other fluent English speaker on the bus – and smiled conspiratorially. “Yusif, look, I have my own air conditioner,” I said. I unfurled the black and…
Since moving to Istanbul one month ago, a common question I hear from Turks is, “Why would you move to Turkey? All of us are trying to move to America.” Undoubtedly, Turkey is in an economic crisis. Inflation has, in…