June 10, 2012
Ottoman Turkish; curious Turks; international street musicians; vapurlar [ferry boats]; ZARAS; gece kondus; terrible gum; dolmus drivers; kebabs; kokoreç [intestines of God knows what]; CIHANGIR; drainage that doesn’t really drain; nosy taxi drivers; SNOW; lovely simitcis [bread sellers]; cats; fantastic public transportation; Turkish attitude; dogs the size of wolves; poverty; wealth; The Bosporus; dolphins in the Bosporus missing the ferry by ONE minute; having NO kontur [phone credit]; Magnum; nauseating traffic [TRUST me, it’s bad]; baklava; çay breaks from çay breaks; Hyder Pasa – just a few things that have me in LOVE with Istanbul.
Today, Istanbul feels more like home than my home town. It is a city that truly makes me feel that opportunities [and happiness] are abundant.
There are 17 million people living in Istanbul. Odds are against me, but I hope to make a mark on this city and give back to it as much as it continues to give me.
I arrived in Istanbul on February 2, 2012 and I will stay as long as I permit. My posts will include anecdotes, pictures, and thoughts from Istanbul. It’s a way for me to take a look at the city through a lens and remind myself, although I rarely have to, how fortunate I am to be living in Constantinople!
