We live down the road from the Hal, which is essentially Bond Street for produce here in Istanbul. The Hal is a big compound that receives fruits and veggies from all over Turkey. These goods will be evaluated, their prices fixed and later they will be sold to manavs (open-air fruit and veggie [...]

Even after having been here in Turkey for nearly for five years now, I have still not gotten used to one particular thing: ones weight as public casual conversation fodder. The thing is, I know that commenting on a person’s weight is quite normal and socially acceptable here, I just can’t seem to get [...]

It’s not something that I often share very openly, but Turkey is not so far off from being considered a third world country, for many reasons.
I spend quite a lot of energy lauding my adopted homeland with positive accolades about its people, its culture, and its cuisine. I have found myself in the position [...]

The people I am closest to know that I am not the biggest fan of Valentine’s Day. I was never shy about sharing my reasons, either. I had the same complaints as so many others. I didn’t like the fact that it seemed to be a commercialized holiday perpetuated by florists and [...]

Having a Turkish boyfriend in Turkey is mostly a blessing, in my opinion. There are so many situations, mostly bureaucratic, that I have not been forced to endure because I have had the benefit of a built-in negotiator. For the most part, having the wisdom of a native at ones disposal in a [...]

Is it just me, or is cinema pretty much dead at the moment? I am a cinemaphile. I watch me a whole lotta’ movies. Due to the fact that I live in Turkey (piracy, ahoy!), I sometimes even see movies before they are released in the theatres here. I tell you [...]

I’m no money market whiz kid; and that’s an understatement. I pretty much know two things about money; how to make it and how to make it go away, usually quick fast and in a hurry. So it was no surprise when I was caught with my proverbial pants down recently at a [...]

Cooking in a foreign country is always an adventure. I can remember my early visits to the grocery store as a newly planted expat here. Befuddled is the appropriate word. Turkish grocery stores seemed very limited to me then. Where were the frozen foods, the canned goods, the microwave meals? [...]

Dear window washers,
It has come to my attention that you find me much of interest. It’s called power walking. It is a form of [...]

Apologies for the hiatus from the blogosphere. Just got back from a visit home for the holidays. Upon reflection, something occured to me which made me very smiley, indeed: my heart has more than one home and it suits me just fine.
We started our trip back with a weekend in New York [...]

I am convinced that for an American, being a nanny in Turkey is one of the hardest roads you could choose to plow. Especially if you were raised by a totally fun, kick-ass liberal mother like Mumsy. One of the reasons my employers simultaneously love and fear me is because of how laid [...]

1) I am intensely sentimental. I am amazed at how easily I can turn on the waterworks; and it only gets worse the older I get. I have a huge hope chest in my parents’ basement filled with precious memorabilia I can’t bear to part with. I am known for writing long, rambly [...]

I have mentioned many a time here the place that food holds in my heart. Eating is, bar none, my favorite past time. Always has been. So for me, one of the most fascinating mysteries to unravel here in Turkey has been of the culinary variety. Lucky for me, there’s some [...]

What were you doing when you were twenty-one years old?
If I had to highlight just one apsect of my life at that age, I would choose the most amusing. I was attending Rastafarian prayer meetings. No, really.
There were about thirty dreadlocked Rastas and two white kids from Ohio crammed into an [...]

By all historical accounts, Istanbul was the place to be during the height of the Ottoman Empire. It was the central nervous system of a vastly expanded territory. Wonderous riches poured in from all directions. Caravans traveling down the Silk Road, the Spice Road, all made their way to Istanbul to sell [...]

Recently, I have had a reality check of the most serious variety. It has occurred to me that the gravy train that I have been on for the last four years is about to come to a screeching halt.
I’ve had a good haul on this train, that’s for sure. Hard life [...]

Kebap is not just a food in Turkey; it’s a way of life. I had no real concept of what kebap was before moving here. First off, we say, “kabob” in States and that usually comes after “shish”. This thing that we call shish kabob is actually what is known here as [...]

Years ago, my brother Nick accompanied me on a dream vacation to the Peruvian Amazon. The following is an excerpt of a short story about a trip that changed both our lives.
On the third day, we came to breakfast and met our new lodge mates. We’ll call them the Calvers. They were [...]

One of my main gripes about living in Turkey is the lack of alternative cuisine. Admittedly, we are luckier than most being in Istanbul. At least Istanbul makes an attempt. One can get decent sushi and pretty good Chinese food here. There is an amazing, but unsung, Thai restaurant hidden in [...]

Our family has a long history of pets. We are serious animal lovers. We have had the privilege of having our lives touched and enriched by so many critters over the years. However, I think that everyone in my family would agree that no animal has given us more joy, has made our [...]

Every culture has dishes that are for the more adventurous at heart. And an outsider may become queasy at the thought of eating something that the locals gobble up. My first step-father, whom I usually refer to as “Middle Dad”, was of German decent and he enjoyed the occasional jar of pickled pig’s [...]

The boyfriend and I have just celebrated our one year anniversary. Funny, but it seems like we have been together much longer than that. He has affected my life so profoundly that a mere year just seems like too short a time. But, after all, I do believe in quality over quantity.
I [...]

I get kind of worked up when I think about “cheesecake” here in Turkey. The menu says it’s cheesecake. And it does, in fact, have a cheesecake-like appearance. But one forkful will tell you: that ain’t cheesecake.
I’m not altogether surprised that Turks don’t get cheesecake. After all, Turkish cream cheese is [...]

Here’s a confession: I’m a serious foodie. I mean, I am a world-class eater. I don’t know how people become food critics, but I will tell you this, it’s one of my secret dream jobs.
Navigating my way through a whole new cuisine was one of the most exciting prospects of relocating to [...]

As you may know if you are a regular reader, I rarely go on rants. I try to maintain as positive and optmistic a stance in my writing as I possibly can. And it’s hardly a put-on. I am mostly happy here in Turkey and that’s more than a lot of people.
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One of the most interesting aspects of living in a foreign country is getting to know another cultural intimately. From my personal perspective, I can safely assert that Turkey is a whole different world. There are too many cultural differences to shake a stick at, in fact. Just thinking about it makes my [...]

Here’s a sure-fire formula for you: Lower your expectations to rock bottom and just might not be disappointed. I believe I learned that from Bart Simpson. And after having put that formula to the test yesterday, I can tell you, with much satisfaction, it can work for you as it did [...]

On Saturday morning, the boyfriend woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as the saying goes. He declared that we would get out of the house and set ourselves upon an adventure. I can’t tell you how shocked I was to be receiving such news, and before I had even gotten the sleep out of [...]

Before the advent of all of this zippy technology, we were an oral culture. Elders were respected for their knowledge and wisdom. The molding of younger generations was placed squarely in their hands. Stories were passed through the generations. The acumen gleaned from such principles and dogmas were the basis of [...]

Konya doesn’t get a lot of the tourist pie. There’s not a whole lot in Konya to bring the masses. The exception to this is in December when Konya hosts a week long festival celebrating the birth of the Sufi poet and philosopher Jellaladin Rumi, who settled and died there. The main [...]