Görüşürüz - See You Soon!

As most of you can see, I haven't updated in several months because we moved from Turkey back to the USA. This has been a brilliant, humbling adventure and I hope to return someday.

That said, there are still several posts I had semi-prepared while still in Turkey which I'll post anyway for fun. Until I continue my international travels, you can expect infrequent blog posts documenting trips across the USA plus reflections on the differences in lifestyles between countries.

For more frequent posts, you can check out my new book review blog, Covered In Books!

Thank you all for having been a part of this journey. I'm happy to be back with my native family and friends and sad to leave what became a second home. Parting is such sweet sorrow... but, as the Turks say, görüşürüz - see you soon!

Turkish Cuisine

Say what you will about its politics, but Turkey is a delicious country. From kabobs and complimentary appetizers to spices and seasonal drinks, Turkey offers a variety of flavorful foods. 

BREAKFASTS

 

Picture this: an assortment of high quality cheeses, spicy sausage links, hard boiled eggs, warm toast, fresh fruit jams, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, green and black olives, and finger-sized meat pastries. Are you hungry yet? Known as kahvalti, literally meaning "before coffee", this is the quintessential Turkish breakfast. Hot chai is served alongside the meal, which is ended with a cup of Turkish coffee. Gooood morning!

If you prefer a smaller breakfast though, menemen is another traditional choice. Cooked with eggs, onions, tomatoes, green peppers and spices, menemen is served inside the piping hot metal pot it was cooked in & typically comes served with a basket of warm bread rolls. While most Turkish families do not eat kahvalti or menemen every day, both are absolutely worth a try for any traveler!

 

LUNCHES

Carnivores live it up with doner kabobs, raw meatballs and spicy sheep intestine sandwiches called kokorec. Does the photo of doner kabob above seem foreign? It shouldn't - you may already know it as "shawarma" (especially in Arabic countries) or "gyros" (in Greece).

Other popular lunches include more familiar American foods like hamburgers, wraps, sandwiches and pizza. Some upscale restaurants also feature Chinese, Japanese and Mexican food. But why bother traveling to Turkey if all you eat is American food?

 DINNERS

Kabob restaurants are commonplace and cheap, often serving either an assortment of free bread / rice / yogurt / onions, or soup / salad / fries as complimentary appetizers. Most kabob houses are half upscale restaurant and half fast food - you're seated in a fancy booth but served quickly.

All kabob dishes are plated with bulgur rice and salad for ~15-30 TL (~$7-$15) depending on the type of meat ordered. Turkish tea, called chai, is typically served after meals although you can order specialty black or fruit teas if you prefer. Whatever foods you choose, afiyet olsun (bon appetit)!

* Note: none of the pictures in this post belong to me

Turkish Local Interview: Hande Akdeniz

Throughout my blog you've been experiencing life as told by a foreigner so I wanted to interrupt that trend by getting a local's opinion! Hande Akdeniz, a computer engineering student at Hacettepe University has kindly agreed to answer questions on living life as a local in Turkey.

The infamous Hande Akdeniz

Me: Thank you for agreeing to this interview! How are you today, Hande?

Hande: Actually I m glad to interview with you Melody Thanks. I am a bit tired because of my school routine but it's better nowadays. so i m happy about being with you

M: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

H: I am 21 years old and still a student at Hacettepe University as you have already said, studying Computer Engineering in Ankara. I also was born in here in Tunalı

It's my 4. year at university, and it's really busy in this year at school so i have not much time but when i find time for other things i really like to be with my friends

and i used to interested in kick boxing and fitness, i know it's not looking like that now :) otherwise i have a small family as my parents and one sister.

Studying for exams

M: What's life like for you in Turkey? What does an average day look like for you?

H: Turkey is a really good country to travel but living here, nope not as good as travelling . Because it's hard to study hard to find a good job and it's a disadvantage.

i mean everyone wants to live a good and comfortable life. but in Turkey it's a little bit hard . 

i can say sometimes i wish i would born another country a developed country. but i m not so depressed not at all i m happy to have like my family or friends. And i can say i m trying to be survive :)

M: What do you love about Turkey and living here?

H: i love foods :D because all cities has different meals and turkey is a big country. you can find any kind of food here for you.

i also like my neighborhood people are so modern and kind here.

besides there are many place to see in turkey if you have time and money you cannot get bored in Turkey it's not possible :)

finally it's a sarcastic reason . if you live here you can improve yourselves (and your personality) so easily . because everywhere you go, there is a challenge to solve :D 

 

M: Where would you recommend a traveler to go in Turkey? Any particular cities, attractions or annual events? What is the most underrated city in Turkey?

H: i really love the west part of Turkey . maybe i miss sea :D i do not know but istanbul is really popular for foreigners because of the historical places and 

There are some natural beauties like Pamukkale or Kapadokya etc. yeah you know there are many places as i mention before also how can i say.. east is really mystical and more traditional

M: How did you learn English? You speak better than nearly anyone else I've met here.

H: I started to learn at primary school. Generally it's same for every student. And it continue at highschool and also many of universities but it's not enough to learn just at school you should do also practice in your real life 

i found a chance about it and i m doing some other practices like watching movies&TV series or reading some english books and also books of my lessons mostly in english so i just have to learn it :)

Enjoying Izmir

M: What are your plans after you graduate? Is there anywhere you'd like to travel & if so, where?

H: ahh :) actually i would like to move, work and live abroad a couple years ago. i also want to study  Master of Business Administration after graduate from engineering. 

but now when we talk about reality i have a boyfriend and he lives in izmir . i really would like to go there and work there as a computer engineer. i hope i can go abroad for travelling with him :) who knows.

M: Can you teach us a little bit of Turkish? What's an important, useful or funny phrase?

H: yes of course :) first it's familiar for you 'naber kanka?'  lol it means "what's up bro?" :)
and here is some common words such as
hi = selam
how are you? = nasılsın?
please = lütfen
thanks = teşekkürler
i am Hande = ben Hande
nice to meet you = tanıştığıma memnun oldum (it's a little bit hard i know :D)
i love you = seni seviyorum
and finally it's the most useful sentence for a foreigner when somebody ask or say to you something you can say "seni anlamıyorum" = "I don't understand you"

M: Haha! For anyone confused, Hande's first phrase is making fun of me - I accidentally said "naber kanka" instead of just "naber" to her when we first met.

Lounging in Dikili

M: Now then, is there anything you'd like to change about Turkey? Or is there any popular misconception you'd like to clear up? Can you share some advice about traveling in Turkey for our American readers?

H: yesss!! as a student of course it's education system . i think it's really useless and old it needs reforms. 

about misconception i couldnt think anything. for American readers i just can say come and see :) you will not have regrets.

M: Finally, has Turkey changed since you were a child? If so, how?

H:Actually yes or no i have no answer because my age it's not so old and i may could not understand what has changed. :)

Thank you so much for your time today! We've learned a lot more about Turkey now that we've gotten an insider's perspective. Hopefully your answers will help our readers make a more educated decision about traveling to Turkey.

* Note: none of the pictures in this post belong to me

3 Lessons Traveling Taught Me About Life

As an American navigating through the Middle East, I'm in a somewhat unique position in terms of the recent tragedies across the world (IS/ISIS, ebola, cruel deaths). Being on this side of the world has thrown me closer to middle eastern politics by necessity and my heart cries out for the injustices executed back home and in nearby countries.

These recent tragedies forced me to take a step back and re-observe life from a different perspective. Usually I share my blog posts on FB but I'll let this one sit here quietly as a reminder for my future self. Without further adieu, here are 3 lessons traveling taught me about life:

1. Life is short
I unwillingly reflect and struggle with the concept of death every night: fear of my own death, impending deaths of my loved ones & deaths of loved ones already passed. In light of these recent events though I was slapped by a reminder of just how short life can be: 18 years for an unarmed black teenager, 63 years long for a depressed celebrity, 6 years cut short for a victim of terror.

While income, gender and race influence lifespan estimates, life is too short to hold grudges or be unhappy. We were all blessed and cursed to have experienced life and eventually it will be ripped away... all we can do is enjoy the ride.

Quote for this lesson: "Stop "tomorrowing" yourself to the end of your life"


2. Life is precious
Everyone you meet is facing a tough battle of some kind- yes, including privileged people. Why waste energy angrily trying to dictate how someone else should live their life? You do you, let them do them. You could be shocked by how little others' private decisions affect you.

Death- especially with all the recent worldwide tragedies- should serve more as a reminder to celebrate and enjoy life. We're all just trying to get by.   

"There are those who think that life is valueless because it comes to an end. They fail to see that the opposite argument might also be proposed: that if there were no end to life, life would have no value; that it is, in part, the ever-present danger of losing it which helps to bring home to us the value of life"


3. Life is what we make of it
Our media-obsessed generation tunes into daily tragedies from America to the Middle East and has become depressed as a result. Don't get stuck on depressing social media news stories! Get up, go outside and get involved with something positive you can do instead. Channel the negative energy into a positive outlet.

An hour per week at a soup kitchen... donating money to a charity... recycling clothes among friends... sharing excess items with the needy... it's not just about "be the change you wish to see in the world" but you quite literally are the change happening in the world. As much as we might like to deny it, every in/action you take shapes the future so don't let the feeling of hopelessness move you to behave powerlessly.

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change"
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them"

How to Haggle: A Foreigner's Guide

One night my friends and I were sipping martinis at Nic's bar on Canon Drive in Beverly Hills when a salesgirl approached our table and attempted to sell us a bottle of vodka. When no one spoke, I asked if we could try a sample first. Surprisingly, she returned a few minutes later with shots for potential buyers and I learned a great lesson: it never hurts to ask.

For many Westerners the concept of haggling may appear rude or shameful, but it's perfectly routine and even expected in other countries. In today's post I'll share a foreigner's guide on how to haggle, including what it is, when it's appropriate and best practices for successful haggling.

What is Haggling?

Simply, haggling is bargaining over the price of an item. You may have already haggled over the price of your car, house or expensive jewelry; or perhaps you haggled for smaller items at a garage sale. If you did it right, both you and the seller left the transaction feeling satisfied.

When Should You Haggle?

Typically haggling is encouraged when item prices are unlisted. In foreign countries you can haggle for goods and services from clothing to hotel room prices - check Google for "haggling customs [LOCATION]" to learn when haggling is appropriate.

5 Best Practices to Haggle Successfully:

1) Be Patient. Try not to buy anything from the first place you shop; instead, first look around at what's being offered at various shops and for how much to get an inside look at supply and demand.

2) No Touching. When asking for an item's price, don't touch it - just point to it. 2 reasons not to touch an item: 1) it shows interest so the owner will inflate the price, and 2) it creates an artificial feeling that you already own the item & makes you more willing to spend more to have it.

3) Stay Quiet. Don't make the first offer - it puts the seller in a position of power to charge you more. After the merchant names their price, ask for up to 50% off. When the seller makes a counteroffer, pause or say "hmm" before responding to make yourself seem less willing to buy.

4) Be Observant. Examine the item for imperfections, or use your earlier knowledge of going rates to justify your price and make you seem like a smart shopper.

5) Walk Away. Ultimately the goal is to leave satisfied, right? That includes walking away when an item's value isn't worth its asking price & 5 more minutes of back-and-forth won't achieve a happy medium for either party, so be prepared to walk away from a transaction.

BONUS TIP: If traveling between seasons (e.g. Summer to Fall), arrive early since merchants will happily sell their extra off-season goods in order to make room for new items. Alternatively, arrive an hour before the market closes to capitalize on merchants' eagerness to get rid of unsold merchandise and make an extra sale.

When traveling and shopping abroad, it doesn't hurt to ask for a lower price. Done right, haggling should be a fun and mutually profitable experience for both the seller and buyer. Have you ever haggled in a foreign country? Share where and what it was like in the comments!

KIT with Travel Friends by Asking These 7 Questions

Keeping in touch with new friends you made while on vacation or traveling can be tricky since you relate to them differently from lifelong friends; this goes doubly so for socially anxious travelers who may not know what to say when catching up with travel friends.

The best way to overcome this difficulty is by making repeated attempts to initiate contact e.g. liking/commenting on Facebook statuses, chatting on Kik or Whatsapp. But, what can you actually say when trying to reconnect with your travel buddies? Answer: ask travel-related questions! People love talking about themselves so here are 7 travel-friend-specific questions you can ask to help KIT:

1. Have they revisited the place you both traveled to and have they picked up more of the language?
2. Do they plan on traveling anywhere else? Where else would they like to go?
3. Have they met any other travelers on their journey? What was that experience like?
4. Would they like to share pictures from their latest travels with you?
5. Where do they recommend as your next travel spot?
6. Which websites or apps have they had the most luck with in terms of booking travel arrangements e.g. transportation, housing?
7. Do they know of any useful travel blogs or tips for visiting a certain city or country? Are there any problems or scams you should look out for?

BONUS QUESTION: Where do they go to meet more travel buddies? This question can help you develop a deeper friendship with your current travel friend while introducing you to more travelers.
Non-travel related questions can include FORD topics (Family, Occupation, Recreation, Dreams).

As a social traveler with friends in several countries, I know it becomes difficult to keep in contact with anyone over time due to evolving life stages and keeping in touch with friends made while traveling can be especially tricky. It's still possible to maintain deep, new lifelong friendships though as long as we make an effort to KIT. Happy traveling!

Life in Ankara, Turkey

Like many other Americans, I harbored some reservations about Turkey when my fiance first suggested the idea of moving abroad. Now, tomorrow marks 6 months since we landed in Ankara and I'm dragging my feet in planning our next destination.

Ankara, Turkey holds a population of 4.5 million+ and is second only to Istanbul which boasts a population of 14 million+ people. If Istanbul is the Beverly Hills of Turkey, Ankara is the Westwood Village. Ankara is an active but cozy city while Istanbul is decidedly more impressive and boisterous. In sum: Istanbul is for vacationing while Ankara is for living.

In 2012 when my fiance visited Ankara for work, I asked him to describe the city for me. At first I was frustrated trying to understand how it could be "peaceful" and "politically unstable" at the same time but upon arriving I soon learned what he meant.

Most people are just trying to live their lives, attending state universities for free or working 60 hours/week. Political unrest exists but mostly rises following elections like the recent one wherein Erdogan, the former Prime Minister of Turkey, was elected President.

Kocatepe, the largest mosque in Ankara, can accommodate 24,000 people

As the center of Turkish government, Ankara houses all foreign embassies. I visited the US embassy earlier this year when I unknowingly misplaced my passport in a taxi. Within 24 hours the embassy discovered which hotel I was staying at-despite the fact that my name wasn't even on the hotel records-and called for me to retrieve it. Thanks, NSA. Honestly it was scary, but reassuring that at least as an American I'm always safe here.

Since my fiance and I are both fortunate enough to work from home, most of our free time is spent cooking new foods (I can no longer live without Ottoman spice), taking walks in the park and practicing limited Turkish with our friends at the local grocery store Cagdas (pronounced Chadash).

While it hasn't all been sunshine and daisies, I've fallen in love with Ankara. There's a local Turkish saying that "the most beautiful part of Ankara is the road to Istanbul" but I don't mind - this way Ankara remains a hidden gem away from tourists for me to enjoy.

Good night Ankara, good afternoon Los Angeles!

*Note: I do not own any of these photos