my Adventure in Turkey

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Hey everybody, wow..i am so happy it was my first experience in travelling abroad ...i loved it. The country of Ataturk is amazing, i saw coloured buildings totally different from mine in Tunisia, most of people were so friendly with me.they found me funny, may be because i am foreigner.

I arrived in istanbul, by plane at 13:00, 29th of october2006, then i stretched to otoger( a beautiful girl helped me in metro station ) to catch the Bus for Bursa,also i built a friendship with ticket officer in kamil koc company ( for transportation, ..i am satisfied with it ), he invited me for lunch....to this point i want to say that you must be aware in Istanbul,its a crowded city wih 15 millions population; Advice ,don't trust anybody...even a new friend can lie for gaining some money from you.... the Bus toke 30 min on road before arriving to Marmara Sea where it enter in a ferry boat....the sight there was very nice ....then when reaching the Asian part of Turkey we continue with road....Buses in Turkey are very confortable, they offer some sweeties , cola, water...
In Bursa every thing was different, its a quite region, however it is famous with industry especially textil, i guess that Turkish people are so close to their culture and language, minority that spoke english and really i found difficulties in communication, in Bursa i gained two friends, sharing with them house ( belonging to AIESEC organization ) .
One night, a man after leaving Bus, paid for me a Taxi to Fomara street where i was located, really it was shame, but this is the meaning of Turkish people to express their kind feelings towards tourist and to say welcome...now i plan to return soon because the reason for traveling to Turkey was an internship, i halted it because of familial matter .

Turkey is not expensive to live in, for example 1 hour internet connexion cost 1 YTL( Turkish Lira ), sure ADSL...ACCOMODATION in hotel is about 30 $ for 5 stars rank, 1 lira for metro, 0.1 YTL FOR EGG, but unfortunately telecommunication is quite expensive comparing to my country, SIM Card in TR requires 25$? however in Tunisia, you need only 3 dollars to buy one, adding to electronics ...really their prices are HOT, DELL PRICE IS 1000 Dollars ....wages are moderate, a beginner engineer touch maybe 800 $, in this fact i feel that Turkish people struggle for life and sacrifice for the growing of their economy in order to reach the common Dream of joining the EU,..( i don't think it will be real one day..because just they are muslims ...also it exist other barriers...

Collectivism
Turkey is in many ways a collective society, where the group, not the individual is the main focus. This might be difficult for some western europeans, who come from very individualist cultures. But if you know how the Turkish collective work, it should be easy to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of Turkey. Here are some of the ways in which you will notice the collective in Turkey.

Being a collective society, privacy is not an important concept. You will rarely be left alone, if you don’t make sure yourself that it happens. Most Turkish students live with their families until they graduate, and many share apartments. As a visitor in Turkey, your privacy can sometimes be limited. So, be prepared to spend a lot of time with others, to decrease your personal sphere, but also, if you want privacy, insist on having it. If you really need some privacy, make sure that you get it, somehow.

Touching - In Turkey we touch each other a lot. Your private sphere is smaller than in many other countries, and both men and women touch each other frequently. Most noticable is of course the kiss on each cheek, which is used as a greeting, both between men and women, and between the sexes. When talking to you, people frequently touch you, keep their arm around your shoulders and so on. Don’t feel threatened, instead see this as a sign of friendship.

Everybody is a big family - It is very easy to get new friends in Turkey. People accept you very fast, and they will invite you to various activities. It is also very easy for a stranger or a foreigner to ask if they can join any activity, as the Turkish don’t have as many exclusive groups as some other cultures have. The helpfulness of people is also astonishing. Don’t be surprised if someone in the street spends a good 15 or 20 minutes trying to help you to find the way. Also, if you need help from a friend of yours, they are often willing to spend a lot time to help you.

Paying and sharing - Money can be a sensitive subject in Turkey, and sharing things with others is natural. When people buy things, icecream, food, drinks etc., they always share it with their friends. For a turkish person it is easy to feel egoistic if they don’t share things with others. It is also very common to pay for each other, especially for foreigners. To be exactly fair about the bill everytime is not necessary and can sometimes make turkish people uncomfortable. Let somebody else pay for you, and pay for them the next time, instead of fuzzing over small sums.

Time - In Turkey we take it quite easy. There is always time to have a cigarette or a cup of tea. Efficiency is not always a top priority, instead things like being comfortable and leisure take a big and healthy part of turkish life. Time management is not very common, and things are being spontaneuous, often just minutes after they are decided. This means that the Turkish are very open to new ideas and activites. If you want to do something special, just ask somebody, and he or she will probably do it together with you immediately.

Getting things done - However, getting things done can be done. You only have to choose what is important for you, and be dynamic in regards to which way it will happen. To get things done, you have to be insistent. Turkish people really want to help you, but often they might promise to much and forget about it. Just keep asking, and try to get all the information you need to do the things by yourself, and you will see that the things that you want to have done, they will get done!

Sex and love
This is an extremely important and difficult subject in Turkey. This is a moslem society, but it is the most secular and modern moslem society on earth. However, it is still a conservative society by western means. For example, it can be hard, depending on where in Turkey you are, to get a hotel room for a man and a woman who are not married. Also, the profile of relationships is quite low. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish whether two persons are actually having a relationship or not.

At times it can be hard to distinguish sexual signals. The touching between friends is very common, and it could be mistaken for touching with the intent of making sexual contact. Just relax and be honest, that is always the best way if you get confused about someone.

Sex before marriage is not uncommon, but not as common as it is in liberal western societies. Generally sex is viewed seriously, and nothing to play with. One night stands are not very common in Turkey, instead a more serious commitment would be required before having sex.

Friendliness towards guests
It is extremely important for Turkish people to be friendly to guests. If you stay with a family, they will probably cook for you, clean your clothes and give you a really good bed. If invited to sleep at a friends house, don’t be surprised if he offers you his bed while he himself sleeps on the floor. For some people this might be an uncomfortable position, but try to let it go. If you ask your host not to do all these things for you he will probably be a bit dissapointed. Just try to enjoy the friendliness you meet!

Traffic and rules
When coming to Turkey, you don’t have to be afraid of violence or terrorism. Generally it is a calm country. However, you need to watch out for cars and traffic. In Turkey we drive very fast, and drivers don’t stop for pedestrians. The general rule is that cars go first, and people afterwards. Often you cross the street by foot at any point, so look out for a space in the traffic, so that you can pass through safely. Also, the usage of seatbelts is not frequent, even if it is stated in law that you should. Very often there are no seatbelts in the backseat, and even if there are, they are rarely used. If you feel really uncomfortable about this, ask if you can sit in the front seat, where there generally is a seatbelt.

The habit of not using seatbelts illustrates the Turkish attitude concerning laws, obedience and authority. Many laws concerning traffic are not obeyed, and obedience coming from personal morals is more important than laws and authority. For example, when riding the public minibusses, drivers frequently take to many people on the bus, which means that some of them have to stand, which is forbidden. However, this is only a problem if a policeman should approach the minibus. If this happens, the problem is solved by having all the standing passengers crouch on the floor.

Bargaining in stores
When buying thing’s, especially in smaller stores, from private individuals, and in bazaars, be careful. Turkish currency can be complicated with all it’s zeros (Turkey has an astonishing inflation rate) and prices don’t always relate to each other in the way they do in your home country. Often people will give you an initally very high price. This might be out of a custom of bargaining, or just because you are a foreigner. Anyway, try to get the price down to what you think is a reasonable level, or even better, try to bring somebody who knows Turkey when buying things.

Delicious food and stomach ache
The food of Turkey is exciting, diverse and very tempting. Modern influences are mixed with a traditional base. In many western countries you can eat one or two kinds of kebab, but in Turkey there are many, many types of kebap. My advice is to try it all, but be careful in the beginning. Most people get stomach ache and diarhea the first week. In the beginning try to eat some familiar food (McDonalds, sandwhiches etc), turkish salad or fruit, just to get used to the food. The stomach ache hits people from all places, even people from places where spicy food is common, i.e. Mexico or India.

Smoking - A huge percentage of the Turkish population smokes. People smoke in their cars, indoors, while eating - everywhere! If you are uncomfortable with this, be honest and talk to your friends, but try to understand that this is the norm in Turkey. Here we also smoke something called nargile, which is a sweet-tasting waterpipe. It contains the same substances as ordinary cigarettes, but has a sweeter taste.

The do’s and the don’ts of Turkey

DO

*Accept gifts and invitations, they are meant sincerely. If you don’t accept gifts, it is not polite, but rather a sign of non-acceptance. Of course, if you don’t want to accept an invitation, be honest and say so.

*Accept that others will pay things for you, from time to time. It is natural in Turkey, and if the sums are small, i.e a meal, bus ticket etc. Nobody expects to get the money back.

*Look both ways when crossing the street. Be really careful about traffic,

*Kiss people on both cheeks when you meet them. Maybe not the first time, but always if you want to be really friendly.

*Take it easy. There is a big chance that you won’t be able to be as planned, structured or efficient as you can be in your home country. Instead, relax and be spontaneuous.

*Touch people. It is ok, and a part of the culture, it is also good for friendship. But if you don’t feel comfortable, be honest and say so.

*Take your beer home and drink it in private. Drinking in the streets is viewed as suspicious, and only alcoholics do it. However, if you don’t care, do it, as long as you don’t bother anybody else.

*Ask for help when you need it. You can ask anybody, even people in the street. However, if you need more extensive help, ask your friends and they will help you with whatever you need.

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Photos

fetih sultan mehmed bridge
fetih sultan mehmed bridge in Istanbul

pass boarding
pass boarding

ahead of masjed in Bursa central city
ahead of masjed in Bursa central city

underground, shop : in Bursa
underground, shop : in Bursa