My wallet was stolen last November. What a hassle that was. You can read more about it here. Six of Ankara's finest arrived on the scene. They spent a couple of hours questioning me at the location, preventing me from calling my credit card companies immediately. They never questioned any of the neighbors who came... Continue Reading →
Recycle America!
One of the great things I like about the States is the attempts to recycle practically everything. I realize we are still far behind and there's always more to do to save Planet Earth. But compared to Turkey, we are miles ahead. Behind? Absolutely! I remember one day back in the 90's (I think it... Continue Reading →
Meet Kemal, my 9-year-old friend who spent a year living in the States
Today's guest blogger is the son of dear friends. Kemal is a 9-year-old "almost typical" Turkish boy. He's typical in most ways but one, he spent a year living in the United States, learning the English language, going to school, and making new friends. Reading this, it will be obvious that he had a little... Continue Reading →
All Kinds of Friends – In Honor of Kurt
Most of us have at least one good friend. Many of us have lots of friends. Some we are close with and some we don't know well. Some come and go and some last a life time. But do you remember ever wanting to have a pen pal? A friend who you would likely never... Continue Reading →
Hot Fun in the Summertime – Guest Bloggers Welcome!
As Spring turns to Summer, we bloggers sometimes have trouble keeping our pages full and our readers engaged. It's not that there is less to write about in Summer. Quite the opposite, we find our days absorbed with fun-filled activity and sometimes, with pure sun-filled laziness. I don't want to bore and lose my readers... Continue Reading →
May 19th – Controversy Over a Turkish Celebration
May 19th is an official holiday in Turkey. No, they don't celebrate Malcolm X's birthday! The date is officially dubbed, "Youth and Sports Day." More importantly, May 19th is the day that Mustafa Kemal (a.k.a. Atatürk, founding father of modern Turkey) landed at Samsun, which is regarded as the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence. This year's celebration... Continue Reading →
Slideshow – Spring in Ankara
Who would have thought that one could find a place like this in the middle of Ankara, a city with a population of over 4 million? So green! Filled with flora and fauna! A perfect place to take a nice quiet stroll in the evening. Can you guess where it is?
Traditional Turkey in Ankara Hisar
Adventures in Ankara welcomes guest blogger, Emma Stone. Emma is a travel ‘fundi’ who spent a year back-packing in Nepal. She is based in London and writes about finding budget holidays in unusual places. Ankara is an exciting city to visit if you’re interested in Turkey’s ancient history. It has many examples of traditional architecture, completed... Continue Reading →
How do you Handle Tipping in Turkey?
Recently, my husband and I decided to get a quick and cheap dinner in our neighborhood. We chose a restaurant that specialized in home cooking. Our decision was based on two facts: it was a new place we hadn't tried and it had lots of side dishes on the menu. I was craving vegetables. The... Continue Reading →
Tips on Parallel Parking
Since I was 6 years old, I have always lived on streets where folks must parallel park their vehicles. My father was a truck driver and two brothers followed in that line of work. So when it came time to learn to drive, believe me, I knew I had better learn to parallel park or... Continue Reading →
Need a Quick Dinner Suggestion?
In Turkey, I find that there is no such thing as a "quick meal" for the most part, unless I am ordering for delivery. Sure, there's brinner (breakfast for dinner) and there is a small selection of cereals. But the idea of making a quick sandwich doesn't really exist for me. The lunch meat selections... Continue Reading →
Photo of the Day
I couldn't resist taking this photo. This is the planter in front of my building. The caretaker does little with our building, but these irises come up every year regardless. They were about 6" inches tall before this woman decided to plant her big fat butt in the middle of them! And don't feel sorry... Continue Reading →
Easter in Ankara
I apologize for the misleading title. There is no Easter in Ankara this year, at least, not for me. Naturally, there is little celebration of this Christian holiday in a Muslim country. This morning, after wishing my cat a Happy Easter, I got out of bed and checked Facebook. I found photos by "friends" in... Continue Reading →
Adventures in Ankara 