Exploring the culture, history, and cuisine of Turkey through the eyes of not-just-another-tourist
I wasn't feeling well yesterday, but I kept to the schedule and treated my mother and sister to a day in the City. The plan was to visit my brother-in-law, who so sweetly invited us to lunch. Oh, right, the "first-born" sister was there too. But first, we made a little tour of my old... Continue Reading →
No matter where we are in life, we will come upon a time where we need to know the language to use to express one's sympathy for the loss of a loved one. We will never be prepared for death. But after a loss, we don't want to spend time scrambling to find the right... Continue Reading →
Learning a new language is great, regardless of how much or how little you retain. I find that every small little piece I learn changes me in some way. It's brought me to realize though, that when living in another country, sometimes learning the language is not enough. In the States we have this saying,... Continue Reading →
Taking a break from life this morning, I want to write about the Turkish language. People are always asking me if it is hard to learn. I don't find it difficult, it's just different. If you are a language person, you probably will get it pretty easily. The key is to stop translating and start... Continue Reading →
I am back stateside and it's been a different kind of visit. My "holiday" is never quite a vacation when I am home. It's usually full of running around to markets and doctors and whatnot. But I'm fine with that. That's what it means to be home for me. Yet I always manage to get... Continue Reading →
Ankara streets are laid out like a [INSERT TEXT HERE]. No, that wasn't a mistake. The street map is so crazy, I couldn't think of anything to write! So feel free to comment with your suggestions! It's amazing to me sometimes that anyone finds anything. And yet, we do! This is my version of how... Continue Reading →
One of the most difficult problems for any expat is translation. Living in Turkey without a full grasp of the language presents its own challenges from day to day. Problems with translation can make those matters worse. I am lucky enough to have a husband and several friends who speak both English and Turkish and... Continue Reading →
When I meet a Turk for the first time, they inevitably will ask me where I am from. This is not the case for most Europeans. They always know from my [insert adjective] accent that I am American. Most Turks though aren't trained in distinguishing the English speaker's accents as easily (not that there aren't... Continue Reading →
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 →
For those of you who have been following Terry & Baris' Big Weekend Adventure in Kaş, you will remember that we left you with a bit of a cliffhanger: Lunch was the perfect end to a perfect afternoon. On the ride back, the group was happy, calm, and tired. I couldn’t wait to get back to... Continue Reading →
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 →
It was a long and rough winter for us in Ankara. For a moment there, I thought all of the stars in the sky had a bad case of dandruff - it snowed that much! In fact, we had flurries again yesterday. But now the sun is shining and flowers are poking their little heads... Continue Reading →
You may remember a little while back that I wrote about my new friend, Jack Scott, author of the blog, Perking the Pansies. He had written a book by the same name. Jack was kind enough to share a copy with me. I am only about half way through it - but I have decided... Continue Reading →
Musings of a Philadelphia lawyer - who married a Turk, quit her day job, and set out for adventure!
-by Terry Henson Kaymak
Adventures in Ankara 