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Day Four: Conversations on conservatism, social outlook on secularism

By Global Engagement Summit • March 20, 2012 at 5:30 pm

Day Four: Conversations on conservatism, social outlook on secularism

“The day is Tuesday. The place is Istanbul.” – Gora Dan(iel Olson)

It’s midnight and I’m sitting in the lobby of Hotel Monopol trying to start this blog post. Since arriving in Istanbul, this has become a ritual. We do so much during the day here that it’s difficult to coherently summarize everything. From two keynote speakers, visits to two mosques (one unofficial, the result of an adventure), shopping, and lots of small meals, I’m afraid to dive into any kind of conversation about my experiences today with the fear that I won’t do any of them justice.

Despite that fear, I’m going to try anyway.

Our first keynote speaker for today was Serra Titiz, owner of Mikado Consulting. Serra came to the hotel this morning to talk to us about social entrepreneurship and her accomplishments in working with movements toward social change, from women’s rights to more economic achievements in civil society organizations. The statement that stuck out to me most during her presentation was the idea that an active pursuit of social entrepreneurship involves “lifelong learning.” This concept is interesting because it encourages the idea that working in an area of social entrepreneurship constantly prompts dialogue, knowledge, expansion of one’s understanding of the field, and personal growth as an individual interested in social innovation. It’s also quite daunting to think about lifelong learning—especially going back to Ayse Inam’s presentation to us on “visions” and “inspirations.” As Northwestern students, the common goal in our community is to achieve financial success and personal happiness by gaining an incredible amount of knowledge to prepare us for a career. There is a sense that education has a beginning and a concrete ending before diving into a job—we go to college, pursue post-graduate studies, and end up with a lifestyle in which we find a solid career or try out many of them. Serra’s explanation on social entrepreneurship does not fit this financial and cultural “mold” that is associated with the American pursuit of financial and economic success. Can the concept of “lifelong learning” exist in harmony with the American “dream” of finding a steady job and sticking with it for the sense of consistency? I believe so—and I’m curious to see how a hybrid of these two conceptual outlooks can lead to achievement.

Our second event today was a visit to an exhibit that was inspired by social media, art, and film being used to make statements on social, cultural, economic, or even religious issues within Turkish society. We saw a photo exhibit called “Kemal’s Dream” that sought to eliminate stereotypes about various neighborhoods within Istanbul and Turkey. The interpretation of this exhibit in our group was incredibly diverse—some saw the exhibit as an important, effective social statement on the importance of secularism within a society and an abolishment of conservatism because of the social and cultural limitations that it sets on society. Others viewed the photo exhibit as a blatant or disturbing attack on conservatism and conservative people within Turkey, as if Ahmed Patol, the artist who compiled the exhibit, was actively promoting a secular state and calling for the abolishment of a conservative one.

I’m personally very conflicted on this issue and lean towards a defense of conservative values—but for personal reasons, not necessarily logical ones. For me, I think Islam is a vital aspect of Turkish society and to completely eliminate it or negate it in any way suggests that its historical implications and impact on the Middle East and Europe does not matter. I feel as though Islam has more than a religious value to Turkey—there are huge cultural impacts that the religion has had on political affiliations, personal identifications within the larger Muslim Ummah (community), as well as the social movements and changes that drive this country. Then again, there is a question as to whether these theocratic values have place in a society in which so much of the population wishes to move towards a more liberal outlook.

Some say you can’t fight the tide…but I personally don’t think the tide knows where it’s going. Mavara, our leader and rep from GES on this trip has said time and time again that Istanbul is suffering from an identity crisis, caught between the need for social exploration into liberalism and the burning desire to hold onto rich Islamic history and values—how can such a diverse, growing, changing population and city reconcile that? Is harmony of these two values even possible? I was left with lots of questions at the end of today, and I’m hoping that the debate panel on women’s rights will prompt more dialogue about the dissonance between secularism and conservatism and its true place in Turkish society.

I’ll leave you with this picture of a shot glass with the Haijar Sophia on it from the Lal Bazaar on Istikhlal Street.

via Day Four: Conversations on conservatism, social outlook on secularism « Northwestern.

March 21, 2012
A Vacation Trip to Istanbul

I am an admirer of Steve Sando who grows organic heirloom beans in California, so when he praised a book on Turkish cooking, Turquoise, written by a friend of his, Greg Malouf, I ordered a copy.

This is a coffee table sized book with pretty pictures of food and men. Boys and men. Apparently there are no women in Turkey except for two wrapped in black and huddled in a street doorway. I didn’t like this pretentious book and I barely looked at the mostly meat recipes.

NYT 10/2/11

Then there was a travel article in the New York Times and it showed pictures of people, including women, eating and having a great time. In fact the food descriptions were tempting, and we did need vacation plans. Then a customer came into the restaurant and I admired her scarf. She said she had gotten it in Istanbul. She reminded me that we had run into each other in Oaxaca, Mexico, a favorite city for both of us. Perhaps we had the same tastes! She urged us to go to Istanbul.

With some hesitation I talked to our friend Krystyna, a most intrepid researcher, and asked her to look into the possibility of an Istanbul visit. Besides getting the usual guidebooks, she joined Airbnb, to find us an inexpensive place to stay. She also found us an American ex-pat “foodie”, Kathy Hamilton, who could take us to restaurants and the fabled Spice Market. And another American ex-pat fabric designer, Catherine Bayar, who knew weavers, dyers, and felters. Krystyna even worked at learning a little Turkish, a very different language from anything we knew. Best of all, she has a friend from Istanbul whose family wanted us to come to dinner during our stay.

We went in February; off-season for tourists, and it was very cold and very hilly. But even on the first day, (before we met with either guide) as we wandered around, we found:

– People were exceptionally helpful, often taking us where we wanted to go whether they spoke English or not.

– The City is startlingly clean. The cobblestone streets all have drainage ditches lined in stone, and not even a cigarette butt is present.

– There are cats everywhere, and they are as friendly as the people! Obviously because the people feed them and they expect the best from humans.

On later days we reflected that we never saw an obese person. Of course there is a great amount of walking (as well as a very good transportation system).

Most amazing of all, I never saw any sign of public sexual aggression- no eyeing women up and down-no nasty noises or comments….how come?

And we always felt safe walking the several blocks home from where taxis dropped us off, though it was dark and men were about.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I started with a list of 27 restaurants that we might try and actually got to 15. They say you can’t get a bad meal in Istanbul, and we didn’t! We did have favorites though….

Ciya Sofrasi, on the Asian side of the Bosporus (Kadakoy), cooked amazing vegetables like purslane and borage, mallow and dock.

Asitane (Edirnakapi), tries to reproduce Ottoman Empire dishes such as almond soup, dried eggplant with pomegranate molasses and saffron rice pudding.

Van Kahralti Evi

Van Kahralti Evi (Beyoglu), serves breakfast (all day) of cheese and olives and dips like muhammara (roasted red peppers), sour cherry preserves, honey with walnuts, and beautiful breads with water buffalo butter and clotted cream (kaymak). Most everything is shipped in daily from the Kurdish city of Van, near the Iranian border.

And Akdeniz Hatay Sofrasi (Fatih), where wonderful breads emerged from the oven all night. Hatay is a Turkish province near Syria and the cuisine reflected that. The fresh squeezed pomegranate juice and the sweet olives served as dessert were both memorable, as was the waiter’s and the owner’s generosity and warmth.

Also good was Anatolia (Sultanahmet), where we went the first night, and tasted Raki, along with amazing olives and cheeses, and learned about Turkish politics from the viewpoint of the Kurdish owner/waiter.

We also enjoyed Cooking Alaturka, Develi, and Datli Maya, where one climbed the stairs to the 2nd floor, walked through the kitchen and then a few more steps up to the small dining room overlooking a pocket park. There was a little place in the Spice Market where we drank superb Turkish coffee and ate locum, Turkish delight, and many varieties of baklava. And Bizem Ev in Konkapi, for delicious spinach boreks.

Because we so liked the kaymak at Van, we proceeded to visit three kaymak makers for breakfast. Besiktas Kaymakci has been serving kaymak for over a hundred years. The current owner, Pando Bey is 87 years old. We ate his famous kaymak, a rich thick but delicate cream with honey, eggs, fresh bread and black tea.

We went twice to Ciya Sofrasi, and the second time they gave me a small booklet of commentaries about the chef-owner, Musa Dagdiveren. This quote from him leaped off the page when I saw it:

“I travel all over the country to cook with people in their homes and also study old books to find new leads. I get very excited when I discover new poor people’s dishes, because I believe only poor people can create great food. If a man has money, he can buy anything, but a person who has nothing must create beauty from within.”

Dinner with Fatma’s Family

Yes! Exactly what I believe.

A highlight of our trip was our visit with Krystyna’s friend Fatma Nalbant’s family. They made a beautiful spread of dishes – the finest thin-rolled grape leaves I’ve tasted, borek, and kisir (a bulgur salad) made with a little tomato paste, red pepper, and shredded cilantro and diced pickle. When I admired it, Azzize, Fatma’s sister immediately repaired to the kitchen to show me how to do it.

We did see Aya Sofia and the Blue Mosque and the ancient Christian Chora Church. We also traveled to a suburb to see the new Sakirin Mosque, designed by Zeynep Fadilhoglu, a woman. It is quite beautiful.

Sakirin Mosque

We went to a hamam, a Turkish bath. At last I was warm! It was a wonderful experience. We went to one in our neighborhood rather than an expensive tourist version and it was both comforting and energizing.

When Catherine Bayar arrived on our 2nd to last day in Istanbul, she took us to a small weaving studio where they wove plain weave linen, cotton and silk for elegant classic scarves and shirts.

Musa’s rug. Now in my kitchen.

Another of Musa’s rugs.

Then on to Musa Kazim Basaram, expert natural dyer and designer/weaver of modern kilim rugs. He and I connected, intensely discussing natural dye techniques. He wants to reproduce my mermaid quilt design in a kilim and I am delighted. He later sent us a container of his delicious grape leaves, which we were grateful to have for supper, since we were too exhausted to go out.

Catherine next took us to Ikonium Studio, where American expat Theresa May O’Brien is partnered with Mehmet Girgic, who makes museum quality felt art. She had antique camel saddlebags and newish large kilim rugs. Before I went there I had Turkish liras left over, but afterwards, I needed my debit card to help pay for the gorgeous, woman-made Nuzumla kilim now in my living room.

Nuzumla Kilim

The apartment we stayed in is called Helen Suites. It is in a quiet, old neighborhood, a few blocks away from the train, which takes you into the center. The area is called Kumkapi, and is considered conservative. Women in headscarves were always walking the narrow streets, but we saw no women in burkas or chadors in our neighborhood. Our space was comfortable, warm in this very cold weather, and very inexpensive. We were glad not to be in a tourist hotel.

The worst part of the trip was coming home to Kennedy Airport. Understaffed, dirty. We stood in line for an hour and a half, and were yelled at by officials who didn’t possess the wherewithal to care for so many of us with only three customs and immigration staff to check baggage and passports for hundreds. Hateful, after the comforts of passing through Istanbul Airport.

Finally, at home, I looked at my cookbooks. There are a few okay recipes in Turquoise, but much better versions in Silvena Rowe’s Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume. I had acquired Ghillie Basan’s Classic Turkish Cooking in Istanbul and Binnur’s Turkish Cookbook once home. I’m so glad that the Istanbul we saw (and in these cookbooks) isn’t the one in Malouf’s Turquoise! I was able to adapt recipes for sweet potato borek, leek borek and apricot pistachio pilaf from Purple Citrus, making them vegan, and the kesir, muhamarra, and cemen dip from what I learned in Istanbul, and so we served an Istanbul dinner for a few weeks upon our return home. As predicted by many of our customers, we loved the city, its people, and the food.

http://selmaslist.blogspot.com/2012/03/vacation-trip-to-istanbul.html

March 20, 2012
Istanbul: The City That Took Me By Complete Surprise

by Alex Berger on March 19, 2012

When I chose Turkey as the destination for my holiday trip, one key factor was weather. While I still didn’t expect it to be terribly warm, I was hopeful that the weather would be notably warmer than what I had grown accustomed to in Copenhagen, Denmark. Little did I know what I was in for: the coldest weather Turkey has experienced in over 25 years. After diving into my bags and layering on just about every piece of warm clothing I had, I quickly set out to explore the historic district of Sultanahmet which immediately surrounds the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more commonly known as the Blue Mosque. I have to confess that I was more than a little frustrated by the cold and snow flurries which made visibility difficult. Still, I decided to take stock of my situation and make the absolute best of it – after all, when was the last time you saw photos of Istanbul covered in snow? Eager to take care of this rare occurrence, I began to explore the neighborhood..

The trip was my first to a Muslim country. It was also my first to an arab-influenced country. I say arab-influenced country because I know that many Turks don’t consider themselves to be arabs and are regularly frustrated by the mis-association. As I crunched out into the snow the first time I honestly had no idea what to expect. I had heard that Turkey was much more liberal, western and progressive than many of the more traditionalist/conservative Muslim countries, but I had no idea just where the boundaries between the two might fall. Would I see lots of women covered from head to toe in traditional garb? Would beer and alcohol be available – or even legal? What about pork? Would people pause during prayer periods to pray in the streets? Some of these unknowns no doubt seem silly to some of you, especially some of my Turkish friends who have known me for years. For others, I imagine you likely share the uncertainty I did before my arrival in Turkey.

What I found was a city full of surprises. While there were some women in full-body traditional conservative outfits, most wore a headscarf, or nothing particularly unusual – choosing instead to dress as one would find and expect anywhere else in the world. In truth, there are probably more women dressed traditionally in the heavily-Arab district of Norrebro back in Copenhagen than there are in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. In part, that’s due to the tourist-centric nature of that part of town. Mostly, however, it is indicative of exactly what you would expect in any major metropolitan area. Similarly, despite the loud sing-song of the Muslim call to prayer echoing through the city several times a day, I never saw anyone pause to pray in public. In truth, few Turks even paused as they went about their business. Should I be surprised? Probably not. Was I? Most definitely.

As my time in Istanbul quickly raced by I came to realize just how far off most of my perceptions about Turkey had been. During our visits to the Taksim area, which is a shopping sector and bar district within Istanbul, I quickly learned that Istanbul has a thriving bar and nightlife scene. While drinks are relatively expensive, they’re easily on hand in most parts of the city (though perhaps slightly more difficult to find than some other major cities). Perhaps most surprising was that there even seemed to be unofficial open container laws, as long as you were careful and remained within Taksim. The city was not at all what I expected or what many of the westernized portrayals of Turkey depicted. Heck, to our total surprise (and dismay) several fellow hostelers and I actually stumbled into (and right out of) what we thought was a bar which ended up being a brothel – located right in the heart of Taksim.

Now, all of this isn’t to say that Istanbul doesn’t have its conservative districts and idiosyncrasies. It does, but it’s also nothing like the city I was expecting. Another aspect that took me by complete surprise was the city’s size. A review of online literature about Istanbul in preparation for my trip left me expecting a mid-sized capital city with a hearty population in the 10-12 million range. What I found was a city that locals claim has at least 19 million residents and, given the population density and size of the city, I believe it. This, and other experiences during the trip led me to realize that Istanbul is one of the world’s great cities and it is not discussed as such as often as it should be.

More than that, it possesses a charm that few cities of its size and scale are able to nurture or retain. Istanbul is a city of empire. A city of history. Of wonder. With its well-manicured boulevards and crumbling historic districts, Istanbul befits a city that straddles two continents – two worlds – that has served as the sentry of the Bosphorus for thousands of years. Despite spending more than a week in Istanbul, I feel as though I’ve only just scratched the surface. There are still so many historical buildings, museums, and remnants of the past to explore. But, it goes far beyond that. The foods, music, cafes, and cultures of Istanbul are also intoxicating, rich, and complex. I’ll find my way back to Istanbul as soon as the chance permits and as someone who isn’t generally a fan of mega-cities, that is a take away from the city that I found extremely surprising. If you find yourself considering a visit to Istanbul – don’t be mislead by headlines, silly stereotypes and hear-say. If you haven’t considered Istanbul and Turkey as a destination in the past – I hope my series on the country will help inspire you to add it to your list and to consider it seriously. After all, Istanbul is the city of Byzantium and Constantinople – a city that demands every traveler’s attention!

Istanbul: The City That Took Me By Complete Surprise

March 20, 2012
Jumeirah to operate Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul

Jumeirah to operate Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul

Jumeirah Group, the Dubai-based luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has signed a management agreement with Demsa Group, a leading Turkish company specialising in the luxury and fashion retail industry and representing 13 global brands, to operate the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey. Jumeirah Group will assume management of the luxury museum hotel from 1 May 2012 and the property will be known as Pera Palace Hotel, Jumeirah.

Pera Palace Hotel originally opened in 1892 as the destination hotel in Istanbul for discerning travellers on the Orient Express train. Its elegant, understated design reflects art nouveau, neoclassical and oriental styles, complete with white Carrara marble, exquisite Murano glass chandeliers and hand-woven Ousak carpets. Known as the longest established luxury hotel in Istanbul, Pera Palace boasted the first electric elevator in Turkey and its rooms have hosted many of the world’s most significant figures, ranging from the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, to European royalty and cultural figures such as Agatha Christie, Greta Garbo, Alfred Hitchcock and Ernest Hemingway.

The room where Atatürk preferred to stay – room 101 – has been registered as a museum by the Ministry of Culture; visitors can see some of his personal belongings and many artefacts dating back to his visits to the hotel from 1917 until his death in 1938.

Located in the culturally rich and dynamic Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, within easy reach of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the airport, Pera Palace Hotel, Jumeirah has 115 rooms including 16 suites, the majority of them with balconies. The hotel underwent a major refurbishment resulting in a grand re-opening in September 2010; in late 2011 the hotel’s usage rights transferred to Demsa Group, who has now selected Jumeirah Group to operate the property in line with the Jumeirah brand promise of STAY DIFFERENT.

The hotel has a 380m2 spa and four function rooms. Its main restaurant, Agatha, is named after the famous British crime writer Agatha Christie and serves French, Italian and Turkish specialities, paying tribute to the three major stops of the former Orient Express. Orient Bar is a well-known meeting-point for the intellectuals and the high society of Istanbul, as are the Kubbeli Saloon and Tea Lounge, Patisserie de Pera and Orient Terrace in summer.

The addition of Pera Palace Hotel, Jumeirah brings the number of luxury hotels, resorts and residences currently operated by Jumeirah around the world to 19. From the start of 2011 to the end of 2012, the Group will have more than doubled the number of hotels it manages and almost quadrupled the number of countries in which it operates. In the coming six months Jumeirah expects to open Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa in Mallorca, Spain; Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan; Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait; and Jumeirah Creekside in Dubai, UAE.

via Jumeirah to operate Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul.

March 20, 2012
Esser Agaroth: Turkey To Israel: “We’re Happy To Take Your Money, But We’ll Criticize You Anyway.”

YNET: Turkey Calls On Israeli Tourists To Return

Speaking at Serbia Tourism Fair, deputy tourism minister says Antalia and Istanbul ‘miss’ Israeli tourism

Itamar Eichner, March 14, 2012

Turkish Deputy Minister of Tourism Ozgur Ozaslan expressed his hopes that return to Turkey. The government official spoke over the weekend with Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Yossef Levy.

“Antalia and Istanbul miss the Israeli tourists” said Ozaslan.

The two officials spoke during the opening event of the Serbian international tourism fair. The fair is hosting over 1000 presenters from 46 countries. This is the first time the Israel Ministry of Tourism is participating in the fair. Regardless, the guest of honor at the Serbian fair was Turkey – the most important destination for Serbian tourists. The opening event included a screening of a Turkish image video, and a traditional Ottoman dance.

During the fair, Deputy Minister Ozaslan met with the Israeli ambassador, and expressed his hopes for more cooperation between the countries in the future. “I hope the Israeli tourists will return to Turkey, we miss them,” said the deputy minister.

Ambassador Levy replied that as soon as the good relations between the countries will be restored, tourism will flourish. “Israel tourists will probably return to Turkey when they will feel welcome and liked. Unfortunately this is not the situation today,” he said.

Diplomat Levy was being VERY diplomatic, and WAY too nice, but was essentially correct.

Why should we even think about spending even one sheqqel in Turkey? (…or Jordan? …or Egypt?)

They’ve all got some hutzpah, expecting us to return to their country to throw our money around, while they continue to criticize Israel’s policy’s and actions toward defending itself. The Turks cannot even guarantee our safety while we are there!

My advice to Israelis is to visit your own country first. There is lots to see here, and that includes a historical and educational.

Never been to Hevron? Shiloh? Tzfath? Tiveria? Naharia? Mitzpeh Ramon? How about the Golan?

The multiple sites, festivals, climates, and attractions of Israel await you!

via Esser Agaroth: Turkey To Israel: “We’re Happy To Take Your Money, But We’ll Criticize You Anyway.”.

March 19, 2012
An Unexpected Introduction to Istanbul

by Alex Berger

I swallowed hard with an expression that was no doubt a mixture of delight and annoyance as I suppressed that small lump clawing its way up into my throat as the airplane descended the final few thousand feet before bouncing down onto the runway. The view out the window was unusual. What I had initially thought to be part of the city’s sprawl clarified into a veritable armada of dozens of merchant vessels all anchored in line, waiting their turn to traverse the Bosphorus.

Before long the thick rubber tires of the Turkish Airways flight were rumbling along the tarmac soon to be replaced by the high pitched squeak of my shoes on the polished marble tiles of Ataturk International Airport. Laden with my front and back packs – in total weighing just under 15kg – I wound my way through the airport’s serpentine complex of tunnels, halls, and checkpoints in search of the metro. It was relatively late. My flight landed just after 9:30PM. Darkness had long since fallen. I was experiencing that familiar feeling of slight anxiety over finding my way to my hostel, at night, through one of the world’s largest cities. As usual, I hadn’t bothered to pick up a guide book or a map. I softly chided myself and wondered – as I often do – if it had been a mistake. No time to dwell, I eventually found a metro map and paused just long enough to trace my route and take a photo on my phone. With a map to reference it was time to take the escalator down and into the nearly abandoned metro station.

I didn’t know what to expect. In a conversation earlier on the flight I’d learned that contrary to the 8-13 million person population I had expected via Wikipedia, the locals all placed the actual figure closer to 19/20 Million. Nearly double the size. Guides, tweets, and other travelers had warned me that locals were friendly, but could also be obnoxiously pushy sales people and were prone to running scams. I had a mental image of the Hollywood versions of the markets in Morocco or Mumbai, filled with in-your-face sales people, large throngs of humanity and more pick-pockets than tourists. I was on my guard. Shoulders rolled forward. Thumbs stuck in my front pockets. I didn’t expect trouble, but I was also dead set on making sure I didn’t find any.

As I waited for the train on the largely deserted platform, I repeatedly checked the map trying to figure out which side would take me in the right direction. Most metro systems are similar, but there are always subtle differences that take a while to figure out. Is it a zone system or does it work on a per-line ticket basis? Does the train stop at midnight or run 24 hours? How are the signs laid out? Do they announce stops on the train or do you have to watch each station carefully? As I worked to figure out each of these key pieces of information, I eventually approached a lone man standing near me and asked to confirm that I was in the right spot, for the right line, in the correct direction.

Luckily he spoke English and was eager to strike up a conversation while we waited, answering my questions and gesturing that we should sit down. The seats were in one of the darker parts of the station, towards the end of the metro line’s tracks. He chatted away cheerfully and asked me questions about my visit. He seemed friendly and open. I wasn’t. I was cautious and guarded, though still striving to be friendly. But, I followed him the 10 steps or so to the benches and then stood making sure I had an easy route out and away if I needed it. I didn’t. As we chatted more and I got a better read on him, I grew more comfortable and eventually sat down – still paying close attention to my surroundings.

Eventually the metro arrived and we boarded. He asked me again where I was going and I gave him the general station and route suggested to me by the hostel. He asked what hostel. I told him I didn’t remember. My notes said to transfer a few stations in. He suggested taking the metro with him to the end of the line, then walking about 150 meters to the tram and mentioned it would cut about 20 minutes off my trip. I glanced at the metro map. Both seemed to make sense. He had been helpful and friendly so far – so I agreed.

We chatted about travel, women, and a taste of politics. All the while I stared out the windows taking in a late night view of Istanbul’s strange mishmash of modern, semi-modern, and ancient architecture. While my concern over being robbed or mugged had subsided he seemed a bit too friendly and too helpful. In retrospect, I have to say my perception and reality had been poisoned by the stories I had heard before my trip that biased my expectations. My new concern was that he’d approach me for money or a tip in exchange for helping me get where I was going. An annoying routine I’ve run into all over the globe. So, with this concern in mind, as we reached the end of the metro line, and he offered to show me along to the tram station/my hostel if I needed help I resisted saying I was fine and could find it/didn’t want to be an inconvenience.

He insisted on walking me to the tram station at the very least, told me we were in his neighborhood and asked if I wanted to get any food or a beer. I thank him and told him I’d eaten and needed to check into my hostel as soon as possible, as it was already nearly 11:30PM. As we walked through the snow he gave me his number and told me to give him a call if I had any issues or wanted to connect for a tour around the city.

As we came up on the street tram he explained how it worked. I expected that this was when he’d hit me up for some sort of tip, as he asked me one more time if I was comfortable finding my way the last leg to the hostel. I nodded and thanked him graciously for all his help and the delightful conversation, and then fumbled in my pocket for one of the tram tokens I’d purchased at the airport. Before I could find it, and to my complete shock and surprise, he pulled out his metro pass and swiped it for me, and motioned for me to enter. I was stunned. Not only had I not been hassled and hit up for money, my first encounter with a local was friendly, engaging, and helpful in every way. I was grinning from ear to ear.

This wonderful experience confirmed once again why it is important to always travel with an open mind…to be friendly to the people you meet and evaluate each situation on its own merits. For my part, I’ll strive to pay his kindness forward and return the favor as I see other travelers struggling or in need of a helping hand. Remember, you always hear horror stores about a destination, its people, or the experiences you might expect to encounter but, the reality is often vastly different. For many of us, the nature of our experiences is based on a self-fulfilling prophesy. Choose to give people the opportunity to surprise you, and quite often they will in wonderful ways.

The remainder of my trip to my hostel was uneventful. I arrived a bit after midnight with a smile on my face and with my perception of what to expect from the Turks completely re-set and re-framed. Despite the snow falling outside, my mood was as bright as a summer day. Istanbul and adventure called…but first, I needed a good night’s rest.

March 17, 2012