Today I made my way to Taksim Square and Gezi Park. It’s been a couple days since the protests have flared up, and I figured it was safe to venture to the place where it all began. I met up with my friend Meg for lunch, and then we wandered around the sites for a … Continue reading
At least some news of the uprisings here have probably reached you by now. Since my last post, there have been regular waves of peace followed by more turmoil, and both sides of the protests have remained persistent in their aggression. Many of the demonstrations, at least in Istanbul, are now centered in just a … Continue reading
Istanbul is currently in the throes of what many are calling the city’s version of an Occupy movement. I’d heard a couple days ago that demonstrators were conducting sit-ins at Taksim Square and the neighboring Gezi Park in response to new construction in the area that includes plans for yet another shopping mall, which is … Continue reading
There’s a lot of information out there regarding how to obtain a residence permit in Turkey. Most of it is written based on people’s personal experiences, and because the rules and regulations are always changing, and because there remain no official instructions on how to go about it, it’s very likely that you’ll hear a … Continue reading
Cell phones, like everywhere else in the world, are a staple of communication in Turkey. Service stores in Istanbul are literally every block or so, and plans and prepaid options are relatively inexpensive, so keeping in touch, even internationally, is easy. Cell phones themselves, though, especially ones that do more than just call and text, … Continue reading
The Basilica Cistern is in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, very near to Hagia Sophia. You enter through a small yellow building, completely nondescript save the long line of tourists wrapping around it a few times. After descending a few flights of stairs, you enter the cool, dark rooms supported by forests of columns. Fish … Continue reading
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