Job Discussion Forums

[molly farquharson]

another john story (prob not the same one). This one had a tendency to lose things (13 phones, 5 passports, last I heard). One night he was stupefied sitting at the bar. his phone was on the bar. The barman suggested that he put the phone away, so he stuck it down the front of his pants. Later he woke up and noticed his phone was gone. He insisted that the barman search everyone's pockets. the barman suggested calling the phone to find it-- and there it was down his pants.
I wasn't there to see it, but heard it from someone who was.

[Bahcevan]

When I lived about 6 blocks from Istiklal, in Cihangir, I used to
see the same hustlers all the time. After a while, they would
recognize and ignore me ( after each one had taken a crack at
me first, of course). They aren't that bad, maybe since they have
a high volume of people to work on...

The drug-dosing types are another story though.
There was this one guy who I met while he was speaking to
a Turkish acquaintance of mine. They were both Germanophone
Turks and seemed to be friendly with each other (but weren't...)
and this guy seemed friendly enough, so my guard was down
a little. He became very pushy and began to insist that I come
with him to his "friend's cafe" or "friend's bar" - he alternated
between the two, apparently trying to fish out which one I liked
better. I quickly realized the racket as we walked down Istiklal,
when he started off by offering me a beer, and then a tea, and
then a cola, and when I didn't want any- he started getting P.O.'ed
and telling me that "you CAN'T resist the hospitality of a Turk" or
they will become gravely offended, etc... My curiosity caused me
to at least want to peek into the door to see what a place like that
looks like. A completely trashy joint with a very narrow passageway
down the side, which could easily be blocked by one thug. And
there were 3 in the place, along with 3 "ladies of the night" and
one glittering disco ball sparkling above a tiny, empty dance floor.
Big surprise.

[Baba Alex]

I went to one bar on the promise of 'a good time', I should have sussed it when my 'guide' told me that many 'yabanci' hang there.
When I got to the place is was dark, they he lead me up about six steep floors, we had a couple of beers, but the staff seemed to be rude and aggresive. After a couple of small beers I became irritaed by the false hospitality, and asked for the bill. It was something amounting to extortion, trying to con me because I'm a foreigner lost in a strange world.

I haven't been back to the James Joyce since.