Job Discussion Forums

[31]

The fact that every meal must be accompanied by bread even if the meal is a roast dinner or a baked potato

The way Turks always lend money to families, friends and workmates and always borrow from same. Why doesn`t everyone just hang on to their own money?

The obsession with yoghurt and why they go ''oh oh oh"'when yoghurt ads come on TV

Why can`t you have tea or coffee with a meal rather than after it?

Why do you have to have ayran with lahmacun?

Why are Turkish primary and high school textbooks so childishly printed-with crap pictures and cheap looking?

Yapi Kredi bank is always so crowded that you have to wait for ages

The obsession with Hulya Avsar

Defne Samyeli is so achingly beautiful

Maganda in Sultanahmet who say ''I got what you need''

Poncey cafes on Bagdat owned by TV personalities

''Galos''-those plastic things you have to wear over your shoes in hospitals and some gyms.

Why don`t Turks have proper cookers like in England, rather than a seperate oven?

Turkish women dye their hair all the time

Agda is so smelly

In Eminonu they sell condoms from those barrows on the street-they can`t work as they are in the sun and must be out of date. Also the picture of a muscled bloke in Y-fronts on the front is porno

It is always ''ezo gelin'' or ''mercimek'''

No egg cartons in small shops

Turks in shops have to spend ages questioning the shop assistants over whether to pay by cash, credit cart. what is the benefit of paying with a galaxy card in 5 installments or paying by Worldcard in 8 installments

[dmb]

I am another TEFL dreamer. However, a friend of mine did get mugged down in Tunel a couple of weeks ago. He was very drunk(just been to a wedding) and immediately handed over his wallet and phone and tottered off home. Some of the things that 31 mentions I know longer notice and some of them I even like.

[whynotme]

[31]

''go to a real restaurant ..they always have "domates", "kelle pa�a" "tavuk suyu" and "haşlama"'

The last one isn`t a soup.

[whynotme]

go to a restaurant and say "haşlama suyu" it is a soup .....

[31]

The way when you have been visiting and the whole family stand at the door and watch while you are putting on your shoes

Is the only difference between haydari and cacik that cacik is more watery?

When the shop assistant chases you around the shop saying ''buyurun''

When you put your fork into the lemon wedge when you are eating ezo gellin or mercimek soup and it squirts in your eye

Are there any tall jandarma?

Why does an ''ikametgah'' from the muhtar only last 6 months and the muhtar know next to nothing about how to operate his computer?

Tost-next to yoghurt-what is the obsession?

Why do some Turks love ''kunefe'' so much that they have an almost mystical relationship with that dessert?

Erik-that horrible sour green plum. Nobody likes it yet on a Sunday in season little kids hassle you so much that it is better to buy a bag than be hassled. If you dare criticise erikler you will be told that they are very beautiful.

The crap gangplanks on ferryboats

Ece Erken on her crap programme-she is so talentless and owns a ''money trap'' cafe on Bagdat.

Ibrahim Tatlises crying every time he visits Urfa

Calling all Eastern European women ''Natasha''

Will Marmara University Goztepe campus ever be finished?

Ethem Efende-no shops stay open past 9pm so if you need beer you have to go miles

Kasaksker Migros-the smallest Migros in Turkey

Mercan Birahaneler/Kokorec places not serving beer during Ramadan

''automatic'' pencils

Ordu evi-not accepting people with beards

Tansu Ciller-has she ever worn any other top accept for a roll neck?

Mega Hafiza-horrible bearded moron who sells his crap memorise English vocab course to all and sundry

University Exam

No bedtimes for children

Shaving kids hair off so it grows better

Tekel bira

In photo shops when they charge you ''banyo parasi'' for developing your film

Guarantees that language schools now offer

Azra Akin is no more beautiful than you average Migros girl

Ataturk Airport charge you for using trolleys-anywhere else do this?

Everything is an araba-bebek arabasi, domates arabasi, Migros arabasi....

Not using ''British'' Ingiliz Hava Yollari!

Turks not having any general knowledge- what is the capital of France?

Kurds are Turkish citizens so don`t need their own homeland but Cecens do

[dmb]

It is 1 in the morning and I am too tired to argue 31's points. Anyone care to argue 31's points? Whynotme?
My only conclusion is that 31 lacks eye hand co-ordindation

[31]

Lemon juice in the eye-like that has never happened to you.

[whynotme]

[TeachEnglish]

Hehe.. 31 seems to get lots of attention.. is he/she really that important? Well anyway.. lets get back to the important matters.. Crime...not whine.. Although Istanbul is an interesting place.. full of excitement and fun.. including a new adventure everyday..it is important to advise everyone about the crime here.. It is very important to be on your guard at all times even if you are just takig a shortcut, on the European side, to avoid crowds of people.. Maybe it is best to deal with the crowds of people and keep your money and cell phone.. but even in these crowds your valuables can be stolen.. These little parasites that steal from anyone and everyone need to be taken out.. I think they should be exterminated like some the street trash are exterminated in some other countries.. they serve no purpose and they are a menace to society.. as well as a safety hazard.. I know people who were not lucky enough to get away with just handing over things.. one person still cannot use his hands because he was cut so badly.. Yes.. an extermination squad for these parasites would be a good thing.. but back to the topic.. lets inform everyone of these dangers in this city.. including the scams the other parasites run on tourists involving bars, beer, and whatever.. and let them make their own decisions of what to do with the information.. It is the least we can do.. don't tell people this place is "safe".. that is a bunch of crap...

[dmb]

Istanbul is still safer than any city in the UK. I think people who are saying Istanbul is a dangerous city are exaggerating.

[TeachEnglish]

I write the facts as I know them.. and people can process the information anyway they want.. Give people the information.. this is important.. I love Istanbul.. but I hate the criminals..especially the ones that have cut, stabbed, and shot people I know.. oh and the ones that sprayed gas in my friend's apartment so they would stay asleep while the thiefs went through their things.. yeah.. I hate those criminals too.. the sniffers, the ones that are high on something, that come up to you and try to get you to buy tissues or something and before you know it their hands are in your pockets.. I don't like them too much either..

[31]

Embittered? TEFL did it to me.

Mr. T used to say ''pity the FOOL.''

Justme started the complaints and crumpy egged me on.

I use Internet explorer.

If? Your logic goes like this: I don`t believe he works where he says he does and since I he doesn`t work anywhere else in Istanbul/Turkey I don`t believe he lives here. Right?

[31]

Extermination - what a wonderful idea and I support you 100%.

It should be organised by the ''Ulkucu Ocagi.''

[31]

On the subject of if there are some real tefly games in that tefler`s bible ''Grammar Games'' and ''More Grammar Games'' by that Mario Rinvoludicrous.

Armenian Genocide-alledged genocide please. It wasn`t one a half million but only fifty thousand and they died of flu.

35-what a conicidence.

I wouldn`t go so far as to say I made a mistake by BECOMING a tefler but with hindsight I would have got out of the tefl game after two or at most three years and got a real job.

Where did it all go wrong? Staying in tefl. I really loved it which I know must sound hard to believe but it really started to bite about year four. Money might not matter to you when you are single and in your twenties but it will when you are older and have a family to support.

Your challenge in no particular order: efes, acili ezme, Turkish breakfasts, kofte, Princes Islands, cost of living compared to UK, being able to eat out all the time if you want, salipazari.. I could go on but it doesn`t seem as fun as being negative.

I have never said the the UK is great but admit to comparing it to Turkey with regard to some things. You no doubt saw that poll-would you like to leave the Uk if you could-the vast majority of Brits of course would and I don`t blame them if they can afford to. Just don`t be a tefler unless you have got money or property or a pension behind you.

My comments on Turkey being applicable to the UK-I don`t see how. The difference between haydari and cacik? BTW someone for pity`s sake tell me what the difference is.

You mentioned embarking on a tefl career (I don`t agree that it is a career) I too embarked on one and had a great time for a few years but I hope you have a back up plan if you want to get out of EFL. For example getting on the housing ladder first, renting out your property and then doing the tefl game. Failing that getting a PGCE first.

As I have mentioned I did the prep in a crap private uni thing and it doesn`t get any better.

Finally on a personal note you call yourself an educator on your profile and used the past tense like a North American when a Brit would have used the present perfect in your post:

''why you spent so much time here.''

To be fair to you you did use it correctly earlier on. Have you spent a lot of time in N America?