| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
ladonnaoscurata
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 25
Location: Vancouver, BC
|
 Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:30 pm Post subject: ? for the Istanbulites |
 |
|
Hi everyone,
I'm coming to Istanbul to teach English in about a month and a friend of mine has voiced her concern about my move to Turkey. She seems to be mostly concerned about the recent escalating violence between the Turks and Kurds. This friend of mine is Romanian and she said the Romanian newspapers are warning people to stay out of Turkey this summer! I also read on the BBC website that there was a bombing just outside of Istanbul no more than a week ago.
So, should I be concerned?
I'm not usually one to worry because I know these kind of attacks are very rare, but I'd like some opinions from people who are actually living there so I know what to expect and what I should take in to consideration before coming over.
Thanks! |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 2384
Location: Not where I was before
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| No need to worry. Istabul is fine, thank you. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tekirdag
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 505
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
| You have a better chance of getting hit by a car than being in a bombing. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Sheikh Inal Ovar
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
Posts: 1208
Location: Melo Drama School
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
Is that meant to be reassuring ... the probabilty of being hit by a car is pretty high, especially if you're in one ...  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
justme
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 1944
Location: Istanbul
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah, or you can get hit by a bus that spun out of control after being hit by a Molotov cocktail, like what happened here this weekend.
Or you can be attacked by gypsies shouting nationalist slogans. That happened too...
Not very reassuring for the potential newcomers. I kind of think this thing with the Kurds is just going to get worse for awhile.
On the other hand, you just live with it. It's not so bad that it's time to get out, and I doubt it will get that bad.
But then again, I'm not sure. Living here is still worth the flurries of scariness.
It sure beats anywhere else I've ever lived. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
saloma
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
Posts: 211
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
.... and the missing Korean washed up last Monday.....  Is it my imagination or are things a little dark right now? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
justme
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 1944
Location: Istanbul
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You're right, saloma. Dark. Bleak. Last week they found a strangled and burned 13 year old girl in a trash bin near my house.
It's starting to look like America.
Only with better tea. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
coffeespoonman
Joined: 04 Feb 2005
Posts: 512
Location: At my computer...
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:26 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| why don't I ever hear about any of this? Istanbul seems perfectly normal over here in Kadik�y... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Baba Alex
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 2411
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| coffeespoonman wrote: |
| why don't I ever hear about any of this? Istanbul seems perfectly normal over here in Kadik�y... |
Nah, there was a stabbing Kadikoy t'other day. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ladonnaoscurata
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 25
Location: Vancouver, BC
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Thanks for the responses, I definitely feel better about it. I heard about someone being shot and killed in my neighborhood just a few days ago here in Vancouver so I'm sure I'll feel just as safe, if not safer, in Istanbul. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
calsimsek
Joined: 15 Jul 2004
Posts: 775
Location: Ist Turkey
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:38 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Is it my imagination or are things a little dark right now? |
 I use to come strong as a defender of Istanbul being a safer city than most.... These days I'm not so sure. There was time in the early 90 's when I would have argued that Istanbul was one of the best places in the world to live. .
I'm not so sure these days.......
It could be become a father or I'm just becoming an old f*art. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
ladonnaoscurata
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 25
Location: Vancouver, BC
|
| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 11:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
calsimsek,
What makes you think differently now? Reading some of the comments on this board I feel as though I've just missed the great halcyon days of Istanbul. Have I truly missed the boat or are there still some good things about Istanbul? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
calsimsek
Joined: 15 Jul 2004
Posts: 775
Location: Ist Turkey
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
calsimsek,
What makes you think differently now?/are there still some good things about Istanbul? |
I can say that I still love the place and that I'm still doing well. Yet the fact is most native speaker start to come here around the late 80's and early 90's, after the old military gov't left office and �zal took over.
Back in those days life seeded to be more fun. Either we where younger so we had less economic responsablity, or the dollar seemed to strech
more. Either way we now have to watch how we speend and think about things, work is still out there to be had, but alot of the old colour has gone.
Befor the days of one size Mc English schools. You had a choice of where to work some good some bad. If you did your job well you got a bit more than the rest. Now we are all treated in the same manner. As for pay and conditions they have all become very similar. Today I would say that there is less stress at work, but with that less chance to go out and find something real good.
Way back when, I and few others where the only natives on the block, so we got the best. These days theres alot of us around so some of the conditions have fallen.
In the end..... Are you too late..... No I don't think so.... This city is so big that with a bit of luck and hard work you will find your self a place here.
Good luck for when you get here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Baba Alex
Joined: 17 Aug 2004
Posts: 2411
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 7:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Entrailicus wrote: |
| Forget talk about the economy being in great shape because inflation is under control, the cost of living has skyrocketed in recent years. Also, there are probably a good 5 million people more living in Istanbul than there were 10-15 years ago, most of whom are poor. I'm going to shut up now as I'm depressing myself. |
Speaking of someone who's just about to break the three year barrier, I can say that even I have noticed prices rise in many of the basics, such as dolmuşes (dolmi?), food, drink, utilities. Only the ferry has gotten cheaper.
Plus it doesn't seem as safe as it used to. I say we all move to Bulgaria. Who's with me? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Otterman Ollie
Joined: 23 Feb 2004
Posts: 1067
Location: South Western Turkey
|
| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 7:50 am Post subject: Try another city |
|
|
| I know I've said it before ,but ,there are other cities in Turkey where live is easier ,cheaper ,and sweeter . |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
