John from the Bosphorus

Thanks to John for sharing his views in Turkey with us.

Tell us about yourself
I'm a 25-year-old Lebanese Canadian that chose to live the life of expathood because of the poor status of jobs in my home country, Lebanon. Living the life is my motto, and I enjoy several hobbies such as playing music, movies, sports, martial arts, etc. The picture of me here is what I look like now thanks to my stressful job.

What made you come to Turkey?
The job and the desperation to leave.

What do you do in your daily life?
Sell soda by day. By night?... Nothing specific... Every night is different.. I might go out, drink, do sports, party, have sex.. etc.

Family?
Yea I have one. Thank you for asking.

Can you compare your first days here with today?
Well... traffic got much worse! I can get myself around much better now. The language divide has greatly diminished since my first days.

Has living in Turkey influenced your approach to life?
Yes. Now I know that life only pays off if you act like an a***ole.

Turkish language?
I'm taking lessons...I'm learning, slowly...

Let's talk about the region you are living in?
I live in between homes. Between Sariyer and Rumeli Hisari.. Long story..

Have you traveled in Turkey? Tell us your discoveries
I went to Bodrum (great beaches), Ephesus (wonderful history), Antalya (great women), Ankara (great boredom), Konya (the GREAT Mevlana!)

What is your preferred characteristic trait of Turks?
Their country is located only 1.5 hours by plane from my home country Lebanon. :)

What was the annoying one?
I feel they are very nationalistic and not very open to new ideas and cultures. They walk with their chins so high that the word "pride" becomes an understatement. Also... Football all the time? PLEASE! What about when they know you can't speak Turkish, but they speak it anyway.. Or wait, when they group together and you are with them, they ignore you and just speak Turkish..

Turkish Cuisine?
I am from Lebanon! To me, Lebanese food is of a much higher class than Turkish food. We have everything the Turks have (done in a better way) and MUCH more. So...

Any suggestion to new comers to Turkey?
"Run my baby run my baby run, run from the noise of the street and the loaded gun"

Any suggestion to people planning to visit your region?
Istanbul has many exciting places in terms of history, food, nightlife etc. I would be lying if I said you should try and explore those areas. If you enjoy partying hard, then you will not be disappointed. Istanbul has literally THOUSANDS of places to go and shake your bottoms. If it is food you desire, although I am Lebanese, Turkish food isn't half bad and should be tried. As for history... Aya Sofia, Sultanahmet, Ephesus, etc... Must see places!

Latest comments about this article

 By marbling  17.1.2007

hi john. this is Ebru from İstanbul. I need to practice. And also I can help you for your turkish practice. Please contact with me. e197555@hotmail.com

 By melodrama  1.12.2006

John your an absolute classic! I couldn´t stoplaughing at your intro. I love it!

 By Charly  18.1.2006

Most interesting intro I have read for a while! :O)

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