positive things about living in Turkey

[starman™]

Thought of another couple of good things about here.
5 yr old kids call you uncle or big brother if your young like me and dont tell you to F off
Crime is nothing here compared to most places in the UK

[hoops man]

My god starman were do you live?  I think you will see that there are very comfortable places in turkey at a fraction of those prices. But the treads about positive aspects of Turkey. Just kids running around with total freedom is so nice to see.

[Scunner]

I have decided to answer Ronnie's call and I will endeavour to do something I rarely find myself attempting - posting an entirely positive response, not straying from good points and resisting any negativity at all  

Living in Turkey, Wot I luved.

We lived in Turkey from early 2003 until 2008 and it was great at the beginning but as time goes on things and people change and it was shi ok ok that was just a wee joke   I'll start again...

We lived in Turkey from early 2003 until 2008 and I loved living by the sea (I am from somewhere that could hardly be further from the UK seaside), I loved the weather, I especially loved Spring, which always felt like the greatest reward for getting through the cold and wet Winter, I loved Autumn which was the same for our efforts in making it through another punishing summer. Actually I had no surprises with the weather, as I had luckily been in Calis in every single month of the year before moving there. I loved the fact you could call in somewhere for a pide and a beer and get a bill for three quid. I loved the way people loved my kids - how the waiters made a fuss of them and treated them so specially, and looked out for them when they ate their dinner on the prom before ours had even come and they were restless. I loved the fact that they could walk off and I knew they would be safe and fine, and I loved how they would often come back with something each, such as ice cream complete with glass bowl and spoon, and we'd have to walk up and down till they were sure who had kindly called them in for that. I loved the way they loved their teacher (genuinely loved) and that he loved them (yes, genuinely again) - I loved the way the older children in their school loved them and looked after them. Like Starman I loved the cheap fags, and I loved the fact that I could give the kids money and they could go and get me some without a whole inquiry on the rights and wrongs of exposing children to the perils of smoking. I loved the tender moments you will never see here in the UK - an old man sat beside me on a bench near the harbour on a cold February morning, nodded, opened a bag and produced a simit bread. He broke it in half and gave me half. I love that I have 100 more stories like that. I loved the way that if you had a problem - however big or small, people stand shoulder to shoulder with you - some you count as friends and some you may have never seen in your life before but they are there as they are the friend of your friend. I loved that while simple jobs were choked in red tape and involved queueing for hours, you could pay someone 10 lira to happily queue for you. I loved being able to wake up in Spring or Autumn, fill a cool box and drive for next to no time and have the sun and a beach to yourselves. I loved the fact that there wasn't a bell at ten to and kicking out time at twenty past and I loved walking round Morrisons on trips to the UK, knowing we had brought two totally empty suitcases from Turkey that needed filling with goodies for the cupboards and freezer back home. It probably sounds bizarre, but living in Turkey and being in a British supermarket was one of the most exciting things possible back then. In fact, that Morrisons is now our local Morrisons and I can instantly take myself back to those shopping sprees and 3 years on, my tummy does a little excited turn. I did love Pop Kek as mentioned earlier, and proper restaurants like Ocakbasi and Cin Bal, and all the house warming parties an estate agent of decent quality needs to attend, the barbecues, the unquantifiable joy of finding chocolate digestives in Migros, sitting as a family in the Sunday market enjoying four different versions of a chicken doner half bread while waving every two minutes to someone or other. I loved that you can buy a double bed and ride it home rather than wait 8 weeks and I especially loved that flat pack furniture was something for the shop to build not me.

I did it (I think )

[starman™]

I know you can get places for much cheaper but my job is in Istanbul so I have no choice but to live here.
I can give one good example of the huge difference between Istanbul and say Malatya where I visit often.
A top end 4 bedroom flat in Istanbul would be around 5000-6000 USD per month on the rental market. A top end place in Malatya would cost you 700 lira per month.

Arnavut ciger, cant beat it!

[BM06]

quote:Originally posted by Scunner

I have decided to answer Ronnie's call and I will endeavour to do something I rarely find myself attempting - posting an entirely positive response, not straying from good points and resisting any negativity at all  

Living in Turkey, Wot I luved.

We lived in Turkey from early 2003 until 2008 and it was great at the beginning but as time goes on things and people change and it was shi ok ok that was just a wee joke   I'll start again...

We lived in Turkey from early 2003 until 2008 and I loved living by the sea (I am from somewhere that could hardly be further from the UK seaside), I loved the weather, I especially loved Spring, which always felt like the greatest reward for getting through the cold and wet Winter, I loved Autumn which was the same for our efforts in making it through another punishing summer. Actually I had no surprises with the weather, as I had luckily been in Calis in every single month of the year before moving there. I loved the fact you could call in somewhere for a pide and a beer and get a bill for three quid. I loved the way people loved my kids - how the waiters made a fuss of them and treated them so specially, and looked out for them when they ate their dinner on the prom before ours had even come and they were restless. I loved the fact that they could walk off and I knew they would be safe and fine, and I loved how they would often come back with something each, such as ice cream complete with glass bowl and spoon, and we'd have to walk up and down till they were sure who had kindly called them in for that. I loved the way they loved their teacher (genuinely loved) and that he loved them (yes, genuinely again) - I loved the way the older children in their school loved them and looked after them. Like Starman I loved the cheap fags, and I loved the fact that I could give the kids money and they could go and get me some without a whole inquiry on the rights and wrongs of exposing children to the perils of smoking. I loved the tender moments you will never see here in the UK - an old man sat beside me on a bench near the harbour on a cold February morning, nodded, opened a bag and produced a simit bread. He broke it in half and gave me half. I love that I have 100 more stories like that. I loved the way that if you had a problem - however big or small, people stand shoulder to shoulder with you - some you count as friends and some you may have never seen in your life before but they are there as they are the friend of your friend. I loved that while simple jobs were choked in red tape and involved queueing for hours, you could pay someone 10 lira to happily queue for you. I loved being able to wake up in Spring or Autumn, fill a cool box and drive for next to no time and have the sun and a beach to yourselves. I loved the fact that there wasn't a bell at ten to and kicking out time at twenty past and I loved walking round Morrisons on trips to the UK, knowing we had brought two totally empty suitcases from Turkey that needed filling with goodies for the cupboards and freezer back home. It probably sounds bizarre, but living in Turkey and being in a British supermarket was one of the most exciting things possible back then. In fact, that Morrisons is now our local Morrisons and I can instantly take myself back to those shopping sprees and 3 years on, my tummy does a little excited turn. I did love Pop Kek as mentioned earlier, and proper restaurants like Ocakbasi and Cin Bal, and all the house warming parties an estate agent of decent quality needs to attend, the barbecues, the unquantifiable joy of finding chocolate digestives in Migros, sitting as a family in the Sunday market enjoying four different versions of a chicken doner half bread while waving every two minutes to someone or other. I loved that you can buy a double bed and ride it home rather than wait 8 weeks and I especially loved that flat pack furniture was something for the shop to build not me.

I did it (I think )

Have you been trying to press that button Keith[?]

[Dutchie]

Living in Turkey means that there is always something to complain about.
And Dutch are known for complaining so I just luuuuv it here.

[Scunner]

quote:Originally posted by BM06

Have you been trying to press that button Keith[?]

I have no idea what you mean

[corbindallas]

quote:Originally posted by starmanTM

Thought you was going to say Uzumlu

How very dare you!!!: [)]

[pookie]

God Keith, you had me filling up reading that

[corbindallas]

My Positives

Cheaper electric, community charge, phone and water bills
Cheaper Chicken, Fruit and Veg which tastes fresher and better than UK supermarket produce
Cheaper sky satellite package and other satellite choice  
Better customer service and warranties
Better bank interest rate and a bank manager that I can call anytime
Better weather (most of the year)
Better lifestyle
Have a swimming pool outside that I can use for large chunks of the year and not just for show
No Mortgage
Beach not far away
Culture and activity not far away (roman ruins, forest, mountains, snow, etc)
Around all day to watch my child grow up (priceless)
Not having to clock watch
Not having to work
Not getting more and more angry with EU rules pressed on us and the bloody Human Rights Act protecting everyone it shouldn't.
Living in another country
Meeting people from many different walks of life and making new friends