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So if I’ve properly understood my brief …
… I’m supposed to open a conversation about something conservative here, then wait for our hungry acolytes to reply. Is that right?
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Claire, I think you’ve got it. Can I be your first hungry acolyte?
Welcome, Claire. Do feel entirely free to open a conversation about anything you desire. Anything at all. Watch as the Hungry take it from there. And chime back in, of course, as seems fitting.
Well, if you guys get tired and bored with Istanbul, try China. Not to long ago, I spent almost 5 months living in the southern part, Nanning, and can’t wait to go back. Probably later this year. The intent is to move there. And, putting a conservative spin on this, … with the job market being better there than here, it may be sooner than later.
Claire, since it seems you have been there a while, do you speak any of the languages there? If yes, did it help or hurt your stay. If no, how did that change your operations? I ask these questions because I speak Chinese and there was always a shock when the “white guy” meaning, not Chinese, was speaking the local language.
Blessings.
Claire, the last time I was in Istanbul I declared it my favorite city. It was pretty hard, at least for me, to get a bad meal there. So let’s get into serious issues: what’s your favorite restaurant in Istanbul?
Really, Rob? How long were you here? What did you like about it? Because I’m at an all-time expat low here. Just exhausted with the place. I know it was once my all-time favorite city too — I couldn’t really imagine living anywhere else without being bored — but I’m finding it hard to remember why boredom seemed like such a bad thing.
My favorite restaurant, as measured by how often I eat there, which is pretty much every day, is a place called Guney by the Galata Tower. It’s not that it’s so great; I mean, I wouldn’t send tourists there specifically, but it’s close to my apartment, it’s a lovely place to sit, it’s cheap, the food’s fresh and above all it’s fast. But if you were just visiting for, say, a week, I’d send you to other places. I wrote a guide to Istanbul for Travel & Leisure a few years ago with a list of restaurants I recommend; if you want it, drop me a note.
Hey Claire — I was there, wow, now almost 9 years ago. But I loved it. Stayed in a super-fancy hotel, and then in a more stripped-down version. But ate well and loved the people.
But my sense of the ex-pat life, no matter where you are, is that you hit a wall at a certain point. I’ve had friends based in Hong Kong or India and they love it, but one day, suddenly, they’re done. Too hard, too exhausting, too much work, frankly, for day to day living.
Still, I always wish I wasn’t so tethered to the entertainment business in Los Angeles. Otherwise, I’d be a serious, serial drifter.
I think that for most, you are right. My English daughter is more and more frequently making wistful statements about the US. And the Chinese daughter is already on her way back.
This is such an interesting format. I’m not only learning about an intriguing part of the world that was never on my radar before now, but the comments from Clif and Duane really add to the conversation. Claire, I am really going to enjoy reading what you have to say in the months to come. Rob, I already enjoy you. :-) Duane, if you’re bored sometime I would love an e-mail about the story behind your daughters’ travels. This is a fun topic. Thanks, Claire.