Istanbul and English

We knew we were in a different country when the sound of a melodic man chanting a prayer call over the megaphones filled our room at 5 a.m. We stayed in the neighbourhood of Fatih, close to the popular area of Sultanahmet where Ayasofya, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar are located. The mosques throughout the city would send out prayer calls (Ezan) 6 times daily, beginning at 5ish in the morning and ending around 7ish at night. During these times, the voices of Muezzins from the megaphones envelops the whole city.

We had the opportunity to stay with a local family in Istanbul for 2 weeks. It was a pleasant experience being with them as we’ve missed our own families back in Canada. Istanbul is our favourite city so far during our travels. The locals are warm and friendly to foreigners and it has been easier interacting with the people as most of them spoke minimal to fluent English. The cost of food, shelter, and leisure are very affordable compared to other European countries. The beauty of the city encapsulated by the ocean was a site to see, not to mention the views of Europe and Asia on some rooftop patio by the Bosphorus. Several of the restaurants and cafes are open 24 hours and the food served is filled with flavour and spice. I think we gained back all the weight we lost in Italy. Not to mention, my caffeine addiction is back in full gear with all the Turkish coffee and tea we’ve been drinking.

On another note, we couldn’t ignore that life in Turkey is difficult for the average local. The drastic economic downturn has increased poverty and homelessness. Restaurants, stores, and other businesses vie for tourist attention. Charming (or persistent) men try to persuade foreigners walking on the street to “check out” what they have to offer (i.e. clothes, food, etc.). Thrifty foreigners learn to haggle while others end up paying for goods that are way overpriced. Our host family noted that an average person earns around 60 liras a day ($14 cad) which apparently does not give much in terms of disposable income. Istanbul and other parts of Turkey heavily rely on the tourist industry to make ends meet; thus foreigners are welcomed with open arms.

We entered Istanbul not knowing what to expect and we leave the city completely charmed by the colourful culture and its locals. Flavorful food, friendly locals, rooftop patios overlooking the Bosphorus, and reasonable prices (haggling necessary) makes for a great experience during our first stop in Turkey.

On a personal note, we’re beginning to really miss speaking in English… in understanding others and being understood. For the past 2 months now, we’ve been heavily relying on non-verbal communication, hand gestures, paraphrasing, one-word answers, and google translator. Having said that, we’ve certainly appreciated our brief English-speaking conversations with our family and friends from Canada. We fear all this traveling will result in not being able to speak proper English when we get back! I guess we’ll see if our English continues to deteriorate as we leave Istanbul for western and central Turkey, towards Pamukkale and Cappadocia. In the meantime, keep calling us or answering your phones as we love hearing your voices and we need to keep practicing our English. Ciao for now.