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Old 05-12-2010, 05:58 PM
 
2,013 posts, read 3,538,310 times
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I find this city horrible. Food is horrible, too much crowd everywhere I go, and the drivers in this city are the worst in the world. My colleague was killed instantly -together with the taxi driver- in a horrific accident yesterday. I mean really, a person that sits across you everyday in a conference suddenly vanishes just like that. I'm so done with this place. Sheesh, I almost got run over by a bus today. Definitely not coming back here anymore.

I can't wait to go back to my sweet, laid back, decent Washington DC. For real.

PS: Oh, and nobody seem to speak English here, soo..
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Old 05-12-2010, 06:59 PM
 
302 posts, read 1,096,970 times
Reputation: 173
One bad experience does not make a city bad. If you want to be mad at the Turks for anything then not speaking english is not one of the things, which is quite arrogant. The killing of Armenians, harrasment of Christians/non-turks, and the destruction of Roman/Byzantine,and Armenian history is another issue entirely.
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Old 05-12-2010, 07:10 PM
 
14,250 posts, read 17,850,908 times
Reputation: 13807
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissLucky View Post
I find this city horrible. Food is horrible, too much crowd everywhere I go, and the drivers in this city are the worst in the world. My colleague was killed instantly -together with the taxi driver- in a horrific accident yesterday. I mean really, a person that sits across you everyday in a conference suddenly vanishes just like that. I'm so done with this place. Sheesh, I almost got run over by a bus today. Definitely not coming back here anymore.

I can't wait to go back to my sweet, laid back, decent Washington DC. For real.

PS: Oh, and nobody seem to speak English here, soo..
I guess that, when you find yourself in such a horrific situation - people getting killed, bad food, crowds, no English - then the only thing to do is post on City-Data
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Old 05-12-2010, 07:49 PM
 
Location: Brisbane
5,022 posts, read 7,432,002 times
Reputation: 4476
Well you have a had a bad experience, and in your situation i would say its horrible to. I have a simialr gripe about split in Croatia where if fell victim to the Mafia.

Istanbul is not for every one, and why should they speak english?

Edit:
Turkey remains the best country i have ever visited in my opinion, and i have being to over 50 of them.

Last edited by danielsa1775; 05-12-2010 at 09:00 PM..
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Old 05-12-2010, 07:58 PM
 
Location: San Diego
5,026 posts, read 15,241,866 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissLucky View Post

PS: Oh, and nobody seem to speak English here, soo..
Funny, I always here comments from Americans, saying stuff like, "If you're in the US, learn to speak English!" And many similar ones. If you're in Istanbul learn to speak Turkish, since that is their official language. I love when Americans are so double sided on this issue!
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Old 05-12-2010, 08:10 PM
 
1,963 posts, read 5,595,522 times
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I'm so sorry for your loss. It must be horrifying & disturbing to lose a friend and colleague so suddenly in such a tragic way. I'm sure you're just venting your frustration & sorrow and don't wish any ill will on Turkey or her ppl. May be with the passage of time you'll look back at the wonderful moments you have had in Istanbul without the dark cloud of death & despair.
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Old 05-12-2010, 08:56 PM
 
Location: Tucson/Nogales
23,071 posts, read 28,791,614 times
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The one thing that would "get my goat" going to the Mideastern countries would be the annoying calls to prayer everyday. Worse than hearing church bells? All else I could handle.

When I was contemplating a trip to Turkey, and I got on the Travel forums, specifically for Turkey, I read of a couple posters who complained about this issue, complaining, they felt, that the volume is getting louder and louder.

I was once awakened by a call to prayer one very earling morning, in Old Delhi, India.

I had to stop to think: Could I enure this with a happy face spending two weeks over there. 5 calls to prayer a day, I believe?

Aren't I being picky!
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Old 05-12-2010, 10:03 PM
 
14,250 posts, read 17,850,908 times
Reputation: 13807
Quote:
Originally Posted by tijlover View Post
The one thing that would "get my goat" going to the Mideastern countries would be the annoying calls to prayer everyday. Worse than hearing church bells? All else I could handle.

When I was contemplating a trip to Turkey, and I got on the Travel forums, specifically for Turkey, I read of a couple posters who complained about this issue, complaining, they felt, that the volume is getting louder and louder.

I was once awakened by a call to prayer one very earling morning, in Old Delhi, India.

I had to stop to think: Could I enure this with a happy face spending two weeks over there. 5 calls to prayer a day, I believe?

Aren't I being picky!
I think it depends where you are. I vacationed at a Club Med resort near the Turkish town of Foca for two weeks and cannot remember hearing a call to prayer. I really liked Turkey and liked the people and the history.
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Old 05-12-2010, 10:15 PM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 35,008,876 times
Reputation: 22693
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissLucky View Post
I find this city horrible. Food is horrible, too much crowd everywhere I go, and the drivers in this city are the worst in the world. My colleague was killed instantly -together with the taxi driver- in a horrific accident yesterday. I mean really, a person that sits across you everyday in a conference suddenly vanishes just like that. I'm so done with this place. Sheesh, I almost got run over by a bus today. Definitely not coming back here anymore.

I can't wait to go back to my sweet, laid back, decent Washington DC. For real.

PS: Oh, and nobody seem to speak English here, soo..
What a terrible accident. Of course, people are killed in accidents in the United States every single day, and I'm sure that New York City cab drivers (maybe even Washington DC cab drivers) have had fatal accidents. Such things are not limited to third-world countries, that's for sure. Your colleague was just in the wrong place a the wrong time.

As for the other aspects of Istanbul. Well, I suppose it is all about what your expectations are and what your tolerances are for different cultures. Obviously, you are not comfortable in environments that are substantially non-western. So, of course, you don't like it there. On the other hand, I'm sure there are some positively charming aspects of the city. For instance, the Grand Bazaar, or the Hippodrome, or even just experiencing the local shops and ethnic food there.

Since Turkey is a [progressive] Muslim country, I'd say the lack of alcohol would be a bummer. Although I am sure they have bars in the swanky, upscale American hotels like the Hilton.

20yrsinBranson
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Old 05-13-2010, 04:41 AM
 
Location: Oxford, England
13,032 posts, read 24,555,004 times
Reputation: 20164
I'm sorry you lost a colleague , a very traumatic event. Accidents happen everywhere though. Turkey does not have the monopoly on accidents.

I must admit though Istanbul to me is one of the great cities of the world, cosmopolitan, the Architecture is sublime, the sheer sense of history amazing, Turkish people are some of the friendliest and most hospitable I have ever met. Each time I have visited Istanbul, I have been invited to so many people's homes for dinner that it became a little embarrassing.



The quality and variety of Antiquities site is superb. I love Istanbul, straddling two continents, one foot firmly in Europe , another in Asia .

An incredibly rich culture because of an amalgam of various ethnic groups and nationalities settling there for centuries, layers and layers of rich fragance.

The food to me is wonderful. Fresh and a pungent marriage of flavours from different cuisines. Istanbul is the closest Europe has to a Silk Road city in terms of its cultural mix .

And yes it is crowded ( over 12 millionf people live there), it has been a city for millennia and first settlements there date back to 7000 years before Christ.

As an Archaeologist and Anthropologist Istanbul is a treasure trove of wonders. There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in a way. Getting lost in all its millions of little alleyways and stumbling upon some lost treasure is one of the great joys of Istanbul.


I am terribly sorry you had such a bad experience but to me the world would be a much poorer place without Istanbul. The whole of Turkey in fact is a wondrous place.

And to expect people to speak English is naive at best, and quite arrogant. Why should they speak English ? Do you speak Turkish? Did you learn how to speak Turkish before you went there ? At all ?

How would you consider a Turkish tourist coming to NYC who expeted Americans to speak Turkish ?

It sounds as though you will be indeed better off back in comfortable familiar American Washington. Some people don't fare well out of their comfort zone , nothing wrong with that I guess we are all different.
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