FAQ

How are you?
I’m fine, trip to Istanbul was OK and now live starts to run normally

Is culture shock not too big?
Sincerely, the first days for some moments I have been truly upset. But you know me: I have taken up everything and now I feel really fine.

How is the weather?
Cold, very cold.
And the first days it was even snowing.

Has de move gone well?
Actually I didn’t move yet. I came here with a small and a big suit case, a backpack and laptop. But in Poggibonsi there are 10 carbon boxes ready for sending by the end of this month.

Where do you live now?
At this moment I live at Filiz’ place, my boss. She’s so kind to take me in her house.

How is your apartment?
My apartment is small but has a living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen and need to be painted a bit before I can move in.

What are the positive elements?
There is much light

What are the negative elements?
It’s near a mosque!

Do you have ADSL at home?
As I don’t really have a home at this moment… anyway I need to inform me about the costs.

Will you have a car?
No, traffic is very similar to Napels.

Are there other Flemish or similar people nearby?
Actually I haven’t got time yet to discover the city. But that will come.

Can you see European satellite TV?
Idem as for ADSL. But I discovered that I can see RAI (Italy) but not Eén and Canvas (Flemish TV)

How did your colleagues welcome you?
Very well: I received little but very useful presents that make life in Turkey a bit easier.

Are they friendly with you?
Yes they are, especially because I try to speak Turkish with them.

How is the coocking lady?
Fantastic. Every day a good and varieted lunch

What are your working hours?
That was a surprise: I work from 11 till 20 with a short lunch break, but we work 6 days per week. As soon as I have learned everything, working days will be reduced to 5 for everyone.

What are you doing exactly?
I keep the contacts with the foreign travel agencies that bring us the customers.

Did you see Barish?
Barish, the tour guide of my latest holiday comes often in the office, especially at mid day for the free lunch. But he also works

Do you miss the Italian coffee?
Yessssssssssssssssss

What do you eat at lunch?
Various typical Turkish meals often with rise or pasta. Unfortunately we cannot eat all together as the table is too small and fits not more than 3 persons at a time.

Have you already found other activities like a choir or a sports club?
Unfortunately I haven’t got time yet but my colleague James told me that on the web site www.mymerhaba.com (site for foreigners in Turkey) there are various announcements and recently they were also looking for percussion musicians.

Did you start learning Turkish?
I only know a couple of words, try to pick up some every day but I didn’t take any lesson yet.

Do we need to learn Turkish if we come to visit you?
Of course not. Almost all colleagues speak English just as a lot of other people here.

Arrived

Yes, arrived in Istanbul,
The last days in Europe were rather chaotic: very early in the morning of 26 December I left to go south. Overnight at Gianluca and Tiziana in Bergamo to say goodbye also to them before I leave for Istanbul. They promise to visit me in Istanbul, with their child still to be born.
I’m looking forward to that.
On Thursday morning I have a long chat with Tiziana, and install skype on their computer so that we can stay in touch. I leave rather late for Poggibonsi, too late in order to arrive to house: I go endured to the hostel to work.
There is a party going on with the top of the Italian popular music but even after 10 years Italy, I don’t know any of them. But singers and musicians, we all now, go to sleep rather late so the party ends….
28 and 29 December are dedicated fully to packing and wrapping my stuff, it seems it never ends. And Filiz let me know something about an apartment. I call the office in Istanbul: It’s really nice and reassuring when Ömer tells me not to worry: in Istanbul I will find a bed and to eat and to drink.
On 30 December starts the old year rush: 2 days really hard work in mediaeval stile, and the new year has arrived before I even noticed.
So on 1 January I can go home to take a rest and to go to Lecceto, to say goodbye to the last Italian friends.
When the day after I try to sell my car there seem to be a lot of problems, though I had been asking 3 times before: I need to show my Italian working permit, my driving licences is not valid… strange that they never asked for these documents when I have bought his car. Hmmmm, this situation does not please me at all.
I sit on my suitcases to close them. Than go to sleep but wake up at 4am: too excited to sleep and I add some more stuff to my backpack
At 5.20 the bus leaves for Rome, but the driver warns us for snow on the way. So we have to change bus. Delay… fortunately in Rome it’s reduced to 20 minutes delay. I decide take a taxi but there is no taxi to find and a long queue waiting. With two suitcases, a backpack and I computer I make my way to the train: It leaves from the moment I sit down.
And than everything goes smoothly: I check in at the business class with 36 kg luggage (I booked economy with 20 kg luggage!), without paying any supplement. They are great the Turks!
I see heaps of clouds above Italy, snow on the Greek mounts and... it snows in Istanbul.
My backpack is not there, they will send it to me tomorrow.
Bariş waits for me at the exit: it’s nice to see him again.
We go to Filiz’ place to drop off my luggage and I make the first mistake: you take of you shoes in front of the door, slippers wait you inside the house.
Than we go to the office to meet my new colleagues and to learn the first difficult Turkish words.
Together with Bariş and Ömer we have dinner at Filiz and her fathers house.
My bed is made up in the living room: it’s a bit hard... but I fall asleap immediately, I’m tired.
But I’m in Istanbul.