My Unfiltered Thoughts On Living In Istanbul As An American
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the host explores Istanbul, discussing its vibrant culture, diverse neighborhoods, and rich cuisine. They address common misconceptions about scams and highlight the welcoming nature of Turkish people. The video also touches on local challenges like inflation and the city's unique aspects, such as the animal-friendly culture and the lively atmosphere. The host encourages viewers to visit Istanbul for its special charm and to experience Turkey's hospitality.
Takeaways
- π Istanbul is one of the loudest cities in the world, with a rich and vibrant culture that varies significantly across different neighborhoods.
- π The city has a reputation for scams, but the speaker has not personally experienced any and finds the locals warm and welcoming.
- π Taxis in Istanbul operate differently compared to Uber; they are hailed through the Uber app but function like traditional taxis with meters.
- π Istanbul's unique geographical location straddling two continents results in a blend of cultures, making it a fascinating city to explore.
- π² The city is known for its delicious cuisine, with a variety of dishes like balik ekmek (fish wrap), kebabs, and traditional Turkish breakfasts.
- πΎ There's a strong culture of community care for animals, particularly cats and dogs, which are well-integrated into the community and well-fed.
- π The city is very hilly, which contrasts with the often rich and oily local cuisine, potentially impacting the lifestyle and health of residents.
- π° Inflation has significantly increased the cost of living in Istanbul, with prices nearly doubling in the past year, affecting locals and the economy.
- π₯ Social interactions in Istanbul differ from other cultures, with groups of men of all ages often seen socializing in public spaces.
- π The city is very lively, with frequent honking, animal noises, and the call to prayer, contributing to its energetic atmosphere.
Q & A
What is the speaker's general opinion about Istanbul?
-The speaker finds Istanbul to be a fascinating and vibrant city, rich in culture, and one of the most special cities in the world. They highly recommend visiting Istanbul at least once in a lifetime.
What are some cultural differences the speaker has noticed in Istanbul?
-The speaker has noticed that Istanbul has a rich culture with multiple influences due to its geographic location on two continents. They also mention the unique smoking culture, the community-oriented approach to animals, and the importance of maintaining friendships as cultural differences.
What is the speaker's experience with scams in Istanbul?
-The speaker has not personally experienced any scams in Istanbul and found the Turkish people to be warm and welcoming. They suggest that while there are stories of scams, it does not seem to be a significant issue unique to Istanbul compared to other tourist destinations.
How does the speaker describe the taxi experience in Istanbul?
-The speaker describes the taxi experience as different from services like Uber, as the taxis operate on a meter system. They mention that the Uber app provides a price range, and they have never been overcharged by taxi drivers.
What does the speaker think about the cuisine in Istanbul?
-The speaker enjoys the cuisine in Istanbul, describing it as phenomenal with a variety of dishes like fish wraps, kebabs, and Turkish breakfasts. They also mention the prevalence of street food and the use of oil in many dishes.
How does the speaker feel about the noise level in Istanbul?
-The speaker finds Istanbul to be one of the loudest cities they have ever been to, with constant honking of car horns, animal noises, and the call to prayer from multiple towers throughout the city.
What is the speaker's observation about the smoking culture in Istanbul?
-The speaker observes that smoking is quite common in Istanbul, with many people, including young individuals, smoking. This is a culture shock for them as it contrasts with their expectations and experiences in Western Europe.
How does the speaker describe the relationship between the community and animals in Istanbul?
-The speaker describes a special connection between the community and animals, particularly cats and dogs. They mention that animals are well cared for by the community, with people providing food and shelter, and that animals are comfortable around people.
What challenges does the speaker mention regarding the local economy in Istanbul?
-The speaker mentions that inflation has significantly increased the cost of living in Istanbul, with prices nearly doubling for accommodations, food, and attractions, which has impacted the local community.
What other parts of Turkey does the speaker mention experiencing?
-The speaker mentions experiencing hot air ballooning and horseback riding in other parts of Turkey, indicating that there are many wonderful activities to enjoy outside of Istanbul.
Outlines
π£οΈ Istanbul's Vibrant Culture and Scam Perceptions
The speaker introduces the video by highlighting Istanbul's reputation as one of the loudest cities in the world. They discuss their personal experiences, noting the warmth and welcoming nature of the Turkish people, which contrasts with common stereotypes about scams. The speaker shares their positive interactions and mentions the city's unique geographical position straddling two continents, which contributes to its rich cultural diversity. They also touch upon the city's noise levels, the prevalence of smoking, and the distinct neighborhoods that make Istanbul a fascinating place to explore.
πΎ Istanbul's Unique Relationship with Animals
This paragraph delves into Istanbul's distinct culture regarding animals, particularly the widespread presence of stray cats and dogs. The speaker describes the community's caring attitude towards these animals, with people providing food and shelter. They mention the prevalence of cats in public spaces, such as restaurants and cafes, and the unique sight of large, well-fed dogs due to the abundance of food. The speaker also shares a personal anecdote about a local cat shelter, emphasizing the city's compassionate culture towards animals.
π Navigating Istanbul's Hilly Terrain and Traffic
The speaker discusses Istanbul's hilly landscape and the challenges it presents for both residents and visitors. They also touch on the city's traffic congestion and the frequent use of car horns, contributing to the city's overall noise level. The paragraph also covers the city's public transportation and the cultural aspect of honking as a form of communication on the streets. Additionally, the speaker reflects on the city's lively atmosphere, which is in stark contrast to the peacefulness of other European cities.
π₯ The Delights of Istanbul's Cuisine and Economic Challenges
In this paragraph, the speaker praises Istanbul's diverse and delicious cuisine, highlighting street food, fish wraps, kebabs, and traditional Turkish breakfasts. They also mention the city's economic challenges, particularly the impact of inflation on local prices and the cost of living. The speaker reflects on the changes they've observed since their last visit and empathizes with the local community's financial struggles. The video concludes with a recommendation for everyone to visit Istanbul at least once, emphasizing its unique cultural experiences and the warmth of its people.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Istanbul
π‘Cultural differences
π‘Scams
π‘Tourism
π‘Architecture
π‘Cuisine
π‘Inflation
π‘Community
π‘Hills
π‘Public transportation
π‘Prayer times
Highlights
Istanbul is one of the loudest cities in the world.
The city has been under construction for a month, but the noise has temporarily subsided.
Turkish people are warm, welcoming, and kind, contrary to common scams stereotypes.
Tourism in Istanbul can attract those looking to take advantage of tourists, but it's not a significant issue.
Taxis in Istanbul work differently compared to Uber, with a meter running throughout the trip.
Istanbul's culture is rich and varied, with a unique blend of European and Asian influences.
The city is located on two continents, with distinct neighborhoods on the European and Asian sides.
Istanbul is a city best experienced by wandering through its diverse neighborhoods.
The cuisine in Istanbul is phenomenal, with a variety of dishes like boric Durham and kebabs.
Smoking is a notable part of Istanbul's culture, with a high prevalence among the population.
Animals, particularly cats and dogs, are an integral part of Istanbul's community culture.
The city has a unique dynamic where groups of men socialize in public spaces, indicative of a community-oriented culture.
Istanbul is a hilly city, which contrasts with the rich and flavorful, but not the healthiest, cuisine.
Inflation has significantly increased prices in Istanbul, impacting the local community.
Istanbul is recommended as a must-visit city, rich in culture and unique experiences.
Turkey, including Istanbul, offers a variety of experiences like hot air ballooning and horseback riding.
The people of Istanbul have a unique and beautiful way of living that is worth experiencing.
Transcripts
hey guys how's it going um Istanbul
we're going to see if we can get through
this uh this is one of the loudest if
not the loudest City in the entire world
that I've ever been to so I tried
picking a time that uh hopefully you'd
be able to hear me this place right here
has been under construction all month uh
and they just took a break so I don't
know we're going to try to get through
this but this is one of those unfiltered
conversations just going to walk you
through kind of a bunch of my thoughts
um on Istanbul some of the cultural
differences that I've noticed some
things that I've liked haven't liked um
I know a lot of people associate estol
with like scams so I'm going to touch on
that and just yeah my overall thought so
um it's a fascinating Place uh ismol is
it's and turkey as a whole we'll start
with the scams if you look up online
what to expect when coming to Istanbul
there a lot of people who I guess have
had experiences being scammed a lot of
horror stories
there I personally haven't experienced
any of that it's not something that I'd
be too worried about coming here I've
had quite the opposite experience um I
found that the Turkish people have been
very well warm and welcoming um just
very kind people overall and I think
obviously there's a lot of Tourism here
in Istanbul and anywhere that you go
where there's a lot of Tourism there are
also going to be people looking to take
advantage of tourists so I'm not saying
that that doesn't exist here but it
doesn't seem to be happening at any
higher rate compared to other places in
Europe or anywhere else that I've
traveled and I know a a lot of people
talk about it with like the
taxis yes it's a little bit different
here because you know it's a regular
taxi meter really no different but like
you don't have as many options like if
you call an Uber here you're not really
calling an Uber you're calling a taxi uh
the taxi will show up and it will be
track through Uber the payment might go
through Uber But ultimately there's
still like a meter running but that kind
of protects you in a way like as a
tourist because when you open up the
Uber app it's not going to give you a
set price it's going to say hey it's
going to be between 800 l and a thousand
ler or you know whatever the rate is
going to be it's going to give you a
range and I have never had a taxi driver
go outside of that range by the end of
the trip so yes the meter will be
running but I've never been shocked
there's never been that you know feeling
of being scammed on on my end but that's
not to say that it doesn't
happen uh you know certainly be on the
lookout anywhere but I really don't
think that's a big issue here uh in my
experience in in
Istanbul
culturally this is one of like the rich
culture that I've ever gotten to be a
part of it it is just um it's
fascinating I mean it is a beautiful
beautiful just really interesting
culture in so many ways so I I'll touch
on just a couple one it's a fascinating
City because you've got multiple
cultures because of like the geographic
location of it if you didn't know
Istanbul is on two continents right uh I
right now am on the European side but
the boss for a trade is like right over
somewhere back there and if you cross
that which like the ferry takes like 15
20 minutes to get across you're actually
on the Asia continent and the
neighborhoods are all so drastically
different here um just on the European
side there's a lot of differences
depending where you are and then you hop
over the Asian side and you very much
feel that you are in Asia uh there's a
lot of similarities because it's still
turkey still the Turkish culture but it
is a different pocket of the Turkish
culture um so a lot of cities you're
going to have kind of one culture
throughout this is not one of those
places and that's part of what makes it
so special is like you just never know
what you're going to get it's one of the
best cities in the world to just kind of
wander through because every
neighborhood is going to be different
there's going to be different feel
slightly different architecture things
to look at and it's just I don't know
it's it's it's pretty spectacular the
cuisine is phenomenal uh I really enjoy
so much of just that constant like new
action in in istable so I think that's
something that doesn't get talked about
enough
and it's got to just make this one of
the coolest cities in the world but
culturally there are other differences
that are really unique to see you can
hear things getting a little bit louder
um one of the most interesting things is
like the smoking culture um it seems
that you know as an American you always
have this idea in your head that oh when
you go to Europe people are going to be
smoking more as a whole yes you know
that's that's true but in Western Europe
you don't see as as much smoking as you
would expect and I think the rates would
probably go down somebody will probably
fact check me on that so let me know if
I'm wrong but Istanbul and turkey as a
whole that doesn't seem to be the case
at all like it seems like everybody
smokes and that is a bit of culture
shock um just because it's different it
really does feel like you're entering a
whole new world in that sense I find
that Western Europe feels very in some
ways comfortable but all just kind of
like the same like it the the the
cultures move within one another they
all kind of change at at similar rates
so there's there's in general there's
not going to be a huge culture shock
anywhere in Western Europe where turkey
and and istle in particular that's not
necessarily the case and it's one of
those things that makes this really cool
um but yeah it's interesting seeing as
many young people smoke uh as you do
here because it is everywhere but beyond
that like another big cultural
difference is is the animals which is
it's just one of the coolest cultures
for this you know aspect you might have
heard of like caten bull which is you
know a lot of people on Instagram will
you know post pictures of the cats
because cats are everywhere here um and
dogs and all kinds of animals but what's
really unique is here yes some people
have pets but there are just stray cats
and dogs everywhere but it's not like in
the US or other parts of the world where
a stray dog or cat is just a Trey dog or
cat it's more feels like it's a
community animal and everybody does
their part in like taking care uh of the
animals there's the honking we'll get
there in a second there there's some
interesting things there um but
everywhere you go you'll see like these
little houses that people have built for
the cats uh there's cat and dog food
everywhere on the streets put out fresh
like multiple times you know a day
pretty much any store that you like walk
down you're going to see big bags of you
know cat dog food that you can buy and
you know leave it out for you know the
the the animals and the animals are just
so accustomed to hanging out with the
people there's more honking um with the
people and uh it's just a completely
different culture like it is completely
normal to be in any sort of restaurant
whether it's a hole in thewall kind of
place or you know a somewhat nice
restaurant cats are going to be walking
through that's going to be normal um if
you're sitting at a cafe cats will jump
up on you sit there on your lap while
you're working on a laptop um I mean
they're just everywhere and they're
really comfortable around people don't
take it the wrong way in that like
they're not going to bother you uh
they're not going to you know try to
jump on you if you don't want to be but
most people here are just they're very
friendly with the animals uh and I
certainly am too I I really enjoy it and
the Animals aren't shy like it there
really is just a special connection here
um between the community and the animals
that live within the community that it's
just a really different and and
beautiful thing uh to get to be a part
of and I don't know it's one of the most
just interesting and uh fun things you
know about IST and it's you'll see old
cats and like ton of like baby kittens
too like everything like there's just so
much I think in one of my first videos
that I done about like Istanbul had
mentioned uh like Ali's cat shelter
which is basically this guy who is
retired and he's over kind of in this
neighborhood that I'm staying in and
he's built this little like almost like
Hotel looking thing for cats and he just
you know takes donations from from
people and he takes care of all of these
cats and it is just the cutest thing
like this is just a happy old man who
he's found what he loves in life and
it's hanging with the animals and and
taking care of them so you'll see so
many different variations of that and
the symol which um is really beautiful
and speaks to the culture and and how
kind you know the the people are um not
just to other people but to the animals
um another thing that is really
interesting with that which I think I
also mentioned in that first tips video
is because there's so much cat food
everywhere the dogs they don't moderate
how much they eat as well as cats do so
the dogs are like they're massive here
um and it can be sad at at times and
they're very like docile because I think
they're just like full constantly but
it's an interesting thing but yeah I
expect to see you know food you know on
on the ground for the animals and they
will all you know partake um that's all
you know really interesting and there's
so many just cultural differences here
uh another one is compared to other
places in the world you see groups of
men hanging out in ways that you don't
see in other parts of the world trying
to think of like a way to explain
it it I don't know if it can be
explained other than like you will see
groups of like you know 8 to 10 men just
hanging out whether it's you know high
schoolers whether it's you know folks in
their 20s and 30s whether it's you know
uh elderly folks like there very much
seems to be a focus culturally on
maintaining friendships um and you'll
see those groups of people being
together and you don't see that all the
time in in other cultures especially
like in the US like I think if you go to
a US Park if you were to see like a
group of you know group of 60-year-old
men sitting together you'd be like huh
that's that's interesting like what's
going on there um that's not the case
here like that's just everywhere and
everybody's just seems to be really
friendly and it's just a very Community
oriented culture um which again it's
just it's it's very unique very
interesting to to get to you know see
these little glimpses of and and kind of
experience for these short periods of
time um but we'll talk about the honking
might as well do this now so I mentioned
like this is the one of the loudest
places you know in the entire world and
there's a few things you know with that
um one the streets
which I know the camera is doing an
awful job with the exposure behind me is
like the hoshia and G aot of tower it's
all beautiful but these streets are
really like really narrow I'm doing a
bad job showing it but basically traffic
gets backed up really really quickly
here now it's okay cuz they have
wonderful public transportation but for
the cars that are going up and down
these
streets they're like traffic jams
constantly and people are not shy about
using their horns like you think New
Yorkers their horns a lot no it's like
here it it almost just feels like if
you're in a car if you're driving and
you're not honking every 15 seconds
you're doing something wrong I really
can feel like that at times um so I
think that gets you know some people
with with you know some culture shock is
like it is just a noisy noisy place on
top of you know all the other noises
you've got animals you hear cat fights
you know all the time um you hear the
boats you know out on the water it's not
happening right now but obviously this
is you know a Muslim culture so there's
a lot of you know prayer time that
happens um I'll try to turn and and and
show
you that little Tower right here those
things are all over the place and uh I
think it's five times a day somebody
correct me if I'm wrong but I think it's
five times a day is prayer time um where
somebody will you know be in that little
you know be at the bottom of that Tower
projecting you know prayer uh which is
you know done in the form of song and
that blasts through the neighborhoods
and there are multiple Towers you know
all over the place so so anywhere you
are in the city you're going to hear
that um when that takes place and it's
it's just a lively culture with a lot of
noise this is not one of those
like peaceful European cities uh as you
might you know find in in others it's
beautiful it's it's wonderful well worth
a visit but peaceful is maybe not the
one that i' I'd use vibrant um and
energetic and alive is or maybe some of
the words that that I'd use there um so
yeah you know you got to be
ready for that and it's just again an
interesting you know interesting thing
culturally um and the other piece is
like the differences between
neighborhoods and how the culture shifts
between them I already mentioned like
you know Crossing you know continents
but I'm in this neighborhood uh
neighborhood called chahar um and it's
kind of really artsy it's got a pretty
young crowd but just like you walk 10
minutes in any direction and you're just
completely different area completely
different feel um completely different
groups of of people which is just I
don't know it's fun the the
nonuniformity is is refreshing uh at at
times I've I've I've really enjoyed uh
all of that uh I've got some other notes
on on on cultural things I thought were
interesting um so I want to go over
these ah
yeah so let's talk about the
hills there's also a very hilly city
which uh a lot of people aren't
necessarily prepared for
um and I don't really know what there is
to say about that other than that
there's a lot of hills and the food is
so
good and it's not like it's not the
healthiest Cuisine ever it's not like
particularly unhealthy but there is a
lot of
oil that seems to be used in a lot of
the cuisine and it is really tasty it's
a place that I feel like if there
weren't this many Hills I'd probably be
feeling like oh I'll probably putting on
a little bit of weight spending a month
here but um that's not really how I end
up feeling the uh the hills are real
that's that's that's all I'll say you
know about that um speaking of like the
cuisine a really interesting you know
cuisine as well cuz again you're going
to have different Pockets like
everywhere um but really good street
food right um one of my favorites is a
dish called bolic Durham which I guess
is a relatively new dish I think when I
looked it up it was like kind of gained
popularity over the last 10ish years I
want to say it was and it's basically
like a fish wrap um so on the boss for
straight the body of water um that
separates the two sides of vble lot of
you know fish that are getting caught
and it's beautiful like if you're
hanging out near the bridges you'll just
see like tons of fishermen you know uh
just fishing all day long um and I'm
sure they eat some of them themselves
sell the restaurants I mean there's no
shortage of fish here but big Durham is
this wonderful fish rep that uh in some
of the like hot spots in town over in
like
kcoy um their weights that are 30 40
sometimes an hour you know long to to
get these little wraps and they're you
know wonderful and then there's you know
a fish sandwich type of version
obviously you have all the kebabs the
kebabs are just you know Wonderful
whether it's chicken or Lamour or just
minced meat I mean all kinds of
different meat and it's it's all really
really you know tasty um the Turkish
breakfasts are such an experience you're
you know it's not like one dish it's
almost like here's a little bit of bread
here's some you know vegetables and then
here are just like a bunch of different
things to like dip so there's going to
be like olives you're going to have some
form of like I don't know like a peanut
butter type thing some olive oil some
you know cucumber tomato like just
everything that you can think of like
just this huge spread um and those are
really you know fun to take part in um
and are pretty filling uh or you can
have just kind of like the Casual street
food type of breakfast which is a simit
here um the biggest comparison I guess
like to us standards which be a kind of
like a bagel it's like a
bagel little bit thinner lot of Sesame
seats on it and they're really good um
there's just so many different types of
of Cuisines that are are local are that
are all just H it's it's it is not a
city that you're going to come to and
leave Hungary uh it is spectacular uh in
that way and one of my favorite cities
in the world to to eat in um I do want
to talk about
though one of the challenges I
think for the locals
um one of the things that seems to have
changed quite a bit since the last time
that I was here was inflation and I know
for any American person out there I know
you know we've seen you know some
inflation um you know rise quite a bit
you know over the last few years but not
to this
extreme in the year that has gone by
since the last time I was here it seems
like prices have pretty much doubled uh
gotten close to doubling in a lot of
ways that's happened with accommodation
um certainly with food um and just kind
of everything you know all over the
place things are just more expensive
even some of the tourist attractions
like some things used to be free that
are no longer free um some of the things
that were very low cost are now just
kind of big money to to to get into and
that's just I don't know it's one of the
things that I I feel very fortunate
obviously being on the US dollar helps
me tremendously when traveling around
the world but getting to see how other
people handle and are influenced and
impacted by the same types of things
that impact us back in the States and
around the other world is is always
really interesting um and I'd be lying
if I said that I didn't think that the
inflation has had a pretty big impact on
the community um here things still seem
to be open it it it doesn't seem like
it's hit like a crippling point at least
in this area but you can definitely see
that folks are are tighter on on cash
than they you know once were so I
realized my camera is about to die so
we'll see how much longer I can uh go on
with this
but I guess I'll I'll I'll wrap up there
before prayer time starts here in the
next five minutes with this just really
is one of those places that I think is
misunderstood a lot and that a lot of
people don't have a desire to see for
one reason or another
and that shouldn't be your perspective
uh I would recommend that everybody
comes to istanb at least once in their
life it is one of the most special
cities uh in the entire world for me I
think right now it probably ranks top
three for me um there's a reason I'm
back here a second time and you know I
definitely want to come back a third
time and this has just been about IST
right there's so much other uh you know
wonderful stuff throughout you know
Turkey um that we got you know a little
bit of exposure to uh you know in this
trip with you know hot air ballooning
horseback riding just all kinds of
wonderful things so um definitely don't
make the mistake of of thinking that
istanbull and turkey should be missed it
it really is a special place
and definitely get to know the the
people um because they have a really
unique way of living that uh in a lot of
ways is is just very beautiful so um I'm
sad to be going but uh always
appreciated my time and we love to hear
your thoughts if you've been to to isol
or turkey let me know what your
experiences were down in the comments
comment section let me know what you
want to learn more about with these
types of videos uh when I make them in
the future so thanks for watching we'll
catch you guys next time
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