On One That Got Away
I want to be Carolita when I grow up.
19
On How the Internet Changed Solo Travel
@swirrlygrrl Will ditto @100kb and say to watch always for cool old Turkish ladies, they def will keep their eye on you. I was pleasantly surprised, actually, by how respectful most dudes were. I'm coming from Egypt, where even if you do something innocuous like ask for directions you're liable to be annoyed and harassed if you don't carry yourself the right way, whereas in Turkey dudes were really, really good about helping me out and then leaving me alone. True about the modesty, also, but prepare to be shocked by how scantily clad fashionable Istanbul ladies are. My favorite eating/drinking establishment is just off Istiklal and is called Çukur Meyhane (easy to find on Google) and the dudes there are sooo nice. Also really good vintage/record shopping both on Istiklal and in Kadıköy.
And, ditto @100kb again: Eat all the street food. The guidebooks will tell you not to eat the midye dolması (stuffed oysters off the street)? Don't even listen because they are SO. GOOD.
0
On How the Internet Changed Solo Travel
I did Istanbul by myself, but cheated a little because I'd already been (and will probably go again. And again, and again, and again. Swoon!). I did a lot of (light) day-drinking and (heavy) day-eating and can think of nothing so pleasurable as parking at a meyhane with a book and eating like ten different mezze by one's self. It's a nice city to be alone in. I couchsurfed with a nice lady on the Asian side in Kadıköy, but I'd also recommend any of the hostels in Taksim (way funner area than Sultanahmet). Everyone should go there because it's the most beautiful city in the world. Also, I was actually pretty surprised at how little street harassment I got, barring annoying tourist touts who are so easy to ignore anyway.
1
On Love, Bathrooms, and the Older Male Coworker
@lauraruth heeey, qrrrl.
4
On Happy Hour: Thanksgiving!
My extended family does not drink because they are good, teetotaling Baptists (I love them, though). One year, my family was far away in Arizona and I was at Thanksgiving sans siblings, parents. Post-feast, somebody suggested we play Never-Have-I-Ever. Did you know there was a non-drinking kind? Neither did I. Everyone sits in a circle and in a musical-chairs-esque maneuver, folks must stand if they've done that thing and try to find an empty seat, or they are stuck standing and humiliated.
My aunt and uncle were one-upping each other, and my aunt triumphantly declared "Never have I ever BEEN DRUNK." My uncle and I were left standing, as my lush cousins shifted awkwardly and uttered nary a word.
Now I'm known as the family drunk. If my parents and siblings had been there, this never would have happened.
2
On Internet Ouija Board, Round Two: The Justin Bieber Baby
Fever
0
On "A lot's changed since that Jane left."
I live in Egypt, and this year the US Embassy sent out a WARNING about wayward youth:
"In the past few years, the area of concern has been primarily in the immediate vicinity of the Cairo American College in Maadi [note: this is where most Americans live]. Groups of youth in this area have been associated with throwing eggs and tomatoes at both pedestrians and passing vehicles. There is also some concern that group rivalries or the insertion of a criminal element could escalate to confrontation and even violence. Parents with younger children should also be mindful of moving about neighborhoods during this Halloween period."
0
On "Before You Die, You See"
I don't know why I thought it would be a good idea to watch this in the library. Everyone around me resents me for my terrified thrashing now.
0
On This is a Safe Space to Talk About Your Dissertation
I finished my MA thesis in December, but I'm still not ready to talk about it.