Nope just to give them some perspective.

Devils advocate!

Who? Your mate with the eating disorder? Pretty good deal - 12 inches is a lot!
...but what has that got to do with Turkish hospitality?

You are right we should open a topic on European misafirperverlik!

Shame this site's for expats in Turkey otherwise that would be a good idea...

Heh we don't really need a formal website to discuss every thought going through our heads do we?

It could be a topic in the lounge perhaps?

Back to hospitality

Last week I had Belgian guests who tried to go to Eminönü by taxi from Fenerbahçe on a Monday morning and of course it took them hours. First taxidriver apparently didn't know anything about the European side so once having crossed the bridge they took another taxi who dropped them off near the tram in Kabataş.

When walking towards the tram they heard a taxihorn and they saw quite an agitated taxidriver waving with one of my friends' wallet (apart from many credit cards contained 300 Euro); full content delivered and when they wanted to give the guy a reward he categorically refused.

My friends are still amazed.....

Dirk

Well, I moved from Florya to Ataşehir but because the appartment is brand new I can't move in but all my furniture is in the house so I can't go to the house in florya.
I was going to make reservations at a hotel but when my friends heard that they got mad, since then I've been staying at their home (9 days)

My house is allmost finished, but there is nog gas so i can't use the combi.
I will probably be able to move in in about a week/

I can't tell you how greatfull I am.

Generally clean toilets with nice smelling soap
Those nice moist towlettes - like th eones you get on the plane but more plus
Cheap car wash (and a very thorough job)
Free wife at lots of cafes and restaurants (try getting that in the UK or US!)
Cheap taxis
Exotic ladies
1 YTL ferry rides
My barber
My kapaci
Starman
Charly

More to come.

After wandering around gebze for 15 minutes, too stubborn to ask for directions...determined to find my friends workplace on my own, a cop came up to me and ask if he could help me. i explained what i was looking for and he then grabbed my arm (thought i was being arrested for being too stupid to walk on the street) he took me to his patrol car and planted me in the back seat. He then proceeded to turn on the blue lights and the siren and took (drove like he was in the formula 1) me to the building in question. He darted out of his seat and opened my door for me and escorted me up to my friends workplace, contacted the right people, made sure i had tea and cigarettes (which he lit for me) and said farewell. i nearly had to lie to him about what time my meeting would be finished as he insisted on picking me up afterwards. [i thought he might be gay, except that he was showing me pics of his wife and kids, which he kept is his hat.] Wow...i have heard of hospitality before....but that was remarkable.

Another Mr Benn story I think!

Remarkable indeed Russ!

LiKe Pollyanna, I'm puzzled. I don't know what constitutues a free wife. I have never seen that in any menu anywhere else for that matter.

What exactly defines "exotic ladies" in Istanbul for you Griffingrowl?

some really positive aspects:

-the EiT community (and I don't even live there full time) What could be better than this?
-my awesome friend in Izmit, the ones in Nisantasi and those in Cihangir
-Ulus Pazar on good days where the fun of bargaining is still practiced
-amazing views of the Bos
-Kapalicarsisi - on a good day
-Turkey's stunning coastline
-great place for culture vultures and the history buff
-offers many options for adventure travelers as well (try kayaking in Kekova)
-ancient ruins that sadly & desperately need repairs BTW
-hospitalible people with ready smiles and more
-from what I hear, one can play hooky even when supposely working (Charly even says you can sleep at work)
-Metrosexual well-groomed men (men who are trend-aware & wear form-fitting clothes without fear or being labeled unmanly) Who cares if they are closeted gays like the rumors say of Tarkan?
-door to door delivery of food (I got tired of this last summer)
-summer scene is fantastic (I guess I'll have another go this summer)
-some honest cabbies (I just about owe one cabbie my life when he turned over my unlocked T-Mobile SIM card last spring)
etc.

Downsides:

-wi-fi isn't free in Starbucks and foreign credit cards are not accepted if you want internet connection!
-too many darn people smoke!
-too lax in driving practices
-dishonest taxi drivers ( Oh yes there come-a-plenty)
-intermission halfway through the movie (this irritates me since I don't need a cigarette break)
-too many men with greasy hair (OK we're talking magandas here)
-DOM (dirty old men) who thinks foreign girls come with a price tag
-fastfood culture is spreading too fast (Mediterranean diet is just fine and healthy)
-bloody stares brought on to foreigners (or is it just me?)
-average wages are disproportionate to cost of living while drink prices at some places assume one earns big bucks at YTL25 a pop(what's up with that?)
-long waits and no logical classification of lines/purpose of visit at major banks
-jacked up prices on imported goods/brands that aren't even that exclusive nor expensive in the US (like Nine West, Levi's or Nike)

etc.

Oops, I mean hospitable people

Mr Ben story? Didn't get that one. Remember that Gebze, is a bit like "Mayberry" We have our own version of Floyd (Fatih) the barber and even the Sheriff is a Turkish version of Andy Griffith. After the over the top escort by the local P.D., four (out of the whopping 10) officers signed up for our English course....later to drop out because that left only six cops to patrol the sleepy little town of Gebze.

i am working very hard . where is easy and good sallary job if you know let me know
ugly woman get lucky too. we have a proverb in turkish( wish god give you ugly's chances ).
dont be negative like this. Buy dog it ll cares you when it ll need food:)))))))))))))