Imene Bensitouah, Istanbul, writer, translator
I am the writer, poet from Algeria. I am a French teacher and translator, I currently live and work in Istanbul for four years. I write in French and Arabic. I am passionate about literature and art.
My immigration was a choice to discover other cultures and learn other languages and to promote my Kabyle culture by writing articles, and especially my latest book, which talks about mountain Amazing life and which many Turkish people are interested in reading. I translate extracts to them and they find it interesting. The reason was to get out of my comfort zone, to seek and discover. Then I am interested in Turkish literature very much.
About first impression
The truth that I had an idea about Turkey and its culture because of the Ottoman Empire has been in Algeria for over 300 years so they left a lot of their mark. I do not deny that I was dazzled by the beauty of this country, which spans two continents, the beauty of its landscape of its alleys and its sunset. I had a lot of inspiration and I wrote my most beautiful poems contemplating the Bosphorus.
About difficulties
The only difficulty is the language, because of the historical data. People do not speak foreign languages, there is only this new generation who are interested in learning other languages. Despite I manage in English but I had difficulties before learning Turkish.
About differences
The biggest difference is may be the very high lifestyle compared to Algeria, knowing that it is a Muslim country but Secularism has allowed everyone to live in their willingness. Unfortunately, we have not arrived at this stage in Algeria yet.
About similarities
The great similarity is that the Ottoman Empire remained for several centuries in Algeria, many families in Algeria have Turkish roots, and then we have the same Muslim traditions.
What I like there
Sincerely, Algeria has all the assets of being a tourist country, it is a country which has magnificent landscapes, we have sea, desert. However, unfortunately we did not know how to take advantage of that, Turkey is a tourist country and has work opportunities, different cultural activities. For me, style of living here impresses me a lot.
About people
They are warm people and they love life. Then like in every country, we have the good and we have the bad. In Turkey, I live a new story every day, I meet people, I learned many things, I had students of many nationalities, and they talk to me about their cultures. All my life in Turkey is a beautiful one story to tell.
Gustavo Ghedim, Istanbul, electronic engineer
I am from Brazil and I am since March 2019 here in Istanbul working in an electronics company as electronic engineer. I came to here by an exchange program from AIESEC to work for the same company that I am still working. I also lived in Germany from 2014 to 2016; I was also taking part of an undergraduate exchange program from Brazil government that time.
About first impression
After my graduation, I was looking for jobs around the globe and I thought, "why not Turkey, I still do not know that country". Actually, Turkey was a big incognita for me, in Brazil, we just have few information coming from here, and we there just know a bit about Istanbul, Cappadocia nothing else. So this desire to know a new country and a new culture was a kind of fuel for to come and live here.
After I got this position here, I got very excited and very anxious also, because I had no idea what would come next. My wife and I just had two months to preparing everything before coming here.
About similarities
Just in the second week here, I could notice many similarities from here to Brazil. I mean the people are very friendly, helpful. It was completely different from when I was in Germany. Here I felt like in home.
About difficulties
I had and still have my challenges here.The idiom is one and the biggest of them, even studying it by myself it a quite challenge language to learn as it is so different from those ones that I know. Still so, I can live well, with a pair of words and many body language I make me understandable to the others.
About differences
Comparing the countries, Brazil and Turkey, I prefer here one thousand time. Here I find safety, there are many options to do, for example, if you like parks, mountains, forests, beaches, even if the person likes spend the time on shopping malls or just seat near the Bosphorus and enjoy the sunset view, there is all this here. Of course it is not a perfect country, I believe that there is not such place is the world, every place has its pro and cons we just have to see each place has more pros than cons for us.
What I like there
I am the kind of that that loves adventures and historical places, so here I could find all them. Time to time I go to some old fortress from the time of Ottoman empire or Byzantine Empire, I love to walk around and think how was everything during that time, how they built those buildings and so.
Ave Fenix, Istanbul, travel coordinator
I am from the city of Chincha in the department of Ica, country of origin Peru. I was working in a travel agency as a travel coordinator
I have been in Turkey for one year, since I met this country I love it and I fell in love but I did not think to live here, the reason that brought me here was love, here I met my partner and decided to come and stay by his side.
About first impression
I have visited Turkey three times and when I arrived for the first time what impressed me a lot is the kindness they have and the tranquility they live and that here people support each other a lot.
About difficulties
Language is the difficulty that I have to this day. If we talk about infrastructure in Istanbul, it retains its style and I mean that they make new buildings but with their slightly old style, to do some work they do it very quickly, for example the Istanbul airport they finished it very quickly.
About people
Turks have a more family life, they are healthier, calmer, and some are vainer but a good healthy vanity. They take great care of their personal appearance.They are very protective and strong in character.They do not forgive betrayal and they value the family and the woman a lot.
What I like there
In Turkey, there is no violence, no crime. It is painful to say it but in my country, there is a lot of crime in different aspects. Here in Turkey, you can go out at dawn and nothing happens to you, you can walk during the day with your cell phone in your hand or your wallet behind and nothing happens there is a lot of security in this country.
Interesting story
When I came to live in our apartment, I went out with my boyfriend, the women looked at me a lot and it was because where we live is a very conservative area and most of them wear the veil. At first, I was shocked and maybe they looked at me like that because of the way I dress.Then I got used to it and now they look at me normal, there will be some but it no longer makes me feel strange.
