Istanbul Travel Itinerary

As I mentioned on my Instagram account, I've finally decided to sit down and post all my travel itineraries! Bear in mind that my long term memory is pretty useless, so some facts may be incorrect or missed out completely. However, when planning a trip, I always make a Word document to print out the itinerary and give out copies to my travel buddies. I also have pictures to refer to, so hopefully I won't miss out too much.

I've decided to start with Istanbul for no particular reason. I went with my two housemates in February 2015. It was off season so tickets were cheaper, but we were caught out when a freak snowstorm happened just the day before we were supposed to fly and our flight was delayed by a day (eek!) so our 5 day trip was cut short, and ended being a 4 day 3 night trip only (because by the time we arrived it was late at night). This is also why you should always have TRAVEL INSURANCE. We were put up in a nice airport hotel for the night by the airline though, so there's always a silver lining.

We even ordered room service :P

Istanbul in pictures always is sunny with clear skies, unfortunately when we were there it was mostly covered in snow, ice and grey skies -.-" But still, it was an amazing city; bad weather can't keep this historical city down for long.

Okay, now for the itinerary:

I booked our flights and hotel together via Expedia. I compared prices for booking things spearately and at the time the Expedia package was cheaper. Note that THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE so check first!

We flew with Turkish Airlines from London Gatwick. 

Hotel plus return flights cost: GBP 246 

Hotel: Diamond Royal Hotel
Review: It's a small hotel, but the staff was very helpful and accommodating about our flight delay and changes. The room is quite small though, but the buffet breakfast was not bad plus they have a hamam which was free for guests for one hour! Go for the sauna! You'll have to pay for the massage though so we skipped it. They have a shuttle to the airport, which I would recommend booking in advance. It's quite a nice location, loads of shops and restaurants. We walked to most of the attractions on foot, all were 15-25 minutes away. Good value for money overall.

Day 1: 

Checked in and explored nearby area ( by this I mean we had dinner and then crashed due to exhaustion. Our taxi also got lost, so always have the address and phone number of your hotel on hand!)

Day 2:

Topkapi Palace (30 Turkish Liras)

-This place is HUGE so be prepared to spend at least half the day here. Even then you might not fully explore the palace.

One of the entrances to Topkapi Palace 

 

Inside Topkapi Palace. The tiles are crazy beautiful!

Lunch 

-There are plenty of restaurants around Topkapi, but they can be pretty pricey so walk further away to find cheaper eateries.

Grand Bazaar

-Souvenir shopping! Make sure you bargain hard, or else you'd definitely lose out. The scarves are quite cheap plus really nice, so make sure you look around first before buying. 

So many choices at the Grand Bazaar, so little time (and money)

Dinner

-Somewhere near our hotel. We're three girls so we weren't keen on going out too much at night.

Day 3:

Hagia Sophia (30 Liras)

The ceilings are so pretty you'd want a selfie with the ceiling too lol

-The queue can get pretty long so get there early! This place is amazing but also very crowded, so it might take you a while to get to see the whole place. We spent about 2+ hours there.

Super crowded but super worth it!

Blue Mosque 

-Also a must-see site, it's absolutely gorgeous from outside as well as inside. It's right across Hagia Sophia so you can see both in one morning. There's a nice park in the middle between these two sites, great for taking picture of the exterior and to get a quick rest from the crowds. 

This fountain is in that park I mentioned, great views of both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (as seen here)

The detail in all these historical sites is just breathtaking

We also had the great experience of praying in the Blue Mosque, which is a memory I'll cherish always.

Praying inside the Blue Mosque is...unforgettable.

Late lunch

-Can't remember where, but I do remember that Turkish food was delicious!

Basilica Cistern (10 Liras)

- Okay, I was the only one who wanted to come here because it's a major location in Dan Brown's book Inferno which I had just read. (Go read it or watch the movie, you'll see) But both my housemates were very impressed by it, and it's definitely something different, so I highly recommend it! 

The otherworldly atmosphere at the Basilica Cistern

Grand Bazaar again

-We're girls, we can never have enough shopping hehehe....plus the bazaar is ginormous! 

Day 4:

Istiklal street, Taksim Square, Bosphorus coast

We basically spent the day roaming these streets and ending by the seaside facing the bridge that crosses the Bosphorus, connecting the Asian and European sides. We wanted to take the Bosphorus tour but we didn't have enough time so we just spent the day buying last minute souvenirs, walking and enjoying the sights before heading back to the hotel. We took their shuttle to the airport and headed home. 

The Strait of Bosphorus. That's the Asian side we're looking at. 

One place I really wanted to go and didn't manage to was Galata Tower. It provides one of the best views of the entire city apparently. Hopefully next time, Istanbul!

Yes, I'm smart. Deal with it.

“You’re so smart, I feel inferior to you/intimidated by you.”

“Oh no no, I’m not that smart. I’m lazy, I’ve failed a few times, bla bla bla (insert more humbling, putting self down nonsense)”

Guess which one in this conversation is the girl?

If I had a pound/ringgit for every time someone said the first line to me, I’d be able to buy a mansion by now. And if I had to pay a pound/ringgit for every time I said the second line, I’d be broke again.  

I am not the only one though. Almost every accomplished woman I know has had this conversation multiple times, and it is a sad reflection of the kind of misogynistic culture we’ve been brought up in.

Every time a guy says that he feels inferior or intimidated because of my intelligence or accomplishments, I’ve always automatically defaulted to putting myself down, listing all my flaws to the point of dumbing myself down to make sure the guy’s ego is soothed and to make myself appear more “approachable”. Why? Because we’re brought up in a culture where women aren’t supposed to be smarter than guys, and should never overshadow men. It wasn’t very long ago that mothers were telling their daughters not to study too hard or be too successful lest it hurt their chances at marriage. 

That has changed a lot today, but unfortunately the male ego hasn’t. The phenomena of young, single successful women struggling to find partners is largely due to the inability of men to accept that women are outstripping them in almost every aspect, and instead of stepping up to the plate to be equal and worthy of these powerful women, many guys are instead asking them to slow down and pretend to be lesser than their real selves. 

It has got to stop.

Ladies, stop apologizing for being amazing. Stop putting yourself down for a guy’s approval. You are smart, strong, successful and capable. No one can take that away from you, and you should never let anyone make you feel that it’s wrong to go get what you want.  The guys are the ones who should be keeping up with you. 

Guys, if you want to be with someone who is intelligent, independent and accomplished, then you should work hard to be equally intelligent, independent and accomplished. 

Step up your game, boys.

So next time I hear that all too familiar line, I’m going to say: “Yes, I’m smart. So if you feel inferior, that is your problem. Deal with it." 

Professionalism is Dead?

Sometimes I think the whole idea of working a job you love or having a career in something you’re passionate about, is overrated.

Yes, Confucius did say that if you do what you love, then you never work a day in your life. I get that, and I obviously want to be in a career that I love doing, that I am passionate about and that I believe in.

But not everyone has that privilege, and a privilege it certainly is. They say our generation is so entitled, that we think we deserve so much but don’t want to put in the effort that our forefathers did. And to a certain extent, I perfectly agree. My parents’ generation did not have the luxury of picking and choosing whatever careers they wanted; they got a job that was stable and paid them enough to make ends meet and bring up a family. It didn’t matter whether they liked the job or not, they just did it, because it was expected of them, it was their duty.

Back then, I doubt people went through gazillions of career personality quizzes or career counseling to find “the perfect job”, all they wanted was to be gainfully employed and to put food on the table. It was a much simpler and harsher time. And many young people around the world still very much face that reality, of trying to find whatever job possible to survive, who don’t have the luxury that I and many of my friends have of cherry-picking our degree, then sifting through company profiles and job-hopping to find the “right fit” for us.

Honestly speaking, I completely understand why the older generation calls us spoiled brats. We don’t know how good we’ve got it. We constantly complain about how the job we’re doing isn’t our calling, how our colleagues or bosses just don’t get how we work, how we want to just chase our dreams and this job is just a stopgap to tide us over, how our other friend in that other company is earning so much more, how we can’t wait to quit and move on. 

The reality is, at the age of 17-18, you don’t really know what degree or career you want to do. You don’t even know who you are yet.  

In your twenties, you may find your calling, but you may not. Even if you know exactly what you want to do, chances are, you’ll have to slog along doing things you don’t really want to do, and slowly climb to the top to get where you want to go. If you’re like me, then you still have no idea what’s the “perfect job” for you, and you’re just going with the flow till you (hopefully) find it.

A survey in 2016 in Asia found up to 60% of millennials, especially those aged 25-34, are constantly seeking another job even if they’re employed.  Job hoppers also tend to have the lowest job satisfaction too. And so, we are constantly dissatisfied with our working life. To make matters worse, we also make it a point to make everyone else aware how dissatisfied we are, from our colleagues, our superiors, to the random stranger who had the misfortune of having to conduct business with us. 

Since we hate our jobs, we’re going to put minimal effort into it, and honestly we don’t care how well we do, as long as we don’ get scolded by the boss and we get our pay at the end of the month.  In a lot of government offices, the 10 or 11am migration to the coffee shop for teh tarik and kopi ping is a common sight. Chatting and gossiping in office during work hours to the point of causing work to slide is also part of the norm. Who cares, we still get paid right?

This is a huge problem with our mindset.

Remember what I said earlier about the older generation? They had something I think we have lost as a generation, which is pride in their work, regardless of whether they loved their job or not. The two key characteristics that make a good employee, at least in my eye, is professionalism and pride in their work. From the humblest of jobs to the most high powered ones, having these two characteristics would distinguish a crappy worker from a valuable employee.

Let’s say, you’re a waiter/waitress at a fast food restaurant. You do not want this job, nor is it a long term career plan for you. You hate the hours, your colleagues are okay but not that great, and the customers get on your nerves too. So you take it out on them. You don’t make eye contact, you can’t even be bothered to say thank you or smile at anyone. You’re rude and moody because, hey, it’s making you miserable so let’s make everyone else miserable too! 

At the end of the day, you still get your pay, whether you were nice or not. We’ve all had crappy service from staff like that, and we all hate them for it, yet we probably do the same thing. Contrast that with someone who is professional and has pride in their work. You’d smile and say welcome to each customer, say “have a nice day” at the end of each encounter, and even the rudest customer would not budge your professional demeanor. 

Still polite with their "Sir and Ma'am" even when they want to kill you. That's a true professional.

All simply because it is your job, you are getting paid to do it. So you’re going to do it to the best of your ability, even if you don’t like the actual job. By signing up as an employee, this is what you agreed to do, whether you realize it or not.  This is what you SHOULD be doing, as part of your job description. 

Does it have anything to do with job satisfaction, or your wages, or how crappy your boss is? Nope. If you do subpar work, do you think the customer/client sees all the background stuff that’s supposedly contributing to your poor work performance? Nope.  All they see is a person who is not good at their job, and at the end of the day that is your reputation going down the drain. And this pride in your work, and the awareness that your ability is best judged by your actions and the results you produce, is what makes an excellent worker. Actually, it’s what makes an excellent person, whether at work or in personal life. So do it not for the praises or the money, but for the satisfaction of a job well done. (Like Saitama in One Punch Man :P)