Lizards Get Everywhere
Australia has some big lizards, not like the little geckos we get here in America. These lizards have little to no fear of humans, so you’ll find them all over the place. The one in this picture is a lace monitor lizard, and it can get up to 6 and a half feet long and weigh over 30 pounds.
In Australia, there are goannas, and there are actually five families of lizards in Australia – skinks, legless lizards, dragons, monitors, and geckos.
Uluru, a Giant Rock
Uluru Rock, which is also referred to as Ayer’s Rock, is a single rock formation in the center of Australia, and it’s the largest monolith in the world. It also has the distinction of being sacred to the local Aboriginal tribe, the Pitjantjatjara, who call it Anangu.
Uluru is a historic site in Australia, with a status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s a popular tourist destination as well, since it’s such a recognizable landmark.
Australians Swear a Lot
Maybe it’s because they’re all alone on that giant island, but apparently, Australians swear a lot. It’s not uncommon to hear the worst of the worst swear words in normal conversation, and certain words that are very taboo in America are actually words that Australians use for friends.
If you ever get the chance to visit, don’t be surprised by the number of profanities you might hear. Even grannies sometimes get in on the action. It’s all part of the grand down-under!
It’s Macca’s, Not McDonald’s
In line with our theme of shortening words, Aussies won’t tell you where the closest McDonald’s is. Instead, they’ll point you towards the golden arches of Macca’s. Some of the signs even say Macca’s on them, so it’s not just local slang. It’s the real deal.
If you get the opportunity to visit Australia, you’ll probably get thrown for a loop with all the slang, shortened words, and profanities you hear thrown around. Don’t worry, you’ll pick it up very quickly!
Magpie Breeding Season
We’re going to take a turn from natural landmarks to a bizarre feature of Australia’s native pigeon, the magpie. These birds turn vicious during breeding season, and the locals refer to it as swooping season. If you’re outside, there’s a good chance a magpie will attack you.
As such, cyclists have taken some creative counter-measures, like putting deterring spikes on their bike helmets like this guy did. They’re just cable ties so they won’t injure the birds.
World Cockroach Racing Championship
Every country is known for some weird events and championships, and Australia is no exception. In the city of Brisbane, they host the annual World Cockroach Racing Championship. As you can see in this picture there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it; just a bunch of cockroaches running around the floor.
It actually got its start as a gambling event at a casino in Brisbane. Cockroaches are very fast; their rate of speed in relation to their body length is the equivalent of a human running 200 mph.
Roos Are Everywhere
Perhaps the most beloved Australian animal is the kangaroo, the hopping marsupial that’s on its currency, its coat of arms, and is one of its national symbols. It’s well-known around the world, and there are millions of them that live in the wilds of Australia.
Kangaroos can often have humorous interactions with humans, but their powerful hind legs can be dangerous, which you can see by how this kangaroo somehow found itself on top of its house. Just another day in Australia.
29 Years of Beaches
Let’s take a quick break from what’s trying to kill you in Australia to one of its many draws. Australia is home to over 10,000 beautiful beaches, and if you visited one per day, it would take you around 29 years to visit them all.
Although Australia is renowned for its “outback,” its beaches are a huge tourist draw as well. If you decide to visit, don’t forget your sandwich made from the next entry on this list!
Of Course, a Stinging Tree
Only in Australia, it would seem, would they need a warning sign about a stinging tree. We don’t even need to say it at this point. This particular tree’s scientific name is Dendrocnide excelsa, but they just call it the Giant Stinging Tree.
The peptides in the tree’s tiny hairs closely resembles spider venom. It’s unknown why this particular tree injects unwary passers-by with venom, but it can be incredibly painful and linger for months.
They’re Obsessed With Vegemite
There’s a song called “Land Down Under”, where they mention a Vegemite sandwich. What’s that, you might be wondering? Well, Vegemite is basically the national food of Australia, and it’s a savory brown paste that’s made primarily from yeast extraction.
Aussies put it on toast, make sandwiches out of it, put it in soups, or some people even eat it straight out of the jar. It’s almost completely fat-free, it’s vegetarian, and it’s sugar-free, but it’s not gluten-free.
Guinness Record for Christmas Lights
They love going to the extreme in Australia, and one example of that is the fact that the Guinness World Record holder for most Christmas lights on a house was held by an Australian family back in 2013. The Richards family, who live in Canberra, used over 500,000 lights for their display.
Though it’s since been recaptured by a family in New York, Mr. Richards also helped set the record in 2014 for the largest LED light display as well. The dude loves him some Christmas!
The Widowmaker Pinecone
This one’s interesting. In the vein of everything in Australia trying to kill you, they have a giant pinecone there. It comes from a 120-year-old Bunya Pine, and these things weigh about 22 pounds. Since the pinecones are also very high up, they’d cause some serious damage.
It’s unclear whether this is a normal occurrence, but the town the pine is located in issued an official warning to keep your distance from this tree.
Mischievous Local Wildlife
Wallabies, wombats, and koalas are just some of the cute cuddly wildlife that has helped endear Australia to the rest of the world, but they’re known to get into mischief as well. Just ask the wallaby in this picture, who’s decided it’s time to TP the living room.
Australians often rescue injured wallabies from the wild, and some even keep them as pets. They can be a great family pet, actually, and they’ve even been introduced to the U.K., New Zealand, and France, where there are a few living in the wilds today.
Steven Irwin, Crocodile Hunter
In many ways, Steve Irwin was the embodiment of Australia. A brash guy with a killer accent who wasn’t afraid to roll in the mud with huge crocodiles, the Crocodile Hunter was everything the rest of the world imagined about what life was like in the great Down Under.
Sadly, Steve was taken before his time when he was stung by a sting-ray, but his memory lives on in his daughter, Bindi, who’s taken up his mantle as one of Australia’s foremost animal preservationists. Crikey!
The Great Barrier Reef
Another natural wonder Australia is known for is the Great Barrier Reef, a vast array of coral off the northeastern part of the continent, by Queensland. It’s the largest coral reef system in the world, and it’s home to thousands of different species of marine wildlife.
The Great Barrier Reef is almost completely protected as a national marine park, but it still faces several threats in the forms of pollution and climate change.
Don’t Forget Tasmania
Tasmania, a little island off the southeastern tip of Australia, is relatively unknown, and most people only know of it because of the Tasmanian Devil on The Looney Tunes. However, it’s actually a state of Australia, which it was admitted to in 1901.
Tasmania has a similar history to the rest of mainland Australia. Believe it or not, Australians have a nickname for Tasmania: Tassie. It fits with the rest of their nicknaming conventions.
More Animals to Kill You
If the snakes, venomous monotremes, and giant lizards weren’t enough, Australia is home to several other extremely deadly creatures. Two such creatures, the funnel-web spider and the blue-ringed octopus, are highly venomous and dangerous creatures, and they’re just a couple examples.
One thing you’ll notice about Australians is that they don’t seem to be too worried about all these dangerous animals. If we lived there, we’d probably never leave our house. Just saying.
Shrimp On the Barbie
Besides “g’day mate”, “throw another shrimp on the barbie” is one of the most oft-quoted sayings to have some history in Australia. Barbie is short for barbeque, but they actually call shrimp prawns. The saying originated in a series of tourism ads from the 1980s staring Paul Hogan, AKA Crocodile Dundee.
Many Australians cringe when they hear the saying, often because visiting Americans mangle the actual quote (he said “slip”, not throw), but it nevertheless has stuck in the American vernacular of Australian cliches.
The Dingo Fence
Because dingoes were getting so out of control, in the 1920s the Australian government started building the Dingo Fence in southern Australia. This fence was completed in 1946, and it still stands to this day. Its goal is to keep dingoes contained and out of lands populated by humans.
The fence is maintained by the land owners whose property abuts it, and they receive grants from the government to do so. The fence is designed to keep dingoes to the north, out of the farmlands in the south.
Huge Sheep Industry
One of the most widespread and popular livestock in Australia are sheep, and wool and sheep meat are one of their largest industries. There are 63.7 million sheep in Australia, where the wide-open spaces lend themselves to sheep farming.
Of course, farmers have to worry about the various dangerous wildlife that live in Australia, where pythons and dingoes have been known to eat sheep.
And They Use Slang, Too
You’ll also be struck by the sheer amount of slang Aussies uses, as well (like the word Aussie, for instance). Perhaps one of the most confusing is when they say “yeah, nah”, and its close neighbor, “nah, yeah”. Both of these mean the complete opposite (hint: the last word gives you your yes or no answer).
If you look at that picture and despair, have no fear. Australians don’t take themselves too seriously and, as such, will probably be happy to explain their lingo to you. Before you know it you’ll be speaking like an Aussie as well! She’ll be right, love.
Leaving the Door Unlocked
Even though it seems like everything in Australia is dangerous, a surprising thing outsiders find when they move or travel there is how trusting Australians are in general. Many of them will leave their doors completely unlocked, but we guess snakes can’t open doors so they’re ok.
Australians are very friendly in general, and they get along well with each other, so it follows that, especially in less populated areas, they might not see the need to lock their doors.
Shark On a Golf Course
Imagine you’re just out for a nice day on the links, and in between holes, you’re able to sit down next to one of the water hazards to enjoy a few minutes of rest. Suddenly, you glance at the water and notice a shark fin sticking out of it.
That’s just another day down under, and if you happen to see a shark fin in the water on a golf course, you might just consider it to be par for the course.
So Many Venomous Snakes
If you were wondering, Australia is home to a lot of dangerous animals. We’ll be discussing these more later, but first up are venomous snakes. Did you know that, out of the 25 most venomous snakes in the world, 21 of them are found in Australia?
Just a few of these are the Inland Taipan, the Mulga snake, and the Eastern Brown Snake. If these names don’t strike fear into you, they should. Snakes get everywhere in Australia, whether it’s in your toilet or even on the wing of a plane.
Akka Dakka, AKA AC/DC
If you’re a fan of classic rock, you’ll be right at home in Australia, which is the home of AC/DC. However, if you ever visit Australia, you probably won’t hear it referred to by its American name. Instead, Aussies call their foremost band “Akka Dakka,” which fits right in with their tendency to shorten the amount of syllables in their words.
Akka Dakka, as it’s called, was formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. No matter what you’ve heard, they simply call their music rock and roll, and that’s totally ok with us.
Beautiful Pink Lakes
The lake pictured below, Lake Hillier, is one of several beautiful pink lakes that give Australia’s land a pop of vibrant color. It’s recently been determined that the lakes are pink because of a unique combination of algae, halobacteria, and other microbes.
These lakes are also very salty, resembling the Dead Sea in terms of how much salt they have in them. Although Lake Hillier has recently lost its pinkish hue, scientists may be able to restore it.
Yeah, it Gets Really Hot
Some parts of Australia can get incredibly hot, particularly in the northwestern portion of the continent during the summer (which coincides with the northern hemisphere’s winter). As you can see from the image below, asphalt can melt and seatbelts can leave a burn on your arm in this extreme heat.
People have even been known to put their clothes and shoes in the fridge to cool them off before venturing out into the extreme heat. Now that’s hot!
The Signs Are Insane Here
Generally, signs are put in place to inform passersby or warn them of something ahead. They help to regulate traffic and make the relationship between pedestrians and drivers a whole lot easier. In Australia, it’s kind of different though.
Because of the vast array of poisonous life forms, both on land and in the water, signs need to be displayed to warn people of their presence. Take this sign, for example.
Egg-Laying Mammals
One of the only things you probably remember from science class in school is that there’s two mammals that lay eggs; the duck-billed platypus and the spiny echidna, both of which are native to Australia and its surrounding islands.
Studying these animals is an important component of evolutionary biology, as both are the only living examples of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs. Fascinating!
Dingoes, Australia’s Version of Wolves
In 1980, a family camped near Uluru rock and was met with tragedy when their two-month old infant was dragged from their tent by a dingo. Although they were eventually acquitted, several courts convicted her parents, saying the story of a dingo eating their child was far-fetched and impossible.
All that is to say that Australia is home to anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 of the feral canines, who’ve been on the continent for thousands of years. They can be a nuisance to farmers with livestock.
And Tons of Rabbits
One pretty significant part of Australia’s history, and now the current issues it’s facing, has been the introduction of foreign animals to its ecosystems. As an island, Australia was a delicate ecosystem for thousands of years. Another introduced species that has become invasive is rabbits.
There are billions of rabbits in Australia now, and they eat everything. As you can imagine, a significant effort by the country is in culling the population, and they are responsible for the extinction of several native species.
The Australian Bush
Just like “forest” in the U.S., much of Australia is uninhabited wilderness. Aussies usually refer to this vaguely as “the bush”, and you can assume they’re referring to areas with trees and plant life, instead of the desert, although it can apply to any uninhabited region.
The word bush is believed to be related to the Dutch term for forest, which is bosch. European immigrants from South Africa to Australia brought the term with them, and it spread from there.
Greeks in Melbourne
Australia is a land of immigrants, and one particularly large group of immigrants came from Greece in the 1850s during Australia’s gold rush. Now, Melbourne has the largest Greek population in any city outside of Greece or Cyprus (over 173,000)!
Greek culture still holds an important place in Australian Greeks’ hearts, and Australia also has a significant bilateral economic trade situation with Greece, which is worth over AUS $140 million.
The Only Country-Continent
Australia happens to be the only country that occupies an entire continent by itself, and Australians are pretty proud of that fact. The fact they’re an island in the middle of the ocean also helps, and it makes the Australian people pretty self-sufficient.
Even though it doesn’t look that big, Australia is about the same size as the continental United States, even though the vast majority of the landmass is unoccupied wilderness.
People Shop Barefoot
The first time you go grocery shopping in Australia, you might be shocked to see people out shopping without any shoes on. Australians have a different opinion about wearing shoes apparently, and they’ll often go into places barefoot that isn’t allowed in other places of the world.
This all feeds in to the image of Australians as a fun-loving, carefree people, who aren’t as uptight as people are in the rest of the world.
Giant Flying Bats
Imagine seeing this enormous bat staring at you through your bedroom window. This flying fox, or megabat, which can be the size of a small child, is one of four megabats that are native to Australia. Luckily, these huge bats eat fruit, nectar, and pollen; otherwise we don’t see how anyone could possibly decide to live there.
Megabats can weigh up to two pounds, and several of the species in Australia are considered endangered due to various reasons.
Tons of Camels
When you think of quintessential Australian wildlife, the camel may not come to mind, but Australia is crawling with them. Herds roam the bush, and there are so many that Australia actually exports camels to the Middle East! They were first brought to the continent in the 1800s and their population exploded.
Although the amount they export is relatively small, it’s still pretty impressive, and they export camel meat as well as live camels for use in dishes around the world.
Tolmer Falls, Another Natural Attraction
Australia has no shortage of natural landmarks and stunning locales, and one such popular tourist destination is Tolmer Falls, located in the Northern Territory. It’s a nice, easy hike up to the top of the falls, where there’s two viewing stations to see them.
While it’s not going to win any worldwide contests for tallest waterfall, Tolmer Falls is just one of many natural features that make Australia a unique and beautiful place.
The Sydney Opera House
Australia isn’t necessarily known for man-made places, but perhaps their most recognizable landmark is the Sydney Opera House, located in Sydney Australia. It’s unique clamshell architecture is certainly something that makes it very noticeable.
Originally estimated to cost a mere $7 million, the completed project actually took $102 million, which was largely funded by a State Lottery. Over 10.9 million visitors check it out each and every year.
It Gets Very Cold
In the southeastern portion of Australia there sits the Australian alps, so named because they get more snow than the Alps in Austria. Australia is actually, believe it or not, Australia is a popular skiing destination, with some of the best skiing in the world.
Australia is one of the few countries in the world that can get such a varied climate and terrain as to have both deserts, jungles, and snow-capped mountains all in the one place.
Even the People Are Wild
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the way that people behave down under can be just as, if not even more intriguing than the way that all of its wild creatures live. In some parts of the country, humans are just as wild as their animal counterparts.
Take this guy, for example, who seems to be just as crazy as the ostrich that he is riding. They work in a symbiotic kind of way to get from point A to B.
Some People Put Their Clothes in the Fridge
As previously established, Australia can get extremely hot and people try to come up with all kinds of ways to stay cool. But did you ever think that it might actually be a good idea to put one’s clothes in the fridge to make them feel fresh and cool before you go out?
Apparently, some people down under actually do this for about half an hour before they go out. Don’t be surprised to find some shorts and a T-shirt in your Aussie friend’s fridge.
The Original Fight Club
Even if you have never seen the movie Fight Club, the title is pretty self-explanatory. Guys get together and take their frustrations out on each other, creating some kind of brotherhood in the process. You could say that they were inspired by the kangaroos in Australia.
If you look up “Kangaroo” in an encyclopedia, you will learn the actual word means “large foot.” This should lend credence to the notion that they are natural-born fighters, who will kick to ensure their survival.
Spider Frost
You might be thinking to yourself, “huh, that frost over the park looks kind of weird.” Well, that’s because it’s not technically frost. Apparently, during Australia’s rainy seasons, one should consider taking a lighter and some hairspray with them when going out.
This is to ensure that you don’t get tangled in any of these crazy fields of webs. Spiders will build these amazing clusters to get high up, in order to avoid drowning in puddles. Don’t worry, they’re just trying to survive!
Even Police Have a Sense of Humor
There is no denying that people have a complicated relationship with their police forces, depending on the country they live in. In Australia though, it seems like police officers know how to treat most situations in a light-hearted kind of way.
Take this situation, for example, which saw one of the “force” actually dressed up like they were from a galaxy far, far away. In reality, though, they were simply checking to see if any cars were speeding.
A Symbiotic Nation
When you’re a country blessed with as many animals as Australia is, you are bound to have some interesting and unexpected relationships develop between certain species. In this case, we are talking about human beings with the rest of the animal kingdom.
It’s not just cats and dogs that are kept as pets in these parts. More often than not, you will find people like this young lady taking selfies with little, welcoming animals.
Some Koalas Have “Jobs”
Trust us when we say this – koalas don’t just simply stick to a tree all day. They are very curious individuals and aren’t too shy to get stuck into some situations that involve human beings. Take this little guy, for example, who ended up intruding a news team.
They had specifically been visiting the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales when one koala decided to hop on one of the cameras and look like he was shooting a scene.
Real-Life Snakes on a Plane
If you have seen the movie Snakes on a Plane, starring Samuel L. Jackson, you will know that it’s absolutely ridiculous and could never actually happen. Right? Well, we can confirm that this photo is actually real and happened on a plane flying over Australia.
It shouldn’t be too surprising that wild snakes can not just climb onto aircraft, but can stick onto it if their life depends on it. This python is a staggering three meters long!
Surf If You Dare
There is no denying that surfing is a past time that man Australians love to do. In fact, its many beaches and waters attract millions of surfers from around the world every year. However, these visitors are certainly putting a lot on the line, especially when these guys show up in the waves sometimes.
Every once in a while, a crocodile might get swept up on the shore. So if you are riding a wave and some teeth appear out of nowhere, you need to move fast.
All Kinds of Ways to Cool Down
If you have learned anything in this article, you will now know that in Australia, it can get very, very hot depending on what time of the year it is. With that said, you will be amazed by how many ridiculous ways people try to keep cool during the hottest times of the year.
These people took hilarious photos of their pets to demonstrate some of these left-field methods. These included a dog standing in front of a fan because he doesn’t have air-conditioning and a cat who iced up, literally.
World’s Longest Golf Course
Australia is home to the world’s longest golf course, Nullarbor Links, which is located along the 1,365 kilometer Eyre Highway that stretches across the Nullarbor Plains. Basically, each hole is located in a different town along the highway.
The course takes about four days to play through, and costs $70 to play through. If you go to Australia and you enjoy golfing, you have to check out this unique golfing experience!
An Unsavory Past
Australia has a bit of a reputation for having an unsavory past, which started when England started shipping its convicts there in the late 18th century after the Revolutionary War made it so that they couldn’t send them to America anymore.
This practice persisted in several British colonies across the world until 1868, when England officially stopped transporting convicts out of the country.
Life on the Coasts
Even though Australia is just about the size of the continental U.S., the vast majority of its landmass is uninhabited by humans. This could have something to do with the fact that everything in the interior seems to be designed specifically to kill humans.
Most Aussies live near the coasts, with over 67% of the population living in the largest coastal cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. It’s one of the most sparsely populated countries on the planet!
Odd Australian Coins
A lot of the world has round coins, but not Australia. Their fifty cent piece is a dodecagon, or it has 12 sides. Their smallest coin is also the five cent piece, which we imagine makes it difficult to make change sometimes!
Australians also have a $1 and $2 coin for use, in addition to their paper currency. However, we still can’t get over their 12 sided 50 cent piece. That’s wild!
Did We Mention The Pythons?
If you weren’t already scared of the venomous snakes, Australia is also home to some truly humongous pythons. You should just assume that the entire continent is trying to kill you. Scrub pythons, which are the largest ones in the country, can grow up to 25 feet in some cases.
Australia is actually home to 14 of the world’s 31 species of python, so once again, it shows an incredible diversity of wildlife in a relatively small area.
Russian Woman Marries Turkish Man & Gets Honest About Living in Istanbul
Self-nicknamed ‘the wife of a Turkish Sultan,’ Russian blogger Svetlana has opened up via Instagram about her life as a Russian woman living in Turkey.
“Everyone Tried to Scare Me”
After Svetlana met her beau during his vacation in Russia and the two fell in love, they decided to get married. Although their families were supportive, other people around Svetlana tried to scare her. According to the blogger herself, “everyone tried to scare me, telling stories about the consequences of marrying [a Turkish man].” Despite these negative and unwarranted opinions, Svetlana listened to her heart and went on to marry her now-husband. And she’s definitely happy she did…
“Don’t Have Children”
Unfortunately, these uncalled for suggestions and opinions didn’t end after Svetlana got married. Even after a year of marriage, she would continue to hear awful things like, “Don’t have children, if you decide to get a divorce, you’ll never see them again.” The couple now has two kids and according to the Russian blogger herself, their relationship has changed but only for the better. “I truly realize that I’m married now…. My husband works and provides our family with everything we need. I genuinely feel his support and protection.”
Turkish Mosques
We’ve all been to homes where hosts have asked us to take our shoes off but in America, it’s not a must or rule. In Turkey, however, it’s a known cultural rule to take off your shoes before you even enter someone’s entry hall. Turkish people don’t wear shoes at home at all so it would be considered inappropriate or disrespectful to leave your shoes on in someone’s home. It’s also a must to take off your shoes before entering a mosque, as this place of worship is considered to be a common home in Turkey.
Education in Turkey
As far as good education in Turkey goes, it’s “either for clever or wealthy people,” according to Svetlana. “Your child will have a chance to go to a public kindergarten only after they turn 4 years old” and it’s only for four hours a day. “If you want to leave your child for longer, there are additional groups that you’ll have to pay for.” Parents are required to pay for everything if they choose to send their child to private school (i.e. food, school and sports uniforms, tuition, iPad), which comes out to around $3,316 per year.
C-Sections are Common
In Turkey, “women give birth to children in private maternity hospitals.” According to the mommy herself, the prices vary from $165.82 to $3,316 and only some of the expenses are partially covered by obligatory health insurance. “C-sections are really common here for a couple of reasons. It’s more convenient for the doctor, and many women are afraid of labor, so they ask for this surgery. You’re allowed to go home the next day after giving birth to a baby if everything’s fine. If you’ve had surgery, you have to stay at the hospital for 24 hours.”
Some Marriages Aren’t Based on Love
In today’s society, there are many different types of couples that don’t feel the need to hide their relationships from their loved ones. Some travel together, others rent an apartment together, “but in some small towns, there are strict traditions that must be observed,” says Svetlana. “In the Eastern part of the country, cousins even have to get married at their families’ discretion. By the way, they don’t even get to go out together before the wedding.”
Medical Tourism Has Become a Real Thing
Something you probably didn’t know about Turkish medicine is that all the best hospitals are equipped with the same technology and equipment that American and European ones have. The best part? The prices are 20-30% lower! According to Svetlana, “in most cases, people travel to Turkey to undergo plastic surgery: breast augmentations, body contouring, and nose or lip surgery.” You may also spot men with bandages on their heads as they have just undergone a hair transplant procedure. Another popular procedure that people get done is stomach botox.
How Turkish People Do Breakfast
In another Instagram post, Svetlana discusses Turkish cuisine. According to the blogger, she doesn’t like “the local breakfasts.” In fact, “I used to worry about this and think, how can I be a blogger from Turkey and not even like their breakfasts?” A typical Turkish breakfast usually consists of cheese, butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, and spicy Turkish sausage among many other types of foods. “But why on Earth do I have to eat sausages, olives, and jam in the morning,” Svetlana asks in her post. “This is not breakfast food!”
They Know Food, Though
“Speaking of food, almost all desserts in Turkey are covered with sugary syrups,” Svetlana continues to write in her post. According to her, “main courses are prepared using tomato paste and huge amounts of oil. And each street cafe sells something called shawarma,” a Middle Eastern dish that consists of meat cut into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like shape, and roasted on a slowly-turning vertical rotisserie. “Turkish people call it döner, which means ‘rolling.’ Thanks to an unusual meat roasting technique, all the fat drops off of the meat.”
Returning Gifts is a Tradition
According to Svetlana, it’s not uncommon to exchange presents. In fact, every year on January 1st, “my husband and I go to our local mall with many other Turkish people to exchange our New Year’s presents. The thing is, people often give clothes as presents because they’re cheap and made in Turkey. This year, we bought our mom’s pullovers and they gave us sweaters. Not all of the presents fit, but that wasn’t a problem — a person can exchange an item in any store belonging to the chain it was purchased from.”
Don’t Get Ripped Off
After years of living in Turkey, Svetlana is now acclimated to the culture. With that, she understands that Turkish people can “say nice things, treat you with their goods, and give “huge” discounts, but they’re really sly. So you should always open and check thoroughly wrapped bags that vendors give to you. At the market, pick fruits and vegetables on your own — choose the best ones, it’s your right. Locals always pick fresh products and sometimes even throw rotten ones at the vendors.”
No T-Shirts at Home
Svetlana is no stranger to comments and messages whether it’s about her husband, her kids, her lifestyle choices, or even her fashion. Of course, her husband understands who she is and the fact that if he begins to press her, “I will begin to protest. I cannot stand the prohibitions and restrictions.” Even with that understanding, though, Svetlana’s husband still “gets annoyed when I go around the house in a long t-shirt” because neighbors will end up staring from their windows. To appease her hubby, Svetlana wears comfortable dresses around the house instead.
Cooking Mutton
Although Svetlana and her hubby love each other, there’s no doubt that there are some cultural differences within the relationship. Pork is a common food in Russia but according to Svetlana, her husband “doesn’t like when I cook pork” and feed it to the children. Her husband, a Turkish-native, “says that it’s not healthy at all and that it smells bad.” Mutton — meat from a sheep that’s older than a year, ideally three years old — “sometimes smells much worse!”
Customary Insults
This next one may come as a shock to you. People in the streets have actually called Svetlana’s children names like “freak, donkey’s child, froggy…” What does the blogger-mommy do? She responds with a smile because “it’s not the first time.” Svetlana’s eldest child, a daughter, has been called “ugly or witch” in the past. It turns out that the reason why people address Svetlana’s children this way is that in Turkish culture, it’s not customary to praise children with words of affection but rather, “it’s customary to insult them.” Hmmm…interesting.
Consider Yourself Turkish If…
According to Svetlana, you can consider yourself Turkish: if you take off your shoes before even entering someone’s home; if you drink at least 3 cups of strong black tea per day; if after drinking your morning coffee, you flip your cup upside down to see your destiny (a Turkish fortune-telling ritual); if uninvited guests show up to your home, you show them that you’re incredibly happy to see them and attempt to persuade them that you’ve cooked this cake for them; if you’re never in a hurry and always late because who needs time frames?
Honk the Horn & Fight for the Bill
Consider yourself Turkish if you’re at a cafe with friends and you fight for the bill — you try to take it and prove why it’s you should pay this time; if you like to honk the horn when you’re driving, and also shout things out of your car window; if you’ve started eating yogurt as an addition to any main course rather than a dessert; if you kiss a person on the cheek even if you’ve just met them for the first time.
Budgeting Before Your Journey
When planning a trip or journey, it’s important to consider all your major expenses. Together with other Turkish bloggers, Svetlana put together a list to help travelers with their budget, using the Avjilar district of Istanbul as an example. According to the mommy-blogger, renting a villa costs around $1100/month while an apartment costs around $220/month. Renting a car costs approximately $34/day while a bicycle costs around $17/day. As far as living and transportation expenses go, that ain’t half bad if you ask us!
Food Expenses While Traveling
According to Svetlana’s post, it looks like food expenses aren’t too shabby either! In fact, if you plan to shop at a supermarket while visiting, food for the week will cost you around $33. A cup of coffee will come out to around 78 cents while a cup of tea is half the price of coffee. An average meal out with a sea view will set you back at about $48. At a local pizzeria, you’ll spend about $7.
What to Explore in Turkey
In a different Instagram post, Svetlana writes about the different places to see and explore during a trip to Turkey. She emphasizes the fact that although her head usually hurts after a visit here, you should definitely take a trip to a hammam, or a Turkish bath and place of public bathing. The most famous and expensive hammam of Istanbul is called Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamamı and was built in the sixteenth-century by decree of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska herself.
Historical Hammams
One of the most extremely historical hammams was built in the fifteenth-century by order of Sultan Bayezid II. According to Svetlana, this hammam “was also visited by John Travolta who is famous for tipping $100 for a cup of tea.” Another hammam, called Çemberlitaş Hamamı, was built in the sixteenth century and is distinguishable for its architectural design and spaciousness. Part of the stairs are now below street level due to the sinking of its foundation. Svetlana also notes that every hammam is divided into male and female sections.
How to Get Around Turkey
The blogger continues her Instagram post by discussing the different ways to travel between cities. The most convenient form of transportation to get from city to city would be by train. Svetlana explains that both the first and last carriages of the train are first-class. She suggests that “it’s better to buy seats there since they’re only around 50% more expensive. There are only 16 seats in these carriages, and there is free Wi-Fi, dinner, and free drinks every 30 minutes.
Meet Svetlana
Svetlana, a blogger originally from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Her hometown also happens to be where she met her now-husband while he was on vacation there. Now living in Istanbul for over a year, Svetlana describes what the life of a Russian woman in Turkey looks like on a daily basis, and it wasn’t as people expected.
Could You Ever Travel or Live in Turkey?
Although it may have been a culture shock for Svetlana to move to Turkey from Russia, it seems as though this blogger has acclimated quite well to her surroundings. It’s clear that she has gotten used to certain cultural traditions and rules that she may have not grown up with. She has learned to embrace everything about her life in Turkey from the people to the food to the customs. After reading about Svetlana’s experience, can you see yourself ever traveling or living in Turkey?
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