This entry might’ve been inspired by the article written by Metin in TalkTurkey. Or maybe that I have been watching way too much of ‘The O.C.’ lately, for some weird and unfortunate reason.
Istanbul is a huge city and you are able to find the diversity that you expect from such big cities. Different cultures and religions living hand in hand and getting along just fine. People from all social classes walk the same streets. It’s a real cultural delicacy. Except..
When you enter suburbs like Nisantasi.
Nisantasi is a suburb made by the rich, for the rich. Extremly rich Turks. I’ve got nothing against the rich, but I do have something against people who look like they’ve just walked off the set of ‘The O.C.’. I’m pretty sure our ancestors weren’t planning for this when they we’re trying to build a democratic, liberal country.
They shop in places like Akmerkez (which I love by the way.) where they maxx out their daddies credit cards and walk in groups of five with their Starbucks in one hand and their mobile phone in the other. You could always say its non of my business but it still highly bugs me to see all these kids following the supposed american culture that is portrayed and advertised on american tv shows. 14 year old girls that get their hair blow dried every day and that shove their cute little faces into buckets of paint just to be able to look like the girl next door on some american sitcom.
Did I mention the stinking attitude they have ? Oh god, you feel like hacking off their heads with butter knives. Ok..before I get too carried away and too violent here, I’d like to end this entry by saying; Yes, it’s ok to look pretty as long as you don’t forget who you really are, where you come from and that even tho it’s hard to believe, it’s Turkish blood that’s flowing in your veins, not American.
(for those of you who are already ready to email me saying that my post is anti-American, please think again, i love them yanks, who wouldn’t love the inventors of diet coke?)
I am not sure of you receive ‘Laguna Beach,’ the TV reality show where you are, but it’s about high school seniors who are pretty oblivious to everything outside of Laguna until they realize they are soon off to college with daddy’s money. However, they seem to have been bred purely for looks with plenty of pretty genes provided by their parents.
I wonder if the crossbreeding of cultures have already occurred from based on your observations.
Very true observations Writer and not at all anti-American. Then again, who cares if you are anti-American as most of the world has a love/hate relationship with the yanks.
Seemed fair to me, anti-american didn’t cross my mind, it’s what the kids are actually doing. I worked at a school close to Akmerkez, and I saw what you were talking about … actually I taught the kids too.
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I don’t know how wearing make-up makes you a wannabe American. What’s the connection? Do rich French girls become American wannabes when they wear make-up? What do you mean by not forgetting their culture? Wearing belly-dance costumes and dancing ciftetelli I suppose.
I’m trying to say, America isn’t the only place where rich teenagers wear make-up and spend money. Doing so doesn’t imply America in any way. It is your imagination making connections.
Regards.
PS. Nisantasi isn’t a suburb. It is a neighborhood inside the city. And I really can’t understand why you hate rich teenagers if they’re from Turkey.
I don’t hate anyone
Thanks for your comment.
hmmm very interesting observations. I was born and raised outside of Turkey and hence have never come in contact with this type of subculture (well except for occasional visits) … I must admit that I saw exactly what you were talking about and always got perplexed at the level of “attitude” these ladies seemed to have. I’m from the states, (by the way- didnt think that was anti-american), and yet for some reason the turkish variant of your average “jap” here seemed bitchier…