ANTALYA CITY BLOG: Exclusive Interview

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Special Interview with Billy Watson

By Antalya City Blog10:00 PMAntalya City Blog, antalya interviews, Antalya Living, Antalya promotion, Billy Watson, Exclusive Interview, Special Interview3 comments

Antalya City Blog Has A New Surprise!

Antalya City Blog Presents the Special Interview with Billy Watson who is Scottish comedian and poet, and an expat. We Asked Him A Few Questions About Antalya and Our Blog.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Billy Watson and I am a Scottish man who has lived in Antalya for 6 years. I have a website called Antalya Living where I blog about my life in Antalya and also promote the region by taking photos and making videos of my travels. I also run an Open Mic night here and perform comedy and poetry at the Edinburgh Festival every August.

What is the meaning of Antalya for you?

I used to miss Scotland a lot but after living here for a number of years that I have come to realize that Antalya is my home now. The climate and food are of course great but this is where my friends are and that for me is what is most important.

What is your favorite activity in Antalya?

Well, I have just started doing Open Mic Nights here and so I would say that is my favourite activity because one of the reasons I missed Scotland was because there are limited opportunities to perform here, so after six years I eventually decided to start something myself. I hope to encourage Turkish people to come along and help develop local participation in the creative arts in Antalya and so far I’ve had positive feedback.

Do you have a memorable moment ever in Antalya?

I attended the Efes Blues Festival in 2011 with five of my lady friends and when I told them it was my 40^th birthday we went to a bar in Kaleici that has unfortunately been closed since, called Adı Bar. I used to do a pole dance on a metal support and I had gained some fans along the way, including a couple of the ladies that were there that night. I thought beforehand that if we went there they would ask me to do a Pole Dance, so on I had put on some interesting underwear as a surprise for them. Well, when we got to the bar they did indeed ask me to dance for them but I played it cool. They then got the barman to play ‘You can leave your hat on’, which is a popular Tom Jones song for doing a strip tease and so I pretended to reluctantly agree. I gave it my all and they were impressed but at the end I revealed my underwear which was a thong with a small Kilt like covering.

The ladies burst into hysterics and all the men in the bar ran out which made them laugh even more. I said “Gotcha!” and gave them all a ‘high five’. It was priceless and a great way to begin so called ‘middle age’.

What do you want to see in the city of Antalya?

Although there are some great festivals here like Oktoberfest, Efes Blues and Golden Orange Film Festival I would like to see people taking a more active role in the arts from the ground up so to speak. Lots of bands here tend to play songs they know tourists will like because that is how they will find work here but other cities like Istanbul and Izmir have bands who create their own music and style just for the art of it. I’m sure a lot of interesting bands could be formed here because of the mix of people from different nationalities that settle here.

Maybe if there was a festival or a monthly event where people got exposed to that type of music on a regular basis it may encourage them to experiment more themselves.

I would also love to see good well established bands touring here. Robert Plant came a few years ago but it wasn’t very well promoted and in the end he had to let many in for free so I think that may have put other bands off.

What do you think about Antalya City Blog?

It is a very well designed and laid out blog with lots of great information about Antalya and many useful links. It is also regularly updated with events in the region and I would recommend it to anyone whether living here or just coming for a holiday. Antalya City Blog is really well-known abroad. I know a lot of people that, visit the Antalya City Blog before coming to Antalya. Antalya City Blog is like a digital encyclopedia and promotion office of Antalya.

Thanks to Billy Watson for taking the time to answer these questions for Antalya City Blog..

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Exclusive Interview With GM Tourism and Management Magazine's Editor Sabriye Çay

By Antalya City Blog12:38 AMAntalya City Blog, blogging, Exclusive Interview, GM Turizm ve Yönetim Dergisi, guest post, management, röportaj, Sabriye Çay, special guest, tourism2 comments

Antalya City Blog's Surprises Continue. After Dutch Social Media Specialist Peter Langela and Austrian Business Consultant in Marketing & Advertising Ernst Koch, Antalya City Blog Presents the Exclusive Interview with Sabriye Çay Who is the Editor of GM Tourism and Management Magazine. We Asked Her A Few Questions About Antalya and Our Blog.

1) Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Antalya in 1983. I completed my elementary and high school education in Antalya. In 2003, I entered the Department of Press and Publication of Faculty of Communication Sciences of Anadolu University. I spent five years in Eskisehir for education. I was an intern in Sabah Akdeniz Newspaper during my second year at the University. Working at a magazine seems like the dream job for me when I was in the university. After university, I entered the magazine sector through Antalya High Life and Antalya Life Magazine which are the first magazines of Antalya. After two years of experience in magazine and actual magazines, since 2009, I serve successfully as the editor of GM Tourism and Management Magazine which is Turkey's first and only Tourism and Management Magazine. I am passionate about my job, I love to spend time with my family and friends. In short, I am full of life.

As the most people say in the zodiac world that Aries women are energetic, brave, hardworking and friendly. I think I am also like that.

2) What is the meaning of Antalya for you?

Antalya is a corner of paradise for me with old town which smells history, Konyaalti Beach as its the clearest blue form, and Karain Cave which brings us to the depths of the secrets of the past. There is so much to be said for Antalya as in the words of the Great Leader Ataturk "Antalya is undoubtedly the most beautiful place in the world."

3) What is your favorite activity in Antalya?

My favorite activity in Antalya is drinking a cup of Turkish tea on the cliffs of Lara and watching the sun go down through the mountains. Antalya is a city so that offers many activities for anyone who wants a calm and peaceful environment to relax or anyone who wants to have fun.

4) What do you want for Antalya?

Antalya is the capital of tourism which brings together different cultures from many countries. With the pleasure of cool plateaus, deep blue sea, kayaking and rafting, you can live beauty of this city all together in four-season, of course, as there are shortcomings. For example, the Expo 2016 will be held in Antalya which will contribute to promoting cultural, commercial, architectural and many other aspects of Antalya and Turkey. However, our parliament did not make an EXPO Law for Expo 2016 Antalya. This situation makes me sad.

Hopefully, we get a result together as soon as possible and begin to prepare for such an organization like Expo 2016 which is important for our city to perform the best.

5) What do you think about Antalya City Blog?

Antalya City Blog is a successful site where you can find everything you are looking about Antalya and it suits for Antalya where the capital of tourism is. In addition, Antalya City Blog completes the gap of promotion of Antalya. As an Antalian, thanks to Antalya City Blog on behalf of our people and I wish success.

Other Great Antalya Photos by Sabriye Çay