Guest Post by Barbara L. Alvarez: 'My Love to Antalya & Turkey'

When Antalya City Blog asked me a couple weeks ago to write about my love and connection to Turkey, a place that I have never ever been before had me thinking a lot, for days if am honest, because what could I write? What could I say of a culture that I really don't know like a native does, then I said why not? Maybe this is my chance to finally put the pieces together. Pieces that I'm trying to figure it out day by day. 

So here I go, my first attempt to write in my own words why my love, respect and connection with Turkey and for Turkey. 

Let's start saying that if you're a believer of past life's or DNA testing like I do, I'm the perfect candidate for a research because I'm 99.9% sure that I was Turkish in the past, even people ask me Are you Turkish? Have you been there before? Do you have Turkish descendants in your family? How do you know that? Did you really understand what they're saying? Well those questions are very normal to me specially these days where I let myself go after the answers I need to get. 

So saying that which other way you can explain me that I know, I feel, I understand, I respect and I love the culture, the language, the costumes, the land, the food, the people, the places, how can you explain me then? Maybe is deja vu or whatever you want to call it, how can you explain it to me that I feel peace deep within when I think of plant my roots in a land that to many people is not safe or good enough these day... What a joke right? because let's be honest who's safe now? NOBODY right? So every time I read or I hear the news saying something negative about a country that's not even mine hurts me deeply inside, when attacks or vicious news try to put down a population that in majority are so kind, warm and totally awesome hurts me, it really does, so not because a group of insurgents trying to destroy what's good means that everybody is the same way. So no that's totally wrong in my book that bothers me as much as people saying that all Muslims are terrorists or support terrorism, oh god give me patience to deal with those ignorant comments. 

Now let's not even talk about people, because who would it have told me that I was going to love my good friends Ceren, Nigar, Oznur and some others names I can't mention here, the way I love and care for them like they're my own family, nobody really because what started as a connection thought Instagram look where it took us. Oh did I mentioned before that we don't know each other personally yet? No? Well now you know .. That's the power of FaceTime, love or God's perfect plans of reason and lesson in life. Who would it have thought that I'm working my ways to learn a third language just because I'm going there next year on vacations and then when I finish some stuff here and there maybe plan a possible moving to Antalya or Istanbul ... Inşallah!! Yes, you did read correctly, move to Turkey. My family and friends believe I'm crazy, I really don't care what they think because if one thing i have learned in my almost 34 years of life is that you do what makes you whole and happy without worry about what others think, you can't pleased others and sacrifice your happiness just because. 

So that been said I do desperately want to move there, know how is it feels to enjoy a cup of tea by the ocean while a balmy breeze blows my hair, I want to feel how is it to wake up in Asia and end up your day in Europe, I want to know how is it feels to enjoy a real baklava with coffee while my friends are sitting next to me chatting by the peer, I want to know how is it feels to swing in the crystal waters of the sea and then lay down and enjoy the sun under a cabana in Antalya, I want to know how is it feels to be able to order a meal on a restaurant in fluent Turkish, I want to walk Beyoğlu, Bebek Ortaköy, ride a ferry, feed the birds and cats and dogs, i want to open my own business and develop my career there, I want to buy a house, I want to enjoy the sunsets by the ocean I am even open to the possibility of know what is it feels to fall in love, i want to teach my son to love and respect turkey the same way I do, in general i want so many things and all of them I want them there. 

So when you think of a woman that was born in Venezuela raised in Colombia and proud American that dream of living in Turkey so she can spend the rest of her adult years, think of me, because that's one of my dreams and I know I'll make it real. So Turkey, wait for me, stay strong and free because one day soon I'll be proud of calling you my home, my heart, my country...inşallah!!!!

Thank you so much for the opportunity again. 

You can follow Barbara on Twitter: 

@Barbylore 

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Antalya City Blog introduce new hashtags for Antalya's promotion

Antalya City Blog introduce new hashtags for Antalya's promotion. These are #LoveAntalya & #ExploreAntalya

No major campaign today is complete without a hashtag.

What Exactly Is A Hashtag?

A hashtag is a word with a “#” symbol in front of it. In the social media world, these words become a search function, that connects the searcher to conversations and content based on the hashtag they’ve looked up. Even emojis can now be used as searchable hashtags on particular networks (Instagram and Twitter). Hashtags are often used for novelty or to group content for others to find. On various networks, you can click on a hashtag, and it will bring up all posts that contain that specific hashtag.

A timeline of the evolution of the hashtag:

• August 2007 – Hashtags first proposed for use on Twitter
• July 2009 – Twitter officially embraces the hashtag linking to a list of all tweets for anything proceeded by #
• January 2011 – Instagram add hashtag support
• Spring 2011 – Twitter plays a role in the Civil unrest of the Arab Spring. #Bahrain becomes one of the most used hashtags of all time
• October 2011 – Google+ begins automatically linking all hashtags in posts
• January 2013 – Half of Superbowl ads include a hashtag
• June 2013 – Facebook begins supporting hashtags
• October 2013 – The Advertising Standards Authority (UK) and the FTC (USA) state that adverts made via a celebrities Twitter page should incorporate the hashtag “#ad

The purpose of Hashtags

Hashtags can help make the connection in the consumer's mind between a social media concept and a brand and its campaigns such as an offer or regular content. Some social media users follow specialist hashtags so they can help a little in increasing visibility.  So, our new hashtags can help to promote Antalya on social media.

Please use our new #hashtags for #Antalya:

#LoveAntalya

#ExploreAntalya

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FAQ - ANTALYA CITY BLOG Guide

Get the answers to your most frequently asked questions here!

 

Question: Do I need a VISA to visit Turkey?

This depends on your nationality. At the time of writing the Turkish Ministry of Foreign affairs posts Visa information on their website here: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

Question: What is the time difference? 

Turkey is on GMT + 2 (daylight saving = GMT +3 and operates between late March to late September). 

Question: What is the currency of Turkey? Where is best to exchange money?

The Turkish unit of currency is the Turkish Lira. The best places to exchange foreign currency to Turkish Lira are the banks.There are also exchange offices everywhere in Antalya.

Question: Will I be able to use my mobile phone in Turkey? 

Yes, providing your phone is international roaming enabled. The 3 main GSM operators in Turkey are Turkcell, Avea and Vodafone and all GSM operators have roaming agreements with international operators.

Question: Can I use my Credit Card?

Credit cards are accepted in most shops and restaurants in the main Cities or Resorts areas. This may not be the case in smaller villages or remote places so it is generally a good idea to try always to have some cash handy. 

Question: Is it safe in Turkey?
Turkey is arguably one of the safest countries in the world to visit and the crime rate is low when compared to many Western European countries. Interpol ranks Turkey as the safest holiday destination in Europe for travelers. For sure common sense precautions should be taken against petty crimes such as pick pocketing, bag snatching etc. but by and large visitors will find Turks to be friendly and helpful.

Question: Is the running water drinkable?

Tap water in Antalya is chlorinated and fluoridated and is safe to drink. In other areas of the country, be sure to ask first.

For more information, contact us at antalyacity.blog@gmail.com

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