Lunch at Ethiopian and a lovely afternoon in Taksim

Taksim Square

Last week I met with one of my closest friends in Istanbul, Joy. We wanted to check out the new Ethiopian restaurant, She-Va, that recently opened in Istanbul. It was a nice warm day and we decided to spend the entire afternoon exploring the Taksim area. Taksim is a famous area on the European side of Istanbul with tons of bars, small shops, art galleries,and restaurants. 
I live on the Asian side of Istanbul. One way for me to get to the European side of Istanbul is to take a seabus. One of the major seabus terminals on the Asian is located near my house and it’s very convenient for me to just hop on the boat and be on the European side in 25 minutes. I actually really enjoy taking the seabus. Not only I beat the crazy Istanbul traffic, but I also get a chance to catch up on my reading while on the boat. 

Bostanci boat terminal on the Asian side of Istanbul

One of the backstreets of Taksim

My friend and I met at the boat terminal on the European side and walked to the restaurant through Taksim. We took our time walking down the Istiklal street, taking pictures, and checking out small shops. As I was taking a picture of my friend on one of the backstreets off the major Istiklal street, which we turned on to to find the restaurant, a Turkish woman approached us and politely warned us to be careful and watch our bags. Although both of us have been in Taksim many times and my friend knows the area very well, we thought the woman had a point and decided to head straight to the restaurant without looking too much like tourists.

When we found the restaurant, we were a little confused, because its entrance didn’t look anything like a restaurant’s entrance. We opened the door and found ourselves on the first floor of a building with no restaurant in sight. The concierge of the building told us the restaurant is on the second floor. We went up and an Ethiopian woman greeted us at the door. The place was empty. We sat down and ordered two things off of the menu that have been my favorites since I discovered Ethiopian cuisine back in Atlanta. We decided to try the Lamb Tibs and Alisha Wog. Our food came 20 minutes later on a large metal Ethiopian tray. It’s been awhile since I had Ethiopian food and was very excited to try it in Istanbul. Overall, both dishes were pretty decent, but we liked the Lamb Tibs better than the Alisha Wog. We finished our lunch, paid the check, which was only 45TL ($25) and headed back to the Istiklal street. 

                                                                        Entrance to the She-Va restaurant 

Inside the She-Va restaurant 

Our lunch: Lamb Tibs and Alisha Wog 

As we walked down the Istiklal street, we checked out several art galleries and book stores. The art galleries didn’t do much for me. I’ve come to realize that I don’t really  get or like the contemporary art in Turkey, but I am fascinated with the art of the Ottoman era. On the same Istiklal street, we came across two beautiful old Catholic churches. Both of them are fully functioning. 

Istiklal Street in Taksim

An old Catholic church in Taksim

Before we knew it, it was time for me to go the Kabatas boat terminal to catch the boat back home. My friend showed me a shortcut to Kabatas through one of the backstreets. We walked down the tiny street all the way to the sea and to the boat terminal. It was truly a perfect day and I told myself that I need to get out of my area and do stuff with my friends more often. 

One of the old backstreets in Taksim. The shortcut from Taksim to Kabatas.

SeaBus

A doctor's visit

A few weeks ago, we went to a kids’ club for the birthday party of one of Sophie’s friends. As paranoid as it sounds, I am trying to avoid crowded indoors these days, because it seems like everyone around us is sick with something ranging from a simple cold to a flu, or bronchitis. At the party the children were told to take their shoes off, which I thought right away was a bad idea since it was pretty cold inside the venue. Two days later, Sophie became sick with a cold. I was hoping it would go away in a few days, but it had actually got worse, so we had to go to the doctor. 

Sophie hanging out at home while sick last week

Sophie at her 1st doctor's appointment

We have been going to the same doctor since Sophie was one month old. He is the second doctor that we came to. The first doctor we saw wasn’t the right match for us. She promoted solely natural and organic lifestyle and child care. During our appointment, which lasted a good hour and a half, she told us about the risks and danger of vaccinations, baby formula and vitamins/supplements. In her opinion everything we ate and used at home was unhealthy and dangerous. She recommended I cook my own lotions, soaps and shampoos, which I knew right there I won’t be doing. Although we are not a solely organic family, we still try to eat healthy and stay away from household items that could potentially be harmful. I don’t have anything against healthy living as long as it doesn’t turn into an obsession. By the end of the appointment, I knew that we had to find another doctor. I remember walking out of her office feeling very confused and disappointed that none of the questions that I had for her were answered. She knew a lot about natural living and I got some good advice from her, but we never went back to her. 

Our current doctor has been recommended to us by several families whose opinion we trust. He is a very knowledgable older doctor, who addresses all my concerns before I even ask him questions, speaks fluent English, supports natural life style and treatment whenever possible, but trusts conventional medicine at the same time. I always walk out of his office feeling comfortable and knowing that my child is in good hands. 
We had our appointment with him last Tuesday and were told that Sophie has an ear infection. It’s her first. He sent us home recommending to use sea water nose spray and watch her fever. If the fever gets worse, we are to come back and get Sophie on antibiotics. Luckily it wasn’t necessary. Sophie is doing a lot better. 

Waiting room at the pediatrician's office 

Most private medical practices in Turkey are located in residential buildings. The doctors rent or buy large apartments, which they convert into a practice. It feels a little strange at first, but then you get used to it. A doctor’s visit at a private practice or at a private hospital costs between 200-300TL/Turkish Lira (approx. $115-$170). Most doctors accept private insurance. Overall I have been very happy with medical care in Istanbul. Almost all doctors that I’ve dealt with have been very knowledgable. Private hospitals are very well equipped. All my doctors here did their  residencies or PhDs at top medical schools and clinics in the US. The most common complaint about Turkish doctors that I keep hearing from expat community here is that Turkish doctors tend to overmedicate their patients and are quick to prescribe very serious medications. That’s not the experience I’ve had. In my case, the diagnoses have been accurate and prescribed treatments very effective. As I said before, we are very satisfied with medical care we have received here. 

A private hospital in Istanbul 

A doctor's office at a private hospital 

Waiting area at a private hospital