Before we went to Istanbul for a few days we had done a little bit of online research about the price of things like food, drink etc. We were led to believe that things were a good deal cheaper than Ireland. But that was not the case. In fact, eating and drinking in hotels and… Continue reading Puzzlement about the economy of Istanbul and Turkey
Author: Terry Gorry
Let’s talk about asylum seekers arriving in Ireland without documents
Anti-immigrant protestors often trot out wild allegations about migrants coming to Ireland with no passports as an abuse of our immigration system. In the first quarter of 2023 there have been 780 such people which is down 50% on the peak figure in 2022. Asylum seekers arriving in a country without passports is not unusual,… Continue reading Let’s talk about asylum seekers arriving in Ireland without documents
I went to a Hammam for a Turkish bath
My wife persuaded me to go to a Hammam with her for a treatment. A Hammam is a traditional Turkish bath and involves a sauna, lying on a hot stone, and getting some type of massage treatment. It was some experience, one I am glad to have done, especially in a country like Turkey which… Continue reading I went to a Hammam for a Turkish bath
Istanbul-a city of traders?
One of the striking things that hits you as you walk around Istanbul is the number of traders and small shops you will encounter. There appears to be a disproportionately large number of small shops and traders selling just about anything. Maybe they are all scratching out a living. Obviously some are more successful than… Continue reading Istanbul-a city of traders?
Things I don’t like about Istanbul
Things I don’t like about Istanbul: Every time I go away I say that we in Ireland don’t know how good we have it. I know we are not perfect, and there are many problems in Irish society. But we are miles ahead of lots of places, including Istanbul and Turkey when it comes to… Continue reading Things I don’t like about Istanbul
Walking tour of Istanbul
We went on a walking tour of Istanbul yesterday and it was, as expected, fascinating. The history of Istanbul, Constantinople, Byzantium is fascinating and our tour guide was genuinely knowledgeable about the history involving the Romans, Greeks and Ottoman Empire eventually leading to the formation of the Republic of Turkey. We visited the Blue Mosque,… Continue reading Walking tour of Istanbul
Istanbul trip, May 2023
I am writing this blog post from a hotel bedroom in the Galata area of Istanbul. We are here for a few days leading up to the June bank holiday weekend and I am looking forward to seeing the sights of this famous city, known historically as Byzantium, Constantinople, and now Istanbul. The Galata area,… Continue reading Istanbul trip, May 2023
The unvetted men trope
A guy left a comment on one of my Facebook posts yesterday about UNVETTED MEN. In case the notion of “unvetted men” was not enough to strike fear into the mind of the reader he had gone to the trouble of putting UNVETTED MEN in block caps. Just in case I missed the point. I… Continue reading The unvetted men trope
What I’m reading at the moment
I bought my first Joseph O’Connor novel at the weekend-Star of the Sea-and am enjoying it so far, although I have only just started reading it. I came across is whilst surfing on Amazon for my next Kindle read and it has a tremendous number of good reviews and has sold in massive quantities. If… Continue reading What I’m reading at the moment
Drinking the Twitter Kool-Aid
I still find it hard to believe the number of businesses generally, and small ones in particular, who appear to have swallowed the Twitter Kool-Aid when it comes to promoting their business online. In the legal space I see big firms with significant marketing resources focusing an inordinate and disproportionate amount of time (and money)… Continue reading Drinking the Twitter Kool-Aid