Istanbul, as how i see it

Istanbul. How do i even begin to describe a city quite like istanbul? Some say it has style without being too pretentious. Other think its chic but somehow conservative in many ways. If i have it my way, i could sit here for days and still struggle with my own definition for istanbul. There's just no word true enough to explain her charm to the world. And honestly speaking, i was perhaps a bit intimidated by the whole istanbul experience myself. Being there and living the life of a turkish for a week had made me realized how little i've live my life thus far back home. There could have been so much more i could do and achieve, but yet i was blind to notice the opportunity in store for me. I guess its true that sometime a little vacation out of the norm can open our eyes and mind to things we never really realize existed.

Forget what was highlighted on lonely planet or any guide book for that matter, here's a quick lowdown on what i felt is a definite must-do when visiting istanbul, the gay gateway to europe!

a. Spend a day at Topkapi Palace, strolling through its many courtyard and marble-covered archway, where it was once a sordid playground for sultans of the ottoman empire.

b. Be a freak of nature (just like me) and have a go at Hagia Sophia, one of the seven wonders of the medieval world. It sure is an architecture wonderland!

c. Go for antique hunting along the winding lane of Cukurcuma Caddesi where gems are kept hidden for centuries, waiting to be discover.

d. Ohkay, maybe you don't have to do this but it would be fun to catch a porn flick at the back alley behind the infamous Taksim Square and see some local action at its best :P

e. Window shopping on a tram along Taksim Square.

f. Have a menu-less seafood meal at Arnavutkoy Caddesi, and let the chef surprise you!

And if you're wondering what happen to my trip to the turkish bath, well, i didn't made it pass the reception counter. The image of having a beasty man with hairy pot belly triple the size of my head, scrubbing my back is just too traumatizing. Ohh puhlease, get off me!! Eeww!!