Turkey, Istanbul and Berlin - Adapting to Invisible Rules In Culture with Taylan Ali

For this episode, Clare is joined by Taylan Ali who was born in Eastern Turkey, close to the Armenian-Iranian border but moved to Istanbul as a child. He now lives in Amsterdam, Holland, but also spent time living in Berlin. Tylan was an architect in Turkey, primarily working on restoring important medieval buildings. Work he thoroughly enjoyed, yet at the age of 41 he shut his highly successful practice and began a new journey which eventually led to him becoming a healer.

During this revealing episode, Tylan and Clare discuss some of the lessons he learned from moving countries and adapting to different cultures. Importantly, doing so in a respectful way without losing touch with his own values and personality.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Learning the language and social rules when you move into a new society shows respect for your new community. But you need to be balanced and stay true to your own values as well.
• If you discover that you are not a good fit for your new country, it is better to move again rather than let pride and fear keep you living in a place that is not good for you.
• Before moving to a country, take time to understand the politics and culture. But, also be ready for things not being as you expect.
• Europe is culturally more diverse than many people realise. Tylan demonstrates this by comparing his time in Berlin with his life in Amsterdam, especially when it comes to the way populations protest.
• Because immigrants are initially looking at their new country as outsiders, they often see things in a different light than long-term citizens do.
• The Dutch are very practical people who are still mostly accepting of others who see things differently.
• Moving to a new country teaches you to be more resilient.

BEST MOMENTS

“They never teach you. You have to learn them (invisible rules/societal norms) by trial and error.”

“Istanbul is just between Asia and Europe, and it's just totally different.”

“In Turkey, it's more tribal and collective, and there's extreme individualism in the Netherlands.”

“It´s my tribe against your tribe - really, don't we have anything in common?”

“it took me, like, two years to understand the police is not going to do anything bad to me..”

“Having your base is very important, somewhere to go back to, no matter what. It's so important.”

“ How can we be open and interested and receptive to things without losing ourselves?”

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/taylonipolati/

ABOUT THE HOST

Clare Kay is a seasoned global mover – with an international career in sales, customer service, personal development, and as a flight attendant. She has sold books and TV programs globally, taught English as a foreign language, and supported non-native speakers through proofreading. Her own global moves – from the UK to Zambia, China, Taiwan, Nigeria, and the USA – bring direct experience, and her global outlook has given her the growth and connections to support others in creating a life abroad. Through her podcast Moving Countries 101, she inspires listeners with the confidence and courage to make their own move – and deepens the cultural conversation in her Facebook Group – Moving Countries 101 with Clare Kay

CONTACT

https://www.facebook.com/groups/movingcountries101withclarekay/

https://www.tiktok.com/@movingcountries101

www.linkedin.com/in/clarekay

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