Istanbul notes
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Human resiliency fascinates me. Expats in Europe say the Turkish inflation is not too bad, Istanbul people say it's really bad. Every person I met worked more than 10 hours per day.

Merchants in the bazaars have gotten arrogant. Nobody is ready to be haggled down from the high prices. They used to cater to German tourists, but now the dynamic has changed to rolling out the carpet for Arab and Russian tourists.

While I was there, two big things happened: Türkiye was eliminated early in the World Cup, and there was a trans pride march. For both, I was surprised that no cab driver gave too many shits about it. Turkish cab drivers remain abnormally funny, though.

Previously, people would've flipped out over these topics. Everything seems a little gloomier now. People are more tired, less invested in the workings of the city. Mostly, Istanbul people just want new political leadership.

All in all, Istanbul remains an amazing place. Everything and everyone is worn down, but remains resilient.