Oz World

I am the last person to get involved in politics and religious debates.  Lets be honest, unless it is shoes, football or handbags I don't have much of an opinion; but as an individual who was raised in a Muslim family I think that I have a few things I wish to express in words. Islamic state... "Islamic"... According to whom, exactly, are these uneducated, vile cowards a part of Islam?  I have strong opinions on things which happen in the lives of those who claim to belong to Islam, however these are opinion based.  For instance, Muslims who judge fellow Muslims for not covering their hair or praying five times a day.  Or Muslim girls who are arguably strong believers just because they wear a hijab, but they do every other "haram" (forbidden) thing behind closed doors, or own more MAC lipsticks than I... Anyhow, this is besides the point. I cannot express the rage that comes over me when I read things about terrorism.  Under which religion or religious la

Sunsets, parties and the blue domes. Mykonos is a dreamy island. From daytime beach parties to evening breezes, there is something for all ages and interests. The cobble stone streets and white buildings add a beautiful touch to the nature of Mykonos and makes everything seem brighter! I was there with family which was unfortunate as there were many youngsters and party opportunities which I had to miss due to obvious reasons!  Seafood, which isn't one of my most favourable dishes was incredibly popular and despite the fact that it is a touristic hotspot, prices were not too extremely high. I stuck to eating risotto one night, lasagne the other and completed my week with five other Italian favourites - in Greece. Nice.  My favourite time of day in Mykonos was the nighttime.  It felt as though this pretty little island came alive at night and everything looked extra special from sunset onwards.  It was almost the only thing I looked forward to after waking up and going to th

When someone tells you to "trust them", you do exactly the opposite of that.  No really, it doesn't really matter who that someone is but if somebody feels the need to tell you to believe in them and their words, then really they have a reason to make you feel like maybe you shouldn't trust them. This is no post about love and relationships; integrity and loyalty...  This is about my latest hairdresser trial whilst abroad for my recent internship at CNN.  So I find it hard to understand why a qualified hairdresser isn't capable of following simple instructions.  Without being stereo typical or anything, I cannot recall ever going to a Turkish hairdresser and not being told to get a haircut with of course a long list of reasons why and how it will look in the end.  I have one hairdresser who I swear by in the UK, who actually listens, too, for that matter and refuse to let any other so - called hairdresser to even trim the ends of my hair. Moving onto the word

Not soon after I graduated, I decided that I didn’t quite belong in London.  Or at least I don’t think I do as I always want to be in a different country (hence the getaways).  Being given the opportunity to join the CNN internship team in Istanbul, Turkey was one of the least expected. Having Turkish and English in my lingo bank has always been a great advantage when me and my brother want to discuss a topic in public but are not so comfortable to do so - whether its about someone (I know all linguists have used this blessing in their favour) or just a personal conversation; but I had never realised how much either or both would help me in my career path to journalism. Packing the wellington boots and the jumpers was a bit of a bad idea as the sun was beaming down as soon as we landed at five in the evening. Anyway, as irrelevant as it may sound to the purpose of my trip, I am out here, left with thick turtle necks and cable knit cardigans.  Moral of the story?  Don’t rely to

"Buongiorno!" we hear every morning as we walk into the vintage style hotel restaurant for breakfast.  I have always been a fan of the Italian nature, fashion and culture and here is one another one of my adventures.   For my mum's birthday, I decided that this year I would take her to Florence. To me, mothers should always be given a lot more than anyone else and I believe that the least I could do for her is arrange a trip abroad, as I do every year.  The narrow streets, the warm and friendly locals and the beaming sunshine made it all worth the long wait (as this was booked months in advance!)  We were only there for a total of two days and returned back to the dull and gloomy UK on the third evening.  Despite the clear skies and sunshine, the wind was incredibly powerful and did cause confusion for our outfits, though. The famous factory outlet 'The Mall' was a personal favourite.  With brands from Prada to Pucci and Moncler to Moschino, this was heaven

Sometimes I find it extremely difficult to understand the basic factor of fashion.  Why do we choose to wear certain things?  Do we choose to wear them or is it what we read in the latest edition of Vogue magazine that pushes us to think that we like the look of a particular product?  When I first saw the knee ripped jeans, I'll be honest, I did think of jumping onto the bandwagon.  After all, I do like to associate myself with the trendiest and most popular items on the market; however, one thing which I don't associate myself with is going against a belief - and being an individual who needs a reason for most of her actions - including items of clothing and accessories I choose to put on; I needed to somehow justify my moment of delusion in potentially purchasing a pair. As I looked at photos online and approximately four girls in five, walking down the busy Oxford Street, there was something tickling my mind waiting to be noticed.  So I recognised what it was and took

So as I had mentioned before, I enjoy shopping and accept that it is possibly my worst addiction.  I haven't however mentioned specifics and have now got to move onto the more exciting detail.  Spending money on plane tickets.  My latest trip was to Berlin.  I have been there before for only two days but I must say that seeing just a wall and visiting the Christmas market was far from sufficient and I knew I had to go back and visit from the day I got there and began exploring; so here it was. I arrived in Berlin on a cold but sunny Sunday Afternoon and the first thing which caught my attention was the long streets - covered in art.  I don't think I had appreciated the fun and colourful walls which are covered in graffiti as much as I thought I did the last time I was there.   When I arrived at the Park Plaza on Wall Street, I noticed a lot of bikes on the street corner which were to rent.  Of course immediately I tried to get on one to see if my legs would actually reach and

Im not afraid of being alone.  I notice that the way I think is usually a lot different to those I hang out with and whom I share my age with.  I’m always told that the way I think is very strange, or some prefer to say silly. Sometimes, I am also aware that its silly or weird but I just argue my point just because I hate other peoples thoughts or opinions being an influence on mine.  I hate having to admit that I just changed what I believe most in doing which is proving a point; and agreeing with someone else. Besides the point that I love a mental challenge every now and then, I must admit that I can be as blunt as a knife where necessary - or even sometimes unnecessary.  This doesn’t bother me, though. I hate sugarcoating and really dislike those who believe in this.  If I don’t like something, I will make my point.  Never rude, or disrespectful - but only honest.  My honest is a lot different to the standard honest because whether it is harsh or not, I never hold back my wo

Why do we shop? It seems like we spend most of our time, worrying too much about what we are going to wear and what others would think of it.  As much as we tell ourselves that we dress to impress ourselves, there is the undeniable fact that we visualise the likes on Instagram along with what filter we could use to post our next selfie; in our new outfit. Well, me, personally… I shop because it makes me happy.  You know that feeling when you feel like you need something so bad, that if you don’t have it your world will turn upside down and its no longer worth living in… well that.  Everytime I see something I like and try and convince myself with my own lies.  “You don’t need it, Ozlem,” I say, trying to justify the fact that I’m fibbing to myself.  I can’t quite understand why or how you can need an object so bad that you shop till you no longer have money, or to the point where you know payday seems to be getting further away. Let me not start on my credit card drama. “I