ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a "magic" city with spectacular views of the Bosphorus Strait and the Sea of Marmara, fantastic mosques and fabulous, old architecture, combined with the amazingly modern structures. It is a center of Oriental art, civilization and culture. However, with its rapidly increasing population, it is not always easy to live in Istanbul. Traffic is the worst problem in this huge metropole. I live on the Asian side of Istanbul while my school is in Europe. Every single day, I have an intercontinental trip and spend around three hours to and from school. This, to me, represents the dichotomy of all our lives: advantages and disadvantages (or "opportunities unidentified"?), "the yen and yang" of Eastern philosophy.   

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