Bad mood entering Istanbul

Yesterday I was in a really bad mood.

My trip from Cairo to Istanbul began with the realization that Cairo was the first place I've been that I really was just relieved to get out of. I love that I saw the pyramids, and they were suitably amazing. But between the heat and the aversion to talking to locals for fear that they would either try to aggressively sell me something or ask for a tip for nothing, I just couldn't handle the city. I love the chaos of NY, but it's a much more ordered chaos than Cairo, and at the end of just felt tired.

My day continues: arriving at the airport, I was told angrily by Egypt's version of the power-loving TSA asshole that I need a copy of my ticket receipt to go to the check-in desk. "They can print one out for me at check-in," I reply. Yeah... So I go to the ticket office, where 30 or so people are waiting and after refusing to take a ticket, I see a manager for the stupid printout and then get on my plane.

I then land and see over an hour long line at immigration. After wading through the line, being pushed almost the entire time by a slightly overaggressive and stout woman, I finally get to the desk, and rather than hand the officer my passport and thank him for his great service to mankind, I sort of toss it on the desk. He then looks at it, asks me, after an hour plus of standing there, why I threw it at him, and waits for me to reach under the glass and pick it up and physically hand it to him. "I threw it because you're spending your time asking people why they're throwing the passports instead of moving the fucking line along, you ass!" is what I didn't say. I said, oh, sorry, and handed him the passport.

Next in the gauntlet was the man at the tourism desk who couldn't either operate his Windows computer or read a map. I know hiring only IT guys is too strict a requirement, but is it too much to ask that someone who works in a tourist information office be able to read a fucking map? Luckily, I realize he's an idiot and go ask someone else to tell me how to get to the address I've now found myself.

After taking the bus and wandering up and down hills with a 50 pound pack, I finally get to my hostel, only to find that they have overbooked my room (which I reserved May 25th) and want me to move to their sister hostel that somehow, was not the top rated on the websites... No discount offered, but hey, they agreed to pay my cab ride over after I asked.

So yeah, not a great day. I did meet this interesting Malaysian bakery chain owner looking to franchise to Istanbul and NY, and is friends with the Penang people, too. He gave me lots of great life tips, most of which he decided I needed because when he asked whether money was my driving goal, I said no, and continued answering why I'm going to law school/ This was a sign that I stress over everything and plan out my life too much, and I'm only going to be unhappy is I'm always "trying to be happy". He tried to explain to me that regret and worry were useless emotions. I'm not sure how I managed to come off as needing those exact tips, as that's usually what I'm telling everyone else. I think my nationality more than anything else led to that conclusion. But anyway, I enjoyed talking with him, and it put me in a better mood for Istanbul, which was good, because I hope to enjoy this city.