It generally rains a LOT in the spring, so be ready for that, and the weather can change very quickly. Good you’re going with your husband; Istanbul is hardly the worst place for a single woman to go walking around by herself in most circumstances, but that will cut down on the hassling considerably. Shopkeepers are…

Where to start? Depends on what you like to do. Outside of the usual Sultanahmet sights: There’s Taksim/Beyoğlu for browsing around, peoplewatching, and there are a few art galleries in that area or Tophane which is nearby. Cihangir is the hipster enclave if you’re into that (you might be surprised how much of a…

Try explaining this cultural phenomenon to people outside the US, whose first language is not English and who are fascinated with American hip-hop. Exercise in frustration. Your head will explode or you will at least feel as if it might.

Tuğba most likely though I have also seen Tuba as a girl’s name.

I wouldn’t make it a single destination — it’s a bit out of my way also, when I’m around. Not worth going so far just for that.

The Ulta in Silver Spring is totally Metro-accessible. Don’t blame you for avoiding Georgetown though.

Silver Spring has one, in that ‘town center’ with the fountain, next door to DSW, IIRC. Not too far out in the ‘burbs.

You are expecting something pertaining to Turkey to adhere to the rules of logic and common sense. That is the real absurdity here. Only thing Turkish that even sort of behaves as expected is the grammar of the language. (I say this with as much affection as exasperation)

I’ve always thought the hedgehog/Guy Fieri pairing was one for the hall of fame.

“Black don’t crack,” as the saying goes.

As seen on a T-shirt: “I’m not old, I’m retro.”

My rule: If I had one just like that in the (80s, 90s, whatever) and wore it to death, I should at least try it on and see if it’s still fly. I’m old anyway, who cares?

He better not try it UNLESS he respects me.

Starred for use of “herb.”

It may be a regional thing. Others have posted the Van McCoy hit from that era, and the couples dancing by the piano in that video are doing what I remember (and may also have been tortured with in gym classes) as the Hustle.

The dance I remember as “The Hustle” was for pairs, and borrowed heavily from salsa/Latin moves. This looks more like, I don’t know, the Bus Stop?

Hijab! Modesty! Yer doin it wrong.

Anybody trying to get their heads around the “Kurdish question” in the Middle East may find this useful as an analogy, as there are a lot of similarities in this situation. Even down to the display of certain colors. Very interesting.

I soon learned that they were not my scene at all — the music was usually awful and the point of the party was to get really wasted. Also at my school the frats were almost all impossibly white, which meant none of the guys would ask me (an unmistakably black girl) to dance until they were extremely drunk.

Less harshly, I have also heard that just asking the complainer, “What are you going to do about it?” may get results without being such an ultimatum.