HI MY NAME IS TOLGA ONER
IN DECEMBER OF 1973 I WAS BORN IN ISTANBUL.
AS A NATIVE OF ISTANBUL I WAS RAISED ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE AND NOW I’M LIVING ON THE ASIAN SIDE OF THE CITY.
I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD IN A NEIGHBORHOOD CALLED AS “FATİH”
( MEANING “THE CONQUEROR” ).
THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOT IT’S NAME FROM THE LEGENDARY OTTOMAN SULTAN WHO CONQUERED CONSTANTINOPLE CITY FROM THE BYZANTIANS IN 1453 AD.
A NEIGBORHOOD FULL OF ANCIENT ;ROMAN , BYZANTIAN AND OTTOMAN RELICS .
SO IMAGINE , ALL THESE PLACES USED TO BE MY MOST FAVORABLE PLAYGROUNDS .
AND BEING RAISED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THIS, IT WAS INEVITABLE FOR ME TO BECOME A TOUR GUIDE .
I WAS SO LUCKY TO HAVE PARENTS LIKE MINE .
MY DAD IS A LAWYER AND MOM IS A TEACHER , AND SINCE THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THEIR PROFFESSIONS , THEY ARE STILL ACTIVELY WORKING…
THEY GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO STUDY ENGLISH AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER QUALITY OF EDUCATION .
AND HERE I HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING TAUGHT BY NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING TEACHERS. THEN I STUDIED BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN MARMARA UNIVERSITY
( THE ONLY UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD WHICH HAS IT’S CAMPUS BUILDINGS BOTH ON EUROPEAN AND ASIAN CONTINENTS ).
IN 1995 ; I TOOK THE EXAM OF TURKISH MINISTERY OF TOURISM AND BECAME QUALIFIED AND LICENCED AS A PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE .
( DATE OF ISSUE : 08.05.1995 )
AND SINCE THEN I’VE BEEN WORKING ACTIVELY AS A TOUR GUIDE .
I NEVER LIKED THE IDEA OF SPENDING THE WHOLE DAY IN AN OFFICE , ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A FREE-SPIRITED AND INDEPENDANT MINDED PERSON LIKE ME .
I ALWAYS ENJOYED HAVING GOOD RELATIONS WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ;COUNTRIES, RELIGIONS AND CULTURES…
I LOVE GUIDING BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT MY COUNTRY , MY PEOPLE AND MY RICH CULTURE.
I AM HAPPY TO INTRODUCE TURKEY AND SHARE ALL OF OUR WONDERS.
IT IS ALSO A VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND LIFESTYLES ,TOO.
SWIMMING AND BIKING ARE MY FAVORITE SPORTS. I ENJOY BOOKS ABOUT HISTORY .
I LIKE LISTENING TO ; SYMPONIC ROCK & ARIA & ETHNIC MUSIC
FISHING AND WATCHING MYSTIC FILMS ARE ALSO SUBJECTS OF MY INTEREST.