#Personal Essays

Reflective writing where lived experience, observation, or memory is the main vehicle.

March 22, 202610 min read

The Dude

It was during my college years that I saw the Big Lebowski for the first time. Within days, my friends and I were calling each other “dude”. Living in Turkey, despite Englishspe...

November 4, 20258 min read

Why Kingdom of Heaven’s Director’s Cut Is Better

It was another lazy Sunday. And I like them at this point. You start to appreciate them more and more. I let YouTube’s algorithm land me on a few chess videos. Later, it pushed...

May 18, 202517 min read

Reflecting on Software Engineering Handbook

One year. May 2024. Back then, we were riding high, celebrating the launch of this with an amazing . Five days of glaciers and waterfalls, finally enjoying the fact that we fini...

June 22, 20243 min read

Celebrating Our Book in Iceland

To celebrate the release of our new book, , Ender and I took a nice trip to Iceland. Here’s a relaxed recap of our fiveday journey. Day 1: The Golden Circle We kicked off our tr...

May 27, 20243 min read

On Writing Software Engineering Handbook

I’m thrilled to share the story behind our newly published book with you. This project has been a labor of friendship and collaboration, and I hope our journey resonates with yo...

March 27, 20242 min read

From Las Vegas to Canyons

Last Friday, I flew to Las Vegas, not for the casinos, but for an adventure that promised the raw beauty of the American Southwest. I went to the hotel and crashed. My journey i...

January 23, 20242 min read

A Weekend Getaway to Malta

Last weekend, I swapped the cold Dublin for the Mediterranean sun with a trip to Malta. My journey started on Friday evening. I left Dublin at 7 pm and, after a few hours in the...

December 11, 20238 min read

Winning Eleven

Here's 'Winning Eleven,' my own mix of eleven key ideas that have helped me grow both at work and in life. This isn't your usual list of tips. It's more like a collection of rea...

November 14, 20236 min read

The Making of a Leader

Leadership, in my eyes, has always been a blend of natural inclination and learned skills. Reflecting on my own path to becoming a leader, I've realized it's not just about inna...

November 12, 20232 min read

Embracing TikTok

I've had a TikTok account for a while. I was a passive scroller. But, today I made my first video based on . It's about how building a great team is like cooking a good meal. Yo...

November 7, 20233 min read

The Metamorphosis of Iron Mike

Just like everyone else, I know Mike Tyson's for his performance in the ring. I got into martial arts, so I watched videos of Mike. While enjoying him knocking boxers out, I the...

November 5, 20232 min read

A Weekend in Amsterdam

This week, Ender and I checked out Amsterdam. It was pretty neat. We landed on Friday night and zipped straight to our hotel in an Uber. After dumping our bags, we hit the city...

October 2, 20232 min read

A Sunny Day in Edinburgh

At 4:45 am, my alarm rang and I got ready quickly to catch my flight from Dublin to Edinburgh. I reached the airport at the optimum time. The flight took only 45 minutes. I took...

August 10, 20234 min read

Life's Compounding Effect

The principle of compounding is a concept most often tethered to the world of finance. We understand it as the cycle where an investment earns interest, and then that interest e...

April 26, 20233 min read

Passing Through Bulgaria

During my recent trip to Bulgaria, I was fortunate enough to explore some of the most stunning and historically significant sites this beautiful country has to offer. From the b...

April 2, 20232 min read

Blessington Greenway Trail

The Blessington Greenway Trail is a hidden gem in the heart of the Wicklow countryside, offering a delightful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The picturesque...

January 20, 20232 min read

Visiting Vienna in January

Vienna is a city steeped in history and culture, and no trip to the city would be complete without visiting some of its most famous palaces and churches. I decided to go to Vien...

June 5, 20222 min read

Lough Ouler in May

The hike for lough ouler is one of those that can get tricky. The terrain is boggy. It can get slippery. I saw many people lose their balance and go directly into the mud. If yo...

October 31, 20214 min read

A Trip To My Village

I was born in a remote village in Turkey, in the northeastern province of Bayburt. It is called Gökçedere, named after the small river that divides the village into two parts. T...

July 4, 20218 min read

Why Data Fails to Capture the Magic of Fenomeno

1998 World Cup. I was waiting for him to shine. I was not sleeping. I was waking up just to see matches. I was so excited. Every time Ronaldo had the ball, I had that feeling th...

June 6, 20211 min read

Bray Head Walk

The walk around Bray Head offers some amazing views. The bray head walk is the perfect summer’s day activity for those looking to escape the city, and is suited for all with a m...

May 30, 20211 min read

Wicklow Mountains

There are a few days in Ireland where it's sunny but not windy. This Sunday was one of them. I decided to go to the Wicklow mountains without setting a destination. I first arri...

February 20, 20217 min read

Missed Opportunities

Itʼs been a while and I havenʼt posted anything new on my blog. Life, work, and priorities often got in the way, but the urge to write never really went away. Itʼs time to get b...

July 25, 20193 min read

Firefox: Son Kale

Tarayıcı seçimi oldukça kişisel bir şey. İnsanlar, uzun süre bir tarayıcıyı kullanınca, ister istemez arada bir bağ kurmaktalar. Bu nedenle, birinin varsayılan tarayıcılarını de...

May 5, 20172 min read

Roma

Uzun süredir dişe dokunur birşey yazmıyordum. Yakın zamanda İtalya'ya gitme fırsatım oldu. Bu yazıda, Roma'yı kendi penceremden paylaşacağım. Roma'yı eski ve yeni Roma olarak ka...

October 26, 20135 min read

Ronaldo Luis Nazario De Lima

Brezilyalı eski bir futblocuyu anlatmak istiyorum, Ronaldo. Futbolla ilgilenen her insanın bildiği "el fenomeno", bana kalırsa gelmiş geçmiş belkide gelecek en iyi futbolcudur....

November 24, 20081 min read

24 Kasım

Kasım aylarının sonlarındaydı, artık kış geldiğini hissettiriyordu. Bayburt o gün az da olsa karlarla kaplıydı. Belkide erken yağan kar, soğuk bir kışın habercisiydi. Soğuk bir...

October 29, 20082 min read

Hoş Bir Gün

Sabah uyanmak istemezken saatin geldiğini görerek derse yetişme telaşı içinde yataktan kalkmak başlangıcıdır günün. Kahvaltı mı? Tabii ki hayır. Vakit yok ki kahvaltıya. Apar to...

October 14, 20081 min read

0 veya 1

Hayat belkide 0 veya 1. Düz mantık olmalı herşey belkide. Olmak yada olmamak işte bütün mesele bu. Ya varsındır (1) ya da yoksundur (0). Ya bir yere gidersin ya da gitmezsin. Ya...

October 13, 20083 min read

Programlama Dilleri Tarihi

Programlama dillerini ilk ciddi ciddi Bilkent Üniversitesi’ndeki derslerde görmüştüm. Programming Languages dersinde bayağı farklı şeylere dokunuyorduk. Genelde başlangıç Java i...