For some of us living in Kalkan, the internet is an essential part of the ex-pat toolkit.  

Without it, we would find it much harder to make the move abroad.

In this article, we look at the role of the internet, for foreigners living in Kalkan.

But having visited Kalkan, if you spent your time on the flight back pondering the possibility of coming out  for good, then a logical place to start some serious research when you get back, is the internet.  There is so much information online, it is an invaluable tool. 

The only word of caution here is to go to the right websites.  Some offer well signposted, researched information, that you can have some confidence in; whilst others are well intentioned, but a bit hit and miss, to say the least.  

So even before you get here the internet is useful, but once you are in Kalkan, the the world wide web becomes a lifeline for many of us.

Keeping in touch
When you move abroad, you leave friends and family behind.  Dealing with this can be quite an emotional challenge, and the internet can help, by providing you with ways of keeping in touch.

The most obvious way is perhaps the simple email.  Sending a hand written letter through the post has not quite died out as a method of communication, but the email is faster, and almost certain to arrive, as long as you type in the correct address.  You can also attach files, such as photos or documents.

But emails can be seen as a touch impersonal, so you may prefer to talk to your nearest and dearest.  This is where you can use Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP). 

You may not be familiar with the term VOIP, but if you use Skype or Windows Live Messenger or MSN, it's the same thing.  Your computer becomes a telephone, and you can hold a conversation with another person, anywhere in the world.

If your call is computer to computer (i.e. the person at the other end, also has a computer), the call is free. 

You can use your computer to call a normal telephone, using VOIP, but there is normally a charge for this.  Typically, any cost is far cheaper than using an ordinary land line or mobile phone.

The really amazing thing about applications like Skype, is that you can also see each other whilst you are speaking. 

Providing both of you have webcameras, you can hold your very own video conference. 

Seeing loved ones on screen is a great thing, when you are a few thousand miles apart - especially when you consider it's completely free of charge.

You can also send each other files, (e.g. photos), using VOIP applications such as Skype.  And you can send text messages to mobile phones back in the UK (or elsewhere, for that matter).

You can also choose to keep in touch through social networking websites, such as Facebook. 

This type of site enables you to keep up to date with what friends and family are up to, no matter where they are in the world.  And it provides a means for you to let others know about your life in Kalkan.

Finances
Your broadband connection enables you to keep control of your finances - both in the UK and Turkey (or elsewhere, for that matter).

Less than thirty years ago, online banking didn't exist. 

Now, millions of customers take it for granted that they can see a statement online, transfer money between accounts, transfer funds urgently to the bank accounts of their children (again), and pay bills, by using what is normally a free service.  

You can also send money from your UK bank to your Turkish bank, or vice versa; and you can exchange currency, converting pounds into lira or vice versa. 

All of the Turkish banks in Kalkan, offer an online banking service.

And all of this can be done from the comfort of your own home in Kalkan, in a matter of minutes, using the internet.

If you have investments in the UK, you can keep track of them online.  You can buy and sell shares, or check your portfolio online as well.

News & Entertainment
Although some websites, such as You Tube, are currently banned in Turkey, there is still alot out there to keep you informed and entertained.

The BBC is available online in Kalkan.  You see the BBC News online, and you can listen to most of the BBC radio stations, plus lots of UK commercial radio stations. 

UK television is also available online, if you know how to go about it.

Online shopping
There are lots of great shops in Kalkan, but sometimes you need something that you just can't get locally.  The internet is a shopper's paradise, because everything you could possibly require is available online.

Maybe you want to buy a birthday present for a friend back in the UK, or send a bunch of flowers to someone who needs cheering up.  You can do this online, providing you have a debit or credit card.  And if you want to send a personal greeting to someone for a special occasion, you can send online ecards, such as the ones to be found on the Jacquie Lawson website.

Importantly, you can search for flights, book them and pay for them online.  The whole process can take a matter of minutes.  No need to go to a travel agent.  As long as you have a printer, you can print off your own tickets.

Online security
A word of warning though.  All of the above is fine, assuming you have a computer that works as it should. 

It is a sad fact of life that there are many people in cyberspace, who would like to spoil things for you, either because they are criminals, or malicious hackers, who get a kick out of being a nuisance.

So, you really have to get yourself some online security.  A number of good packages are available to download from the web. 

You also need to be wary of people trying to tempt you to reveal online passwords, and personal details.  

Under no circumstances should you disclose this type of information to anyone, verbally or in an email.  Some common scams are shown below:

• email purporting to come from your bank, asking you to click on a link to enable you to continue using the service;
• email purporting to come from your email provider (e.g. hotmail), saying they are trying to remove dormant email accounts, and asking you to confirm that you still want yours, by sending a reply with your User Name and password;
• email telling you that you have won money, but before the funds can be released they need some personal details from you.

If you get any emails like this, delete them immediately.

You also need to be careful which websites you visit.  Mainstream websites, published by well known names, are absolutely fine, but others can trick you into downloading software that will infect your computer.  Always think carefully before downloading files from the internet.

Visitors to Kalkan
Whilst this article was about foreigners living in Kalkan, it is perhaps also worth mentioning that more people are wanting access to the internet when they come on holiday. 

Some people think nothing of bringing their laptop, palmtop, iPhone, etc. with them, when they come on holiday.  

For some it is important for their work, that they are able to keep in touch, and for others, maybe it is so they can let their mates know what a good time they are having, through social networking sites, such as Facebook. 

More and more places in Kalkan are providing free wireless internet, to meet this demand.

And of course, if you didn't have the internet, you would not have the joy of reading Kalkan Turkish Local News.

The KTLN interactive map of Kalkan, available to registered members, shows all the places we know in Kalkan, that have free wireless internet.

And KTLN members can read more about how to get set up on broadband in Kalkan, in our Knowledge Bank.