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Amid Tumult in Turkey, American Woman Shops

Photo: ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images

In case you missed it, xoJane.com posted the best ever installment of its “It Happened to Me” series yesterday. It’s better than the woman who attended a secretive Opus Dei school, the woman who fell in love with the 500-pound man and the hair dresser who mutilated The Secret History author Donna Tartt. It’s better, even, than the xoJane staffer whose vagina “stunk up the office.”

Meet Nicole Rose Stillings, the woman who didn’t let the widespread anti-government protests seizing Turkey this month ruin her Istanbul vacation. In fact, she wanted a “first-hand look into a country still struggling for their freedoms.” And it was all Champagne and hot air balloons until things “took a turn for the truly dangerous.”

Of course, I went out and got bombed.com right as all hell was about to break loose… And my sister woke up with a monstrous hangover and a craving for good old American grease. Being the big sister, I offered to swing by Istiklal Avenue (which leads to Taksim Square in Beyoglu) and grab her some French Fries. Little did I know, they came with a side of tear gas. As I stood outside doing the old “McDonald’s or Burger King” debate, a kind employee realizing my naivete quickly threw me inside the Burger King. Not even 30 seconds later, a huge whitish-grey cloud of tear gas started to surround the street. We all huddled into the back of the restaurant as I said “when in Rome,” while biting into my big fresh Whopper.

Later, she has a major revelation while shopping for pants, Clueless-style.

Amid Tumult in Turkey, American Woman Shops