Annabella Stieren

Meet modern-day chain-smoking saint Cavit Etleç — or, as he’s known to several thousand Syrian refugees, Baba Cavit (“Papa Cavit” in Turkish and Arabic). The 65-year-old professional carpenter dedicates his retirement to supporting hundreds of Syrian refugees in his neighborhood of Siteler in the Turkish capital of Ankara.

They lead us into a world of adventure and secrets. Sometimes, we even take them along into our dreams. The soft, warm blanket and the soothing voice of the storyteller help make these stories an important nightly ritual. But what do people tell their children when that blanket is snatched away one day and they find themselves sleeping on the floor of a tent between strangers? Journalists Annabella Stieren and Brindusa Nastasa traveled to Turkey and Greece on the search for bedtime stories.

Tourists are pushing students and locals out of Amsterdam´s city centre. Universities claim that the city is already facing a shortage of 12,000 student homes. Private Student Hotels are offering new solutions, hosting students and tourists under one roof. But not everybody is convinced. Sometimes Canadian student Nicola would wake up and check his mail even before his alarm went off. Everyday, he was desperately hoping for an invitation to an apartment viewing in Amsterdam.