Cyprus-Forum.com

[Gasman]

THEY drive alone to work. Just stand at any downtown street corner at 7.30 on a weekday morning and count bums on seats of passing vehicles. They come from the smart suburbs, Archangelos, Lakatamia, Strovolos and its sprawling perimeter, Latsia and Dhali, even from Larnaca and Limassol to work at government offices, schools and banks in the capital.

Most of their homes are less than 20 years old and were built out of town on comparatively cheap plots, affording their owners extra en suite bathrooms and a swimming pool. They overburden our increasingly dysfunctional roads, pollute the atmosphere, live off fast food with mobiles glued to their ears. They are mostly well dressed, highly perfumed smokers and pop drinkers, busy, busy people.

They speak mainland Greek and English, and are permitted entry into any EU member state as equals, and no longer as immigrants. They are today's islander.But they are cursed by an inbred island mentality that is making hermits of us all, transitory wealth imprisoning them in their homes and at their places of work.

The Cypriot mindset has altered beyond recognition since the 1974 invasion. We now look north and see another country, another language, another religion, and we no longer care. We have our beautiful homes bordered by a concrete fence, our beautiful cars, sparkling and proud under the carport, never mind the rubble and rubbish littering the scrub land beyond our garden gate.

We pretend that by visiting the mountains when it snows or the seaside when it's hot, we own the entire island.

We no longer fear what future for our children now that we're members of the EU. We have it good, in fact we've never had it so good since getting those troublesome Turkish Cypriots off our backs… thank God they left us with half the island! And what have we done with it during the past 33 years? We've raised our standard of living beyond the dreams of our grandparents, most of us drive Mercs or BMs and live in palaces by comparison with those mud and straw one-roomed dens in which most of us were raised. Our kids have university degrees in economics and business management in readiness for our half of the island becoming a world financial centre.

We talk big, we act big… like all small men. We give the impression we are something we are not. And the island draws closer to permanent partition, two countries, two governments, two flags. So what? It happened to Ireland, Korea and several others.And who would claim that Eire or the PRK will not one day outperform their other halves? Eire certainly has since 1990.Divided we stand and grow more bitter, spiteful and resentful of our neighbours while Greece makes friends Turkey. Were we sold down the river in 74 by all the three guarantor powers, paid off by Faustian bribes, the temptation of increased tourism, expat property sales, secure government jobs, etc?

It cannot be denied that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and to his politics through his purse.Do you know how it feels to be a recluse? You should, since we have become reclusive in our approach to our immediate neighbours. Go away, we don't want to talk with you no matter what we pretend. After 33 years what is there left to say anyway?Besides, where would reunification lead us, bickering like arrogant football fans, more civil servants, increased taxes, higher unemployment? All that bother for what exactly? Look what happened to West Germany after reunification…it remained the number one economy of Europe, that's what happened!

Do you think they enjoyed the transition, having it forced upon them by the two leading world powers? We believe we are one family, united by our Church, our language and our customs. But all solitary races eventually die out. Europe is a reunification of 27 nations, and a dream for a better future for us all, no matter what language, race or religion. Come on Cyprus, stop being myopic. Join the world of tomorrow and shake off this worn out mantle of self destruction.

[Get Real!]

Sounds like a free tour of a foreign fool’s mind who thinks he knows Cyprus!

Is this one of those Cyprus Mail articles by any chance that employs Brits and Charlies that have never served the National Guard, etc?

There’s a HUGE difference between the attitudes of those that have spent most of their lives overseas and those that never left their country.

That’s the problem with the Cyprus Mail… they’re out of touch with the real Cypriots and only reflect the opinions of pseudo-Cypriots.

[Gasman]

Brits and Charlies that have never served the National Guard

Doesn't that describe most of the regular contributors to this forum GR? (Yourself excluded from that of course).

I reckon some of the 'Brits' and others have spent more years living in Cyprus and experiencing life in Cyprus as it 'really is' than a lot of those who proclaim themselves to be 'Native Cypriots' and experts on all things Cypriot.

One thing I have noticed is that the diaspora do tend to go on and on about 'the villages'. There is life in Cyprus in the City and BIG towns outside of those 'villages'. In fact, that's where most of them live and where most of life goes on.

And a lot of the 'towns and villages', like O's beloved Polis, are totally unrecognisable now from what they were 'pre 74' and mainly due to the number of BRITS that moved into them.

'The good old days'. I like the bloke who said about a yearning to return to the good old days 'what - take your grandma's pension book away from her and stick her grandson up a chimney to work'.

We are where we are now. Not where we yearn to be, nor where we were (or even imagined we were) nearly 50 yrs. ago.

[Filitsa]

The diaspora tend to go on about the villages because we selfishly want "the best of both worlds."

[Paphitis]

Sounds like a free tour of a foreign fool’s mind who thinks he knows Cyprus!

Is this one of those Cyprus Mail articles by any chance that employs Brits and Charlies that have never served the National Guard, etc?

There’s a HUGE difference between the attitudes of those that have spent most of their lives overseas and those that never left their country.

That’s the problem with the Cyprus Mail… they’re out of touch with the real Cypriots and only reflect the opinions of pseudo-Cypriots.

About 20% of real Cypriots are unfit for service! So please tell us why so many 'real' Cypriots are fucked in the head.

[Bananiot]

Typical GR reaction. Nothing on the substance, he only cares about who may have written the text.

[Paphitis]

Typical GR reaction. Nothing on the substance, he only cares about who may have written the text.

Careful now! You might get called a Pseudo Cypriot. Well, at least you would be less likely to be fucked in the head like 'real' Cypriot men. Are the statistics telling lies?

[Oracle]

I'm not surprised this appeals to the hypocrite, gasbag, who thinks the Cyprus Forum, which serves the world via Internet, is there for her to formulate her analysis on Cyprus and write cheap uninformative, cliched articles. What a windbag!

And whilst she criticise the changes in my "beloved" Polis (was she there before to see Polis at any time before the recent? -- irrelevant, her opinion is "sound"), she cannot stop herself also criticising Cypriots because they hark back to the past.

In conclusion, another gasbag mega-criticism of Cyprus and its people. We can do no right since we "semi-kicked" out the colonialists!

[Gasman]

"semi-kicked" out

Another pure gem! I bet you think you've 'semi-kicked" out the TCs and Turks too.

Yes, I've seen Polis in the past. I've probably seen more of Cyprus than you ever will. And I have family and friends who have variously lived and worked in Cyprus since the 50s. I also have GC pals in the UK whom I've known since I was in infant school (none of them run fish and chip shops but a couple do own steak houses).

So I don't have to rely on YOU (a sometime visitor to a 'semi' Brit Protectorate stuck out on the edge of Pafos) for any info about Cyprus! Not your 'GREEK' Cyprus, nor any other bit of it!

I doubt you ever have to diet - your hatred must eat away at you daily. What a shame you cannot relax and enjoy the Cyprus you profess to love on the odd occasions when you are here. Instead of stewing over your PC ranting about it.

[Oracle]

Thank you for the "brilliant insight" into what is truly bothering you!

Paphitis -- over to you!