Cyprus-Forum.com

[Marchassin]

Hi all!

I have been in Nicosia for one year now, and although there are many Cypriots around me at work , I cannot manage to get close to any of them. They are all very nice for work relationship but when evenings or week-ends come by, no one is available ?! I have been out with my colleagues maybe three times in ten months! I do not understand, as I am very eager to understand their culture. I am learning Greek, and although my Greek is still very limited, I try to practice with them whenever I can. I ask questions about the food, the religion to try to learn about them, but it doesn't change anything.
They seem to be willing to go out only on very big occasions (like a religious event, apparently) and when every one is available (they do not seem to appreciate small groups of less than 5 or 6 ?!). When I invite one or two of them, he / she generally accepts, before turning me down a few hours before (most of the time, they tell me the / she / they are tired). This seems to be their polite way of turning me dow, but for me this is a strange way to behave. I am beginning to wonder if the problem is coming from me, although I normally make friends very easily (usually, I do not even have to think about it). After a few months, I got tired to be always on my own, so I joined a sport team where I met other expats like me, but I find it a bit ridiculous to be here, eager to discover the culture, and to finally hang out with other expats, especially people from my country, although it can be nice sometimes. I find Cypriots very difficult to understand. They are very welcoming indeed at first, but then it seems to be impossible to get a bit close and to become friends.
The fact that I do not have a car may be one cause to my problem. The car seems to be very important here! Although they are some buses now, I feel really stuck (I cannot even go to the cinema because the buses stop too early). I never learned to drive (but I have started the lessons some weeks ago), and this is making my stay a bit difficult, even for work. Another thing is that there are especially women around me. For me, a guy and a girl who hang out for a coffee can be just friend but maybe it is not the case here???

Dear Cypriot, I hope this post did not offend you. I respect (and love) the differences. I already love your language, and your food. I am only willing to understand your culture better, and I am trying to understand the causes of my problem. Please help me.

Cheers,

Marc

[fig head]

Marc, do not work your brain out it is very simple, Cypriots are an isolated society, they do not like foreigners even if they tried to show different, I moved here almost 5 years ago, I spent the 1st two years trying to fit in among Cypriots, I as a girl did not find it hard to be surrounded by Cypriot guys only to end up disappointed that each single one of them does not know or understand that it is ok to be friends with a girl, they all try to get into my pants wether they chooses the being friends way or not.. Results are they have no respect for foreign woman and as their mentality is way behind cave people every female in front of them is a shagable material.. You know the biggest shock for me was after when I made a statement that I ain't interested in them sexually, one after one disappeard ( and I wasn't bothered ppl like that are not worth it ) and the girls!!!! Stuck up fake beauty push for no reason most of them ain't rich and living on loans yet they think they are better somehow! I managed to make two girlfriends and both lived abroad so they know that racism is. Ot the way forward.

I used to love this place see, I was fascinated by the culture and their ways of living but then came to realization Cypriots lost what was good about them and what is left from them is what we would like to see in them.

Now Most of my friends are Brits (an open mind is a bless in an ignorant island) I no longer even bother giving Cypriots another chance, never met anyone is closed minded or a bit on the stupid side as this place..


I still love Cyprus but now I love it for different reasons, if Cypriots all together immigrated from the island I wouldn't even miss them.


Hope this wasn't too harsh or disappointed.. Or hope you get different opinions than mine ( not the show off perfect online opinions but real people opinions cause there is bare fakers online, they try to sound like something they not and I dare say I am not the slightest bothered if my post offended anyone ( an open mind should respect other people opinions and not try to prove them wrong)

Why did I ever came back I wonder to my self as soon as the shinning glitter disappear it is one small law on opportunity prison like island.

[johnny1]

hello marc and fig head
marc fig head is absolutly right.ive also been here for a number of years ,and have been back and forth to uk because of my disgust for this place and people.i gave up trying to be freindly with cypriots a long time ago and you should to.they r racist and only will befreind you if they can or think they can get something out of you.similiar to what the arabs do to.
my advice to you is never trust a cypriot

[FrankCy]

Hi all,
My name is K i am male and 27 years old.

Its good to see that I'm not alone in this. I've had my fair share of traveling and staying abroad but fate has brought me in Cyprus.
I was born here but I moved at a young age. Now i'm back and I feel so lonely. I have a good job and a couple of people that I consider true friends but I don't get to see them often.
At work things with my colleagues are quite typical, we have our general chatting and all that, we have even gone for coffee a couple of times but I still feel that the behavior of the people around me is fake. Even with my relatives, everyone is bragging about their selves, always trying to prove you wrong and show their superiority while pretending they care about you but the moment you leave they start talking behind your back...

I am half Greek so I get a lot of racism from the Cypriots, calling me nicknames and always pointing out every bad thing they know about Greece even if they are wrong, I have also noticed that they do that with out any reason like a conversation subject leading to such discussion subjects. It's like we are driving in a car and a truck overtakes us from the wrong lane and they are like "That guy sucks at driving" and after a second of silence they are like "Greek drivers are even worse"... I mean WHY?

They always try to prove their superiority, I don't understand why...
The only good people I have met are foreigners or people like my self that are half Cypriots and half foreigners.

I feel so isolated... I have nobody plus I have to work and take care of my family living abroad. This situation is making me very sad and I feel like hitting the wall every time I try to approach people I like as friends or any girls that I like to have a coffee with and maybe hit it off.

Cypriots are very close-minded, judging all the time. Even when they recognize a bad thing about their selves they continue having the same behavior with out trying to become better.

Thats all... no hate.. i found this website by googling and after reading this post I registered to contribute my thoughts. Hopefully as time passes by I will meet some great people that are in the same age group as me and maybe share some interests.

Off to another lonely Saturday night.

[emanresu00]

Hi!

My name is Nikolas and I was born in Larnaca in 1980.

I currently am a newbie and living alone in my flat in Nicosia, working for the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) and looking for friends.

I studied film and philosophy in the UK and Canada.

What about you and your hobbies?

I would like to meet decent people from anywhere, rather than be alone and depressed.

What can I do to be worthy of your time and friendship?

I miss my friend, my cat whom I could hug when I felt alone and needed a friend.

Feeling loved, appreciated and the sense of belonging somewhere are important.

I always love to be good friends with any warm-hearted, kind and friendly person.

I would be happy to hear from you, please contact me anytime if you wish!

A kind heart is the most beautiful thing.

My friend is like a brother and can share anything with me.

Please check out the "about me" section on my facebook profile as well if you wish.

You can contact me through my hotmail.com address (my username is emanresu00), or telephone number 96617430.

You can find me on facebook through my hotmail address as well.

Thank you, my friend, call or text/message me anytime!

*hugs*

Nikolas

x

[tziortzina]

Hi Marchassin , unfortunately this is the case with most of the Cypriots not all of them though. I am a Cypriot that lived abroad for some years and I find it difficult myself to mingle again with most of them ,can't imagine how difficult would be for someone from a different culture. I have my close friends but they do not want or accept new people to hang out with and this is getting so boring. It is also very difficult to meet new people as they are all hanging out with their own friends and family and they look at you as an alien when you try to engage them into a conversation. They always think that you are flirting with them and they then behave as they are better that you!!! I understand the feeling totally but as I said before we are not all the same.

[FragnaticDeath]

You are just meeting the wrong type of people!

[B25]

Cyprus has 2 airports, hesta lavista, you shall not be missed. Enough said. Bye bye.

[xtianaxx]

Hello,

I have just found this site and although this was posted some time ago i couldnt but have an input on this one
I was born and raised in Cyprus so yes i am myself a Cypriot.I have read the entire thing of what you said and i completely understand you having a hard time mingling with others.Believe me it is not your fault.Cypriots are not going to be polite without but nor intend to become friends with you.This is how they are brought up: BE POLITE TO EVERYONE so that others won't think your parents raised you in a bad manner and therefore put words in their mouth plus we are being brainwashed from the very early childhood to be some kind of racists like : oh look at that black or foreigners are suppose to have lower work position than us..I should blame the heavily capitalistic system for that and their lack of desire to educate themselves properly..They think education is just getting a paper from a university and that's it whilist education is about broadening your horizones and looking for the truth so we believe everything we are told at school!What a shame since our educational system is not the best!
We are being molded to act in a certain way and we can't accept anything or anyone who is different because to us its just not the right thing!I know i have wrote a whole paragraph badmouthing Cypriots but its the truth..I myself have had a hard time fitting in as well because i was not raised in that way therefore i dont go aroun pretending something i am not!I am not saying Cypriots are bad people..deep inside them they have good souls its just they way they are brought up!
I am really sorry you are going through this hard patch i feel you ..!If you need anything just drop me a message here and i will help you..

[Kikamika]

Hi from me
if in Nicosia or Limassol is difficult finding friends imagine how difficult is in Pafos.
For me also is very hard, at the beginning I thought they are very nice and friendly 5 years later I m starting to think other way
and now I understand when they telling u '' do not worry, u can count on me, u call me all the time if u need me'' believe me they do not mean it
I wondering these people does they do not need friends> ? they do not have need to have chat, discussion or fun...?
Is all about family, they living all near by, sister next to other sister and next to the mother and they go around and that's it ...making cake eventually and gossip for the others thinking their family is the best one. With men so bad experience I had when i came , and if u are friendly they think you are easy so I stopped to be so kind and so friendly )) Girlfriends o my God impossible , strange women . Friendship between male and female, ooo no next day the whole town will speak about how bad foreign woman u r and so on. It is mentality , and do not forget here the people are about 20 years back from West... by way of thinking, by humor and everything ! So is not u is them . Hundred stories Im having about cypriots...in the final so lonely here at the moments, there is no friends, no cinema, no jokes !!!