Cyprus-Forum.com

[espriterrant]

Hello Cyprus Forum,
I have a few questions, and I would very much appreciate the answers to any of them. Please assume that I have researced a fair amount already, and the questions here need first-hand experience. Thank you in advance:

1) What is proper business attire in Cyprus?
2) How much English is spoken by doctors, storekeepers, big department stores, and most people in the service industry?
3) Are there little parks around most neighbourhoods where children can play?
4) What is the work situation now in Cyprus for non-Europeans? I accessed the Dept of Labour`s website, and it is a little vague. What is the real situation?

In response to any of these questions, please pose any of your own about Canada, South America or Japan.
Regards

[Svetlana]

Business attire tends to be informal, jeans are common and ties very rare. As a 'foreigner' used to the standards of non-Mediterranean Europe, I insist that people working for me adopt formal wear, which given modern a/c in offcies/cars should not be too uncomfortable.

I suspect that as Cyprus will change gradually as more and more people become 'knowledge workers' and we see the longer term effects of EU membership.

Virtually everyone you will come into contact with in business, tourism or shopping will speak English.

There are not too many parks here, traditionally land is for building or farming!

For non-EU nationals it is very difficult to get employment here, unless it can be shown by your potenytial employer that there are not any EU Nationals available or qualified to do the work.

Lana

[espriterrant]

Thanks Lana for your replies--very informative. So, if you have a toddler, and there are not a lot of little parks, where do you go play with your kids?

[Svetlana]

We have lots of 'spare' land! Beaches, hills, mountains, a few forests and - unlike in most countries - owners do not, normally, mind you walking on their land - or even taking the occasional orange!

Lana