Cyprus-Forum.com

[unique_earthling]

Welcome to the forum ExNicosia, i too have a relative who was stationed out here 35 years ago, he now lives in Australia in Melbourne, and has written a novel about his experiences. He also says Kyrenia and Bellapaise was one of the most beautiful places he had ever been too. I have never been there, but after reading Bitter lemons of Cyprus, i have promised myself i will go and visit it.

[Mills Chapman]

ExNicosia, welcome to Cyprus Forum!

That was a fascinating post. I envisioned you sitting there at the Chez Nous having a drink with Lawrence Durrell and friends.

[ExNicosia]

If I remember correctly Mr. Durrell left just before I got there and also the pipe bomb incident in the "Little Soho"
in Nicosia happen the month before I got there. One Vice Consul killed and 3 others wounded and two more were at the bar or men's room and missed getting hurt. I visited back east often and the one in the men's room is now 87 and feeling good last month while at his house. We were all fobidden to be in the walled city and I know I did too as I had a girl friend that lived in a 500 year old house there.

Mr. Durrel's book are outstanding and read Bitter Lemons every couple years or so. Bella Pais! I use to dream of living there after I read his book. Actually lots of Brits retired in or near Kyrenia. Everytime I think of that place I can smell the carobs in the ancient warehouses living the little port under the edge of the Crusader? Palace. Sitting outside on the side of the port and taking maybe a great Keo brandy sour is still a memory of mine.

[unique_earthling]

Well ExNicosia its sounds like you miss it and are ready to revisit it all again and go down memory lane.

[ExNicosia]

I have mixed feelings about going back now to visit the island. The beauty of the place will always be in my mind, but the other normal changes over time will tend to disappoint one when they do go back after many years.

Many times I have found in my revisits to spots I lived in overseas that it was not as nice as when I first lived there. Then again that tends to always be the case for as Thomas Wolfe once said:

"You can't go home again".

[Filitsa]

Not much of a personal experience, its just that I find myself fitting in more with the American way of life rather than the Cypriot. I find living at the States much more challenging and interesting than Cyprus.

The Cypriots need to learn how to be "independent". Here, everything is about "what my neighbor does, I will do 10x!" The Americans are more like "I mind my own business, if my neighbor needs my help, Ill help them"
Its just my humble opinion that the U.S. sets the standards that all nations should adopt to and follow but at the same time keeping their individuality...

Like I said, I want Cyprus to make its people admire their country and love their country the way the Americans feel about theirs..

Hello again Astroboy,

Despite the fact that you and I live on two different continents, as my yiayia used to say, "oi anthropi einai anthropi opou k'an pas." Americans, like Cypriots, are also caught up in "keeping up with the Jones's." In as much as the U.S. is the wealthiest industrialized nation in the world, it still has its ailments - homelessness, infanticide, unemployment, poverty, and child abuse, to name a few. I often wonder what has become of our democratic republic when, in fact, one must be a millionnaire to run a successful bid for Congress. Have we become a plutocracy or a nation that is ruled by the economic elite?

Nevertheless, what is your perception of the American way of life? What, in your opinion, are the standards that the U.S. has established that Cyprus should adopt? Bear in mind that the common American is not as globally savvy as the average Cypriot, especially on the subject of international politics. Unfortunately, the comfort of a relatively high standard of living is often accompanied by complacency. It is crucial that a nation's citizenry be engaged in ongoing critical assessment of its governement so as to avoid such tragedies as 9/11.
Regards.

[anastasiaC]

Welcome to the forum ExNicosia, i too have a relative who was stationed out here 35 years ago, he now lives in Australia in Melbourne, and has written a novel about his experiences. He also says Kyrenia and Bellapaise was one of the most beautiful places he had ever been too. I have never been there, but after reading Bitter lemons of Cyprus, i have promised myself i will go and visit it.

Do u have the name of the book/author??
Id love to find it

my grandfather is from Bellapais

[anastasiaC]

Great post ExNicosia
would love to hear more!!

[ExNicosia]

You asked for more?

Did get close to an EOKA murder once.

Dropped my MG/TC off to be worked on one morning at a garage just outside the Kyrenia gate on the outside circle road next to the moat. I heard shots close, I went out to the road and saw two teenagers in gray overcoats running away one block away.. Nothing else to be seen. EOKA used kids often as they would get off lighter if caught . Being young and foolish, I got into my car and drove down to that spot. Not a soul to be seen anywhere. There in a ditch between the road and moat was a Lamborgini? scooter on it's side and next to it was a Brit Police Lt? with his hat off and glasses still on. It now comes to me that it would be best if I got out of there quick. At that moment the battery cable breaks due to corrosion. My two Turk friends pull up to the garage to get me at that time and see my car down there in the middle of the road. Knowing something is not right, they still decide to drive to my location and see what has happened. We get the cable to stay in place to get the car started and we both drive back to the garage. Leave my car and go on to our day drive into the Troodos. It was an awful day as I was feeling horrible all day as it was my first experience with something like that. As it was the U.S. official procedure then, I did not report anything to the authorities.

One of those Turks was the President of the Young Men's Club in the Turkish quarter of Nicosia. (I had been made an honorary member, I spoke some Turkish as having previously been stationed in Istanbul, later I did three years in Athens and now I speak some Greek).. He was Bulent Hilmi, employee of Cable and Wireless, Ltd. I found out upon a visit back to Cyprus 7 years later that he had been killed in an auto accident near Famagusta. I am not aware that he was a member of Vulkan and therefore believe that it was an accident. Left a beautiful fiance by the name of Tashkent...

end of story #1.

[Natty]

Hey ExNicosia, welcome to the forum!!