Cyprus-Forum.com

[andri_cy]

Earthling usually sounds very displeased with Cyprus and its people. I have been meaning to ask her for a while now why she is still there.

[unique_earthling]

Earthling usually sounds very displeased with Cyprus and its people. I have been meaning to ask her for a while now why she is still there.

i love the country, the beauty of nature, a blue sky even after it rains, the sun, the sea, the food, my animals, my job, short winters and my friends.

But dislike the mentallity, the arrogance, the greed, the logic, the cruelty to animals, the driving habits, the predjudice, the denial, the self interest, and the egocentricity... So i think there is a balance to an extent.

And on the other hand i hate the gray of England, the long winters, fog and the constant drizzle, biting winds and scraping ice off the car, congested traffic, washing that never dries, dead looking plants and trees in winter, the expense of council tax and every other bill.

I hope that clears that up for you..And previously It was a tongue in cheek comment...

[G.Man]

So in a nutshell, you love cyprus not the people...

I find the weather good, I enjoyed the rainstorm last week in Nicosia...

I like the people on the whole, they are a friendly, and once they know you are here to stay, seem to treat you like you belong...

I hate the beurocracy of local govt offices and the fact that they all behave like they are doing you a favour by dealing with your problem (wake up dickhead, its your job)

Culture is a mixed bag, again I find the driving senseless, dangerous, stupid, and in some cases, suicidally impatient, totally at odds with the usual cypriot sleepy attitude... although most actually do seem asleep behind the wheel... like most places the women range from classy to fashion disaster areas, the men, laid back not snappy dressers.. the kids are a designer add on it seems these days...

I dont wanna live anywhere else really... despite my bitching

[andri_cy]

LOL well then you fit right in.
Everyone hates buraucracy there, and as far as the drivers go, hopefully Eu will set some standards for passing your tests from now on, but who knows.

[TaraT]

First time to Cyprus was last month. It is absolutely beautiful.

[anastasiaC]

i lived in Cyprus in my early 20's (1992-1997) and for me it was love/hate relationship
I had a great time and I miss it much but when I speak to my english/cypriots friends who still live there - their complaining brings back many bad memories LOL

having said that I was always open minded and never tried to compare it to Australia as it is a small island, still very traditional, different values and people have every right to live the way they do so for me to sit and critise is not right - so instead I came back home to Sydney. I was very sad to leave but it was the right time for me to do so.

I loved the beauty of the island, the hot summers and gorgeous beaches, everything being so close - beach and mountains, I love the food, greek coffee, weekly visits to the hairdresser were fun, cosy winters in cafes/pubs, meeting all my wonderful relatives and getting to know my grandparents before they died. I also made some good friends (mainly english/cypriots) for life!

somethings I didnt like was always feeling like an outsider even though Im cypriot background, narrow mindness, gossip, rascism and I found the cypriots girls to feel a little threatened with my friendliness and kindness LOL
I didnt like the way some (not all) men treated women especially in the workplace. I was working as an accountant and somedays called in to make a coffee for my boss - I found that a little weird.......and this whole sleaziness and men going off with dancers/prostitutes etc is such a turnoff!

also everyone marries so young (well they did back then) and being single was hard - I did date whilst over there but the locals think it was weird that I wasnt interested in getting married. I would never trust the men there let alone marry one!!! heehee
I also didnt like how people would judge you from what town you were from and if you were from a village forget it ! it was like you were a drongo and backward
I found the people although religious and traditional to be a little too materliastic - who was to have the biggest/best house, who had the nicest clothes, the slimest figure etc oh and the most expensive car - doesnt matter that they were upto their necks in debt as long as they look good its all that matters - very superficial
but I also like the fact that the younger generation look good and take care of their appearance.....in Australia u can be a millionaire and wear flipflops everywhere.
I also didnt like the fact that u had to know people to get ahead - like if u wanted a govt job you had to beg someone who knew someone who knew someone!

I guess I was just bought up different and exposed to different ways so it was hard to get used to.

[unique_earthling]

Most of you have all said exactly what i see too, And i do have a few cypriot friends but they are not locals as i have said in other posts they are English australian and south african cypriots, but i dont need lots of friends anyway, and I would never choose being friends with anyone who treat people and animals badly, so why would i do that here, i am respectful and say kalimera, and do them no harm, but i have been cheated, lied too, stolen from, my own small dogs have been persecuted by neighbours, one even threatened to run them over because one peed up a tree that was in the path outside his house. And his next door neighbour started the same antics.

I have been groped, had to listen to suggestive remarks, unreasonable behaviour, and histrionics in work places, i had my washing line cut by a jealous neighbour whose husband kept looking at me, as i am a single woman here and they feel very threatened by foreigners because they know most men here are adulterous. I lent who i thought was a dear friend who i had known for many years coming here on holiday 3,000 pounds because she had a problem and sobbed promising me it would be returned in a week, that was my duty money for my car, and she never paid it back and i lost my car and the money as she smiled and promised for 4 years to repay it..

I have friends who have had a terrible time too because they are Charlies, so you tell me why i should be friends with these people... And i am not saying they are all like it, and when i find one that isnt i will consider a friendship.

I am here to make a difference... But i wont lie and i wont pretend all is wonderful in paradise. Its manageable and i understand growth comes with time, experiences, and influences, i dont believe in putting up with the behaviour, and allowing myself to be treated badly, its like a small child if it doesnt get a tap and guidence in a more ethical and understanding direction how will it know whats right and wrong, and if we all put up with it what will change?

Abuse shouldnt be put up with, thats not culture, thats what it is, abuse of power and no way am i going to lay down and allow someone to hurt me and others that are vulnerable. So Anastasia why isnt it for you to criticise? if you see someone mistreating an animal or a person, you just think to yourself its ok, its their country so they can do as they please and its not up to me to have the courage of my convictions, values and ethics to be true to yourself. Gnothis Afton was a philosophical statement that has absolutely no bearing on how Cyprus has developed.

I cant do much as i am only one person but what i can do to make changes i will...... and I dont need to be liked by every one..... But i am loved by a few.....

[anastasiaC]

unique-earthling - u poor thing! sounds like a tough time........I can relate!!

its true we dont need to be liked by everyone
but for me it was a wakeup call as all my life my parents were saying how wonderful cyprus and its people were and they were negative towards Australian and australian way of life - I guess most migrants feel that way towards their motherland........
so no Cypriots aren't perfect and have a long way to go in terms of changing their ways but not everyone is the same....... I never put up with the crap from men - guess thats why I stayed single during my time there
I got called a snob and choosy and even an aunt told me if I didnt hurry up and marry I would miss the boat (WTF??)
but i wont critise because I dont waste my energy on people who choose to live their life in such a bitter way
i guess u meet wonderful people and horrible people everywhere!

[unique_earthling]

Anastasia, i came out here to paphos for the first time 15 years ago, and many simple folk were kind, the older generation those in there 70's and 80's, they didnt have much but what they had were happy to share, but their off spring is another story, i dont think treating their boys like little gods, and combined with the fact they got rich very quickly from selling farmland made the next generation nice people.

Their values are about money and power encouraged by poor parents to succeed and the feeling that what you have and who you know makes you a decent human being, when in truth its about who you are. The feeling i get and i can only go by how i am made to feel is that they dont care about anything or anyone that doesnt involve their own and money. A whats in it for me attitude, and cannot understand altruism, or how they make another person feel, they take no responsibilty for there actions and blame every one else.

They are like children, and if you are alone, work here and are a foreigner, it makes life difficult and causes pain and suffering. Now if you are retired and have money then you can choose to opt out of society, close your doors and live a more superficial uninvolved life, its easier, when you dont have to earn a crust, and try to make a business work, and have kids that need clothing and feeding.

Its a beautiful country, but that isnt enough to make your life work, but.... its a safer country to live in and we can hope that eventually EU directives will be put in place and be implimented to ensure just and fair treatment.

[miltiades]

ue , cruelty to animals is a problem in Cyprus , when on one occasion I used ignorance to describe such behaviour you vehemently disagreed , and I still maintain that ignorance is the main culprit , and I'm talking from personal experience having spent the first 15 years of my life , mostly in Paphos. I too was unaware of animal's feelings and quite happily , as all kids did at the time would go hunting with our home made catapults and KILLED little birds. A few years later when in the UK , my little boy who was 3 at the time , found in our garden an injured bird , and I found my self trying my utmost to rescue this little bird , ironic when a few years back I would have shot at it. Also you must accept that cruelty to animals is very much evident in the UK , if you see my posting on ANIMAL CRUELTY IN CYPRUS , where systematic killing of greyhounds takes place in the UK.
You state the things that you dislike about England , and I think you left out some important aspects and with due respect I will include.
YOU WROTE.
""And on the other hand i hate the gray of England, the long winters, fog and the constant drizzle, biting winds and scraping ice off the car, congested traffic, washing that never dries, dead looking plants and trees in winter, the expense of council tax and every other bill."
1.Too many foreigners from parts of the world that we know very little of , with cultures that are alien to the natives of this country , they spit in the street , they talk loud in their language , they abuse our welfare system , they hate the Brits .
2. Our schools are no longer English , no assembly allowed , our banks are the biggest crooks in the system.
3.The greed here in comparison to the greed in Cyprus is from here to the moon . The financial institutions , the superstores that charge 40% interest on their store cards to the naive natives, the councils that are syphoning exorbitant sums of money so that more and more asylum seekers would receive their well earned benefits .
4.A 20 year old girl was found murdered yesterday in Mitcham common , not the first time such horrific crimes occur. Personal safety is at its lowest ever in the UK. The knife culture is rampant , the drug scene is bursting at the seams .
5. Traffic wardens on commission to catch the motorist , cameras every where and to top it all up , we have an idiot an the mayor of London .
6. Corruption on the increase , the difference between corruption in Cyprus and the UK , is that in the UK is expertly concealed giving the following analogy. A high class prostitute operating in Hotels is not as noticeable as a street prostitute. The street prostitute in this analogy is the Cypriot one.

I know there are Cypriots who are a pain in the arse but none more so than the returning Cypriots from the UK , Australia , South Africa , where they consider that the locals are a bunch of ignorant peasants , unlike them selves who having lived overseas consider them selves above the locals .They always refer to them as "the Cypriots " thy moan about all aspects of life , they express regret that they came back and frankly eu , the peasant here is the returning Cypriot, like my self , mostly all who emigrated came from the rural area , were poor , little education and most did not improve but remained buried in the past.
I do Hope I will still be welcome to your Paphos animal sanctuary when Im there next !!
And please don't mind your neighbour admiring you , while you are hanging your washing out , the English ladies always appealed to the locals.