Birkibrisli
If, like me, you were born in Paphos,and the best years of your childhood were spend there,do you think you'd miss those particular smells and sounds of Cyprus? Or do you think you could easily susbtitute them with the sounds and smells of present day TRNC?
Your memory recalls the smells and sounds of Paphos, which I do not know but I can assure you that the TRNC will revive your memories in the sense that the sound and smell of coffee shops where people joke with each other, playing tavla and drinking Turkish Coffee all you have to do is go into old Nicosia to realize that the north has naturally retained the olde charm which the south imo has lost.
When you say"the language" do you mean Turkish or Cypriot Turkish?
Is there any part of your language that is particularly Cypriot?Do you still use words and phrases like 'Sakko' 'zibil' 'zeflemek' 'gotunun dumberekkasi'(sorry!)'napan be angoni' 'ma hacan da gacacan be''birak be o beytambali" etc...???
We still do use the Turkish Cypriot phrases which we pass onto our children and they hopefully will pass onto their if they marry of their own kind.
When you say "our culture" do you mean the Turkish culture or the Cypriot Turkish culture?Our weddings for example are different to Turkish weddings,so are our folklore,and Cypriot music,and worldview and our sense of humour, our spiritual orientation,our cuisine etc are all different to the Turkish ones. Or are they still???Is there anything left of the old Turkish Cypriot culture that someone like me can look forward to?
You have to get into TC society to enjoy all the old traditions and cultures which are maintained and sometimes modernized and made practical, the dance of the 7 virgins still takes place at many weddings or the Kina gecesi before the marriage, you have to live the TRNC to appreciate it without any fear of the past. This is how we have grown up and we raise our children, they are lucky enough to be able to enjoy their own rich culture and also taste what abroad and believe me they always come or long to return just as you do.
I hope you realise these are not tricky questions,I am genuinely trying to understand if the "sense of belonging" you talk about is something I too can experience in the TRNC? Or will it be like a foreign country for me?
Noway you will feel at home right away the TCs are friendly people who open their arms and homes to all including GCs you can ask them many have good relations with TCs who have no objections ot them visiting their homes. You to if you accept that the TRNC is your home will feel you belong as it is where Turkish Cypriots are and feel they belong, if you consider yourself one of us you to will feel at home, if you feel alienated by not having GCs around then you will hate it. But do not fear in 10 minutes you can cross south to where your GC brothers live and sample their way of life and whether you feel part of it.
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