Cyprus-Forum.com

[pitsilos]

its called assimilation zan

i get told at work i have a loud voice comparing to others, and my responce, coz they are all assimilated

[zan]

its called assimilation zan

[pitsilos]

we all take new traditions in our new countries

[Viewpoint]

I love being a Turkish Cypriot, the weather, the smells, the flowers, the language, the laid back attitude and originality of the TRNC, the sense of belonging, our culture, watching my son folk dancing and many many other things make me feel special. Even with all its imperfections and being isolated from the world its home its where we feel safe and where we belong.

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?

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...???

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?
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?

Thanks in advance.

Bir, you sound like my old man and I genuinely feel for you as I do for him. Times have moved on old son and those things have gone with only a faint smell left behind. I can remember the weddings we used to have in England too. The build up of many women coming together and making koftes and peeling potatoes. The chickens going off to the bakers to be cooked in big ovens. My aunts and uncles and cousins and friends all helping with serving and cleaning up. The live bands and the kemaneci. The old songs sung by old people on the microphone with too much echo. The fights between gaba kafali men that drank too much. The same old presents that made their way from wedding to wedding.



All gone and expensive weddings have taken their place with caterers and roast beef and bastis in pretty foil and a DJ and me sitting at the table watching the young children running about and wishing I could do the same..........all change for the 21st century...........Even my ability to smell has nearly all gone.

Sorry I dont agree with you they may have disappeared in the UK but we try to keep those traditions alive maybe updating them a bit but we still continue and instill these in our children who will hopefully carry them on.

[zan]

we all take new traditions in our new countries

Oh I see. Well even In Cyprus, north or south things change and when we were there in 1974 just before the war nothing was as my father wanted to be. Ten years is a long time.

[pitsilos]

i don't know zan, i visit my parents and i see cyprus plastered everywhere

[zan]