Cyprus-Forum.com

[Baggieboy]

Some fascinating replies here and I'm very grateful for them. Its interesing to know how we are perceived. I'm encouraged that so far 75% of the responses are positive, and I'm not surprised by the most popular being about turning Cyprus into a little Britain.

I can only say that what makes us love Cyprus so much is its "Cypriotness", and my least favourite area is Pafos (although still infinitely prefer it to UK!).

I don't think we're naive about "misreading the waiter's smile" - (excellent metaphor by the way). As soon as we agreed to move I have been reading up on Cyprus history and trying to understand the Cypriot way of life. All we really want is a small home in a predominantly Cypriot area and just kind of "settle in to it".

I accept that we can come across as stuffy, stand-offish, rule obsessed and yes - perhaps even false. I would add arrogant as well - some of the behaviour I've witnessed from some Brits in Cyprus has made me so embarrassed I've actually gone and apologised to the victim. There are some things that you simply do NOT joke about in Cyprus and the Brit was old enough to know better. I still cringe now when I think about it.

However, I know there are many Brits who feel the way we do, and don't just want to move to a warmer country and still live by UK rules.

I suppose all we can hope for is that we will be accepted for who we are, but again efkharisto to everyone for their replies.

Kind regards,

Richie

[humanist]

Oh my friend baggie have no fear that you will be accepted for who you are ......... You have found yourself in one of the most hospitable places on earth, whetehre you travel north or south, you will find people wanting to show off their kindness and hospitality, so next time you go to the bank, just push right in because you know the manager, don't line up heheheheheh!!!!!!. just chill out bro chill out.

[michalis5354]

I dont have any probpem with them . I think they are polite and I like the fact that they follow rules which is a very good thing in life in general . This is something that I always appreciate about them and try to learn for myself as we dont live in a jungle.

B Boy I hope you are accepted in Cyprus in case you take that decision and hope your first impression about Cyprus will stay as it is!

[G.Man]

I hope you're not one of those naive people that interpret a waiter's smile and kind words into... "Come live with us!"

LOL, when was the last time you went to a tourist restaurant and were served by a genuine cypriot?

All eastern europeans now...

No, I more interpret all the property/houses/appts CYPRIOTS are trying to sell to BRITS as come live with us..

Watch all the Brits leave and see what happens to your tourist based economy, the cyprus mail is already posting articles regarding the small reduction in brits coming to cyprus, this year could have a profound effect on the economy if tourist numbers drop further...

Posts like yours, to the half brit members, that get read by probably another 1000 or so guests will do nothing to aid that..

"ok dear, it seems cyprus is not as brit friendly as we thought, lets go somewhere else instead"

PS. Was in Paphos this weekend, looks more like little britain than ever, nout to do with the number of brits, more the number of speedcams, road humps and poor road conditions...

Viva Nicosia

[miltiades]

I dont have any problem with them . I think they are polite and I like the fact that they follow rules which is a very good thing in life in general . This is something that I always appreciate about them and try to learn for myself as we dont live in a jungle.

B Boy I hope you are accepted in Cyprus in case you take that decision and hope your first impression about Cyprus will stay as it is!

I think Michaelis is representative with his views of the overwhelming majority of Cypriots. He accepts that without rules it would be like the jungle. And I hate someone barging in , ignoring the ques because he is one of those peasants who knows the manager !!
The average Brit is above local or even International politics , live and let live is a way of life , they put up with so much in their own country they do nor rebel mostly abide by the rules and fairness is a British virtue.
Of all the people who come and stay in Cyprus the British are seen by most locals as a very welcome race , in fact just as the Brits in the UK see us Cypriots , hardworking family orientated respectful to their culture and ready to accept their rules and regulations. Remember there are more Cypriots in the UK than Brits in Cyprus by far. Every Cypriot literally has some connection with the Brits be it a relation living in the UK or married to a Brit.

[Get Real!]

G.Man...

LOL, when was the last time you went to a tourist restaurant and were served by a genuine cypriot? All eastern europeans now...

No, I more interpret all the property/houses/appts CYPRIOTS are trying to sell to BRITS as come live with us..

Point about the Eastern European waiters taken but I could’ve just as easily mentioned a real-estate agent’s smile accepting your hard cash for a home. I trust by now you get my point also.

Watch all the Brits leave and see what happens to your tourist based economy, the cyprus mail is already posting articles regarding the small reduction in brits coming to cyprus, this year could have a profound effect on the economy if tourist numbers drop further...

Posts like yours, to the half brit members, that get read by probably another 1000 or so guests will do nothing to aid that..

"ok dear, it seems cyprus is not as brit friendly as we thought, lets go somewhere else instead"

Cyprus is moving AWAY from tourism… you’d better believe it. How can one possibly expect an EU country to abide by complex and expensive EU laws and standards and yet be able to sell a meal to a tourist for two pounds per plate or a Taxi ride for five? EU countries have huge overheads.

Also, have you any idea how many Cypriot high-school graduates go on to attain a BA or above? It seems everyone here has a degree these days so nobody wants to get their hands dirty!

Let’s not confuse Cyprus with Sharm-El-Sheik or some other 3rd world tourist destination that can offer a great holiday for peanuts.

[devil]

I live in a "non-Little Britain" village with a ~99% Cypriot population. I have tried to integrate by speaking a smattering of Greek (even if people often reply to me in English!!!!). As I lived most of my life in Switzerland, the culture shock was very much worse than had I come from the UK. However, I felt that my relations with the locals was somewhat distant until, one day, I went to the Mukhtar and offered to give two reasonable bikes (they had been left here by my grandchildren who had grown out of them) to poor kids in the village. Since then, while not having become the Mukhtar's coumbari, we are at least made to feel part of the village. I think the moral of this story is that you reap as you sow.

[G.Man]

G.Man...

LOL, when was the last time you went to a tourist restaurant and were served by a genuine cypriot? All eastern europeans now...

No, I more interpret all the property/houses/appts CYPRIOTS are trying to sell to BRITS as come live with us..

Point about the Eastern European waiters taken but I could’ve just as easily mentioned a real-estate agent’s smile accepting your hard cash for a home. I trust by now you get my point also.

Watch all the Brits leave and see what happens to your tourist based economy, the cyprus mail is already posting articles regarding the small reduction in brits coming to cyprus, this year could have a profound effect on the economy if tourist numbers drop further...

Posts like yours, to the half brit members, that get read by probably another 1000 or so guests will do nothing to aid that..

"ok dear, it seems cyprus is not as brit friendly as we thought, lets go somewhere else instead"

Cyprus is moving AWAY from tourism… you’d better believe it. How can one possibly expect an EU country to abide by complex and expensive EU laws and standards and yet be able to sell a meal to a tourist for two pounds per plate or a Taxi ride for five? EU countries have huge overheads.

Also, have you any idea how many Cypriot high-school graduates go on to attain a BA or above? It seems everyone here has a degree these days so nobody wants to get their hands dirty!

Let’s not confuse Cyprus with Sharm-El-Sheik or some other 3rd world tourist destination that can offer a great holiday for peanuts.

I understand what you are saying, and cyprus is moving away from tourism, possibly not by choice, the cost of holidays in cyprus is not a factor when you see what brits spend on holidays, there are far deeper issues... over the last 15 years some areas have gone from friendly local run businesses to over developed hotspots and the friendly locals are disappearing. I remember going into shops and being made to feel like royalty, my daughter being treated by a princess by lovely local cyprus people... now you are just another number to rude and humourless eastern europeans, so now you are competing with the likes of Spain again, and they are a 1.5 hour flight and offer nothing different..

I believe this is what is leading to a boom in tourism in the north, as it is like RoC was 15+ years ago...

The service sector, including tourism, contributes 70% to the GDP and employs 62% of the labor force

Thats banking and tourism pretty much, so tourist income still forms a huge part of Cyprus GDP..

It is all very good having degrees etc, but those people are still working in predominantly service related industries and salaries arent as high as they will command elsewhere in europe..

Don't get me wrong, I love it here, having now got over myself at the differences between here and UK, the only thing that I dont like is the drivers. As soon as the police start concentrating on the quality of driving and not the speed of driving, cyprus roads will be a much safer place..

So I still think that the majority of Cypriots take brits as they find them, just like they should... People are individuals, and in my opinion the last option is the one most cypriots would vote given that they know a few brits.

People who go on gossip will probably just vote brits out...

[Natty]

I love being British Baggieboy but I have one thing that really bugs me about the Brits and that is this attitude of that is all you need to live anywhere in the world. What I mean is that being English gives you the only passport you need in life and no country can refuse you. Of course I am using the general YOU and not you personally. I have a very good friend that moved to SA and before he went he ran down all the foreigners that were coming to the UK. His words for leaving the UK were "Too many foreigners". If he was a slightly better friend I would have asked him exactly what he would be in SA but I could not do that to him. When we visited them last year they did not waste time in moaning about some places that did not treat them as they expected to be treated.


The moral of the story is that the English are nice people in general but do not forget that you are in someone Else's country. No disrespect to yourselves.

you speak a lot of sense zan an i respect what you have to say after reading some of your many threads on here.
personally as an English immigrant i have found that most Cypriots have been warm and welcoming to us. indeed our first indication of this was when we where looking to rent our apartment was the reaction on the phone when whatever estate agent rang a prospective landlord was are they English ??? when the response was yes, the reply was that is endaxi then !!!!
this was a good indication to myself on how real Cypriots felt about English
people living amongst them, in true Cypriot areas. in other words they where used to the English as they had been around the English for so long.

as far as get real seems to think growing up in the seventies (as i was) at school let me tell you at least 5 out of ten kids that i knew as friends and equals where Greek Cypriot !!! in the Birmingham area where i lived as a child. these kid where 1st generation Anglo Cypriot who followed Aston villa or Birmingham city football clubs, spoke with broad Birmingham accents and hung out with all us normal English kids with no difference that was apparent apart from the fact that most of there moms and dads owned chip shops and they where forced to work there during weekends, when they should have been chasing girlie's with us
the only people who suffered racial torment from us (including these Cypriot kids who we considered our own) where the Pakistani immigrants who we unfortunately treated like shit
if get real was treated badly at a UK school it must of been due to him being a geek, or gay, or due to the big chip (probably from his dads chip shop ) on his shoulder

in my honest humble opinion during the seven tees Greek Cypriot kids where always accepted into normal English envoironments without exception !!!!!!

not the same for Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Afro caribbean!!!!!

So your sort of from around my neck of the woods Villagewagon, I probably know the family's of the people you grew up with...Although not a fan of either Aston Villa or B'ham City, Westbrom all the way!

It's funny that you should say about the Fish and Chip shops, both my Grandparents had one (but my Grandparents on my Mothers side sold it after a while and bought a cafe instead), but surprisingly my parents and most of my Aunties and Uncles don't. I was actually out with some friends a while back, and there was a girl that I hadn't met before (but I new of her family, obviously..lol) and she was complaining how she couldn't go out for ages because she had to work in the Chippy. Anyway she turned to me and asked whether I had to work so much at my chippy and she was rather surprised, as you can imagine, when I said I didn't have one...

It's true though what you say, obviosuly it's not as bad as it used to be, but the Pakistani and Asian people can get a raw deal, in fact I've been called a 'Paki' a few times because I'm darkish...but honestly I have many Indian, Asian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, Caribbean/African friends as well as Cypriot and English friends, there's such a mish mash of people where I live we all get on fine...People have just got used to the different cultures, I mean we're all 'British' after all...

[humanist]

I believe that language is important "I don't have a problem with them" to me suggests separation. of one and the other, we ought not to have problems living with anyone, who is respectful of other life.

Enjoy Cyprus, have fun and travel to the north and go the the coffee shops and sandwich places.