Living In Nicosia Cyprus - An Expat's View

September’s a Lovely Month

The sun is still out, the sky is still blue but for whatever reason as soon as September arrives Turkey comes back into view.

It’s true, during the (short) winter months you can quite often see the impressive outline of what I guess are the Toros Mountains on Turkey’s Southern Mediterranean coastline which is a mere 70km away from us here in Northern Cyprus.  But during the hot, hot, hot summer months from May to August they disappear in a heat haze.

New Cyprus Forum

Now, there have been many things written and many more things said about divided Cyprus, the Cyprus problem, the 1974 conflict and even who was to blame and how now to move forward after the ‘failure’ of the Annan Plan to resolve the situation here...but so far most discussions have been rather one sided with either a Turkish Cypriot or a Greek Cypriot voicing their opinions...or even a well meaning expat trying to build bridges and alienating all communities!

Now, thanks wholly to a friend of ours who is a very forward thinking, balanced and fair person there is a brand new multi-communal forum all about Cyprus available on the internet for everyone to go and learn more about the divided island, to discuss their hopes, fears and feelings and to meet up with people from all over the world and both sides of the green line.

Changing Face of Estate Agents in North Cyprus

To be an estate agent on this fair and lovely isle is like a curse I think...it seems to be something that most people are tempted to try out at least once, encouraged by the lure of loadsamoney that mysteriously always fails to materialise.

And then comes the period of nagging frustration, you’re selling houses (or maybe you’re not) you’re being treated like a slave and not being appreciated by your customers or your bosses and finally you make the big brave decision to kick it into touch and go out and do something less boring instead and you leave...only to find that you’ll now never get paid for all the work you did, your ex-bosses hate you and all your customers spit at you in the street.

Vogue Beach Club

Well it’s been many months in the making and then finally last week came the good news courtesy of the fabulous Cyprus Today newspaper that the Vogue (strike a pose?) Beach Club was open for business!

Them up west have Escape and Camelot - we just had the lovely but slightly neglected Acapulco (Turtle) Beach, which at this time of the year is best left to the turtles otherwise you run the risk of poking your beach umbrella into a nest of eggs and doing untold damage.

Facing My Fear And Running For The Hills

I don’t like spiders.  In fact I so don’t like spiders that even the tiniest little wrigglers are swiftly evicted from my presence by my long suffering but dear husband (that’ll be Andy).

So, when I came face to face with a tarantula in my hallway a week or so ago I nearly collapsed with fear.

Oh Yes - Check Out These 2 Sites

Just found two must see, mad retro sites! http://www.its-a-knockout.co.uk/ is all about It’s a Knockout, that totally insane, silly, silly, slap stick 1970’s TV show where nutters competed in relay races dressed as penguins and the like!

The other one - http://www.skooldays.com/ is everything from your school days - from the TV of the day, the cheesy music you were into and best of all...the fashion!!!!!!

What’s Happening in Northern Cyprus

A lot’s happening here in North Cyprus, it’s like the whole island has awoken from hibernation or something.  Or maybe it’s just that we haven’t been out and about much of late!  Who knows?

Anyway, I thought I’d bring you a round up of latest events and opinions here in TRNC.  Today (Sunday 20th of February) is Election Day and about 150,000 Turkish Cypriots have a bit of a strange mix of parties to choose from. 

The Sun Is Out…

...the sky is blue, there’s not a cloud to spoil the view.  But in England it’s raining tra la la la la la laaaaa.

Yes, Andy and I have just been to Nicosia for the afternoon as it was so balmy and bright and beautiful that we felt we should make the most of it so we had a late lunch outside in the sunshine.  It was so hot in the car that I wound the window down and sang all the way home! 

And lo, it came to pass…

...you need mafia influence for effective money extraction.

Yes folks, this really is the final part of the supermarket saga.  It took me over a month to get back the money that Lemar effectively lightened me of waaaaay back in the dim dark days of December.  Except they weren’t dim, or dark...but they were in December, so.

The saga has been one of frustration and repeated pleas (me), repeated and ever more ridiculous excuses (them).

Just another day…

Working from home has its perks - oh man, does it!  Just lovin’ the fact I can work all day in my pyjamas you know!  But it also means you run the risk of never actually leaving the house!

I mean, we have Abdullah the Su who’ll come by with water and gas bottles, there’s the lovely guy in wellies who takes the rubbish from outside your door and then there are the kamikaze scooter boys who’ll deliver you any form of edible substance you should desire after just one brief phone call...so after working eight straight days without leaving the house and wondering if there was still anyone left ‘on the outside’ we decided to take a day off.