Cyprus, Europe
I worked in Cyprus for 3 months in 2006
I worked in Cyprus for 3 months in 2006. It’s a beautiful country with VERY diverse landscapes (mountains with vineyards a 20 minute drive from beaches filled with European tourists), but if you want scenery, go look at pictures! Let’s talk about the people. . .
The Greek Cypriots are different depending on which town you go to. In the beach towns such as Larnaca, Aiga Nappa and Paphos, the people are very warm and friendly. The #1 activity is sitting in a cafe socializing and drinking coffee. The #2 activity is attending a wedding. I swear 4 out of 5 people on the island are going to a wedding each weekend. There is still that small town/small island charm. You will have no problem making friends.
In Nicosia, which is where I worked, the locals have a reputation for being a bit snobby… but I found it to be shyness that comes off as snobbiness.
In discussing this with other Cypriots (from the beach towns where the locals are more out-going) I’ve concluded many of the locals in Nicosia are a bit xenophobic—especially to white guys like me. This is partially because of the trouble they have had with the white men from England. And they’re not too warm with white women either. This is partially because of the trouble they have had with white women (from Russia, the Ukraine, etc) in the cabarets breaking up marriages! But, of course, this is a generality. The people of Nicosia might have a little ice you have to break through but at their heart they are as warm as all the other Cypriots. Just get to know them a little bit and you’ll be okay.
THEGIRLS: I never figured out how to consistently start a pleasant conversation with a Cypriot girl. Just a different breed of woman, I guess. Even the Cypriot men continued to advise me to give up my quest for a decent conversation. Typical conversation:
Me: “Hi, how are you?”
Her: “Good” . . .
Me: “I’m Jason. What’s your name?”
Her: “Helena”
Me: Insert question OR Insert interesting story
Her: Insert one-word answer
That was the typical conversation. After a lot of meditation, I figured out it was due to one of three things:
1. Because it’s a small island, everybody knows everybody. There is a lot of pressure that Cypriot girls stay “pure”. They don’t even want to be seen flirting with strangers. They are much more friendly if you are introduced by a friend or family member. So, although it’s usually a bad tactic, I would actually advise making friends with a group of Cypriot guys and work into a social circle. Even then, you’re probably hopeless.
2. The Cypriot girl could just be unsure about her English. In case this it, you should know at least a little bit of Greek. “yassas, olakalla, etc”… Learn some Greek jokes or something.
3. They’re married or engaged. The Cypriot girls wear their wedding band on their right hand, so you can get thrown off. But even if they’re not married, they probably plan on being married soon. (Remember, it’s the #2 activity in Cyprus) Marriage is a big thing in Cyprus, which is probably a good thing.
My single male advice: Before you scratch Cyprus off your list of places to go, remember that it’s a HUGE tourist destination. And even if you’re not there during tourist season, a lot of foreigners stick around all year. If you’re a single male visiting Cyprus, don’t go through the humiliating experience of hitting on Cypriot girls. Just talk to other foreigners (especially Russians and Eastern Europeans) and you’ll do JUST fine! Trust me.
over 3 years ago

