Siga, Siga

We spent most of Monday and Tuesday working on our project at a local coffee shop called Segafredo. We’ve been responsible for a good portion of their business over the past week. They should know my Frappe metrio order by heart at this point.

On Monday evening, we all went out for a group dinner in old town Nicosia. We decided to walk, and after a solid three miles, I realized sandals wasn't the most intelligent decision I've ever made. We finally made it to the business district by 9:00 pm and walked into the kebob restaurant we went to for lunch on our first day in Cyprus. This is the place where they sell giant, three-pound pitas that should warrant someone getting their photograph up on the wall if they finish it. Some other group members had eaten there at different times over the past two weeks so by this point, the waiter and waitress were familiar with us, and greeted us like old friends.

Since there is less to report from Monday and Tuesday, I see this as a good opportunity to share my observations of Cyprus.

• Do not drink the water out of the faucet. You have to buy bottled water, which made me realize how much we take tap water for granted in the United States. All of us are constantly searching for more “nero.” In the Athens airport on the way to Crete, I found a water fountain that you could actually drink out of. I reacted like I had located the fountain of youth. 
• The first floor of a building is the ground floor and the second floor is called the first floor.
• You cannot flush toilet paper and must throw it in a waste paper basket. This is not just a silly warning. Do not flush it! We all speak from personal experience from making that mistake since it was automatic for us when we first arrived.
• People drive on the opposite side of the road and in the opposite seat in the car, which is evidence of British influence. The other evidence of British influence is “WC” on bathroom signs (water closet).
• It is customary for your waiter to bring you small desserts and/or shots of some mystery liquor or shooter with your bill (for free). I have gotten everything from jello-tasting shooters to some sort of clear schnapps that tasted like vodka gone terribly wrong. Since they had already cleared the table, I had nothing to chase the latter poison with. I had to chase it with a miniature piece of baklava they gave us. How Greek of me. 
• It is personally offensive to the waiter if you do not finish (or at least eat most of) your meal. The restaurant has cooked and served you a meal that they are proud of. If you do not eat it, it means you do not like it, which is offensive. Luckily, the waiters love me because I eat everything in sight. I do not have any issues clearing my plate. I have even assisted some of my classmates by finishing their plates too. You’re welcome.
• Drinks are not served with ice cubes. You have to ask for them separately and they will be served to you in a separate glass (ice cubes are called paghakias).
• Cyprus is way more environmentally friendly than the United States. There are on/off switches for each individual outlet. The lights are turned off in the hallways of public buildings and you have to turn on the hall switch. The lights will stay on for about twenty seconds. So in our building, unless you can race up four flights of stairs in less than twenty seconds, you will end up on the stairs in the dark. Good luck.
• If you buy fruit or other produce from the store, you have to weigh them at a specific weighing section in the back of the store before you check out. On my second trip to Carrefour, I entered the store confidently, thinking I had all of the differences figured out. I was wrong. I went to the checkout line with bananas that I failed to weigh earlier. I had to run to the back to the store to weigh the bananas and bring them back to the checkout line. I arrived back at the checkout station to a line of waiting Cypriots giving me the “she is not from here” look (in a friendly way).
• Backgammon is by far the most popular game here. On the beach, paddleboard is rampant.
• The drinking age is 18, as is the driving age. However, the drinking age is not heavily enforced, and some people we’ve talked to started going out for a drink as early as 12 or 13. 
• Some Cypriots have told us they do not hear many American accents in Cyprus. On some occasions, people thought we were British.
• The stoplights go from red to yellow to green instead of just red to green. I guess that way, you’ll be prepared to start moving again.
• There are a lot of stray cats and dogs.
• Getting into a bank at Cyprus is like trying to get into the Pentagon. You have to ring a bell for them to unlock the door for you. The five times Jenn and I tried to get in, the employees just stared at us and did not let us in. The only way we got in was because a customer happened to be exiting. The banks close at 1:30 or 2:00 pm and sometimes employees will come back after an afternoon break. Some banks don’t let you exchange money unless you have an account with them. If you’re trying to exchange money, isn’t that a good indicator you aren’t from this country and probably don’t have an account with the bank?

Greece is fairly similar to Cyprus. Although they do not drive like the British. I did notice that stop signs are arbitrary and mean nothing. At first, I thought my aunt didn’t see the first stop sign, but after going through three or four stop signs I knew something was different. She said if you stop, you will be rear ended. 

It's amazing how adjusted you become to a different country in only a short period of time. I have tried my best to learn (and to, of course, embrace) Cypriot culture, customs, and ways of life. 

As they say here: siga, siga. Slowly, slowly. No one is rushing through life.