JohnWilliams

Love the country. Love the climate (mostly). Always got on well with greek cypriots.

I owned a villa in Peyia for 20 years. I sold it last year to a Russian.

So why would I not live in Cyprus?

Because the british ex-pats who live in the republic of cyprus are the biggest bunch of plonkers I have ever met. Very few of them have any real money. They live in apartments or tiny villas. Those of them who own the properties they reside in, bought them after selling their little houses in the UK, and they live on their little pensions and drive little cars.

Yet, to a man and woman, they look down on british tourists, and regard themselves as highly superior (they are also mostly not too bright) to them. Their worst nightmare is being mistaken for a british tourist, especially by other british tourists, God forbid!!

They avoid tourist areas like the plague for this reason. A large proportion of them bring their dogs with them everywhere they go, especially the local pub. These dogs are most important, they are proclaiming to any british tourists who happened to wander into the pub, that THEIR OWNERS LIVE IN CYPRUS. (Tourists don't tend to have dogs in tow). Any such tourists who do wander into the ex-pats local pub will be universally ignored.

Yep, my opinion of british ex-pats in Cyprus is definitely

Pulaski

Lovely.

Welcome to BE.

Pollyana

So you join a site for British expats and launch yourself with a thread complaining about Briish expats....an excellent example of how to win friends and influence people

5huggy

Then why did you NOT integrate with the Cypriots - den kataleveno!!

Have to agree with Pollyana really

Sorry bud - BUT ANYWHERE is what YOU make of it! AND IT IS THEIR COUNTRY so join in with the locals NOT the expats!

JohnWilliams

Sorry to you too Bud, but you didn't read my post.

I never had any problems at all with greek Cypriots, it is the british ex-pats I couldn't abide. In fact I only mixed with Cypriots when in Cyprus because of that. Daxi?? Oh and I am aware that Cyprus IS THEIR COUNTRY!! Some of the british expats seem to think it's theirs!!

JohnWilliams

Your posts don't really make sense. So you don't understand and you are announcing : love Cyprus. Not much of a contribution to the thread.

But while we are on the subject of quoting greek:

Some of the dafter ex-pats take evening classes in greek. As 90% of british ex-pats live in british enclaves where you would be hard put to find a Cypriot under the age of eighty that hasn't, at least, got basic English, one wonders what these ex-pats are going to do with their new found proficiency in the greek language?

Are they going to seek out eighty year old Cypriots and try to have a conversation with them? About what? The elderly Cypriots memories of the invasion?

In reality these ex-pats just use their bit of greek to order things in restaurants and shops and feel very smug in doing so.

A Cypriot hotelier I have known for 20 years told me that the shop assistants and waiters fall about laughing at these ex-pats pronunciation and accents

Pollyana

Now I am completely confused.

You are having a pop at British exats because they move to a Greek-speaing area, and then make attempts to learn Greek?
Sorry, but WTF???? Maybe you think they should learn Spanish?

christmasoompa

Yep, very bizarre. OP, please note Site Rule 4 -

"Trolling on this site is not tolerated. We define trolling as any inflammatory threads or posts that are started with the sole intent of upsetting or antagonizing other members. Anyone found making such posts will be removed from the forums."

Feel free to join in the forums properly, but do so without belittling other expats or what they may choose to do.

Thanks.

JohnWilliams

The official language of the Republic of Cyprus is, of course, Greek.

However the percentage of the population with a good command of English is a massive 84%. Source: Wikipedia. So your post is misleading. The ex-pats have not moved to a Greek speaking area. They have moved to a strongly bilingual area.

If your post related to say, Sicily, where English is hardly spoken at all, outside of hotels, it would be far more relevant.

So my point about british ex-pats in Cyprus learning greek is: what's the point?

Pulaski

So you criticize British expats in Cyprus for being insular and cliquey, and you criticize those of them who take steps to integrate. What's your point if it isn't to criticize them either way.

MidAtlantic

Who appointed you the judge of whether they should learn Greek?

Pollyana

I'm sure the Cypriots would love to hear that they should all now speak English to accommodate those moving in from the UK.

My post is not misleading. Greek is still the official language of Cyprus. People moving to any country will integrate better if they understand and speak the language. Cyprus, Spain, India, Timbuctoo, ...... they may not NEED to speak the language but it certainly helps.

5huggy

OH SHOOT!! I AM SO SORRY - i misread the connotation - gawd text is crud - you are ENTIRELY WITH ME and I with YOU! cool GOOD GUY!
MY MOST PROFOUND APOLOGIES

I am with you entirely John

5huggy

Actually, I now feel very upset (with myself) that your original subject heading is , as it is! FOR YOU JOHN!

that does apparently appear to be an unfortunate traite of the "B" through out Europe and wider and I can say this from the point of an extremely well travelled individual - who has integrated well in most countries - by virtue of NOT BEING THAT WAY!

SO SORRY BUD! please forgive my misinterpretation!

JohnWilliams

I am not suggesting that they should speak English to accommodate British ex-pats moving to Cyprus.

And your point is valid in regards to many countries where English is not widely understood/spoken.

But most Cypriots I ever met, speak English as well as they do Greek. So how would a conversation be best conducted between a Cypriot and a Brit?

In English, in which the Cypriot is fluent? or in halting Greek which the Brit has picked up?