Merv and Sue

If you want to find a place to meet many fellow Brits, go to Barcode in Larnaca. It is a very small bar behind Replay (Replay is an amusement arcade on the seafront) and opposite Nostos Kebab house.
You will find this bar the friendliest in Cyprus and is usually very busy on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday daytimes and most evenings. Everybody will make you very welcome and help you all they can.
Would you kindly give our regards to everybody there.

Honest_H

Veronica,

What age is your son? Can he not go to uni in the UK while you are living in Cyprus. Most Cypriot students go overseas to uni anyway, USA or UK.

I don't think its very fair that your putting his education on hold because of your move. Why don't you put your move on hold until he starts uni and then go. Maybe he feels that it will be a good start to his working career is he has a degree. Have you talked to him about it? What are his feelings?

Education standards here aren't the same as the UK, which is one of the main reasons we're going back. We don't feel that our daughters will experience proper education until we do. They do go to an English school here, but apart from English and Maths, they don't really cover anything else.

Veronica-K

My son is 39
I think you'll find it was tracy who was talking about her son

Honest_H

What can I say!!!! too early in the morning!!!

Sorry, yes, the message was for Tracy!

tracy1

Hi Honest_H my son is 17 and currently doing a business studies course at college. I totally get what you are saying about his education as I am a great believer in education. I am not, however, a believer in allowing 18 yr olds to go to uni, simply because when I went as a mature student I was shocked at how so many 18 yr olds waste the opportunity they have. Partying takes over from studying and as long as they scrape through the majority don't seem concerned. I also felt that a lot of them had taken courses because their parents had told them to or because the course was at a uni they wanted to attend for more social reasons. I think for their own sakes they should have at least a year out to travel/work/reflect and get some proper idea of what they want to do with their lives so their choices can be better informed. I am not suggesting that all young students have this attitude but I found a lot do, and to be honest it's only natural at their age to want to party so I am in no way criticising, I just think it's a shame their opportunity is not put to better use.

Back to my own situation I would never advocate that my son skips uni altogether but that a year or two living abroad would greatly broaden his mind and mature him so he can, hopefully, make the right decisions. At the moment he is far more interested in passing his driving test than he is in his college course!!!!! University is not confined to the very young, he can go anytime.

tracy1

Honest_H, can I also ask a question about your situation?? Is it only because of your daughters education that you are going back to the UK? If you had no children or grown up children do you think you would stay??

Honest_H

I agree, and as I don't know your son, I can't speculate on what is best for him. I was just giving my opinion, I hope I didn't cause offence.

For me going to uni at 18 made me grow up, so I guess its different for everyone.

good luck with whatever you decide

tracy1

No offence taken, it's very difficult to know what's best for kids even at 17!! The difference with them at 17 is that they not only think they know what's best they think they know everything else as well!!!!! I guess I would just rather he were in Cyprus than here, it just seems so dangerous here these days, gangs and knife culture etc, media hype a lot of it I'm sure but still....

To be honest there are 3 in our house and only one wants to try living in Cyprus, ME!!
I don't want to get old and wish I had tried something different, even if it's not what I thought it would be as appears to be the case in your situation, at least you had the b"**s to try. I just don't know if I can go and fester inthe French countryside at 38!

Honest_H

Tracy,

Thats a difficult one.

Its not only the education issue that's made us decide to go back. Myself and my OH have found that it is very hard for young working families here. As the salaries are poor, we both have to work full time. We leave the house before 7 and don't get back til after 6 in the evening. It doesn't leave a lot of time with the children.

Its now very expensive as well. We get completely ripped off for clothes, toys and electronic. There are British high street shops here, and what the tend to do is convert the GBP to CYP and then to Euro. My friend was over a few weeks ago and we went to Next. She had a top on that she paid £15 gbp for in the UK. Here the same top was over €30.

We find that general day to day life is hard.

Don't get me wrong, the weekends are fantastic during the summer months (though Winter is awful - there's not a lot of things to do when it rains) and we will miss that. We are very much a "doing" family and love being outside, so I'm not sure what we'll do to compensate when we're back in rainy Northern Ireland!

tracy1

I can see what you mean about prices just from holidays alone, I first visited in the summer of 04 and for 3 of us to eat (well), play (including the short cruise to Egypt from Limassol) and buy things to take home we managed comfortably on 1400 sterling, of course that was the Cypriot pound, then last visited Oct 08 and was stunned by the cost of things, even a simple evening meal was much higher cost. We spent more than the first time in a week and our son didn't come either.

I suppose everywhere has its downsides and it's human nature to think the grass is always greener.

7immyboy

How can it be any worse than England? I agree with H, Cyprus isn`t cheap, some things are cheaper there, some are more expensive, but all in all in my oppinion it evens itself out, for me that doesnt come into it, quality of life is paramount and i dont see much quality in this country. I love the english countryside but that is about all, i feel sorry for most that are tied down here, those of us who have the option must give it a chance, everyone is different and in a different situation, I am a single 31 yr old and after one failed attempt at the move to Cyprus, i have learned from this and ironed out the insecurities that brought me back to England, ever since i got back late last summer, i have hated it and have got nowhere so i have to rebuild my life as i gave it all up to go there in the first place, so i might as well do it in a more pleasant country..where the sun shines, as i think that alone makes so much difference. I got up this morning to go to my £900 a month job, i used to earn double that, but now the employment siuation is so bad!! It was cold, dark & wet, no wonder i dont want to get up in the morning.. The paradox is a million miles away, walking to work in the sun and then walking home again in it later...My relevance to the point i am unsure but my views non the less, Tracey, sounds like you have a task on your hands, convincing them of the corect course of action, Your son would love it, further more i have friends who have studied so hard, and where does it get them?..My mate has a 1st honours in Biological Science and he works in Burger king and is 20 grand in debt for the privilidge.. however i have the luxury of just little old me to worry about..Please don`t go to France... Sacre Bleu!! non non non, you would hate it the French hate us for a start, everybody hates the brits i know, but still, OK so i have had a bad day!! sorry i`m going now.

Tim

tracy1

Hi Tim, your points are very valid and exactly how I feel myself re the rain and the daily slog. Also about the education, it's not that I don't want him to get an education I just have to wonder about its validity anymore. It's my son I'm thinking of, how is he ever going to get his foot on the housing ladder here?? Maybe that's the same everywhere I don't know.
It's very brave of you to keep trying to follow your dream and make a better life for yourself. Maybe most other countries do hate the English but if not even our own government is willing to stand up for us and our culture what chance do we have here? I have long felt like the outsider in my own country, how can that be right??
I also take your point about France, we recently visited some friends who moved there 5 yrs ago and have often waxed lyrical about their French dream with acres of land to live off and animals but the reality is that they are stuck in a (ok, beautiful) house in the middle of nowhere and drink wine from lunchtime every day to quell the boredom. By 4pm every day they were asleep, drunk, on the sofa and their day was over. Didn't seem like much of a dream life to me.

7immyboy

Hello Tracy and all..

Thankyou for your nice comments

I cant even afford to rent a 1 bedroom grotty flat here, even in the Midlands, well i could but thats about all i could do! no car, no social life, not that i have one currently! I am staying with my parents saving my money as they are as fed up of me going around in circles as i am. The light at the end of the tunnel being the 28th of Feb (flight booked WOOP WOOP!!) I really miss the point of living just to exsist. Life is unaffordable on your own and i go from one disasterous relationship to the next! so i think being a singleton is best for the mean time anyhow. In Cyprus however, i wouldn`t be much better off financially, but much richer in other ways, and 500 euros a month gets you a palace with a communal pool. or a 3 bedroom house. It might be a cheap life, but a happy, warm sunny one.... SOLD!! to the man in the corner!!

RE: my dream... Last year i went to Ayia Napa for the summer & with that attitude, only because i didnt realise that i could actually live there all year round so after an attitude adjustment i decided that this is the way forward..as i have been fairly grumpy ever since i got back to UK..

I got to Larnaca airport to fly home, it was so easy, i checked in, my case was whizzed off on the belt, i went through departures, had a drink and sat down for a bit, within an hour i had waltzed through the gate and the plane took off when it should of done...perfect..On arriving at Gatwick on approach to landing, out of my small port hole window all i could see was the start of drizzle and a very bleak grey sky, my heart sank... then, there was something wrong with the mobile steps up to the plane..we all stood in the gangways of the aircraft cursing, stupid British health and saftey implications because the steps were "wobbly" explained the captain...3 sets of mobile steps later we finally got off the plane..I waited 2 hours for my 1 case, then eventually got to the train terminal to get back home.. they changed the platform of departure 3 times in the space of 20 minutes, each time i had to lug my case up the stairs, and of course i still couldnt smoke at this point, even though i was outside.. once on the train, eventually, it stopped for about 20 mins due to something or other, all i could see was people in the suits going to work, and they all looked so miserable and fed up.. the depressing london skyline and they grey skies now even greyer...By the time i got home i was ready to kill, what a shambles this country has become. i sat down, put my head in my hands and said "What have i done?" ... I will not be making that journey ever again

I may come across anti England, but i really have had enough, i cant afford to live here and have no desire to. And quite right Tracey, the government have the backbone of a snake i.e NONE! they are so wrapped up in pleasing the immigrants to our country and being Politically correct, i have been to DHSS for assistance on housing, they told me to "come back when your ill or unemployed...preferably both.." And i have friends who have been on that housing list for 15 years without a whisper.. whilst the towns fill up with Immigrants, the jobs vanish into thin air.. i must point out i have no problem with them whatsoever, some of the nicest people i have met have been Indians, Africans etc etc, but everything in moderation, because it is beyond a joke, when I, for example who is English born and bread and worked all my adult life, paying countless inflated NI contributions and Taxes get no help whatsoever, just because i am White, Employed and Healthy and i havnt had children for the sake of getting a free ride in life. It wont change, England has lost its sovereignty and its balls!!

Well B*llock* then!!!

Tim

tracy1

Hey Tim

I have six words for your last post:

And so say all of us!!!

(Well me anyway!!)

Really really good luck, I hope it works out for you, I'm sure it will. Keep us posted anyway x

Carol and David

Hi Tim
You hit the hole on the head with that post. Myself and the OH are moveing because of the way we feel this country is going, My son will be 21 in 2 weeks, he has decided to get engaged "a long one i hope". i am know trying to tell him and his girlfriend to emigrate or to do some thing with there future, they dont have to come with us, Got familie in Canada, Australia who can give them a helping start, i feel this country will get worse
Cheers
David