Cyprus-Forum.com

[ex_pat]

I agree, you'd be crazy to sell your house without actually having lived in Cyprus for at least 6 months.

Cyprus is very different from the UK, some adapt others don't.

I wasn't a property owner before moving here, so didn't have the problem you are faced with. I still don't own a property here as I am going to sample the goods, so to speak before committing to anything like buying a house.

I have been here for a few months now and still have not settled into the way of life. I'm not slating the way of life here, what I mean is that it is just so different from what I was used to back in the UK. It is taking a lot longer for me to feel at home here than what I anticipated.

Good luck whatever you do.

[Judge Mental]

Whatever happens we are selling our house, be that to move in the UK or to Cyprus, so that one is a no-brainer, mainly because we can't afford to live in Blair's Britain anymore....and have a life!!

We do intend to rent for a period so we get to see what life is like for real, before we decide our future....but we have to try it, or we will get too old to do it and regret never having tried.

I am sure that your previously expressed views are not shared by the majority - but what it feels like to me is an expectation that life in Cyprus would just be a continuation of UK life. We are under no such illusions, and we know that our lives will be what we make of them, and have no expectation that it will be like the UK....after all, that's what we are trying to get away from

[ex_pat]

No offence, but if you're so confident why are you on here posting that you're now worried about the move and fear you've made a mistake?

You asked for people's opinions, then you get your back up when you don't hear what you want to hear.

Makes no sense.

[Spartan King]

Whatever happens we are selling our house, be that to move in the UK or to Cyprus, so that one is a no-brainer, mainly because we can't afford to live in Blair's Britain anymore....and have a life!!

We do intend to rent for a period so we get to see what life is like for real, before we decide our future....but we have to try it, or we will get too old to do it and regret never having tried.

I am sure that your previously expressed views are not shared by the majority - but what it feels like to me is an expectation that life in Cyprus would just be a continuation of UK life. We are under no such illusions, and we know that our lives will be what we make of them, and have no expectation that it will be like the UK....after all, that's what we are trying to get away from

Mate, it seems that you are just getting understandable cold feet, moving to a different country is bound to do that. But let me assure you, if you have seriously given thought to moving to Cyprus then clearly you like the place. As for other things, Cyprus is similar to the UK in many respects, but also different. I am sure you have seen life there for yourself as a holliday maker. I know quite a few British ex pats who moved to Cyprus, and none of them have moved back to the UK. The standard of living out there is much better, and there are so many things for you to do. Everything is within access of a reasonable drive, whether you want to take your kids tracking on snow capped mountain in winter, swimming after school, nature walks in empty plains, or on a history trip- you can do it.

I will just ask you a few questions, which part of Cyprus are you thinking of moving to?

[sk]

only thing i would like to change in cyprus ,is if it was a bit more crowded...more people living on the island......if nicosia had 500,000pop,limassol 300,000 ,larnaka 150,000 and pafos 100,000 that would be ideal.
of course it cannot happen most probably within the next 50 years...

[devil]

You will find Broadband connection almost everywhere on the island. Its just that most Cypriots still have not been tempted to go to broadband.

I'm sorry, but that is utter crass nonsense. Outside the main cities and their immediate suburbs, there is little broadband service and little further expansion planned. For example, there are 64 communities in Larnaka district and only 9 of them have broadband available. Furthermore, if you live more than 3 km of copper from a node within one of these 9 communities, you can whistle until you're blue in the face, you won't get broadband.

[Spartan King]

You will find Broadband connection almost everywhere on the island. Its just that most Cypriots still have not been tempted to go to broadband.

I'm sorry, but that is utter crass nonsense. Outside the main cities and their immediate suburbs, there is little broadband service and little further expansion planned. For example, there are 64 communities in Larnaka district and only 9 of them have broadband available. Furthermore, if you live more than 3 km of copper from a node within one of these 9 communities, you can whistle until you're blue in the face, you won't get broadband.

I meant urban areas. My mistake, but I also proivided the link which shows the availabilty from CYTA.

Braodband still hasnt kicked off in a major way in Cyprus, but from what I understand- my friend is a communications engineer in CYTA, they do have plans to intergrate most of the island in the near future.

[cannedmoose]

Judge, as you've rightly said, your life in Cyprus will be what you make it. You get a lot of Brits who constantly whinge about the inefficiency of Cyprus compared to the UK, how they're treated as 2nd class citizens because they're foreigners etc. etc.

If you make an effort with Cypriots, with Cypriot culture and integrate as much as you can, you should have no problems whatsoever. You were talking earlier in the thread about sending your kids to a Cypriot state school, it might be tough on them in the short term, but in the long-term your children will basically become Cypriot, with accents almost indistinguishable from any other. They will also make friends that will probably last them a lifetime, as people in Cyprus tend to continue having friends from school, not like in the UK. As a result, these people will be their contacts that will make their life all the more easy.

As adults, it's different in that we will always be identifiable as foreign, but that's not to say that you will be looked down upon. The day you can have a conversation with your neighbours in Greek IS a day you can look forward to. Greek is a trying language to learn, but if you start with the alphabet and learn that by heart, once you know that, you've won half the battle.

I have a slight advantage in that I married into a Cypriot family and have thus had no problems with acceptance whatsoever, even from giagia who is the traditional 'damn foreigners, must be a Turk' (a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding). In fact, when I was Christened Greek Orthodox, she is now my god mother, so you can't get much more accepted than that!

Judge, to be honest, it seems like you've made your decision to leave the UK and it's a brave one that I respect. Your Cyprus experience will differ from every other ex-pats in one way or another, depending on your neighbours, employment etc. etc. My advice would be to go for it with gusto and make the life that you've always wanted. There will be adversities for sure, but you grow as a person by overcoming them and you'll grow as a Cypriot by understanding how to deal with them in future.

[Judge Mental]

Ex-pat....I assure you I did not get my back up by what you said....if it came across as that I apologise, it was not my intention .

Yes we have thought about it long and hard, but just in the last few days things have crystallised in that we have had an offer on our house at last so we are now staring reality in its face.....and then I start reading all sorts of stuff about how bad Cyprus is on this forum and on msn, and I am sure you will appreciate it made us nervous, so I posted seeking reassurance....and in the main I got it. It seems like for every 10 positive messages I read (I subscribe to other forums and am including them in that figure) I get one negative one come along. The positive ones simply confirm what I thought was the case, but the negative ones undermine my beliefs so naturally they seem out of all proportion.

I am just trying to convince myself we are doing the right thing, like most people do when they make a major decision.........but when someone tells you its a dumb idea, despite everyone else saying otherwise, it would be an idiot who ignored the person saying something detrimental. Much better to re-assess and re-evaluate in light of the views expressed to see where it takes us, in my opinion.

Canned Moose - thanks for your support....bit confused as regards sending my children to school though, especially as they are now all adults and I am a grandfather .....anyway, we are in the lucky situation of being 50 and 48 respectively, with me on a half-decent pension, so working is not an issue. I am sh*t scared of trying to learn greek as I have always been utterly useless at any language (even english can be problematic ), but I am prepared to try and learn some words/phrases as that is only right and proper....after all we always moan about immigrants to England who can't speak english. Phrases relating pots and black kettles spring to mind

chris

[Svetlana]

I confess, I sold up and moved here without renting first and have never regretted it, five years on. Yes, there is a lot 'wrong' (sometimes just different!) but overall I think life is wonderful here, you just have to put a bit in to get a lot out.

In five years, I have never felt any bad feeling from Cyptiots (except from Government officials - and they are rude to the entire population!) providing you are not in business here, you will find a very warm welcome, even if you cannot manage Greek.

Treat your Cypiot 'host' with respect and they will be your friend; just never forget you are a guest in the country, EU or no EU!

Lana