Before I start writing in depth, I want to you to think what it be like to love somewhere different. Somewhere you don’t know very well. Somewhere that is foreign but not to you. Somewhere you know will be the start of a new beginning and a great change in your life.
Now turn it around and think the complete opposite.. It isn’t like you imagined anymore is it? When I came to Northern Cyprus almost 6 weeks ago, I wasn’t sure what would happen, how it would work and so on.
And now? I’ve somehow got myself into a position where I love the surroundings I’m in. I’m questioning how relaxing it is and most of all, I’m so anxious as to what the outcome of me leaving for a fortnight may be.
This tiny little island, which to me is always so peaceful has changed in a way I’m even surprised at.
On Tuesday evening at around 5.30 as I waited at Nicosia’s (Lefkosa- Capital) Ledra Palas entrance for a friend, several people walked past me. Having stood there for almost half an hour, I couldn’t believe how I heard nobody speak a word of Cypriot Turkish. You may be thinking no way, but honestly my thoughts were exactly the same. It felt as though I was back in London, where you hardly hear English being spoken any more. Unfortunately very sad but true, now I have a funny feeling that Northern Cyprus is becoming the same. Three people walked past speaking Arabic, another two walked past speaking a European language I couldn’t work out and the rest all spoke mainland Turkish.. Need I say more? You tell me.
When a country has been so overwhelmed with people from around the world, and it’s language isn’t being spoken, then there must be something going wrong.
There’s a time when you begin to start feeling like you’re not in the country that you’re meant to be in.
Back in London, I can’t emphasise just how little I would here English spoken. I can understand that it’s a ‘democracy’, it’s multicultural and there are human rights, yet what I can’t get my head around is why you wouldn’t want to learn the language?
If any of you do know or if you too are a foreigner in London or Northern Cyprus even, please feel free to email me and share your thoughts and experience…
Knowing Turkish both mainland and Cypriot has always been an advantage to me. I only studied it at GCSE and the rest has come from my eagerness and constantly wanting to progress. Learning a language is hard, it takes time courage and motivation, but when living in a country you’re unfamiliar with learning the language should be your priority.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but learning and knowing another language will always be your benefit, your skill that makes you stand out from the rest and your foot in the door.
I hope that in days to come I see changes in both countries, not just in languages spoken but in people and their passion to become better than they already are.
