You know you've lived in Turkey & or North Cyprus when

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 08:40

(pls add more this is just for fun & not meant to offend anyone)



-When you first arrived you started to notice pictures of Atatürk in every house/cafe/restaurant etc that you went to and now you actually look around wherever to go until you more often than not do spot a photo or some kind of memorabilia of him.

-If you went to a catholic school/are catholic you may remember plastic coloured beads to say prayers with a silver cross at the end of them, you thought you had forgotten all about them until you came here and see men frantically playing with similar beads to pass the time, or maybe stop them smoking so much!

-You would pass a cafe and hear a loud rattling noise and wonder what it was, now you know it's just people playing tavla

-Everywhere you go the rule is when you enter the door the person on the other side has to greet you with 'hoşgeldiniz' and in return you say 'hoşbolduk' even if you are not really happy to see eachother

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 08:48

-in North Cyprus you will have at least one friend or know a friend of a friend who has had a car accident on the roads here

-You have been introduced to 'Lahmacun' - half pizza half kebab, basically a pizza base topped with minced meat and spices that must be eaten with chillis salad and 'ayran' a salty yoghurt drink

-You have started to pick up some words and now have started to say things like tamam even if you are having a conversation in English with someone who doesnt even speak Turkish!

-You no longer think it's weird to have olives cheese and salad for breakfast

-You are used to and over the novelty of rose jam and just see it now as another flavour of jam you might have for breakfast

-You may have noticed that young or old Turkish people all seem to have msn accounts and love to chat on there

-You have learnt to keep up to date of when a 'bayram' is happening as often then the banks can be closed for up to 4 days at a time! Or you may have to stock up on sweets!

smithy


Joined: 17/07/2008
Posts: 5301

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 08:55

Your right Nat

Stocked up on sweets and no one has knocked on the door as yet, dont want to be tempted to eat them )

all of the other topics I have also wondered about.

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 08:58

lol!



Natx

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:03

...contd (just thought of another one!)



-You now own at least one accessory, a keyring, bracelet etc that has the blue bead/eye on it to protect you

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:13

When window shopping, suddenly a person appears who is totally unbeknown, pleadingly saying," You're my friend, I give you good price, please you want coffee?" Thereon knowing it's going to be a total rip off!



Richard

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:15

lol good one!

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:18

Natless I bought the 'eye' and had a catalogue of bad luck lol, threw it away cos it scared me and all is sort of ok now

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:22

It obviously didn't work for you then! Blue is my favourite colour and I think the bracelets etc are so pretty that I have found myself with loads of blue eyed beads all over the house etc... seems to be working though! ;0)

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:24

'Rose' flavoured jam and rose coloured spectacles springs to mind!



Natless - you need to speak directly to Mr. Tuncel Berg at the British High Commission in Lefkosa - very helpful man, we found. I think you'll need a trip to Lefkosa, though! Deal with the chief - not with the indians!

NatAless



Joined: 31/03/2009
Posts: 789

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 09:29

Thanks for the tip I will try to speak to him directly!!!



Natx



PS Does anyone know when you get married in Turkey if the marriage is also automatically registered or also valid in the UK if one of you is a British Citizen or if you have to apply for a marriage certificate/also register the marriage in the UK aswell?

Oleander


Joined: 03/05/2009
Posts: 302

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 11:43

When you buy a bottle of milk and discover it hasn't 'gone off' when you get it home and open it.

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 11:47

Oleander so very true, or if you buy McVities dark choco digestives and they aren't stale, or for that matter most of the english biscuits just do not taste right.



The meat here is a different texture and taste ie, beef and lamb as there is no grass for the sheep and cows, I am veggie when I am here pratically, although I do buy mincemeat for spag bog and flavour it with spices.

mmmmmm



Joined: 19/12/2008
Posts: 8398

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 12:06

The waiter says he know English and brings you completely different dishes than you ordered and insists that he was 'right' [ Turkiey ] ;)

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 12:12

Dee,

No wonder you had bad luck!

Didn't anyone tell you that you are only supposed to receive them as a gift?

I'll get you one next time I'm in Lefkoşa Market...



Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can comment, but I think that the problem with the meat is that it's not 'hung' at all - or only for a very short time. The Butchers here seem to be convinced that all meat has to look 'fresh' and be bright red! Properly hung meat is a much darker shade, perhaps not so attractive to the eye, but a hell of a sight tastier on the taste buds! - Perhaps Liz or Guido might give us tips on where to buy properly hung meat...

Tootie


Joined: 28/08/2008
Posts: 2037

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 12:13

- You have started sitting outside the front of your house on a white plastic chair all day

Tootie


Joined: 28/08/2008
Posts: 2037

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 12:16

-continued from msg 16.... - trying to out stare your neighbour.

Aslan


Joined: 23/06/2008
Posts: 757

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 12:26

When traveling to work in the morning you note that all the kids are going home from school!!

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 13:21

A couple of years ago we stayed at the High Life Hotel in Karakum, the owner used to be a butcher and used to go daily to the little butchers on the main road in Karakum, it was always really good beef and lamb. Can't remember exactly where it was somewhere just up from the advert for the High Life on the opposite side of the road. it is only a small shop window

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 13:26

---you start asking people if they know a good Butcher

Thanks for that Woodspeckie!

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 14:26

And you keep some slippers near the door to put on as soon as you come in (really sensible idea)

and some lemon to refresh your guests' hands. I am not superstitious at all and I have bought and

received blue eyes for years, and yes, they are pretty, and I give them to those I love, or like!

petez


Joined: 04/12/2008
Posts: 560

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 14:45

There are lots of great ' You know you're in North Cyprus replies here...



in fact there is a whole group devoted to it.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6529863028&ref=ts

NCWeddings


Joined: 06/08/2009
Posts: 135

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 17:26

When complete strangers smile and say hello when you pass each other. (And are being genuinely nice!)

Mindy



Joined: 27/10/2008
Posts: 1210

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 19:54

When a bag of rubbish flies out of the window of the car in front.

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 20:15

You are surprised when the car in front actually uses indicators...

Oleander


Joined: 03/05/2009
Posts: 302

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 20:42

Tootie your 'white plastic chairs' actually made me laugh out loud!

Quarmby


Joined: 15/09/2008
Posts: 975

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 20:57

Expats are now swearing a lot more than they used to do!

Mindy



Joined: 27/10/2008
Posts: 1210

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 23:10

That is a shame if so, that is one of the positives of living here, not hearing foul language when you are out in public, it is definitely cringeworthy, abhor bad language.

lucienne


Joined: 29/01/2009
Posts: 129

Message Posted:
29/11/2009 23:26

You ask for something in a restaurant, when it arrives it is totally different to what you ordered. When you complain, the waiter shrugs and says 'That's the way that we are doing it today!'

Aslan


Joined: 23/06/2008
Posts: 757

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 13:16

When you turn up at a petrol station to refuel and the attendant comes out of his office with fag in mouth while talking on his mobile and you ask yourself is this an "Inshallah or Masallah" moment!!

authentichoccie


Joined: 09/01/2008
Posts: 481

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 16:07

You find yourself replying to questions with a backward flip of the head and a 'tut'!

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 16:10

When you go back to the UK and breath a sigh of relief lol...Can you tell I am tiring of being here lol.

deecyprus4


Joined: 27/07/2008
Posts: 3452

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 16:11

Keith actually now I think of it ..it was a gift lol, maybe the girl in supreme didnt really like me lol

jacktheladett


Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 528

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 16:29

.....you look out the window and the sun is shining.



when visitors ask how you put up with all the dogs barking, and you say, what dogs?



...when your mortgage payments stop.



...when local tradesmen do jobs for nothing or say, it's ok, pay me later.

booitsme


Joined: 04/02/2009
Posts: 667

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 16:45

When you know ALL the Turkish high days and holidays but haven't got a clue when it's mothers day or bank hoiday in UK - unless you phone a friend!!!



When it becomes perfectly natural that complete strangers drop off gifts of plants because they see from your garden that you're a keen gardener



When you spend an hour "chatting" to your neighbours even though they have a limited knowledge of english and your Turkish isn't what it should be......................................... but know exactly what's been said!

mrsgee


Joined: 23/06/2009
Posts: 396

Message Posted:
30/11/2009 19:17

When you walk round the villages in the sunshine, and small children run up and shake your hand, and sometimes kiss it and take it to their forehead as a mark of respect, and wish you happy bayram without wanting something in return.....beats being mugged in the UK.......hmmmmmmm where would I rather be??????? No contest!

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
01/12/2009 11:58

Hi Keith,



msg 15.



I had overheard that you weren't very well hung, and now I know what they were talking about.

darrener2


Joined: 30/12/2008
Posts: 187

Message Posted:
01/12/2009 12:10

When you see empty containers as useful and unusual planters for your garden.

When you ask your neighbour what he is planting in his garden and he gives you some seeds and then you spend the rest of the year chasing his chickens away from your sweetcorn.

When you try to lessen the embarrassment as he catches you throwing a wet dishcloth at said chickens, by telling him he has a magnificent cock! Neighbour wanders away shaking head. lol!

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
01/12/2009 13:34

Vaughan,

I'm not even going to TRY to top that...

adagirl


Joined: 01/06/2009
Posts: 371

Message Posted:
01/12/2009 14:55

Keithcaley



The supermarket "supreme" (Çatalköy) are selling the well hung, imported beef. I bought some sirloin on Saturday and it melts in the mouth, and full of flavour (29 tl per kilo). They did have most of the fat cut off (as they do) but theres enough left to keep the meat moist.

keithcaley



Joined: 13/06/2008
Posts: 2521

Message Posted:
01/12/2009 15:10

Thanks for that adagirl,

I just KNEW that someone would come up with the goods...

Rodzilla


Joined: 22/10/2009
Posts: 31

Message Posted:
08/12/2009 15:33

When your Turkish gets good enough to realize that two people shouting at each other are not actually having an argument but they are just Cypriot and shouting to each other even though they are a meter apart from each other.

luvincyprus



Joined: 03/12/2009
Posts: 96

Message Posted:
08/12/2009 23:46

) ı tink u all missing england :P



did u know that we like eating serials with hot milk instead of cold milk, when ı was student in the Uk ı discover that english people never have serial with hot milk

scruff


Joined: 15/07/2008
Posts: 1070

Message Posted:
09/12/2009 00:15

Uugh. Hot milk.

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
09/12/2009 14:06

Weetabix with hot milk in (UK) winter. Yum!

scootex



Joined: 03/03/2009
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
09/12/2009 15:40

I had one of those all seeing eyes it bought me nothing but bad luck as it belonged to the wife