I will make this post for September 15th only because it's a random day that I didn't have time to write about before I left (and it doesn't really coincide with the other things I'm going to post within the next couple of days). After that, I will put up a series of posts about my travels to break it up (since it will be about two weeks of information!). I know that it's going to be a lot to read, so I thought breaking it up would be easier for any of you who don't want to read it all at once! (That's the nice thing about blogs--you can read a little, and always go back later to finish reading it!) Sorry it's so much, but after these, I probably won't be writing such long posts because I'm in class now! :P I hope you enjoy reading them!
September 15th:
The day started out with the group going to the university where we were given a lecture on the “Cyprus Problem.” I know that many people didn’t really know where Cyprus was when I told them that I was going to be studying abroad here (it’s okay, I didn’t really know where it was at first either..just a general idea), so I’m sure a lot of you don’t really know about the Cyprus Problem. Basically, the Cyprus Problem refers to the division of the country. Over the centuries, Cyprus has been conquered multiple times, mainly because of its ideal and strategic location (it’s located at the center of three continents--Europe, Asia, and Africa). The most recent invasion in Cyprus happened in the 1960’s by Turkey. In 1964, the island was divided, and thousands of people were relocated to their homes. Greek Cypriots who were living in the North of the island were forced to leave and re-locate to the South, and Turkish Cypriots who were living in the South were forced to re-locate to the North. It is a very sad story, and many people went missing, many of whom were never found. An actual border was created, and neither side was allowed to cross; it was basically the Berlin Wall of Cyprus. This buffer zone is referred to as the Green line because it was drawn on a map with a green pen when the country was divided in 1964. The border was finally opened up for the first time in 2003: Cypriots from both sides were finally allowed to cross. People were allowed to be on each side of the Green Line for 24 hours, and many Cypriots from both sides took that time to visit old homes and friends. We were told something that I found really amazing; apparently, some people who went to visit their old homes visited with the Cypriots who had taken over the property. The cool part is that these Cypriots had saved things like photos, jewelry, and money that they had found on the property just in case the previous owners ever came back. Isn’t that neat?! :) I think that shows a wonderful side of humanity that is seldom seen these days. Currently, the island is still divided, however, Turkey is the only one that recognizes the northern part of the island. The European Union (and the rest of the world for that matter) only recognize the Republic of Cyprus (the southern part of island that is Greek) to be the legal country. According to some of the GLS staff that lectured us, the Greek Cypriots are very welcoming to the Turkish Cypriots and are very much in support of Turkey’s joining the European Union (I found out that apparently Turkey is considering joining the EU). That being said, the Turkish Cypriots really get a great deal: since the Greek Cypriots are in such desire of peace-making, the Turkish Cypriots get all kinds of benefits including free health care on the southern side, the ability to work on the southern side, and access to E.U. passports (at least, something along these lines). Okay, enough of the history lesson. After our morning lecture and a small break, the GLS group went to visit the archaeological museum in Nicosia. It was a lot bigger than I expected it to be, and I saw some really neat things. After our visit, the group had a bit of free time, so a bunch of us went to the center of the city and had lunch and shopped around. My roommate, Shami, and I went to a place that served some amazing pasta and split a plate; it was pretty much like gourmet mac and cheese, and it was ah-mazing. When we shopped around, I saw a bunch of things that I liked (especially shoes), but [unfortunately] I was able to restrain myself. ;D When we all met back up, we started the last activity of the day: a scavenger hunt! We were given a list of things to complete in the city of Nicosia, in the university area, and around our neighborhood. We hired a taxi for part of it, and when we were let off, the driver said “Good luck with everything, and God Bless you.” I thought that was pretty neat, because I wouldn’t normally expect a taxi driver to say something like that! Overall, the scavenger hunt was super fun, and although my group didn’t finish everything, we were close (and we didn’t cheat either!). The winning team is supposed to be treated to a Cypriot dinner; we’re still waiting on the results. The rest of the night, I just spent time relaxing, skyping Kirst, watching Gossip Girl, and packing!
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