(not being racist) How many Pakistanis can fit in one car?

Speaking about cars, there is a joke in Polish : '' Ile sloni wejdzie do malucha?''
(How many elephants will fit in a Maluch? Maluch is Fiat 126P, for those who do not know what it is, a picture below:

Most of Indian and Pakistani workers here are very low class and usually the only means of transport they have is an old bicycle.
If one of them have a car – he is a master. The other day I saw 9(!!!) Pakistanis got in one car – an old 4 seats sedan. Well done!

No kids safety in the car

One thing that really pisses me off here is the attitude to kids safety in the cars. It is the only time I really cannot resist saying – stupid Cypriots. The following I see EVERY day:

• Letting kids jump around the car when driving (highway or city) - no seatbelts fastened.
  Special seats for kids are Non existent
  
• Keeping kids on the laps on front passenger seat (and there is the airbag for God sake!)
  
• The worst utter idiot I saw when I was driving on the highway and taking over a convertible, 2 seats mazda. Mazda was going about 120 per hour. What did I see when taking over - the father had a 2 year old kid on his laps – ‘helping’ him to drive. Man, where is your brain!!!!????

• And the crime is the worse that all this is seen happening in expensive cars driven by people who apparently have money to spend. Instead of spending 50 pounds on golden shoes buy the kid the seat!

One second and your kid is flying out through the windshield and seriously injured if not dead. I do not understand that…
I was glad to see this leaflet on Esso petrol station that explains that it is dangerous to have your kids not in the seat and fastened seat belts.

Architecture Walk with Omada Ergasias

Last Saturday went for a guided walk around Nicosia organized by a group of artists Omada Ergasias http://www.omadaergasias.com/ They are a realy cool group of people, all from fields of fine arts who also have great knowledge of Nicosia. There were about 20 of us - mainly foreigners, but everyone started talking to each other immediately and we had really good time although it was the first time we met. The 'guides' maide the atmosphere so friendly. We saw many places and details of Nicosia I have never paid attention too. Below is a summary of discovering the city anew -in the perspective of modern architecture (20-60 of XX century).

The modern style (prevailing concrete, glass, aluminium) - sometimes not pretty at all.

Old Town and new style.

From the roof of this building they say there is the besty view of the old and new town
Concrete concrete concrete

Glass bricks at public toilets on the main bus station.

Aspelia Court - just inside a residence building there is a museum of modern art. That is a way of bringing new initiatives without erecting new buildings.
In front of the building the army orchestra played for us!The ghost of Hotel Excelsior -prime location, but abandoned now and waiting for refurbishment. Was built in the 60s. We sneaked inside.




Now- FOOD. At Plateia Solomou there is a bus station and all buses from villages come here.There is one souvlaki place (grilled meat in pitta bread) which is quite dodgy and exteremely tiny but makes excellent souvlaki and so cheap. It is always full and serves like bus station bar - often people who are waiting for buses to come back to villages stope there to eat.

The event was a part of Arttalk - series of events about Architecture.

The subject of city planning is much discussed now since a project for development of Plateia Eleftherias has benn selected and they are planning to start works soon.

Cava - for wine

Cava is a place for wine ( almost only wine is served there) and delicious finger food. Very causal and a bit artistic, not posh at all. People just hanging around, pouring out of the building standing on the pavement with their glasses Just perfect for a get together on Friday evening. Reminds me of simmilar places in Spain. Today going again!

Municipal Market

On Saturdays there is an open market in the heart of the old town outside the Municipal Market hall. This is not urban landcape at all but so picturesque (bought some yummy apples).

Inside the hall you can also find interesting stuff apparenly against any hygene - anyone for a freshly slaughtered goat?

The “Bastard of Istanbul’ of a Turkish author Elif Shafah– my favourite reading

I devoured this book! Now I understand why Turkey banned it for insulting Turkish Identity. The memories and pains of the Armenian genocide and how Turks do not recognize it but the Armenians struggle to have it recognized are very straightforward.
But on to of that an amazing story of very common, but also complicated life stories. Amazing!

New discoveries in the old places

The weather got finally ok and went yesterday for a ride in Athalassa park. Have been there 1000 times but still found yesterday something I had not seen before. In the corner of the park there is a small, fenced botanic garden ‘Park of Nations’. It is divided into sections named after continents. In each section trees from the respective continent/country were planted.
Hehehe seems Cyprus modestly sees itself as one of the continents:
These trees are from the Africa section - Tonga (where the hell is Tonga???), Malawi, Zambia:

Another surprise: an old aqueduct hidden in the field just next to the University Campus
There are actually quite many remains of ancient irrigation here, since apparently water used to be very scarce.

It’s raining again

It’s been 3 days of constant rains and since last night we have been enjoying thunderstorms. This night the sky would lit every couple of minutes and now it started again. Have never seen something like that for 2 years.
7.15 AM

7.30 AM

8.15 AM

Builders' talent

Anyone remebers an ad of Kit-Kat - a American -looking guy in the taxi in India, and taxi driver singing in an annoying way? Same kind of songs I am lucky to hear from a construction field just next to my office. There are many Pakistani and Indian guys working as builder generally. They are cheaper than Eastern European.

The great acoustics of bare concrete walls even make thei chants even louder. Now with the windows open it's a dolby surround!

Different forms of rain

Rain is a scarce phenomenon here but available in a range of forms.
For 3 days last week we had kokkinochoma – red sand falling from the sky. It happens every now and then. Clouds of sand are brought from deserts miles away in Africa. It’s annoying because it get’s in the eyes, nose and throat. The sky is not at all blue, but grey and covered with kind of fog. Whatever is outdoors is covered with a layer of the reddish thingy.
Now today morning I could not believe my eyes - real rain (last tome Cyprus saw rain was 2 months ago). So now it’s nice and refreshed and it also rinsed out the kokkinochoma remains

May Days

Have been very lazy doing nothing - no sports, no activities. I have been following a quote from one of the claimed-to-be gurus ‘ we are not human doings, we are human beings’ ;)) But made an effort to go to the sea side.
My second favorite part of the road to Capo Greco – the hill visible on the left
My favourite beach – Konnos Bay in Protaras

Wandering around the old city: