Sir,
With reference to the article ‘Cyprus Chic: fact of fiction?’ (Sunday Mail, September 11), I thought that a response was appropriate.
As much as I would like to see Cyprus in the international limelight, I am afraid that it has no chance and this I would say is by choice.
As an overseas-born Cypriot (a Charlie, as I’m frequently called) now living in Cyprus for over a year, I can honestly say that Cyprus is light years away from being either chic or trendy. As my granddad used to say “you can take the person from the village, but you cannot take the village from the person”.
I read with humour your statements regarding Cyprus trying to emulate chic cities, thinking that we are the cream of the crop, etc.
Even more laughable the statements that we don’t we don’t lack glamour, Cyprus has some of the most beautiful women and that our younger men are the epitome of Greek gods! This is what makes Cyprus so pathetic, the new generation think that they are so beautiful and chic.
Example one: The younger women wear sunglasses that would put an astronaut to shame, driving habits that would make even Italian men jealous and they seem so bossy.
Example two: The younger men wear clothes that look like they’ve been sprayed on to their bodies, haircuts like my Pekinese dog and love showing off their latest noisy exhaust. I am not referring to teenagers, these are grown men, who obviously haven’t grown up yet.
Having travelled the world and visited many a chic place (including those mentioned in your article), I can honestly say that Cyprus falls well below the mark. This is in terms of things to do, see, to been seen at and more importantly facilities. This incidentally has nothing to do with the CTO. This organisation can only promote what is here and not to dream up things to make this sunny isle what it is not.
My family and I live in Limassol: try and find a restaurant on any of the promenades where you can sit outside and not be polluted by passing traffic, but also by noise pollution to the extreme. “The epitome of Greek gods” love to raise their exhaust noise levels to new heights.
However, Limassol does have some great hotels that would be smart in any chic city, but once you leave your five-star hotel you are in a two-resort. What do you see, twin cabin pick up trucks that seemed to be dumped (sorry parked) everywhere.
Your chic tourist wants to see beautiful, people, places, restaurants, cool night spots, the latest offerings from D&G, Versace etc. Instead they walk out of their expensive hotels and see bars, jewellery shops and vendors selling corn on the cob, where a local twin cabin driver, ignorant to traffic laws, has just parked on the pavement, blocking their path.
I feel very sorry for the CTO, as their job must be very difficult indeed. Difficult in the sense that they can only work with the material they have and not what they would like to have; that I am afraid is a job for all the Cypriots. This, I’m afraid, would take years to accomplish, as the Cypriot psyche is not ready for it. Let them go to the chic places of the world and see what makes them alive with this chic-ness. Until then, we have to live with what we have.
Mr S Demos, Limassol
