Which Greek to learn?

Re: Greek and history a must for immigrants under proposed law (Cyprus Mail, June 20).

It’s all very well to require people wishing permanent residency on Cyprus but business friends from Athens (ethnic Greeks) were recently on the island visiting us.

They struck up a conversation with Cypriots in their hotel. We were astounded when they told us they hardly understood anything the Cypriots said, as the Greek the Cypriots were speaking, appeared to be a dialect spoken on Cyprus.

We showed them an official document given to my husband and I when we applied for residency here. Our Athenian friends even had trouble understanding that !

We being Germans, compare this with the German spoken in Bavaria. Most people from other parts of Germany do not understand “Bavarian German”, especially those from Hamburg like us.

So tell us, what’s the use of learning the Greek language ?
 
Diane & Kurt Best,
Limassol