Cyprus 🇨🇾

Niki, 46

Born in Enfield, UK and heritage is from Larnaca & Famagusta, Cyprus

Came to Australia in April 1980

What is your occupation?

I’m primarily a carer for my younger daughter. I also do admin work for my partner just to keep the income flowing in during lockdown. I had to quit my high-end marketing position when she was diagnosed with Lafora disease. I’m also a volunteer board member, communications and marketing director of Chelsea’s Hope Lafora Children’s Research Fund.

It’s a terminal neurological disease: glycogen, a form of sugar, accumulates over the years and it ends up attacking the major organs of the body. Unfortunately, it is considered progressive and there is no cure at the moment. As far as I’m aware, my daughter is the only Australian who has this disease. I’ve talked to parents from all around the world who have had to support their children through this horrendous experience.

The GoFundMe page that I’ve set up explains it in a lot more detail.

Why did you come to Australia?

I came with my parents who were living in the UK. In the 1980s, there were a lot of campaigns to get people to move to Australia. My parents took the plunge and they’ve loved it here ever since.

I am very thankful to have been brought up here; I consider Australia to be God’s Country. In my opinion, you can still be poor and have a good life here.

What do you like about Sydney?

I like metropolitan cities, as everything you want access to is nearby. The multicultural food scene is amazing here, and you don’t find this overseas, even in other Western countries.

Although racism exists everywhere in the world, I feel like Australians accept other cultures better; we live more harmoniously with people of different backgrounds.

The wages here in Sydney go further and they give us more opportunities in life, like travelling overseas. I lived and worked in the UK for 9 months to pursue my singing career. I noticed that people there just “existed” as the majority live paycheck to paycheck.

What don’t you like about Sydney?

The distance between Europe and Australia is nightmarish. It takes around a day to travel there in the best-case scenario. I was travelling every 2-3 years to Europe but it’s been a while now ever since I had kids.

The Sydney traffic has gotten considerably busier in recent years. It used to be a lot more laid back but I’ve definitely noticed the change. I used to think Canberra was a boring ghost town, but I’ve appreciated the fact that it’s now well-established with hardly any traffic. I’d even consider moving there for the lifestyle.

What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?

If you haven’t travelled overseas, make sure you do it. It really opens your eyes to how lucky we are in Australia. It will make you appreciate Sydney and Australia a lot more.

What languages do you speak?

English and Cypriot Greek

Cypriot Greek is considered a dialect of Greek. We have a few Turkish words and in some cases, Cypriot words are exactly the same as Ancient Greek words.

My Cypriot Greek isn’t the best. Greeks from Greece find it funny when I say some words that just sound funny to them.

Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.

Halloumi

It’s semi-hard and unripened cheese made from a mixture of sheep’s milk and goat’s milk. We also say this before taking photos, like how we say “Cheese” in English.

There was a recent controversy surrounding the name.

What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?

Cypriots are very laid back. Siestas are a common practice and it is considered a party island. It’s like when you go to your grandparents’ place. You can do whatever you want.

Mind you, these are all based on my holiday experiences.

On a more serious note, Cyprus has currently split into two: the Greek side and the Turkish side. Turkey invaded Cyprus following a Greek-government-backed coup and gained control of the northern third section of the island, which included the district of Varosha. There is a ghost town called Varosha which was abandoned after the Turkish invasion in 1974, although the beaches were recently reopened in October 2020.

Who is the most famous person in your native country?

Anna Vissi

She is probably the most famous Cypriot singer. I saw her live at an outdoor concert in Cyprus and it was predictably amazing.

Her most famous songs are Dodeka and Methismeni Politia.

What is the best dish in your native country?.

Sheftalia

It is a type of sausage, but instead of using sausage skin, it uses caul fat or omentum (the membrane that surrounds the stomach of pigs or lambs) to wrap the ingredients. The ingredients used are ground pork, onion, pepper, salt and pepper.

Souvlaki

Souvlaki is Greek grilled meat. The Cypriot version of souvlaki uses cabbage instead of lettuce. The meat is also cut into slightly larger chunks.

Soutzouko

These are strands of almonds coated repeatedly in a caramel and cornflour mixture. These are uniquely Cypriot; you cannot find them in Greece.

Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.