Southern Hospitality
I have been on this island for an official week, and just in this short amount of time, I have managed to acquire a vast array of new and interesting experiences.
I’ve purchased groceries where almost everything in my cart was in a foreign language, I’ve made conversation with strangers in the street, I’ve wandered into restaurants and ended up staying three hours, I’ve gotten lost less than half a block away from my own apartment… I’ve learned about the history behind a country from a man drawing on the back of a napkin, I’ve walked through a “buffer” zone between two sides of the same country and eaten so many dishes I can’t pronounce, I wouldn’t even know where to begin describing them.
But out of all of the things that I’ve gone through here, the one that has had the most profound impact, is the hospitality that has all but encompassed me since I arrived. My first evening here, I ventured out with some of the other students to explore the streets we’d be getting to know in the next month. We ended up at Ivanhoe, a small pub run by a Cypriot gentleman. We sat down at the bar, and he was quick to offer up a variety of the Cypriot specialties and was totally content with giving us a detailed history lesson of the island.
The next night, I joined Emma further down the “Strip” of Cyprus until we ran into Emessa, a Syrian restaurant run by a pair of business partners, and employed by their friends and family. The people there were, and still are, so hospitable it’s almost bizarre. They are so willing to go out of their way to do things for us… I have never felt so welcome in a place before.
Whether we are in restaurants, shopping in the Old City, or walking around the farmer’s market, people are so friendly and they want to talk to you. The people shove food into your hands and insist it is free, they are so helpful when they give directions (or attempt to) and they are always smiling when they speak to you.
I find this very funny, to be honest. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the people when I got here, but this certainly wasn’t it. I am blown away by the hospitality and willingness of people to go out of their way to help, to speak to you. It enhances the experience so much. You learn so much more about the culture and really how life is by speaking to people who are permanent residents.
Coming from the south, we are used to the term “southern hospitality,” but I don’t think saying “ma’am” and holding the door open for others can even compare to the way the residents of this island are. I’m sure there are those who don’t live their lives so openly, but that doesn’t at all detract from the fact that some people are willing to explore not only their own culture with strangers, but to accept the culture and the preferences of others into their daily routine. We walk into restaurants and they turn on American music, they offer us their specialty dishes or discounts, they ask us questions and let us ask our own questions in respond. It truly is 100% different than the type of hospitality you would receive in the states.