Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Im almost at the end of my tolerance levels, waiting in government offices or shops, when the local or native Turks just wade past me to get served, or mid conversation just ask their urgent question whilst they stop serving me.

Is this their culture or just rude, if its the second I'm going to have to learn the Turkish sentence for , get back or ill break your nose

Culture, same all over Turkey even with their own people, banks issue tickets and will not see anyone out of turn.

Mike and Sue wrote:Im almost at the end of my tolerance levels, waiting in government offices or shops, when the local or native Turks just wade past me to get served, or mid conversation just ask their urgent question whilst they stop serving me.

Is this their culture or just rude, if its the second I'm going to have to learn the Turkish sentence for , get back or ill break your nose

Mike, you need to let stuff like this make you smile and think it's just one of those things that make Cyprus a bit different....
If you can't let it wash over you it will only harm you.... so as mad as it may seem, learn to go with a slower pace and don't fret the small stuff... you will live longer and enjoy your life more.

Effing annoying though it is.

Mike and Sue wrote:Im almost at the end of my tolerance levels, waiting in government offices or shops, when the local or native Turks just wade past me to get served, or mid conversation just ask their urgent question whilst they stop serving me.

Is this their culture or just rude, if its the second I'm going to have to learn the Turkish sentence for , get back or ill break your nose

Queuing is a bit of an unknown concept but wait until you see them park.
It seems as if you get points for taking up three car parking spaces.

But on the other side of the coin you can be in the UK where you park on a bit of waste ground ten miles from civilisation only to find that on your return your car is clamped.

Part of living in this beautiful but often challenging country is to accept the different culture.

The Brits view que jumping as being a very rude act but the locals see it as normal behaviour so we just have to accept their way of life or move on.

The TRNC has many attractions,the main attraction being it’s safe to walk the streets without feeling threatened-Que jumping would not bother me but I understand why it bothers others.And I suppose the locals aren’t too happy with the heavy drinking culture which the Brits are world famous for.....this would include me of course.

It's particularly interesting when you are having a consultation with your doctor in the hospital in his office with the door closed and someone barges in to ask a quick question. Thankfully it was an orthopaedic consultation and not gynaecological

Mike and Sue wrote:Im almost at the end of my tolerance levels, waiting in government offices or shops, when the local or native Turks just wade past me to get served, or mid conversation just ask their urgent question whilst they stop serving me.

A lot of the frustrations being expressed on this thread result from you guys not understanding what the Turks/Turkish Cypriots are actually saying - the interuptions in government offices, that Mike_and_Sue mentioned, are, more often than not, questions such as "What's the value of the stamps needed for this form", "Will I need photographs for this" etc. - They are normally the sort of questions that can be answered quickly ... and so, if the same questions had been asked in English, I don't think you would have got so frustrated.

Mike and Sue wrote:Is this their culture or just rude, if its the second I'm going to have to learn the Turkish sentence for , get back or ill break your nose

So, it might be a good idea to learn a few Turkish phrases :
If you feel that someone pushes in front of you in a queue, then say "Bir sıra var" - "There's a queue".
If you feel that it should be you being dealt with, not someone else, then say "Sıra bende" - "It's my turn".
Politely saying such phrases will enable you to earn the respect of the Turks and TCs in the office/shop/wherever ... and it should enable you to be served in a way so as to avoid frustrations for you.

By the way, if you want to hear the expressions "Bir sıra var" and "Sıra bende" in Turkish, then click on the link and write either the English or the Turkish.
https://www.google.com.cy/search?q=Turk ... e&ie=UTF-8

They might be rude by your standards, but by and large they are not by theirs and its their country you are living in. However I've been in an office when someone tried to barge in and interrupt and they were given very short shrift. It all depends. Ever tried to board the underground in Paris and other European countries, then you'll know what pushing in is like. Last but not least, I once many years ago, got enormous satisfaction in a Supermarket after someone pushed in with her trolley and was served before me. So I let them empty my bulging trolley, bag it all up and then smiling, politely said to the checker "I've changed my mind, I don't think I want anything after all"

When we were in Istanbul for a week we used the Metro and Ferry every day they were always full to capacity but we never stood up, there was always someone who got up and offered their seats to us, the young Turkish offered their seats to their elders too.

woodspeckie I agree with you 200%, the people in Turkey, Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, have been nothing be polite and generous to a fault. Sadly not always as it is here, but we learn to understand that is the way Turkish Cypriots are, In Turkey, particularly on public transport people were just wonderful and helpful, checking we were on the right bus or water taxi etc. When I had a large plaster on my face, people went way, way out of their way, to wish me good health. On one occasion we found ourselves at the wrong Florence Nightingale hospital and a couple insisted we followed their car for over 10 miles to get to the right hospital. Their only remark being "Its our pleasure to help foreigners in our country" and off they went. In the UK, I sincerely doubt it somehow. Bare with it Mike and Sue, it's not all bad.

Actually one of the most annoying things to me are those that stop to let you turn right, normally I have a spot identified 2 cars further on and am not even looking at them. A motorcyclist did it yesterday signaled for me to turn in and was completely oblivious of the traffic behind him undercutting him. Sitting a a t junction waiting to join a main road, a car is turning into the junction past me he has right of way, a stream of traffic is passing him on the inside yet he is letting me out, but I cannot go because of the traffic passing him, then the car behind me starts tooting!!! If only they would driver their own flipping journey!

I waited for a space in Illeli the other day whilst the car backed out, I was lined up and indicating, the space became clear and the car came from behind me and nicked it. I pointed it out, she just laughed, so I parked behind her. She got her "friend" another male motorist to have a word, he explained to me that I needed to move my car which I duly did, once I had finished my shopping.

Jonnie wrote:I waited for a space in Illeli the other day whilst the car backed out, I was lined up and indicating, the space became clear and the car came from behind me and nicked it. I pointed it out, she just laughed, so I parked behind her. She got her "friend" another male motorist to have a word, he explained to me that I needed to move my car which I duly did, once I had finished my shopping.

This woman though has probably recounted the incident to at least 20 of her friends in a way similar to this ... factually incorrect as it may be -

"The other day, I was going to do some shopping at Illelı. There were a couple of drivers in the car park there - one was reversing, I don't know what the other one was doing. In any case, I took the spot being vacated. This British guy then says smthg to me, but I just smiled at him and did my shopping. Then the **** goes and parks behind me. I had to get Ahmet to tell the **** to move his car ... and even then he made me wait until he had finished all his shopping. The British here - do they still think they own the island!"

In your eyes her behaviour may have been rude, and yours so clever ... however, your behaviour is more likely to lead to more of the TC/Türk population screaming at Brits in the way the Turkish Cypriot woman did in the recent http://www.kibkomnorthcyprusforum.com/v ... =8&t=43453 thread. Wouldn't it have been better to have turned the other cheek ... for the sake of other Brits living here ... and general harmony.

The title of this thread is indicative of the whinging ex pats that have recently sullied these shores and they wonder why the locals avoid them , Different Country, Different rules ,rather than whinging as to the negatives , embrace the positives or move back. simples

"Pan calling kettle black"??

Go back to which ever country you came here from. Its their country they can do as they please!!!

You're a stroppy bunch this morning!

Mimi2 wrote:Go back to which ever country you came here from. Its their country they can do as they please!!!

unfortunately British people can not do that! Great Britain has too many rules and do gooders

My main gripe with this post why can not all people understand rudeness, lack of manners but due to so called education, guidelines etc its classed now as abuse in all categories, racist and other fancy names.
It is Rude
to interrupt, if one is in a hurry as so many are, politely ask, body language can be read so i do not accept we don't understand. eg when someone strides up to the cashier with an item, face set, body tensed you know they will push you out the way and insist the cashier checks the price. a big smile, point at the wrist you then smile back and say oh course.

I could go on forever but my childhood sums it up when i went to school Lady Sewards, Clyst st George across the fireplace Manners maketh man
I remember like yesterday the saying being explained to me so it starts young!!!! we as a world have become too busy, too rude, too selfish and money orientated.

Don't automatically blame the Cypriots please - read this for clarification and then think about the actual number of Cypriots and the number of Non-Cypriots that inhabit this wonderful country - this article covers DRIVING: http://turkishtravelblog.com/the-unoffi ... in-turkey/

Better to arrive in heaven 5 minutes late, than to arrive in hell 5 minutes early!!!!!

Yesterday I was wandering around the Tin Pan Alley area looking for a particular shop. I suddenly heard a man say "you look confused and harassed" I most certainly was. When I explained what I was looking for, the man spent 45 minutes or more taking me to Mobile shops, Computer Shops etc. After nearly an hour I insisted we sit and have a cold water. Believe me I am not one of these Dipsy English Women who get sucked in by TC/Turkish men (I'm too old and savvy for that), He then made a couple of phone calls and ascertained a shop that was probably the answer. At no time did I ask for his name and did not give him mine. But when my problem was solved, I offered him some money for all his trouble and his answer was, in absolutely perfect and well modulated English, the following: We were put on this earth to help those who need it and not for payment. We shook hands and we went our separate ways. The only thing I ascertained was that he was a mainland Turk and went to the local Mosque. So please don't think that EVERYONE is out to rip us off, although I freely admit that there are some Bar Stewards here who will do so at the first opportunity.

That is really useful thanks

iancrumpy wrote:

Mike and Sue wrote:Im almost at the end of my tolerance levels, waiting in government offices or shops, when the local or native Turks just wade past me to get served, or mid conversation just ask their urgent question whilst they stop serving me.

A lot of the frustrations being expressed on this thread result from you guys not understanding what the Turks/Turkish Cypriots are actually saying - the interuptions in government offices, that Mike_and_Sue mentioned, are, more often than not, questions such as "What's the value of the stamps needed for this form", "Will I need photographs for this" etc. - They are normally the sort of questions that can be answered quickly ... and so, if the same questions had been asked in English, I don't think you would have got so frustrated.

Mike and Sue wrote:Is this their culture or just rude, if its the second I'm going to have to learn the Turkish sentence for , get back or ill break your nose

So, it might be a good idea to learn a few Turkish phrases :
If you feel that someone pushes in front of you in a queue, then say "Bir sıra var" - "There's a queue".
If you feel that it should be you being dealt with, not someone else, then say "Sıra bende" - "It's my turn".
Politely saying such phrases will enable you to earn the respect of the Turks and TCs in the office/shop/wherever ... and it should enable you to be served in a way so as to avoid frustrations for you.

By the way, if you want to hear the expressions "Bir sıra var" and "Sıra bende" in Turkish, then click on the link and write either the English or the Turkish.
https://www.google.com.cy/search?q=Turk ... e&ie=UTF-8

Yes Mike and use the listen button on the link Ian has given you to hear how it really should sound - because it's not quite as simple as pronouncing the phrase the way it reads in phonetic English... e.g Bende or Ben de is not 'Bendy' you will hear that the 'e' sound is more like an 'ay'. most importantly pay attention to the i without the titttle as this has a completely different sound to 'i' in English...

Groucho wrote: titttle.

I never knew it was called that - thanks Sir !

Groucho wrote:The i without the titttle has a completely different sound to 'i' in English.

It does indeed Groucho, but the "i" (with tittle) in the English "Sir" sounds very similar to the "ı"(without tittle) in the Turkish "sıra".

Sorry for going , but we weren't merely tittle tattling