Today was the first day of our trip that we spent in Cyprus! Getting off the plane and finally landing in Cyprus was a moment I was looking forward to the whole trip, as I thought it would be a moment of joy and wonder. Unfortunately, that moment did not live up to expectations. This was through no fault of Cyprus but rather my own. Upon landing in Cyprus, I had barely slept more than 2 hours in the last 24 hours, and I was too exhausted to enjoy my first steps in Cyprus. It was very interesting, though, finally getting out of the airport and driving around Cyprus. I was nodding off occasionally, but the beauty of the Cypriot cities and countryside kept me going. What I have found fascinating about Cyprus is the blend of old and modern. Many of the buildings that we saw were extremely old stone buildings that could’ve been built hundreds of years ago. Yet instead of tearing down these buildings or preserving them as museums, the people here instead use them day to day as shops, restaurants, or even housing.This use of historic buildings is one of the major cultural differences that stood out to me between the US and Cyprus. I much prefer the way Cyprus uses historical buildings, and I wish that the US built more buildings that were made to last hundreds of years.
Another cultural difference that I noticed was the restaurant experience. In the US, waiters are overly friendly and very sensitive to customers’ wants. This has very much not been the case so far with the restaurants I’ve been to in Cyprus. The waiters here are typically more professional and less likely to constantly check on you at your table. This makes the dining experience much different, as you need to catch your waiter here much more than at home. This, I believe, can largely be attributed to the cultural norm in Cyprus of not tipping. Because of the lack of tipping culture, waiters are not concerned with bending to customers every need and instead simply do what’s necessary. Finally, I really enjoyed having all the cats roam around the outdoor seating area we were eating in. I have never experienced this many wild cats before, and it was interesting watching how the cats begged for food and interacted with one another. Overall my first day in Cyprus was a huge success, and I can’t wait to experience the country further.