Today was the first full day in Cyprus! We began by going to UNic to learn about the full history of Cyprus. During our lecture, Dr. Solomou emphasized how much the control of Cyprus changed. This emphasis was visibly presented to us by the photographs Dr. Solomou showed us at the end of the lecture. It was incredible to see how many countries/empires have left their own cultural marks on Cyprus whether it be food, architecture, or language. As a result of this, I was able to learn why certain buildings are built certain ways with crosses or minarets that have possibly been added later following the occupation. I also was comparing Cyprus’ history to the history of the US which really put into perspective how young the US is and at the same time it also opened my eyes further allowing me to realize how old Cyprus is.

After eating at “The Block”, we returned back to the classroom to get a Greek crash course. As someone who loves to consume information regarding foreign languages, I was immediately intrigued. Greek has the phrases “Kalimera” and “Kalispera” which are essentially the equivalent of our “Good Morning” and “Good Afternoon”. When it comes to numbers, Greek also follows certain patterns just like English. One thing I wish we could’ve learned about if we had more time would definitely be the Greek Alphabet as it is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I also would be curious to learn about the differences between Modern and Ancient Greek. Overall, I’m psyched to have a solid foundation of Greek that I can use while speaking to locals!

Later that night after returning back to Limassol, the group headed over to Tavernaki to try our very first Meze dinner. They started by bringing pita along with salad and fries which was followed by a gigantic meat platter. The platter was 100% the most interesting part with the meats ranging from somewhat common tastes to less common tastes such as a sausage that tasted somewhat like licorice. In conclusion, our first day was a memorable one giving us the foundation we need to survive in Cyprus.