Today we sat in a lecture about the history of Cyprus at the University of Nicosia. Between 1878 and 1960, Cyprus was under British control. The British conquered Cyprus for the first time in 1192 AD but only for a short period. The Cypriots had hope for British rule because they ruled for the people, meaning they were more Democratic. The Cypriots first opposed the ruling in 1931 when Britain refused to unite with Greece. Cyprus became independent in 1960 AD, only because Turkey, Greece, and the British decided that is what was best for Cyprus. The Cypriots had no input on the agreement between these powers.

I enjoyed Dr. Solomon’s political lecture during his presentation. He was very honest in his discussion and made me think deeper about the status of our world and world leaders. Rulers should rule by a moral code and not what the political majority wants. He talked a lot about Cyprus’s trouble with Turkey and his feelings towards what the world is doing about their actions. Another thing I was not aware of is the religious status of Cyprus. People are not religious fanatics but the church still gives the people hope. During the many change in rulers, people turned to the Greek Orthodox Church. I admire the Cypriots for never losing themselves or hope in their country.

I enjoyed the Greek language crash course the most today. The professor was very interactive and definitely left a mark in my brain about the language. It is fascinating how numbers with 3 are considered lucky numbers, and their unlucky day is Tuesday the thirteenth. She mentioned a lot of neat facts about the people and the island that I never knew before. For example, the people speak Greek but it is considered Cypriot Greek, which is a different dialect. Another thing I enjoyed learning was how the father rules the house in Athens but the mother rules the house in Sparta. I think the different hellos are helpful to know in Cyprus. Τρία σου pronounced Yia su is the singular hello, and Τι κάνεις is the plural hello or cheers when drinking. This is pronounced Yia sas. I will definitely be practicing my Greek!