Sunday, January 28/2018

A day in the North with Jane and Bill. We check out Famagusta's new (well, a year old but we haven't been there before) City Mall. [Side question: why do Brits pronounce mall to rhyme with shall, while North Americans pronounce it to rhyme with ball, call, fall, gall, hall, many etceteras?] Google first to find driving directions. There is a website, and a miniature Union Jack to press for English, but this amounts to English single word subheadings followed by Turkish text. (Now have Turkish English dictionary on the iPad mini that works offline).

But we find it. Spiffy shiny new looking, with four storeys round a central courtyard. Escalators and lift. Could have been anywhere in Europe except that the shops aren't the standard chains, due to the sanctions against the North. But electronics, baby clothes, kitchen things, shoe shops - all looking film set bright and neat. A bit short on customers when we attire, but it does get busier. Are they buying? There are three or four fast food spots but also a bar and restaurant on the ground floor with surprisingly good food. Our waitress, like many in North Cyprus, is a non-Cypriot university student. The TRNC has encouraged many foreign students to enrol. It's a win-win as the fees are welcome and the students get to do degrees in English. This girl is from Tajikistan, and speaks excellent English. Her third language - the second is Russian. Are there jobs in Tajikistan once you have the education (in her case business studies)? Well, her real hope is to emigrate. The dream would be London. 

Finish the day with a bowl of soup at our place.