Aradippou Tales – A Life in Cyprus

I mentioned a while ago that we had, unexpectedly, become involved in a project that was taking up a fair amount of time. We decided for a number of reasons that it wasn’t right to continue for another year in the same roles so we formally stood down a while back. Having now handed over to our successors we are free again!

This has some real upsides; we will actually be in a position to take part in some of the project events rather than just managing them in the background, we’ll be in a position to start looking for somewhere else to live, and we won’t have to work with Dolores. The importance of that last one has become increasingly apparent of late.

Dolores has a reputation for being keen to become involved in groups/organisations/events. Sadly, many of them seem to have taken a turn for the worse with in-fighting, back-stabbing and general unhappiness.

The handover was a little fraught. Ian is still smarting from being accused of plagerising some documents he produced “Yes, I recognised that text you used, a friend of mine wrote it.” said she.

Mandy bit (through?) her tongue when she was told “Well, you may have done things this way but it isn’t right and will be changing from now”.

By the time she came to software theft “Yes well, we’ll borrow this licenced software from another group to replace the thing you created” there were only raised eyebrows. We had Dolores-overload.

Some time ago we picked up a publication that she edited, just as she was stepping down as Editor. The back page is devoted to thanking people who helped during her tenure but begins with the following paragraph;

I was really going to use this page to have my say and retaliate to the two members who have great delight in making my life hell for the last two year but I’ve changed my mind. I’ve included in this issue an article on “some things I’ve learned” and refer you to [it]. I’ve learned … that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. So I’ll just do what my lovely Grampa taught me – ignore people like that – they can’t help it.

On reflection, I think that we can live without being on the same committee as Dolores ;-)

Life here is sometimes just strange.

It’s the third of January, the first non-holiday of the year. The children are not yet back at school. I am nursing a post-Christmas bug so at 10:30am was still lounging around in PJs and a, colour-coordinated, Christmas pashmina nursing a cup of tea whilst catching up with the world.

The children from the nearest house are encouraged by their mother to play outside. They have several default volumes starting just below ear-splitting and increase from there. I can see why she would be keen to have them out of the house from time to time. Sitting at my desk I could hear their communal volume increasing and a new intensity in their “play”. Looking into the garden several of them were visible climbing over our back wall so I went to investigate.

Remember the PJs and the pashmina? Well, I added a pair of blue & green outdoor flipflops, just to coordinate. The children weren’t looking for a football, as I first thought, they were gathered round our olive tree.

I looked confused. They pointed and flapped their arms and clubbed together their English to come up with bird.

Cue more confusion from me. It’s an olive tree, it’s always got birds in it.

They countered with bafflement that this strange English woman could not see the bright yellow budgie perched on one of the branches. Fair point, now that I’d spotted it, it really was quite obvious.

Their English and my Greek were not sufficient to ask if this is an escapee from the neighbours or whether this was some sort of exotic visitor. Actually, the language issue was irrelevant as they ignored me while one of them climbed the tree to try and capture the budgie. The bird was having none of this and as soon as he got close it flew away.

The children were last seen chasing across the village following the bird. I suspect it may be a long day for all concerned!

Mands

BTW, Ian missed all of this. If someone were to drop him an email this morning asking about his new feathered-friend it could be quite interesting ;-)