somewhere in between

early in the morn' i've risen again. awoke at 6:30 a.m.ish today... got up w/paris who was getting up for work. we're finally in the new apt! oh yeah, for those who don't know, we found a place. it's in larnaca and within walking distance from paris's new job location; yes, he got the promotion so he'll be starting work here instead of nicosia in a few weeks. and yes, that means 5 days of work instead of 6. holla!

as for me, i'm still without a job, but might have an interview next week and now that all the summer people have gone, there should be more things opening up every week. so the place is great and brand-spanking new! it's a 2 bdrm, on the 1st floor of a 4 story building. it was finished in june, i think, so really really new. we have a yard w/a patio, but it's all dirt right now, so we have to figure out what to do about that. we're thinking part gravel, part grass, with a flower border enclosed in brick that will be sectioned off from the gravel. we might do a palm tree or some other type of tree too, but that's in time. right now we're focused on furnishing the damn place, 'cuz places here really require you to get pretty much everything... we had to buy a fridge; we'll have to get a microwave (which i can do without since i've never really had one); and on and on and on. today we're making another trip to IKEA to get a bunch more stuff... a new mattress, curtains/blinds, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, all sorts of stuff! how much fun. i really do like playing house. it's nice to create your own environment from scratch. in NY, i always moved into someone else's place so had to figure my belongings into the already existing decor and it made me lazy about it all...just had an "oh whatever. that'll do" attitude about it all. now, however, having a place of my/our own (being a couple in this regard gets you to act as a unit), has brought out the desire within to create and design and take the reigns and get excited!!! anyway, here are some pics of our place as it was a few days ago:
















the kitchen.
















the soon to be living room.

the whole place is done in cream and brown. from the kitchen, to the bedrooms, to the bathroom. oh yeah, our bedroom is ensuite! so that's a nice touch. it's got a shower in there and everything. love it!

so yeah, that's been huge...outta the village, and into our own space! other than that, we've just been adjusting to the slower place of sleepy "winter larnaca". although it's really fall here at the moment, now that the tourists have gone, people regard it as winter. it's much quieter and the cafes aren't so crowded. at least that's what it looked like thursday night when we took a drive along the main strip, by the beach. now everyone will head to nicosia on the weekends- for nightlife, dinners, theatre, and any type of cultural affair.

i just wrote a friend a bit ago about some of my more recent feelings about this place and i think now's a good time to insert them:

i'm doing well today here in cyprus... am up v. early since i woke up w/paris before he went to work (6:30 in the a.m.- insane for me!). but for some reason i've been getting up w/him w/relative ease. i guess it helps that i can go back to sleep whenever i want thereafter since i'm not working! ha! yeah, the whole no job thing has been somewhat of a bitch, but then again i have people reminding me to enjoy the time off while it lasts, so i'm keeping that in mind.

umm... what else? oh yeah, we moved into the new place and made friends with this british lady who lives upstairs. we had wine at her place last night, and a couple nights ago too, and tonight we're going to have her over for grilled fish and more wine! she's nice and all alone- here from the UK after as she put it "many years of work" and she's single (not sure what happened to the hubby but she said she and her daughter were on their own since the daughter was 2, so...)....anyway, all of this to say, i'm glad she's here and that we can keep her company from time to time, and also, it's just nice to have someone with a similar mindset with whom to relate/commiserate/share opinions, etc... not that everything here is terrible, but ya know, naturally you pick out the things that are different that you don't like about a place and vent when you get an ear who understands. it helps you to adjust and make sense of it all. 'cuz believe you me, diana: a lot of the times this place just makey no sensey! but it's cyprus, and it's a small country that's confused about whether it's part of europe or the middle east, but then again, the people here are greek and greece is a part of europe... it's just a confused place. i think the whole idea of it being a part of europe is about it being part of the EU and that's it, 'cuz geographically and culturally it feels like the middle east. i mean, i'm not sure what the rest of the middle east is like, but from what i gather, cyprus is most like countries there... there might be a few key differences, but overall, it's more middle eastern than anything else: the food; the notions about women's roles (at least from our parents' generation and going back); the climate/landscape; it being such a closed society and on and on and on... and the country that is closest is turkey which is also considered to be part of europe, but which i think of as the middle east, so... yeah. people here even say, "in europe...", so obviously they think of themselves as being separate as well.

i guess it makes sense for me to be here in that way...not really knowing... is it this or is it that? i'm the type who's constantly changing my mind and adopting new ways to look at things... a firm believer of the gray area, complexities, and nuance, so yes! in writing this and coming to this conclusion, i've found another positive of being here.

this is all to say that after a conversation with my UK neighbor sofie, who rang the door just as i finished writing the above, i have even more questions swirling about in my head about everything here and me existing within and apart from it. she came to tell me about a police report she went to go file last night after witnessing some local dogs rip apart one of the stray cats. she's a cat lover supreme and her daughter's a vet and yes, i agree that this just can't be happening and that the owners of the dogs must be made accountable, but do i feel it's a reason not to be here in cyprus? or is it that there are other issues this situation brings forth of which i'm reminded after hearing her account of the policemen's lackadaisical attitude and less-than-assuring response to her complaint? this, along with their admittance that cyprus is not europe and that it is essentially a country run by villagers or "peasants" as another man put it to me, and is only now for the mere sake of it becoming a part of the EU trying to get up to speed with certain ideas about ethics and rights, etc... etc... i know, i know... this is a conversation that could go on forever and yes, this is not the US or Britain, or even Europe for that matter, apparently. so yes, i know that i can't expect everything to be like home. but then i must ask myself how wed am i to my own culture and upbringing? how flexible and adaptable am i truly? what am i comfortable with and what am i simply not? where does one draw the line when it comes to values? how do you maintain what is vital and important to your identity in a world that's so seemingly adverse? and what is identity for that matter? (kidding, sort of) ack! bla bla bla... oh my, an existential crisis so early in the a.m.!

k...in the shower i go! time to go to IKEA and get those home furnishings!

xoxo,
p.