One of the first things that I was told about Cypriots is that they are never on time and I have definitely found this to be true.  I was told that if you are invited to a Cypriot home for dinner you should arrive at least 45 minutes late and if you arrive at the scheduled time the host will almost certainly not be ready or expecting you yet.  Each of my classes have started at least fifteen minutes late.  I walk past the outdoor seating on my way to class on time and usually see my professor drinking coffee and chatting.  Students also often walk in late and the professors seem to find it acceptable.  Also, Cypriots seem to even eat dinner much later than we typically do at home.  Dinner rush at restaurants starts to pick up closer to 8:00 or 9:00 and then they still somehow drink espresso at this time in the evening after they eat.

Another difference I have noticed is that Cypriots are not afraid to show emotion or say what they think when they’re annoyed.  If you do something they don’t like they will not hesitate to tell you.  In some ways they can seem less courteous when they bump into you and don’t say sorry, but that is just not the norm here.  Overall, when you actually have conversations with locals though they are very kind and I look forward to more interactions and learning more about the people of Cyprus.