Maggie & Mal's Adventures in North Cyprus, the UK and Beyond
Well, apart from the gap, my gum was fine, a job well done.
If you are in the TRNC next Sunday (14th November) PLEASE come along to Lefkosa and “observe” the Candlelit vigil. So many people here are having property problems…….if you care, be there. Why? see link
You don’t know where to go…you do now see link
Don’t forget your candle!
Thought for the Day – “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government” – Thomas Jefferson
Six days to go until the Candlelight Vigil in Lefkosa. This is to seek Property Justice for all in the TRNC……………..BE THERE IF YOU CARE. see link
In spite of the fact that I broke one of my teeth in half last Wednesday, I waited all this time to have it looked at……yes, a total coward where the dentist is concerned. So, Mal and I decided to go to the Near East University, Faculty of Dentistry, as we had heard good reports. We went along with directions (which turned out to be all wrong) but finally made it. If coming from Girne to Lefkosa, turn left at the first main roundabout, next turning left after the metal footbridge and follow the road up. Past the karting centre, keep going up basically following the ‘H’ for Hospital signs. There will be a green building on your right at the roundabout where you turn left. Turn into the car park where you see the building below. With this building in front of you, to the left is ‘TIP FAKULTESI’ and the dental faculty is the large building to the RIGHT.
As you go in the entrance, turn to the left reception desk (ground floor) and tell them you have come for a check up and haven’t been before. YOU MUST take your passport with you. They take your details and in exchange for your passport, you are given a patient number tag to wear around your neck. Next thing we were taken into a room with several examining chairs. Mal was asked to sit on one and me on another. It seems that here females are treated by females and males by males. They checked our teeth and then took us along to have a full 360 degree X ray. By the time we arrived back to the check up room, all details including X ray were on the computer screen overhead. They then explained in great detail everything that needs doing. For the first time in 60 years I was informed that I have always been two pre molars short!! No they have never been taken out and no I have never worn braces. Two of my root fillings have not been done correctly( and that was the UK) and while they are telling you all this, they are showing you on the X rays above you. I need some periodontal work, obviously my broken tooth to come out and talk of an implant.
I hate the dentist and tend to ‘swich off’, so asked them to explain to Mal, which they did. They then give you a sheet of paper with their ‘plan’ for future dentistry work, listed as each department and which floor it is on.
So, from ground floor to third floor ‘surgery’. We both sat in dentists chairs next to each other again, Mal assuring me that this was just for them to check what was required and no they wouldn’t be doing anything today….Don’t you believe it. A very charming girl came over and asked me what the problem was, she looked at the X rays, ah yes, next thing the injection was in my mouth ready for the extraction. I did look over at Mal while my mouth was deadening…of course he wasn’t looking at me!!
I have to say, no pain, she was very good, took the half a tooth out, packed the hole and told me instructions of what to do for the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, Mal was being told that he needed 4 wobbly teeth out and he told them he couldn’t have them out yet as he is due to go to the UK in a month and didn’t want gaps. (He got away with it!……just for a while!)
I think the place is a little confusing but as was explained to me, you work through their plan which is given to you on a sheet of paper. I was told I then go downstairs and make an appointment with the periodontist for any time after 2 weeks (as I had just had the extraction). I am sure it is fine when you get the hang of it, that each area of dentistry is on a seperate floor of the building. The staff are lovely, are very good at explaining everything to you, the place is very airy and spotlessly clean. The bonus is that the prices are good! I highly recommend and believe very few people know of the facility there. Mal and I appeared to be two of only six ‘patients’ in the entire building.
There is no need to make an appointment on your first visit. You just turn up there. They are closed between 12.30 – 13.30 for lunch. Mal and I arrived at 10.30 and didn’t come out until 12.30 and were being attended to all that time, no waiting around. Value for money if you ask me!
When the days work is complete, you return to the ground floor, the reception where you started off, you pay the bill and they exchange your security tag for your passport. Total cost of my extraction 90tl, the cost for a detailed check up including the X ray,60tl. Oh and 1% VAT added to the bill. So, the total for me 151.50tl.
I can honestly say I have never had such detailed care taken of my teeth and I know you can’t put a price on health but implants and major work seems to be a lot cheaper than Girne dentists.
Thought for the Day: “Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny.” Edmund Burke
We were so grateful to have power back but then another problem cropped up…the hunters! They started very very close to us at 6.30am. This didn’t bother us too much as we were already up but not so good for any of our neighbours hoping for a Sunday lie-in. We took Rosie to the beach to avoid getting shot on our walk.
It continued all day. It really was no joke. At one time there were two hunters and a child with them, who was swinging one of the rifles around. Willy did follow some of them to Incesu and had words with them. The shooting continued and none of them seemed to care how close they were to occupied buildings. see link
Later we watched the Chelsea v Liverpool game. Liverpool WON!
Scarlet and Jack came on the webcam and it was so funny, they were drinking their milk ready for bed and Grandad told them a long distance bedtime story.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – SEE LINK
Thank you Ismet for making this possible. BE THERE IF YOU CARE!!!!!
Thought for the Day – “The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government” – George Washington
Up and out with Rosie but as soon as we were back the electricty went off. We checked the main fuse and the box, which we have now locked, so no one can take the fuses. No, it was not just us but I heard afterwards it was all over the North. We gave up and went to Chateau Lambousa to the market. We bought 3 more painted tiles to hang around the house. It was another beautiful sunny morning, great for November.
By the time we arrived home, still no electricity. In fact it didn’t come back on until 3.15 pm. Mal had been waiting all that time to publish stories on NCFP. So, we sat in the sun and played cards.
The Cyprus Today report see link. Some of the things in there I read and find them hard to believe! Again it shows what a lot of unhappy people are in North Cyprus. I have to say I can not believe the article about the Orams.
What a joke, I had just put a roast in the (electric) oven and sat down to watch Man U…you guessed it, the electricty went off again.
Thought for the Day – “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars” – Oscar Wilde (especially the people here with holes in their roof!)
It was a lovely morning so we took Rosie out into the mountains a bit later than usual. Fabulous!
David came over later and stayed for coffee and collected some of my baby yuccas which I have loads of. We sat watching the diggers a bit further on from David’s house perhaps after two years the part built properties will at last be completed. It has looked such a mess for all this time, so we are pleased they are now going to complete them.
We did take a picture from the mountains so you can see what a mess it looks at the moment.
Having said that I am wondering who is going to buy them as there seem to be a lot of people heading back to the UK. It doesn’t surprise me when there is so much negativity here and so many folks suffering with property problems and quite frankly no one seems to care.
We spoke to the boys in the evening, all well. Rhys has been doing the logo for Audley Harrisons boxing shorts for next weekends fight (even though he wants David Haye to win!) I don’t think he told his promoters that. As he says business is business.
Thought for the Day – “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” – Albert Einstein
Today was Ollie’s birthday and also Gary’s. Ollie was 4 and Gary was a bit older.
We spoke to Ollie in the morning who was very excited, even though he told us he was 8! They were going to have fireworks in the evening.
Pauline came round to see us in the morning, a very courageous lady.
In the evening we went to Al Shaheen with Bev and Gary (whose birthday it was). We had a lovely evening and as always they are such good company, we thoroughly enjoyed it. The food was very good too. We had loads of poppadoms.
Thought for the Day – “Good friends are like stars – you don’t always see them but you know they are always there”
We had our breakfast in the sun. Something in my mouth crunched. I discovered it was half of my tooth that had been root filled some time ago. Oh no, I hate dentists. The last one we went to (who was the one who did my root filling), we went there about 6 months ago, both of us for a clean and check up. He told both Mal and I they didn’t need cleaning but told Mal he had 5 wobbly teeth and should have them out. Mal insists he is keeping them until they fall out and then will decide what to do next. This dentist was good when I had my abscess but Mal won’t go back to him. I think I may delay the decision of where to go next and hope the other half of tooth remains in tact until the decision is made.
Green Garden Garden Centre have a sale on plants…50% off, so we went to have a look. We did buy a couple of plants. Shopping on the way back and then Mal had an appointment to have his hair cut, so I dropped him off in Alsancak. He goes to a girl there rather than the barbers as he is not one for “barber short” hair, in fact he doesn’t trust them. I noticed her shiney red brand new car outside. Of course the hair cuts are paying for it……she charged Mal 20 tl, about the third price hike but this now makes it cheaper for him to get his hair cut in the UK. He won’t be going to her again! There are a lot of people here outpricing themselves now.
Then on to Perova garden centre who also have 50% off selected plants. We did buy another basil and a large bag of compost…another price hike, that is now 65tl, considerably more than the last one we bought.
It is all a bit doom and gloom in Cyprus Today see link
Thought for the Day – “Life’s under no obligation to give us what we expect” – Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone with the Wind)