Below you will find the story about unexpected encounter happened in Kyrenia one year ago. It was brief but powerful, human and genuine. In last twelve months I visited Kyrenia many times. There is very strong feeling inside of me that when two souls meet and connect as two souls did that November’s day of 2018, you always feel the energy when visiting the place where all began. Like the souls left vibrations at the place of the unexpected date awaiting protagonists to appear and reconnect. Beautiful friendship was born.
Friendship based on attraction, on, as they say “click”, wishes to live romantic moments, joint love for books and soul matters, with special attention to respect of the life circumstances of both of us. Even if cleverly said that it is “Mission impossible” , and that being the plain truth, we still talk sometimes forbidding for memories to dissappear. This is how it was…
Sunday is the day for a rest in any form or shape. Depends of what one likes. Some like lying in bed, some waking up early. Some just reading the books and some staring at Facebook and Instagram. And some , as me on Sunday 11/11/2018 , fancy going for excursion at nearby place overlooking Mediterranean sea, equipped with book, phone, PC, chargers for both , diary called Blah Blah Blah ,a T-Shirt to change and a lot positive energy.
I felt as a soldier going in the battle to liberate the world from manipulation. Huge task! Idealist I could be called? Does not matter as the overwhelming feeling one have is much more important than the opinion of others.
I started the journey from Nicosia to Kerynia this time using public transport, to have more time to relax and enable my mind to reach a state of increased inspiration and invention and to sharpen my senses. And it worked. I came, ready for new task, to Kyrenia, the place I visited last Sunday with the group of people who were born and lived there and who took us to the places where, at least, I haven’t been.
Last week I decided to make Signs of Kyrenia page on Facebook and subpage at http://www.philosophyofgoodnews.com to try to share with my readers the findings, happenings and feelings concerning Kyrenia. Strait from the bus station I went to visit again St. George Church, situated in once mixed neighbourhood of Turkish and Greek Cypriots, we visited last Sunday and to see it from the quiet side as there was no liturgy planned for this Sunday. The doors were closed and I stayed for a couple of minutes enjoying the quietness and remembering the lady of last week who shared her memories about happenings in and around church especially during marriage celebrations.
I tried to recall that atmosphere in my thoughts having faces of the people from the last week group as active participants! It worked! Amazing feelings at a special place! And special it is as there is a story of a couple Turkish Cypriot man and Greek Cypriot woman who got married before 1974 , had two boys( living in USA now) and manage to stay married all these years becoming a key keepers of the Church and overcoming all kinds of pressure from both sides, but also enjoying the support from both sides! The secret is LOVE! LOVE and as my dear new lady friend said ENERGY! Positive energy! Mr. Yasar and Mrs.Angeliki. Unfortunately Mrs. Angeliki died and Mr. Yasar even smiling has sorrow in his eyes when talking about his only LOVE Mrs. Angeliki! Immediately after I went for a traditional Cyprus coffee at the nearby coffee shop, again from the last week, where I saw Ferhat a child friend of Panicos( they met last week after a long long long time!) and enjoyed great backgammon game between two neighbours. Believe it or not they were using and Greek Cypriot as well as their own Turkish Cypriot dialect. It was easy to follow and highly enjoyable atmosphere full of talk, respect, jokes. You can find this kind of atmosphere at traditional Cyprus coffee shops in the whole Island! Unfortunately even this Sunday I did not have a luck to get traditional Cypriot Olive Pie as Hussein bakery did not have any left! Next time I will come earlier and get at least three to surprise my dear friend Panicos and his wife.
As the backgammon game finished I decided to follow the route of last week, at least till the late breakfast time. Going towards the Metropolitan Church of Archangel Michael I discovered Greco-Roman Rock Caves we did not see last time. However a lady architect told us that the rock caves exists and that in the days of House of Lusignan when Cyprus was known as Crusaders Island the orthodox monks were abused by Crusaders looking to convert them to Catholicism.
Taking photos of all available signs, doors, caves, church and mosque I approached famous Kerynia port and chose to sit at the same place our group visited last week. Just seek to develop tradition!
I ordered omelette and soda and started to read trying to boost my inspiration.
It is then, when you do not expect, that miracles happen! There was she! The lady! With Orhan Pamuk book. She ordered a coffee, soda (actually I ordered my soda seeing her ordering soda and it was a winner! Great soda!) and lit a cigarette. She did not have lighter which made her even more sympathetic in my eyes. I know some exceptionally sympathetic ladies with the same attitude, that of smoking but not having lighter! And I started shyly to look at her.
Eyes! Smile and self-confidence.
And we started to talk. Actually I started a conversation refereeing to Orhan Pamuk and his unique novels, and a connection with a Serbian writers and town of Visegrad where the famous bridge on Drina river build by Mimar Sinan for Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Sokolovic still stands connecting cultures and religions.
She told me that after reading Pamuk she has difficulty reading anything else.
We start exchanging writer and novel names trying to “compete” the feeling about Pamuk!
She introduced me to Elif Safal and her book “Three daughters of Eve” and I introduced her to Mesa Selimovic classic “Dervish and Death”. She found out that it is rated 5 star in Turkey and I found out that Elif Safak is translated to Serbian and also rated 5 stars!
As I stil have her hand writing in my Blah Blah Blah diary, want to mention another writer Zulfu Livaneli and his novel Serenad! Warmly recommended!
Will quote him at my Philosophyofgoodnews quote of the day Facebook page!
Our talk was going so smoothly and easy that honest, genuine feelings were growing and energy was getting higher. Afterwards we agreed that it looks like Duracell renewable battery energy! Destiny? No! Energy as we both agreed for couple of times. Even, to try to explain the atmosphere we mentioned stars and astrology and future telling from the coffee cup!
But we overlooked one major ingredient – SOUL! As Zulfu said in his novel Serenad
” Everything in life is the state of the soul”!
After some time we realised that we need to go back to reality. No words needed to feel that! But it happened just when I set near her. Things like that happen and have meaning! Meaning of continuity! You seek unlived experiences.
She was going back to her city in Turkey and me back to Nicosia. Even that we both understood that, we continued our talk, being afraid to let emotions go just like that. And then to make things even more complicated I found a quote of Elif Safar( by the way, my lady friend looks like Elif! And she knows it!) and I published it at Philosophyofgoodnews Facebook page which says:
“Every true love and friendship is a story of unexpected transformation…”
I am sure that we could talk and walk days and days and yes, some of the nights too, but, as there is always but, time has come for her to go and catch a plane!
And as she left me dizzy from the impressions I started to walk further around Kyrenia photographing signs on walls, houses, roads…. Coming gradually to the entrance of Kyrenia Castle. Ah that Castle! Another source of inspiration and admiration. Signs of Kyrenia, Philosophy of good news and of course myself first of all got many new information to be gradually presented here. One is certain! People are the same wherever you go and only one ingredient is important! As my dear friend, the lady which looks like Elif Safar said and I must say I agreed – ENERGY! Energy full of positivity. This makes heart to open and love to appear. And love delivers all needed for a good positive life! This is the ultimate goal of Signs of Kerynia and Philosophyofgoodnews! To connect people wherever they are from! To make people to express their feelings easier! Signs of Kerynia will try to pass all that Duracell energy to the readers and then you the readers please pass it on!
As we both said at our first unexpected encounter – SMILE! And feel the SMILE! I must say that her smile, combined with the expression of eyes, gives something of extraordinary to the person on the receiving side.
I felt that my energy went to turbo Duracell making me accomplish so many different tasks on Synday at Kyrenia.
The story will definitely continue as one Corona beer is left somewhere to be offered to the lady from Turkey I had a pleasure to meet at Kerynia! To use a quote,again, of Zulfu Livaneli “If she doesn’t like Istanbul, then does she understand love?”
And it continued …
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Enjoy !
First published 11/11/2018 and republished 4/12/2019 with some additions.
Philosophy of good news
D.K.
Connect and Respect
Philosophyofgoodnews 