The friend of Northern Cyprus shares its Daily News of Life and Times around the world
So whats happening in the sea surrounding 
our island, click on the link below to see courtesy of the E/V Nautilus exploration team from under the sea south-east of Cyprus whats going on and it will blow your mind.
Click here:- Quad | Nautilus Live.
Click the Facebook link to view:-
Having a great time with our Russian friends at Green Valley Restaurant, Alsancak singing the puppet song.
Murat then took us to the factory so that we could see the process for the making of Turkish Delight
Following meeting up with Murat Yumurtacioğlu recently and writing about the family’s shops in Girne and Bellapais, he invited 
me to meet his brother who runs the shop in Lefkoşa and to visit the factory units for a demonstration of the making of Turkish Delight.
A day was arranged and Chris and I went off to Lefkoşa where we met Murat’s brother Ismail at the shop near the Selimiye Mosque inside the old city walls. It is a very large well stocked shop and sells the same type of items as the Girne shop i.e. 
Turkish Delight produced at their factory and also boxes of Turkish Delight produced in Turkey, there is a good range of dried fruits, herbs, spices and nuts and also jars of carob syrup and many other items to tempt you. Ismail told me that he moved to this shop 2½ years ago when the old bandabulya closed for refurbishment but they also have another shop in the temporary covered market which Ismail’s wife, Gűlsűm looks after and eventually this shop will move from the temporary site to a permanent site in the refurbished bandabulya which is scheduled to be completed around 20th April.
While at the temporary market, we met Murat and Ismail’s mother, Seval, who acts as a stand-in whe
never one of the shops needs some additional cover or help. The temporary covered market was originally a car park and it is hoped that when the units are moved to the new bandabulya it will revert to a car park again, a much needed facility around the area. Murat proudly pointed out a photograph of his father on the wall and said that he was a real workaholic. His father was literally born in the bandabulya and he actually died there of a heart attack. His father must have had some sort of premonition because he had told the family if he died they were not to close the shop. Of course they did as a mark of respect for him.
Murat then took us to the factory units so that we could see the process for the making of Turkish Delight and when we arrived 
we met Mehmet who came from Mersin in Turkey and has worked for the family for 13 years. Mehmet does not speak English but we were told that he is a master Turkish Delight maker and he is an expert in the making of carrot Turkish Delight. Mehmet has been in the business of making Turkish Delight for 33 years so there is no doubt he is an expert at his craft.
The first demonstration was cutting the blocks of Turkish Delight with a guillotine machine. It is amazing at ho
w much icing sugar is used for this but Murat told us that they also mix cornflour with it as this stops the Turkish Delight from absorbing too much of the icing sugar which can affect the texture and taste. The cutting is done by a machine but Mehmet also showed us the process of cutting by hand which is done with a long double handled slightly curved blade. I would imagine that in days gone by the process would have taken a 
long time to complete the finished product and would have been very tiring for the worker. In another part of the factory the process of cooking the Turkish Delight was taking place and we looked at this briefly and were asked to come back in a couple of hours so that we could see the next stage.
So we returned to the factory and Mehmet was there smiling and ready to show us the next stage. The cooking was still going on in the large mixing machine and Mehmet scooped a small piece out to test. This again is a matter of everyone to their trade as he can tell exactly when it is ready by rolling it between his fingers. It was ready when it stuck between 
his finger and thumb when he opened them and at this point some colouring and rose essence was added and after a bit more mixing it was ready to pour. There were trays lavishly coated with icing sugar standing by and the machine was tilted, the pouring was started and the trays filled. The small amount which was left was put into a tray and this was quite a thin layer which would eventually be cut up into very small pieces. Murat had told us that they also sell these small pieces of Turkish Delight which is more suitable for elderly people.
They do not produce large batches at a time at the factory so it is always freshly made and the process is quite lengthy as the cooking takes 2 hours and then it is a fur
ther 24-48 hours before cutting can be done. Murat told me that the Turkish Delight they produce is 100% vegetarian and that the ingredients vary depending on the time of year it is produced as this is important to ensure a perfect finished product. The boxes of Turkish Delight are sealed at the factory and this ensures that it keeps fresh for 4-6 months and also it can be transported easily with no deterioration. When customers buy the loose Turkish Delight in the shops it is also boxed up and sealed.
I had been to the Turkish Delight factory before a couple of years ago with an organised group but this time I found it a lot more interesting and gained a lot more information about the process, so it was well worth another visit.
Before leaving Lefkoşa, I returned to the main shop to purchase some Turkish Delight to take home with me, which I will of course really enjoy.
The newly refurbished Bandabuliya opened in April and the shop was transferred from the temporary market to a very smart unit in a prominent position.
To read more about Sweetys, click here:- Turkish Delight in Kyrenia, North Cyprus
The Origins of Turkish Delight
By Margaret Sheard
Click on the following link for more details:-
Qigong can increase our vitality and open the energy blockages of the body so that we can live a more healthy and energetic life.
A couple of years ago I joined a class to practice Qigong which was held at St Andrew’s Church Hall in Girne once a week. Having 
never done anything like this before, I found it a rewarding new experience and although at first I found the various stances quite hard, as time went on it did become easier. Unfortunately, circumstances occurred which made it difficult to continue with the class and later the Girne class was discontinued although there 
are still classes in Lefkoşa and Famagusta.
Qigong (also written as Chi Kung and pronounced as Cheegong) is a body-mind-energy exercise practiced in China since ancient times. It is formed by these two words:
qì or chi: means air, breath, or life energy. Describes the energy that is present in all of the universe and that flows through everything. Qi flows mainly through the meridians (acupuncture channels) in human body and keeps the body alive. Traditional Chinese Medicine (acupuncture, massage, herbalism and qigong) is based on this system.
gong or kung: means skill, achievement, result, service or work.
So, we can translate “qigong” or “chi kung” as “life energy exercises”. Qigong can increase our vitality and open the energy blockages of the body so that we can live a more healthy and energetic life.
The class was run by Tarik Tekman who has studied the art of Qigong, Tai Chi, Da Cheng Chuan 
and others for many years and he has frequently visited London to refresh his skills with Master Lam. Tarik is very dedicated to his art and, as well as his classes, he organizes retreats for either weekends or maybe a week in both North Cyprus and Turkey. While I was attending the class I went on a weekend retreat to Bűyűkkonuk which was held in a very peaceful and tranquil setting at the Pine View Park complex. This was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend with accommodation in the wooden cabins which are dotted around the park amongst the trees and where during the day the group practiced Qigong as well 
as doing some sightseeing and having leisure time with people from as far away as Istanbul who had made the journey to be part of the weekend retreat.
A similar weekend retreat at Bűyűkkonuk is to be held from 4th to 7th October covering Qigong, Tai Chi and Meditation and I am sure it will be well attended by enthusiasts of this type of discipline. For further information contact Tarik on 0533 841 8000 or email tariktekman@gmail.com
Tarik Tekman graduated from Yildiz Teknik University, Electrical Engineering Department. He started to practice Tai Chi and Qigong in 2001.
He learned Qigong, Tai Chi, Da Cheng Chuan, Bagua, Dao Yin, Shiatsu, Feng Shui and Meditation first from European Instructors including David Verdesi (Xing Shen Zhuang Fa) and Chris Jarmey (Shiatsu and Taiji Qigong). Then he started to practice with Masters in China, Thailand and Europe. Some of the masters he has practiced with are:
Qigong (Chi Kung):
Master Lam Kam Chuen: Zhan Zhuang Chi Kung, Dao Yin, Yi Jin Jing, Healing Circle.
Master Fu Wei Zhong: Emei Qigong and healing arts
Kim Eng: “Presence Through Movement”
Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan):
Master Lam Kam Chuen: Golden Ball Tai Chi
Li Hechun: 24 Steps Yang Style Tai Chi
Da Cheng Chuan (I Chuan/ Yiquan) and Bagua Zhang:
MasterLam Kam Chuen: All levels of Da Cheng Chuan, Bagua Steps
The Work of Byron Katie:
With Byron Katie
Meditation:
Various meditation practices with David Verdesi, Fu Wei Zhong, Kim Eng and Byron Katie
Other training Tarik has received:
European Shiatsu School: Basic Shiatsu
Mastery Academy: Professional Feng Shui Practitioner
Stephen Victor: Bert Hellinger Constellations and Fields of Grace
Tarik is one of the few instructors 
certified by Master Lam Kam Chuen, who is the first Master to introduce qigong to the West and the first Tai Chi instructor appointed to teach in the Inner London Education Authority.
Tarik Tekman teaches Qigong and Tai Chi in Cyprus and abroad. Also, as a private senior student of Master Lam, he organises annual workshops with Master Lam Kam Chuen in Cyprus where his students can develop their skills by practicing with this pioneering master Qigong system.
There is a lot written nowadays about fitness and health and this is yet another form of helping to keep a healthy body and mind to cope with the stress and strain of modern day living.
For more information visit tariktekman.com
By Margaret Sheard
With thanks to Hans Doeleman of the Medieval 
Cyprus Fellowship, for sharing news of this incredible map. To read more of the past history of Cyprus, go to the link below.
What beautiful night-time pictures of the sailing boat and scenes of people having a good time. When I get time I will look at the other postings which I am sure will be fascinating from Life in Russia .
There is so much to learn about taking good photographs. See more here of Japan in 365 days.
This blog “Just In” (CNN) is full of the latest and very intersting news and well worth many visits to learn more.
I sat in my lounge with furniture and cartons and boxes all around me and thought where on earth do I start.
So came the arduous task of unpacking. I had brought 3 rolls of carpeting on the container as I must confess I like carpet in my bedrooms, so before I could do much I had to lay carpet in the bedrooms and hallway. A lot of people thought I was mad not wishing to keep the tiled floors but in latter years I have noted quite a few people have laid carpet! It was not an easy task but I got there in the end and then I could start unpacking. It was like Christmas morning opening all of the 70+ boxes. I had almost forgotten what some of my stuff looked like. This was in addition to unwrapping the furniture which had been very well packed with bubble wrap and corrugated paper. I only had one slight bit of damage to an item of furniture and one broken mug, so that really wasn’t too bad. It took about a month to clean up the floor tiles and put all of my bits and pieces where they needed to go, getting air conditioning installed and purchasing some of the items which were not included in the build and having them fitted.
At that time I was glad I had brought most of my furniture with me as there were very few furniture shops locally and not being familiar with Lefkoşa then I would not have known where to go. I even purchased flat pack bedside cabinets, chests of drawers and a computer desk and this all 
came over on the container. A kind neighbour helped me to assemble all of this so everything was coming along well. Of course, nowadays there are many really good shops selling all manner of furniture but that is now, not back in 2004.
At last I was really here and when your home is around you once again it really is time to start living the new life.
There was the area of land which was to be the garden, it was a lot bigger than I had envisaged and as I didn’t particularly want a garden at all (this was why I originally had decided on an apartment) I was totally phased out by this enormous expanse of ground.
On reflection I am so glad I have the g
arden where I can walk around and feel space. Well, here I was with this blank canvas, I had not intended to do much to it for a while, that was to be a project for the future, but as I sat outside on the terrace enjoying the sun, my mind started working overtime and I had very quickly planned one area of the garden. So it began, as soon as the first area was sorted out I already had visions of the next area and so it went on, and towards the end of the year it had been paved, planted with shrubs and fruit trees, and ch
ippings laid over a fairly large area to reduce maintenance. What a lovely experience that was and I am pleased to say that although I am not a good gardener I seemed to make the right choices with most of the plants and trees and, with the exception of one or two, they are still flourishing. My one pride and joy is an avocado tree which I planted that year, it grew tall but year after year there was no fruit but in 2011 I had a marvellous crop of avocados, a bit small but I was able to have many delicious starters of prawn and avocado from my very own tree. I recall someone
telling me that it could take 7 years before the tree would fruit and this seems to have been about right. I can take credit for the design of the garden but have to say I had a lot of help with the hard work of digging and planting and of course all of the paving was done by contractors.
So for the next few months I was enjoying the bungalow and the garden and finding my way around. Life was good.
During the year, my 
ex-employer asked me to go to Spain to “sort out his office”. He had recently moved there and as he had always totally relied on me to see to almost all of his business and personal affairs he was at his wits end and called for help. I arranged to go there in October 2004 for 3 weeks. It was a nice change and during the time I was there I managed to get the office and procedures set up for him. I was all geared up to go to Spain and then there was a change in my life which was the best thing that could have happened to me.
Two weeks before I was due to go to Spain, there was a little face at my front door and there sat a small black cat. I went towards it and it fled but only to the end of the building and it sat there peeping around the corner at me. After one or two repeats of this, I opened a tin of tuna, which was all I had that was suitable and he gobbled it up. Before very long I sat on the front steps and he was on my lap. I have no 
idea where this cat came from, he was a bit timid but obviously used to being handled and petted. Later on I found he had a fascination for open trucks or cars with open windows, he would be investigating in no time at all and I decided he had probably been carried to my area while investigating a parked vehicle somewhere. I felt so sorry for whoever had lost him. Off I went to Spain thinking that would be the last I would see of my new arrival, I had asked my sister to feed him and would just wait to see what happened. I didn’t expect him to still be there on my return. I emailed a couple of times and was told “yes, he is still here”, but I thought oh well he will probably move on before I get back. I had a nightmare journey back from Spain and instead of arriving back at about 9 pm it was 6 am the next day when I finally got home. What was the first thing I saw? a little black cat coming to greet me. I was over-joyed. He stayed and never ventured too far away, except initially when he was off courting (he hadn’t been neutered) but this was soon remedied with a visit to the Vet. The Vet thought he was about 3 years old so I kept this in mind as he grew older.
So, my new found friend became part of my life for the next few years, I wish it could have been longer, he was so affectionate and I loved him to bits. If I was in the garden and he couldn’t see me he would yowl until he knew where I was, then he would wander off quite contented. In the afternoons, when it was hot outside, we would lie together on the settee with me reading and him gently snoring in my ear, he loved to be cuddled and would sleep with his head on my shoulder. I find it difficult to describe the affection we had which seemed to be on both sides.
It was very sad that in 2009, after having my cat for 4½ years he developed a nasal tumour and there was nothing that could be done for him as an operation would have been too dangerous to carry out in such a sensitive area. A few weeks later, he was sinking fast, not able to eat or drink and sneezing blood everywhere so I had to make the decision to put him out of his misery and ask the Vet to put him to sleep. I brought him home and buried him in the garden. For the next few days my life was in turmoil and I cried incessantly, I never thought I would get over losing my cat, but they say time is a great healer and this is true but I still think of him and wish he had lived to a grand old age. I am sure people who have lost pets will be able to understand how I felt at the time.
Now I was on my own again and suddenly I felt so alone, not bored or stressed, just very lonely. In 2010 I made a trip to the UK, the first since I had moved to North Cyprus, it was a nice couple of weeks and I realised I had forgotten the greenery and some of the nice things and I started to think maybe I should go back.
To read Part 1, click here:- My Life in North Cyprus – Chapter 1
By Margaret Sheard
