Vicki’s new life

Vicki Karaca is a real-life Shirley Valentine. Eight years ago Vicki's life changed forever when she fell in love with Unal, a Turkish Cypriot, while working on a cruise ship. They married, started a family in England, and then three years ago, moved to North Cyrpus. We talk to Vicki about what it's really like to live, work and raise two children abroad...

By Camilla Kaas Stock

Why did you and your husband want to move to North Cyprus?

"I persuaded my husband to move here. I bought a house in northern Cyprus without him even knowing about it! Firstly we used it as a holiday home, but slowly I managed to persuade him to sell the business in England and come to live here. We now run the Black Olive cafe, as well as a company that manufactures paving stones and bricks for the building trade".

"There is so much crime and drugs in England and you even hear about children being held up at gun point. I just feel that this is a much safer and happier place for the kids to grow up. Here people can still go to bed at night and leave their houses unlocked".

"Also there are several good English schools here - both of mine go to Sunnylane, which follows the English curriculum. So if we need to move back to the UK for some reason, the kids would slot right back into mainstream education. When it comes to further education, there are plenty of choices and educational opportunities are growing all the time".

Are there after-school activities?

"There is a lot of sport over here, but apart from that it is still a bit limited. It is getting better all the time, though, and there are new things starting up, like soft play areas for smaller children. But you don't need so many things here because the weather is so good and you spend most of your time outdoors".

What is the healthcare like?

"Healthcare is good here. Most people choose to go privately but it only costs £20 a visit, even to see a specialist. And the same goes for dentists".

Are there any negatives to living here?

"There are a few things that drive me crazy sometimes, like all the building that goes on here and how going to the bank to deposit some money can take hours! Living here means you have to accept the slower pace of life - some things just take a while. And, of course, I miss my family back in England. Also I miss some of the shops, but at least I can cross over to the South to buy my bits and bobs from IKEA, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams".

"Also I think living costs have gone up here lately, which isn't reflected in the wages. So if you come over here and want to live just like you did back in England, buying the same products, then it is going to be expensive. If you adapt and buy the the things that are locally produced, you can still live quite reasonably. My tip for buying imported food from England, like ham and cheddar, is to go across the border and buy it there because it's a lot cheaper in the south".

So would you go to the South to buy IKEA furnishings for your home?

"No, that would be pretty impossible because you are only allowed to bring over goods worth €135 per person, before you have to start paying duty. Sometimes they say it is only €135 per car, but nobody seems to be quite sure. It isn't as simple as buying a leather sofa at IKEA for £500 and then just paying the duty at the border. You also have to get import and export licences, so it isn't really worth it".

Do you have internet access and a good range of TV channels?

"We have Digiturk, satellite TV, so I can pretty much watch anything and it is very cheap. Internet on the other hand is more expensive than in the UK, but there is competition coming in now so the prices will start to go down".

Apart from the sunshine and the lack of crime, what are the positive things about living here?

"I guess the slower pace of life and the community feeling - because most of us haven't got extended families here, we are very close. At the weekends we are always at somebody's house having barbecues or doing something social. In England I never really mixed very much with the other mums at school, but here I have got some very close friends. It is also very international, which makes it more interesting".

Finally, what is your advice to anyone who is considering moving out here?

"I would advise people to rent somewhere first, just to make sure they like it here. Don't just fall in love with a house because it has a swimming pool and a view of the sea. It is also very important to check everything out before you buy. If you are buying land to build on, make sure there are no unpaid mortgages there and that the builder is good. Also I think it is important that people know the true cost of living here. The Cypriot wage is only around £400 a month, so if you want to send your children to one of the English private schools, which cost around £2,000 a year, you might struggle".

"In the three years I have lived here I have seen many people selling up in England and coming over here, thinking their money is going to stretch a lot further than it does. So it is important that people do their homework. But it is still a wonderful place to live. When I step out of my house in the morning and see the mountains and the sea, it still takes my breath away. This is my country now and I would never go back to England".