Snowballing in Cyprus
In qualitative research methodology, a term is used called "snowballing" that refers to gathering new leads from existing ones, especially when one interviewee leads to another. This is what happened to me in Cyprus.
When my visa was disallowed to Sudan (a more common experience for me as an American, post Iraq), I had 4 days to visit a country near Jordan where Air Jordanian flew. I had already been to Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Egypt, Israel and Gaza so I decided to do a quick visit to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. I had no prior contacts there except for a Greek-American family from Fitchburg that I knew had a relative there.
The plane took me to Larnaca in the southern end of the Greek section of the island. For decades, the country has been split into two parts following the Turkish invasion to secure the northern tier for Turkish Cypriots. Only Turkey recognizes this split although there are border crossings where you show a passport to get in to the other side. A decaying UN checkpoint is left entangled in weeds and barbed wire.
As soon as I landed and got a room and my bags settled, I headed off for the InterCollege, a private school less than a block from a major expanse of beach. I was looking for Andy, an economics professor there whose relatives suggested he could help arrange for me to speak to students. When I arrived, he was teaching class so I spoke to the receptionist who put me in touch with Sharon, an administrator (from U.K.). She wanted me to arrange for me to speak to a class but couldn't that day so she also gave me suggestions. Hanging around, I began speaking to students between classes and going to lunch.
When Andy got out of class, he suggested I contact the American Academy in Lanarca where he had taught for one year; and also the high school associated with InterCollege, Med HS (officially, Mediterranean HS). Andy had been Principal there. Calling them both, I found it was Cyprus' final exam week - the worst possible time to arrange something on the fly. But I persisted and while the Academy's offer of ten minutes was too short to talk, Med High's principal Niki Georghiou and her assistant Sonia arranged a full hour. The school is housed beside an old Orthodox Convent but the students were thoroughly modern in their attitudes and experiences. In the evening, I went to their soccer play-offs to talk with more youth.
Every night in Lanarca, I walked the strip along the beach stopping to talk with many teenagers and university age youth including by the pubs Neon Café and Amalfi. At one outdoor café/restaurant (the young owner was from Russia), he gave me a free drink and meal because he appreciated my outreach work. He said, "I date a few women now but I'm blown away by how free and easy the sex is here for teens. A lot of kids go with tourists for the adventure - some for the money and drugs." He recommended that I visit Iniapa to see the drug culture and the capital Nicosia if I "really wanted to see how young Cypriots think." What I noticed everywhere were the large amount of European Union youth who were working in Cyprus (it is very easy for them to move about the continent and its islands).
I took a service taxi to Nicosia which is a cheaper way to travel because the car is shared. I was going to contact the English School and the American Academy (mostly Greek Cypriot youth whose parents want them to learn in English - considered a key for future success). I was also given the names of Pascal, Falcon and Grammar High Schools. And Makarion Avenue to find wandering students.
But when I realized how close I was to the Turkish section (2 kilometers away), I had the driver take me to the first border crossing. The city is split in two - Greek Nicosia; Turk Lefkosa.
I walked across the border. Talking to a young border guard, I gave her my card and asked about schools. She was very interested in my mission and wrote down three possible schools. Because it was noon and public schools got out at 1 PM, I headed to the private high school associated with Near East University. Stopping by their administrative offices first, I got a surprise visit with the University's Vice President. Senol Bektas was off to teach an electrical engineering class but he arranged for a complimentary lunch in the faculty dining room and a 1:00 talk to Seniors.
I was struck by how similar the students were in the two high schools, the Greek Cypriot Christians in Lanarca and the Turkish Cypriot Muslims in Lefkosa. Despite what adults might think, I see very little difference in their worldly outlook as maturing adolescents. You can see the photos from both classes (of course, Turks are more secular than devout Muslims).
Afterwards, I walked down the hill to the university campus where students were jamming buses to get back in to town. The first two buses I couldn't get on. That turned out to be fortuitous as I was able to talk at length with a small group of male students, one of whom was devout and wanted to know why I assumed Muslim youth had sex. I told him what I always say, "I respect your religion and understand sex is not permitted. However, I know from private conversations, that not every young person is able to be as strong as they might like to be." A few guys smirked and nodded. Actually, I don't assume that all university age males are sexually active, especially Muslim males.
I asked some students where I should go in Lefkosa to meet students. Intrigued by my volunteer work, a 21 year old engineering student from Jordan, Ahmad Salman, took me under his wing. He walked me to a busy street but had to rush off to his English language class. He said he would look for me later to help in my AIDS Attacks.
I walked the streets, met many interested youth and my plate of calamari was attacked by a big black crow (I have videos of it). As it grew darker, I was surprised when Ahmad found me. He was eager to see how I went up to strangers (like I did his group waiting for the bus) and was a great translator. We met an interesting young waiter, Tufan, 18, a Turk from a southeastern area close to Syria. Because this region also spoke Arabic, he and Ahmad communicated in Arabic, not Turkish. After Tufan finished work, he helped us do AIDS Attacks with a string of other young waiters out for coffee and cigarettes. As Ahmad translated, he told me a lot about young Turks in liberal Cyprus. He had had his first sex with a "Russian" prostitute eight months earlier. It cost him almost all his month's pay so sex does not come cheaply. I urged him to tell his friends to rethink this practice and to use condoms if they had sex.
Because it was too late to go back to Larnaca (crossing the borders and taking different taxis), Ahmad put me up in his student apartment. Together with his roommate, also from Jordan, we spoke for a long time. He is proud that he is a virgin and looks forward to marrying one too. He gave me his email but two emails I wrote him have bounced back. He graduated from Near East in May '06 and lives in Zarca, Jordan. If you read this, Ahmad, email me. One of the most frustrating things about travel is that follow up contact is tenuous at best.
The next morning Tufan's older brother drove me to the border where I returned to Larnaca. Afterwards, I took a small bus to Iniapa an area known for its licentious tourist industry and drug trade. I did AIDS attacks but due to it being so soon after Easter holidays, and before the summer influx of European tourists, there were only a few visiting students from Nicosia.
My last evening in Cyprus, I met many young people as Friday night is hopping there like it is many places. I met a young electrician's helper, Boris from Russia who was in Cyprus to earn enough money to return home and pay for school. He was only 15 but said that politics and world affairs were his interests ("and English") but "none of my friends care for politics. They only talk about girls." He was a good athlete yet said that he had turned down sex with many girls "and older women too" because he wasn't ready for it. His mother called on his cell phone and he laughed and said it was time to go home.
Next day, I did beach outreach before flying back to Amman. I met a young Egyptian who introduced me to other friends working in Cyprus because the pay was better. Egyptian men love sex with Western women. Flying into Amman, I was met by Mouad, a Royal Court Officer in uniform who drove me to the Hyatt. There, my Concierge friends said Ibrahim had been waiting to take me to dinner at Reem's family's house. We caught up and Reem and her mother prepared an excellent meal. I left the next day for the USA.
Snowballing in the Mediterranean. That's how I do things when I have no plans and arrive unannounced in countries. Actually, it's a great way to do my research with adolescents. Unlike my micro-planned trips to Jordan, Korea, Ukraine and Belarus this past year, Cyprus was similar to Suriname, Guyana, and French Guinea -- with Trinidad and Tobago as a mix of both approaches. I have different experiences wherever I go - but always worthwhile.