Interviewee: Mr Todd Bowen
Position: Mr Bowen is a teacher of English at the Grammar School, Nicosia. Mr Bowen comes from Illinois in the United States and has been at the Grammar School since 2008.
Students: Why did you leave your country to come here?
Todd Bowen: By the time my girlfriend and I, who is from Cyprus, decided that eventually we were going to have a family and we thought it might be best to raise a family here in Cyprus.
Students: Did you ever visit the parts of Cyprus that are held by Turkey?
Todd Bowen: No.
Students: Was it easy to settle here?
Todd Bowen: Yes. Do you want to know why, or just you want a yes or a no?
Students: Both of them.
Todd Bowen: OK. Yes it was easy because I had really my wife’s family who supported me very well and helped my transition easily and the folks here at the Grammar School too like second family and some of my colleagues are very close and helpful and made it easy.
Students: How did people in your country treat you and how do people treat you here? Is there any difference?
Todd Bowen: Listen. To treat me differently. To be honest there is not much difference in how I’m treated whether be in the States or whether be here. I think some people are curious about America here as far as Cyprus is concerned some people have their ideas about what they think America is like versus what is really like, you know because of watching movies on TV and things like that.
Students: Do you think that we are a country that has many places to visit?
Todd Bowen: Yes. Many. The people don’t know. A lot of people don’t know.
Students: Thank you very much
