Breaking Borders

I've commented on this new show several times. They have gone to: Israel, US, Mexico, Egypt, Cuba, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Rwanda, Cambodia and now Cyprus. I already wrote about Northern Ireland, Egypt and Bosnia. Rather than write a separate entry for all the rest I thought I would write one.

 

I didn't care for their US/Mexico or Cuba episodes. The first was very pro-illegal immigration and the last was very pro-Cuba. They didn't really try to show all the sides, but merely showed their own viewpoint with locals to back it up.

 

The  Cyprus episode was ok. I have been to Cyprus (visiting a Russian friend of mine - there seems to be more Russians  and Russian-speakers there than outside of Eastern Europe.) I spent most  of my time in Limassol. I did have a day trip planned and paid for (with a Greek-Cypriot tour company) to go to Kyrenica in the Turkish north, but as I was waiting on the street for my tour bus I got a call that it was cancelled and then I had to "fight" with the tour company to get my money back. So I spent my whole time in the Greek Cypriot south with Greek Cypriots (and my Russian friend.) It wasn't a very fun or enjoyable time. From the Pizza Hut in Limassol to the local restaurants and shops I got a lot of attitude from the locals (one even telling me off for forcing the Euro on Cyprus.) I told the person I was an American and not European and had no say on what currency the EU used and this was right before the Euro became the official currency in Cyprus. I was using my credit card and Cypriot pounds to pay for things so the Euro comment was unwarranted.  From my experiences I would say Cyprus is the kind of island you can skip. I would recommend going to the island of Malta instead - I've been there too and they speak perfect English, have no division, now peacekeepers and no arrogance. The Maltese are a very laid-back group of people that are as friendly as can be. The Cypriots (I'm only talking about the Greek ones since I never met the Turkish ones) are very arrogant and act as though they are the masters and everyone else is lesser than them. The Greek Cypriots tried to join Greece (ruled by a military junta) in the 1970s and the Turkish Cypriots tried to join Turkey (which invaded and occupied the northern part of the island.) Both sides are at fault for causing the ethnic tensions back in the 1960s-1970s. The southern Greek Cyprus has moved away from all of that into a part of the EU and Eurozone while the northern Turkish Cyprus has continued to be owned and operated from Ankara. I agree with the Cypriots (Turkish and Greek) that say the Turkish Government and military should leave the northern part and allow the two Cypriots groups to find a solution to their 40 year old division with the help of the EU and/or UN.

 

It was very interesting to see their Rwanda and Cambodia episodes. I learned about both genocides (Rwanda's in 1994 and Cambodia's from 1975-1979) but not much is taught about both places since the genocides ended. Rwanda has changed dramatically in the 21 years since their genocide. Rwanda is now part of the Commonwealth of Nations despite never having been a part of the British Empire (they were part of the Belgian Empire) with lots of investments and new companies coming to this African country. There has also not been a renewed conflict since 1994 and the two groups have managed to live side by side with each other despite one side causing the deaths of thousands upon thousands of the other.

 

Cambodia, has had a more difficult path since their Killing Fields ended in 1979. Of course Cambodia suffered more fighting for decades. There was the Cambodian Civil War (which also involved the US and Communist North Vietnam.) That ended with the Communist Khmer Rouge victory in April 1975 when the massacres, emptying of its cities and killings started. Then came the Vietnamese (which was united by the Communists in 1975) in their Vietnam-Cambodian War. The Vietnamese won and occupied Cambodia until around 1990. So Cambodia (now back to a Kingdom) has only been allowed to rule itself since the 1990s and has had to deal with decades-long war and violence.

 

After watching the Breaking Borders show I want to go visit Israel, Rwanda and Cambodia and see for myself how things are there now. I also want to go back to Bosnia and see more of that country too.