A lawyer walks into a bar in Limassol…
A lawyer walks into a bar in Limassol.
“I can’t find a job,” he sighs. “Do you have anything?”
“Join the queue,” the barman replies, “I’m Yale, class of 2021. The waitress graduated Harvard Law. And the bouncer was at LSE.”
Yes, it’s a joke. But it’s based in truth.
A recent Council of Europe study found that Cyprus has 505 lawyers per 100,000 residents – the highest rate of any European country, and more than double the continental average.
We also have far more than our fair share of doctors, accountants, business consultants, and auditors.
In short, we’re swimming in degrees. More than 60 per cent of adults in Cyprus have a tertiary-level qualification, and we’re amongst the most highly educated nations in the EU!
All of which can make finding a job in your chosen profession extremely hard. And it’s probably why there are so many lawyers in the media, doctors in communications, and accountants fixing our air conditioning. (Yes, we’ve seen it. More than once!)
When everyone has a Masters, you learn to adapt. Fortunately, that’s something we’re particularly good at…
Centuries of adjusting to outside forces (empires, trade routes, shifting borders, sudden booms and abrupt downturns) mean stability has been rare, but reinvention common.
So we pivot. We make do. And we keep moving, even when the conditions aren’t ideal.
Which is, come to think of it, also how Cyprus handles the weather! Because on this island, forecasts are less a promise than a suggestion. So, before anyone commits to a mountain drive, a coastal lunch, or a brave January swim, here’s what the weekend will deliver to all you overqualified, underpaid survivors…
In Nicosia, Friday starts breezy and mild at around 20°C. Saturday brings more showers, before Sunday cools slightly to 18°C with rain in the morning. On Monday, showers linger and temperatures dip to 17°C.
Limassol sees brief rainfall on Friday, then a windy, mostly cloudy Saturday with highs near 19°C. A couple more showers arrive on Sunday, and by Monday rain becomes more persistent, with temperatures easing back to 17°C and a restless wind.
In Larnaca, Friday and Saturday are warmer on paper, reaching 21°C, though strong winds take the edge off. A little rain arrives early Saturday, followed by frequent showers on Sunday and Monday, as highs slip to 18–20°C.
Paphos sits at around 20°C on Friday and Saturday, and rainfall is heavy, peaking on Sunday. By Monday, highs fall to 18°C, but it’s the persistence of wet, blustery conditions that defines the forecast.
Over in Ayia Napa, the headline is wind. Friday and Saturday are super blustery and around 19°C, before showers arrive on Sunday and Monday and temperatures slide back to 17°C.
Up in Troodos, it’s properly wintry: daytime highs of 6–8°C, nights close to freezing, very strong winds and exceptionally high rainfall totals – especially on Saturday.
Overall, it’s firmly stay indoors weather for the next few days. Unless, of course, you happen to be one of Cyprus’ overqualified job-hunters. In which case pack a mac, grab your umbrella, and head out for those interviews well-equipped.
And good luck!
WEEKEND WEATHER TIPS
• Wind is doing the networking – expect gusts strong enough to rearrange hair, plans, and umbrellas.
• Saturday looks tempting, Sunday corrects you – showers increase as the weekend goes on.
• West gets wetter – Paphos and Troodos see heavier, more persistent rain than the rest of the island.
• Mountains are for admiring, not proving anything – cold, wet, and blustery up high.
• Dress like an optimist, pack like a realist – layers, waterproofs, and low expectations.