It’s a small world!! |04 June 2016

Two Seychellois meet for first time in Cyprus and find they are related!!!

Philip Ah Tou and Jimmy Durup recently met for the first time at the country villa of Dollyna O’Flynn on the outskirts of Limassol on the island of Cyprus. And found they are related.  In fact they are cousins!!

Philip Ah Tou, a Kenya-born Seychellois who lives in both Cyprus and the UK and Jimmy Durup from Pissouri, Cyprus, were invited to a Creole BBQ of pwason griye, kari zourit, pork spare ribs, satini zironmon, served with lots of hot chilli (to mention only some of the many Creole dishes) at the home of  Dollyna.

While listening to Patrick Victor’s music and chatting and holding the coco de mer (see accompanying photo) the two Seychellois exchanged stories of their homeland Seychelles. Both men had interesting stories to tell as to how they met their soul mates. Philip Ah Tou said he met his lovely Tochi, a Kenya-born Sikh, in Dar es Salaam. They were dancing the rock and roll and later eloped.

Jimmy Durup was serving in the British army and was based in Acrotiri in Cyprus. He met Mary, a Greek Cypriot, at a party in Pissouri and they were engaged the next day. This was in accordance with Cyprus tradition.

Jimmy explained the strong link between Seychelles and Cyprus, Seychelles being referred to the Garden of Eden and Cyprus the island of Aphrodite. Of course Seychelles is very special to the Greek Cypriots as Archbishop Makarios’ place of exile was in Seychelles where he lived at Sans Souci in 1956.

Dollyna, née Cesar, is a Seychellois from south Mahé. She and her Irish husband Patrick, have been living in Cyprus for the last 10 years. Their daughters Layla attends an international school in Limassol and Tara is working in Dubai in the travel and hospitality industry.

Dollyna is an events and wedding planner.  However, her hobby and passion is mosaic and she has covered an 8-metre wall behind her swimming pool with a mosaic of Seychelles. A huge sailfish, fairy tern birds, the sun, the sea, a mountain and of course the coco de mer make up this magnificent mural.

Her friend Wendy, aka Mrs Panos, lived in Seychelles for 17 years and they all share the love and admiration for the tropical Indian Ocean islands. These islands have brought them together while dancing the sega and singing the famous song ‘Going back to the Seychelles’, originally composed by the late Mickey Mancham and covered by several local artists such as Serge Camille, Jean Ally, among others.

“I’m going back to the Seychelles

Where the clock chimes twice

I’m going back to the Seychelles

Isles of paradise.”

Wendy Funston in Cyprus