Finding a common language

Djemal left Cyprus as a child and has been living at Blue Warren in Canterbury since January 2012.

Six months ago, Gulpasa started working with Dimensions at Blue Warren. Previously, she had been living and working in London and moved to the area when she married a year ago.

With Turkish as her first language, Gulpasa was curious when she saw Djemal’s Turkish name. She was cautious when she supported him for the first time, wondering:

All of her fears vanished when she tentatively asked him a question in Turkish and saw a beaming smile on his face!

Djemal said he is very happy to talk to Gulpasa – they talk about food, family and traditions. He is more than happy when she cooks Turkish favourites, such as spinach with tomatoes and meatballs, or chicken cooked with Turkish herbs and spices.

Gulpasa says that Djemal feels like part of her family and talks to her husband (also from Cyprus) about him at home. She also feels that cooking Djemal’s favourite foods brings back happy memories for him.

Djemal and Gulpasa are delighted that fate has brought them together – and we are all delighted too!