NO INTERPRETER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27275, 29 December 1949, Page 6

NO INTERPRETER

PROBLEM FOR OFFICIALS ARRIVAL OF GIRL FROM CYPRUS PA AUCKLAND, Dec. 28. After being among a group of Cypriots who were stranded in Darwin on Boxing Day, Miss Christina Pieri arrived by flying boat today to face another ordeal. She speaks no English and no one could be found who speaks her own language. When she arrived at Mechanics Bay, airways officials were confronted with the task of conducting her through the immigration. Customs and health authorities without the benefit of an interpreter. Nothing was known about Miss Pieri except that she was coming to New Zealand to be married. Her fiance, Mr Pieris Zandi, t>f Wellington, was not informed that she was coming until today and he could not be in Auckland to meet her. They have not seen each other for 10 years. Strenuous efforts were made by Tasman Airways to locate somebody who could speak Miss Pieri’s language, but with little success. Spanish, German, French, Italian and even Arabic phrases were spoken to her or pointed out in the language books, but in every case she shook her head or conveyed by means of signs that she did not understand. She seemed very pleased when some Greek phrases were shown to her. She eagerly traced the words on paper with her finger but could only partly understand Greek, which is similar to her own native language. She seemed resigned to her fate and sat quietly in a chair smiling while members of the airways staff made renewed efforts to locate an interpreter. She laughed when every new effort to make her understand failed. Finally, Miss Pieri’s fiance telephoned from Wellington to see if she had arrived. Her eyes lighted up with pleasure when she heard his voice. With Mr Zandi acting as interpreter from Wellington, arrangements were made for Miss Pieri to travel to Wellington by train. Miss J. McDonald. Tasman Airways hostess, took her into the city for a meal and then saw her safely on the Wellington express. She was happily looking through the pages of a magazine she could not read. Miss Pieri and Mr Zandi were born in the same town. Famagusta, in Cyprus. They were betrothed while children according to the Greek custom. The marriage is expected to take place in Wellington shortly.