A minute with: Tatiana Heracleous, Civil servant, part-time farmer, full-time mother
Where do you live?
I live in Nicosia with my Hercules, our three kids Vasiliki, Panagiotis, Antreas and many, many animals.
What did you have for breakfast?
Plain coffee
Describe your perfect day.
Waking up early in the morning to take care of our little farm (donkey, pig, dogs, cats, turtles, fish, birds, rabbit, sugar glider, bearded dragon). Having my coffee in peace and quiet. Gardening. Spending time with my family (Hercules and the kids).
Best book ever read?
The Little Prince. It’s supposedly a kid’s book, but with many life lessons about love, responsibility, acceptance that can teach people of any age.
Best childhood memory?
Growing up.
What is always in your fridge?
Mayonnaise… goes with everything! HEINZ sponsor me!
What music are you listening to in the car at the moment?
That depends on whether or not I am alone. When my kids are in the car we listen to trap songs. I’m not so proud to admit that I started learning the lyrics (we spend a lot of time in that car together). When my kids are not with me, I listen to DIESI radio station that plays all my favourite music.
What’s your spirit animal?
I would be a snake… Because I had to take a test for this question and that was the result.
What are you most proud of?
Being stubborn enough to do and support what I think is right without caring what others will say, realising you can’t find happiness by pleasing others… and of course raising our three children this way. Living in a small and narrow-minded society, where church has so much power over the government and the people, changing the norms of what is considered “normal” to the day, can be even more challenging than usual. However, we raised our children to be accepting, open minded and not to tolerate any form of injustice or human rights violation. Taking them to Pride every year since 2014, demonstrations about the environment, peace and animal welfare.
What movie scene has really stayed with you?
The whole movie The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock.
If you could pick anyone at all (alive or dead) to go out for the evening with, who would it be?
Lucifer but I won’t complain if that means Tom Ellis.
If you could time travel when/where would you go?
I would fast forward a bit to a future where the renovation of our house is over. That could also be a parallel universe… we don’t know yet!
What is your greatest fear?
I have many… Birds… The renovation of our house never ending… A child of mine becoming a trapper… My button collection being stolen… Having to socialise… Being buried instead of cremated… and MANY more… However, my greatest fear is being in a terminal condition and not being able to choose euthanasia.
What would you say to your 18-year-old self?
Relax… Take it easy!
Name the one thing that would stop you dating someone.
Not loving animals.
If the world is ending in 24 hours, what would you do?
Feed our animals and make sure to tell the people I care about that I love them.