A Chinese man felt so much in love with Crete that he changed his name to reflect his new adopted identity as a proud Cretan.
Yip Hoi Loungk who came from China to Crete in 1990 to work as a chef in a Chinese restaurant was officially renamed as Dimitris Gipakis.
Gipakis sounds very close to Yip. Dimitris comes from the nick-name ‘Jimmy’ that locals used to call him.
57-year-old Dimitris has now moved to work in Switzerland, but he cannot forget his Cretan roots.
He returned to the island to marry his partner for 24 years. Shirley Macolalad, originally from the Philippines, who lives and works in Crete.
The civic ceremony took place in the City Hall of Heraklion and the wedding was conducted by the Deputy Mayor of the city Giorgos Karantinos.
A happy Mr. Gipakis spoke of his love for Crete which he visits at every available opportunity. He says he wants to buy a house on the island and move there when he retires.
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