La Vie in Malta

                

                       The Life

 

Ah...Malta.  Finally, a place where I can take a nap in the afternoon and it's considered normal...

 

The Mediterranean Lifestyle

I know I'll be complaining about things once I get there, but this is what I love so far:  One Year Later the third of January, 2010—My remarks are in blue:

1. The Cafes--There's always a place to sit down and have a Diet Coke.  And you can sit there for as long as you want.  No one says you have to leave.  (This did happen to me and my friend Lucy in a Boston restaurant once, when we were dallying a bit after our meal.) This is true. After one year, I feel the same way about the cafes.

2. You can take it easy every day.  Even when it's not really hot, the shops in Malta close for a couple of hours--maybe from 2-4 PM.  And that just happens to coincide with my nap time (whether or not I get to take it--in America).  It makes you feel like resting is a normal thing to do. 

I can’t believe I said you can take it easy every day. Maybe if you’re retired or something.  When I was teaching EFL in the summer, I never had a break during the day.  However, I do know some Maltese that would take a siesta at that time.  At the beginning, I found it annoying when the stores were closed during midday; I kept forgetting and trying to get something or another and then I would remember that they were closed.  After a while, I got used to it.

3. People are friendly.  Generally, they go out of their way to help you.  I watched, one time in the square in Valletta, how a tourist was limping along because of her blistered feet in her sandals.  I was glad I wasn't her (for a change).  To my amazement, a Maltese woman noticed her limping and walked up to her, holding out a Band-Aid to this poor woman.  I couldn't believe it.  Naturally, being an American, she wouldn't accept anything good from a stranger.  Instead, I went and accepted it for the next time I would be limping from blisters.

I still think the Maltese are very friendly—except when they’re driving. The Maltese suffer from severe road rage and are very dangerous, angry drivers.  I was almost hit by a car many times, and I was screamed at by enraged Maltese drivers almost every day.

 

Lots Going On

There's so much happening on this small island. That's why it doesn't seem too small to me.

• Music--The Maltese love music and they're very lucky.  Not only do they have a lot of talent among the locals, but they are so close to the rest of Europe that they get a lot of stars coming over to do concerts.   And you don't always have to pay to hear a concert.  They have them in the streets. The last two times I was there we sat up on the walls of Valletta and listened to an 60's Oldies concert.  And I managed to overcome my usual singing/dancing embarrassment dread, and sang and danced like everyone else.

Here's one especially for the young women.  I never heard of Latino lover Enrique Iglesias, but apparently he was a major hit this week (June,08). 

An article about him in the Times of Malta is really fun to read, with great photos.  As of now, due to copyright laws, I can't link directly to the article.  But if you really want to read it (and I hope you do), click here for The Times of Malta,   and then insert the following into their search engine at the top of the page (And let me know what you think): Pietà girl over the moon as Iglesias pulls her up on stage for second time - Fiona Galea Debono

 

• Festas--The Maltese--like most Europeans--love celebrations.  In the summer, they have them all the time.  More to come on this (gotta watch Suze Orman now.  Will miss her in Malta.)

I have to tell you now that I HATE the festas.  If I never saw or rather, heard, another one, I would be very happy.  Every day they shoot off these horrible petards—these bombs—that are so loud.  They disturb everyone—the young, the old, tourists, the locals, dogs, cats.  Every year there are complaints, begging whoever shoots them off to stop. But “they” refuse. It’s a Maltese tradition, they say.  Well, like most everyone else, I would like them to stop.  It’s one thing to have fireworks; it’s another thing to have these useless and damaging bombs going off all day and night.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=874095074]

I remember that relaxed way of life.. and the celebration of life. That is one of the things I have always missed since leaving Malta.