What I liked most
about Malta
In my opinion, Thursday was the most special day for
me and the one where I learned plenty of new and
interesting things.
Even though I was not too impressed by the cave, I
enjoyed talking to the archeologist because this
profession always has fascinated me. It also made me
realize that this world still has mysteries waiting to
be discovered. Luckily, our time spent on the beach
has not been too hot because we had a shady place. I
also enjoyed a lot going climbing on the cliff. It is
impressive to contemplate the plants living on the
rocks and finding one's way over the slippery pebbles
was very adventurous. I was leading, when we tried to
take the way up the cliff because the horizontal way
was a dead end, and even though I rushed, or maybe
because I rushed, I felt this sensation I wasn't
experiencing in a long while. I used to climb a lot on
trees when I was younger and rushing up the rocks
reminded me of this curious, carefree me I had once
been. Exploring the world by myself, eager to see what
awaits me beyond the limits of my field of view,
beyond my vision and perception. However, what we saw
was rather disappointing. The top of the cliff was
just a flat surface on which a concert was prepared.
Nevertheless, we still had an amazing view and we all
had fun in our small group.
Another thing I appreciated was the talk I had with
our guide in the nature and history park. I was able
to ask her questions about the Maltese economy, way of
life, and politics. I asked her about the park and how
things became as we see them today and she showed me
different yellow stones and where the indigenous
people hid from the Ottomans in the park. She also
told me that the Maltese government is rich but that
sadly the president spends all the money on
constructing more and more buildings to keep up with
the speed of the modern world even though they are
already lacking space on the small island. This is why
she said places like the national park are important
even if there are also people hunting birds for fun.
She told me that there are poor people in Malta, which
is a rich country but that there are no beggars in the
streets, which I also noticed because poverty is
hidden from our eyes but still visible for
Maltese. I also asked about the economy and the
education-system and got an answer to my question of
why all the hills and cliffs are flat. The island of
Malta was rising from and diving in in the
Mediterranean Sea and so the organic leftovers of sea
creatures and biomass, temperature and minerals shaped
the landscape. This led to different layers of soil
and sediments, which used to be the bottom of the sea.
On our way back to our starting point I had an
interesting conversation with our history teacher
about Malta’s history, the crusades, and the resulting
leagues, about pirates and the formalities and rules
in ancient wars.
Of course, these were not the only talks I have
enjoyed.
On our day in Mdina, I talked with the people behind
the counter about Malta. Even though asking these
questions was our English task, the people seem to be
very friendly and eager to share their lives with us.
I remember the first woman I talked to, gathering all
my strength, walking to the counter with my postcard
and souvenirs, right to the middle-aged woman hidden
in the shadows. She told me the price I had to pay in
a low and dreary voice because this was her routine. I
paid and asked her for a minute of her time, asking
her about Maltese character traits and I instantly saw
her eyes widening, her voice becoming louder and more
excited. She then enthusiastically told me about the
Maltese hospitability, about their Mediterranean
temperament, their friendliness and tireless work-
attitude. However, she also admitted that Maltese can
be very hotheaded, impatient and very loud. And I can
confirm from my own experience that it doesn't take a
lot and no hesitation at all for Maltese to use their
horns on the road. But you can also spot the endless
construction places and cranes. It also surprised me
that another clerk told me that there are immigrants
from all over the world in Malta and that thus the
population rose from 400,000 people to 500,000 within
the past 5 years. However, against my expectations and
my Middle-European experiences, all the immigrants
find jobs and the Maltese are even in need of more
workers.
Overall, I can say that neither did I have a nice
holiday trip at the beach, nor did I see tons of
monuments, but that I was rather introduced to another
world I did not know existed, laying in the south of
the Mediterranean Sea. I learned about another state,
other ways of living, about the history and most
importantly the multiple facets this world has to
offer and the million hidden secrets that are still
undiscovered.
This trip did not improve my English, it changed my
view of things and encouraged me to never lose my
curiosity and keep exploring.
Text und Foto: Daria
Richter / Q2