My New Life in Malta

Yesterday I got the news that my friend I.A. will be leaving Gozo. I am sad because he was the first friend I made here in Malta, but happy for him as he is moving on to bigger and better things overseas. It feels like wherever I go, my friends wind up moving away, but that just seems to be the new mobile and international world in which we live. I know I have mentioned this before, but it still surprises me. On the positive side, I have one more person to go and visit. One of these days I would like to take a little international tour and visit all the people I know who have relocated to other countries. Well, one can dream.

On an opposite note, my friends K, V and G arrive in a few hours for their visit to Malta. My first visitors!! They can only stay for four days, so we will try to fit in as much as possible. Hopefully that will include a hop over to Gozo to say goodbye to I.A. or perhaps he can meet us “on the mainland” for one big happy get-together. So far it is hard to imagine them here, and watch two of my worlds colliding in one place, but as the hours draw near to their arrival I am very much looking forward to it.

Meanwhile, the play is now taking shape nicely. It is a unique concept and it took a while until it was all fully explained to the cast. For the first couple of weeks, we basically did all sorts of theatrical and choreography exercises that did not seem to fit together at all, and now things are magically coming together. The director has asked us not to discuss the details of the production, as it is an unusual idea and with Malta being so small the rumours could spread quickly and ruin the effect. But I am very excited about it! The rehearsals are now getting more intense, and it is a lot of hard work since we are meeting every day. (In fact, just when my friends are coming is when it is most difficult to miss rehearsals, so it will be a balancing act).

I also want to clarify, in response to some comments, that despite the last couple of posts sounding a bit negative, that was not my intention. I am still happy to be in Malta and enjoying life here. There are just ups and downs in everyday life.

Well, I am off to finish the preparations for the guests. “They” are going to outnumber “us” in the flat and even the dining room has been turned into a temporary bedroom. It should be fun!

Recently M asked me if I get seasick. I replied that I did not know, as I had never been on a ship long enough to find out!

The crossing to Sicily last Wednesday was very rough. The waves were so big they were covering the side windows, and the world seemed to sway back and forth. The catamaran running between Malta and Sicily has windows on all sides, so there is no place on which to focus one's eyes where the world is not moving. I began to feel a bit dizzy, in a way I had not felt before, and then I remembered the above conversation. I have never vomited on an airplane, or after a roller-coaster or any such event, so I truly thought that sea-sickness would not apply to me. I sat there quietly, breathing in and out, when suddenly a member of the crew came over with a wet napkin and said "sir, put this on your forehead."  Oh-oh! Did I look so obvious? It was time to reach for the little sickness bag...

I had never used one of those either, and I discovered that they are indeed waterproof. There is a feeling of relief that comes after vomiting (quite ironic, considering it is such an unpleasant experience), so I thought that the ordeal was over and went to the toilets to freshen up. On the way, I saw about half the passengers getting sick all over the ship, and in the toilets themselves there was a concentration of them. The toilets turned out to be the only window-less area, which really hit me when I stepped back out and saw 180 degrees of horizon moving up and down, and up and down, and up and down. I sat in front of the movie screen and tried to concentrate on some silly re-make of the "Herbie the Love Bug" films which really did not interest me, but at least it was something to focus on. Another crew member came by and offered me a dramamine pill. She instructed me to take it one hour before departure for the return journey. Normally, I like to avoid all medicines unless strictly necessary, but this time it seemed justified. She gave me another sickness bag and I naively said "oh, I've already used one!" but she insisted that I take it anyway.

Before I knew it, another crew member was coming to me with the wet napkins and soon I was in trouble again. She was very sweet, and kept coming by every few minutes with a fresh wet napkin for my forehead and quietly leaving more bags next to me. I was instructed to avoid the toilets, because hearing other people getting sick would make things worse. I disagreed, I desperately needed a couple of minutes without any windows. After my stomach had quieted down again, and I was trying to hold on to that feeling of being (hopefully) done with sea-sickness, the napkin lady brought me more bags and napkins and very comically said in her Eastern European accent "I leave for you, please don't use!"  At least she was able to get a laugh out of me and cheer me up.

(Incidentally, I was puzzled as to how the crew seemed so calm. Do they drug themselves daily, or is this something one can get used to?)

The 10 hours I spent in Sicily started out on a bad note after the treacherous crossing. I vowed never to go on a ship again and  dreaded the thought of having to go back on one so soon. For the same price as the ferry only, I had been offered a day excursion, so I sat on the bus as we rode up to Mount Aetna and dozed off and recuperated. This day excursion turned out to be a bit of a sham, but I did not really care as I had already been up the mountain and for me it was either this or sitting in the port after being sick. We rode for three hours and then were given only one hour on the volcano. Except we did not even  go up to the top, we were only taken as far as the bus could go and then dumped for an hour at the only restaurant around for kilometers. The ground was covered in snow and the temperature was below zero, so going for an exploratory walk was out of the question without the proper gear. 

Then more hours on the bus, and one hour of free time in the town of Modica. I did enjoy that and made the most of the short time there. The highlight of my day was supposed to be a nice plate of genuine Italian pasta, but after the ferry ordeal I found it best to avoid it. Alas. There was a chocolate festival going on, so I bought some, and I also found a farmer's market where I bought some delicious fresh cheese, honey and tomatoes to bring back with me to Malta. I felt very cool with my international grocery shopping.

I took the pill as instructed, and boarded the ferry to hear a nice tri-lingual announcement that due to rough weather it was highly suggested that passengers remain in their seats. I did feel uneasy, but the pill did its trick. It also helped that in the dark you cannot see the horizon line becoming a roller coaster. The crew was the same as in the morning, and they remembered me and checked up on me. I found that so sweet. In fact, while most people only write complaint letters, I wrote a very nice thank-you letter to the ferry company. Getting sick while travelling alone makes one feel very helpless, and the crew really went out of their way to deliver a warm human touch.

I really hope these low-cost airlines bring down the price of air travel from Malta, because the very thought of getting on that ferry again...

It has been several days since I sat down and updated this. With rehearsals every day, I find myself busier and with less mental clarity to sit down and write, but at least it is an exciting and energising experience!

Yesterday was a public holiday in Malta, so M and I decided to go out and explore. We opened up the map on the kitchen table and came to the realisation that I have now visited almost all the major places in Malta. People keep warning me that every few months they feel the need to go abroad for a few days, as they begin to feel the smallness of the country closing in... and I had my first taste of that!

So, we decided to go and see the Mosta dome, which I had not properly visited, and then on to explore out-of-the-way places.

The Mosta dome is the third largest in the world, but it is even more impressive because it was built when Mosta was a small rural village, and the villagers decided to build something magnificent. It was done slowly, at a time before electric cranes, using a system of donkeys and ramps. The result is quite a sight! I stared up at the dome and looked at all the little details all around the church. During World War II, a bomb fell through the dome but did not explode (which some consider a miracle) and the patched-up hole can be seen today.

From then, on to Żebbiegħ (which M congratulated me for pronouncing correctly) and on to Bidnija. These are rural areas out "in the middle of nowhere" and they actually convey that feeling. They are located in such a way that all you see is nature, and for a moment you feel transported to the countryside. However, as with these things in Malta, the countryside then comes to an abrupt stop at a turn of the road when it rejoins the village proper.

Then, near Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq (which, I am proud to say, I can also pronounce) we found a side road with actual farm houses. There were horses, cows and chickens. We then discovered a trail that goes up a hillside in what seems to be the Victoria Lines, and decided we would come back another time and climb it.

Thus, we turned the negative feeling of running out of places to see with the positive feeling that there are always things to discover. M had never been to any of these hidden places, and so we will just have to continue exploring these hidden gems.

On the language front, I am making great progress. Although the play I am rehearsing will be in English, the very large cast speaks lots of Maltese to each other and thus I am able to get some practice. My strategy is still trying that people not find out I am a foreigner (because then they will speak only English to me) but some have found out and I have managed to get them to speak Maltese to me anyway, at least in a group setting. Speaking practice is just what I need, so I am now improving at a very fast pace.

In other news, I have to leave the country again and come back in. Until I get a job and thus a residence permit, I have to keep leaving. I am always worried that they will hassle me and ask me why I keep coming in and out, but I have been lucky so far. The cheapest thing I could find was the ferry to Sicily, and so I will be up early tomorrow morning to make the sea crossing. It should be a bit of an adventure!  

So far I have not written much about this next theatre opportunity, but now I am very excited and so it is time to share.

A German director has come to Malta and is putting on a series of plays about the stories of the Old Testament. There will be approximately one every month, starting with the creation story, then Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, etc.  The format consists of something like a Greek-chorus of the whole cast with some actors stepping out of the chorus to perform individual scenes. Rehearsals started last week and it has been so much fun! At first we were mostly doing fun games and exercises that really just felt like children's games, but are meant to help us "let loose" and learn to control our bodies and voices, while at the same time serving as an ice-breaker for the cast to get comfortable with each other.

It is a very demanding schedule, with rehearsals every day. Once again, I have to admire the dedication of Maltese actors, who work a full-time job and then still find the energy to spend their evenings and weekends rehearsing. The cast is all Maltese except for the German director, the Catalan choreographer and me. A bit of an international taste!

I was very flattered a couple of days ago when the director asked me and a few others to stay a bit later... I was to play one of the character parts! Currently we are working through the scene where Abraham is about to sacrifice his soon Isaac. This is something I have studied in detail in religion class, and it is one of the most challenging stories to understand in the Bible. So here I am, trying to get the body and facial expressions right: just how do you react when you realise that your father is about to kill you?

The icing on the cake came yesterday. The director took pictures of some of the cast members, and will be using our faces for the publicity. Starting tomorrow, an ad will appear daily in the Times of Malta, which is one of Malta's leading English-language newspapers. The ad consists of the picture of an actor or actress, with a biblical name written across the top such as Adam, Eve, Moses, etc. Along the bottom it reads "The Whole Story. Starting April 2007."  This is what one could call teasers, since it is meant to provoke curiosity without yet telling what it is all about.

I have to admit, when I saw the proof with my picture yesterday, I was over the moon. I have never appeared in the newspaper before, and so it is just thrilling!! Unfortunately, I do not think that the ads can be seen in the online version, but I will try to get it scanned. And my Maltese readers who regularly read the Times will soon see the ads, so tell me what you think!

More details forthcoming, but save the date: April 13 and 15 in Malta, and April 14 in Gozo!

I just got back from seeing yet another Maltese film! This time I saw "Gaġġa" (Cage) which was made by students at the University of Malta back in 1973, but it has been newly revamped and re-released in the cinema. (Apparently it was on DVD, as once again I could see the cursor up on the corner of the big screen).

I am glad to report that this time, I enjoyed it very much! [Warning, plot spoiler begins here] It is based on a novel by Frans Sammut, and is basically a metaphor for Maltese society around the time leading up to independence in 1964. The focus is on Freddu, a young man who lives in a village with his very conservative parents. He has to deal with their repressive views as he tries to balance that with his desire to date girls, have sex, fall in love, marry and make a future for himself. At one point he moves to the "big city" and gives it a go there, only to find yet another culture shock as he meets people who prefer to speak and act English and whose morals have perhaps gone too far the other way. Throughout, the heavy political air and the talk of upcoming independence is everywhere. In the end, he decides to leave the island to get away from everything and get some breathing space. An ominous narrator voice asks him to think well before he leaves his homeland as the tears run down his face. [Plot spoiler end]

Yes, you might consider it a very "artsy" student film. But I found that in this case the melodrama can be excused as it is all a metaphor, and often what we see is not what is actually happening but rather the point of view of confused Freddu's mind. The lead performance by Ray Camilleri is phenomenal. It worked so well, that the ending made me genuinely sad. (Perhaps because I am sensitive to the topic of people having to leave their country for a better future, which is something that Malta experience heavily between the 1940's and 1970's but which my country of birth is continuing to experience today.)

Prosit to those responsible for redistributing this hidden Maltese gem for a new generation to enjoy. It was shown last week at the still ongoing European Film Festival. I hope it was shown with English subtitles and that many people went to see it. This time I would be proud for Malta to show this film.

Incidentally, it was fun to see Malta in 1973. The village streets look pretty much the same, but Sliema has changed dramatically. I even recognised a side street off of Rue d'Argens, which I will soon go and check out to give it a good comparison 34 years later.

As a funny anecdote, a woman walked in during the intermission. About five minutes into the second half of the film, she taps on my shoulder and says with a Russian accent, "Adverrrrtizzing, this is? What iiiis?"  I replied that this was the movie, and she ran out confused. It was a scene where people were using some English, maybe she should have stayed and watched.

If all goes well, Malta will be adopting the euro as its currency on January 1, 2008. (I wonder why they say “adopt” as if the euro was an orphan with nowhere else to go). As part of the process, all prices have to be displayed in both Maltese liri and euros starting on June 1 so that people can start getting used to the new currency. But over the past week or so, I have begun to see the dual-display of prices just about everywhere. I am impressed that Maltese shopkeepers and retailers are actually doing something three months ahead of schedule!

When the first pioneers began a couple of months back, I noticed that some were cheating with the exchange rate. But now they seem to have shaped up and it is usually the correct rate (I like to check). I went to the post office today, and my receipt showed both currencies. Which was a bit confusing for a moment as I tried to figure out why I had gotten the wrong amount of change back. It turned out that the cashier had actually made a mistake this time, but it took me several extra seconds to figure it out as I read through the slightly more “complex” receipt.

I even walked past a small shop where everything sells for Lm2, and the sign now said “Everything Lm2/€4.66”. Still no word on what Tal-Lira, the everything-for-one-lira shop, will do after the changeover, but I will post the news as soon as I find out. (And people say I have esoteric interests…)

Speaking of people and everywhere, I am experiencing a new phenomenon: I have begun to run into people that I know! This is a big milestone, because with Malta being small it seems like the Maltese are always running into someone they know. In fact, when I go to Valletta with M, every few steps down Republic Street he greets someone with a wave or stops to chat. Once I went to Valletta with M and our friend P, and at one point they BOTH stopped to chat with different people while I stood there and patiently waited.

Soooooo, I am very happy to report that I have run into people I know not once, not twice, not three times, but several times! And in different places! Even in different parts of the island! Yeah yeah, sit there and laugh, but this is yet another step in Malta becoming my home.