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.