Week 20: Goodbye Malta!

It's hard to believe that I have been living in Malta for 20 weeks and that my time there has come to an end. The experience has been so different to what I imagined it to be. Looking back to my first few weeks in Malta, I remember times were I was homesick and missed my friends, family and home comforts, however as time went on Malta became more like my home as I got accustomed to my surroundings and new life. I can definitely say that I have changed as a person during my Erasmus adventure, I have learnt so much during my time away and not only have I have grown and developed as a person but I have been able to experience and appreciate other cultures and ways of living, opening my eyes up to different ways of thinking that I have never been exposed to and of course the relaxed Mediterranean approach to life! Having the opportunity to study at another university and attend visits to an independent school has given me the opportunity to develop professionally also.

My last day at uni!

A traditional Maltese dinner

My parents came over for my final week so I embraced my last time of being a tour guide and showed them around all the main tourist spots, taking the opportunity to add in some of the places I hadn’t got around to doing yet! It was great to be reunited with my parents and I enjoyed spending my last week living in luxury and on holiday mode. Having visited many of the top tourist sites before it was strange to think that this could be my last time visiting them. Although I have enjoyed living in Malta (particularly appreciating the climate) I am glad to be returning home to Northern Ireland, especially to the beautiful landscape. One thing I have really missed in Malta is the countryside, Malta is a tiny island only 17 miles by 9 miles and as a result is very built up with only a small number of open spaces. I have definitely taken for granted our beautiful green fields and our lovely large sandy beaches, I will definitely be more appreciative of these when I return back home, if only we had a more pleasant climate to enjoy these.

Reunited with my parents!

Living in luxury

My 7th and last time at the Azure Window!

During the past week I have been able to reminisce and catch-up my parents with what I have gotten up to over the past 5 months. Reflecting upon this, it has been a life-changing journey and has inspired me to continue exploring and travelling the world. Throughout the experience I have met many interesting and different people and have made friends with people I would never have otherwise met. Their different backgrounds have opened my eyes up to the world. One of the main lessons I have learnt during this experience is to be confident in who you are and what you believe in, don’t be afraid of what life throws at you but rather embrace every experience you find yourself in and view it as an opportunity to learn something or somebody new! I can positively say that this is only the beginning of my discovery of the world.

Week 19: The beginning of goodbyes!

This week has involved a lot of endings and it’s just beginning to hit me that I only have a limited amount of time left of my Malta Adventure! It’s scary how fast time has flown whilst being here and that five months ago I was in the midst of preparing to begin my adventure.

Saying goodbye to Olive

The first of the goodbyes was to our placement school. Having missed our teaching practice at home there was no doubt that when the opportunity to visit a Maltese school came up I took it! Despite the stress, pressure and high work load involved during teaching practice, I have always enjoyed it. Working with children has always given me a sense of satisfaction by being able to help them to grow as individuals. The positive impact you can have as a teacher has always appealed to me and is the main reason why I am pursuing teaching as my career. Although I didn't have many days of placement I still got to know some of the children and enjoyed seeing their individual characteristics come out in different ways.

On Thursday Rachel and I handed in all of our assignments, one of the best feelings ever!  Bushnell is correct when he said “the ultimate inspiration is the deadline.” Having the deadline of our friend Gillian arriving on Friday, kept us motivated as we worked hard to ensure all our assignments would be finished and handed in so that we would have all our time to spend with her. To celebrate handing these all in we went to Marsaxlokk to have lunch and then on to St Peter’s Pool, to enjoy a relaxing afternoon sunbathing and swimming in the Mediterranean Ocean.

Swimming in the Mediterranean Ocean!!

St Peter's Pool

The next afternoon we arrived at the airport (my 13^th time being there!!) and greeted Gillian. As she had just finished her PGCE and to reward ourselves for all our hard work on our assignments we arranged that we would have a massage and relaxing afternoon at the spa! Each of us thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, a perfect way to catch up on all we had missed over the past couple of months and a great way to rest ourselves for the rest of our jammed packed agenda! In just 4 days we managed to fit in scuba diving, a trip to the water park, a visit to see St Paul’s Island, a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon, a tour around Gozo, dinner at Mdina and of course not forgetting a visit to the capital city Valletta.

St Paul's Island

The three amigos

Just after our boat trip

Our last night at Mdina

Introducing Gillian to my favourite ice-cream shop!

 However at the end of these 4 days I had to say goodbye to my main Malta buddy Rachel as she was travelling home with Gillian! I have spent the last 19 weeks doing pretty much everything with this girl and it felt very strange travelling home from the airport by myself and coming back to a half empty room. Proverbs chapter 17 verse 17 states that “a friend loves at all times.” I can truly say this of Rachel’s friendship to me as she has always been there for me during this experience, through both the good and difficult times.

Saying goodbye to Rachel

Week 18: A Maltese Dining Experience

After a busy week of exploring with Rachel’s parents last week it was time to get back to completing and finishing off our assignments this week, especially as deadlines are fast approaching and we have a friend coming to visit us next week.

One of our first deadlines is for a module titled, 'Children in Society.' I have found these classes very interesting as we have studied how children are affected by the environment they are brought up in and the impacts this can have on their education and achievement levels. The assessment for this module gave Rachel and myself the opportunity to work in a group along with another Maltese classmate, Jasmine. We were given a range of topics to focus our essay on, we decided on 'The Effects of Poverty on Children in Society.' This assignment has been quite different to what I have been used to as I have never co-written an assignment before and have never had the freedom to choose the title of my essay, however I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the opportunities it has opened up, learning more about my own country and Malta as we compared the impacts of poverty on both during the essay.

On Friday night Jasmine invited us to her house to add some final touches to our assignment. To reward us for all our hard work her mum was very kind and made us an amazing 3 course traditional Maltese dinner! Although I have already had the opportunity to try some traditional Maltese cuisine it was great to have someone to explain the background to the dishes. I was truly shocked by the spread of food her mum had prepared! To start with we had 3 different types of goats cheese, pastizzis, (which Rachel and myself have come to love, despite their negative health impacts!) snails, (which I was shocked to find that I really enjoyed!) and bruschetta, to name only a few! During the main we enjoyed the Maltese special of rabbit, cooked in several different ways and a pasta dish. We finished the meal with a Maltese take on a bread pudding dessertwhich was washed down with Malta’s 2 exclusive drinks- Kinnie and Cisk.

The dining experience was a great break from essay writing and saved Rachel and myself from having to rummage through our cupboard to find something to cook. The family were so hospitable and made us feel right at home, having even invited my parents around when they come to visit me! The experience has encouraged me to always be welcoming and friendly to others. It is not only a generous and compassionate deed to offer to others, but it also lets you see how other people live, offering you a first-hand account of their culture, traditions and values. As Jasmine has applied to study at Stranmillis next semester as part of her own Erasmus experience, I look forward to returning the favour and letting her try some traditional Northern Irish delights like wheaten bread, champ, fifteens and not of course not forgetting our famous Ulster fry! 

Enjoying an outdoor dining experience- which you rarely
have the opportunity to do in NI

My favourite- snails!

Bruschetta

Some of our Maltese delights

Rabbit

Desserts!

Enjoying some post from home

We also made time to visit the Blue Grotto

The Mediterranean Blue Sea

Week 17: The Secret Garden

After a long week trying to get some assignments out of the way, we took a more relaxed pace this week as our classes have now all officially finished, meaning we were able to join Rachel’s parents in some sight-seeing. Despite having thought I had seen the majority of Malta I was definitely proved wrong this week! It started as I found gardens hidden behind large walls and gates amongst the narrow and twisty streets which I have walked past many times without even realising! I really enjoyed walking through the gardens as Malta is densely built up and it was nice to be in a more relaxed paced setting.

St Anton Gardens 

Whilst out exploring with Rachel’s parents we visited the first museum of our trip, The Malta At War Museum. Having done history as one of my A-Level’s and having a genuine interest in it I really enjoyed the trip. As a result I now have a better understanding of Malta’s history and how this has affected its culture. Malta has always been ruled and influenced by other dominant powers including most recently Italy and Britain. As a result of these rulings you can see different elements of their culture in Malta. For example you can see British influences as, English is one of the two main languages spoken here, they drive on the left hand side, they have the same electricity sockets found in Britain- different from the rest of Europe and you can also find the iconic British red telephone boxes with the picture of the crown in most towns. Italian influences can be found most notably in their food and in their language as a lot of people will say ‘ciao’ instead of the traditional Maltese farewell ‘sahha’.

The Malta at War Museum

Some of the many unexploded bombs from the war

Going down into the air raid shelter

Some of the dorms in the air raid shelters

During the Second World War Malta was valued for its strategic location in the Mediterranean and its closeness to Italy. As a result it was always high on the enemy’s agenda and was a major target for German and Italian bombing, where despite the small size of Malta it is was the most bombed area during the war, with 3,343 air raids having been recorded during the war. During our tour of the museum we got to explore through an underground air raid shelter which was used during the war. Due to the sustained bombing on Malta, the air raid shelters were commonly used and this one even had a separate room for women giving birth! The bombing had a significant impact on the infrastructure throughout the country. Many homes and buildings were destroyed during the attacks and the economy suffered hugely. Subsequently Malta has received lots of investment to help restore this, especially after becoming a member of the European Union in 2004. The EU has poured in major investment into Malta which can be seen in many projects in different towns, especially in Valletta, the capital city, where the original entrance and many other buildings have been restored.

Saying our first goodbyes!

An iconic Maltese scene

We found some time to relax by the infinity pool too!

Enjoying some of traditional Maltese food-
kannoli

Week 16: Once upon a time...

This week has been one of my toughest weeks in Malta so far! Living so far away from my family and friends has made me really value their place in my life and the support they have always provided me with. One of the drawbacks of living in another country is that I can’t participate in major life events and even normal daily events with them. I have found this particularly hard this week as I haven’t been able to be there in person for someone going through a tough situation. Skype is such a great invention and I have really appreciated during my time here in Malta, however it is just not the same as being there with the actual person, which is also not helped by poor Wi-Fi reception!

Enjoying a study break to do some shopping in Sliema!

I have also been really busy with 11 assignments to do within the next month, trying to ensure I get them all done before visitors arrive so we are able to spend time with them. Our classes have all started to finish up, with our last class ever in Malta to be held this Thursday! This has made it really hit home that my time in Malta is almost up now with just 4 weeks to go! Time has really flown in since being here in Malta, it doesn't feel that long ago since I wrote my first blog entry! MacKay is true when he says “Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it you can never get it back.” This week has made me reflect on the preciousness of time and the importance in how you spend it as Psalm chapter 90, verse 12 states “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom,” therefore we are not to waste our days away but to make the most of them, making time to participate in events which we will grow and develop in as a person and making time for things and people we value in our lives. Althsuler shows us how we are the directors of our time as in his quote he states, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” Erasmus is a great opportunity which provides you with so many opportunities. It has allowed me to develop as an individual opening me up to new ideas, different ways of living, providing me with situations which have either re-affirmed or made me think about the beliefs and values I hold, aided me to identify my strengths and weaknesses as a person and letting me gain and improve in many new and different life skills. I am so glad I have had the opportunity to participate in Erasmus and although I can’t say I've made the most of all the time I have spent here in Malta, my Erasmus experience has definitely been time well spent!

My cooking skills have definitely improved
from baked potatoes, beans and cheese!

Meeting lots of new people!

Our walk to school today!

When it rains in Malta it floods!

Week 15: Getting artsy

On our return to school again this week we were moved to a younger class as they spend less time speaking in Maltese, despite enjoying being taught some new Maltese vocabulary I think this decision was best as we will understand more of what is going on in the classroom now. We were moved to a Year 2 group which would be a Primary 3 class at home. I have never observed or taught this age group before, so was interested to see how I would find it. Having missed out on teaching practice at home I have really appreciated being able to get into a school and spend time working with children, however the university doesn't allow us to teach any classes which I am a bit disappointed about as I feel I am missing out on a valuable experience.

Enjoying having my visitors over!

Beautiful sunset in Bugibba 

Infinity pool at Cafe del Mar

Enjoying a break from tour guiding!

Despite not being able to teach I have observed some great lessons and have definitely gotten some ideas for my teaching practice next year! My favourite was an art lesson about Paul Klee. The teacher began the lesson by telling the children about the artist, she did this as if she was telling a story which captured the children’s attention and interest. As she was telling the story she kept the children involved by asking them questions, for example the artist was born in Switzerland and she got children to guess this by giving them a clue that it was a European country beginning with S and ending in d, she continued this by asking them what people from Switzerland are called. McGee and Richgels (2014) support this style of teaching as they believe that “teachers should engage children’s interest by using some, but not many, lower-level questions interspersed.” She continued the lesson by looking at some of his artwork and pointing out key elements like how he originally used dull colours however after time began to use more bright colours. She then explained to children what they were expected to do and wrote a step-by-step guide on the board of how to achieve this, therefore identifying the success criteria of the lesson to the children. She circulated around children providing help and guidance and directed children towards the guide on the board if they weren't sure of what to do next. She continually kept children motivated by using table points and if children had finished their work she got them to help with others who wanted help. It was clear to see this teacher’s enthusiasm for working with children and also her love for the subject art. This is an important characteristic of a teacher recognised by Day (2004) as he states, “Passion is associated with enthusiasm, caring, commitment, and hope, which are themselves key characteristics of effectiveness in teaching.” 

An example of Paul Klee artwork

Sunday visit to Dingli Cliffs- our last Sunday without
any visitors!

Making the most of our last few weeks in Malta

Week 14: Holidaying in Malta

This weekend my brother and his wife have to come to Malta for the week. I have been truly blessed by the number of people coming out to visit me in Malta and was glad to see my new visitors as I had felt a bit homesick earlier during the week. They are staying in Bugibba which reminds me of the town Portstewart back home as it also has a promenade with lots of tourist shops, restaurants and ice-cream shops. Every year Malta has a fireworks festival which lasts for a week to celebrate their accession into the European Union and it happened to finish in Bugibba the day Stephen and Emma arrived. The festival has gained a big reputation for itself with Maltese and international companies competing against each other for different prizes which resulted in an amazing fireworks display!

Amazing fireworks display!

My new visitors for the week!

Malta is known to have the most bank holidays in the European Union and Friday brought forth our 5^th bank holiday since being here in Malta. It celebrates Labour Day which is also known as May Day and is celebrated all over the world, despite some countries including Northern Ireland celebrating it on Monday instead. It also coincides with Malta joining the European Union in 2004 and the feast of St Joseph the worker. This was specifically celebrated in the area we live in, Birkirkara by the ringing of bells and letting off of cannons in local masses.

The local chapel

The weather here has definitely started to get a lot warmer even within this week, with the highest this week being a rather hot 29 degrees! With this only being the start of May and the beginning of summer temperatures will continue to rise, with the hottest temperature to be recorded being 44 degrees which was recorded in the shade in August 1999. This Sun-Tropical Mediterranean climate has resulted in schools taking a whole 3 months off school for summer holidays. There has been some debate about the length of this holiday as neighbouring countries with similar climates don’t have as long as a break and still manage. The large break means a lot of time is spent at the start of the term recapping on what children have previously learnt, therefore adding to the time lost during summer, where children are only in school for approximately 7 and a half months of the year, of which the school day is only 5 hours long. As a result this had led to a lot of children being privately tutored for revision over the summer months and to help them keep with a full syllabus and lack of teaching time throughout the year. Grech (2010) suggests that the school day should be lengthened in order to at least accommodate for the busy curriculum. Others including many parents call for shorter summers as this will reduce pressures on them to plan and pay for childcare whilst also ensuring their children aren’t wasting their time away playing video games etc.

Feels like more than 27 degrees to me!