Malta

Busy with uni work.  Exams are coming up.  Finished on June 1st so that's good.  Trying to plan a trip Italy and that's taking alot of work...tickets, cost, transportation and when I'll be where but it'll work out.  Mom sent a package and it arrived yesterday. Saw a dead dog on the side of the road on my walk the other day; first time I ever saw a dead dog and it was really stiff.  Then about a half a mile further down a dead cat and it's eyes were bulger out of it's head.

Jenny has her friend Clare coming on Saturday and Natalie's friend, Cheryl comes on the 31st and Chiara's mom is coming the 6th...we're going to be a busy flat.

Spent time with our new flatmate Laurence.  She is great really fun and talkative so I think this will be interesting.  She is going to work on teaching me some french that I've forgotten and never learned.  YEAH!!!!!

Watched Milan play Holland in the Second last game for the European cup.  Football.  It was a terrible game and because it's down to points even though Milan lost, clearly who were cheering for.  That's where Chiara is from.  They still advance to the last game against liverpool which I wish was Chesley but that is another story.  The game ended 3-1 for PSV ah well, Milan still goes on.

The weather is absolutly beautiful would like to get around to laying out in the sun but really busy with papers and the like ... soon! 

My last exams are on June 1st, 2 but then I'm finished so I suffer it out and then I still have about a week and a half before I got to Italy!!!!! YEAH dream come true!!!!!

On April 30th we (Kya, Nat and Brett and I) went to the capital Valletta and watched a firework show.  It was spectacular.  The show was in celebration of Malta's 1 year anniversary of EU membership.  One year previous the largest Expansion in European history took place and accepted 10 new member states into the Union.  The expansion was meet with alot of criticizm by the other member states fearing a drain on the economy and a mass rush of man power into their member countries.  However these fears did not come to see the light and over all the new members have been a pleasant addition to the union.  The display that the Maltese Government to celebrate was one I will never forget.  As my room mate from Arizona put it " it was like a 3 hour theatre production with music, commentary, pyro technics, lazors and fireworks." 

In the begin, they had canoes and gondaloas going through the harbour light up appearing as if they were on fire...re inacting the 1565 Seige of Malta.  Across the water they had lazors on Fort St. Elmo which had been a central point of the seige.  That is also the location for the majority of the fire works.  Much to our surprise part way through the first of many firework displays of that evening put on by several different Maltese and EU national companies.  there was a massive bang and crackle that came from behind us and low and behold there where fire works directly behind us.  You would never see the likes in North America for fear of being sued.  The surprise added to the wonder of the spectacular event.  The had in fire works like up in red and remain on fire the Knoghts of St John's Cross as well as two fire spinning fireworks that whistled as they spun it was amazing.  They hired the Italian firework company that was in charge of Rome's  millenium fireworks.  They had fireone the world most advanced firework, pyrothechnic, set to music fireworks as well, along with several other Maltese companies and their fire work displays.  There was 1000's of people's lining the streets and in the gardens and just everywhere.  they had street vendors as well selling food and ballons.  It was an amazing event.

We have also received a new room mate yesterday.  She is from Paris here name is Laurence.  She seems very nice.

Uni is getting really busy with papers and exams but only 4 weeks left and it's summer vacation with a trip to Italy for a lil over 2 weeks!!!!!!!

(I'm on exchange from Canada with USAC, 21 been in Malta since September)

Things have been busy.  Chiara had three friends Matteo, Sondro, Roberto come visit for a week along with here sister Veronica who is here for 20 days. They were really fun.  Learned alot of Italian while they were here visiting.

We had a fight in the kitchen one night with Shaving cream and red wine.  You can imagine it got pretty messy but it was soo fun.

Vero is sooo great.  She is so much fun and really out there! Here english is pretty good too.  She's helping me with Kya learn Italian so when I go to Italy with them I can communicate a little on my own.

My brother also came to visit for 5 days and it was really interesting to re explore the Island again as a tourist and do somethings that I hadn't previously had a chance to do.

Hard to believe there is only 5 weeks of classes left.  Time is flying by.  Everyone I talk to that went home the first semester keeps mentioning how they miss Malta and wish the could come back.  Some even have.  Phil from Germany came back for 2 weeks and JP from Italy and Nick from Switzerland came for a week. 

The weather is beautiful.  The other day I was lying out in the sun and I had to go inside cause it was too hot for me out there.

We've been busy decorating our flat we've decided to call it wonder land and it seems very fitting. 

The bugs are starting to get kinda bad lots of ants and the flies are strting again.  No biggie./

Had two weeks of spring break.  Delphine or French flatmate.  Left yesterday.  She had a friend stay with us for a week.  Jenny from Ireland had her boyfriend stay with us for 2 weeks and her parents came the second week but they stayed at a hotel.  Her boyfriend left yesterday as well so she went to stay with her parents until tomoro. Therefor there were 7 people in our flat for a week.  It got really crowded but we got a second maid to come clean our rooms and they came out really clean it was nice.  Chiara and I now have the place to oursleves!  YEAH.  Although it's weird not having people running through the flat all the time and the kitchen always full.

Rafa went home for Easter for a week and he brought us back a kilo and half of Nutella!  Yeeah.  Chiara is teaching me Italian so I can speak it when I go to Italy in june!

My roommate is currently in Sicily with Alison from Australia who was supposed to live in our flat but moved out cause she wanted her own space. 

We had 23 people over for Easter!  I made Figolli with Theressa and some Maltese!  Chiara made Tirumisu and Nat helped us to make Bruchetta, glazed ham, Italian green easter pie and Italian Potatoe salad!

The Irish brought wine because they insisted on no coming empty handed!  I find that's very much a European thing.  People would rather not show up then come somewhere empty handed!  Not that we are all that bad but ....

The weather was beautiful the first week!  Loads of sun, lots of sun tanning.  The secodn week was more overcast btu still nice.  Travelled around and explored Malta some!

Went to an art exhibit in Birgu last nite.  It was in the Malta at War museum with underground tunnels.  There was music and wine at the start and then you go through the building and look at the art work.  It was very interesting and the I not beign an Art expert found it interesting to sit back and listen to people discuss there opinions on the work and discuss its connection with the previous peice. 

My parents sent me a huge thing of flowers and chocolate for Easter so that was a pleasant surpirse.  Chiara's mom sent her easter cake and a baci egg 15 days before easter and it didn't get here till easter monday and that's from italy.  have a better idea of how slow mail is to here now?!?!?

Went to a procession in Bormla for Good friday the church was amazing and the scenes they carried through the streets were great but I found it a lil sacraligious cause it is good frinday and you are supposed to fast and no meet and they had hot dog and pizza vendors and Maltese easter sweet being sold all along the streets and then to sit in a sit it cost a lira I can understand them charging cause it cost to rent the seat but they said that cost was on 50 cents so they are making 50 cents per seat of it and HEAPS of people go to this! 

Went to Paceville, St Julian's for a Mediterranean food festival and it was soo good.  Had Egyptian Chicken Curry, Italian Ice Cream, French Crepes different Maltese dips and liqueres.  It was very enjoyable.  The weather is beautiful during the day evening still cool.  On sunday after church we all sat outside our flat and read in the sun.  We decided to take out a thermometer with us and in the direct sun light where we were sitting it was 33 degrees.  It was so beautiful.  The pool is still too cool to swim in though.  My brother called last nite.  Trying to make arangement and figure things aout for his trip to Europe!

One week of classes left until we are off for 2 weeks of Easter Break.  YEAH!

Had another hail storm the other day and was caught out in the cold jogging in a t-shirt before I left it was beautiful.  Now I have a cold.  ah well.  The weather has been really nice sometimes except the freakin breeze!  I got a sun burn sitting out reading in the sun the other day and I'm not going to complain because at home "the only burn (they'd) get is a wind burn from skiing". 

Saw Drakula at St. James Cavalier the other nite.  It was a musical with a live band and it was really nice! I enjoyed it!  Also saw the Merchant of Venice in Valletta at the Embassy (the movie theater).

Classes are busy loads of reading trying to keep up with European politics and trying to get to the same level of knowledge as the rest of the Europeans and Maltese in the class. 

We have a new Roommate from France for the month she is here on work term.  She is really nice.  We went to the market in Valletta and to church on Sunday and then for a coffee at the Coffee Garden and we talked a little about her plans and so forth.

This weekend one of the organizations at uni have planned an outting to Buggiba to a dance club, that should be a good time...however don't think I'll make it.  Not feeling to well.  the rest of my girls in the flat are going.

Tuesday the 8th was women's day in Bulgaria, Japan and Italy so a bunch of us girls got together to celebrate.  I know in Canada it's a day to remember the women who died in the Montreal Massacre. 

The weekend before last there was a masqarade ball in Naxxar and a few people from res went to that they said it was a pretty good time there was a dinner and everyone was dressed up really nice.

Celebrated my roommates birthday yesterday.  Had pasta for dinner and a brunch in the morning for her.  Did a treasure hunt in Mdina the other nite and that was really fun!  We didn't win but we learned more about the area. 

For the brunch one of the girls made crepes and brought them over and we made fruit salad and momsa's.  It was really nice.

Another girl moved into our flat on Saturday nite.  She's from France.  She is her on an internship!  She'll be here for a month and then back home.  She seems very pleasent and I think she will be nice to have around in the flat!

Went to the craft village near Rabat the other day.  It was really nice.  I got to blow glass however it broke!  It was really ugly anyway.  They make alot of handmade jewlery from Filigery...I think that's what you call it. 

The weather is starting to improve which is a plus especially considering that just last week we had a huge hail storm...didn't last too long with all the thunder and such but for Malta...you know what I mean. 

Classes are going well.  Still no marks out yet but they said by the start of next month they will be out for sure. 

One of the girls who was supposed to live in my flat but moved out after the first nite and got an apartment is spending more time with us...she is from Australia and is nice to be around. 

The newbies are settling in well.  They were doing, and sortof still are, the typical away from home at uni party thing but they seem to be settling into class well.

One of the guys from downstairs made a delicious supper for us.  Chiara came with me as well. 

We're going to see Mdina for a treasure hunt with a group from uni.  That should be heaps of fun especially with the new people who haven't been there yet!