From Manchester to Malta...

Hard Rock Cafe - Leaving Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:22:00 +0000

American Pool Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Boat trip to Comino

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:33:00 +0000

An afternoon at the beach :)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:47:00 +0000

L-ewwel darba fis sena!
(The first of the year!)

This afternoon I joined my flatmates for an afternoon at Għajn Tuffieħa beach (near Golden Bay) in the North West of Malta. We also tested the underwater setting on my camera...

International Fireworks Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 May 2009 17:14:00 +0000

The weekend started with public holiday in aid of May Day/Worker's Day celebrations.
Valletta had various outdoor concerts going on and the Grand Harbour hosted the first day of the International Fireworks Festival.
There were stalls selling food and drinks and we had a perfect view from the roof of the Deaf Club. There were even 'subtitles' - text was projected onto the bastions across the Grand Harbour.
On our way home we met some other students from the residence and went to Zmerc pub in Balzan before heading home.

EFSLI Spring School and Ta'Marija, Mosta

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:49:00 +0000

With colleagues from Finland and Greece at Ta'Marija

Ta'Marija's resident musicians

Last weekend I attended my first EFSLI (European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters) event - a Spring School held here in Malta where Kyra Pollitt, an extremely experienced and well-respected interpreter from the UK delivered a wealth of training relating to voiceover skills.

It was a fantastic opportunity to meet other sign language interpreters from all over Europe and to learn about how the profession is developing in different countries.

On the Saturday evening we went to Ta'Marija restaurant in Mosta (www.tamarija.com) for a sumptuous buffet of traditional Maltese fayre followed by dancing!

I'm already saving up for the next one and looking for an excuse to go back to Ta'Marija!

http://www.efsli.org/efsli/efslischools/

Home for Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:48:00 +0000

I went home for a few days over the Easter holidays to see my cousin who had her first child - a bouncing baby boy called Alex.

On my way back to Malta I split up my flight and was able to join my friends Steffi and James from university at Steffi's home in Heidelberg, Germany before we all came back to Malta.

Spring Awakening!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:48:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see the much awaited production of the new musical, Spring Awakening. The quality of the whole show was incredible and the professional young cast seemed to have a limitless supply of energy! Despite being set last century in small-town Germany the freshness of the music coupled with catchy lyrics and the rebellious personalities of the teenage characters resonates with audiences both young and old across the world.

The show is currently running in Malta and London simultaneously and the casts of each production met in London a couple of months ago.

Another outstanding production from MADC.

It was so good - I actually tried to get tickets for the following weekend although it was sold out.

http://www.springawakeningmalta.com/

RMLV Treasure Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Last weekend Rotaract Malta La Valette and the Deaf Association organised a Treasure Hunt in Valletta. The proceeds of which will be split between the National projects: purchasing air conditioners for the association's premises and the District's Emergency Appeal to help victims of the recent earthquake in Italy. Our team didn't win any prizes (there wasn't a wooden spoon!) but the hunt was well attended and I learnt a great deal about the capital, thanks to one of my Maltese friends Roberta who remembered many of the answers from her history classes at school. :)

Another Mediterranean Island...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Thanks to a long weekend, a deal from the travel agent and a friend's birthday I was able to visit another Mediterranean island for a couple of days: CYPRUS!

Concerts @ St James Cav

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:04:00 +0000

This past month I have been fortunate enough to have attended two excellent evenings of music at St James Cavalier namely 'Acoustika:and 'Unspoken' - Simon Vella's Album Launch.

Palm Sunday Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:45:00 +0000

Yesterday evening my friend Steph and her sister invited me to join them for a Palm Sunday Walk followed by a Mass organised by KDZ (www.kdz.org.mt).

We walked from Tigne Point to St Patrick's in Sliema where the Archbishop of Malta celebrated mass.

Rotaract Article in 'Il-Mument'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:58:00 +0000

One of the Maltese Sunday Newspapers 'Il-Mument' carried an article about Rotaract Malta La Vallete and our current projects.
Thanks go to Ms. Doris Azzopardi, assistant Editor of il-Mument for such a well written article.

Rotaract Malta La Valette presents... Villa Francia

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:12:00 +0000

Another successful professional development talk organised by Rotaract Malta La Valette!

The event was held at Villa Francia in Lija and concerned the careful restoration and conservation of the beautiful 17th century building under the supervision of Perit Claude Borg.

As part of their national project, Rotaract Malta La Valette have committed to making their events accessible to the Deaf community through the provision of Maltese Sign Language interpreting.

Members of the Deaf Association

Levi Tafari @ St James Cavalier

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:45:00 +0000

The British Council have brought the writer and poet Levi Tafari (www.levitafari.com) to Malta to lead a series of creative writing workshops in Maltese schools as part of the British Council's INDIE project (Inclusion and Diversity in Education).

Tonight he performed a number of his poems at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta. His poems are deeply rooted in the oral tradition, follow a strong reggae beat and are peppered with witty observations of the world. He performed pieces covering a wide range of subjects including the environment, diversity, politics and relationships. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get my hands on a copy of his book as they sold like hot cakes after the performance!

His style is rhythmic and lyrical and has the ability to make you smile and to make you think.

Henry Normal

Some of his work can be found here on youtube

St Paul's Catacombs and Cannoli

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:35:00 +0000

On Saturday afternoon I visited St Paul's Catacombs in Rabat with my friend Jodi from the US. We just caught the last entrance at 4:30pm. Afterwards we went for a cup of tea bil lumi (with lemon) and cannoli (sweet ricotta filled-pastries) at a cafe in the village square.

Another University Residence Hike

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Ray from the residence organised another fantastic hike from Popeye's Village to Ghajn Tuffieha stopping at Golden Bay for an ice cream.

Visitors from Sicily

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:44:00 +0000

District Governor Mattia with Mr George Vella the President of the Deaf Association (Malta), Perit Etienne Fenech President of Rotaract Malta La Valette and Rotaractors from across the district at the Deaf Association (Malta) in Lascaris Wharf, Valletta.

At Fusion 4 (Valletta)

Last weekend the District Governor and his team came down to Malta to visit the club. On Saturday night we went to 'Fusion 4' - an outstanding restaurant hidden in Valletta bastions and enjoyed a modern take on Maltese cuisine. The staff made us feel so welcome. There was a set menu with 3 choices per course but I ate:

Home made rabbit filled ravioli in a creamy Parmaggiano sauce.
***

Oven roasted nori wrapped salmon fillet served with wasabi infused mashed potatoes
***

Home made banoffee pie
***

Coffee

***

Gozitan Limoncello

I am already trying to think of an excuse to treat myself with another visit...

St Agatha's Tower, Mellieha/Ghadira

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 22:27:00 +0000

St Agatha's Tower (The Red Tower)

Nadur Carnival 2009 - Gozo

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:31:00 +0000

Taken from:
http://www.nadur.gov.mt/uniquecarnival.shtml

Nadur is famous for its annual Carnival Celebrations or rather Revelry held on the 5 days preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.

Nadur Carnival is a unique experience! It is so unique for the spontaneity and creativity of all those taking part. Some even call this as Grotesque or Macabre Carnival.

It is not one organized by any committee and subsequently no rules apply. Sunset invites a multitude of masked and hooded creatures to throng the streets of Nadur - creatures wearing all kinds of funny and grotesque costumes, representing every sort of leg pulling, all ways of life and steaming off all kinds of frustrations.

"There is no end to imagination - imagination inspired by the every day ills and sufferings. Revellers wearing only a sheet or bedspread, in boiler suits, in clergy or nun habits, wearing grotesque masks inspired by the current affairs, locally and internationally- all walk up and down the streets for hours on end. All covered from head to foot and no one dare stop and unmask these devils. All one hears is a confusion of the sounding of horns, ringing of bells, banging, whistling and anything, which could add to the din and create an eerie and bizarre atmosphere.

It is not uncommon to be able to watch the mimicking of a wedding ceremony, couples in beds on wheels feigning lovemaking, in exaggerated pregnancy costumes, the trailing of live animals like a sheep, a goat or a donkey, the carrying of live or dead mice in cages and others dressed up as doctors and nurses performing operations by sawing off limbs. All walk up and down arousing the curiosity of the onlookers who try to identify the real person but of course to no avail as the mask covers it all."

Seeing is believing!

This SPONTANEOUS CARNIVAL at Nadur has survived the times against all odds and we can proudly say that it is the only traditional carnival celebration still held in the Maltese islands which attracts thousands of people, not only Maltese but also tourists, to enjoy the revelry that goes on.

---------------------------------

We left Malta on Saturday afternoon and arrived back on the 5am ferry on Sunday.
After the street party, floats and carnival cake we found ourselves in a very Gozitan bar with traditional folk music where we danced until the early hours.

A Sunday at the Monti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:56:00 +0000

Last Sunday a small group of us from university sacrificed our lie-ins and went to have a look around the Sunday market in Valletta.

The market - just outside the Valletta bastions

A dress rehearsal for carnival next week

Inside the Carmelite church

The Feast of St Paul Shipwreck

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:31:00 +0000

In AD 60 St Paul was shipwrecked on Malta as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles 27,28.

St Paul is the Patron Saint of Malta and the anniversary of the shipwreck is now a public holiday celebrated with a feast.

The Legend of St Paul and the Viper

This is a well known legend. It is believed that St Paul was gathering wood to add to the fire to warm himself and the other shipwrecked people when out of the sticks came a venomous viper that bit him. The Maltese people present expected him to die of poisoning but instead no harm came to him. It is said that from that day snakes and scorpions in Malta are quite harmless and not poisonous.

Do you fondue?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:10:00 +0000

As the exam period is ending and the first semester of 2008/9 is drawing to a close, some of my fellow students (who came to Malta as Erasmus students for one semester) are packing and preparing to leave Malta.
Yesterday evening a large group of us went to 'Fra Giuseppe' a restaurant/wine bar close to Balzan church to enjoy a 'last supper' together. We ate various platters of cheese, cold meats, traditional Maltese dips and cheese fondue. This was enjoyed with a side order of cheesy jokes and picture taking: "Say cheese!"...

First Swim of 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:10:00 +0000

My friend Ania and I were revising for our upcoming exams when during one of our breaks Ania suggested that as it was nice and bright outside (a mere 16 degrees!) we should go for a dip in the residence pool...I foolishly agreed! We got our swimsuits and recruited Alex who was reading in a deck chair outside to join us.

The pool is NOT heated and so it was refreshing to say the least but worth it!

Pre-swim team photo

Alex testing the water.

Expat Commandments

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:30:00 +0000

Taken from http://www.nomarmiteintunisia.co.uk/

Though shalt not expect to find things as thou hast them at home for verily thou hast left home to explore different things.
Thou shalt not take anything too seriously, for a care-free mind is essential for a healthy body.
Thou shalt not sit around and mope and feel unwanted or unskilled; there are many people and organisations who would be grateful for your donations of time and energy.
Thou shalt not worry, for he that worrieth hath no pleasure.
When in Rome, thou shalt be prepared to do somewhat as the Romans do.
Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by the one person who has given thee trouble. Remember that thou art a guest in a foreign land, and he who treateth his host with respect shall be honoured.