Malteser Living in England

Must try food in Malta

2012-07-20T17:32:00.002+01:00

If you really want to get a proper taste of Malta, I'd suggest not only visiting touristic areas, but also trying out Maltese food. Mediterranean food is considered to be one of the best in terms of taste and variation.

Today, I'm going to tell you what is essential to try out when in Malta -

Food

1. Twistees: If you have relatives in Malta, I am pretty sure you have heard of this snack before. If not... Twistees is by far the favourite savoury snack of Maltese people. You can find this snack from just about anywhere: supermarkets, bars, confectioneries, petrol stations... Just look for a red and yellow packet, and it's probably Twistees.

The snack itself is made from rice and maize grits, and the taste is VERY cheesy. Only try this at your own risk, because if you enjoy it - it is most probably going to be very addictive!

You can find these snacks for sale in the UK under the name Tastees from www.tastees.info (I just discovered this jewel myself!)

2. Galletti: These are most of the time found in a round shape. Essentially they are water crackers. Nowadays you can find these plain (original format), or even with flavours and herbs. My favourite is galletti with salt and black pepper.

3. Gbejniet: These are small round cheeslets which are made from goat's milk (also sheep's milk). These cheeslets are used in several Maltese dishes, ranging from starters to main dishes - salads, pasta, pizza, soup... You name it! Gbejniet are incredibly delicious with galletti and in summer, it goes well with Maltese bread.

Maltese bread with kunserva and other toppings

4: Mmmmmaltese Bread: Whether you love bread or you don't - you must try Maltese bread! Especially bread bought directly from a bakery - fresh and warm! Also ask for a 'ftira' - this is simply divine with the following toppings: Kunserva with gbejniet, canned tuna, olives, capers, gbejniet and olive oil; especially at the beach!

5. Kunserva: This is the best sauce to go with Maltese bread. The taste is rather sweet, but go on... try it! Just spread it on the bread, and add olive oil to taste! The kunserva is also used with red pasta sauce to increase texture and taste. Ideal with that pasta Bolognese we all love so much!


Bigilla (the brown paste)

6. Bigilla: Bigilla is eaten all year round, but it is perfect for summer. This goes well as a dip with galletti, and also as an ingredient to a cold salad. The main ingredient in Bigilla is Djerba beans. I know, it doesn't sound apetising - but a lot of people grow fond of it.

7. Pastizzi: Pastizzi - fattening, but delicious! Also know as Cheesecakes / Peacakes by tourists. It is a savoury snack which have a filling of either ricotta or mushy peas. Eating these, while drinking a cup of tea is a must! Great for breakfast or as a snack.
They are available in two shapes: diamond or round. They are folded differently depending to the filling. These are usually baked on metal drays and are available from cafes and pastizzerias all around the island.

8: Mqaret: Commonly found in feasts and Valletta. These are delicious daimond shaped pastries stuffed with dates and deep fried. Again, these are not for people who are on diet, however you can buy healthier version of these from the supermarket. Most of the time available frozen - and then you can always bake them instead. Taste wise, the deep fried ones are much better. Mqaret is the plural of maqrut. The word maqrut derives from an Arabic word meaning a 'diamond'.

Drinks

9. Cisk Lager: This is the best beer you can find locally. Also you can find a 'light' version of it called Cisk Excel. Other variations are Cisk Chill which contains a lemon flavour, and Cisk XS which is extra strong (and very sweet!)

10. Kinnie: This is the soft drink Malta is known for. It has been created in the early 1950s, and it's taste is of bitter oranges and aromatic herbs. It sure quenches your taste!

If you are visiting the islands in Summer, make sure you always carry with you a bottle of water, otherwise you're risking dehydration due to the heat!

Have fun.

Maltese Recipes: Qaghaq tal-Gunglien

2012-07-17T14:29:00.003+01:00

When I miss Malta, one way of feeling closer to Malta and its people for me, is not through a telephone call or a chat conversation, but through cooking a maltese dish. As such, I thought I'd share a recipe with you all.

One of my favourite tea-time biscuits coming from Malta are 'Qaghaq tal-Gunglien', which translates to Sesame Seeds Ring Biscuits.

Please find below the ingredients you require, the recipe itself and also photos I have taken whilst cooking these biscuits:

- 500g Plain flour
- 200g Castor sugar
- 200g margarine (ideally, no trans-fat)
- 1 x 11g packet dried yeast
- ½ tsp aniseed
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp vanilla (ideally, poweder)
- Grated zest of 1 lemon lemon
- 180ml luke warm water
- Lots of Sesame Seeds

Put all the dry ingredients into a large bowl and sift.
Mix into it the lemon zest.
Using your fingertips, rub into the mixture the margarine, until the mixture looks sandy.
Add the water a little at a time, until the mixture is turned into a dough.

~~~

Leave the dough to rest for more than 2 hours. Ovenight rest is ideal.

Close view to the pastry.

~~~

Flour the table top you will be using, and take the dough out of the bowl.
Cut a small piece of the pastry and roll it onto the flour, to form a long pipe.
Cut and twist the pipe around to create a ring and place it on a baking tray.

~~~

Once you have used all the pastry, leave them to rest for yet another hour.
The rings might puff up and end up touching each other. Nothing to worry about here.

~~~

Brush up the top of each ring with water and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
Preheat the over at 160C and then bake the rings for not more than 15minuted.
You will know they're down once the rings are brown on top, yet still rather soft when you touch them.

~~~

The finishing should look like this:

If you skip the 1 hour waiting time before putting them in the oven, the biscuits look like this:

Either way... they are very tasty.

Store in an air-tight containter and consume within 2-5 days.

Sun or Rain - Only God knows when.

2012-07-17T12:00:00.003+01:00

So,

One of the main reasons I left Malta, and decided to live in the U.K. is due to the fact that in Malta we get approximately 5 months of Summer - starting end of April and lasts until around mid September.

Though summer is nice, it's very humid and sweaty in Malta; with a temperature averaging 35 Degrees Celsius and during heatwaves, over 40. Though in the offices or at home, it's nice and cool thanks to airconditioning and fans, as soon as you go outside it feels like you just walked into an oven.

In contrast to this, summer in the UK has been horrible this year. In the past month, I can hardly remember any days rain-free. Even though it is a nice change to summer as I know it, I’d rather have last year’s English summer. I think summer here will have the highest rainfall since record.

Hoping August will bring more sun to this summer-less island...

A day in lovely Gozo

2012-07-09T16:21:00.000+01:00

During my last visit to Malta, less than a month ago, I took Mark for the first time to Gozo. For those who never heard of Gozo, this is the sister island of Malta. It was mid-June, and the temperature on the islands is around 25 Degrees Celcius; Sunny, with the occassional breeze. Gozo is smaller than Malta, and is less populated and it tends to be more quiet, and greener.

I think that the perfect time to visit Malta is either in June or in September, when the weather is good and yet not too hot and humid.

My dad offered to drive us to Cirkewwa, and so it didn't take long until we were waiting for the Gozo ferry. Mark and I managed to find a seat outside, and so we could appreciate the views better.

When in Gozo, we visited Rabat (also known as Victoria), the capital city. I took Mark to my favourite cafe in Gozo (and Malta too!), called Cafe Jubilee. Although Cafe Jubilee is also available in Malta, the first shop was open in Gozo, and as such the owner is Gozitan. If you ever have the opportunity to go to this cafe, I suggest you try their Rikotta pastizzi, which are home-made. Their bread is also a must-try - especially the 'ftira'.

After a nice snack and chilling at the cafe, we took a bus and made our way to Marsalforn, which is one of my favourite spots in Gozo. The beach was so inviting and it was a shame we didn't have our bathing suit on! There were barely any people around...

However in the bay close to Marsalforn we encountered my biggest enemy... the Jellyfish...

It was a shame that we could only stay for a day.

I would love to live in Gozo one day. It's just so beautiful and quiet.

Dreams

2012-06-21T14:39:00.000+01:00

Have you ever had one of those dreams, which feels SO real?
Which wake you up in the middle of the night?
So intense, that you feel like whatever happened was not just an illusion... and your mind keeps wondering about it for the rest of the day.... irregardless where you are or what you're doing?

If yes... read on....

I for one, am not a person who remembers their dreams every night. I tend to only remember the disturbing ones, or the intense ones. Last night was one of those nights, and the worst part is, that I woke up countless of times during the night... and the dream yet continues, as if it never even stopped... It was one of those dreams, that if I didn't have to go to work the next morning, I'd just get up and not sleep at all.

Do you believe that dreams are trying to tell us something?
Do you think it is a reflection of our life, or our worries?

I have always believed that when we are asleep, we enter another world, and it is totally separate from life as we know it... But even though I say this... I can't help thinking about certain dreams... They just change my mood, either for the better, or for the worse.

Share your thoughts with me, go on.

Malta's decline in tourism

2012-06-20T14:08:00.000+01:00

I was looking at a few articles on the Times of Malta website today, as I try to keep in touch with what is going on in Malta and about the general current affairs.

From what I read today, and yesterday, I think I can come up with a few reasons with regarding the decrease of tourists to Malta.

The most obvious reason seems to be the recession that most of Europe is going through. Everywhere I go, people seem to be struggling to make ends meets. Even here in the UK, I came across an article which says that families are eating food even after they're expired, as well as keeping left overs in the fridge for a longer time period. Needless to say, this is happening in several other countries, even in Malta.

This brings me to the next point, which is: foreigners cannot afford to travel as much as they used to, or their budget is less than it was a few years ago. Even though Malta, in comparison to other European countries is rather cheap to live in (food, accomodation, transport), the flights to Malta are alarmingly expensive. I think this is a disadvantage which cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, since to my knowledge shops do not need to have items tagged with a price by law, some shop owners tend to take advantage of tourists. This is due to the fact that tourists would not know how much they are expected to pay for a bottle of water for instance. I have seen this happening with my own eyes, and in the past it also happened to me, even though I am local.

In a way, I am glad that less tourists are visiting Malta, because most of Malta is going through roadworks. Too many main-roads are closed down because of this, and traffic is alarmingly worse. It is bad enough when there are no road works! I think roadworks are very repulsive, and closing down such roads during summer, which in Malta is the highest tourist peak is more or less insane. Having said that, I would also like to mention that such work on the roads creates an increase in probability when it comes to trafffic accidents. Traffic accidents involving tourists will only give Malta a bad name.

Having said all the above, I still think that Malta is a great holiday destination, especially during summer time, when the weather is pefect for the beach, when nightlife is at its best... And who can forget those marvellous historical places and the delicious food?

All Seasons in 1 Month

2012-05-25T10:16:00.000+01:00

When living in England, one of the advantages is to live on island, yet you wouldn't endure the heat the summer brings. But it is also a known fact, that weather in the UK is very much depressing for any Mediterranean peeps living there, due to clouds and rain during the majority of the year.

This is true.

I would say that I enjoy the fact that I don't sweat like a pig 24/7 for four recurring months, but at times - not seeing the sun for weeks makes me want to go hysterical. It is not the heat that I miss, it is the opportunity of wearing summer clothes, sandals, and not carrying a jacket wherever I go.

Since the first of June, until today the 25th of June, I could say that here in Stoke we had weather from all seasons. It started off really cold with drizzle, freezing nights with temperature just above 0 degrees and hail during the days, and for the past 5 days, a heatwave with temperature of 20 to 25 degrees during the day. Last night the temperature at 1am was at 18 degrees, with no sign of breeze. It was pretty much pointless leaving my bedroom window fully open all night. But, no mosquitos - yay! It was so warm, that I thanked my lucky stars that I do not share my house with anyone else and I could run about wearing (or not wearing!) anything I want.

Though I am complaining about the heat, I must admit that it is a lovely change to see a constantly blue sky, and wearing summer dresses. As such, I'm planning on taking advantage of the situation and visit a park this weekend :)

So, fingers crossed on this... and prepare yourselves for some blog posts with photos... Not just from this weekend, but also London and Holland.

Steffi xxx

What's the point?

2012-05-02T17:16:00.000+01:00

I have just returned from Holland last night and I'm trying to get back into the whole mood and routine of work and rainy weekends. The weather in the UK has been wetter these past weeks, than during the actual winter, although less cold. I don't mind this weather when I don't have any plans, but as of late, I've been making plans only to see them ruined by rain and mud.

But this is not what I wanted to talk about today...

My question today is, what's the point of life?

We work for the most part of our lives.... becoming slaves of desks, factories and what not... only to have a few days a year of pure pleasure. And the rest is just a struggle to make ends meet, with bills, cleaning, cooking, health recovery and relationship drama. And when we are old enough to stop working... We're just too old to do much with our lives, other than sitting on our asses watching TV or reminiscing about our past... What's more, technology further distracts us from what life and human comfort is all about.

We shut down to the real world, and live in a virtual, non-existent world...

I don't know about you, but this is not the kind of life I wanna lead... But unfortunately things are so imposed on us, that there's nothing we can do. Being out of touch technology wise and financially, will only destroy us further... and ironically, screws us further as we will look like complete idiots in other people's faces...

Ranting. Cos that is what I do best.

2012-04-24T19:11:00.001+01:00

Just a basic rant today, peeps.

I've been having crappy days lately. Struggling with most things, be it emotionally, work and life in general. I know I am writing this and showing it to the whole world, and I know it sounds pathetic, but I know that if I write it down, I will feel better in the long run. Hopefully I will look at this in a week or month's time and realise that things are so much better. And then, feel better. That all this struggling on the verge of insanity, was worthwhile.

I know that things happen for a reason, that life is a cycle of ups and downs and all those cliches. But right now I'm missing the point of everything. My brain is so overloaded with stuff and thoughts that I can barely relax, let alone sleep and not having nightmares. Deadlines aren't helping either. And the fact that my neighbours are noisy bastards and I can't find a furnished place which I actually like, is further sinking me into the whole feeling annoyed and like shit.

Have you ever found yourself laughing when you're so damn stressed? That is me right now.
have you ever found yourself feeling so alone even when surrounded by people? That is me right now.
Have you every found yourself feeling like you wanna break and smash everything in sight? That is me right now.

Have you ever found yourself expecting things from people who always say they care? That is me right now.

Have you ever found yourself feeling like your luck is just bullocks? That is me right now.

I am very patient, and in general a loving and giving person... But right now, I'm just below the boiling point.... and some day soon, I'm gonna break and do something which I know I will totally regret.

This is me trying to keep it all together for the 2629814746576th time.

God help me.

Money

2012-04-20T13:37:00.004+01:00

Money buys us happiness, or that is what we try to believe.
We are all slaves of monies; willingly or unwillingly.

Two thoughts, one meaning.

Most of us, since our sixteenth birthday, or the legal work age (even not, sometimes!), we make our way to a recruitment agency to find a job, even if it is the most shameful and humiliating. Just to fulfil our desire to own stuff... cars, house, computer, clothes, shoes, booze, cigarettes, games, cameras... you name it!

When buying things within reason, there is nothing wrong with it... But living for the sake of having material objects is ridiculous. Even if it makes us happy for a while, we all know that sooner or later, we'll have to get something new because our other stuff is no longer satisfactory or fashionable. We hide our sorrows by dressing up, going out and getting drunk, rather than coming into terms with things, talking them out, learn to deal with them and become a better person. And what happens the next morning after the drunken episode? We feel brain-dead, a little more broke... and the problems are still there. So, what's the point of it all, really?

Lets face it, when we strip all the materialism off our lives, and have just the bare necessities, we end up realising that we are so alone. Why do we try to impress people and look the best through money, rather than making someone likes us for who we really are?

Even though money is an attraction, and people will like you for it.... In the end you are still as powerless as the rest of us... Money doesn't buy you real love and heart-warming happiness. Money helps keep yourself *look* younger, but you're still as old and you will die too... And most probably, no one will remember you other than for your money.

Make a difference in life by your actions, not by your stupid money!

Love? Love.

2012-04-19T13:35:00.001+01:00

So, what is love... in your eyes?

To me, it is an indescribable feeling; it's sometimes goosebumps all over, butterflies in the stomach, a screech of excitment, impatience. Love is happiness, and sorrow. Love is supporting somoeone and being there for them no matter what. Love is unconditional... Your better half.

It is loving and respecting the person for who they are, with all their differences and imperfections. It is being loyal and trustworthy. It is being faithful and just giving yourself entirely to just the one. It is missing the person when they're not around, and still managing to smile and remember the good times, and the many more to come. It is being stupid or geeky together, and not being ashamed. It is fun.

It is a sensation from deep within, that cannot be explained. We do silly things, sweet things in the name of love. And it is those little things, little surprises or unexpected moment that we will remember and cherish forever.

Love, though disappointing and painful at times, it the best feeling I've ever experienced. And it gives me the reason to move forward and the ability to face the future.

This is dedicated to my Mark - my rock and my world.

This is me

2012-04-04T14:01:00.000+01:00

Sometimes, I wish that I'm less human and more of a machine.

I'm sick and tired of being vulnerable, but then again... I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all...

No, this is not me being emo... This is me venting; letting it out... before I start screaming.

Day 2: St. Patrick's Day!

2012-03-28T16:01:00.001+01:00

So, day two in Malta was St. Patrick's day. The sun shining as always, and barely any wind.

Mark and I woke up not as early as planned, however we managed to follow all the plans we had. Or rather, all the plans I made.

First task was to go to the supermarket which is approximately 5mins away from my parent's house. We bought a few ingredients Mark needed for this epic dessert he does, and in additional to that, I bought a lot of Twistees, Tastees, Crix (peanut flavour), galletti and Kinnie to stock up in the UK.

When the dessert was nicely done and put in the fridge, we made our way out to Floriana. There we went to see a Model's Exhibition which was rather good. But then my expectations weren't too high. There were a number of Warhammer models painted, as well as scenes from the World War, planes, ships and the sort.

After eating a few pastizzi in Valletta, we made our way to Msida, where we visited the Forbidden Power shop for some geeky moments and then relaxed a bit in the Msida Marina. For me, it meant, taking a couple of photos of the surroundings. For Mark, it meant sitting down on a bench and enjoying the sun (and the annoying pigeons).

Later on in the night, we also went to Paceville to celebrate St. Patrick's the way it should be.

All the people!

We didn't get home until it was around 5am.

Day 1: Sun-kissed Malta

2012-03-24T13:25:00.001Z

It is true, what they say... That absence makes the heart grows fonder.

St. Julians, Malta

Last week, my boyfriend and I visited Malta, after not being there for over 5 months. The least I can say is that I was plenty excited of being in sun-kissed Malta, of sitting on the shore watching the waves play and tease each other, of seeing my family and friends once more.

We didn’t have a terrible winter in the UK, and Spring has been sunny, partially cloudy, but I yearned for those bright blue skies and a little breeze. Being in the UK, all I see is canals and lakes, which I do love. But I missed that salty smell the sea brings to the plate.

First day in Malta, Mark and I spent it in St. Julian’s, being lazy at the beach. I’ve tasted Cisk XS again, and I have to say, that nothing tastes better in the sun. No, not even ice cream! We’ve also been to the cinema and watched Intruders. I do believe that it was a low-budget movie, but we both enjoyed it and I’d suggest it to anyone in the mood for a thriller movie. For those of you who are interested in knowing who starred in this one, the main actors are Clive Owen and Carice van Houten (apparently a rather famous Dutch actress).

Later on in the day we also met Carly for a drink. Being the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, I celebrated it by drinking a pint of the beloved Guinness. And for those who are wondering, no I am not an alcoholic, but I do love beer. And wine. And Jagermeister. And Jack Daniels.

Stay tuned for more updates and photos from our long weekend in Malta!

Monty Python's Spamalot 2012 - Review

2012-03-05T00:24:00.002Z

Spamalot : UK Tour 2011/12

Promo:

Monty Python’s Spamalot is the story evolving around King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Eric Idle, the creator of Monty Python wanted to give a comic twist to the British history. At the start of the show, we meet King Arthur doing his best (and mostly failing) at recruiting his knights. I mean, King Arthur was made a king by receiving a sword called Excalibur, by a Lady in the Lake. And what’s more? His horse is invisible, however Patsy – his faithful servant creates the sound effects of horse’ hooves with two halves of coconuts.

One way or another, King Arthur manages to recruit enough knights and through a divine intervention from God they started off their first quest – that of seeking the Holy Grail. This leads the actors through various ridiculous settings and random challenges. My favourite would be when the team encounters the French taunters. Typical of the French, they do not pursue a good grip of the English language, and thus end up abusing the King verbally. A few quotes….

"You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly persons. I blow my nose at you, so-called "Arthur King," you and all your silly English K-nig-hts."

"Your Mother was a hamster and your father smells of elderberries!"

"I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction."

Another scene was the challenge of finding a shrubbery to avoid the wrath of the ‘Knights who say Ni’. By the time King Arthur finds the shrubbery, who was going to be thrown away by an elderly lady because of her cat pissing in it, the ‘Knights who say Ni’, became known as the Knights who say ‘ekki-ekki-ekki-ekki-ptang zoom-boing z'nourrwringmm’ or something of that sort.

The Stage. Regent Theater is a strict theater and I
could not take any photos during the show.

Other LOL factors would include Lancelot rescuing Prince Herbert and turning gay, the courageous Black Knight who still wants to fight King Arthur despite having his arms cut off (and ends up impaled on a doorway) and the cute white rabbit who turns psycho.

Might I add that Spamalot includs a number of songs which were hilarious and full of puns, such as the Fish-Slapping song, Not Yet Dead, All for One and obviously Bright Side of Life.

Over all this show has exceeded my expectation. I was giggling throughout, and I managed to sing a couple of songs too. I wouldn’t mind watching this again if I had the opportunity, and I would suggest all Monty Python fans to buy tickets to this show. It is worth every penny!

I shall leave you with a couple of videos from the show. These are however not ones of the current tour. Enjoy!

Bright Side of Life

All for One

Not Dead Yet

Live now.

2012-03-01T20:20:00.002Z

Hey guys,

Just wanted to share with you a couple of photos I found online. Thought they could inspire some of you. They made me think of my life, and my future.

Take care all xxx

40 Things to do before I turn 40

2012-02-27T14:30:00.008Z

So last weekend I was reading online and I came across a blog post, which was about things people wanna do, before hitting a certain age. As such, I started thinking what I wanna achieve in life. These are the things I came up with, some of which I've already done. Target year will hopefully be, 40.

1. Own my own place, rather than rent
2. Own a Canon 5D Mark II
3. Get permission to be an official photographer for a gig
4. Visit Germany
5. Learn more about WW2 and the Holocaust
6. Have a family
7. ~~Dye my hair blue~~
8. Visit Cotterstock Manor/Hall in Peterborough
9. Ride a rollercoaster
10. Sky Dive
11. ~~Live abroad~~
12. Own a dog, or a cat
13. Own my own website
14. ~~Live alone~~
15. ~~Organise a festival / gig~~
16. ~~Cook for more than two persons~~
17. Go to the cinema by myself
18. Do a LoTR marathon
19. ~~Raise money for the poor~~
20. Do volunteer work with animals or for a good cause
21. Learn to use a touch-phone with no keys
22. Own a 4-screen computer
23. Go to Transylvania
24. Learn how to dance (the kind people dance in wedding parties)
25. ~~Have friends from all around the world~~
26. Write my own book (even if this is just an online version)
27. Go camping in a woods / forest
28. ~~Shoot something~~
29. ~~Get a Degree~~
30. Go to Cornwall
31. Meet a famous person
32. ~~Get my driving license~~
33. Go on a safari
34. ~~Win an award~~
35. Collect all of Anne Rice's Vampire books
36. Visit Auschwitz Memorial Museum
37. Ride a camel and go to the desert
38. Have a BBQ for Christmas in Australia
39. Don't go over-weight
40. Be proud of who I am and what I stand for

The numbers are not rankings, it's just how my mind flowed from one subject to the other, to create this list.

What about you, have you ever made this list? If not, I dare you! ;)

What I miss the most...

2012-02-25T16:01:00.002Z

If you ask me, what I miss the most from Malta, I would answer without hesitation that it's the food. You would probably be in awe and assume I'm heartless. Why don't I miss my family, and my friends the most?

Well, I could answer that in a heartbeat. The people I care about and love, I stay in touch with as much as possible, and furthermore they know that whenever they want, they could always come visit me.

However, when it comes to Maltese food, until a couple of weeks ago, it was impossible for me to enjoy it, unless I am in Malta. It is true, I do visit Malta almost every other month... But sometimes the cravings are too much to bare. My mission impossible started one evening, when my friend David mentioned pastizzi. I realised that I couldn't take it any longer, and as such I had to do something about it.

I searched and search, and when I was about to give up, I came across a website with an interview with Alan Camilleri; a guy who lives in Manchester and who has his own shop, selling traditional Maltese food and drinks. I figured, I could be on a train from Stoke to Manchester in 50minutes. But to my astonishment, Alan delivers around the UK once every month, for a maximum fee of £12.50.

That very moment, I placed an order, and last week it was delivered to my house. I spent quite a lot of money to make up for the delivery cost, and I'm sure this wouldn't be the last purchase. Alan has been very helpful, even provided me with cooking instructions for the 'hobza tal-Malti' (traditional Maltese bread). The photo in this article, of the pastizzi, are from this very order.

I have never thought that I would be enjoying the traditional Maltese pastizzi and tea here in the UK!

Place an order here: Mediterranean Pastry, and if you actually make an order after reading this brief review, please do let me know. :-)

Snow here, there and everywhere!

2012-02-10T15:45:00.000Z

After much wait and anticipation for me and all those who LOVE snow, and after much wait and dreadfulness for those who despise it, last weekend was a snowy weekend here in Stoke.

Mostly due to the excitement of seeing snow again since last December, I found it hard to sleep on the Friday night. It was forecasted to start snowing at noon on Saturday, so the plan was to finish off the errands beforehand and then go somewhere nice and cosy to enjoy the view of snow. Needless to say, my plan fell apart, and when it started snowing at 12:03pm, I was in Knutton waiting for a bus. Freezing my ass off, was the least of my problems though as I was pretty much enchanted with looking at the hail, which soon enough turned into snow. What a beautiful view!

The snow kept going through the afternoon, evening and night. At some point I went for a walk close by to home. By the time I got home I was full of snow. Some photos of my night brief adventure can be found here:

Furthermore, on the Sunday when it stopped snowing, I went to a park close by and took some photos. It was a misty day, and a cold one too. The lake was frozen, the sky white... the photos I took looked haunted, and I probably fell more in love with snow...

I don't know if it is just me... but I find snow to be calming; for that moment in time, I forget all my troubles and I'm stress-free.

Note: All the photos in this article belong to me, and were taken in Porthill. Please get permission should you require to use any of them.

January Sales

2012-02-01T13:06:00.000Z

I do believe that most of us, especially the feminine species of our race, look forward to January for various reasons. Albeit the fact that it's the start of a new year and we all hope that it will be a better year, making new resolutions and such, it is also time for the massive winter sales.

I was very excited about this too, I must admit. I was planning a trip down to London, until I realised that due to Christmas time and all the traveling I've been doing, I'd be better off to postpone it for a few months. My bank account hasn't been looking great lately.

Having said that, it doesn't mean I did not buy any clothes in the January sales. I actually bought a few necessities and other fancy stuff too off the internet with discounts ranging from 50% to 80%.

These are my favourite pieces:

Poizen Industries Coat from AttitudeClothing.co.uk for £19.99 instead of £78.99

Hell Bunny Halter Top from KinkyAngel.co.uk for £3.00 instead of £14.99

Iron Fist Hoodie from KinkyAngel.co.uk for £13.20 instead of £59.39

And more vintage goodies from random sellers on eBay:

Did you buy anything worth sharing with me? Do tell!

I reckon this will keep me happy for a few weeks... until the next shopping spree!

British Comedians, Bands and Theatre

2012-01-17T14:21:00.000Z

Whether you are a music fan, love to have a good laugh or appreciate theatrical events, you are pretty much spoiled by choice in the UK. I could say, that since i’ve moved here, my personality has changed in a way that I started to appreciate art more than ever before.

I’ve always been a huge heavy metal / rock music fan, and living in the UK gives me the opportunity to make my dreams a reality. In the past months I have seen some of my favourite artists performing right infront of my eyes in my town, in Wolverhampton and in London. Watching skilled bands playing their music and all the fans screaming the song lyrics and jumping up and down with the drum beat is such an adreline boost to me. I never fail to smile when I remember. The first batch of bands I went to see live were Revoker, Sylosis and Cavalera Conspiracy.

The Crowd / Cavalera Conspiaracy / Dream Theatre

When it comes to Stand-up Comedy, you are also in for a treat. With the major British comedians touring all major towns every year, and even tours from American and other European comedians, you are rarely disappointed. May I say, that I’ve finally managed to watch Jimmy Carr and Sarah Millican, who are currently two of my favourite comedians. And I’ve already bought Jimmy Carr’s 2012 tour ticket, as he’s going to be in Stoke 3 days before Christmas <3 Clips from last year's Jimmy Carr shows taken by yours truley: here and here.

Jimmy Carr / Sarah Millican

Other comedians which I’m dying to watch are Michael McIntyre, Russel Howard, Alan Carr, Bill Bailey and Lee Evans. I’m gutted I won’t be able to watch my all-time favourite George Carlin though :( May he rest in peace.

Drama here in Stoke as well as many other towns, is also of huge popularity. Although I have not yet been to the local theatre, I have been to London ones, and I have never been disappointed. Currently there are two shows which I would love to see, and I’m considering getting tickets for. One is called ‘Horrible Histories’ and it is a satire about the Tudor reign. Anyone who knows me, would probably tell you that I’m a sucker for anything Tudor, being King Henry VIII, his way too many wives, Tudor houses etc. Though I’ve seen alot of historical Tudor armour and jewellery in London, I’ve never had the opportunity to laugh about what happened in that era. The other performance which I would love to watch is a British Classic... The Full Monty. Whoever is not a fan... You are not my friend anymore ;)

And one can never forget the football and pubs here.................. Grab a beer, fish and chips and watch the game!

Malta: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2012-01-12T11:24:00.000Z

For those of you foreigners, who think that I’m missing out because I’m not living in Malta anymore, I thought i’d give you a bit of a feel of what Maltese people are really like. Stick to living in Malta, not visiting the country for a couple of days or weeks, and you will see what I mean.

The Good

You can get all the help you need

Are you lost? Do you need an extra 5 cents for your bus ride? Most people are ready to help – to give you directions and answer your questions; to take a photo of you and your loved one next to a historical monument. We do believe that the tourists are a big part of the island’s revenue, so we all learned at some point in our life to be well-mannered and pleasant to those who provide us jobs.

Too hot, weather – Beach times and night life!

Although shade is out of question in summer, there are plenty of beaches to cool off in. You find ice-cream vans in every street corner and pubs and bars opening early in the morning, or afternoon, and close at around 5am in the morning! If you are a music lover and/or a drunk, you will love it here! If you’re 17 years of age, you can drink as much as you want, as long as you don’t drive! And if you drive, it’s usually not a problem.... police are most of the time home and sleeping with their wives at 5am anyway!

The use of the English language

Kids are taught English in-line with Maltese at a very early age in their life, usually ranging between 3 to 6. Most of the pensioners can also hold a decent conversation in English, which means that wherever you go, you are never going to be alone. Traffic signs and directions are also in English and usually helpful (unless vandalised).

Food Delicacies

Food in Malta, is possibly one of the best things you will ever experience. Being in the Mediterranean and an island, the variety of dishes is extensive. Pizza, pasta, fish, salads, chicken, rabbit, horse meat... Anything you want... And when comparing prices to other countries, it is very affordable. Food is one of the things I miss. In the UK, you need to pay a lot of money to get food half as decent as the ones you get in restaurants in the Maltese Islands. And traditional food, sweets and liquors are to die for!

Free High-Level Education

The Maltese children have the opportunity to go to school up to university level, without paying a cent. The level of education is very good in most of the towns. If the teen decides on going to a technical college instead of to the university, one has to pay for the diploma, however the price is at a maximum of 1,000 Euros for the whole course which when compared to foreign institutions, it is a very good price. When I was studying at the University of Hertfordshire, I was paying £1,000 for every module, and I was studying online. So I didn't even have the benefit of a physical university, library and tuition!

History
For all you history fanatics, Malta is the place to be. With the number of wars the island has participated in, and with the different governors from different countries we had, you can find so many buildings and museums to view and drool over. Looking at the language itself, you can see for yourself the influence history had on it. Our language is based on arabic, italian, french and lately English.

The Bad

Politic Parties Fanatics

Come local council elections or the general elections, and people will start wearing blue or red (never both!). These are the colours of the two main political parties in Malta. Before we know it, we start fighting for our own political party, as if they are paying us for our loyalty and determination! In Malta, political fanatics, are equivalent to football fanatics in the UK, those fans who never miss a game, who go abroad to support their team etc.

People DIE for their party here. I am not even joking; a local study was made and issued on one of the local newspapers on January 1^st, 2012 (The Sunday Times). Medical specialists have confirmed that elections in Malta are harmful to our health, especially in the heart region.

Worshipping the Village Feast

Is it summer yet? In Malta, there’s at least one feast every week in summer. Mind you, the village feast usually takes a whole week of celebration, and the next Monday we have what is known as ‘Xalata’ (phonetically: sha-la-ta`). Xalata is about getting up early, prepare some sandwiches, wearing your swimming suit and on top of that the colour chosen to represent your saint and go to the beach... usually screaming, loud music, booze and traffic are involved.

In the bigger towns, there are usually more than one feast, and so, as part of the celebration during the week, the saint supporters go to the other side of town to scream out their lungs, about how their feast is better and so is their saint!
Having said that, I'm quite in favour of such rituals as feasts are considered to be a cultural thing tourists are interested in.

She’s on holiday, make her pay more

A lot of idiots in shops treat tourists maliciously and claim it is alright to do so because they are on holiday and they afford it. Little do they know, that taking advantage of tourists will only results in them not coming back!

The Ugly

Religious Obsessions

Born and bred in Malta, is usually a detriment in terms of religion. We cannot choose for ourselves whether we should follow any religion or lead our own way in life. When a Maltese citizen is a couple of days (or weeks) old, he is baptised. The Roman Catholic religion claims him and there is no turning back! At the age of 5, we have to go to Museum and religion classes apart from the Sunday masses. If you’re lucky enough, you’re registered to what is know as a ‘church school’ and you can benefit of a mass every day, apart from your teachers most likely being priests.

Close-mindedness

Walking hand in hand with religion, the Maltese people are close-minded and most of the time scandalous. Are you pregnant and not in a marriage? You are doomed! I’m not saying that it’s the ideal situation,as I do believe that children are better off born in a loving, married relationship. But two wrongs, don’t make a right... So why make a single mother feel miserable. Just help her, support her! Another example of closemindedness which I had to deal with on a daily basis is, the idea of: ‘if you listen to heavy metal you are a satanist’ and ‘if you were leather or pvc you are a whore’. When will the people in Malta learn to not judge a book by its cover?

Living in Malta, can’t speak Maltese

Apart from Maltese taking advantage of tourists, the foreigners who actually decide on moving here, tend to have their own issues and abuse from the Maltese. First and foremost, if you are etnically different (not caucasian), you might have trouble in renting in Malta. Agents tend to find it easier to rent a place to someone who looks ‘normal’, and is not coloured. If you can’t speak Maltese, people sometimes take advantage and misinterprate what you said as to make more money. Cases of which, I know plenty as I have lots of foreign friends living in Malta.

How much Maltese are you?

Having lived in Malta, for the first 23 years of my life, I have to admit that I share some of these characterisics. The lack of things to do, drive you towards doing things you never thought of doing and most of the time, without even realising. Although I don’t reckon taking advantage of anyone as I’m too kindhearted for my own good, I do tend to take part in the whole political party craziness. The idea of a general election taking place if the government fails to agree on things next week, gives me a new reason of getting excited. Oh and I miss eating pastizzi!

Share your experiences here, and if you think I'm being too controversial, just add on to my list. I don't mind being challenged, and I'm always up for discussions.

So, do you wanna move to the UK?

2012-01-06T15:26:00.000Z

To be honest, I thought it would be much more complicated to move to the UK, but thanks to the European Union, things are rather easy.

Tips to have the smoothest move possible:

Decide on a couple of locations you are willing to move to (check house/apartment prices, travelling connections, the town's history such as robberies, murders and other unpleasantries)
Start looking for jobs online. There are plenty of websites to look at, and if you have office or iGaming experience, you are more likely to make your dreams come true!
Expect job interviews to be done through a phone call or a video call. They might ask you to fly over for the final interview. Take advantage of such situations as you will be able to see where you'll be living should you get offered the job.
Once offered the job, make sure they give you a reasonable amount of days to pack, say goodbyes, find a place to live and actually move.
Bare in mind, that unless you share an apartment or a house with other people, it might be difficult to get the internet, telephone and TV line. It took me over a month as I had no financial history in the UK. Same goes to a mobile phone contract. The easiest thing to do until you're sorted is to buy a SIM and choose the Pay as You Go tarrif.
The company you start working for should help you to get the work permit and also to open a bank account. You should ask for reference letters to help you sort these things out quicker. I had a bank account after around 2 weeks in the UK, and the work permit took a litttle longer, because I had to wait for two weeks for the interview.
Once you have the work permit, look for your local NHS and register yourself. This is handy as you will then be able to visit the clinic and book doctor appointments. A good thing here is, that medicines are free or cheaper than in Malta (if you're a working citizen).

Anything else you want to know?

Leave me a comment, and I will update this article accordingly :-)

The first night

2011-12-30T14:07:00.000Z

Although I was looking forward to moving to the UK, I must admit that during the last few days in Malta, I was terrified and slightly dreading it. Even though I had enough of everything the island had to offer, and I can say that my motivation in living in Malta was gone, I wasn't sure I can handle a life in a town I've never been before, where I knew no one.

Excited and terrified at the same time, I went to the airport, on the plane, flew for 3.5 hours and landed when the clock striked 9pm. A guy with a banner with my name on, greeted me at Manchester's Airport and then we started our way to Stoke, right to the Moat House Hotel. This is where I spent the first night. I remember, it was cold, yet cosy. The receptionist was very welcoming, gave me tons of coupons for free internet, which sorted out most of my night, as I was too excited to sleep.

Moat Hotel / View from Hotel / English Breakfast the next morning.

The next morning, a taxi took me to my place in Porthill. I was really happy with it, but I had no towels, no pillows, no nothing except furniture, glasses and utensils. Having no internet on my phone or at my place, I walked out of the house aimlessly until I found High Street from were I purchased some groceries and a towel. I was so glad that I took my fleece with me to the UK. And that was my first night in Porthill, sorted.

My house / Porthill / First Lunch

Meet the Gal.

2011-12-29T17:31:00.000Z

The plan was, to start off a blog the first week I move to the UK, but back then, I had no idea of all the procedures that needed to be handled in order for me to have internet in my house, and a telephone line. But all's well that ends well...

Meet the girl, behind the blog: Steffi.

Red Haired

Well, I would never say that I'm a stereotypical girl from Malta, because I'm not. I might be rather shy, I might be too nice, or too good to people... but I don't consider me as one of the traditional Maltese girls. I don't listen to hiphop or dance music; I listen to rock, metal, gothic and industrial. I don't follow fashion, but create my own style. I'm not sun-kissed skinned but rather pale for a Mediterranean girl; I actually despise hot weather! I've had my hair dyed black, brown, red, blue and even with golden streaks! I'm a geek, love memes and other internet puns; I'm a programmer and as they call me: an SQL Goddess. Some people tend to label me as a rock/geek-chick, but in the long run, I tend to label myself as unique. I am my own person.

My dream of parting Malta and move to the UK has been lurking in my mind since I can remember. Having travelled to the UK since the age of 6, and being more amused by parks, mountains, forests, lakes and the general greenery, I knew that Malta, beaches and drunken night outs weren't the kind of life I wanted to lead.

And so, at the age of 23, roughly mid January 2011, I decided that I wanted to start a new life, leave the country for good, live with like-minded (or, openminded) people; where looks didn't matter, where people cared enough, but could leave you at peace, minding their own business.

Red & Blue Hair

As such, I decided to look at various locations, and I knew that as tempting as it is to go live in London, I should probably stay away, as I didn't want to share a house, I wanted my own house with yard. I wanted to live near cities, but far enough to enjoy the parks and quiet. After much deliberation, I applied to the one iGaming job I could find (in my expertise), which wasn't in London and near the Peak District. The next day I got an interview... By end of March, I was looking for a house, and making my final arrangements....

It all felt like an illusion, or a dream... But on the 12th of May, 2011, I landed in the land of the Brits... and the journey started....