Malta - British Expat Forum

Hi, we are moving to Malta soon. Lots of reasons, but to be open, I am of Maltese background but born in the UK, grew up overseas and have travelled widely throughout my life. Spent the last 15 years living in the US, California and presently NY.

My experience with everywhere I have lived is that you have to give it a chance, but go there because of something, not just because, r fr just work. For us it's family, weather, family oriented culture. I have cousins that cannot believe we are leaving NY to come to what they call "The Rock".

But it's about perspective. All they know about NY is what they see on TV and programs such as the awful sex and the city etc. that lifestyle and access is open to only the few, and for the rest it's really just a rat race. Example.. NYorkers pride themselves on how rude and harsh they are, along with the fact that they live in such a fast paced city that they don't have time to do anything.. It's go go go. That's sad when you see people work like horses, get taxed at really high rates, pay for health care etc etc and then have barely enough to do much other than drink.

Don't get me wrong, I loved it here, but my wife and I are now at a stage when we want to start a family, have mates, not just acquaintances, and a slightly more relaxed mode.

Malta can be rude, it can be hostile at times, and it is beaurocratic. Thats balanced out by the pluses. This is only true is as I said at the outset, you come for at least one reason that fits the plus.

I read a lot of blogs on the island and they are all worth reading, but my pet peave is exemplified by one by an American woman who left the US because of rising health costs and came to Malta. She spends an awful lot of the time complaining how Malta is backward, rude, dirty, this or that. The thing is she gets to live and have health care that she was worried she couldn't afford long term in her own country.

In the end we have choice. If it doesn't work out, go where it is more likely to. It's a big world. Dont make Malta like somewhere else.

It's the classic relationship dilemma. Why spend ages trying to change it into something that you want...that it won't ever really be. Better off finding a new mate that has the qualities you want, or as much of the important ones, from the start.

Sorry for the essay, but I weary of how many people don't seem to get this. It doesn't always work out.

P

Very true. Everywhere in the world has its good and bad points, and there's not a great deal of point in bashing your head against a brick wall.

Not to say that no battles are worth fighting, and I'm sure there are plenty of things about Malta that many of its inhabitants, both Maltese and foreign, would like to see changed. But it's a question of picking the battles that stand a chance of being won. And if you don't have any pre-existing ties to a place and find there are too many things you want to change but can't, then why put yourself through the ordeal?

Life in Malta is sometimes infuriating but mostly infuriatingly funny.

Just read the letters to The Times of Malta - wonderful.

well said Paul

"Life is a compromise! Utopia do not exist!"

I fail to understand - you don't like living where you are so you choose somewhere else because it is different ......... then you try to change it into where you just came from??????

I agree with Chris - Malta is quirky and some stuff is strange, but you get used to it. I have found some things are done in a better way than in UK.

No where is perfect, but all in all, for me this is as near as I'm gonna get.

Correct Rachy, i too can't believe the people who consider Malta, move in and complain about the culture and way of life and how it should change, answer is simple, they won't change so get used to it or move on.

Yes thats what I was trying to say BTW.. Rachy's response seems to imply that I am complaining.. far from it.. I am saying the exact opposite. I am responding to the number of people who complain about things in Malta that are the very unique things that make Malta what it is. Thats my point. Anyway maybe I misread Rachy's response.

Rachy wrote:No where is perfect, but all in all, for me this is as near as I'm gonna get.

unless you cross the Gozo channel

@Mark

Is it still free to get on the ferry to Gozo? You just have to pay to leave.

if you go to Gozo by ferry and swim back, its free

Don't swim that good, I will pack my inflatable pedolo with my sandwich

Just realised, I don't need the pedalo, i just got my Maltese KartAnzjan card, sort of a "get out of jail free".