Back in the saddle

My goal for today was to get back on track and head to BCD printing, one of the printers that produces prayer cards for funerals. There’s a location near my leasing agent but Wim and I saw what looked like more of a “main office” on our way back from Marsalforn so I decided to hoof it. I got within a block of the Rabat cemetery (which is practically in Xewkija) and turned around. If it wasn’t on that route then I would need to take the bus anyway. On the walk back I stopped at Arcadia and got a cappuccino. You gotta love the interactions at the mall – it’s like one big stroller parking lot. Lots of moms and babies.

After my “break” I headed for home, stopping at the other BCD location on the way. I couldn’t tell if there was anyone even operating out of there since it wasn’t a first floor office, but I think I’ll go back tomorrow. I took the long walk back, trying to figure out what my next plan of attack was. Just as I got to the apartment I decided the least I could do was follow up with Kilena so I took the side street beyond St. George’s and I stumbled across a store I’d never noticed before. It’s called “Moments” and they list themselves as a souvenir shop but they also provide flower arrangements for all occasions. Perfect! So I went in and introduced myself to the owner and asked if I could ask her some questions. She was really nice and it turns out that she’s married into George’s family (the funeral director I’ve been talking with!) He keeps talking about his cousins who are also in the carpentry business (they own G&A Carpentry) and it just so happens that her husband is their brother – so also one of George’s cousins! What a crazy small island! I was so relieved to get another interview and get the wheels back in motion.
We talked for over an hour and she was very helpful. For starters, she confirmed what Wim and I were wondering about hearing different church bells to signify that someone died. George had mentioned that people ask him to arrange them but I wasn’t sure they’d be different from the tone/ring they use for mass. She said there is a different ring for masses and then another to notify that someone is “on their last leg” and then another for when someone dies. She gave me her card and told me I could call anytime and come back whenever I want. We made arrangements for me to go back on Thursday. I think I will try BCD again tomorrow and circle back with Kilena as well. I also should try to see George this week so I can check out his shop with the coffins. Sounds creepy but hey – that’s me I guess. Reminds me of the line in the new HP movie that Areyl and I loved so much. Ron says, “it’s a creepy shop and he’s a creepy bloke.” Ha.

Back to the Grind

So for those of you who are interested, it took me 4 hours to do 3 weeks worth of laundry by hand yesterday. I would say I had the equivalent of about 3 full loads worth. I split them into a small "whites" load and then a tub of my "unmentionables" as Blanche Devereux might say, and then two larger tubs for my shirts and pants. I kept thinking of the movie "Far and Away" when Tom tells Nicole to "plunge and scrub." I also did a technique I call "soaking" as well. (I should probably look up online how to do this properly). I am pretty confident everything is clean though. The water was quite dirty when I was done with each load and everything smells fresh now. I can't wait to put on my new stretched out attire. It's going to be great walking around in clothes that have expanded because I can't use a washer. Wim told me I can use his when I go to Belgium so I'm definitely counting down to that!

I wanted to go back to see Kilena today but all of my clothes are still drying so I only have one clean shirt and as it's black. I don't want to go back there wearing it after our last talk about how she hates black clothing. So instead I spent 3 hours today transcribing her last interview with me. It's 14 pages long already and I'm only half done. Fun.

I need to hit the store today for some TP and other necessities once siesta time is over. I'm also going to try to introduce myself to a few other people and see if I can arrange a few more interviews. I've been here 3 full weeks so far and I really don't have much to show for it. Of course, it doesn't help that 2 of those weeks were essentially vacation but I am still taking some decent notes regarding everything I see, even if it doesn't necessarily pertain to my thesis outright. The background information will be helpful regardless.

I've got an internet connection in my apartment this afternoon for some random reason so I'm trying to take advantage of it by getting this blog updated and doing some other research. I feel like it's Brigadoon though - not sure how long it will last!

Wim's last day

9/27/09
Wim just left. We got up at our usual time (10:30) and decided to have breakfast at the Grapes Wine Bar since we hadn’t eaten there yet. They were only serving a “Traditional” Gozitan breakfast (English Breakfast) or toasts. Wim ordered the cheese toast and I ordered the breakfast. Holy meat-fest Bat Man! So there was an egg – scrambled. Then a half of a tomato. Then some red beans. Then 2 pieces of toast. Then 2 sausage links, 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of ham, 2 pieces of proschutto, and 2 pieces of salami. What the? I can’t eat all of that! And Wim wasn’t interested in helping me with all of that meat because he’s a vegetarian. He was disappointed as well because he really wanted a pastry. We spent an hour there ogling the locals who (it seemed) were rallying for a cappuccino after a night out. One girl may have even been doing the walk of shame. Almost every table there had someone at it who knew someone else at another table. And again someone assumed we were Maltese. They approached us and asked if they could use our extra chairs – in Maltese. Interesting.

After paying we got Wim’s luggage and headed over to the Duke so he could get a donut before getting on the bus. We arrived at the terminus with a few minutes to spare and took the final opportunity of observing tourists and locals. It was really great to have him around to bounce ideas off of regarding the dynamics of local culture and interaction. We had an especially good time last night watching the “folk” band that was playing in the Square and discussing (further) the differences between the Grapes Wine Bar and the place across the square in terms of space and access as well as shame and honor. *sigh* I will miss having him here. BUT my trip to Belgium is now 2 months away! I’m very excited for that! It made it much easier to say goodbye to him knowing that I will see him again soon.

What else to say about last night? We ate at Antonin again because Wim liked their ravioli the best, and as it was his last night here I let him pick. We also have a running joke that the waiter there is my boyfriend. Well, rather that I am the waiters secret girlfriend because he’s so much more attentive to me and because my second time there with Wim he made a point of telling me he remembered me. The good news about Antonin’s is that it has wi-fi, as does Café Jubilee. And since both are in Independence Square just next to the square I live in, it means I don’t have to hoof it to Arcadia or the Duke everyday for internet. It also means I can get access past 8pm so I no longer have to build it into my day. Instead I can just eat at home to save on costs and then have a cappuccino in the evening and check my email. Whoo hoo. It’s the small victories.

We could hear the “folk” music from where we were eating and it sounded kind of painful (off key music, off key singing) so we picked up a bottle of wine at It-Tokk to take home with us. The lady there asked what we were interested in and I said “something that will make us forget that concert that’s playing outside my window.” She laughed pretty heartily at that and said “okay so something that ‘works’?” We ended up going home with a bottle of Green Label since it’s the cheapest thing going around here at 4.85Euro a bottle and it’s also local and my favorite and Wim had yet to try it. It’s a good thing we did because man the music at this thing was painful. It was three guys playing Elvis and other stuff (again, NY NY for some reason). A couple of rounds of Happy Birthday while they passed out cake…it was just not pretty and not as good as last weeks’ band (suddenly it’s all relative!). But we reveled in watching the activity in the square nonetheless. We finished the evening with watching a few episodes of Golden Girls, as he’d never seen the show and wanted to know what I like about it so much. I was so happy that he thought it was cute/funny too and didn’t think I was a freako for liking something so silly. He said Sophia is is favorite.

Now it’s siesta time and the square is quiet because it’s Sunday. I have 3 weeks worth of laundry to do today and need to make some notes about my plan of attack for this week to get back on track with my work.

Xlendi part deux

9/26
We spent the day in Xlendi and the experience couldn’t have been more opposite than last time considering it was bright, beautiful and sunny. We started for a snack at Antoinette’s where I was able to get a large iced coffee (she makes them sooooo good). Then we headed for a spot near the sea and scouted for jellyfish. Some friendly German divers told us they saw some big jellyfish around the way, but a couple from Scotland with goggles told us they were not in the area we were trying to swim. Yay! We were treated to all kinds of tourists sharing our space on the sunbathing rock – including a man who decided to strip down naked to change into his speedos in front of everyone. That was…lovely. We had a drink at Moby Dick’s for old times sake and then a Gelato at the Gelateria Granola (Dolce de Lece) and then the bus back to Victoria. When we got to the square we found that it was set for a pig roast with a pig roasting away on a spit next to the café across the way. They also have a stage set for some singers in front of the church. We’re excited to see what kinds of shenanigans will unfold – especially after my experience last weekend!

Too Good to be True

9/25/09

Today was again another breathtakingly beautiful day, despite the supposed rain storm that was supposed to last all day. We took the 12:15 bus to Marsalforn, a beach/tourist destination just down the road from Ramla Bay. The hotels and tourists lets were a contrast to the vacant beauty of Ramla but still beautiful in a “Mediterranean” type way nonetheless. We got our first cappuccino of the day at a local place overlooking the bay. We spent the day on the beach, swimming and playing in the surf (Wim took particular delight in coaxing the waves to come and get us). An afternoon snack (ham and cheese toast & crisps) at a local place around 4pm and then gelato on a bench at the bay and it was time to head back to the bus.

We got the bus at about 5:50 and as we got off, Wim noticed that the churchbells were playing the same sort of tone they had played this morning. As we rounded the corner to Independence square sure enough – it was a bloody funeral procession from the church to the cemetery! I could’ve died I was so disappointed in myself for not having checked into it before we left for the beach. It was a small procession – only 3 cars and all of the mourners in black. The hearse was a sleek new car and the shades in the back were open so you could see the coffin which was surrounded in white lilies. We think the bells might be a special tone for funerals. And the timing is in keeping with what George told me – funeral services at 5pm in the summer and 3 pm in the winter. I’m so bummed out right now it’s unbelievable. Grrr.

There’s supposed to be a parade now for Independence Day so I think we will try to catch it…

(Later that same night….)

Ha! We went to dinner at It-Tokk and there was no such parade. We were there from approximately 7:15 until 9:30 and we saw nothing. We even stretched dinner a bit because the advertisement we saw for it was written in Maltese and we couldn’t tell if it said it was starting in Independence square or finishing there. Ugh. The best part of dinner (for me) was the “special” coffee I had – some sort of caramel latte. Yum. Afterward we watched “Just Friends” at home and I was happy that Wim liked Ana Faris in that movie as much as I do.

Wim's visit thus far...

Wim and I spent Tuesday walking around Valletta. His father had given him some Croatian money to exchange but we couldn’t find anywhere in the city that would take it. We had a cappuccino at a wine bar outside of St. John’s Co-Cathedral earlier in the day, and then attempted to have another one at a “famous” café called the “Cordina” in the town center. (Famous b/c it was in both of our guidebooks – Lonely Planet and Rough Guide.) But after waiting and waiting and waiting our server never returned with the cappuccinos so we left and went elsewhere. (A place right across the way from where we’d been in the morning, actually.) The day was broken up by a shower that lasted long enough that we had to seek shelter underneath an obliging shop overhang but not long enough to pack it in. We followed the locals and just waited it out. We headed back to Gozo on the 6pm bus, hoping to catch a ferry at 7:30 but unfortunately they had just changed schedules that very day and the next one wasn’t until 8pm so we waited. By the time we got back it was 9. We washed up and then had dinner at Café Antonin and discovered it has wi-fi! Who knew?

Yesterday we woke to pouring rain and thunder. Ugh. We decided to stay close to home, heading to the Duke to get some breakfast supplies and check email. We came back to unload groceries and Ted stopped by to ask how everything was going, which worked out well because I was able to ask if I was doing something wrong with the hot water as I haven’t been able to make it work the entire time i’ve been here. He checked it out and it turned out there was a problem with the plumbing. Wim and I left for Xlendi for the afternoon and Ted found a plumber to come and fix it. It was cloudy, cold and overcast all day so no swimming but we visited the old haunts and had a great time reminiscing. Back to Victoria for dinner, this time at Café Jubilee, which also has wifi! Again, who knew! The dinner wasn’t that great but we both liked the atmosphere of the place so it still got points. And it served a good cappuccino.

Today we woke and despite the forecast indicating it would be overcast and rainy all week, it was gorgeous and hot. We had breakfast at the apartment and then went to Coffee Break for our cappuccino. We got on a bus at 1:15 and went to Ramla Bay for the day. We were both very disappointed that we didn’t bring our suits because it was just gorgeous outside. We spent the afternoon people watching and had lunch at the beach. We took the last bus back to Victoria at 6:30. While we were waiting we saw a speedy yellow car zoom by that had a window decal that said, “The speedway ends at the cemetery.” Ha. Now it’s showers and dinner. Tomorrow we are thinking of going to Marsalforn (another beach) and then checking out the parade in Independence Square. We’ll see.

Wim

Wim arrived in Valletta around 11:30 p.m. Monday night. We stayed awake until 2 am talking and catching up in the hotel bar, which was very 70's...I hope to post pics soon.

Yesterday we spent the day walking around Valletta and then caught the bus back at 6 to catch the ferry at 8 and then back to Gozo. And again up until 2 am talking.

Today we wanted to go to the beach but it's RAINING! Gar. So we are at the Duke and will probably do some "indoor" things. I'm not sure how much I'll post while he's here since I'd rather be spending time with him than online. But rest assured, I'm having a great time!

Heading to Valletta

This morning the bells went from 8 – 9am straight. I about murdered those dudes in the tower, since I wasn’t planning to get up until 9:30. I had to be out of the apartment by noon so Ted, the owner, could come and clean since I’ve already been here “a fortnight” (his words – not mine). I spent a little time at the Café Cordina and then headed over to the bus depot in Victoria to catch the public bus to Mgarr Harbor. For .47 it takes you RIGHT there. I might have to consider that on my way back to the states if they won’t care about my luggage. Though, I’m guessing in the middle of December I won’t be taking seats away from many tourists by doing so. At the ferry terminal it was a pleasant 15 minute wait which was just enough time for me to figure out where in Valletta my hotel would be on the map in my Lonely Planet travel guide. Then onto the ferry (Cisk and a Twix) and a quick 25 minute ride across to Cirkewwa, which again was enough time for me to figure out which bus to take to Valletta once the ferry pulled in.

I was a bit concerned because I somehow ended up with all 20Euro notes and usually the bus drivers are VERY fussy about you having anything larger than 2E. But when I walked to the bus terminal across from the ferry the #45 to Valletta was starting up to leave. I told the bus driver my sitch and he was kind enough to make change for me….albeit all in 2E coins. Ah well. It’ll get spent soon enough. The cost to go from Cirkewwa to Valletta? .57E. And get this – it was about a 40 minute bus ride! I couldn’t believe it! Back home a ride like that would be something you’d have to take a greyhound for and it certainly wouldn’t be for less than $1!

We drove through the island going in and out of a few cities that seemed loads bigger (and more “European”) than Victoria. I was concerned about where the bus would let us off in relation to the hotel but it couldn’t have been easier. All of the buses stop at this terminal in front of the Gate of the city by this huge Triton water fountain. From there I was standing right on Valletta’s main street (also a Triq Republikka) and only needed to walk a few blocks down and over to find my hotel.The British Hotel interior was apparently used for the movie “Munich” and I can see why – this place is right out of the 70’s and the room itself is kinda crappy. But the location is phenomenal and the views from the front door and upstairs restaurant are incredible. I can’t wait to walk around a bit after I freshen up. I just need to try to keep occupied until Wim gets in later tonight. We are going to have so much fun here. I almost wish we were staying another day.

Hells Bells

9/20
I’ve heard those bloody bells for a total of 2 hours today. No joke. From noon until 1 they went off a total of 4 times at 15 minutes a piece. They start off slow – one dong after another and then another bell is added, and then others until they are all going. There is a set pattern to the ring that lasts 15 minutes. Then they started right back up again. And again. And again. Then early this evening, they went off twice before a wedding, and now at 7:45pm they are going off again…that’s a lot of bells when they are right outside your window. They are kinda driving me insane at the moment.

The good news is that it was cool enough today to go the entire day without using the air conditioning. Just kept the door wide open and got a nice breeze. In the shade it was cool enough to need a sweater.

The whole town practically shuts down on Sundays, with the exception of the McDonald’s, the theatre, a handful of restaurants, and some mobile food carts. Well, and obviously those bells don’t shut down. It makes it hard to do much of anything. There is a set of stairs right next to the Café Cordina that is kind of out of sight so today I did my internet-ing from there for as long as my butt could stand it on the cement. I only spent 2 Euro today – 2 pastizzi’s and 2 bottles of water. That’s pretty good. I bought the water from a place in Independence Square called “Red Café” because it was the only place open. I’ve now had 2 “bad” experiences there so I don’t know that I’ll go back. The first time I was there, the girl in the kitchen was having a psycho spazz attack yelling and screaming at her family and slamming things around. I was just about to give up when she approached the counter and I felt if I didn’t order something she might murder me. Then today I walked in and there were about 6 men watching the Man U vs. Man City game (the score was 3 – 3 at the time) and NONE of them got up to take care of me. So I finally asked one of them if I could still buy something and he said yes and then just yelled to the back for the woman to come out and take care of me. I then stood there for a good five minutes (I’m not sure the poor woman heard him) waiting. Would it have killed him to get up and ring me up for 2 bottles of water? I realize the game was on but jeez.

…oh good lord – I just realized those bells are being rung by HAND. There are dudes up in that bell tower ringing them! HS. And they are going on a solid 25 minutes here….Hahaha – I think I hear a young girl in the square yelling at the guys in the bell tower to shut up! You tell ‘em girl! She’s about 5 and pushing a little doll around in a stroller. I’m sure it’s gotta be tough to get a baby to sleep in these conditions!

A set list

Okay – it’s now 9pm and dinner hasn’t been served outside, but the band has started and it’s even more bizarre than can be imagined – the kick off song is a Maltese, mu-zac instrumental version of “The Age of Aquarius!” hahahahahahahahah

And now it’s Maria – I just met a girl named Maria…

Maybe I’ll do a set list of the songs I recognize…next is a song I don’t recognize but it sounded like “as long as there’s the two of us...and when the world is through with us…”

And in the background between songs is the sound of the football game being broadcast from the café across the way – b/c of course they’d refuse to shut down for a special event such as this.

Okay here’s a song with lyrics…“one of us is lying,
one of us is crying
in this lonely bed
staring at the ceiling,
wishing she was somewhere else instead…”
Oh man I thought she was going to say “wishing she were dead! Hahahaha.

Now CCR!!! And I wanna know….have you ever seen the rain?
Followed, of course, by Rock around the Clock
Then Shake, rattle and roll
Instrumental of some Streisand song – SOMEWHERE…SOMEWHERE! All of me – why don’t you take all of me…
10pm and dinner still hasn’t been served!

During the set break they are playing a cd of some of their own music which includes such instrumental Beatles favorites as “Hey Jude’ and “She’s got a ticket to ride” “never my love” “lucy in the sky with diamonds” “ – I wonder if there is copyright infringement in Malta….

Now they are going again – and we hear Hava Nagila

Followed by something that I swear is a jingle for a soap commercial….or the theme for Laugh-in or something.

Oh man – and the guy plays cowbell. Now, as a socio cultural person I probably shouldn’t laugh but this guy – you’ve got to understand, he reminds me of the guy in Office Space with the stapler…and he’s the “lead” of this band. His pictures are all over the posters, posing with his sax.

Have I told you lately that I love you…
It’s started raining and they started (of course) Singing in the rain….and straight into when the saints go marching in.
And then quando quando quando…
You don’t know what it’s like – to love somebody the way I love you…
I can’t get no satisfaction…
Get back to where you once belonged….

It’s 11pm – ppl still in line for food but at least they are serving. And most ppl don’t seem to be bothered by the rain.
Honky Tonk Blues
Segue right into Pretty Woman
Hard Days Night
Ticket to ride
Jazzed up version of Oh Suzanna
Abba montage – I think they must be playing all of their songs….they even called up a special singer…

A second set break –
NY NY – dedicated to someone named “Johnny”

They finished off the night with more local stuff sung in Maltese and other hava-nagila type instrumental dance stuff. By this point the crowd is jumping! Lots of dancing. At some point during the third set the drizzle stopped. Not that it mattered because everyone danced on anyway. It was intriguing watching so many men dancing while their respective partners sat on the sidelines. The men were practically begging them to join them. They eventually did but there were two guys who probably danced a whole set by themselves before they convinced their ladies to get out there. Until the end of the night it was strictly couples dancing, or twos and threes of men dancing together. Not the groups of women you usually see huddled together at dances in the U.S. At one point I looked down at the long tables of people eating and the dancing and couldn’t help but think of Danny Devito scurrying under the tables in Romancing the Stone while Kirk Douglas and Kathleen Turner danced nearby….

Word!

And I’m back…well for all intents and purposes none of you really knew I was gone. But see what ha’happened was…I was using word offline to write all of my blogs, emails, journals, communications, cv, etc. and then I got that nasty shock moment of Word telling me I needed to activate in order to continue using it. I couldn’t cut, paste, type – nothing. Of course, this was fine for reading stuff I’d already written but I couldn’t do anything with it. And of course I had ONE more crucial thing to fix on my CV before I could actually use it (figures). So I was resorting to MS Works for the last several days…which was fine as far as getting my thoughts down and transcribing my interviews (thanks again to John for the use of his recorder!) but did nothing for me for all of the stuff I needed to communicate back to the world. I couldn’t paste anything into my blog or emails. So all of my crafty efforts to minimize my time sitting at money-swallowing cafes was for naught. That is until today.

Thanks to the hacker-like prowess of one Tammy Hernke who was kind enough to cajole the guys in IT back at Deloitte into letting her use my computer back home, she was able to find the original email confirmation with the registration code I needed to get my Word situation sorted out. Turns out that when I downloaded it the first time (at least, I think this is what happened) I pressed “open” instead of save and therefore didn’t save doodly to my computer. Because of that, I apparently was using the 60 day trial version so of course the codes I had didn’t work in that version. Ah ha! What an idiot moment. In any event – about 2 hours of sitting on my bum at the McCafe and I am back in business.

Now I’m at home and it turns out the hub-ub in the square tonight is not a wedding but a concert! I was walking past a woman at Ta Nisju (I bought something from her two days ago) and she inquired after my purchase so I asked her what was up. She said, “It’s a concert and you can eat for 12Euro a plate but I’m afraid you need a reservation.” I told her I’m staying just up there (pointing up to my balcony) and she smiled and said, “oh so you won’t pay anything! You will have a glass of wine, and you will enjoy!” And you know what – I think I will! Good thing I picked up a bottle of Green Label white wine for just such an occasion! Let’s just hope they aren’t a Maltese Kenny G. tribute band. Oh good lord…I hear a horn of some kind. If it’s any sorta smooth jazz I am OUTTA here for the night.

The shop across the way

I feel like I need to add something about the guys in the shop across the way. When I said that they act like they own the place, I didn’t really explain that their presence in the Square gives them that ownership. They are there from about 7am until midnight each day, taking their “siesta” from about 1 until 4 or 5. After they watch their soap opera at 1, they might go home, but often they spend a large part of their break over at Grapes Wine Bar just across the way, or sitting on the steps at St. George’s Church, smoking and laughing. Last weekend some other people ran the shop and yet they still spent a bulk of their weekend in the Square. In this way, they are located there about 80% of the day, every day, and so it’s understandable that they would “act like they own the place.”

There are a handful of businesses in the square - Beaver Fashions I have of course mentioned, a “Fine” Food Shop, The Liquer Store, Organika, Grapes and Wine, a cell phone accessory store, and Ta Nisju (a clothing store) all share the same space. But Grapes and Wine and the Café across the street (which has no name) are the only ones with seats and presence IN the square itself as opposed to the other shops that you must venture into for access. In this way, the shop across the street stands in contrasts to Grapes and Wine by virtue of the fact that they do not cater to tourists the same way. They start to “shoo” out customers so they can take their break, despite it being an area tourists frequent no matter the time. GW stays open. They are loud and boisterous and play their “club” music at volumes that are unnecessary for the resonance of the space. GW does not. Unlike most of the “tourist” cafes, they don’t wear uniform shirts but wear whatever they want. Yesterday one wore a shirt that said “God is a DJ.” Today he sports a Jimi Hendrix shirt and camo shorts. GW wears yellow uniform shirts and black pants. They clean (somewhat begrudgingly) the space of their store yet they litter away from that space, dropping cigarette wrappers on the church steps while they yell and mock the bells as they chime yet sitting there as if they own that space too.

They are friendly enough with each other and seem to have a lot of acquaintances that drop by throughout the day but they don’t go out of their way to be friendly to tourists, never taking their order proactively or making them comfortable in their space. Sometimes I think they purposely try to make people uncomfortable to claim further ownership - they just passed under my balcony on their way for their break and I heard one of them say, in English, “Nice Ass” about one of the people passing by. He even repeated it louder for his friends to joke and laugh about. These guys rarely speak in English so this comment was intentional in a space where English is the shared language. It guaranteed him that everyone in listening range would hear his claim. Juxtaposed from the people and space of GW across the way who have done quite a bit to their location to be inviting - shady plants, candles, more accommodating hours, all politeness and civility…it makes a statement that these guys don’t care.

Although, that’s being naïve and assuming that the people at GW DO care, when in fact they may not. It’s not a family store in the same sense. They have more employees and can be open longer hours. Because they have more employees they need more money which means they stay open longer. They could feel exactly the same way about tourists but as they are the bread and butter of their operation they do more to make them comfortable and happy. The guys across the way tend to serve primarily locals and the wandering tourist who doesn’t know any better. And when they serve locals, it is in keeping with the public space of Malta that those locals are primarily men. Last night around 9 p.m. there were 19 local men gathered around and in that café watching TV and talking. It wasn’t until 11 that a younger, mixed gender, local crowd came out. Perhaps waiting for the guys to close so they could go with them to Club Paradiso or La Grotta.

I take great interest in watching them. Partially because they are right in my viewing range, partially because they are so noisy that they practically demand the attention, and partially because I know that they have noticed me too. I’ve encroached on their turf, coming and going with the regularity of a local but the look of a tourist. I am in an area where everyone seems to know everyone else…I figure it’s only a matter of time before our paths cross and they want to know what my deal is.

Will McD's be my hero?

I'm at the McCafe this time. I ordered a latte machiato which is a glorified cappuccino with more milk topped with more frothy milk in a tall glass. Fun. Thanks to Tammy Hernke I've gotten the secret codes I need to try to fix my MS word so I'm sitting here waiting while it loads...58%...

I got to skype video chat with my family just a minute ago. Weird for several reasons. 1) the Maltese ppl sitting around me didn't seem plussed that some geek w/a headset was talking on a video to her family. 2) the loud background noise was a plus and a minus - plus that no one else could really hear my conversation. Minus that my family probably had a hard time with it too. 3) I felt antsy, like someone was going to bust me at any minute for doing something I wasn't supposed to. I'm clinging to my empty glass for ownership over my space here as every moment passes. 62%...

So I still have a blog I want to post that's stuck, for the moment, in Works. It actually has nothing to do with my day to day activity though so I guess it can get posted whenever and not throw anything off chronologically. I spent yesterday in what I will hope will become my routine. After my special time with the Golden Girls, I read some articles and then transcribed my interviews with George and Kilena. Then I hit the road for another interview with Kilena. She's been very helpful, and I'm only about 2/3 through my interview questions with her. I'm not sure if that means I need to revise my questions or what...as I'm not sure every participant I get will want to have three meetings with me. 66%...

Today they are setting up in St. George's Square for something. Looks like it's being operated by the staff at Grapes Wine Bar just below me so I wonder if it's another wedding reception. If it is, this one looks like it'll be big time - they even dropped off two port-o-johns and have set up something that I assume will be some sort of "dance floor" or stage space. I'm curious to see what is going on. Then again, it could be something different altogether as Monday is Malta's Independence Day and I've been told (by Kilena) that the celebrations usually happen the weekend prior. 69%....

Two more days until I head to Valletta to meet up with Wim. I'm beyond excited! Ahhh yeah that's about all I got I guess. Riveting, I'm sure. I can't wait to get this word problem fixed. 73% there....

Later.

Effin' load of crap

I wrote out a blog from home on works (b/c I still don't have the word issue resolved) but everytime I try to paste it here it shuts down outlook. D'oh! What a pain in the beep!

So here's the skinny - since it's past 10:30 and I'm sitting on a street corner hacking into McD's wi-fi and I just want to go home....

I had a great interview with Kilena today. I also had an excellent chinese dinner - maybe the best I've ever had.

The end for now. I'm feeling antsy here - all of the Maltese BA's seem to be converging on this corner to head over to the "Flamingo" bar and I don't think it's wise for me to linger here on y own with a computer....may as well have a neon arrow pointed at me saying, "Which one of these is not like the other one?" Or something shorter and catchier....

More tomorrow.

Like MJ - I wanna be starting something

I woke to the sound of drilling today. Right below my window. Apparently there was some sort of work that needed to be done on the street in front of my apartment and today was the day. I took a picture and a video clip of the noise but I haven't loaded them yet. It made it tough to watch The Golden Girls with my coffee this morning but I struggled through!

I don't think I've posted yet on the cafe across the way from my window. I know it's in my fieldnotes and I kind of forget what I've said where. But anyway - there's a cafe across the way and it's normally run by these 2 younger dudes and is a lot more "traditional" in the sense that they don't seem to cater to the tourists they way the one below me does. They also don't care that the square is a shared space and they act like they own the whole square. Today they decided they didn't like the sound of the drilling (which was being done by a friend of theirs actually) and so they kept yelling over it and imitating the sound of the drill. They kept this up over the sound of the drilling AND the club music they pump from noon until 1 for at least 20 minutes. Eventually the guy drilling gave up and went for siesta while the dudes at the cafe settled into their 1pm Maltese SOAP OPERA that they couldn't hear because of the drill. hahaha - talk about machismo!

I had my interview with George today which went....well, it went. I'd forgotten that it takes him awhile to get comfortable with his English, relax and just answer questions without being concerned about what he sounds like. So by the time he loosened up, I was done. But the good news is that he gave me the contact information for one of the marble workers he uses for tombstones, and said he'd introduce me or that I could name-drop. He also told me he'd take me to the store where he sells coffins sometime next week. After a cappuccino and writing some notes about the interview I decided to put on my big girl pants and head back over to the religious artifact store.

It turns out that Mykelena (Kelena for short) is very friendly and was only too happy to talk to me. We talked for an hour about funerals, her store, her volunteer work, her son who carves statues for Festas who she wants me to meet, and a bunch of other things. After awhile my head was spinning with too many details so I asked her if I could come back tomorrow to talk with her some more. She said yes and said she'd talk to her son to see if he'll let me check out his studio while I'm here. I'd forgotten how friendly Gozitans are once you crack the outer surface. It made me feel so good to have taken the plunge and talked to her. Hopefully it will lead to other connections as well.

Crap - speaking of Connections - this place is closing. Better run.

I guess I look less like a tourist than I thought...

So no sooner did I post that last blog than a young female with her family came up to me and started speaking to me in Maltese. Ha! I had no idea what she wanted until I heard the word "internet" and discerned she wanted to use my computer. I responded in English so she code-switched to English and explained she's from Malta (the mainland) and is anxious about her exam grades. So she checked her gmail while her whole family hovered nervously over her shoulder. The exchange took about 5 minutes and afterward she asked, "I am obliged to you for something?" I told her not to worry about it, though if her whole family hadn't been there I would've asked her for an interview. Ah well.

Blocked at every turn

This morning I woke up by 9, early for me this week though I hope it'll become routine. I started my day off with some Nescafe (yes - instant coffee in the apartment is as good as it's going to get) and an episode or 2 of the Golden Girls, Season 2 (Thanks again to Kirk!) After another chapter of Herzfeld, I hit the pavement. This time in search of the reference library.

I sort of remembered where it was, and thankfully I chose the right back alley passageway from behind the apartment that led straight to it. The 3 dreadful dudes working there didn't seem very pleased with me though and were kind of rude about helping me. They have a periodicals room but it's a mess and half of it is in Maltese (Gah!) so I'll really need to know what I'm looking for before that's going to be of any use. They have these signs at the computers there reminding people that they are for research purposes only, so I wasn't able to check my facebook from there. It was blocked as a social networking sight. But then I tried to go to the website for St. George's church and it was blocked. The pop up said it was because "the government of Malta classifies this as a "religious" site." Crazy that the public library would block it when the country is 98% catholic...

I picked up some other essentials and stopped by Roma again on my way back to the apartment to thank the clerk there again for her advice. Lunch at the apartment, then a siesta (gotta love mandatory nap time - it's really pointless to be out and about when everything is closed) and then back out again.

I had every intention of hitting up the Religious artifacts store today to talk to the shop owner, and her sign said she'd be open again from 5-7 but alas - she was not. Then again, it seemed like there was something going on in town today (a LOT of traffic and parked cars on streets that normally don't have any) so maybe she was off doing something else. *sigh* Ah well, tomorrow is my interview with George so hopefully that will get me started.

So that was kind of boring. What else can I say....I bought a bottle of wine and a large bottle of water for 4.50Euro today. The cheap prices on the local stuff still just kills me, though disappointingly the cost of cappucinnos has gone up from the .80 - .90 that I remember to 1.00 - 1.35 depending on where you are. I'm at Cafe Cordina again and they are only 1.00 here. Yesterday the echo of children screaming in tiled McDonald's was driving me nuts. Today it's the smoke of the 3 tables surrounding me, though we're outside so I guess it shouldn't. The trade-off of sitting somewhere more "local" I guess. I'm suddenly reminded of Sean from last summers trip saying that it's always a good "in" to be a smoker when doing anthro work because you can always start a conversation by asking for a light. Not for me. I wonder if I can come up with a non-smoking alternative...Suggestions are welcome.

No not a Willy or a Sam...

Today I started re-reading Herzfeld's "The Body Impolitic" and it's taking on some new meanings for me now that I'm in the field, or maybe just hitting me right this time around. In any case, it was a muggy day my friends, and so I delayed leaving the apartment until the sun dropped behind the building, assuring me at least the cool of the evening was on the way.

I stopped at Roma, a place I'd been told I might be able to get my laundry done. It turns out they are only a dry cleaning pick up, and the woman behind the counter told me helpfully that the closest place is in a town about a 15 minute bus ride from here. Lovely. I told her my predicament, about how I don't have a tub and only 2 small sinks and she kindly recommended a neighboring vendor where I could buy some plastic tubs and a hanging rack. So 27.50Euro later, I think I'm all set to do my own laundry. Fun.

The delay caused by going back and forth from the shop to my apartment with the new purchases ended up being worthwhile, however, because as I came down the street who did I run into but Henry, my favorite wine shop owner from last summer. He saw me approach his car and so he caught out with a look on his face like "why do I know this girl?" So I said, "Henry! Did you get my Christmas card?" His face lit up and he said, "Yes, yes, I remember you!" He shook my hand firmly as I told him I've been checking the shop everyday but his doors are never open. He said his customer base has been low and asked if I was interested in some wine. I responded that of course I did and he gave me a conspiritorial wink and leaned in and said, "I've got some good wine" while making his hand into the "OK" sign that I took to mean "primo." I told him how long I'll be here and asked after his health and other generalities and he made sure to tell me that he'll definitely open up the shop so we can have some wine together. He picks up his son from the store in the street by my apartment everyday so I'm sure I'll see him again soon. I was elated.

My next problem is dealing with some microsoft office BS - I downloaded it from the work purchase program we have but apparently I did something wrong and I've actually only been using the 60 day trial period stuff. I'm locked in read-only mode until I activate it, which of course I'm not going to do because I already paid for it. Grrrr. It's been a pain in the arse trying to figure it all out while sitting here in the freezing cold of McD's. I figured that if I had to reboot anything, it'd be better to be somewhere with a strong connection, and this is the best around (so far.) Did you know Sweet and Sour Sauce is also known as "Salsa Agrodolce"?

We have lift off!

I spent the afternoon putting notes together, rewriting interview questions, testing the audio-recorder John lent me (I discovered mine was broke the night before I left) and just going over my general plan of attack. I finally left the apartment, determined to make some sort of progress on my first day and told myself that I couldn’t go to check my email or post to a blog unless I did SOMETHING worthwhile. So I popped into Joe’s Liquer Store to say hi (officially) but he wasn’t there. A bummer, but half-expected as it was around 5pm and he normally doesn’t work in the afternoon. Determined, I set off to see George at his carpenter/funeral shop. I even took the long way there so I could work out what I wanted to say and not look like a moron.

I turned the corner of his block and couldn’t tell if the door was open but I saw his beat-up green pick-up truck, so I knew he was around somewhere. I took a big gulp and turned into the open door and he was there. His back was to me, getting a tool off of the wall. He looked the same as the photo I took of him, except he was wearing a gray tank top instead of a blue one. He was working on a very large set of wooden doors, not unlike the ones on my own patio. I knocked and he turned around, half glancing over his shoulder, “Yes?” I said, “Hi George” and before I could re-introduce myself and give him my “You might remember me” speech he turned further, saw me, and I saw the wheels of recognition turn. “Aaah yes. Halo.” After some general niceties and inquiries I told him I was in town for a couple of months and would like to spend some time talking with him again. He gave me the same “sure, sure” with a nod and eyes downcast as I remembered from last time and was quick to tell me anytime was fine except tomorrow when he’s off and Wednesday when he’s in Malta. I suggested Thursday and asked if I should come to the shop or if I could buy him a coffee. He looked confused so I rephrased and said cappuccino – he said, “no, no” and seemed off put – I half expected this as well, as young women don’t really buy older men coffee here, but I wanted to ask as an attempt to get him out of the shop for questions. The last times we’d spoken it had been in his shop and though he was obliging, I always felt like I was interrupting his work. I backpedaled and told him I’d meet him in his shop on Thursday then. No time specified, but he never really worked that way before either – as long as I didn’t come during siesta he didn’t seem to care. I tried to ask him how his year had been but he didn’t really understand me. I retracked and said something about how it’s been a year since I saw him and his eyes recognized what I was saying, “Yes, almost exactly a year. It was around this time was it not?” He asked me if I’d been in town long, like a month and I told him just a week. Something in the way he asked me made me glad I had waited a week to talk to him, as if he would’ve been offended if I had jumped on him immediately on arrival. Maybe he doesn’t want me leaching onto him and wants to know I can make it here on my own? In any event – we parted ways with our appointment for Thursday and I felt that this deserved my internet and cappuccino.

Sitting here reviewing our conversation I’m reminded of the first time I met him through the local priest and the feeling of euphoric success I had, meeting up with my fellow students at Henry’s, then going to It-Tokk to go over our notes and share stories for the day. I feel like the wheels are in motion and I truly have lift-off!

Now, as an interesting aside, I came to the Duke for internet today – the connection is intermittent but I like this locale better than any place else. I was ordering my cappuccino and was struck by all of the oranges in the glass case that they use to make fresh squeezed OJ. I asked the French girl behind the counter (after we exchanged “ca va’s” since she now recognizes me) for an orange as well. I realized I haven’t had any fruit (other than the pear juice I’ve been drinking) since I got here and I was suddenly worried about my Vitamin C intake on top of the Calcium deficiency. Now unlike the milk, I trust the fruit here. I just haven’t stopped to buy any. So the girl looked at me like I was nuts – she’d never been asked for just an orange before. They had to consult with the manager on what to charge me for it. And then they told me that they’d sell it to me this time but they can’t do it everyday because the oranges are for the juice. She and the other girl at the counter were very apologetic and we were all laughing over the ordeal. Especially when the 2nd girl realized I wanted to eat it right away, which she thought was bizarre. She offered me a plate and a knife – you should’ve seen the look on her face when I told her I was going to peel it with my hands. She was aghast but in a funny way and I now think I’ve become something of a hit with these two ladies. I’m definitely going to come back here and see what other quirky magic I can work.

What a great day.

Cooking?

Yesterday was my first foray into shopping with the intent to cook. It was….scary. Keep in mind that I don’t really cook at home unless provoked. My Hobo Nachos and popcorn over the stove notwithstanding…I really just don’t do it. Not really interested. But here in Gozo…it’s kinda what they do. They aren’t exactly a pre-packaged people here. In fact, they are so good about cutting down on waste and excess that in order to have bags to buy your groceries you have to pay .30€. So, I know it’s only a matter of time before I have to cook SOMETHING, which will be a challenge. Cooking for one is not really that worthwhile in my book. So for this first time around, I stuck to the friendly(yet minimal) sections of pre-prepared goodness. Frozen pizza. I can do that. Pasta n’ a bag. I can do that. I got some peanut butter – they only have 1 kind – so that I can make some pb & j’s. I got some frozen, pre-made pot-pies. I can do those too. But I’m scared of everything else. And I’ll tell you this – the flavors are really what’s interesting. In the chip aisle you’ll see prawn flavor. Yes, that’s right. Prawn. Or tomato flavor (which makes me want to gag because it reminds me of the “ketchup flavor” potato chips my aunt found for my ketchup-lovin’ sister once) or get this – PAPRIKA flavor. Seriously. Paprika. I also found a couple of packages of what I assume are Malta’s version of “Ramen Noodles.” The other good (and bad) news is that I found the Doritos I loved in Ireland – they are called Chili Heatwave and I almost wish I hadn’t found them since it’s a goal to lose weight while I’m here, not stuff my face from morning until night with Doritos. And I’m not saying I did that in Ireland. But you can infer.

When I brought it all home it occurred to me that I’d never discussed the stove/oven with my landlord. As I waited for it to heat up I had a vague recollection of my Easy-Bake oven with the light bulb for a heater and wondered if I was going to end up getting sick. But, shock of all shocks, the oven heated up nicely without any plugs blowing or food starting on fire, and 10 minutes later I was eating a pretty decent prosciutto pizza (with the tomatos picked off of course – who has room for veggies?) I will say that I think I should be concerned for my lack of dairy here. Going from a solid 2 – 3 servings a day back home in various forms to nada here is really probably not good. I’ll have to request some calcium supplements from home. They do have milk here but…I just don’t trust it. I can’t be sure it comes from a cow to start with. They have quite a bit in the cheese department so I think I’m going to try to consume mass quantities in this area (cuz that’ll be tough). But I had a hankering for some yogurt today and the sparse collection in the “rice dairy” section just didn’t really pass muster. *sigh.* Good thing I DID find some Nesquick to flavor up any milk I do decide to swallow. Ahhh chocolatey goodness.

Today (Sunday) is my last day of my self-imposed vacation before I get started on “working” while I’m here. I updated my CV and I gotta tell you it is LAME. But you gotta start somewhere, right? I overheard a Scottish girl get a job washing dishes at It-Tokk Coffee Shop yesterday. She just walked right in and got the job starting last night. I’m hoping it’ll be that easy for me to walk into one of the museums and start immediately. Riiiiiigggght. Fingers crossed everyone.

Old faces in the same old places

Now this is much better. I'm sitting outside at the Cordina Cafe, just across the street from McDonald's. In fact, I'm still using their internet signal but don't have to relegate myself to going in. And, better still, there are public benches nearby so technically, in future I can just sit at one of those and blog away without buying anything anywhere! Bwa ha ha ha! I'm quickly developing a 2 cappuccino a day habit, as it's the cheapest thing you can get at these places (well, that and a pastizzi but I'm trying to stear clear of making that a habit!) The Cafe is located at the corner of Triq Ir-Repubblicka and the Pjazza President J.F. Kennedy. I like the the convergence of these two streets, especially with the McDonald's and the cafe juxtaposed. What I DON'T like is the constant beeping of a car across the way. This grandma is letting her two grandkids climb all over her while she waits for someone at the mall and they are just going to town on the horn. Over and over and over. I'd definitely rather hear those church bells.

Last night I walked over to the Citadel for the first time since my arrival. The last time I was here I didn't have the opportunity to check it out at night, and I got some decent photos. I had dinner at Cafe Antonin in the Square, right across from the movie theatre. What's playing in Gozo, you might wonder? Well, apparently Bruno, Ice Age 3, HP6, Transformers, and starting this weekend, The Hangover. Not bad. Dinner was good - Ravioli, wine and yes, a cappuccino. I ended up dining next to a man I can only describe as an Italian Hugh Jackman. I was okay with that.

I decided to head to Xlendi today for a swim after lunch at Coffee Break, a favorite stop from last summer where Wim and I had two of the largest cappuccinos you've ever seen. I saw the taxi driver that Vicky spent a lot of time with when we were here last, as well as everyone's favorite waitress who once told me that the cemetery was a quick 10 minute walk from the restaurant. (LIES!!!!!) Waiting for the bus to Xlendi was surreal after having done it just about everyday for 3 weeks straight last time around. Of course, then I was usually taking it home for the night, not for an afternoon of fun. Pulling into the town felt bizarre too, driving past the apartment Trish and I used to huff and puff our way to everyday. The same familiar faces were in all of the shops: Antoinette and the woman who runs the souvenir shop next door, the Englishman with his art gallery, and the scuba instructor I am sure Areyl would have a thing for (he's got a bit of a pirate thing going on with long dreaded hair, tats...you get the picture.) Weird that they would all seem so familiar to me, yet to them I was just another tourist getting off the bus.

I spent the afternoon laying out on the rocks and dipping into the water when I got too hot. Don't worry Lori - I made sure to only jump in when there were other people there in case I needed to be saved from a jellyfish. I brought my ishuffle with me, and was soothed by Otis Redding over the sound of the waves and the varied accents of the other sunbathers. Ahhhh - bliss. This German family was near me and the mother kept holding up her swimsuit wrap and letting it flow in the breeze. I could just hear Wim sitting next to me saying, "We get it lady, you can make your wrap blow. Get over yourself." Ha.

I stopped at one of the take-away stands to get a slushie and when I ordered a large, the girl at the counter said, "you're American, aren't you?" And when I said, "yes, why?" She responded, "because Americans like everything large." Dang girl - call me out! She went on to explain that she has American cousins and that when they come to visit they always complain about European portion sizes. I agreed but said that in my defense, it was a hot day out! She then apologized and said she hoped she didn't sound racist. Interesting. This pic is actually one from last year - I haven't loaded the ones from Xlendi today yet. I finished off my visit with a stop at the Gelateria Granola for a scoop of Tiramisu and spent the next hour reading "The Shadow of the Wind." My Gozo friends will appreciate this: While I was waiting for the bus back, our old pal Joey, the annoying taxi driver, was there trying to pimp out rides. He asked me twice whether I was going to Marsalforn and looked at me like he'd never seen me before the second time. He finally conned a couple into a ride and stopped annoying the rest of us. I can't believe he still does that everyday. That's gotta get real old. Why would I pay 2Euro to go somewhere the bus will take me for .50 when it's only an 8 minute ride?

Not sure what else is "on the agenda" for the rest of the weekend, as my mom used to say. I will, of course, keep ya posted.

Jet Lag? I'd rather have Jet Li.

Jet lag hit me hard yesterday. Or I think it did anyway. I’ve only ever been on one trip that caused jet lag, and it was the last time I was here. I was so tired on arrival that I just slept on through the day last time. This time around, I found myself yawning a TON at the grocery store yesterday. To the point that a woman in line behind me said, “Someone is tired.” I purchased some necessities (Carlsberg, Nutella, garbage bags, toilet paper, new bread, water, soda) and decided to go home for a nap despite the fact that it was 5:30, well past siesta time and I hadn’t really eaten all day. (A granola bar and a cappuccino don’t really count). I woke up wide awake at 11pm. So much for a nap. And of course, there’s nothing going on in town mid-week at 11pm. So I pulled out a 100 calorie snack pack and some toast and settled in to watch “Penelope.” I hadn’t seen it before – it was pretty cute. That got me to 1am so I laid back down. At 2:20 I was still wide awake. So I put in one of my favorites, “Big Fish.” This got me to 4:45 a.m. I laid down again and finally fell asleep again at 5:30.

The next thing I knew it was 1p.m. and it was a real wrench to force myself out of bed. I figured though that by the time I got going, I could miss the crowds at the mall (b/c of siesta), buy some pants, find another spot for internet, and be back well before dinner time. And that’s what’s up now. I’m sitting at a McDonald’s (of all places) with a great connection. I really hope I find another spot because I am NOT going to spend everyday in Malta at a McDonald’s for cryin’ out loud. I did buy some pants (cuz I’m sure you’re all keeping track), the kind you can fold into shorts. They are really popular here and now I can see why. Between the clouds and the rain I can’t believe how different the weather has been from the last time I was here since my arrival. One of the taxi drivers told me that he thinks we’ll have another 2 weeks of hot though before it cools down for good. I just hope it’s hot when Wim gets here in 2 weeks because we were planning to spend a ton of time on the beach.

So since none of that was interesting, what else can I say today? I live across the courtyard from a closed down store called “Beaver Fashions” – that’s comedy on its own. Last night the drunken Germans who live above me started a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” at midnight. It made me feel less guilty for watching a movie so late since they were clearly awake and not being bothered by it. Oh and Sue will love this – the bells at St. George’s? Yeah – they ring ALLLLLL through the night. And I haven’t figured out the rhyme or reason to it either. Sometimes there’s a lot of ringing at a quarter of the hour. Definitely at 5:45 a.m. Maybe there’s a service that starts at 6 and it’s a wake-up call? I don’t know but since they are right outside my door it kind of reminds me of home. Hopefully, like the ones at home, they’ll fade into the background and I won’t notice them anymore.

Real exciting stuff, I know. But hey, that’s jet lag for ya. Or at least…I think that’s what it was. That’s my story anyway.

Making connections

I finished off my evening last night with dinner at It-Tokk, my favorite coffee shop in town. Spaghetti Bolognese and a glass of red wine followed by a cappuccino. I picked up a bottle of Green Label white wine, my favorite from last time I was here, and spent the rest of the evening reading on my patio. I crashed around 10 p.m. but was wide awake at 2 a.m. and spent 3 hours reading before trying to fall back to sleep. Of course, it seemed this didn’t happen until about a half hour before I was supposed to wake up. Isn’t that how it works?

Ted was right on time to meet me at 11 and walk me to the realty office. It’s overcast and rainy today which threw me off completely. I had pulled out shorts and then thought better of it. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to invest in more pants. At the realty office I got to meet Tonio’s wife, Clarissa, who was also very friendly and made sure to repeat that if I needed anything I shouldn’t hesitate to call. Ted was kind enough to walk me back a different route to show me where I might be able to get internet access and have my laundry done. The laundry center has apparently closed though, and is only doing it via pickup/delivery. I think I’m okay with that. I don’t have a bathtub this time so the alternative is washing everything in a very, very small sink. Nah.

I’m sitting at “The Duke” – a new mall halfway to Arcadia (the other mall) that supposedly is a free wifi spot, though I can’t get a connection. Come to think of it, this café is called “connection” and advertises the wifi all over the place but I’m the only one here with a computer. Everyone else looks like locals who could care less. Lots of families eating lunch. I’ve yet to figure out what everyone here is doing in the middle of the day. Is everyone on vaca? Does no one work? I asked Ted what he did for a living and it turns out he owns the art gallery we saw a show at last summer. He also owns and rents out the Organika store as well as the two properties in my building. He’s retired now and spends his days taking his 1 year old (his kid? His grandkid?) to Xlendi for a swim everyday at 10 – weather permitting. It’s supposed to rain all through today and tomorrow. I guess I’ll spend it trying to figure out the best place for a connection and reading over some notes. Aaaah – a connection at last! I guess I’ll quickly log on and post some things while I can!

I've arrived!

For all of the stress and anxiety that built up prior to my trip, the travel itself was highly uneventful – smooth sailing in fact. My friend Dave was kind enough to drop me at O’Hare, and even the traffic was a non-issue. We arrived a full half hour prior to the time I had hoped to and from the second we parted ways everything went according to plan. I boarded the plane for London without any delays and had a very enjoyable flight owing to my good Samaritan ways. A woman I was seated next to wanted to sit with her daughter. After some finagling they moved me to Economy Plus (more leg room for my lengthy 5’2” frame) and gave me a complimentary glass of wine for my troubles. Arrival in London also went swimmingly and, oddly, the 5 hour layover just flew by. (Largely owing to the book I’m reading called “In the Woods” by Tara French. Air Malta also departed on time, and we landed as scheduled in Valetta. The moment we all were waiting for – the passport inspection – went by without a hitch. The visa they gave me doesn’t even indicate a departure date so gone were my worries about getting kicked out of the country immediately on arrival.

From there, I picked up all of my luggage – all pieces arrived in safe condition which I was convinced wouldn’t happen as I’ve not lost luggage yet and statistically speaking, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. I navigated my way to the taxi stand where an eager driver took me immediately and I was reminded just how friendly the Gozitans are. I settled into the taxi for the 45 minute drive to the ferry and felt completely at ease with the familiar landscape of limestone, pleasantly surprised to see the area more green than the last time I left it, owing to the later date in the summer and some of the rains they’ve had. I made it to the ferry just as one was arriving, loaded all of my bags on board and bought my first beverage in Malta – a Cisk beer. Aaaahhh – nothing like it. It conjured up memories from last year on the baruf with my Anthro friends and it suddenly occurred to me that I was sitting in the same spot I had sat with Vicky, Marjan and Wim on our return trip from Gozo. Instead of making me sad, it filled me with a kind of confidence and warmth and I was grateful for the memory. I called Tonio, the realtor, and we made arrangements to meet in St. George’s Square. Just another quick taxi ride through Gozo to Valetta from another very nice taxi driver, and I was here at last.

I met Tonio as well as Ted, the owner of the property. Tonio is younger, probably in his mid/late twenties and Ted is probably in his late 50’s though it’s hard to tell with the way the sun damages the skin here. They were both very very welcoming and friendly and made sure I had both of their phone numbers in case I needed anything. Ted made sure to ask me several times if I liked the place, as if he was looking for my validation. He also told me that I could call him anytime day or night if I needed anything. He was kind enough to stock the fridge with some necessities – water, milk, bread, jam, fruit which was a relief as today is a local holiday and most of the shops for supplies like that are closed. We made arrangements to meet tomorrow at 11am and go over to the leasing office to go over the contract for the apartment. I unpacked, tested the apartment for wireless (nada – also, my phone does NOT get a connection afterall) and am going to shower before heading out in search of my first Pastizzi before the rest of the shops close for the night. It’s about 6pm here and it’s going to take me awhile to get into the swing of what shops are open during what times, especially since the holiday season is waning and the island will not surely cater to some of their tourist-friendly hours for long.

Oh, I almost forgot – my apartment is exactly where I thought it would be – just above Joe’s cigarette shop and this organic store that I loved the last time I was there. It’s only one flight up so not too tedious and the view is perfect, overlooking St. George’s square and the entrance to St. George’s church. It’s practically ground zero for watching funeral processions! Wahoo!