Erasmus in Malta

Erasmus is gaining momentum or a month here

It's hard to believe that I've already spent a month in my paradise, Malta, time flies so fast, it seems like I've only recently arrived here and gotten used to a life that resembles a vacation. Now, like a true Maltese woman, I stop the bus, and I also scold the irresponsible driver if I splash on the floor again when he brakes suddenly (it's a good thing that my parents insured me before leaving). I feel like a true island resident when I go to the store and know which products are better, which are cheaper, which are tastier. And my smile doesn't leave me even when it rains for the 5th day in a row. The weather in Lithuania is probably better now than here, because it's been like this for the second week, and the Maltese themselves are surprised by such cold weather and, like me, are impatiently waiting for warmth. I could talk about the weather in Malta for hours, but I'll try to briefly describe what a typical day is like: in the morning I wake up to the sound of thunder and heavy rain, the streets are covered in puddles, and drivers start to drive more responsibly and more slowly, then in the afternoon the sun comes out and it gets too hot to sit around in a warm sweater, it seems like the day can't get any worse, and then in the evening the wind picks up and walking straight becomes impossible. And so it goes every day. That's the Maltese winter.

Are we playing university or something else?

The lectures have already gained momentum, at first it was difficult to sit for several hours without breaks and try to understand everything in another language, but now I'm used to it and time passes quickly, of course I still have difficulties with English, I don't understand everything, but Google Translate helps when needed, but psychology is definitely not easy to understand. Although everything at university has to be taught in English, there are also such curiosities when the lecturer starts giving a lecture in Maltese, then I timidly raise my hand and say: "I Erasmus student, I don't understand Maltese". The reactions from the group members are varied, some are silent and stare as if I were from Mars, others talk and ask where that is Lithuania. The students here are nice and friendly, although I heard that other "Erasmus" are not happy with local students, that they only pretend to be like that. Well, so far I have only met friendly and cheerful people who immediately offered to help if needed. I recently talked to a Maltese woman about our universities, we tried to compare them, for example, they do not have midterm exams, only an exam, well, sometimes some teamwork. Here, every student receives a scholarship just for choosing to study at the university, the scholarship amount is 120 euros, well, not bad, I would say. I also noticed that in Malta all 97% students have apple computers, iphone and iPad, they are like obsessed with this brand if they don't have something from it apple, you are either very poor or Erasmus.

Let's go on a trip or when you have nothing to do

Since I only have 5 lectures a week, I have a lot of free time, which I spend traveling around the country. Malta is a beautiful, albeit small island, but the bus trip can take several hours. I can't say that I have traveled the whole country, no, there is still a lot to see, but on the other hand, I have four months - I will definitely manage. However, I have already visited the capital, Valletta, which is truly wonderful and very peaceful, and the buildings and churches are impressively beautiful. When you reach the beautiful garden, you can see the harbor and Three cities (these are ancient cities that have survived from the Middle Ages, where you can find ancient drawings on the walls while walking). The last time I visited Valletta, I fell right into the whirlpool of the big carnival. Most of the participants were dressed up, a princess and pirates were running around. For children, carnival is a huge celebration, parents buy the costumes they want, their wishes are fulfilled, they don't have to go to school, well, just paradise. Another city that I have visited many times and intend to do so many more times is Mdina, the old capital of Malta, also known as the Silent City. When you enter, you are greeted by complete silence and peace, the richest people in Malta live here, who value privacy and peace. Mdina attracts tourists not only because of all this, but also because of the ancient streets and the panorama opening from the fortifications. There is also a cute, old cafe hidden in this town - Fontanelle, I heard about this place while I was still in Lithuania and I promised myself that I would definitely visit it. It is truly amazing, and the famous Fontanelles cakes make you forget about diets and extra pounds. Imagine you are sitting in an ancient cafe built on ruins, drinking hot chocolate and enjoying a traditional Fontanelles cake Banoffee (shortcrust pastry covered with caramel and banana cream with a chocolate topping), and the entire night panorama of Malta is before your eyes. Another place worth noting is Golden Bay and Ghaju Tuffieha beaches that are next to each other, but are as different as day and night: one of them is wild and loved by locals, the other is popular with tourists. They differ from our usual beaches because they are surrounded by steep hills, on which you can sunbathe and even have a picnic! I myself sat on the edge of a cliff, under my feet - the rocky sea, and before my eyes - the immeasurable power of water. The feeling is especially strange, it seems that you are on the edge of the world, there is nothing else, but the fear of slipping brings you back to reality.

Time is ticking or what else did I learn?

The second month in Malta is already halfway through, studies are getting serious, the weather has started to improve, and I continue to live my dream. It seems like I could start babbling about how I don't like this or that, but who cares, you don't even want to swear here, everyone is happy and you get infected with that happiness. Only the longing for home and friends sometimes comes, but that's what it's for Skype and other means. The cultural shock has already passed, although Malta is indeed a European country, but it is a southern island and there are a lot of black people here, for whom Malta is a stopover on the way to Europe, you get a permit and can travel around the European Union. Also, if you want to become a citizen of this country and get citizenship, you can buy it for 600 euros. No exams, you don't even need to know the language. As I mentioned before, they really live a very relaxed life. Well, I have my first Easter outside of Lithuania, a family visit and two real Maltese weddings ahead of me.

AUTHOR: Gabriele Stasiūnaitė