Day eight, Saint Paul

One of the most important religious celebrations in Malta is Saint Paul. It is believed that Saint Paul during his voyage to Roma survived a shipwreck and stayed in Malta for a few months. Maltese are very religious people, and Saint Paul is the one who brought the Christianity to Malta.
I’ll share some pictures from the celebration in Valletta.

Day six, the orientation day

Today a Bus (organized by KSU student organization from the University) came for us at the residence at 8:15 to take us to the university in time for the orientation session starting at 9. The international office staff held about two hours of speech in which they covered the following arguments:

• Welcoming speech
• Malta and the meaning of Erasmus
• Documentation and bureaucracy
• Language schools
• Student organizations presentation
• Campus tour

But the most emphasized speech was about hot to NOT get arrested.
They told us a list of things that are illegal in Malta, such as drugs, fights, drinking on the streets, ... abort and the day after pill.

The bureaucracy is very intricate, because you have to fuse the Maltese and home faculty requirements and find a way to get all things done in many different deadlines. But all was well explained to us and they seem to be very forthcoming to solve any kind of problem.

After the presentation, they gave us a lot of useful brochures from Malta and also a FREE Vodafone SIM card, with 2€ credit inside and FREE internet connection for a week! So I bought my one few days before for nothing!
This was a great chance to know other Erasmus students and to exchange some useful information about facilities and accommodations.
University residence: a lot of students per apartment (4-6), free Wi-Fi, free pool, a lot of in-room parties, far from Valletta, sea, Paceville, free shuttle to university
Garden View: less students per app (2-3), free pool, 20 minutes 30 minutes walking to the university, 15 from Paceville, less students (30-40), better furniture.
Private app: It is harder to find other Erasmus students for the first days, but you stay more in contact with Maltese people.

Yesterday and today was shiny, so I and some friends of mine had launch in my residence room terrace, wearing t-shirts and short pants, under the hot sun with view on the pool. I had taken no pictures, because if my friends from Trieste see them, they won’t speak with me for a while (Here is 6-7 degrees hotter that in North Italy)...

Day three

Preface: When I was preparing my first Erasmus documents, almost a year ago, and my first choice was the UK and the second was Malta.

Yesterday I was speaking with a friend of mine who is terminating his Erasmus in UK, I was recounting the feeling in those Maltese old buses when he said: "Here we have wonderful buses, but by seeing your photos of places built for the summer and shadowed by the mild winter, this UK very efficient buses does not mean very much."

There's some kind of warm feeling which no money can pay.

Unfortunately this is not the feeling you have when you walk along the streets, where there’s no sidewalk and the crazy Maltese drivers are zooming nearby...

All in all, now I would never change with a UK destination.

It's Saturday evening and I've been a quick tour to Paceville. Unfortunately this evening I'm not feeling very good, so I went back very quickly. 90% of all the young people from Malta, right now are stocked in a 300m long street with a bar/pub/night club every 10 m. The residence is deserted.

Today I waked up late, and washed all my dishes, even those unused in the dresser, because I noticed that they were not very well cleaned from last residents. The coffee machine at the entrance has better coffee than the one at the bar nearby. But if you want a really good one you need to go to the illy coffee bar at San George's bay.

I asked at the Vodafone store how could I know how muck MBs are left from my internet connection plan. They told me that there's no way to know without coming back asking at the store. So I've blown out 150 MB out of 250 in just two days (Facebook, Skype, mail, blog, no music and no videos).

There are some other shots from Sant Julian’s bay

Day two, the University

It's midnight, there's a party going on in a room down the corridor. I don't know anybody from there, they're very loud. I think there's somebody who is leaving his stay at Malta and is making a final party.

But returning to the day 2, this morning I had started my way to the university at 9. I have nothing to do there yet, but I want to know how it looks like. The way to there is very narrow and without a real sidewalk. There's a picture:

The short path is about 20 minutes of walking, maybe something less. Fortunately I meet a girl on the road making my same path who showed me the way. I would hardly found that way on my own.
The university campus is not very big, but has his own charm.

Engineering building

ICT building

Economics building

I had easily found the building of ICT, following the campus maps spread around the campus. There were exams going on, so agreeing to the clear cartel on the entrance, I preferred not to disturb.

For case I found the canteen, where thankfully to a nice and crazy canteen-worker (Rita) I meet some Maltese students enrolled at the faculty of ICT (Andre, Darryl and Charlene).

They were very kind not only to answer all my questions, but even to take me to Valletta and show me the beauty where they leave in. They told me some basics about Maltese culture, tradition, history and politics. Big + for hospitality.

Thankfully to them, the public transport of Malta for me is beginning to have a sense. There is one square, at the entrance of Valletta, from which starts all the buses through the island. You can get a bus map and timetable from any tourist information office and it's quite useful.
The buses are old, but each one has his own spirit. Everyone is different, cared by his owner and driver. The one I took had no door, and the stop "button" is made with a clothesline cable taut under the roof all the way through the bus, so when you pull it, it makes a sound to the driver like the one from baby duck-toys.

Bus driver

Stop "button"

Another detail from the bus; I had to take the 64 to came back at the Garden View, but on the left side of the bus was written the number 62 and in front was written the number 64. So care only about the number in the front, because the two often don't match.

Day one, first look at Malta

It's 16 o'clock and my PC is finally plugged in an electric plug. I've hacked the UK plug and inserted the small 2-pins plug in there. It's a rainy day, the wind is blowing strong but despite the season it is not very cold, like it used to be in Trieste two days ago. Today I encountered the kind staff of the GardenView, which gently advised me that I have to pay the first 8 weeks of my stay here, that's a 680€ shot. I wonted to pay with a bankcard or credit card but in this case they take 5% of the transaction, so I decided to pay cash in two times, the first at the moment and then the second part as I get to an ATM. I've eaten the breakfast in the adjacent bar, 3 m away. The coffee is non good as the Italian one, but far better than the UK's coffee I've tried months ago.
Then I've been to the supermarket round the corner, I've never seen so much stuff in such a small place. The market is well stocked and a bit more expensive than on mainland, but there are no big differences in prices.
After buying the essentials like water, soaps, pasta and some tuna I've returned to the app to unpack my case.
The stuff gave me a map of the local area and another for a wider section, all to Paceville and the University. Than they kindly explained me where to find a shopping center and a mobile operator shop. So I've walked the way down to the coast with my camera and visited the nearby area.
Here are some pictures:

I won't write about Malta yet because I want to see a little more first. First impression: Kind people, Plain roofs everywhere, Esthetically very beautiful place, public transport not very efficient.
I've chosen Vodafone because they offer a plan with Internet connection far cheaper than Go. So I've purchased a SIM card and activated a 3€ per week Internet connection with 250Mb traffic included.
Today the weather was not of the bests, so I've resent the visit at the University to tomorrow.

Day zero, The Arrival

It's 1 o'clock in the morning and I've just arrived at the apart-hotel Garden View.
My PC is running on battery because Malta, as UK, has only Uk current plugs.
The plane has landed on time at 23:45 at the Mt airport, than I've taken a shuttle to bring me to the Hotel in Swequi. I've payed 8€, the taxi driver was offering me a ride for 20€, but I think I could treat down to 7 if I hadn't already payed the shuttle ticket. As in UK the driver sits on the right and the passenger on the left, so I got surprised by seeing the wheel on the right side. I was very thirsty when I arrived at the hotel, so at first I've drunk a glass of water. The taste was horrible. A flashback reminded me that Malta does desalinization from sea water to get drinking water, it has the same taste as sea water, only without the salt.
The apartment is not luxurious, but for students is quite well. My room is a single, but has two beds placed in a 2x2.5 m room. The furniture are old, but functional. I have no desk, no soap, no drinks, no food, no washing-up liquid.
I have instead a wonderful view on the outdoor pool from the living room terrace and window, and a well-equipped kitchen.

Introduction

This is a blog intended to give some useful information to perspective Erasmus students in Malta.
I will stay in Malta from 2 February all to 30th of June and I'll attend 4 courses at the faculty of ICT.
I aplogize for my english, I hope it will gradually improve during this semester.