Expat Interview

ExpatInterviews.com has published an interview with Gozo based German writer Sabine Cassar-Alpert who was a guest blogger on this blog last September . In this excerpt Sabine gives some advice about living in Malta:

Malta is European. It is not as exotic as you might think during a first visit; its people have the same or similar problems, joys and sentiments as you and I have. If you have decided to move here chances are that you’ve got to know the country and some of its people already. Personally, I have always made it a point to be myself, i. e. not to pretend that I’m better or worse than anyone else, and I have had little problems that way.

You will be confronted with people who don’t appreciate too much openness. And you’ll certainly meet those who don’t wear their hearts on their sleeve. Over the years my experience has taught me that the above mentioned reputation for being friendly and welcoming sometimes prevents locals from saying what they really think. So, while the vast majority actually is as friendly as they appear to be, it can be difficult at times to recognise a less well-meaning person.

If you are preparing to relocate to Malta, try to gather as much information as you possibly can beforehand. It will make things much easier for you once you are here. In case of European laws and rules, although Malta has been a member of the EU for over 3 years, you might meet many a civil servant who has not quite accustomed him/ herself yet with the rights you have!

One last, important word… There is a huge difference between falling in love with a country while on holiday and living there permanently! Malta in particular might strike you with its laid-back attitude, where there is no worry in the world. As a matter of fact, Gozo is famous as “the island where time stood still!” The said laid-back lifestyle will come back to haunt you when you try to get things done. Whether it’s the kitchen you’ve been promised by your carpenter for “next week” or the repair of your car, which the mechanic has advised you would be finished “tomorrow” – make sure you calculate a lot of ‘buffer time’ when planning things, because “tomorrow” (in Maltese: g]ada) has very similar connotations as the Spanish mañana (and you’d be forgiven for thinking that tomorrow never comes…)