Originally published: August 2017
Note: I wrote another article about Malta in 2022, sharing my latest views and feelings about the situation there.
A few years ago I decided to leave my home country and try my luck abroad. This wasn’t a spontaneous decision at all, rather it was the result of many years during which my disillusion and frustration with Malta had been growing and growing until I felt I had to take action or I would fall into a very negative perpetual state of mind.
Of course, I have many friends and dear family back in Malta, but honestly, I don’t miss living there. I make it a point to visit at least once a year and I usually have a good time catching up with friends and spending time with my family, but I don’t feel like I would like to go back and live there.
As you can imagine, several friends and family members ask me why this is so. I’ve finally found some time to really list the reasons for my moving away from Malta and why I don’t feel as comfortable living there as I do in other places.
While this post will be very honest, I’m afraid that some readers will find it too negative or downright offensive. Please keep in mind that is an honest outpouring of my thoughts and feelings and is no way meant to attack anyone or show any lack of appreciation. I did grow up in Malta and received many good things, I was blessed with a great family and a good education and also had lots of great experiences. However, as I grew older I started to feel that this was not the place where I wanted to spend the rest of my life in, and this is an attempt to describe why.
Malta is described in propaganda as being an idyllic “paradise on earth” island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Surely life is incredibly good over there! Not to mention it’s a tax haven!
First of all, Malta is no tax haven if you’re Maltese. There are a few schemes designed to attract business and executives from abroad. These schemes have been widely used and abused, and that’s where the reputation for being a tax haven is coming from. The island is also famous for housing a great number of online gambling companies. These companies came to Malta due to the fiscal and regulatory incentives and they are by and large doing extremely well.
Online gambling is not something that interests me and in general, I don’t like the vibe that they have about them. I’m sure many Maltese will disagree with me on this, but this is my view on the topic. The gambling companies pay very well and usually provide attractive offices and perks to their employees. Due to them, property prices in the Sliema and St Julian’s area have risen to incredible levels (many would agree that it’s bubble stage already). A whole financial services industry has grown to support these companies.
The downside? Apart from the moral doubts of working at these companies or even incentivizing them to move to Malta, I see a lot of dependence on them. If another country were to offer better regulations and tax incentives, it is likely that many of these companies would leave, as they don’t have any significant ties with Malta. They are merely using the country. In the eventuality of them leaving, we will see serious repercussions on property prices and the financial services industry. Whether this situation ever plays out is anyone’s guess, but it’s definitely something that has always bothered me.
Now I don’t mean to turn this into an attack on gambling companies. They do well to seek out the best environment for them to operate so I don’t blame them for anything. I certainly didn’t leave Malta because of this, so let’s explore some other more important reasons for me leaving.
If I were to describe Malta in one word, it would be frustrating. There is no doubt that islands are (were?) blessed with natural beauty, great weather and beautiful sea. I think the small size of the islands is, however, a big problem for people like me. It is clear that you can find idiots in every country, but in bigger countries, you can mostly keep away from them. You can frequent different places, live in different areas, and generally live amongst people that you like. Not so in Malta, every time you step outside of your door you are bound to experience some kind of ignorance, be it illegal construction, irresponsible driving, and unprofessional behavior. There is no deeply ingrained culture of doing things the right way. Rather it’s more of a “whatever, if it barely works then it’s good enough”.
I acknowledge that I have trouble really describing what it is that frustrates me and pains me so much about living in Malta. I also know that most Maltese genuinely love living in Malta, and whenever I have tried to speak out against the way things are done, the usual reaction is to try and shut me up and tell me that things aren’t so bad.
I inevitably realized that there was no way I’m going to change the culture of a country. One of the best pieces of advice was given to me by a Bulgarian builder in Malta. In one of my moments of frustration, the builder, who was fixing some stuff in our office, overheard me complain about things in Malta. He calmly came up to me and told me “my friend, if you don’t like the menu, change the restaurant”. It was a seemingly joking and simple comment, but it rang so true for me that that was the moment that I decided to leave for good, and sure enough, two months later I left.
Living in Malta, at least as a local, involves sustaining yourself (whether you want it or not) on a constant stream of local news. You can’t escape the latest political mess, and the smallest incidence can make front-page news. It is really an environment that discourages you to think big and expand your mental horizons. For many years I found it very stifling and I harbored a lot of internal anxiety, frustration, and anger due to this situation over which I had little control.
Since moving abroad, all these effects instantly disappeared and I finally felt free to be what I really want to be and rapidly increase my knowledge in the areas that interest me, such as investing.
They say that a person is the sum of the other people that are closest to him. In Malta, I always struggled to surround myself with people who would constantly inspire me and drive me to become a better person. Due to the small island mentality, there seems to be a lot of jealousy and people try to keep you in line. You’re best just being an average Joe behaving like everyone else if you want to live a good life there. Do something significantly different than the rest and you’re going to have a very difficult time indeed.
But come on Jean, you might say, what about the lovely “best in the world” weather that Malta is blessed with? Well yes, Malta does indeed have very hot summers and mild wet winters. The problem is that the vast majority of houses have zero insulation and in the winter months you can feel really uncomfortable due to the insane levels of humidity and cold inside. Although I always felt bad during the winters, reality really struck during my first experience of winter in the UK, when I realized that I was much happier in winter there than I had ever been in Malta. Like many other countries, buildings there are well insulated and have good heating, so you can stay in your flip-flops and shorts inside in winter. In Malta, I would be wearing jackets, long johns and a beanie and I’d still be uncomfortably cold.
One other big pain point: the roads. Malta’s road surfaces are among the worst in Europe and are more befitting of a third-world country than a country that presents itself as being a hub of innovation and being on par with its European counterparts. I once tried taking my Brompton bike to Malta to cycle around during our holiday but ended up walking back home after 200 meters. There are way too many potholes, bumps, and uneven road surfaces to be able to ride a bike like that comfortably without damaging it. Not to mention the challenge of staying alive when riding a bike in Malta.
Some of my friends have been severely injured due to irresponsible driving or bad road surfaces, and one of them even died by the roadside after being run over by a youngster driving without a license. I won’t even get started on the Maltese judiciary, but I’ll just mention that after eight years this man has not been sentenced yet. See here and here for more great examples of Maltese incompetency where justice is concerned.
A related aspect is the lack of good pavements. Unfortunately, Malta is not a walkable place at all. We grow up getting accustomed to getting out of our houses and into the car to get whisked to wherever we need to be. This leads to people exercising less and the resulting obesity issues. Malta has the highest child obesity rate in Europe, and Maltese adults are the second most obese in Europe. This fact is evident to me whenever I land in Malta and have a look around. I believe the walkability issue is a significant contributor to the problem. Owning a car is almost a necessity and gives you the independence to go wherever you want, while public transport is of average quality and mostly consists of buses and taxes (an underground metro system would be a game changer). Of course, we can all see with our own eyes that traffic has increased exponentially during the past twenty years, to the point that you are now guaranteed to get stuck in a traffic jam every time you go for a drive, at any time except during the night. Given that in general people tend to keep their cars far longer than the European average, we have a lot of pollution from vehicles and that affects everyone’s health.
Moreover, Maltese people in general tend to overeat, with typically huge portions being served in families, while fast food has gained in popularity. The famous mediterranean diet is not really present in Malta, instead people tend to consume large quantities of bread, junk food and pasta. Kids are given sweets abundantly. This is coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and other bad habits like smoking and alcohol consumption, and you get the resulting obesity situation. A visit to the country’s main hospital will also give a clear indication to where all this is leading to, with crowded waiting rooms filled with people who could clearly used a better diet instead of being given more pills.
Back to the lack of paving. In other countries, I got used to walking a lot, but in Malta it’s impossible to run any errands on foot except if you’re going around the corner from your house. Pavements seem to be an afterthought and come in all shapes and sizes. Some are tiled, some have rough surfaces, some are super narrow etc. What this also means is that we have a big problem with accessibility. One of the main highlights of my trips to Malta is spending time with my 93-year-old grandma, and I would love to be able to take her out for a walk while we chat about our lives. Alas, it’s pretty much impossible given the state of the pavements and the very close proximity of cars and trucks belching out fumes.
Lastly, let’s come back to the idyllic island thing one more time. During the past thirty years, there has been way too much indiscriminate development. Many ugly buildings were built and a good part of them were built in areas that were meant to remain in their natural state. The result is an overexploited island where very few green areas remain. As a kid, I used to go out and play soccer with my friends in the fields nearby. This was commonplace wherever you lived in Malta. Nowadays there is no chance that kids would be able to do that.
A Times of Malta showing illustrating over development in Sliema and St. Julian’s.
Everything’s been built up, and as I said, it’s been one huge land rush with developers making big money while they exploited every inch of the island. Of course, this constant development has also brought with it a lot of air and noise pollution, apart from visual eyesores. We are now seeing an increasingly high rate of respiratory diseases, and frequent complaints about noise due to construction. Gozo, the other island, is currently at a very nice balance between nature and man-made buildings, but I’m afraid that the developers will turn their greedy eyes there next.
Over exploitation (umbrella rentals) of one Malta’s iconic spots – Blue Lagoon
How about the famous Smart City? Rather than attracting all the big IT companies and making Malta another silicon valley, as was originally promised, it’s been sitting there mostly empty. Moreover, it seems likely that it will soon be turned into another luxury apartment complex. This land had been given to the Smart City developers on the condition that it will be used for ICT purposes, but it seems that the new fashion is to completely disregard such contracts. Real estate agents are already selling apartments on plan even though it is still technically an IT office center and there are absolutely no building plans in place to turn it into an apartment complex. Something similar happened just last year with the former ITS complex in Pembroke. Such free-for-all practices are very common when it comes to building and development.
It’s not only big developers who are the problem though. Many individuals have also constructed illegally while the authorities have turned a blind eye. There is a whole village of illegal properties in Armier bay, and no political party has done anything to remove them over many years.
Armier bay illegal construction.
To make matters worse, much of the remaining countryside is taken up by hunters who occupy whole swaths of land. Yes, in Malta bird hunting is a very popular pastime, and incredibly just a few years ago a referendum to ban this barbaric practice in spring failed to get a majority backing. Any walk in the countryside is sure to be accompanied by the sounds of guns as the hunters try their best to blast every bird out of the sky.
A protected bird illegally shot down in Malta.
No wonder you will hardly see any birds in Malta. Illegal hunting is a widespread and serious problem, with poachers specifically targeting raptors (birds of prey) and Herons as well as rare migratory birds such as the Greater Flamingo, Black Stork and Eurasian Spoonbill, among others. Moreover, as I mentioned, hunters occupy a lot of public lands and block off access to hikers, mountain bikers and the regular folk who are out to enjoy a bit of countryside.
In line with the selfish nature so prevalent in Malta (a so-called Catholic country), we find the issue of smoking. Smoking was banned in enclosed public places and workplaces in Malta on July 1, 2004, with the implementation of the “Protection of Non-Smokers Health Regulations.” This ban was extended to include bars and restaurants in 2005, and in 2018, Malta introduced a comprehensive smoking ban that prohibited smoking in all public places, including outdoor areas like beaches and parks. The ban also prohibited smoking in private vehicles when children under the age of 18 are present. The implementation of the smoking ban in Malta has been enforced in restaurants and offices, which arguably already had arrangements for smokers before the ban, but it is a miserable failure when it comes to clubs and many bars. If you don’t believe me, go have a look for yourself, pick any club and you will most likely see the bouncers, DJ and other people in management smoking, so it is little wonder that patrons also feel at liberty to smoke. The ban in outdoor areas is another complete joke, again just visit any park and beach and see for yourself. As a health-conscious non-smoker, I find this to be another prime example of the selfishness and short-term thinking of the Maltese.
Sometimes people will challenge me by posing the question: “If Malta is so bad, why do so many foreigners fall in love with Malta and want to live here?”. I think that’s a very interesting question that merits delving into.
First of all, Malta is a very very unique place, for many reasons. It has a rich and varied history having been under the rule of several nations and cultures. Its size and geography is also unique, as is the fact that Maltese people have their own language. I can definitely see how these exotic qualities can be such a strong attraction for foreigners.
They would have never have experienced such an environment before, especially if they come from a big city/country where things are much more impersonal. Landing in Malta you tend to feel very welcome as people are very friendly and ready to help out, it feels like everybody treats you like family. This leads to foreigners saying hey, this is an awesome place to live in. Back home I’m just a number and nobody cares about anyone, but here everybody is so involved in each other’s lives, this is something special! I totally see why a foreigner would feel like this. I myself sometimes wish I were a foreigner so I could feel that way. If you don’t speak Maltese there is a better chance of insulating yourself from the daily gossip and mannerisms that end up getting on one’s nerves.
Here’s the thing though. While I acknowledge that some foreigners do move to Malta, love it and enjoy living there for many years, many others try the experience and leave after 3-4 years because they just can’t take the way things are done there. It’s one thing living a life of work-beach-party (Malta is the best place for that) and quite another when you decide to settle down, start dealing with the authorities, buy a house and try to get contractors to deliver quality work, etc etc.
People who are used to not having to struggle to get simple things done will start to get pissed off at how much time they’re spending dealing with seemingly innocuous tasks, and eventually end up leaving the island. Of course, the passage of time also amplifies the feeling of living in a very small place that acts like an echo chamber and innovation is stifled by the local way of life and culture, and that can also lead to one deciding to leave and live in a more open environment.
I guess I’ve written more than I meant to, the reality is that I really struggle to put my feelings into words, and that is why I don’t frequently share my thoughts on the subject. I prefer to focus on the positive things I have in my life rather than acting all pessimistic. My feelings about Malta at the end of the day are genuine sadness for what was once really an idyllic place that has been destroyed over the years. I would love to say that I hope to one day return, but I really can’t see how the culture can change and the harm due to construction undone.
P.S. While in this post I focused on the negative things about Malta that led me to leave, there is, of course, the flip side. There are many great things about Malta, and I do still think that it is a very good place for digital nomads to spend some time in.
2019 Update
It’s been more than two years since I wrote this post, and I’ve interacted with many people about the subject both in the comments section as well as over email exchanges. Unfortunately, not only has the situation in Malta not become any better since I wrote this, but things took a nasty turn for the worse.
The obvious big news item was the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2018, followed by several scandals in the political scene. During the last few months of 2019 we’ve seen Malta in the worldwide news for all the wrong reasons, with several top members of the governing party being forced to resign due to their misdeeds and connections to the murder.
As we close off the year, prime minister Joseph Muscat has been named ‘Person of the Year’ for organised crime and corruption by a consortium of investigative journalists.
It was a busy 12 months in the world of organized crime and corruption. But without further ado, here is our 2019 Person of the Year: https://t.co/oDVXs9EZYI#occrpaward #CorruptActor2019
— Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (@OCCRP) December 27, 2019
Dr Muscat joins a list of previous winners of the OCCPR’s yearly prize that includes strongmen such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijan’s Ilhan Aliyev, Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.
“Under Muscat’s leadership, criminality and corruption have flourished — and in many cases gone unpunished,” the OCCPR said.
The organisation highlighted the way Dr Muscat had acted throughout the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
I had intentionally avoided politicising things with my original post, as I don’t consider myself a supporter of a particular party in Malta, but things have really gone to new extremes with the Labour party in government led by Dr Muscat in recent years.
Not only have things become worse in Malta, but the country’s reputation overseas is at an all-time low due to this government’s shenanigans.
What is quite impressive to me is that the Maltese population by and large has been quite passive during this whole debacle. Not to mention that probably around half of the population still doesn’t think that anything irregular has taken place in the past few years, as you can witness if you open any article on local newspapers reporting cases of corruption. The kind of brainwashing on display is at least on par with what you would expect from people in communist countries with no access to outside information. To see people defending the prime minister and his cronies while hurling abuse at any detractors, Maltese or foreign, is just sad.
One would hope that the Maltese will choose better people in leadership, independently of which party they’re from, and avoid further damage to the country. It’s worth keeping in mind that right now, the Maltese economy seems to be doing very well, however I am of the opinion that this boom has not been very organic nor is it built on solid ground.
If we take an honest look at the last 15 years of growth in the Maltese economy, we would find that the big driver has been an artificially favorable tax system designed to attract foreign companies to relocate their business in Malta and thus gain huge tax benefits. That drove an influx of foreigners needed to staff the relocated companies (most of them online gaming companies), which in turn drove up property prices and helped build an impressive financial industry to service these aforementioned companies. If one of these pillars were to be affected by the scandals rocking the political scene, all the pieces will fall like dominoes causing a serious crisis in Malta.
Taking the Decision
Over the years since I’ve written this post, I’ve received many emails from (mostly young) people who identify with my feelings and are struggling with taking the decision.
I want to make it clear that while we live in an era where travel is very easy and affordable, uprooting yourself and moving to another country is still a significant psychological and logistical challenge for most people.
Here’s a copy of an email reply I sent to a person who reached out to ask for advice on how to approach the decision. I hope it can be of help to others in the same stage of their lives.
Every person who decides to leave their home country will have the fears and worries that you mention, that is perfectly normal.I had the same concerns myself when I was in the same situation. What I did was to sit down in a quiet place for an hour or so, take a pen and two sheets of paper. On one list the pros and the other the cons about moving. Take your time and let your heart and mind both outpour onto those two pages. When you’re done, you should have a clearer picture of what you should do. If it’s still not clear, assign a rating of 1-5 or 1-10 next to each point that you list, with 1 being of least importance and 10 being essential for you. Then add the scores up and hopefully one should be significantly higher than the other.Know that you can’t control what you’ll find on the other side, but you owe it to yourself to at least seek a betterment of your situation if that’s what you need to do.I have yet to come across anyone who regretted leaving a negative environment that bothered them (job, country, etc) but I have met plenty of older people who have significant regrets about not taking a chance on a better future when they were younger.
Further Reading
- Bloomberg – Why the EU is furious with Malta – covers problems that I mentioned in the post and other big issues that surfaced in the past year since I’ve written this post.
- Only in Malta – Facebook group showcasing daily unbelievable occurrences in Malta
- Malta New Reality – More shenanigans in Malta
- The Shift – Daily updates on scandals and corruption in Malta
- 70% of Malta’s young people wish to leave.
I agree 100/1° percent to what you have said about our madness and spoiled country by so many stupid mentality that both political parties have bring to many generations before and in coming times, and this what im going to do also because of many bad perspectives that this country have, good luck with your move and wish many more people will have the will to do the same especially the young generation and I say to all that there is no future here in Malta go abroad and you’ll see the huge differences .
Thanks for sharing your feelings Raphael.
Agree with you 100%, love Malta but don’t think I can live here any more. left for good 2001, been back a few times, still a building site, lots of improvements, be very nice when its finished….
Its a place that is based upon who you know and not what you know, which can work some times..
Too many Lawyers, Politics is a game played by Lawyers, as football is rubbish.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Ray.
My husband and I lived in Malta for three years. We tell funny stories of the things that happened to us as we established a household and found jobs. Your comments made me remember all the frustrating things (we were shocked at the disregard of littering for example), but we wouldnt trade the experience for anything!
Thanks for commenting Wendie. Many of the idiosyncrasies of life in Malta can indeed be funny, unless you actually live there all your life. Then they quickly turn to major frustrations and annoyances.
Totally agree. I’m a Brit and I moved to Malta in Feb ’15 and my (now) Russian wife moved in June ’15. We even married in Malta in Sept ’15 after I proposed to her during her first holiday here in July ’14. I moved because I was fed up with the rain and lack of sunshine in Manchester, England but 2 and a half years on and despite Brexit we are now about to start planning our own “Mexit” and – if we really feel it’s right – maybe move back to Manchester. But why?
For the reasons you gave and a few more, like:
The construction quality of new builds and most places built in the past few decades in Malta is just shocking. There’s simply no quality and things that just would not be left or done in such a sloppy way in the UK are the norm here. Plastering is cheaply and badly done, tiling, electrics, gas pipes (oh yeah, wonderful at our rented place… a boiler in a small outdoor service/storage room with a switch and just close to it, the gas bottle for the cooker – you simply could not do that in the UK it would be an explosion risk, but here, no one knows and no one cares about safety). But my favorite example of this being the cooker hood extractors with chimneys. In the UK they are ALL correctly fitted with ducting to the outside to expel the waste air. But in Malta, oh no, that would be too much like hard work so instead they just install the cooker hood and never fit any ducting pipes so it just pumps the air back out the top into the room. I explained to my landlord this is wrong and not how they are supposed to work, she just shrugged said “mela” and told me no, it’s correct, it is “extracting” it’s extracting the air from the hob level and moving it out of the way to near the ceiling, what’s wrong with that?
Electric water heaters. You Maltese are obsessed with these bloody things despite them being the most expensive way to heat hot water. Worst still, instead of fitting one large one and running pipes to everywhere in a property it needs to serve, you fit 2 or 3 smaller ones closer to where they are needed. This costs more to install, to maintain and of course, to run long term. But hey, it’s just easier and the builders get to go off for a beer and pastizzi earlier, so everyone is supposed to be happy!
Getting anything fixed in Malta is a trial. And it’s worse if you’re foreign. The aircon in my car packed up during the July heatwave. I went to a specialist who replaced a valve and regassed the system. 2 days of it working perfectly it stopped again, all gas leaked out. I was told to bring it back 4 days later when they would look at it properly. I did, but they did not. I was told that despite “booking me in” for that day, they were too busy as other Maltese customers kept coming by and demanding their car be fixed also. I asked why I couldn’t just come by and demand the same, wave my arms around and shout like a Maltese and get mine fixed ahead of “booked in” customers also. I was told no, I can’t I’m not Maltese and I don’t have a load of friends and family here I could badmouth the company too if they didn’t fix my car there and then so I’m effectively less important to keep happy.
The cost of property: we were looking to buy a place here but with our budget of 120k there are now only scruffy shoeboxes left in not great areas with traffic jams and screaming, shouting, angry types living next door in the main. When you realise that you can buy a 3 bed town house in an acceptable (but not amazing) part of Manchester for that same money, you think “really, why am bothering at all?”.
And we have thought just that and reached a sad conclusion: there’s no point bothering at all, why spend the next 20 years of my life paying a mortgage on property that is going to every day remind me of how much of a crap hole Malta has been turned into by greed and over development?
Supermarket food: It is simply way more expensive than in the UK for a basket of exactly the same goods. For example, I’ve just this minute tried costing a basket of 10 items in PAVI with the exact same items in TESCO in the UK. Totals were €46.85 and £24.94 respectively. Crazy and nonsensical, it simply cannot cost this much extra to import this stuff to Malta in bulk and sell it in stores, it just feels like someone is making a fortune out of the rest of us and because there’s little real competition we just have to accept it.
Speaking of which: Cost of simple painkillers etc, how is it that a packet of 16 ibuprofen costs nearly €3 here but £0.35p in the UK? I once asked a chemist here that question and at least was given an honest answer. Effectively it suits the chemists here to charge that much and they know that people need them, can’t get them anywhere else and so will still keep buying regardless. I asked why no chemist tries to undercut anyone to thus get more trade but again, I was told there’s no need as people will buy anyway and they don’t want to upset each other and spark a price war. So basically this is price fixing then, which, under EU laws is actually legal but hey this is Malta so it’s ok here!
We love Malta and the Maltese but after 2 years we’ve pretty much done and seen anything and everything of interest to us. There’s literally nowhere else to visit here unless we spend every weekend going over to Gozo and checking out the few remaining villages we’ve not been to yet (I think there are 2 or 3!).
Moving back to the UK is a logistical and legal nightmare for us but just now, it feels like the only sane choice to make a country which – let’s be honest – feels ever more insane each day…
Good luck all those of you who stay –
You’re gonna need it!
“which, under EU laws is actually legal but hey this is Malta so it’s ok here!”
This should of course have read “is actually illegal” but oops, I guess you all know what I mean, I’ve got that Maltese sloppiness now also haha! 😉
All the points you mentioned are true Andy, thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks Jean, There was one more reason I forgot to add and it’s a biggie. My wife has lived here 2 years but has been unable to find any work. She’s been told she should go and work in a supermarket like other Eastern Europeans (she’s a journalist and communications/pr professional) by many Maltese and that such roles are all she should ever expect to get here, the kind of work she’s looking for would never be given to an “Eastern European” because well paid jobs don’t go to them. She’s repeatedly bit her tongue with such people each time!
Hello Jean and thank you for pointing out so correctly some of the main issues that led to my decision to leave the country ( leaving this Friday).
Malta was the first country I moved to after many years of hesitation and reluctance to leave my friends and family behind in order to find a better life. Malta seemed beautiful and exotic, spoke English as an official language and offered plenty of work in the catering industry, which I had a lot of experience with.
Leaving the airport was a dream come true! Sun, palm trees, tourists, nice clean pavement and well ( seemingly) organised public transport. I felt like my heart would burst out from joy, I felt like I came to a spot which had combined the perks of an advanced western society with the exotic feeling of the Mediterranean.
****************
Six months later I was laying in my small, half-empty room the size of an average closet, swimming in my own sweat and wondering if I can somehow manage to supercharge the sorry little ventilator on my ceiling, since the heat was unimaginable. Had not slept properly for a week since I had a few terrible 14 hour shifts in a local tourist hotspot in Qawra, and by the time i sent home i was buzzing with the caffeine I had to invest to keep me going. The neighbours above my flat were quite vocal, practically shouting at each other for every single thing, from taking out the trash, to scolding their children, to arguing about their financial issues. I believe it was a mixed maltese-british marriage, since a famous pop singer ( guess who) got mentioned a lot.
That sleep deprivation went to a point in which I was now 10kg lighter and had deep dark circles under my eyes. Often I got stopped by tourists (students) asking me where can they buy something fun to smoke. Guess i gave that impression now?
Working in catering showed me by far the worst side of the locals: arrogance and patronising behaviour towards anyone who did not speak Maltese, on two occasions I was openly confronted in front of my colleagues with honest aggressive racism, and to sentences of the sort : “This IS not your fu***ng country, this is (dramatic pause) MALTA” or ” They should fire you immediately since you do not speak Maltese!…”
I do not wish to speak only negatively of this country, I met a lot of amazing individuals here, highly skilled professionals and young girls and boys with HUGE potential. We are still friends and we will keep in touch. Even they admit that there are a lot of issues here, but are simply shy or plain afraid of voicing their opinions since that might cause them trouble with their families, neighbours and even …the church. (?!)
I will not get into the whole religious situation here, since i have been confronted on the subject before and was coldly told to drop it and keep my opinions to myself. My opinion is that for the first time I see a nation influenced by the church to such extents, sometimes bordering fanaticism, which is not something I would have expected to see in a developed western country. I will not mention the feasts, another user made quite a correct comment on how pointless, expensive and frustrating they are.
As far as the political situation goes, I am happy to admit that i have made every attempt to isolate myself of politics in order to keep myself unbiased by public opinions. That isolation was brutally shattered during this year’s elections. That was …. a once in a lifetime experience. I presume this is what must have been like when World War two ended? People went out on the streets and partied for a week? I come from a corrupt country myself, when elections turn into a media war and public events are sponsored by the contested parties in order to attract more votes, but I had never witnessed anything of this calibre, every cafe, corner shop and car was it’s own island of alcohol, club music and screams, party flags were literally everywhere, there was a (No joke) procession of an old truck that had the portrait of their candidate, lavished on flowers, on top of the truck’s trailer, and it was followed by garbage/construction trucks filled to the brim with drunk youngsters waving banners and obviously enjoying their free beers and pastizzi. Next to the column of madness was a small car, from which a woman was waving and even enticing the kids the jump and yell louder. Then for the first time i felt trapped. There was no peace. No quiet. The island was on fire, me and my girlfriend walked to marsaskala and say for hours on the beach rocks, waiting for the madness to end so we can sleep at least 4 hours before our next shift. It did not end, for a whole week we had cars honking every 3 minutes, doing circles in the neighbourhood with the flags waving from their windows. I believe that has to be put down as a new type of Chinese torture, I’m sure it’s authors would approve.
That was indeed the final straw.
I apologise for the lengthy post, I never had the opportunity to voice my frustrations since the overall feeling is “well if you don’t like it, leave, we are perfect and unique and we won’t change for anyone, especially YOU!”.
Don’t change for me. Change for you and your children. They deserve it, and they are smarter than you know.
Thank you and goodbye. And good luck!
Pavel, thanks for sharing your experience, I think it’s clear to everyone that you did go through a very challenging experience in Malta. You mention a lot of truths: workplace practices, religious fanaticism, political fanaticism. All true, I don’t think anyone can disagree really…
Jean,
Very good article indeed. I can agree with all you said but there are not the only issues. As a non-EU foreigner (at that time) in my 7years living there I met some much racism and ignorance like no other. The famous University of Malta is not better – the attitude of the lecturers and the secretaries were disgrace and I am was never ok with the saying “Well….it is in their culture” because some many things are common sense. I grew tired of the cheating, lying, laziness and the incompetence I met there. It seemed like nobody cared about the traffic signs and if you are with the motorbike or regular bike you better think twice before you decide if the taxi driver will follow them or not. Now, 9 years after I left I do not miss it at all. May be I`ll go for holidays one day but it seems like every year I think about it, I decide to leave it for the next one.
Thanks for commenting Martin. There really is no excuse for all the things you mentioned.
I recently moved to Malta, sound like you just described my country where I came from. It is true what you wrote, but this country was the best choise for now. I had to leave my country and I have no other place to go. Im in a mixed marriage, and only here I could apply for my husband’s work permit. I came from a green country, I miss woods, grass, treas, animals….but for now I need to close my eyse and do my best to try to live here…
Good luck Teodora, and thanks for commenting.
I lived in Malta for almost 5 years started a business but was forced to leave due to a road traffic accident involving a drunk driver. The thing that struck me was the corruption and blatant disregard by the Maltese for doing things the right way, where as I gained qualifications in Britain for rock climbing then opened a climbing shop, and and also took clients climbing, I had problems with the Maltese thinking they could just muscle in once they seen I was doing well. They had no qualifications whatsoever but because there was no one to oversee or enforce European rules. ifact I was told that the rules didn’t apply because there was no governing body to enforce them so they could do as they please!! Which to me was just wrong. I did meet some nice people and friends. but I really hate the island with a passion now and I’m pleased that I left. To me it just to corrupt!!
Sad story Dino, thanks for sharing.
You are so f***ng true my friend!
There are a lot of ppl that thinks like you, maltese and foreigners believe me.
All the best!
Thanks for commeing Erion.
My first experience on the island was one of corruption and inequality. When I first moved here from the UK (although I am Canadian) I went to transport Malta with a fellow Canadian (with Maltese origins) to change our Drivers Licence to a Maltese license. We found out upon arrival that a Canadian license was not valid in Malta but as it was a election year they asked my friend how he was voting and quickly changed his DL over to a Maltese one, no questions asked. Myself being next in line after him (as he stood beside me) was there to do the same thing but as I was no use to them I was refused and they said that as we (Canadians) drive on the right I would have to take the driving test again. I politely asked ‘Are other Europeans countries eligible to change their license to a Maltese one?” … Yes said the man at the desk … Well they drive on the right I replied and also you have just changed my friends license from a Canadian one and how come the rules are different for me? … Needless to say I was escorted out and told that if I complain the police would be called and I would be arrested so it is better that I just leave and never come back.
Well that was 7 years ago and I am still here because of the laid back lifestyle which i do enjoy. However as mentioned I have seen a huge transformation, ridiculous rental increases and the ever expanding concrete jungle with total disregard for the law and the environment and in fact I believe the only green they see here is money!!
Anyway I have decided and have made a packed with my friends that if Manoel Island is flattened and turned into yet another development (as per the pending proposal) I am out of here, but if compassion and respect for the natural beauty and history of the island stays in tact and is preserved and turned into protected green space and perhaps even a historical natural park I would stay.
If history proceeds itself however it looks like I will be leaving but at least it will be before Malta becomes the lifeless European Dubai!
Very very true, Gary – and the Government the latest 4 1/2 years hasn’t improved anything.
This gave me an eerie feeling- as if my own very thoughts had been channeled into an article. Very well done.
I would like to ask for any general advice that you might offer as I myself plan to migrate to Canada once I finish my degree. I plan to gain some experience here in Malta while the application process is underway and hopefully escape once it’s done.
Any general advice/heads-up or personal experiences that I should look out to would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Thanks Marco. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration when planning a move. How easy or difficult it is will depend on your personal situation, just like which country you choose is a personal decision. If at all possible, and given the fact that Canada is pretty far, I would recommend spending 2-6 months there to see how you feel about being so far from Malta and Europe in general. Every country has its plusses and minuses, and settling anywhere is a tough time to go through since there’s the paperwork to deal with, apartment hunting, job search etc. On the plus side, given that you’re still quite young I think it will be easier for you to build a new life in a new country. It will definitely be a challenge but with a positive attitude and it being a well-researched decision you will make it happen. In the worst case scenario that the move doesn’t work out, keep in mind that nothing is lost, you can always go back or try your luck in another country, the world is a big place with lots of opportunities for those ready to take them.
Thanks for the advice Jean, greatly appreciated 🙂
You’re welcome Marco, good luck!
Hi Jean, not sure if you have already moved to Canada or not. What I can tell you though is from experience if you are into watching sports (hockey), the sort of house you have and not really interested in being outside (unless its the few months of permissible weather) then you will find it great. On the other hand if you have enough spare time to travel on the wide long open highways and you love that sort of thing then again its your type of country.
I personally would still avoid cities unless you are single. Building a network of job connections is hard anywhere you go so good luck to the future
John
Hi John, I’ve never been to Canada nor considered moving there, however it is on my list of places to check out. I’ve only heard good things so far.
Sorry I meant to answer Marco. Yes on paper its great but there are a lot of problems that are hidden by its vast land and small population. For example believe it or not Canada has some of the most violent organised crime gangs. Jamaicans, Hells Angels, Italian and Russian mob. But it is numerically very difficult to experience this directly. But happen it does. I hear now some towns that were very safe have become breeding grounds for drug dealers which would have been inconceivable in the past. That’s because the country is so large that economic downturns occur out of cycle between the industrial east and oil rich west. So living there depends immensely on what you are looking for and your location. So if you are happy with huge tracts of very cheap land, whole forests even but don’t want to deal with any humans for weeks on end then there are lots of opportunities for you. This remoteness and the frequent passage of immigrants all with their own agendas creates a detached approach on what one would consider as human interaction. Laws and regulations are absolute which is great to make different cultures cooperate but tend to stifle in my personal opinion artistic creativity. However scientifically it attracts a lot of corporate funds so R&D gets a boost.
Also again due to the immense size of the country political confrontation is practically non existent since the federal government is just too remote in Ottawa for your typical individual while the provincial and within cities mayoral elections have more direct impact. This creates a bit of confusion. Its also not by design but historical accident since the federal pact gave provinces inadvertently more power on roads, education and healthcare.
Lets say that for me living there was a mixed bag but most of all its mind numbing boring. There are states of the US that are way better like California specifically Los Angeles which I was quite happy with.
Someone once told me that being a foreigner in Malta can only boost your ego because of the general low education level and amateurism prevailing on the island.
That article is so right and down the point, thank God it was written by a Maltese or it would have attracted such comments as “go home where you came from” “we are the best”….
As disturbing as that is, I would have to agree Marie. I think this culture discourages the achievement of excellence. If all around us we see amateurish behaviour, it’s more likely that we’ll end up behaving in a similar way, or at the very least not doing as well as we would if everyone around us was better than us and hence inspires us to become better ourselves.
With regard to the second part of your comment, several other foreigners/expats have mentioned that before. Of course, us Maltese who dare speak the truth about things will get other comments, equally bad, such as “how ungrateful are you?”, “how dare you speak like that of your country?” and the classic “now that he/she lives abroad, he/she is coming to preach to us…”.
I guess one more reason to leave is the fact that all of the shops and businesses are closed between 12 to 4 sometimes 5 pm. It’s weird to go around island which seems dead at these hours. You’re basically looking at closed doors and windows. Ghost island.
Like I mentioned earlier, there are many other things one could mention. This is one of them. It wasn’t a decisive factor for me but could very well be so for others.
Excellent article Jean = and I completely concur with all your thoughts = we lived there from 2008 to 2014 and feel exactly the same about it all – we did leave for a better place for us, we have no regrets about our stay, our experiences there nor the friends we made there (of all nationalities) but unlike your goodself we will never return and have no plans to do so. I feel like you that the first 203 years of love there tends to be a sort of honeymoon period and life is wonderful then the cracks are found in the idyllic romantic notions that you once had and the seed to leave is then sown to develop into a plan to leave asap
I do find it so sad that the once beautiful islands have almost gone along with all its charm…. its even sadder the fact this “progress” cannot be replaced or re-invented.
Hi David, I agree, the biggest pain comes from knowing that certain things like the ruining of Malta’s nature cannot be undone.
am just pleased am away from the place Jean it is indeed frustrating and ever so demanding of time and energy…. i mean no disrespect to the people of malta but the islandm,its red tape and the total lack of desore to change for the better leaves a lot to be desired . made all the clearer once you’ve tasted another place to live other than your homeland
Thanks for your comment David.
Very true Jean but I disagree that foreigners are welcomed – far from it. They’re often used as cash cows and exploited to make quick money from, which creates an “us and them”, as well as being what drives prices up for everyone – opportunism and, sadly, greed. I think the take what we can now and think about the consequences later is infuriating. We could make this a more sustainable balance and improve our university and education all round if we thought about it. The frustrations are real, your points are correct and we don’t make the most of what we have. Very short-sighted…
The jury’s out on that one; it’s hard to take a definite stand. I think foreigners can be more insulated from the problems I describe, until they decide to make Malta their home and have to actually face those frustrations. At that point it might very well be the case that their lack of local contacts and their not speaking Maltese might result in an even worse experience.
Hi Jean!
Thank u for sharing ur thoughts and opinion. 🙂 Me as a foreigner living in Malta totally agree with u and understand ur decision. Malta is a lovely country and there are lots of things to enjoy here and I guess foreigners are usually attracted by the nice sunny weather, sea and beaches, but on the other hand some things are quite frustrating. I have been living here for 5 yrs, but now I definitely feel that my time in Malta will come to an end in the near future, especially after spending 3 months in New Zealand not so long ago, so I experienced something there that kinda keeps pushing me away from here. 🙂 Wishing u all the best and take care of urself! 🙂
Ramona
Hi Ramona, thanks for sharing your experience. You hit on an important point that is worth highlighting. Many of those who think that the problems in Malta can be found anywhere else (or that indeed they are just petty problems) have never really lived anywhere else.
Having the experience of living somewhere else (even if it’s just 3 months) can really change your perspective of things. In my case it was that one year living in the UK to pursue my studies that really highlighted some of the problems that there are in Malta. Due to that reason, I can completely understand what you’re feeling now.
Thank you for the article, Jean. I haven’t lived in Malta, but visited very often, sometimes for months at a time, in the early 70’s. My family lived in Tripoli, and Malta was the nearest place that had the comforts of modern civilization. I fell in love with the country then, but haven’t been back since. In fact, I’ve been afraid to, for fear of finding exactly what you have described. Better to have the idyllic picture of what it once was.
You’re welcome Bob. It has certainly changed a lot from the early 70s, although I wasn’t around yet back then.
I have only been here for a few months and I can already say that I agree with you, which is sad.
Thanks for commenting Daniel.
I agree with you Jean, you gave a realistic picture of the frustration that we can all feel here, it is just a matter on common sense to me to feel that. Personnaly I have a very strong motivation to be in Gozo, I did more than 60 times the travel in 6 years between France and Malta. I saw many people who don’t want to come anymore to Malta, close friends and even family. However we still enjoy the archipelago as it is but for how long?
Hi François, Gozo is a very nice place and I can understand why you feel that kind of attraction to it. As you say, how long will the good things last?
I have to say it’s a well written article and there’s nothing more that can add to it. I feel constantly irritated by this Maltese culture “uwijja mhux xorta” and believe me when I say so it’s literally a pain in the ass which really gets my nerves.
At the moment I am finishing my last year in school and I am thinking of moving. Every single day that passes,the more I get motivated to leave this bloody rock because personally I don’t see a future, let alone if one day I have a family.
So, Jean what I wish to ask you is this. What made you orchestrate a move from Malta?
At the moment I am thinking of trying my luck, most probably in Scotland but to be honest I’m quite scared as you know very well we Maltese are very attached to our families and I do not wish to do a U-turn.
Hi there, first of all I encourage you to draw up a list of pros and cons with regards to any move, and if there are more pros just go ahead and do it. Worrying about a possible U-turn is ingrained into the typical Maltese mentality, because we are trained to believe that we can never or should never fail. Failure is shameful and everyone will point their fingers at us. That is the mentality that prevents from people thinking out of the box and acting the way their gut tells them to. So my message is don’t be afraid, if you need to do a U-turn so be it, let anyone point their fingers if they wish to do so. You’ll be the one who will be proud of yourself for following your dreams.
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy
Going back to your question, can you kindly explain what you meant exactly? My post details what made me orchestrate a move from Malta. I suspect that you meant to ask how I did it? If so, can you specify exactly what worries you about making a move?
The only reason why is Malta great is due to the fact it’s quite safe when it comes to terrorism.
You have answered my question whilst made me realise the negative influences that this culture gave me, pessimism.
I have to agree if sometimes you fail in something here, instead of giving you a hand perhaps they will most probably look down onto you.
Thanks alot Jean ☺
This is sad. This article and blog have become a nag. Luckily some who responded are more positive thinkers …. they acknowledge the bad ( who does not know the bad – we hear it everyday in our streets – whats new about it?) but these respondents also balance it out by seeing the beauty and uniqueness of the island. One of the respondents above put it right…. he echoes what J.F Kennedy stated ” do not say what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” enough said. Further if one keeps highlighting the negative…. you get more of the negative….. if one lightlights the positive…. you get people loving what we have and you would instill a sense of national pride which would encourage a culture where one would want to sustain what is positive and right.
Unfortunately I think you missed the whole point of this article Odette. I only shared the reasons why I decided to leave Malta, and didn’t try to write an expose of all that is good and bad about Malta.
I’ve written about the good things in Malta previously, and I could also list many other bad things about Malta, as some other commenters have done. What I spoke about in my post is just want led me to take the decision to leave, nothing more nothing less.
Yourself calling this blog post and the blog “a nag” is a perfect example of one symptoms I speak about in the post. Why disparage someone’s thoughts and work just because they don’t sound good to you? You prefer to focus on the positive sides while the issues fester unchecked and talented people continue to suffer or leave. I and many others prefer to face the facts and speak candidly about issues that are quickly ruining our country.
Like I said in my response… What you wrote about is nothing new and has been vocalised many times before. What worries me is that negativity breeds negativity. I denounce the bad but I do not accentuate it. That is the point I want to make. I believe that positivity breeds positivity… law of attraction……
Anytime I will say something that is 100 times lighter than this about how reality in Malta is, lots of people are throwing stones on me like I’ve said the the worst thing in the universe. The sad truth is that lots of people believe in that propaganda, move to Malta with bag full with hope for better life, but at the end, either they end up as part of that frustration, or leave the rock with big disappointment and question: how does this piece of **** become part of Europe, and some much more civilized countries can not ?
Thanks for sharing your experience Eva, unfortunately intolerance to criticism is a common trait in Malta, especially when one speaks about these issues.
I am not saying it’s the worst, for sure there are places on Earth that at far more worst than Malta, but the problem on that island is that they are def for listening (negative) critics and think that they are the best in everything. You can not be liked by all, if that’s the case, something is wrong… If you think you know everything, that you are the best in everything, there is noone else better than you and you are not open for critics how to get better, then you will never improve yourself. in short, if you think you know everything you will never learn anything.
But as they say, ego = 1/knowledge and for sure, national ego in Malta is on a very high level 🙂
Hello Jean.
I read your magnificent ‘Why I left Malta’ article as every word struck a note!. Allow me to tell u that I cannot agree with you more. I felt exactly the same during the prime of my youth back in 89, when during one of my frustrated moments I decided to book a one way ticket to the UK. At 21, I was buzzing with energy, hungry for adventure and longing for that little spark to ignite the flame for wisdom, knowledge and life to help me grow and broaden my horizons. I felt (and still feel it now 25 years later) claustrophobic where everybody was more interested in your affairs than their own and where the 8 o’clock news was always the same topics repeated day after day. Had it not been for that spontaneous moment, I think I would have ended my life a long time ago. Having said this, I don’t think the Maltese have achieved much as I feel they have become worse, with politics, religion, hate, racism still at the helm. They seem to have lost those values you mentioned that made them unique. Most of the time I wish I was a foreigner only to be treated in the same manner you pointed out as they seem to get all the attention one desires in a cosmopolitan environment.
Were you suffering all this in silence??!! I remember you were not one to talk much about your feelings but somehow you managed to get your points across, thanks to social media. Unlike you, I’m open, talkative and straight to the point. I never bottle up my feelings for long, and when I express any views, I am unpopular, but I’ve learnt to live with it. Unfortunately, the Maltese are not realistic. they have a tendency of believing the opposite to what is actually happening and not accepting the reality. They create an illusion that suits them best…. only to be surprised some time later. But prove otherwise, and you’re ‘negative’, ‘pessimistic’ and every other adjective under the sun!
Indeed things seem to have gone from bad to worse, construction gurus grabbing every piece of land to make money, wreck less driving, prejudice, corrupt politicians (from both sides), etc etc etc, you named it!
In my professional life I am constantly battling against obstacles that people themselves create. It is innate in Maltese DNA to avoid spending money. They want the best (always) and expect to get a good price. They are happy to buy gadgets advertised in TV for which they have no use for it 60 days later than spend it on something that will stay with them forever.
Incidentally, I also know people who felt the same and then decided to leave for exactly the same reasons you pointed out.
The bureaucracies in this country are probably the highest as your only chance of advancing is only through people you know.
And yes, we are surrounded by idiots and ill-mannered people and we cannot avoid them unfortunately. If you had to compare a Maltese hamallu to foreign hamallu, chances are, the foreign hamallu will present himself and behaves much better compared to the Maltese hamallu. They never seem to learn, regardless of how much they travel and socialise.
I wish you all the best. Good luck.
Thanks for sharing your experience Cedric. It looks like the seeds of today’s issues were sowed long ago, and unless there is a drastic change of course things keep getting worse.
Hi Jean, I relocated to Malta beginning of 2012 and left last year in June 2016. I have still bonds with your country (have very close friends, and my girl friend is Maltese so)
How impressive is your text, you are really describing what I was feeling and the process which made me leaving. I guess as Maltese, it takes lot of courage to write that down and it gives lot of weight to your words.
All my respects.
Olivier C.
Thanks Olivier, hope you enjoyed your four years in Malta. It was a difficult post to write indeed but I’m glad I did it.
We need to get some balance from the other side so here is “Why I came to Malta” – and why I intend to stay.
Jean, your article was very good and I’m sure echoed the feelings of many. However, as this is primarily *your view* on things it is bound to be biased and I accept that. I’ve been coming to Malta on and off for about 20 years. I’ve seen a lot of changes on the island and you are of course correct about standards and the incessant development going on. That, I think we ALL agree on. It should be curtailed before the developers ruin everything and screw up everything that is traditionally “Maltese”.
Import of cars is another issue. I read somewhere that 57 cars are introduced to Malta every DAY. If that is indeed true then just doing some simple maths will show that very soon we will have an impossible situation (maybe we are already there!). Import of vehicles needs to be stopped immediately with a caveat that if you need a car, you have to surrender your old one so that at least getting another doesn’t add to the situation as it presently is.
Politics here are crazy and as a foreigner (from London, UK) some of the decisions taken here don’t make a lot of sense. Many Maltese seem to hate the status quo but many seem to think it’s ok as it is. I don’t get it but as I’m outside the voting system I have to put up with it.
I’ve been living here for almost 3 years now and I have to say that on the whole, none of the negative issues mentioned in your article (or any other contribution here) bother me at all. So why is this?
I lived all my life in the UK. When I was a kid all was well. The country was safe. Where I lived wasn’t over developed and that too was safe. As kids, we could go “out” all day and no-one ever wondered where we were or gave any thought as to IF we would come home or not in the evening. Terrorism of course changed things many years later as did awareness via the media of so-called “dangerous” people.
“Back then” was also before the time of everything being “Politically Correct” so you felt free to live your life. Now, times have moved on and of course it’s nothing like that… Now, frankly, it’s a bloody mess.
In the UK now, everywhere you go your every move is caught on camera. There are so many rules – don’t do this, don’t do that. Oh my GOD! You can’t SAY that! People sue each other in frantic attempts to make money. Lawyers set up firms to help people sue councils, businesses, individuals – even the government. It’s all about money of course. Remedies and cures that used to work for minor ailments are taken off shelves because one person somewhere found that it wasn’t compatible with them and sued the manufacturer. Parents are not allowed to be responsible for their own kids any more due to government regulations. Hell, you can’t even take your child out of school any more to take them on holiday without incurring a fine. Teachers are no longer able to discipline children at all.
All I can say is: “The UK can go to hell if that’s the way they want to treat their citizens!”
I left – had enough. Fed up with the Police fleecing the public with so-called “minor road traffic offences”. Fined for parking where there were NO yellow lines – arguing the toss with the local council bullies only to be told that if I didn’t pay up they would send in the bailiffs – and the fine had gone from £60 to almost £450 as it kept on increasing every day there was a delay. No recourse to court apparently as this was a “civil” matter. No choice as usual. Just pay up. Fined for being 3 mph over the speed limit. A friend of mine was fined for having his car tax disc displayed 4 inches higher than it should be. Local councils continually adding charges for the tiniest local services, and, of course raising those charges year after year. It’s incredibly expensive to live in the UK now just to keep up with all the local bullshit and keep the authorities’ coffers full. Anything to make a buck. You want to buy a nut and bolt? Sure, but you have to buy a box of 50. What??
There should be freedom of speech – but there isn’t. You have to be so careful now about what you say that it’s not worth voicing a view on anything for fear of being charged by the Police – or sued, or worse, plastered all over the media! The EU made trading even worse by favouring large businesses and squashing small ones (yes, really) – and then brought in even more rules and regulations to ensure that the surviving small businesses can’t compete. The public have no choice but to put up with it. Things are getting worse by the day and the next generation of parents will be irrepairably damaged by all this crap.
THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE.
So, Malta… Yes, things certainly are a bit haphazard. You do have to be careful as a foreigner not to be ripped off by some traders. There is a certain degree of what some people call “lawlessness” in the society but most of it *really isn’t serious*. – and before someone chimes in here… No, it’s NOT!
Most comments about this behaviour are from people that just love to complain about anything and everything and, ironically, are often foreigners! Yes, the drivers are a bit mad (however, look at Italy, they manage) – but you do get used to it. Some things are just downright crazy – funny too. Some things are incredibly frustrating – but that’s Malta! If you don’t like it, then don’t live here. It’s very simple. There are many others that DO like it. Go where you do like it and leave us to enjoy what we have.
The Maltese don’t realise it but here in Malta there is a large amount of *real freedom* and real friendliness between people. I never feel that I have to look over my shoulder here and always feel safe. The authorities here, in general leave the people alone to get on with their lives. That’s rare today. There are not many countries in the world now where you can say that. However, when you need them they are there and do a good job. I know this from first-hand experiences.
I have acquired more friends here than I ever did in the UK. All are from different nationalities (AND different religions) and all are very friendly, well-adjusted and a pleasure to be with. All the Maltese I know personally are the same. Great people with great spirit. Sure, they don’t mince words. They tell you as it is – but that’s refreshing after being in the UK. I’m not a religious person but I really hope, for the sake of the locals, that Malta stays Catholic and retains its identity including all the “quirkiness” that comes with it. The EU will try to strip this identity away but it needs to be retained by any method possible. It’s part of what Malta is.
We’re about 15 years behind the times with many things but those times are changing and we’re getting there as there are many opportunities for those inclined to help move it all forward. I hope that everything continues to improve positively for the island and I can look forward to many years living on this incredible jewel in the Mediterranean.
Malta – some people hate it – and some love it dearly. I am firmly in the latter category.
Hey Gareth, thanks for sharing your views, appreciate that.
Your comment reads like a “Why I left the UK” post more than a “Why I love Malta” post. I can sense the same level of frustration with things that led me to take the decision to leave my home country.
On the other hand, and given your frustrations with the UK, I am not surprised that you have been liking Malta so far. As I noted in my post, I believe it is easier to come to live in Malta and enjoy it as a foreigner, than if you were born and bred there. As a Maltese person with knowledge of the language, I am exposed to much more than a non-Maltese speaking person would. You don’t mention whether you learnt the language or not, so apologies if you did. Even so, a Maltese native would still probably pick up more things than a foreigner would.
Secondly, as a Maltese person I have much more at stake. I have friends and family in Malta and strong social ties. That means that by default I care more about the state and future of Malta. That is also why I am more bothered about certain things than a foreigner would.
I have spent time living in several countries; some of them had problems that are several degrees more serious than those of Malta. However I wasn’t really bothered that much. You bask in the novelty, enjoy a different lifestyle, get to enjoy the local dishes, make new friends, it’s all very exciting. At the end of the day, if things take a turn for the worse, you just pack your bags and go back to your home country or to another country.
To conclude, I agree with most of the positive things that you mention about Malta. I’ve written about the things I like about Malta before so I don’t want to give the wrong impression. There are some very good things about Malta, and as a foreigner I think you’re in a position to appreciate them even more than those of us who grew up there.
Perhaps three years is not enough to really understand the problems of Malta and have them start to affect you in a stronger way, but I can’t say that for sure. In any case, best of luck with living in Malta, I truly hope you make the most of your time there.
P.S. The part where you describe the issues with the UK just goes to show than anyone can have perfectly legitimate reasons for leaving his country and it’s not a question of whether everything is bad or everything is good. Plenty of people dream of living in the UK (including many Maltese) yet you felt frustrated enough to leave and make your life elsewhere. At the end of the day, it’s a personal decision we have to take.
Jean,
I cannot agree with you more!
I left Malta 19 years ago and I always have that thought that I will return but when I think about what I have to deal with, I always cave and say to myself if it is worth it at all. I found comfort in going to Malta for the summer, enjoying myself and return to what i nowadays call home away from home
Thanks for sharing Donny, I can relate to that. Where have you moved to?
My family moved to the US. Nowadays we live in Chicago.
Perfectly put Jean. I moved to Prague nearly 18 years ago, I visit Malta a couple of times a year to visit friends and family (very enjoyable of course) but I always feel a sense of relief when I’m in the departure lounge waiting to leave 🙂 Trevor
Thanks for sharing your experience Trevor.
Hi Jean, although you put the light on the dark spots of Malta, it seems like people are blindfolded. I found my equilibrium and a sort of comfort zone in here, but it is time to make a move. The asphyctic environment created during the last years is the main reason I will leave the island. It is a matter of attitude, as the river of unexpected money that made Malta a sort of paradise, is getting dry and what will maltese people are learning from it? The same old, sorry for mispelling it, “Uh ejja” way of life. I am italian and a very social person, I led several important project here, but sometimes I felt like I was really not appreciated, because of envy, because innovation is not easy to be understood, because “but we always did like this”, because i am one of the “barrani”, so that I ended up being back-stabbed in more than one occasions. This way of approaching cultural contributions from foreigners is lethal to the quality of the environment in Malta. Last words I recently listened from a local perit were “We do quality things, not like in Italy”. I was laughing at it just thinking about what I was seeing on site during these last years and about who did big projects in Malta like Renzo Piano, just to mention one. After my experince, in my own personal ranking, I would put Malta at the second place after USA as the most discriminating country. Staying away from your hometown will be the best choice you could pick.Good luck and thanks for honestly sharing your thoughts. It is a pity that Malta got spoiled and exploited like this. I was liking it a lot sometimes in the past. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing your experience Fabio.
If you were to think about it , most of our cultural gems are imported from elsewhere or were done under by maltese labourers under foreign supervision.Is there anything good the Maltese can proudly say is our sole achievement?
Sometimes i wish Government , public service , police , the army and the law courts were staffed solely by competent strict western individuals.Maltese individuals staffing these organisations are too easily inclined to give in when pressured by local thugs , political party loyalties , familial connections and a number of other local maladies.
I enjoyed reading it and can completely understand where you’re coming from with those feelings. Thanks for writing it, I still plan on cruising through Malta as a digital nomad as you’ve suggested many times 🙂
You’re welcome Jon, I did suggest that and still do recommend it as a digital nomad destination, I’m sure you’ll have a great time in Malta.
Jean well written and many valid points and shared feelings. I can’t stand the bad roads, I can’t stand the ignorance which is also reflected in politics etc. I sometimes feel like moving out of Malta for all the same reasons but let me say what keeps me here despite a its shortcomings. The fact that family is all close by and 2 mins away in any direction. This in turn gives you much more in life than just fresh air or interesting conversations. It allows you to really get to enjoy your parents , siblings, nephews and nieces and gives your son a true grandmother or father who he knows and cherishes. I would say that is the number one thing keeping me here. The gaming industry won’t move out so quickly…. the Swedes love it here despite its shortcomings. It’s well connected to Europe it’s just 4 hours flight away from their home and the weather is truly great for them. Plus it’s all in English. Is Spain we’re to catch up on English then there might be a problem
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Keith. Spain is on the way up but English remains a problem.