Beautiful quote

Isn't this quote great?

'When you blame others, you give up your power to change'.
Robert Anthony

Twisted Faces

A while ago I consciously decided to stop blogging about my bad experiences at restaurants. There are so many and so outrageous that they would have taken over the blog completely.

However tonight I have decided to make an exception and talk about dinner at Valletta. Red and I spent like fifteen minutes walking through the very solitary and spooky streets of 7h30 pm Valletta trying to find an open restaurant on a Monday. Quite a feat I must say but we finally managed to get to a place that we had banned from our list due to bad service, high prices and nothing-to-write-home-about food.

We were starving so we broke the ban and ventured into the wolf's mouth. We were not disappointed for we remembered so vividly the reasons why we had decided not to set foot again in such place.

The waiter was overwhelmed with the approximately twenty diners most of whom were ordering several bottles of wine. The guy was the host, the wine waiter, the cashier and of course, the waiter. As you can imagine his attitude sucked, can you blame him?

We asked for the bill and as usual we had to almost shoot a flare so that he would notice us. After 10 minutes staring at the bill trying to get him to notice us again so we could pay we decided to stand up next to the cash machine. In that way we would make a bit of pressure.

We left feeling like we had gone to a ciabatta place where we had had a simple sandwich and therefore we wouldn't have spent more than 6 euros total. Wrong! We spent 20 euros so one would expect to receive a better service for your money's worth.

It all boils down to the same issue: greed. If there was at least someone else helping as host/waitress staff the overwork wouldn't be so obvious and the service could be better. Of course the attitude is also very important: While we were waiting to pay instead of being ignored we could have been told politely that the person would be with us in two minutes or so. We understood the situation although it was hardly our fault that the place was so understaffed.

Attitude...it reminds me of yesterday when we went to the movies and the girl selling pop corn had such a sour face it almost seemed twisted with her constantly uttering: 'Next'. I even joked and told Red: " 'Next!' and then she spits on your face LOL" It's true, her facial expression basically said: 'My job sucks and you are nothing to me but an annoyance, take your freaking pop corn and get out of my face you...'

My, my...I think I will breath deep and breath deep again...and again...and again...to try to forget the twisted faces hoping they won't haunt me in my nightmares because I already have more than enough of them in real life.

Social Circles

Not bad for a foreigner...To go to a bar (once or twice a year) and to happen to know 7 persons there.

Last night a colleague of mine played at a bar and I really wanted to go. I loved the songs. They played 'Wish you were here' and many other songs I like.

We met up with a friend of ours and had a good time walking and talking.

Social circles...how we are always surrounded by people eh? And how time flies...and how you can get to meet so many people in a couple of years...even those people that Red likes to call 'Familiar strangers'...we all know who they are...the pet shop guy, the chemist, this or that sales girl...people...

This new phase of blogging...I am calling it: quiet :) It reminds me of those first posts I wrote some years ago when barely anyone would visit...I like it...quiet :)

PINs and Passwords

Our life is automated. Our life depends mostly on PINs, passwords and codes. Forgetting one's several passwords and PINs could well mean opening the door to chaos and disaster. Our life can be understood as a combination of numbers and passwords...our life...is it still ours?

You need to top up your mobile urgently because you are stranded in the middle of nowhere and s@#$it...you forgot your PIN to top it up...or you are supposed to meet someone and you can't top it up and when you look around there are a couple of neglected telephone booths but oh surprise, surprise they are empty! No telephone or they don't work with coins so you need to buy a card from...where?

You call your bank and you need your PIN or else they can't help you with your queries. It makes me feel like I am the product of my PINs and passwords and codes and swipe cards and doesn't that make you feel a bit like a machine?

The ATM, a password for this, a password for that, a password to switch on the PC, well, a password for everything...how many passwords and PINs can one remember? Plus, you can't write them down because it's not safe so you need to rely on your fallible memory.

PINs, PINs, PINs, numbers, even today at the supermarket there was no need to enter my personal details for a lottery because my bonus card was enough. Well, something good...

Cruel - Stuffy September

September is always so stuffy. I have been having a hard time trying to sleep although the AC has the same settings we used for summer. Last night I had to change it a bit so that the room would cool down quickly. It was so...stuffy...hot wouldn't be the right word to describe the stickiness typical of September.

I can't wait for October. Although not exactly because of 'Notte Bianca'. We have attended this event on two occasions and there were way too many people for us. Plus I had a quick look at the program and there is nothing for book lovers such as a stand with second-hand books or something of the sort.

I am not such a huge fan of concerts of any kind either.

I am realising that my life in Malta is becoming kind of cyclical. Every year more or less the same things and to share my feelings here doesn't feel the same anymore. I guess something has changed. Not that I poured my heart out everytime I had feelings to share but in general I have shared quite a bit here.

I am tempted to close the blog and start updating facebook notes instead. At least on Facebook I only have friends and relatives and I feel more at ease with their feedback for one and second the bond I share with my friends makes the whole issue more meaningful perhaps? I don't know, just thinking aloud. Of course I would add as friends to my FB bloggers with whom we have shared a nice bond, if they have an FB account and if so they wish of course. Otherwise I can still visit their blogs.

More than anything to have a blog and not update it at all is not my thing and I honestly don't feel like writing much anymore because I can't see what I can write anymore and overall I can't find a compelling reason to do so.

We'll see how it goes.

Bookish...

I am really trying to overcome my book addiction :)...I am trying, I am trying, I am trying...Maybe I should try a little bit harder: Today I couldn't help buying a book by Julian Barnes. I just couldn't help it but I say to myself I am getting better :) at least I can now go into a bookshop and just look around without buying but from time to time I succumb to temptation. :)

Public Library

A visit to the public library is always most relaxing. After a tough week at work I really need to unwind. For me that always implies that a book would play a prominent part of my relaxing routine...and music.

I like it that the system is very efficient: no queues, you can call to renew your books which saves a lot of time especially if you have borrowed a huge book or if you just haven't had the time to read lately. There are lots of books and I could spend hours there.

At school we were encouraged to develop a reading habit. We were taken to the school library once a week and you could choose a book that could also be renewed. For me it was like a gift. And going to the public library here brings me nice memories of beautiful books usually with pictures during my childhood years.

Anyway, I guess those weekly visits helped to develop my love for books.

Being a foreigner in Malta

I came home for break today and on my way I was thinking that...

Today I was reminded of the very accurate impression I have that if you are a foreigner in Malta it feels like you are expected to say 'yes, sir' to everything, you are expected to be always oh so grateful to live in Malta, you should only say things praising Malta and more than anything it feels like you don't have the right to question things, to say 'this is wrong' or 'I don't like this' or 'this is better elsewhere' or 'this is bad, this could be improved'...

Well, I don't see why I can't say freely what I think about Malta (good and bad) without receiving anonymous comments telling me that I am ungrateful because I come from El Salvador...someone even went as far as to creating a dummy gmail address in order to leave more stupid comments which were immediately deleted of course.

Now I have enabled comment moderation and as soon as I see dummy gmail addresses these comments will be deleted automatically without being read. I already know who is a frequent commentator and I rarely receive comments from people outside that circle.

It's funny how people can be such fools and how desperate this person was to left a comment on my blog...but I honestly don't have the time for spiteful comments just because I am a foreigner living in Malta speaking her mind and saying things the way they are.

Unfortunately many people's attitude towards criticism is that if you don't like it you can leave. That's very childish and harmful too. People like tourists and investors usually take note.

But more than anything, it means that people don't seem to want to improve much, that people are always comfortable with the status quo and people who are simply not satisfied with that are usually called 'trouble makers' or 'disloyal', 'indecent'...that's ridiculous.

The bottom line here is as follows:

• Ignorance knows no boundaries. Why oh why people don't read and try to improve their brains?
  


• People who have a critical mind have it tough especially in societies where the amount of intellectuals is negligible. It reminds me of a friend of mine who would get upset every time the topic of public safety in El Salvador was discussed among friends. He would even get up and leave the room! He was so blind that the mere idea of people actually saying that El Salvador was/is full of crime would drive him mad. He was blind...he wanted to be blind...
  

Which brings me back to another basic truth I have learned with time:

• Truth hurts.

Comments are not allowed for this post...This time I wanted to do the talking...

I gave up

I have been defeated...I gave up...I couldn't handle the full time job and the housework anymore so we contacted a nice lady who will be helping us with the housework on a weekly basis.

In my country we would have someone to clean the flat weekly and it was such a relief. After almost 4 years living in Malta I have finally come to terms with housework reality: I can't handle it with a full-time job and hubby working and studying at the same time. It was too much.

So I am happy, let's celebrate with a glass of good wine ;)

Don't bother

That's it, no more anonymous comments.

Whilst I appreciate feedback I think that like this some people will think twice before commenting. I am losing my patience with people who don't think before writing something...

I like good debate as I am used to it but good debate implies intelligent and meaningful contributions...I don't have time for anything else.

This too shall pass...

I don't know if it's the summer or that I am just feeling too lazy to blog lately...I guess it's another of those phases and I am hitting rock bottom! :)

I haven't even blog-hopped lately. Gee...Well, let's say it's because of summer.

Sarah Brightman - Deliver Me (original video)

Analysing the product

This year Malta has seen a drop in tourist arrivals. I can see it even in the streets in Sliema. The Saturday after 'pay day' the streets of Sliema were unusually empty for an August Saturday morning.

At least the usual problems of overcrowding and lack of efficient services for both locals and tourists are easier to deal with this year: less people at the restaurants, on buses, at the supermarket, in numerous shops.

You know? Something that has amazed me since I came to Malta is the number of tourists who decide to come here when the public transport is a nightmare and the customer care in several shops and supermarkets is sub-standard. Well, I guess they don't know about these things, or are willing to stand all that for a couple of weeks/months.

I mean, I can understand it if you go to Tikal to see the Maya temples. It is something unique, amazing, a life-time experience, but Malta? What are the competitive advantages compared to other European cities? The sun? There is always Spain.

These thoughts come to my mind when I witness things like what I saw yesterday at my usual 'sushi place'. I had mentioned in the past that the service is really bad: You can spend about 10 minutes waiting to get a menu which I don't mind so much because I always have a book with me and then another 5 minutes to pay.

I was waiting at the cash point to pay. I was standing next to another customer. but nobody was noticing us. We were just waiting and waiting. The guy was visibly irritated and he decided to just walk away without paying! You might say: 'They deserved it! Good for the guy! Maybe that's how they'll learn' Maybe many other people would have felt as annoyed as this guy did.

How can a tourist destination survive if the customer care is appalling? The place is very expensive? The beaches are not sandy (with a few exceptions where there is always the risk of getting stung by a used syringe) and are overcrowded? I just don't know. I mean, good for Malta but come on, don't tell me what I say above is not true and food for thought.

Maybe people here should realise that their way of handling customers is anachronic: being treated nicely is part of the tourist experience. And there are many competitors around. Maybe the drop in tourist arrivals is not only because of the crisis.

Those little things...

I am sitting down enjoying my Sunday which would otherwise be almost perfect if it weren't for the...charming...sound of the driller and the welding machine. So much for birds chirping and the likes...oh, wait a minute, I forgot that you can count yourself blessed if you ever see a bird in Malta.

It's unbelievable that even on Sundays I wake up to the sound of drilling and building machinery. Don't they ever take a break?

I often tell Red that if we really want to have a break we can't seriously consider a week 's leave to be spent at home. The noise and the temperature inside make things a bit too tough. In winter the house is too cold and in summer the humidity is unbearable. Unless you have the ACs turned on the whole day and night for both heating and cooling when applicable and good luck with the bills! It's a pity that houses are not built thinking about the harsh weather of the Maltese islands.

How can I spend a week's leave at home when all I hear is a great deal of noise related to building? I can't get up at 9 let's say because the drilling would have started. How can I spend a week at a hotel? I guess that spending a couple of days at a hotel would be ideal but a whole week? A bit too much money wise.

How tough it is to make your place comfortable! I would like to get double glazed windows to avoid the noise...money, money, money...so I have to be patient!

Those are some little things which together with the public transport (which is a very sad joke) are what affect me the most here in Malta. I think that they can affect anyone who is looking for a bit of comfort in life.