Malta

I have spent now the first week in Malta and its a bit slower than I imagined it. Living here for sure is very different from being here on holidays. On holidays you relax and if something takes a bit longer, you don't stress, you are on holidays. One needs to get used to the 'island time' a lot of people and businesses are on. My ex-colleague called this month - 'august summer shutdown' which I guess is very accurate considering a lot of people go on holiday, most likely to escape the high heat and high tourism influx. But that makes me question general ways of doing things - if one posts a job offer but then heads out to holiday and has noone else to cover the applications (that to be honest deserves a whole chapter - the new style of job search). Or ways the property market is managed by flat owners and agents. I personally find it crazy that you would have owner who is also willing to pay half of the rent in agency fees. I guess it is a sort of security for them. Why would you not try to directly offer the apartment unless owners have responsibility towards agency and they have to pay them anyway, so they might as well keep the agent doing all the work.

The weather is really hot though, I mean like constant hot. But at least it is predictable. So I can easily leave the house without a jacket and just a small scarf in my bag and I will be fine :) I guess I should spend at least couple of mornings on the beach, getting a little bit of a tan. And I shouldn't shy away from spending a little bit of money travelling as long as I can get to know more people, talk to locals and understand more about this island, culture and their ways of doing things. 

Like today I'm going for a guided tour of Valletta. Learn and see and meet! I'm excited.