“Why in Malta?” Anna Koroniak talks about Maltese architecture, buses and house wives

June 21, 2013February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ 7 Comments

I met Anna in one of those delicate June evenings at the Upper Barrakka Garden. The light was soft, water purl in the fountain and subdued hum of couples sitting on the benches perfectly harmonized with the soft-spoken girl, holding a cup of coffee, and her gentle smile. I was not mistaken, expecting an interesting conversation.

WM: How did you find your way to Malta and for how long have you been living here?

Anna: I came to Malta almost 2 years ago, in September 2011 and there was a bunch of reasons for that. In 2010, I spent a whole year in Tunisia and was absolutely charmed by its lifestyle, there was so much life going one, so many activities and things to do. I would say, in Poland people are too much focused on their work and career, they do not have much time left to enjoy life. When I returned to Poland after the year in Tunisia, I felt as stranger, could not find myself there anymore. I needed to come back to the Mediterranean, and it was the main reason for me to come to Malta. Besides, it also was difficult to find a job in Poland. So, when I came to Malta to visit my sister, who was an Erasmus student, it was enough to get affection to the island. I also started following a course on journalism with the University of Malta.

The lifestyle in Malta is strikingly different and so are the people. I find Poles very sad, as if they have, or almost forced, to live. I absolutely love the Mediterranean lifestyle and mentality.

WM: Which part of Poland do you come from?

Anna: I came from Poznan, a city in the West of Poland, which is only 3 hours away from Berlin. It is a place of free spirit and “know-how” for a reason of opportunities. The liberating and non-conformist spirit in Poznan is stronger than anywhere else in Poland, I guess. It is also a city of youth and students, they actually make a half of the population. The vibes of youth allow a real freedom of expression and sexual choices, with many gay clubs and parades for equality.

WM: At the moment, are you studying or working?

Anna: I work as a private English teacher and I also worked in the World Aviation Group.

WM: What do you love the most about Malta?

Anna (smiling): Most definitely, architecture! Wherever I walk in Malta, be it St. Julian’s, or Valletta, or Rabat, the architecture amazes me. I am completely perplexed by the way houses are built, by the absence of any general plan. At first, when I came here, I thought I would never get used to this chaos of styles and types of buildings, it seemed crazy and messy. Now I am in love with it. Another thing I love very much is the Maltese tango society. The most interesting people in Malta and my best friends belong to this society.

WM: Do you prefer to socialize with the Maltese or with compatriots?

Anna: For me, it does not matter where a person comes from, but at the same time, I almost consciously avoid Polish people, there is too little in common between us now. Here, in Malta I made friends with people from different countries and many of them are Maltese.

WM: What do you find most amusing in Malta?

Anna (laughing): I have already thought about it! It may sound funny, but I have to say, it is Maltese housewives. Please, do not take me wrong, I have nothing against them at all! (laughing). Or should I say, it is not the housewives themselves but the sense of propriety and the competition between them? In fact, my aunt is a housewife, however, of a very different mentality. I know, in some small remote villages, women have particular ways of hanging laundry, they sort it by colour or by type of items and it is almost a rule. If a housewife steps back from this rule, she will be labelled lazy and condemned by others. This urge for perfection in drying laundry seems very amusing to me, especially, the judgement made for such a reason. I was also amazed to know about a ‘dark room’ in many Maltese houses.

WM: A dark room??!

Anna: Yes, a room which is always kept in the best way possible, dusted every day and left with curtains shuttered. It is done for guests: in case they decide to visit, the room will be in perfect order, displaying diligence of the housekeepers (smiling). Some people even have a set of dark rooms. I have never experienced it anywhere else, Maltese are so much keen on the opinion of other members from their community, they are afraid of judgement for untidy rooms.

WM: Must say, when I heard a similar story, I took it as a joke! What is the funniest accident that happened to you in Malta?

Anna: I cannot recall many accidents. Once I went on the bus and the driver asked me what number of the bus she was driving.

WM: Is there anything in Malta you cannot get used to?

Anna: Buses. In terms of logistics, they are uncomfortable and very difficult to get used to. Another thing, maybe, is anonymous living. In Malta it is very hard to be an anonymous, completely by yourself.

WM: Are you going to stay in Malta for long?

No, unfortunately. I am leaving Malta in two months. I am going to miss it and my friends a lot, but the most important, that I understood what I want to do in life and where I want to be.

Why in Malta? Introduction to the project and the authour’s story

June 21, 2013February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ 5 Comments

Malta is not only a beautiful island in the Mediterranean; it also is a truly international place with 36 thousands of its residents of a foreign origin. It makes 8% of the whole population which slightly exceeds 450 thousands people. In many European countries ‘immigrant problem’ is close to a boiling point, far right movements are gaining popularity as well as cases of national and religious intolerance are more frequently reported by the media. In Malta, it seems, expats and Maltese manage to co-exist in peace, with only a few exceptions reported. So what does make Malta unique? Why does it attract so many foreigners, wishing to settle down on the small island state? Is its charm reserved only to the heavenly climate and beautiful landscapes? These and many other subjects will be discussed with expats who now call Malta their second motherland.

Being an immigrant myself, I regularly meet interesting people from different countries and cultures, who not only find harmony in living in Malta but also contribute to making this country a unique place. The aim of the “Why in Malta?” initiative is to share stories of foreign residents living in Malta, to discover and unveil their impressions from the country. I believe, real life stories speak lot better than discussions on tolerance to different cultures or efforts of political correctness.

Why in Malta? The Author’s story

I came to Malta for the first time in November 2007 – my first experience of a Western country, or, in other words, of a non-Russian speaking country. It was a very short stay to attend the international conference Pacem in Maribus (PIM) and, despite a short term, it still managed to change my life completely. In the beginning, it was very embarrassing for me to communicate with the other participants due to limitations of my English. I could only say “my name is…” and “I am from…”, the rest of time I had to smile and nod without clear understanding. But it was only in the beginning. On the second and the third days of the conference, my communicative nature won over the lack of English and I managed to talk (mostly, using signs and primitive words) with many influential people from all over the world. Coming from a Southern province of Russia, before the PIM experience I had not have a chance to meet foreigners, and could only rely on the impression of others, who often described foreigner people as “too pragmatic” and “soulless”. In 2007 in Malta I found out it was so untrue.

Another reason why I will always remain grateful to Malta is because it managed to breathe life back into me. Two previous to 2007 years were quite dark and desperate, but the darkness vanished under Maltese sun. For two more weeks, already back home, I did not bother to notice the gloomy, rainy weather, and still could see the palms, the sea and the boats on the horizon. Yes, the impressions all together worked wonders.

Realization of how important it is to know English was an immediate advantage of that short stay in November 2007, and so I made an effort to learn it as quickly as possible. Naturally, we tend to return to places where we felt good, and so did I. A short holiday in Malta was needed to explore it more, and the memories of the sunny and warm January days kept me warm until April. The third visit to Malta happened in November 2008, one year after the first one. This time it was for a 5 week course on Ocean Governance (which became the first stable bridge between me and Malta), followed by another course on ecological modelling few months later. Almost miraculously, during my prolonged holiday in Malta after the course in June 2009, the University of Malta issued a call for a post that matched my expertise precisely. Important things always come at the right time; it was one of such cases. In October 2009 I arrived to Malta to stay and work, having no detailed future plans but with an intention to stay here and to become a part of the country.

The story would not be complete if I do not mention another very important reason for me to come to Malta. I happened to meet a Maltese guy who I fell in love with. The distance between us, entry visas, and international bureaucracy were a big challenge. I always believed that home is where the heart is (even though my heart had a tendency to change ‘locations’). That time it seemed worth the enormous struggle with obstacles, and I was fully ready for the adventure. Those, thinking it is easy for a non-EU citizen to move to Malta, cannot be more wrong. The road led me to Malta was rather full of thorns, not rose petals.

After almost 4 years of living in Malta I have become as much Maltese as possible for a Russian person. All friends of mine, with a few exceptions, are Maltese. It might sound funny, but I picked up many Maltese words and I constantly mix them with English once or say them even when speaking Russian (!). Another amusing fact is that, somehow, I learnt to swear in Maltese too and, even more amusing, proud of it. Despite their utter vulgarity, those emotional sentences are made in such an unimaginably creative way that it leaves me astonished. Concluding the story, I would say, yes, I do call Malta home now, there are too many connections with the country and its people, that I would rather be here than anywhere else.

2012 in pictures. Part 2

December 29, 2012February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ Leave a comment

2012 was an awesome year for me. Besides a number of interesting activities, it brought many photographic opportunities. The results of these opportunities are shared on this page, I would call it a summary of my photographic activity.

For more photos please check http://raisatarasova.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/2012-in-pictures-part-1/

AUGUST

Farmer’s market in Ta’ Qali
Farmer’s market in Ta’ Qali, Malta, was my main food supplier this summer. Locally grown, fresh food and vegetable of great quality from friendly and cheerful farmers, make it a great place for food shopping. Besides all the other advantages of this place, prices for such quality products are more than appropriate. With 20 Euro be prepared to fill up 5 or 6 bags – the amount of food enough for two weeks!

Farmer's market in Ta' Qali. Farmers are selling the freshly harvested fruits and vegetables — Farmer’s market in Ta’ Qali. Farmers are selling the freshly harvested fruits and vegetables

Fireworks of Lija
Fireworks of this small Maltese village (Lija) are among most impressive on the world’s scale.

State funeral of Dom Mintoff
25th August was a hot sunny day, when thousands of Maltese citizens gathered in Valletta to give a final farewell to the former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. Before heading to Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, where the funeral mass was held, the body was kept at the Palace in Valletta. Once public tribute was over, the doors of the Palace closed, leaving a great emotional tension in the air. Few minutes after the doors revealed a coffin covered with the national flag. The crowd greeted the deceased Prime Minister with applauses and weeps, chanting “Viva Mintoff! Mintoff! Mintoff”.

More photos can be found here (check my fellow photographer’s blog): http://ontestinggrounds.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/101/

Once public tribute to the former Prime Minister was over, the doors of the Palace closed leaving emotional tension in the air. Few minutes will pass before the doors will reveal a coffin covered with a national flag. The guards are ready to give the final farewell, — Once public tribute to the former Prime Minister had been over, the doors of the Palace closed leaving emotional tension in the air. Few minutes passed before the doors revealed a coffin covered with a national flag. The guards were ready to give the final farewell.

SEPTEMBER

A man with harmonica
This photo was snapped in my home town Astrakhan at the City Day feast (16th September). Ethnic Tatar man with harmonica was playing, singing Tatar national songs and, by all means, he was having fun despite the surprised looks of the passers-by.

A man with harmonica (Astrakhan, 16th September 2012)

OCTOBER

The stairway to heaven
Two schoolboys climbing up the ladder on the school playground. This photo was taken in my home town, Astrakhan, on 2nd October.

Happy birthday to Tango!
On Saturday, 27th October, all tango lovers living in Malta gathered to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the introduction this dance to the Maltese public. The event took place at Palazzo del Piro in Malta’s medieval capital, Mdina, and was organized by Isla del Tango.

More about Isla del Tango here: http://isladeltango.com/

Tango passion. Celebration of the 15th anniversary of tango in Malta (27th October, Mdina, Malta)

NOVEMBER

Exhibition of greeting cards “A window to our past”
Exhibition of vintage Soviet greeting cards from my (family and own) collection was held in Valletta, Malta, from 7th till 15th November at the Russian Centre for Science and Culture. The exhibited cards symbolized the epoch gone with the wind.

DECEMBER

Ban animal circus!
The protest against animal circus in Malta was organized by movement Graffiti and happened in Valetta, Malta on 12th December. Around a hundred of protesters gathered in Valletta to express their disapproval of the animal abuse at the circus.

For more photos of Malta check the blog of Darrin Zammit Lupi, one of Malta’s most renown professional photographers:
http://darrinzammitlupi.wordpress.com/

2012 in pictures. Part 1

December 28, 2012February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ 2 Comments

JANUARY

Testing my new Canon lens in Mdina.
1^st January 2012. Mdina.

FEBRUARY

Carnival in Valletta (19th February 2012)

MARCH

Perfect storm
Stormy weather on 10^th March 2012 in Valletta, Malta.

Ragusa Ibla
In March I travelled to Ragusa, Sicily, where this photo was snapped.

Architecture of Ragusa Ibla (the old, historic part of the Sicilian town Ragusa) is truly magnificent

MAY

Cannabis March
The march supporting legalization of cannabis was organized by movement Graffiti and held in Valletta on 5^th May 2012.

Cannabis March held in Valletta, Malta on 5th May 2012

JUNE

First day of June. Filfla.

Steve McCurry Meet and Greet Session

Maltese public had a splendid opportunity to meet one of the world’s most renowned photographers, Steve McCurry, on 19^th June at Malta Conference Centre.

If you are not familiar with Steve McCurry’s works, then (shame on you!) have a look at his blog http://stevemccurry.wordpress.com/, it is a must-do!

Steve McCurry Meet and Greet Session on 19th June, Valletta, Malta

JULY

March against institutional racism

The silent protest against institutional racism was held on 11^th July. Protesters tried to attract public attention to the murder of two immigrants, Mamadou Kamara and Ifeanyi Nwokoye, at the detention centre.

“Next Door Family EU project” or the language of friendship does not need translation

November 19, 2012February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ 4 Comments

Yesterday, on the 18th of November, I had a pleasure to participate in the Next Door Family EU project. Here, in Malta, the project brings together Maltese and non-EU families to have a lunch on a particular date. Every meal is attended by one Maltese family (which can be either a host or a guest), one non-EU family and an assistant.

Information about the project can be found here: http://www.nextdoorfamily.eu/ma/index.php/en/2-project/1-next-door-family-project-eu.

I learnt about the project from a friend of mine a week and a half before the date. The idea sounded very appealing, indeed, though, due to the lack of free time I could apply as a guest only. To be honest, I felt a pity about ‘poor hosts’ who would have to prepare a meal for me and my partner, as we are both very selective in food, but in different ways . Both of us are vegetarians, he cannot even stand smell of sea food (which I love); one would have to torture or to starve me before feeding me pasta, French fries or any processed food – also so popular among Maltese people – are out of the question. The organisers let me know, the couple who applied as hosts were seriously worried (let’s say, frustrated, as they could not decide what to cook). Perhaps, it was the food frustration I gave to the supposed hosts, that led to changing of the plan. Three days before the event, I got to know the Maltese couple could not host us. Apparently, there was another guest couple who could not manage to arrange the lunch with their Canadian hosts. The news left me with two options: to become a host myself or to postpone my participation until the next time. And I chose the first option. The project really looked meaningful and participating in it was irresistible.

Getting ready to host the Maltese couple and the assistance was quite a challenge, considering other ongoing activities we were involved in. Preparation of a traditional Russian meal takes a lot of time and effort. A festive table must be covered with food and drinks, and new dishes and bottles are placed as soon as previous disappear – a pleasant succession. Not only the lack of time was challenging in my case, but also lack of space in the fridge to store prepared dishes, lack of pots and lack of space in general. These conditions forced me to sacrifice the possible great variety of salads, pies and other yummies that could have been cooked otherwise. The vegetarian meal was planned with love and care, though. Russian salad Vinegret (sour cabbage, boiled beetroot, carrots, carrots, salted cucumbers, onions and peas) and Maltese brushcetta – for the start; potato mush, aubergine towers, mushrooms in batter, slices of pepper – for the main course; Russian sweets and Maltese roly-poly as a desert. And, of course, in the centre of the table, on the improvised Maltese flag made of white and red napkins, there was a selection of drinks. Russian soft drinks, vodka “Russian Standard” (oh, that smooth, soft, liquid fire!), Hennessy, red and white wines (that we did not even managed to get to) were waiting to welcome my guests.

Vodka "Russian standard", French cognac "Hennesy", Maltese white and red wines on the improvised Maltese flag made from a white and a red napkinds. Soft drinks were added later on. — Vodka “Russian standard”, French cognac “Hennessy”, Maltese white and red wines on the improvised Maltese flag made from a white and a red napkins. Soft drinks were added later on (picture by Martin Galea de Giovanni with a mobile photo camera)

The guests, Mary-Rose and Joe from Tarxien, assisted by a sweet British young man Daniel, came to my apartment with a smile, an open heart and some more food (rice salad from Mary-Rose, and humus from Daniel). The lunch could not be better. When the starters were over, we toasted with vodka to our meeting (“Za vstrechu!”). “You have to drink it in one gulp!” I warned my guests, and they showed class, I must say. After a while, proceeding with the main course, we toasted to friendship (“Za druzhbu!”) with some Hennessy. Deserts were served together with the special tea (black tea leaves, infused accordingly to the Russian tradition).

Russian romances were playing on the background, and we were talking as if had already known each other for years. So many subjects were discussed – life in Malta and politics, health, Maltese and Russian wedding traditions, customs and hospitality. We even sang to each other – Mary and Joe sang in Maltese, and me – in Russian. The atmosphere of warmth embraced us so much that we even forgot to take a photo of us around the table :).

Speaking about the project in general, I believe, such activities cultivate understanding, tolerance and assimilating in the new home country better than slogans and politically correct statements. Nothing is so powerful than the experience of meeting people from a country with different traditions and realising how much in common there is between us all. Yes, we speak different languages, cook different meals, but the language of friendship does not need translation, it is understood by everyone.

N.B. If a Japanese family living in Malta decides to take part in the project, may I take liberty to propose myself as a guest? 🙂

Born in the USSR

July 10, 2012February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ 3 Comments

Generation of early 1980s witnessed the wind of change at its best (or worst?). Such an extreme shift in the country’s politics and economy left a deep mark on those born in the still-USSR. The agony of USSR coincided with the most innocent and careless period of our lives – childhood.

In the 80s Lenin was everywhere – the main streets were named after him, his full-face and profile portraits were everywhere and so were red sickle-n-hammer flags with yellow fringe. We knew the lyrics and the legends about him by heart; this kind-looking man in a cap was smiling to kids from so many book pages. “Granddad Lenin likes clean plates!” – our nannies used to tell us instructively. “Study, study and study! (V.I.Lenin)” preached the posters on the class wall. His authority could not be questioned. International worker’s day was always fun – sitting on pony’s back and holding little red flags flickering on fresh May’s breeze.

In 1991, already after the army dudes failed to hold the power yet before the official death of USSR, me and my classmates were honoured a title “octyabryonok” – the youngest grade of Soviet youth which then would have promoted to “pioneer” and “komsomoletz”. The brown school uniform with the red star badge attached to the top became our second skin for 4 years, despite all the changes happening in the country.

me in 1992 wearing school uniform and the badge

Suddenly they told us “we lied to you about Lenin. He was a mean man with malicious intentions, and the miseries we are facing are entirely his fault”. The problems at that time were not a joke: a total deficit of all types of goods, rapid inflation and insecurity. In 1992-1993 prices were growing every day, making it 10-30 times higher at the end of the year in comparison with the beginning. This rapid inflation flushed away all the savings of 90% of population which meant utter poverty. The savings my family had, before 1992 were enough for a two bedroom apartment and a car, in 1993 same amount was worth only a fridge, in 1995 – a few loaves of bread. I remember going to buy bread, standing in a queue for an hour, and every day it would become more and more expensive. If in January 1992 bread coasted 1 ruble then in a year the price was already 24 rubles. The worst thing was the endless queues for anything and food tickets. Food available was crap – liver sausages that I will hate for the rest of my life and Italian spaghetti of the lowest quality (maybe, that’s why I dislike pasta so much). For a child like me, queues were annoying but bearable – I played with other children in a queue, right in a store or outside. Queuing in winters and summer was a tough experience, queues often did not fit in a store and a long tail of it stayed outside, struggling with freezing snowstorms or melting under scorching sun. Often a few hours of waiting used to end up in nothing – food supplies could finish just before your turn. Especially often it happened when my grandfather was sent for a food mission. He was such a gentleman that could not resist offering his turn to every lady with a child (of course, my grandma did not adore this habit). And the worst was yet to come…

Wild 90s gave us another surprise – in 1994 governmental employees stopped receiving their monthly pay. Sometimes salaries were 5-6 or even more months overdue. Grandparents’ pensions saved us from starving. Their veteran status was beneficial too – from time to time we could buy delicacies from a special store for veterans.

Security was going down as fast as prices were going up. The blast of crimes shocked everyone, it was no longer safe to leave a child playing outside. Sounds of shots became a common thing. If you do not believe how bad it was, I can tell you my two school mates, one 15 and the other one 16, were murdered for SEGA game and a video player.

Whist majority was struggling for survival, the small group of enterprising people was multiplying they yeast-like growing wealth. We witnessed a huge mentality shift and changes of values. Whatever was good for USSR became a taboo in the newborn Russian Federation, and the opposite. Thus, money became everything and could justify anything, including the way they were earned. “Losers” learned the new truth “The rich is always right”.

However, do not think everything was bad in the 90s. Yes, we did not have enough food and not always it was delicious. Yes, some of us did not have nice clothes to wear (whereas others had plenty of them). But there was some great rock music; bands like Kino, Nautilus and DDT (highly recommended) fuelled our hearts with passion. Music helped us to pass though the hard time and save our sanity. For worse or for better, we always be the last generation born in USSR who witnessed the historical change, and who learnt two very important lessons: first – with an empty stomach, freedom seems incomplete and not so desired and second – truth is never a constant, it is a variable.

Odyssey: impressions from Meet and Greet session with Steve McCurry and his exhibition

June 26, 2012February 15, 2017 ~ MaltaSketches ~ 2 Comments

On Tuesday, 19th June I was lucky to attend Meet and Greet session with Steve McCurry, one of the greatest photographers of modern era. It was hard to believe this humble person, sitting in front of the audience, was the author of the world’s most recognizable portray – the portrait of Afghan girl. There was so much in him – peace, sincerity, openness. And not even a hint of pride or superiority. Seeing a person whose eyes had seen so much, I suddenly felt connected to all the countries and events he photographed. I had such a desire to hug him and shake his hand.

When he kindly and patiently was signing prints for everybody I noticed he was left-handed with his right hand not fully functional. Can imagine what a challenge it must have been to take photos for a person with a limited hand functionality. Nevertheless, faces and scenes captured by his camera became immortal. Those are works of a real master.

The audience was quite mixed – glamorous girls and guys, Maltese elite that took a chance to present their designer’s outfits and tan, professional photographers and other interested in photography people. One thought got firmly stuck to my minds: what does the portrait of Afghan girl mean to the glamorous elite? A famous picture with the author’s signature to be hang on the wall? An image of the horrible life they had no idea about?

The event received strong publicity: newspapers along with bloggers complemented to McCurry’s incredible talent, describing his most famous works and explaining why the photos are so wonderful. Strange enough, both, bloggers and newspapers, mentioned same photos. Oh yes, I understand, photos of the Afghan girl and the Peruvian boy became iconic, they deserve fame, but still, there are so many more far less known photos of Steve McCurry that have so much life in them, such a story to tell. Amusing but true – photographs have a destiny too, some are luckier than others, some have won their ticket to eternity, others might be forgotten and rediscovered as paintings of Vermeer years after.

My feeling about the exhibition was pretty similar – great iconic images known for years. I wish there would have been a greater number of McCurry’s less famous photos. Unlike a painting, a photograph does not reveal more when presented at the exhibition, there is no “master’s hand touch” feeling, no brush strokes, in other words, no secret details that are only visible on the original. That is why, in my opinion, the exhibition should have presented not only photos with the name to public.

My favourite photo from the exhibited was the one of camels on the background of burning Kuwait oil. Such a piercing image! I think I know why McCurry’s photos penetrate so deep – beauty in them is inseparable from suffers and horror to such an extent that it is hard to discern what exactly is so hypnotizing about them – the horror of reality or the beauty of colours and composition. Photos of joy were there as well – beautiful, peaceful, inspiring.

My biggest question after the exhibition was about the Afghan girl. Her image has become iconic, no doubt, it will live longer than the model and will continue excite living ones with its mysteries. Despite miserable life, she was luckier than any beautiful girl from a rich family that saw wars on TV only. We are immortal as long as we live in minds of others. And that girl certainly got it, wonder if she realizes it herself.

Maltasketches

Malta through the eyes of an outsider

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