-Where were you born?

I was born in Budapest, Hungary but moved to Malmö, Sweden with my family when I was 1.5 years old.

-In which country and city are you living now?

In St. Julian's, Malta

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I am living with my French boyfriend.

-How long have you been living in Malta?

For 8 years , but I spent 6 months of those in London.

-What is your age?

27

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Malta?

I first came to Malta to study English in 2004 and fell in love with the country. It was very easy for me to make the decision to move here. My main reason was to study at the University of Malta, which was completely for free and with lessons taught in English. Also, Malta is just a short flight from home and I knew that I could fly home  often, directly and cheaply. Another factor that helped me decide was was the fantastic weather! Do I need to compare Sweden to Malta? Malta is also bilingual, which makes it very easy to adjust, make friends and find a job.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

Since Malta is in the European Union it was no problem at all.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

Not at all

-How do you make your living in Malta? Do you have any type of income generated?

I think that it is quite easy to find a job in Malta. When I first arrived I was just 19 years old and the first job I took was as a waitress. This job was extremely easy to find as there are so many restaurants everywhere in Malta. I worked there for about 2 months and then I found out how many foreign betting companies are situated in Malta. Since these betting companies offer customer care in several languages it was very easy finding a job as a Swedish customer care agent. I got this job through a friend who was already working there. However, there are several recruitment agencies who only work with betting companies and getting in touch with them is a good step.

Once I was finished with my studies I stopped my part-time job as a customer care agent and started working on a project with my boyfriend. We purchased the website www.malta.com two years ago and completely rebuilt the whole site. The new version has only been live for one year so this website is something that we are working very hard on. Registering a company in Malta is also very easy and all the guidelines are very straightforward.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

As Malta is bi-lingual I don't feel that it is very important to speak Maltese in addition to English. Almost everyone speaks English and most things are written in English too. However, if you intend to work in a government institution I do think that it is important to speak Maltese.  I noticed this through my studies and the placements I had.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

I miss my family, friends and Sweden a lot. I feel that it is not always easy making friends in Malta as people just stay a few months and then leave. I miss the nature and greenery that there is in Sweden.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

We are planning to spend half our time in Malta and the other half in France from next year. We are also going to continue to develop malta.com and promote Malta so that more people can see how great this island is.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We have been renting different flats for years as there are so many to choose from. A nice flat in St. Julian's with 2-3 bedrooms costs around 600-800 EUR and a penthouse with 2 bedrooms and a sea view costs around 1400 EUR.

After spending money on rent for so many years, we decided that it was better to buy a flat. Now we are paying the loan each month instead of rent to someone else and that's great. We now have our own home right in St. Julian's with great views over the whole bay.

-What is the cost of living in Malta?

When considering what the average wage is in Malta I think that it is quite expensive here.  Food might be a bit cheaper but rents, eating out, clothes, bills...not really.

-What do you think about the locals? 

The locals are very friendly and helpful and will always help you and go out of their way for you. However, the service in Malta can be really terrible.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Malta?

The great thing about living in Malta is that the weather is great. You can spend so much time outdoors rock climbing, trekking, jogging and just having a great time. BBQ in December and swimming in October. As Malta is so small nothing is far away and you don't have to commute hours to get to work. There are also people from all over the world in Malta and it's fantastic because you meet so many great people and you learn a lot.

The negative thing is that as it is so small, you can get bored of Malta quite fast. What works for us is that we travel quite often and then we are always happy when we are here. Malta also lacks greenery and nature, it is a very dry island, but then we have the sea compensating for that :)

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Malta?

I was living in Malta for years and there were still so many places I hadn't visited yet, especially in the south. I think that people living here should try different things that will make them discover the island. I joined a rock climbing club and I have seen so many beautiful spots in Malta, I’m just amazed. Also, there are a lot of local events in Malta that are really nice, you just have to do the research. I always think that there there is not much going on in Malta, but there is.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Malta?

www.malta.com –  An online guide about Malta ideal both for tourists and locals
www.maltaweather.com Great site to check the weather

-Where were you born?

London, England

-In which country and city are you living now?  

Gozo, Malta

-Are you living alone or with your family?

With my wife.

-How long have you been living in Malta?

 4 years now.

-What is your age?

54

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Malta?

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

In my case it was not required.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

No, there are many options to choose from and it is easily available.

-How do you make your living in Malta? Do you have any type of income generated?

-Do you speak Maltese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

We of course miss the regular contact with family and friends, I still see most of them once or twice a year as they either come here for a break and we intend to return to the UK at least once a year. Here in Gozo we are walking distance from the sea, we did not have that in London.

Restaurants in Malta and Gozo are cheap (again compared to London) and the standard of food is high. The lovely Gozitan countryside encourages you to walk more often, and if you like your Gym membership this is cheaper than London also. You do not have the choice here that we had in London when it comes to clothes, furniture and any electrical goods. I came here to live the Mediterranean life, if I had wanted London I would have stayed in London.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

Future plans involve the restoration of another derelict farmhouse we have found (400 years old). To develop my 'Fire Safety Consultancy' into a thriving business. To explore the nearby countries to Malta, we are very close to north Africa, Italy and not far from Cyprus and Greece.

To see if I can find that ideal work life balance that so many people look for in life.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We bought a derelict 200 year old farmhouse 5 years ago, it took 2 years to bring it back to its former glory, we kept as many of the original features as possible and added a few modern day luxuries. I will try to offer a list of properties to give an example of prices, these will of course change over time, these examples are correct as of October 2008.

-What is the cost of living in Malta?

Compared to the UK:

More expensive: Cars, clothing, white goods, computers, TV's, furniture, books.

Cheaper:  Gas, locally produced fresh food, local wine, income tax, no council tax at all.

Overall, living in Malta / Gozo is slightly cheaper than the UK although the gap seems to be closing. 

The British have been a big influence here for a long, long time and much of the infrastructure is set up as in the UK, as such the locals do like the British and interact very well. Malta and Gozo have a thriving expat community and yet I have more local friends than I do expat friends. The locals are friendly to all foreigners as this is in the nature of the locals.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Malta?

 After living in London, Gozo is the exact opposite, life is slow, relaxed, nothing happens quickly or immediately, so if you are used to people jumping to your command forget it, it ain't happening here. Customer services in some areas of business may not be to the standard you are used to.

In a nutshell the slow life, the sea and superb weather. Winter sunshine is average 7 hours a day with low temperature around 12c. You can almost guarantee no rainfall between the months of late April to the first week in September, yes the summer is that predictable, daytime highs in August will be 35c - 40c with 12 hours of sunshine a day.

A recent report has named Malta as one of the safest holiday destinations in the world. The report also goes on to praise the island’s roads which have the lowest fatality rate in the EU, this of course is due to slower road speeds and the much shorter distances traveled.

These are very small communities on the Maltese Islands, when you live here you have to be very guarded with what you may not want other people to know, people talk and things you may have said have an uncanny habit of coming back to you through third parties.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Malta?

Spend as much time as you can here as possible, before making your mind up to live here. I love it; it suits my wife and I 100%, but we are all different, it may not suit everyone.

Make sure you visit the islands outside the peak summer months as between the months of October and April the Islands have a completely different feel to them. Also keep in mind that to holiday here is different from living here. If you intend to live in an apartment, town house or old farmhouse when you come to live here, then make sure you rent whichever applies when you come and stay on holidays, not a four or five star hotel.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Malta?

• http://www.schfiresafety.com  Fire safety consultancy offering consultancy services to architects, builders, planners, businesses. Staff training, fire risk assesment and fire safety audits.

• http://in-search-of-nirvana.blogspot.com: This is my own blog about my expat life, Gozo, Music, Malta, Wine, Fire Service, Fire Safety, Poker, London, Politics, European Union, Travel and Eco - technology.

• http://www.an-american-in-malta.com: This web site is for expatriates living in Malta--and for people  anywhere considering or planning to move to Malta.  If you're about to retire, work or study in Malta, here are the facts you need.

• http://www.gozo.gov.mt: All you need to know about the sunny Maltese Island of Gozo.

-Where were you born?
Berlin, Germany

-In which country and city are you living now?
Island of Gozo, Malta

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I'm living with my (Maltese) husband and 21-year-old son - my 22-year-old son moved to Malta to follow a career as software developer; he does come home most weekends though.

-How long have you been living in Malta?
23 24 years... and counting!

-What is your age?
48 49 years young

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Malta?
Hmmm... It was that age-old story of single gal meeting Prince Charming while on vacation. The year 1983 goes down in history for me as the year with a record number of vacations abroad as I went to Gozo in June/July, October and December, to be able to be with my boyfriend... The result was a serious low tide in my bank account. So the decision to move here permanently was the logical conclusion! I finally moved to Gozo in April 1984.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
It would have been difficult in those days if we hadn't married. We got married in July '84, and with that I was automatically granted freedom of movement.

Today, citizens from countries outside the European Union, still cannot take up residence here “just like that”. But if you have sufficient funds to purchase property (which is a condition) and to sustain your living here, a residence permit is relatively easy to obtain.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Some of you might find this hard to believe, but I never even thought about that. But again, with my marriage that was taken care of as well, as I was then automatically insured with my husband.

Malta has an excellent public health care system – every permanent resident has the right to free medical treatment, provided you use the public facilities (hospital, policlinics). Nowadays, Malta has reciprocal medical care agreements with a number of countries – especially for EU citizens there should be no problems (make sure you get the form E121 from your health insurance in your country of origin before leaving for Malta!).

-How do you make your living in Malta? Do you have any type of income generated?
When I first moved here, tourism was the only option for me to work in. I was quite lucky in that respect because there was hardly anybody in Gozo who was fluent in German. I started out as a part-time holiday rep for various tour operators, then gradually moved up “the ladder”: first on to a full-time hotel receptionist job, and later I worked as front office manager and reservations manager.

However, tourism was never really the field I wanted to work in; I quit my employment at the end of the summer season of 2005. I just felt I’d had enough after almost 20 years! I’m now trying to make money with a little bit of writing, web design and translations. Difficult to make a living though – thankfully my husband is still working, our son is grown-up (and employed) and life isn’t too expensive!

Update July 2008: I have been in employment again since November 2007. But although I'm back in tourism - I'm working for a 5-star hotel in Gozo - it's not as bad as it could be. I was lucky to get a position in public relations, which is close enough to my writing aspirations to be quite satisfied and happy with my work! :)

-Do you speak Maltese and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
You’ll get by very well with the use of English – which is the second official language in Malta. Correspondence with public authorities is usually bilingual. Having said that, I started learning Maltese round about the time when my son started school; I’m now almost fluent and can also read it. Writing is sooo difficult, though!!

Yes, I think it’s important – though perhaps not vital – to learn a country’s language. It was and is my way of showing people that I truly belong here! As for local customs in general, I think it goes without saying that customs and traditions ought to be respected.

Local customs are not too exotic in the case of Malta. Probably the one practice standing out like a sore thumb is the obsession with letting off fireworks, and most notably extremely noisy petards, during the various village festas, which stretch over a whole week and culminate in a flurry of outdoors activity on the weekend. Each Maltese and Gozitan village celebrates its patron saint on a designated festa weekend, most of them during the summer period, between May and October.

It would be wrong not to mention bird hunting and trapping, which is sadly still “big” in Malta and Gozo, although awareness among the Maltese people has risen considerably in the past few years. Those who practice this kind of pastime insist that it is their right to keep up the tradition… I think only education of the next generations can put a stop to it, eventually!

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I mostly miss my dad and my sister, but I don’t think I was ever really homesick until my return from Berlin after a business trip (manning a Gozo stand at an international tourism fair) in 1999. I attended again the same fair (ITB) last March, and together with a friend organised a 31 year reunion of our old school class. I was able to help a lot with tracing people by way of the internet, and setting up a website for the reunion. It was fabulous, and such a great success – very satisfying! In the wake of that… I’m now rather missing old friends and contacts again. I think that also has something to do with getting to an age that makes you prone to fits of nostalgia!

My favourite recreational activity?? SHOPPING! In capital letters! It would be exaggerated to compare Gozo to a third-world country, but doing grocery shopping in a supermarket in Berlin makes a Gozitan supermarket look like a fraud!

Other than that, I miss the opportunity to go to rock concerts – yes, even at my age!! Malta has started to attract a few, albeit aging, rock stars, like Roger Hodgson (who’s my all-time favourite!), Sting, Roger Waters and Robert Plant.

Both shopping and concerts are limited in Malta, probably because the numbers of audiences/customers are not high enough with a total population of under half a million… which results in limited choice and high prices.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
I’m desperate to get my writing “out there,” which is not as easy as I thought it would be. I’ve contributed a good number of articles to the Maltese press and a local Sunday paper magazine, even self-published a novel. My dream is not to get rich with writing, but to earn enough to make a valid contribution to the family budget…

One major project of mine has just come to a successful conclusion:A guide-book (in German) titled “Leben und Arbeiten in Malta” (Living and Working in Malta) was published in September 2007 by Gentlemen’s Digest Verlag, Berlin. I am hoping to secure the contract for its English edition as well.

Update July 2008: Unfortunately, I was not able to get ANY publisher interested in the English version. Because of the tremendous amount of work that its translation would bring, I decided not to do it on my own account. Sorry...

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
At least in Gozo it is still rather common to own property rather than renting. Renting a house or apartment is mostly done short-term, perhaps while looking for a suitable property to buy. However, as prices have increased considerably, it will not be as easy as it used to be, for young people to buy property.

We were very lucky to buy our house – with the generous help of my dad! – when we did in 1989. Prices began shooting up shortly afterwards; if we were to sell it today we’d probably get something like twenty times the amount we paid.

A two-bedroom house with kitchen/living/dining costs something in the region of € 190,000; an apartment ca. € 70,000. But prices vary a lot, depending on the view, comfort (e. g. pool or at least space for one) and location.

-What is the cost of living in Malta?
The cost of living has risen like it has everywhere else. Until the mid-80s many items were imported under a bulk-buying system by the labour government – which was in many ways communist-influenced. Life was simply cheap – but choice was extremely limited and the private importation of many goods was prohibited.

Today the market is wide open. You can buy anything and everything – but obviously at a price. Imported goods cannot be as cheap as in the rest of Europe due to limited quantities and cost of transport. If your standards are not too high you can live off a very limited budget (I’m putting that to practice at the moment!). Update July 2008: I USED to put that to practice, until taking up regular employment again! ;)

At present, there are no further expenses if you own property, such as poll tax, garbage collection, etc.

-What do you think about the Maltese people?
The Maltese in general have a reputation of friendliness and hospitality, and that hasn’t changed too much. But just as it happens everywhere else, especially in tourist destinations, you do find people who begin to get wary of foreigners. Moreover, Malta is facing a very serious problem with illegal immigration as boatloads of refugees of African origin land on an almost daily basis, which has led to racist tendencies in certain quarters.

But the majority of the Maltese are as welcoming as they have always been, and many of them will go out of their way to help where help is needed.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Malta?

Positive Aspects:

I used to mention the weather (see negative aspects for the rebuttal!!); fact is that temperatures are mild almost all the year round. There is no frost, no snow – ever! Rainy days are something you learn to look forward to.

If you are a “sea person,” this is the place to be. You’re never farther than a 30-minute drive away from a dip into the Mediterranean Sea – and if you’re in Gozo, where I live, you can make that 10 minutes!

The extremely low crime rate is certainly worth a mention, which is even lower in Gozo. I am used to leaving my car key in the ignition - windows wound down – when I pop into a shop. You still find many locals who leave their house key in the front door all day long! (That’s a habit not seen in Malta, though!)

Negative Aspects:

In the case of Gozo, this island is so small that almost everybody knows everyone else. Sometimes I crave the anonymity a big city like Berlin affords me.

Oh the weather… right now (August) I’m swearing at it on a daily basis. Which is a blatant lie, because I’m constantly at it! Heat waves with temperatures of 35° - 40°C (95 – 104 F) can make you pretty miserable – especially if you are working in a non-air-conditioned environment!

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

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

If you are preparing to relocate to Malta, try to gather as much information as you possibly can beforehand. It will make things much easier for you once you are here. In case of European laws and rules, although Malta has been a member of the EU for over 3 years since 2004, you might meet many a civil servant who has not quite accustomed him/ herself yet with the rights you have! Update July 2008: Things in that respect might have improved, but I have no knowledge about it. Still... better be safe than sorry and do your "homework"!! ;)

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

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Malta?
My own blog: Days of my life… in Gozo – In blog descriptions I’m normally using the subtitle “Not very exciting ramblings of a not very exciting everyday life” – so as not to raise your expectations too high!

Update 10th September 2007: I have just installed a small forum, It's all about Gozo! on my blog; if you have any questions regarding life in Gozo, you are cordially invited to pop in and ask away! User registration is possible but not necessary to participate. Look forward to seeing you there. :)

Update July 2008: Apologies... Because of the ever-growing spamming community I had to take the forum down again spam-fighting became too time-consuming. Well, it never really took off anyway, so good riddance! :)

Malta Forums Only In Malta – Subtitled “Malta’s Friendliest Online Community,” this is a great place to make friends even before you come over. A few quirky characters might greet you with “tongue in cheek” but most members are fabulous people and will attempt to help you with any question you throw at them!
Update July 2008: The name of the forum has changed (it actually used to be Only In Malta before it was named MaltaForums!) - but everything else has remained the same!

Wired Malta – Maltese journalist Robert Micallef regularly skims the internet for interesting articles about Malta from all over the world and presents them in this blog. A great source for finding out what foreigners' impressions of Malta are!

La Delirante – An expat from Salvador blogs about her experience of living in Malta - a great read!

My New Life in Malta – The well-written, witty blog of a Peruvian in the Mediterranean.
Update July 2008: Sadly, the author had to leave the island earlier this year. But the entries about his life in Malta are still there - and very interesting to read!

Update 23rd July 2008:

I haven't come back here for a very long time... In the past few weeks I've had several e-mail responses to this interview, causing me to have a look again. I found a few items that were not up-to-date any longer, so I corrected them. Should you come across anything that needs fixing - especially dead links - in the future, kindly contact me on scassaralpert [at] yahoo [dot] com. Cheers!