In Search of Nirvana

2009-12-18T11:37:00.004+01:00

UK Trip:

We spent 12 days in the UK, a quick return to catch up with family and friends and a few business contacts. It was not a particularly relaxing time as we never spent more than a couple of nights in any one location, but enjoyable trip non the less. As we left the snow had started falling in the London area. Seems we left just in time as today most of the airports in the southeast of England have been closed. We are now safe and sound in the relative warm of our little rock, Gozo.

VAT update:

I finally have a VAT number, the hold up was that I had to send a letter to the VAT department confirming that I was happy to receive all communication with them in English (this has taken 6 weeks), before I can start sending out invoices I need an official fiscal receipt book,this has to be issued to me by the VAT department. I visited the tax office and submitted my request for this important document, 'you will be contacted when it is ready for collection' I was told, by phone or email I asked, 'we will write to you' they told me. I wished them a happy Christmas and new year and left.

The Seasons Greetings to you all.

2009-11-21T07:12:00.005+01:00

Business Frustrations in Malta.

So I am starting a business called SCH Fire Safety here in Malta & Gozo, around six months ago I visited all the government websites to dig up all the information that would assist me and ensure that I was doing everything according to local laws, well I am the new kid on the block I don't want to be on the wrong side of the law before I even get started.

Now here is my problem VAT - you see the VAT threshold is very low here in Malta and even if the size of your potential business empire does not hit the VAT threshold you still need to register your business with them as VAT exempt. I was told it would take a couple of weeks for the paperwork to be rubber stamped and be issued with a VAT number, so I thought no problem I will start marketing the business, networking and generally putting myself out there.

One month later I have heard nothing, yes I have chased them but they are still processing the two pieces of paper I sent them. I know says I, I will go and open a business bank account that needs to be done, off I go to HSBC to meet with a business services manager, I am told I can not open a business bank account without a VAT number, my frustration was quickly forgotten as that same day I got two offers for work, could I carry out a fire safety audit for two companies in Malta, I will have to get back to you, says I, as I can not operate my business without a VAT number, I can not issue invoices, I can not get insurance, I can not complete my website, I can not get stationary printed, I can not work at all.

Who would benefit, well yes I would of course but so would Malta & Gozo, I would also be generating income for the country, paying income tax and VAT (lol) as well as building a business that may offer much needed local employment in the future.
When I discuss my problem with local business people they tell me 'well this is Malta' as if that was some kind of justification. More and more often I am finding that 'well this is Malta' is used by locals to justify bad service.

I thought the application process would be simplification itself, after all it's only 2 bits of paper, and those bits of paper just have to be rubber stamped.
Why is simplification such a long word?

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the fine line between sanity and madness gotten finer?" George Price

2009-11-01T13:06:00.006+01:00

Fine Food, Fine Wine, Fine Hotel.

I achieved the landmark that is my 52nd birthday on Halloween and by way of celebration decided to stay overnight at The Palace Hotel in Sliema, Malta.

The staff were wonderful and the room and views were great and I would highly recommend it. The main reason for going was to try the TemptAsian restaurant and lounge bar situated on the 9th floor of the hotel, with fantastic Panoramic views of the Grand Harbour, all the tables offer a great view.
The restaurant offers food from China, India Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, India and Thailand. We decided to opt for one of the set menus, this offered a selection of starters a selection of main courses and desert for the price of just €35.00 a head, given the high standard of food this offers outstanding value for money, and no we could not finish this veritable feast and believe me when I say I can put away some food.

Now the wine I decided to drink with this meal was a favorite of mine since moving to the Islands to live, Marsovin's Marnisi 2006, not an obvious choice to complement spicy food but it worked well, a more obvious choice might have been the Cassar De Malte, (methode traditionelle) that I was pleased to see on the wine list. I often feel that a good sparkling wine complements spicy food well.

The waiter that served us did not profess to be an expert on matching food and wine and when asked by me, explained what he liked to drink with the food that was being offered and I thought that this is a great way for restaurant staff to advise customers without being at all pretentious.

We had a superb meal and superb evening, a big thank you to all the staff.

"It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm." Sam Levinson.

2009-10-16T11:37:00.004+02:00

Setting up a Business in Malta.

One reason for not having posted here for weeks is I have been going through the process of setting up a business here in Malta, I am sure it is no harder here than any where else in the world. If I had set up my business in the UK I would probably have gone pamphlet happy, the UK system have all information available for the purpose of setting up a business either in pamphlet / brochure form or it's available on the Internet, so professional advise would not normally be required, certainly not for a small one man band such as a self employed Fire Safety Consultant.

Here in Malta it is no more complicated, it is just that some of information is available and some not, so after spending many hours trying to find the information out myself, and failing, I employed the help of a Lawyer and an Accountant, after a one hour consultation all the forms were filled in and and in the post. So in one hour I have VAT, personal tax, work permit and company registration all sorted out. Sometimes it's worth paying for advise, and I feel it was money well spent.

I have also been doing a bit of networking, finding new friends and contacts of potential clients, with lots of positive noises being made, lets see if they turn in to firm, money paying leads.
I can not start until all the paperwork has been processed, so next on the cards are stationary, and website. As of November 1st I should be up and running.

"Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were". David Rockefeller.

2009-09-24T09:02:00.004+02:00

Storms arrive in Malta & Gozo.

I spoke to a neighbour yesterday about the important things going on in the village of Munxar, things like how busy the village has been with tourists this year when the rest of the island is complaining that fewer tourist have been arriving here since the world recession. The conversation then drifted on to the weather, (it's not just the British that talk about the weather you know) and she asked me if I had heard about the storms arriving tomorrow night? no says I.

Sure enough 12 hours later force 8 gales hit our shores here, the aftermath consisted of damaged cars, fallen trees, collapsed walls, boats breaking away from the moorings and crashing on the rocks.

Fortunately for us here in the farmhouse we suffered no more inconvenience than a puddle of water on the bedroom floor, a result of the horizontal rain finding it's way past the window, and a few broken plants in the garden. And now today is a beautiful warm day again. That reminds me I must fish those leaves out of the pool.

"Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation." Kin Hubbard

2009-09-14T16:21:00.002+02:00

Delicata Classic Wine festival 09

I attended the wine festival in Nadur Gozo on Sunday for the first time. I purchased my glass for €10.00 picked up the festival program that told you where to find the 24 wines that Delicata were showing. Also a string of side shows were to be found, music from a variety of local artists and a wide and varied selection of food from Chinese to local rabbit.
It is not a serious wine tasting more a festival with the main theme being wine although you are at liberty to enjoy a serious wine tasting session if you should wish to.

The best wine for me was the Gran Cavalier Syrah, almost inky black in colour, with soft red fruits on the nose, medium to long spicy, vanilla finish.

I still think that an enjoyable drink from Delicata and personal summer favorite of mine, is the Rose Frizzante Gellewza (pronounced jellowza) a Maltese variety of grape. A vivid pink colour with a pleasant stream of bubbles, strawberries without being completely dry this wine is light, simple and well made and does not pretend to be anything different. A great BBQ wine for the hot summer evenings.

So what would I do if I was running this event? I would add a formal tasting (for an additional fee of course) comparing the different vintages of some of Delicata's high end wines for the wine geeks like myself.

Looking forward to the 2010 wine festival.

Strive for excellence, not perfection. H. Jackson Brown

2009-08-13T16:36:00.002+02:00

Gozo's New Premier Restuarant.

At the end of last year a great restaurant here in Gozo closed it's doors for the last time, It-Tmun Xlendi was to be no more. A restaurant that Gill and I had frequented on many occasions over the years, and one of our favorites. This small restaurant in Xlendi Bay run by the Buttigieg family, with great food, wonderful atmosphere, and service combined, for an experience found rarely in one's lifetime. We were sad.

And then a few months later the rumours started circulating, (the rumour mill here in Gozo is just incredible.) that It-Tmun Xlendi was to be reborn in a new location and was to be called Tmun Mgarr. Last night (Wednesday) 8 months later we attended the opening party night with Friday to be the first night trading as a restaurant.

First let me set the scene, Tmun Mgarr is located in the main harbour area, a large building set back from the road facing the moored boats, we parked the car, the air was fresh with the scent of the sea, the sun was setting in a cloudless sky and the heat of the day was dissipating, it was humid with just a slight breeze. The event started at 8.00pm, the time was now 8.30pm and we thought, we will be first to arrive. We were wrong, as we turned the corner to see the new restored restaurant in front of us in all it's glory, with a terrace out front there must have been 50 people their all ready, a further hour would see numbers reach, well I would guess 150, and we thought it was our little secret.

As we arrived Leli offered us his usual warm welcome and we were offered a glass of Prosecco, we could also have had a glass of red or white wine if we had preferred. I took my glass of Prosecco and went inside to check out the design and decor, I was confronted with a state of the art modern kitchen in full view of the main restaurant, this would enable diners to see the food being prepared. The ceilings have a 3d abstract image of the night sky complete with twinkling stars, on the right as you walk through the door a gentle flow of water falls from the top of the wall, down a pebble feature to be collected at the foot and again recycled. And then the state of the art, temperature controlled wine cellar offering a full view of the wine inventory for the customer to peruse at there leisure.

The spread of finger food available was the same standard we have come to expect from this well run establishment. The evening from where I was standing appeared to be a great success and if the turn out this evening was anything to go by Tmun Mgarr is sure to be a success. The first day of business is this Friday. I look forward to trying the new menu and studying the new wine list in the very near future.

I'm quite a chauvinistic person. Gordon Ramsey.

2009-08-02T10:04:00.004+02:00

Bambinelli Are In Season.

We get to try all sorts of wonderful delights here in Gozo, they do like there food here on the Maltese Islands which is a godsend to Gill and I.
So we went shopping for meat and veg on Saturday morning as we normally do, I go and pick up the meat while Gill is next door getting the veg, team work you know.

She often comments on the strange fruit and veg that are available in the shops at various times of the year, stuff that we have never come across before, even in cosmopolitan London. What are these strange looking things asks Gill and before the shop owner can comment a customer standing behind her starts a long and detailed dialog about the short time that Bambinelli are available and what a wonderful delicacy they are and how the locals all look forward to them every year. We had better try some then.

So what are or is Bambinelli, they are very small pears about the size of a walnut, when you bite into them you kind of expect them to be as hard as bullets but no, a crunch, and then sweetness not too sweet just nice, the flavour lingers, very satisfying.
So that is Bambinelli.

Food is an important part of a balanced diet. Fran Lebowitz.

2009-07-22T07:20:00.006+02:00

The Art of Procrastination.

When we left the UK (over a year ago now) to come and live here in Gozo, my plan was to take some time out, change our house here from a holiday home into a house for living in full time and generally get involved in a bit of self indulgence.
It is amazing how not having to go to work in the morning changes the way you organise your day, for example I could get out of bed any time of the day I wanted, so I am normally up between 6.00am and 6.30am every morning. Having plenty of time on your hands to get things done does not actually get them done any quicker, in fact, as there is no pressure it takes longer than it would if you had a full time job. Instead I would maybe, go to the gym or go for a swim or go to the bar for a spot of lunch and a chat.

When I retired from the London Fire Brigade I brought with me an array of skills accumulated over my 30 years service, here to Malta and Gozo. It has always been my aim to try to utilise these skills on the islands. I talked about it a lot, and then procrastinated a bit, I even had business cards printed, and procrastinated a bit more, I even put the word out on the street, (the grape vine is wonderful here) and then a bit more procrastination. The one thing I did not do was get up off my fat arse and do something about putting myself out there. Well I have done it, I contacted Malta Enterprise and asked them what I have to do, and if they know whom might be interested in my skills, they sent me a list of businesses and told me what I need to do to comply with local business law here.

Now I should point out that I am not looking for a job as such, I am setting myself up as an independent, self employed Fire Safety Consultant. I have contacted all of the businesses on the list, written them a letter and attached my CV. All have read my letter and CV and every single one has requested an interview with me. So many trips to Malta coming up.

Watch this space for updates.

'Procrastination is the theif of time' Edward Young.

2009-06-30T10:02:00.004+02:00

Opportunity for Trades People in Gozo.

A great opportunity for a trades person in Gozo, I am talking about builders, plumbers, electrician, carpenters etc. I have come here from the UK because I like the people and the slow way of life, and there is no way that I would want to upset the natural balance of things here, the Gozitan's do things their way and that should not change.

Now here is the opportunity, the trades person from any of these trades would obviously need to be competent to carry out the task, as indeed most of them are, to this they would need to add the following -

Turn up to carry out the requested job when they say they will.
If they can't turn up, call the client, explain and arrange another appointment.
Do not disappear half way through the task and arrive again the following day with no explanation to the client.
When the task is complete clear up all the debris that the job has created and take it with you.
Take any empty boxes and packaging with you.

I have been here for one year now and used many trades people from all of the trades and I have only managed to find one, that can meet all of these requirements, and as you would expect he is a very very busy person, even though he is not the cheapest around. The products he sells are not the cheapest but are very good quality, his rate for the job is not the cheapest (nor the most expensive), he pays attention to detail and he complies to the list above. The result is he has a thriving business and earns a very good living.

If any trades people can match these requirements please let me know and you will be showered with praise and maybe even work.

"Gain a modest reputation for being unreliable and you will never be asked to do a thing". Paul Theroux

2009-06-12T07:44:00.008+02:00

Ten ways I have had to Adapt in Gozo as an Expat.

If you move to another country to live, (in my case it was the Maltese Island of Gozo) all the books and articles tell you to make sure you spend as much time as possible in the community you intend to reside in before relocating. This is exactly what we did and we thought we were well prepared for the culture shock that was to follow, well take it from me however well prepared you think you are it will be a bigger shock to the system than you thought.

All that said here is my top ten ways I have had to adapt, as an expat on Gozo compared to busy old London in the UK.

I am far more open minded now than I used to be, you quickly learn that because something is done a certain way in the UK, does not mean it is the best way or the only way.
Grocery shopping here on Gozo takes place 3 or 4 times a week, this way you get the very freshest local produce. In the UK we used to shop once a week or once every 2 weeks if we could get away with it.
The art of patience, I had to learn quickly to adapt from the not a spare minute, rush rush, horn blasting attitude of London life, to the van driver that stops his motor in the street to chat to a mate coming in the other direction while the cars patiently Que up behind until he has finished. (This one applies to Gozo, not so much Malta.)
Talking to complete strangers, they just come up for a chat, you have never seen nor met them before, they simply want to pass the time of day.
Humour, you have to learn to laugh especially when things go wrong, laughter is good there is a humorous situation to be found even when things get serious.
In the UK if you get 2 weeks of non stop clear hot weather you probably love it and revel in it but it is not long before the gloom and misery return. Here in Malta and Gozo around this time we start moving into extreme temperatures and I am talking 35 - 40c + and overnight temperatures in the high 20s with no prospect of rain until September. Such prolonged spells of heat can become oppressive after several months with no relief. The things I have to put up with!
Learning a new language, they all speak English here so we are not under any pressure to learn the local language but you miss out on so much if you don't make the effort, we understand no more than a few words and phrases, simply because it is one of the most difficult to learn, being a dialect of Arabic mixed with Italian. It is a long slow road but we are getting there.
Courage - going to a new country is not for the “weak at heart”. You can be challenged daily with opposing views, and even isolation and loneliness. Knowing up front that you are courageous for choosing to go abroad can be a powerful reminder if your feeling down. How many of your friends and family would ever consider “up and moving” to another country, not many and lets face it, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
As a gadget and computer geek in the UK I had got used to buying electrical goods at rock bottom prices, not so here, they simply can't shift the volumes of product that is possible in the UK so the mark ups are higher, much higher sometimes. Example a fridge freezer American style, here €1600.00 same model in the UK £850.00. weak sterling at the moment make matters a lot worse than they otherwise would be.
Any physical work that needs to be done around the house like cleaning or repairs have to be completed by 11.00am in the summer months, after this time it is just too hot. So early starts to the day are a must.

Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative. H. G. Wells.

2009-06-03T13:31:00.008+02:00

Cats or Kittens.

A very dear Maltese friend of ours (actually that should be Gozitan, she would be outraged that I have labeled her Maltese) well her Persian cat has just had kittens. You know where this story is going don't you. We went to her house recently to see the kittens, of course we already have a 7 month old Persian called Chilly, so we don't need two cats again do we?

To cut a very long story short and after much discussion we were given the first pick of the kittens and..... Meet Misty, she is just 7 weeks old, and will stand in the palm of my hand at the moment, she must think that I am filthy as she seems to think I need grooming all the time.
We thought that Chilly still being very young would not mind too much us bringing a kitten into the house, well how wrong was I he was not amused at all and when he is not hissing at her he is seriously grumpy. Twenty four hours later he is a little less hostile, I think he is slowly coming around.

Cats regard people as warm blooded furniture. Jacquelyn Mitchard.

2009-06-01T06:37:00.004+02:00

Thank You To The Government of Malta, From The People Of The UK.

The worldwide credit crunch, as it has been named by the media has been brought about by the greed of the banks of some of the worlds richest economies. The pressure laid on managers to obtain ever bigger bonuses meant taking bigger and bigger risks to maintain those profits.
As we all know the deck of cards collapsed and one of victims have been the UK car industry.

The UK car economy has gradually been built up over the last century with the encouragement and assistance of the British government to turn it into the economy building machine it is today. This time last year the UK car industry was responsible for more than 2% of GDP (gross domestic product) that's 2% of one of the richest nations on the planet this is not as I am sure you will agree a small money earner for the economy. Today the UK car industry finds itself fighting for survival, again working together with the Brittish Government it is very slowly turning around.

In January of this year the Maltese government introduced it's revised car registration tax, I won't bore you with the details but it turns out that this tax has given to the Maltese what appear to be the most expensive cars in Europe. I am talking about up to 80% more expensive than the same car can be purchased for in the UK. The people of Malta are not at all stupid so they are travelling to the UK to buy cars in droves and either driving them or having them shipped here to Malta, result is a bargain for the Maltese, even with the high tax imposed on the vehicles when they are registered here in Malta they are still much cheaper.

As for the UK car industry, well they are just lapping up those Euros being brought to the UK from Malta, we are not talking small sums, we are talking may be millions of Euros each month that are flowing out of Malta and into the UK playing it's small part in assisting the British economy. You would think that they might want to encourage there own car industry to grow and keep the euros in Malta, help the industry grow and increase the GDP of Malta, instead the government pursues short term tax gains through the registration tax whilst at the same time destroying the Maltese car trade, but they are the government, they know what they are doing, don't they?

A big thank you to Malta and it's forward thinking government for your Euros, the UK is very grateful for the small part you are playing in helping the UK economy in it's time of need.

I don't make jokes, I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers.

2009-05-26T12:55:00.006+02:00

Wines of Malta and Gozo.

Thank you all for your encouragement with the new wine blog (you know who you are).
Just to let you know it is now up and running, with a few bugs, but we will hopefully iron those out over the coming weeks. You can find it at Wines of Malta and Gozo .
This blog 'in search of nirvana' will continue while I still get people happy to read it, close to 600 a month now.

Meanwhile subscribe to my monthly newsletter on the new wine blog.

'The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand'. Frank Herbert.

2009-05-21T06:57:00.009+02:00

Just Imagine..

Just imagine an evening tasting wine where the atmosphere is friendly, relaxed, informal. Where the measures being served from each of the wines being shown, are more than just a tasting measure, to give you the best opportunity to relish each glass, and if you were not sure, you could go back and try another glass. And all this served with high quality food from Patrick and his crew.

This was what I had to suffer last night at the award wining restaurant It-Tmun here in Gozo. The show case wines available to try were from the ozzy wine maker Peter Lehmann's Barossa range presented by Julia Schregel, export manager for the Hess Group, also on hand to answer questions were Mr Abraham of Abrahams Supplies Ltd and Marco Vella import export manager for Attard & Co.

We were greeted on arrival by Patrick and were served an aperitif of very Italian pink Prosecco, most welcome considering the very hot day we had just endured. Prosecco is a fresh light, simply made sparkling wine that is not at all like champagne (other than the bubbles) nor does it try to be champagne, and is made from the prosecco grape, the producer I can not remember. Normally at these events I take a pen and paper and take notes, which I failed to do last night that is why I am sat here at 6.00am in the morning writing just in case my ageing brain forgets where I had been last night, let alone remember what I tasted.

The first of the Lehmann wines was the Chardonnay, light and fresh not over full as some Ozzy chardonnays can be, with some oak, once again not over oaked as some Aussie chardonnay can be. If you like Chardonnay but are fed up with the fat over oaked, over alcoholic style this would be a good choice.

Next to try, the Riesling this grape better perhaps known in Germany has found a new home here in South Australia, made to drink young, hence screw cap closure (Maltese winemakers note) with hints of peach and citrus fruit, clean and refreshing, went very well with the Paella that was being served freshly cooked at the table by Patrick's brother.

Then we had Barossa's own adopted grape of Shiraz, deep red with lots of red fruit favours and enough tannin to balance nicely with the 14.5% alcohol . The Shiraz paired very well with the cheese selection that was on offer.

A wine called Clancy's (not sure where the name came from) a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot a big wine that is straining at leash to get out but has been tamed by the addition of Merlot, noticeable tannins. This is certainly a different wine to the usual ozzy reds, so for something a little different try it.

To finish the evening we were served a port style wine called 'The King' made from a blend of Shiraz and Touriga Nacional (the traditional port grape) and I thought that the quality was very good indeed, and would be happy to drink it in place of a traditional vintage port, I am sure there are a few purists out there that might cringe at this statement.

Patrick tells me that he had an enjoyable evening, I know I did, I also added further to my wine knowledge. Note to self 'when wine tasting remember to take notebook and pen'.

Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory. Albert Schweitzer.

2009-05-19T12:26:00.005+02:00

Yet Another Wine Blog.

This blog In Search of Nirvana is all about my move from the UK as an expat to the sunny Maltese Island of Gozo. I have enjoyed writing it very much, I sometimes have a problem trying to think of something worthwhile to write about. I normally manage one or two posts a week. The blog has a small following and I get a respectable 500 hits each month now which considering I make very little attempt to drive people to the blog is quite reasonable. Now the question is could I justify starting a second blog.

I am a bit of a wine geek as anyone who knows me will tell you, and I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on the wine front when it comes to the famous wine regions of the world, France, Italy, Australia etc. A region not much talked about until recently, are the wines of Malta and Gozo and whilst there are hundreds of blogs out there on the subject of wine in the various regions, I have not found any that cover Malta and Gozo (I stand to be corrected if anyone knows any different), so I thought I might start one now. This would enable me to enhance my knowledge on the subject of Maltese wine and at the same time help those that may have a desire to learn a bit more about Malta as a wine region.

I would like to keep the content interesting and without jargon, or where jargon is required it will be explained. I would like to be able to play my part in promoting the wines of Malta both inside and outside the borders of these islands and remain as impartial as possible. I am thinking interviews with wine makers and highlighting the many restaurants that take the serving of wine as seriously as the serving of their food. I would like to involve people at all levels in wine tastings pitching local wines against other regions of the world in blind tastings.

What do you think, is there room for another wine blog, if so what would you like to know, what would be of interest to you. Take a few minutes to let me know either by email or via comments on this blog.

"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put thngs in it" Terry Pratchett.

2009-05-13T07:14:00.004+02:00

The Pro's and Con's of owning a Swimming Pool.

We are lucky enough to have a swimming pool with our farmhouse here in Gozo, and I would not have it any other way. I have never owned, nor had to run a pool before we bought this house, and at this time of year it is a wonderful luxury to have. Nothing beats slipping into the pool to refresh yourself, day or night, to escape the heat and humidity, the heat can exceed 40 degrees centigrade and the humidity can approach 100% at times here in Malta & Gozo.
We have just had the pool tiled with nice Spanish mosaic tiles to cut out the cost of having it repainted every 2 years. The final cost of this little project came to €2500.00, it should be money well spent, time will tell. Then I started thinking what an expensive luxury a swimming pool is and is it really worth it when you think we are 3 minutes from the beach.

A list of the pro's and cons of owning a pool.

Pro's

Cool convenient welcome relief from the heat.
A classy way to entertain your guests.
Just add a barbecue to a pool, and some friends, an instant winner.
Everybody loves to at least look at a clean baby blue body of water. It's almost hypnotic.
It keeps my wife happy. (She is looking over my shoulder at the moment)
On hot sweltering days when you can't go to a beach, it really is a life saver.
Adds to the value of the house, here in Malta and Gozo.

Con's

Cost of Pool chemicals each month.
Cleaning the pool every day.
Chemical test every 2nd day.
Vacuum pool once a week.
Top up pool (around once a month in the summer months).
Clean pool filters about once or twice a week.
Repainting of the pool base once every 24 months (If the pool has a painted finish).
Servicing of pool pump every 2 years.
Pool licence Fees.

The pool is now full of water the sunshine is high in the sky and it is hot, Yes I think it is worth it.

'Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air…' Ralph Waldo

2009-05-07T15:45:00.003+02:00

Car Registration in Malta, (Is It an Extreme Sport?)

I have done what thousands of Maltese are doing at the moment, going to the UK and buying a car, why, because they are so much cheaper that's why, I mean by 60 or 70% cheaper in some cases. As I mentioned in my previous post I have brought back from the UK a Toyota Prius Hybrid and I am very pleased with it. Let me take you through the process of registering an imported car here in Malta..... My story.

When I arrived here in Malta (if my intention was to import the vehicle) I must inform the ADT (government car registration department) within 7 days of arrival, or I am told I am likely to get a fine.
I need to retain proof of when the vehicle entered the country and proceed to the ADT office in Valletta to 'open a file' on the car, this can not be done by post or on the Internet, it has to be done in person. After queuing for some 3 hours, this had been done, and I was to take the car to the vehicle inspector, his office is about 20 meters away from where I was standing, an appointment had to be made, and my appointment was in 2 days time.
I was issued with a green ticket, this meant that I was allowed to drive the car for one day in order to get a vehicle test certificate and enable me to drive the car to the vehicle inspection center, and if caught driving the vehicle at any time prior to completion of the registration process I would be shown no mercy and thrown into jail.
Two days later the vehicle was inspected, the engine, chassis number and mileage were checked, this process involved a one hour wait and took 3 minutes, I was instructed to return to the ADT office (20 meters away) in two days time, at which time I could complete the registration process. I was to take with me all relevant paperwork (equivalent to a small rain forest) including one year full year of insurance, and a sack full of cash, no credit cards, debit cards or personal cheques. Failure to do this would result in me being publicly flogged.
I arrived in Valletta as instructed to complete the registration process, I waited in the line to be seen for three hours and then, it was my turn, I smiled and said good morning I received an icy stare in return. I handed over the relevant documentation and relaxed, the young lady looked up and said 'oh the vehicle is under 12 months old and the valuation has to be confirmed by my manager', surprised I said oh ok, the young lady replied 'he is on holiday this week and is the only person in Malta that can make the valuation, you will have to come back next week'. I smiled and left. Almost forgot to mention, if I use the car before the registration process is complete I will be shot.
One week passed and I returned to the ADT office to attempt the final process again, I waited three hours again (this is not an exaggeration, all these times are correct) whoopee my turn again, the paperwork was rigorously checked all the paper work processed and I handed over my sack full of cash, I was told to wait nearby for my Maltese number plates to be issued. I sat and waited, 30 minutes later I was told the process had all been stopped, they had noticed that my insurance broker was one day short of the full year for my insurance cover, (a clerical error) so they could not give me my plates until my broker confirmed by email that my cover is in fact for 365 days and not the 364 days that my policy actually quoted. All this achieved I was finally issued with my number plates and windscreen tax.

I can now drive the car without fearing for my life. I did not get a fine, thrown in jail, get publicly flogged or get shot. The number plates have been attached to the car and the car and I are now very happy together.

THE END.

2009-05-02T18:00:00.008+02:00

Since Our Return.

Since our return from another trip overland from the UK and back to Malta / Gozo again we have both been very busy...

We have had a Solar water heater installed in the farmhouse which will give us around 90% of all our hot water needs throughout the year courtesy of the sunshine, just need to find a way of getting our water free now.
Just to continue the green theme I brought from the UK a 7 month old Toyota Prius if it's good enough for Hollywood it's good enough for me, how good on fuel is it? well I filled up in Burgundy in France and did not need to refill again until I had returned to Malta.
We are in the process of having the pool tiled with some very glamorous Spanish glass tiles, should be finished on Tuesday.
I am in the process of getting my Toyota Prius registered on Maltese plates, I can tell you it's the stuff good TV comedy's are made of and deserves it's own post, when I have completed the registration process I will attempt to do it justice.
And Chilly the cat will get the 'two brick treatment' so will probably be feeling a little sorry for himself.

'The perfect bureaucrat everywhere is the man who manages to make no decisions and escape all responsibility'. Brooks Atkinson.

2009-04-16T16:21:00.020+02:00

Leaving the UK Behind.

We have had a great week back in the UK, catching up with family and friends and of course the oppertunity to sample the delights that are available in the UK Indian restaurant. This is the one thing I miss most since moving to Gozo.

We hit the road again for our return road trip to Gozo on Wednesday, and were greeted with the news that the French lorry drivers were blocking the ports, again, so we left early and still managed to get the Eurotunnel train that we had pre - booked with only moments to spare. Further trouble reared it's head when driving through Paris and we found traffic jams following an accident, this delayed us a further 90 mins.

Our 1st stop after 10 hours driving was a Water Mill called Le Moulinot , we stayed there this time last year and this is a wonderful part of Burgundy. On to Le Chateau des Comtes de Charme an old Chateau now hotel overlooking the Rhone Alps, quite expensive but nice with stunning scenery.

We are now staying in a B&B on a vineyard in North Italy, high on a hill overlooking the town of Asti not far from Turin, Villa Sampaguita a wonderful old house with vinyard, highly recommended. Tommorrow we head for the ferry in Genoa, and a 39 hour ferry trip back to Malta.

"Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content." Louis L'Amour.

2009-04-05T07:56:00.012+02:00

Malta to Genoa Italy to Calais France to UK.

We left Malta on Thursday as planned for the start of our trip back to the UK, the views from the ship as we left Valletta harbour were fantastic. We had a 39 hour sea crossing ahead of us to Genoa in Italy, a very pleasant crossing, the ship is great, the staff are great, the accommodation great but the food sold on board is very expensive, enough even to bring tears to eyes of Bill Gates.
We had a nice easy drive up through Italy to the border of Switzerland, where my wife blatantly lied to the Swiss border Police when questioned before entering Geneva. In her defence she misunderstood the question, I understood the question but sat there quietly, we drove on through Geneva with a wonderful view of the lakes, I of course had to point out to her the error of her ways an hour later, she was devastated.

On to France and first stop Burgundy in a small bed and breakfast owned by an Englishman and his Danish wife where we were made very welcome. We had a wonderful meal that evening in a local restaurant and also went supermarket shopping for local cheese and wine. Suitably stocked up it was on to Calais and Euro tunnel. We decided not to book on this occasion, we simply turned up payed and in ten minutes we were on the train and travelling under the English channel to the UK. I recommend booking as it is quite a bit more expensive to not pre book, you live and learn.

We arrived in the UK , we travelled up the M20 motorway and upon arriving at the junction of the M25 motorway encountered our first traffic jam in 800 miles of driving ..... Welcome to the UK.

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food." George Bernard Shaw.

2009-03-30T12:27:00.009+02:00

Road Trip - Gozo to London.

We have already done the London to Gozo trip last year, well we will be doing the journey again (in reverse) with a slightly different route this time and will get to sample the fine food, drink, scenery and hospitality that France and Italy offer us, I am looking forward to the trip very much.
The journey will take us around a week (last time we took 3 weeks), car prepared and cup holders at the ready.
I will try to post updates of my journey whilst on route but as I found last time around outside of the big towns and cities WiFi is often difficult to come by, so don't hold your breath.

We start our journey from Munxar, Gozo, ferry to Malta, on to Valletta in Malta and then the Grimaldi ferry to Genova in Italy, this will save 1000 miles of driving compared to the Sicily route, although we will also miss some of the most scenic parts of Italy.

I am looking forward to Mont Blanc again, still snow covered at this time of year, coincidentally this is the exact same week that we made the trip last time around. We leave on Thursday and the forcast is looking good.

"Every nation ridicules other nations, and all are right." Arthur Schopenhauer.

2009-03-21T18:12:00.004+01:00

The Big Bamboo.

Our original sun shade, on the sun terrace that gives us shade from the searing summer heat here in Gozo disintegrated at the end of last year. Time for a new shade I thought . In the valley just below below us here in Munxar grows a massive crop of bamboo cane, I drive past it almost every day.

Whilst passing a few days ago I saw a group of locals cutting it and loading it on to a truck, I asked how much I was told €2.00 a bundle, trying to guess how much will be needed to construct a new sun shade I said 'I will have 15 bundles' two hours later a lorry load of bamboo is delivered to the house, now each bundle of bamboo is 15 foot long. Next to the pool I now have a massive pile of uncleaned bamboo and what looks to be around 3 days work before I can even begin to start putting together the sunshade.

I had better get cleaning if this shade is to be in place before summer.

"Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade". Rudyard Kipling.

2009-03-11T12:43:00.003+01:00

Light Hearted Observations of the Maltese. (not to be taken seriously).

As a foreigner living in a country like Malta, you start to notice the unique mannerisms and traits that are well, unique or certainly different from the UK population and the reason you recognise them is because they are so different (does that make sense). A fellow blogger, funnily enough Maltese, living and studying in London published a piece, that she said made her laugh out loud.
Her blog is called 'Rantings From Afar' The list is titled 'Being Maltese Means' now some of the observations I do not recognise but many I do, the parts I recognise are in bold type.
I have her permission to replicate that list here.

Being Maltese…..means….

* You move abroad with 2 kgs of frozen pastizzi or Hobz Malti and a Timpana recipe in your luggage

* You move out from your parents house…….to move in with your spouse…within walking distance of your parents’ house

* You have been officially engaged longer than you have been dating…………while waiting for your house to be built

* You have been separated longer than you have been married……..while sleeping under the same roof

* Your best friend lives 2 blocks away, but you only drive there

* The difference between the before and after pictures of your Mum’s wedding, is about 5 stone

* The only way to decorate your escorts, capris and trucks is to stick banners across the windscreen such as ‘rambo sex’ or ‘baby think twice’, bumper sticker tend to be ‘Eat my Dust’

* Zebra crossings are a matter of opinion

* Give Way translates to Get out of my Way

* Stop sign is in fact Give Way

* No Waiting, Unloading Only, NO parking, actually mean Parking at your convenience

* You don’t even turn off your mobile phone in church (even if you are a priest)

* You think the north is entirely culturally different from the south….with the total geographical area being 18miles long, Gozo is considered another country

* You think the only places to visit abroad are ‘Oxford Street’, Lourdes and the Vatican

* Big Ben is in Birkirkara and not in London

* you go to church every Sunday even though you’re atheist

* you get married in church so that your in-laws would not know you’re an atheist

* you care more about what the neighbours think, then about your own opinion

* you are an independent adult, but your mum still buys your underpants and does your washing.

* Catholic shrines and posters of Elvis and Rambo jostle for space on public transport

* The cry ‘Aw sex!’ is seen as a legitimate chat-up line (Variation in Gozo tends to be ‘Aw Gobon’…no pun intended)

* Before marriage, sex is a taboo and parents expect their kids to have never engaged in sex. However if you’re not pregnant by the end of your honeymoon, your grandmother (and parents) starts saying special prayers.

* You strike bargains with the Almighty in order to achieve your ends.

* You call your children Denzel, Shania, Aaliyah and Rihanna… even though you have no connections with the film industry… (these names were amongst the most popular names in 2007 making it to the top 20)

* Your idea of eating out is going to the Diner in the Airport Viewing Gallery or to Serkin in Rabat for pastizzi and tea.

* You go to Catechism classes to pick up girls

* You disagree profoundly with your chosen political party’s policies, but vote for them anyway, cos that’s what your father did, and your grandfather, and his father…… anyway you still invite your local MP for your wedding as it will impress your guests

* You don’t believe in bribes but in gratitude

* At home you have ‘Teachers’, ‘Vermouth’ and perhaps ‘Shandy’

* Your parents used to dip the pacifier in Whisky so that you sleep during parties

* Your parents’ favourite brand used to be GM as anything from toilet paper to towels used to have this logo (Not ‘General Motors’ but ‘Gvern ta’ Malta’)

* You go to other people’s weddings in order to criticise the wedding souvenirs and the food.

* You send your children to private lessons even though they are the top of their class

* You are not a racist but open minded except if your kid turns up to be gay or decides to marry an African or Arab person.

Go on Smile, you know you want to.

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable. Clifton Fadiman.

2009-03-04T07:29:00.007+01:00

Twitter Twitter Tweet.

Anyone out there that is a regular computer or mobile phone user has heard of social networking, SMS phone messaging or email can be simple unorganised versions, then there are MySpace, Facebook and many others. The new kid on the block is Twitter, I say new kid it has been around a while, just has only recently hit the big time. So what is it and why use it?

Also known as Micro-blogging it is defined as a quick update containing a very limited number of characters, 140 in the case of Twitter.
Micro-blogging is for people or businesses, who want a blog but don't want to blog. A personal blog can keep people informed on what is going on in your life, but not everyone wants to spend an hour crafting a beautiful post about the vibrant colours you can see whilst looking at that sea view when on holiday. Sometimes, you just want to say "went shopping for a new shirt but didn't find anything".

That's where Twitter comes into the picture. It's a great place for keeping people informed on what you are up to without the need to spend a lot of time crafting an entire post on the subject. You just say what's going on and leave it at that.

You can follow the tweets (that's what the short messages are known as) of various well known figures if that's what you want. I follow President Obama, Gordan Brown, Jonathon Ross, known as Wossy and Stephen Fry among a few, you can link your tweets to Facebook so that as your tweet comments are automatically posted to your Facebook wall.

Twitter can be used for social messaging.
Receiving news messages. Many news services use it.
Media marketing.
Link sharing.
Team up with others with the same interests.
Event coordinating.
It's a business tool.

Twitter is micro-blogging. It is social messaging. It is an event coordinator, a business tool, a news reporting service and a marketing utility. If you would like to follow my inane ramblings sign up. Check out the Twitter window on the right of this post.

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. (Unknown)