Can't believe it's been 8 days since my last entry. Apologies to any loyal readers who've been logging in waiting for an update. I suppose in my defence, there just hasn't been anything that has passed through my mind to warrant a blog entry...
..but that's not to say things haven't been going on.
Firstly, an old friend from IOM has relocated to Malta to work for an online gaming company. Hardy is the reason I got my last betting job on the rock, so indirectly he's the reason I'm here in Malta. (I could write a whole entry on cause and effect, and try to explain the real reason I'm in Malta, but I'll save you the boredom). We've already met up a few times for drinks, and I can imagine I'll see a lot more of him. We have always had a good rapport together and at the moment he is living very close to me. The company he works for is a lot larger than mine, so he's already involved in a lot of social activities - I'll see if I can use my James Bond stealth techniques and attach myself to a few of them :D
As I write this my parents are in Malta visiting me. We've spent a half day in Valletta together and yesterday we walked through to St Julians and Paceville and then back again (well obviously!) So far it's been ok. The flat isn't designed for three people, although we seem to be managing.
Still looking forward to next week. A trip to Derby to meet up with Cat and Darryl from the quiz show recordings. Can't wait to see them both (and also, I think it's my first visit to Derby. I know I've passed through it several times on the train, but never got out to look around before.) Straight after that it's down to Bournemouth to meet my little star. I've seen a few new piccies of her recently, and she's already got her Mum's cheeky grin (although that just might have been wind). It'll be great to see Jackie too. Seeing Hardy again recently has reminded me how much I miss my best friend. (We all worked together, so there is logic in my madness)
..and as I'm talking about Jackie, she is also responsible for me going out drinking last Tuesday. A close friend of hers was visiting Malta from Dublin (although he's from East Germany originally) so I arranged to meet him at the airport and take him on a pub crawl. He was a man from my own heart - happy to start even before he'd checked into his hotel. We crawled our way from Sliema to St Julians where he was staying and I left him with a kebab in one hand and a can of lager in the other.
Of course inbetween all this there has been work. Just received the December rota, and it doesn't look too bad. I'm in the office all over the main holiday period, but that will help take my mind off things. I haven't worked out where (if anywhere) opens on the 25th, but if there is a whiff of a drink available after I finish work I'm sure I'll find it. Don't think there will be a traditonal Christmas Dinner for me this year, but I'll try to make some kind of effort.
...hope that satisfies you for now. I'll try not to let a full week pass before I update you all again
November 27, 2009
November 19, 2009
♫ ♪ "I See a Red Door and I Want it Painted Black..." ♫ ♪
Ever have one of this 'trigger points'. You hear or see something and it sends a whole past life back into your mind, something you might have long since put into your long term memory and forgotton? I had that yesterday when a song came onto my ipod, a song that triggered two seperate memories - one quite recent, the other way back in the dim and distant past...
...well, about 25 years ago really.
I must have been about 10, certainly not a teenager yet. My Dad was making a mix-tape for the car, lifting songs from a set of 'Best of the 60's' cassettes he'd borrowed off someone. It was the usual fodder, upbeat tunes about love, holding hands, getting married and settling down. Lots of 'do-wah-diddies' and 'shang-a-langing'. No song longer than three minutes, and absolutely no mention of sex. Don't get me wrong, that's not a criticism, thanks to the tapes my Dad played in the car on long journies I've become quite an expert on the music of the 60's. If you ask me now to name my favourite bands, after Pink Floyd, you'll find The Animals, The Hollies, The Doors and The Kinks nestled in my top ten.
..but this mix-tape threw up a surprise. After a Herman's Hermits track, a song came on I hadn't heard before. The opening few bars were a solitary electric guitar sound, followed by a thumping drum beat. Then the lyrics came along, no hint of romance, love, kissing on the back row etc. "I see a red door and I want it painted black. No colours anymore I want them to turn black."
I had to ask my Dad what it was. "The Rolling Stones" he replied. It was a new side to my Dad I hadn't seen before. Except for a few of the lighter pop ditties of the era, his musical taste was usually Klaus Wunderlich on his Hammond Keyboard playing the hits of Abba, or Eddie Calvert blowing his trumpet. On special occasions we got brass bands, or The Best of Fairground Organs. This Rolling Stones track was an inspiration. I hadn't heard anything like it before. If you'd asked me back then to name another Stones hit, I might have known 'Satisfaction', maybe even 'Jumping Jack Flash' (if the film of the same name was already out by then) but not this. I seem to remember having a conversation with him, and I assumed he would have prefered The Beatles over The Stones (I'd obviously heard about the rivalry the press put between the two groups). But it seems I'd underestimated him.
That could well have been the trigger for me to investigate other bands from around that time. Something certainly caused me to get into the alternative side of the decade. Early Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors etc. Whatever it was, whenever I hear 'Paint it Black' it reminds me of the first time I heard it, travelling in the family car, on a mix-tape made by my Dad.
The second memory the song triggers is far more recent.
You'll find a blog entry on August 16th relating m trip to Nrowich to meet my friend Ant. A great couple of days in Norwich and Great Yarmouth. There is one little tale I didn't tell you about though, so here it is.
After our round of mini golf we ventured into a few arcades. I played the '2p waterfall' type machines, picking up a few keyrings as prizes, and Ant played on a couple of arcade games. One of these was a big version of Guitar Hero
For those of you over 40, or who have lived in a cave for the past decade, Guitar Hero is a series of games for home consoles. You usually play it with a plastic imitation guitar in your hand which
has four buttons on the neck. You follow the patterns on the screen and the more accurate you are, the better the song sounds and the higher your score. They are the next generation of games after the popular 'dance-mat' ones where you had to follow a rhythm on screen with your feet. Many big bands have lent their back catalogue of songs to versions of these games, making them very popular indeed.
..in one of the Great Yarmouth arcades there was a giant version of this. Ant popped in his pound coin, selected to play as 'Slash' from Guns 'n' Roses (that's the name of a person Mum) and then scrolled down the list of available songs. You can already guess which one he chose.
He did very well too, the look of concentration on his face was priceless. There is an extra part to this story though...
..as his song was coming to an end, another person had stood behind him. He was flanked by two girls, and he was stretching and flexing his fingers. You could instantly tell he was waiting for a turn, and thought himself to be the king of Guitar Hero. He watched Ant finish 'Paint it Black' and took a pace forward, ready to take over. What he didn't know was one pound gets you two turns, and Ant simply chose another song from the onscreen list and started again (completely unaware of the person behind him.)
The anger in the man's face was priceless. The expression 'if looks could kill' has never been more appropriate. I honestly thought Ant was about to get a plastic guitar wrapped around his head. My friend had done nothing wrong, but it was clear that this machine 'belonged' to the stranger and he took it as a personal insult that anyone else dared to use it. (I couldn't help laughing though! :D )
..two completely different memories, but both triggered by hearing the opening bars of one song.
...well, about 25 years ago really.
I must have been about 10, certainly not a teenager yet. My Dad was making a mix-tape for the car, lifting songs from a set of 'Best of the 60's' cassettes he'd borrowed off someone. It was the usual fodder, upbeat tunes about love, holding hands, getting married and settling down. Lots of 'do-wah-diddies' and 'shang-a-langing'. No song longer than three minutes, and absolutely no mention of sex. Don't get me wrong, that's not a criticism, thanks to the tapes my Dad played in the car on long journies I've become quite an expert on the music of the 60's. If you ask me now to name my favourite bands, after Pink Floyd, you'll find The Animals, The Hollies, The Doors and The Kinks nestled in my top ten.
..but this mix-tape threw up a surprise. After a Herman's Hermits track, a song came on I hadn't heard before. The opening few bars were a solitary electric guitar sound, followed by a thumping drum beat. Then the lyrics came along, no hint of romance, love, kissing on the back row etc. "I see a red door and I want it painted black. No colours anymore I want them to turn black."
I had to ask my Dad what it was. "The Rolling Stones" he replied. It was a new side to my Dad I hadn't seen before. Except for a few of the lighter pop ditties of the era, his musical taste was usually Klaus Wunderlich on his Hammond Keyboard playing the hits of Abba, or Eddie Calvert blowing his trumpet. On special occasions we got brass bands, or The Best of Fairground Organs. This Rolling Stones track was an inspiration. I hadn't heard anything like it before. If you'd asked me back then to name another Stones hit, I might have known 'Satisfaction', maybe even 'Jumping Jack Flash' (if the film of the same name was already out by then) but not this. I seem to remember having a conversation with him, and I assumed he would have prefered The Beatles over The Stones (I'd obviously heard about the rivalry the press put between the two groups). But it seems I'd underestimated him.
That could well have been the trigger for me to investigate other bands from around that time. Something certainly caused me to get into the alternative side of the decade. Early Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors etc. Whatever it was, whenever I hear 'Paint it Black' it reminds me of the first time I heard it, travelling in the family car, on a mix-tape made by my Dad.
The second memory the song triggers is far more recent.
You'll find a blog entry on August 16th relating m trip to Nrowich to meet my friend Ant. A great couple of days in Norwich and Great Yarmouth. There is one little tale I didn't tell you about though, so here it is.
After our round of mini golf we ventured into a few arcades. I played the '2p waterfall' type machines, picking up a few keyrings as prizes, and Ant played on a couple of arcade games. One of these was a big version of Guitar Hero
For those of you over 40, or who have lived in a cave for the past decade, Guitar Hero is a series of games for home consoles. You usually play it with a plastic imitation guitar in your hand which
has four buttons on the neck. You follow the patterns on the screen and the more accurate you are, the better the song sounds and the higher your score. They are the next generation of games after the popular 'dance-mat' ones where you had to follow a rhythm on screen with your feet. Many big bands have lent their back catalogue of songs to versions of these games, making them very popular indeed...in one of the Great Yarmouth arcades there was a giant version of this. Ant popped in his pound coin, selected to play as 'Slash' from Guns 'n' Roses (that's the name of a person Mum) and then scrolled down the list of available songs. You can already guess which one he chose.
He did very well too, the look of concentration on his face was priceless. There is an extra part to this story though...
..as his song was coming to an end, another person had stood behind him. He was flanked by two girls, and he was stretching and flexing his fingers. You could instantly tell he was waiting for a turn, and thought himself to be the king of Guitar Hero. He watched Ant finish 'Paint it Black' and took a pace forward, ready to take over. What he didn't know was one pound gets you two turns, and Ant simply chose another song from the onscreen list and started again (completely unaware of the person behind him.)
The anger in the man's face was priceless. The expression 'if looks could kill' has never been more appropriate. I honestly thought Ant was about to get a plastic guitar wrapped around his head. My friend had done nothing wrong, but it was clear that this machine 'belonged' to the stranger and he took it as a personal insult that anyone else dared to use it. (I couldn't help laughing though! :D )
..two completely different memories, but both triggered by hearing the opening bars of one song.
November 16, 2009
Old Mother Hubbard...
You remember the rest - she went to the cupboard to get a snack for her pet pooch, but found out she'd forgotton to buy him any. In reality, the chances are the dog attacked her and she ended up in casualty, but I think in the world of nursery rhymes he just put up with the rumbling stomach. The point of all this? I've emptied my cupbaords without realising.
Don't jump to conclusions and assume I've been gorging, because that's a million miles away from the truth. It just seems I've miss calculated when things would run out, and I haven't got used to the fact supermarkets don't stay open very late and never open their doors on Sundays. It was Saturday afternoon I realised I was low on the basic provisions - no milk, cereal, only a few slices of bread left, no cheese, only one bottle of water, no fruit juice, one apple etc. Everything was running out simultaneously and it was too late to do anything about it. By the time Sunday rolled around I was down to eating the last of the eggs and bacon washed down with a glass of orange cordial.
Truth be told, it wouldn't have been a disaster if I had to survive on basic rations for another 24 hours. I still have my emergency cupboard (noodles, a tin of beans, a tin of sausages and some pasta) and the local kiosk is open every days selling ready-made rolls and hot pies, but it was a bit of a shock that I hadn't seen it coming. Up until this point I had been very efficient with my shopping. Two trips a week, always one full basket of provisions each visit. That fits nicely into two carrier bags and my back-pack. (I've used the same two carrier bags 14 times now. I like to think it's for the sake of the environment, but really it's because they charge you 20c for a new one!)
..and so, all this is leading to me having to make two visits to Scotts, either both today, or today and tomorrow. I'm tempted to get it all done in one day - shop, take home, unpack then back out again....
...if nothing else it'll make the checkout girl think she's suffering from deja vu :)
Don't jump to conclusions and assume I've been gorging, because that's a million miles away from the truth. It just seems I've miss calculated when things would run out, and I haven't got used to the fact supermarkets don't stay open very late and never open their doors on Sundays. It was Saturday afternoon I realised I was low on the basic provisions - no milk, cereal, only a few slices of bread left, no cheese, only one bottle of water, no fruit juice, one apple etc. Everything was running out simultaneously and it was too late to do anything about it. By the time Sunday rolled around I was down to eating the last of the eggs and bacon washed down with a glass of orange cordial.
Truth be told, it wouldn't have been a disaster if I had to survive on basic rations for another 24 hours. I still have my emergency cupboard (noodles, a tin of beans, a tin of sausages and some pasta) and the local kiosk is open every days selling ready-made rolls and hot pies, but it was a bit of a shock that I hadn't seen it coming. Up until this point I had been very efficient with my shopping. Two trips a week, always one full basket of provisions each visit. That fits nicely into two carrier bags and my back-pack. (I've used the same two carrier bags 14 times now. I like to think it's for the sake of the environment, but really it's because they charge you 20c for a new one!)
..and so, all this is leading to me having to make two visits to Scotts, either both today, or today and tomorrow. I'm tempted to get it all done in one day - shop, take home, unpack then back out again....
...if nothing else it'll make the checkout girl think she's suffering from deja vu :)
November 13, 2009
The Show Must Go On Part IV
Well, in fact it has gone on. My latest five minutes of fame has passed.
Remember that quiz show I recorded way back in the long lost days of Southampton? It began broadcasting this week, and already my one and only major appearance has been and gone. Technically, it was about the twentieth show 'in the can' but for what ever reason the powers that be have decided to show them out of order.
This has thrown up a few strange points though. Firstly I use the phrase "I'm 99.99% sure'. By the time I filmed this episode, that sentence had become a catchphrase of all the traders. We even had t-shirts made with it on! By broadcasting the shows out of order though, it looks like I created it. (I didn't)
That also explains the strange penguin dance I did at the end. One trader (real name Scott) looked exactly like a penguin (no, really, he did). He was selected to 'trade' several times early on, and always did the 'Happy Penguin' dance and once again it stuck as a sort of catchphrase. While they were resetting the cameras and I was stood at the front, I was hit by a barrage of shouts from my fellow contestants, reminding me to 'do the dance'. If the shows had gone out in chronological order, you would have seen a multitude of Happy Penguins, but now it again looks like I invented it (which I didn't).
There was also a text box that appeared stating I had 'driven across the USA'. It seems that my family see that as a lie (as it was my Dad that did all the driving) but how else would you phrase it? You can't write 'I was a passenger across America' can you? Whether you were in the driving seat, or just a navigator, you still 'drove across the country' didn't you?
I was a bit upset they said I was from Southampton. I remember they specifically asked me where I wanted to be said to be from and I chose The Isle of Man. I wouldn't want to be remembered as being from Hampshire - ever. But that's it, it's all over. I'll probably make a few more appearances in the crowd scenes, and there is one more show where I do a ten second 'pitch' on the subject of rugby union, but lose out to my good friend Darryl. It'll be a few years now before I can try to get on another show...
..but the bug is still there :)
Remember that quiz show I recorded way back in the long lost days of Southampton? It began broadcasting this week, and already my one and only major appearance has been and gone. Technically, it was about the twentieth show 'in the can' but for what ever reason the powers that be have decided to show them out of order.
This has thrown up a few strange points though. Firstly I use the phrase "I'm 99.99% sure'. By the time I filmed this episode, that sentence had become a catchphrase of all the traders. We even had t-shirts made with it on! By broadcasting the shows out of order though, it looks like I created it. (I didn't)
That also explains the strange penguin dance I did at the end. One trader (real name Scott) looked exactly like a penguin (no, really, he did). He was selected to 'trade' several times early on, and always did the 'Happy Penguin' dance and once again it stuck as a sort of catchphrase. While they were resetting the cameras and I was stood at the front, I was hit by a barrage of shouts from my fellow contestants, reminding me to 'do the dance'. If the shows had gone out in chronological order, you would have seen a multitude of Happy Penguins, but now it again looks like I invented it (which I didn't).
There was also a text box that appeared stating I had 'driven across the USA'. It seems that my family see that as a lie (as it was my Dad that did all the driving) but how else would you phrase it? You can't write 'I was a passenger across America' can you? Whether you were in the driving seat, or just a navigator, you still 'drove across the country' didn't you?
I was a bit upset they said I was from Southampton. I remember they specifically asked me where I wanted to be said to be from and I chose The Isle of Man. I wouldn't want to be remembered as being from Hampshire - ever. But that's it, it's all over. I'll probably make a few more appearances in the crowd scenes, and there is one more show where I do a ten second 'pitch' on the subject of rugby union, but lose out to my good friend Darryl. It'll be a few years now before I can try to get on another show...
..but the bug is still there :)
November 08, 2009
Just One of Those Days
I've been having one of those days...well one of those weeks really. Lots of contemplating, reminiscing, pondering. Not sure quite where it gets me though.
I was comparing the situation I'm in here in Malta to how I was in Southampton. On the face of it of course I'm better off, cheaper accomodation, higher wages, better weather. Ok, I'm living on a building site, but I was in the UK too. Ok, I have no long standing friends here, but I didn't in Hampshire either. But things are different...
I went up to Manchester on average about every 6 weeks. I nipped over to IOM 4 times in the 20 months I was living in Southampton. Friends came to visit me, Sarah and Caoimhe, Tara, 'The Boys'. There is little chance of any of that here. (especially the visits to IOM). Now I feel far more isolated than I ever did on the South Coast. Chatting to friends online actually feels like a necessity, rather than 'just for fun'. Perhaps this is why I've been having these bizarre dreams for the past few nights - dreaming about people I would never have thought would enter my subconscious. Perhaps I'm just missing friends in general.
It's funny that everyone I talk to tells me to 'get out and see the island'. Why? If I want to see what it looks like I can buy a cheap set of postcards. I don't remember anyone ever telling me to 'get out and see Southampton'. When I moved to IOM way back in 1996 I didn't 'go out and see the rock', I just ended up seeing it all by osmosis. In fact, I'm sure there are some areas in the middle of IOM I never did get to see, particularly as I spent the last few years over there without a car.
If I did spend time travelling around Malta, it would probably only serve to remind me I'm on my own. By locking myself away after work each day, I can make it feel like my life is no different than it's ever been. I have things to look forward to, but they are so far apart they feel like a lifetime away. I can't believe I've already booked to go back to IOM in May. MAY! 7 months away! Not 7 days, or 7 weeks, but 7 months!
Ok, be positive Geoff. You get to see some of your friends in Derby in a month, then meeting baby Emily for the first time a few days after that. Then it's Christmas....
...I wonder if they do microwave Christmas meals for one in the supermarket?...
I was comparing the situation I'm in here in Malta to how I was in Southampton. On the face of it of course I'm better off, cheaper accomodation, higher wages, better weather. Ok, I'm living on a building site, but I was in the UK too. Ok, I have no long standing friends here, but I didn't in Hampshire either. But things are different...
I went up to Manchester on average about every 6 weeks. I nipped over to IOM 4 times in the 20 months I was living in Southampton. Friends came to visit me, Sarah and Caoimhe, Tara, 'The Boys'. There is little chance of any of that here. (especially the visits to IOM). Now I feel far more isolated than I ever did on the South Coast. Chatting to friends online actually feels like a necessity, rather than 'just for fun'. Perhaps this is why I've been having these bizarre dreams for the past few nights - dreaming about people I would never have thought would enter my subconscious. Perhaps I'm just missing friends in general.
It's funny that everyone I talk to tells me to 'get out and see the island'. Why? If I want to see what it looks like I can buy a cheap set of postcards. I don't remember anyone ever telling me to 'get out and see Southampton'. When I moved to IOM way back in 1996 I didn't 'go out and see the rock', I just ended up seeing it all by osmosis. In fact, I'm sure there are some areas in the middle of IOM I never did get to see, particularly as I spent the last few years over there without a car.
If I did spend time travelling around Malta, it would probably only serve to remind me I'm on my own. By locking myself away after work each day, I can make it feel like my life is no different than it's ever been. I have things to look forward to, but they are so far apart they feel like a lifetime away. I can't believe I've already booked to go back to IOM in May. MAY! 7 months away! Not 7 days, or 7 weeks, but 7 months!
Ok, be positive Geoff. You get to see some of your friends in Derby in a month, then meeting baby Emily for the first time a few days after that. Then it's Christmas....
...I wonder if they do microwave Christmas meals for one in the supermarket?...
November 02, 2009
To Sleep Perchance to Dream II
Part one was over 18 months ago. Don't panic, you don't have to go back and read it to make sense of this one.
Well, I'll rephrase that. If you go back and read part one, it won't help you make sense of this entry.
For the last two nights I've experimented with not playing a movie on my laptop to help me sleep. It's a habit I've got into for years now, the so called 'white noise' effect. Perhaps it's coincience, but for these past two nights where I haven't had background influence, I've had bizarre dreams, both of which I can recall vividly.
On Saturday night I was on University Challenge with Jeremy Paxman asking the questions. The rest of my team were people I used to go to school with, people I probably haven't thought about for over 20 years (although one of them has just linked up with me on Facebook so perhaps that's why he featured). There was an opposing team there, but I couldn't see their faces. Mr Paxman seemed to ask every question directly to us, rather than to both teams, and I remember there was a big window behind him, overlooking a seafront - think it was similar to Dougals Bay in the IOM.
One question that sticks out is the 'music round'. He groaned as he asked us to 'name the composer of the following arias' but then he played the theme music from Mission Impossible.
Anyone want to psychoanaylse that?
Last night the people in my dream were all from my casino days in IOM. I still seemed to be working for a casino, but it was in Streford Arndale shopping centre near my home in Manchester (there isn't really a casino in there). The casino was also open fronted, no doors and I don't even remember there being any gaming tables either. It felt more like a bookmakers, with a counter towards the back. At one point I remember I was working my last shift before leaving the company but I was given a new uniform and sent home to try it on. I remember protesting that it was pointless as I was leaving, but I was sent home anyway. The new uniform had a bold Scottish tartan on the front, but with a lot of dark blue. I went back to 'work' in it, but seemed to be over 7 hours late, and no one cared...
...think I might stick to the white noise in future. It's less terrifying.
Well, I'll rephrase that. If you go back and read part one, it won't help you make sense of this entry.
For the last two nights I've experimented with not playing a movie on my laptop to help me sleep. It's a habit I've got into for years now, the so called 'white noise' effect. Perhaps it's coincience, but for these past two nights where I haven't had background influence, I've had bizarre dreams, both of which I can recall vividly.
On Saturday night I was on University Challenge with Jeremy Paxman asking the questions. The rest of my team were people I used to go to school with, people I probably haven't thought about for over 20 years (although one of them has just linked up with me on Facebook so perhaps that's why he featured). There was an opposing team there, but I couldn't see their faces. Mr Paxman seemed to ask every question directly to us, rather than to both teams, and I remember there was a big window behind him, overlooking a seafront - think it was similar to Dougals Bay in the IOM.
One question that sticks out is the 'music round'. He groaned as he asked us to 'name the composer of the following arias' but then he played the theme music from Mission Impossible.
Anyone want to psychoanaylse that?
Last night the people in my dream were all from my casino days in IOM. I still seemed to be working for a casino, but it was in Streford Arndale shopping centre near my home in Manchester (there isn't really a casino in there). The casino was also open fronted, no doors and I don't even remember there being any gaming tables either. It felt more like a bookmakers, with a counter towards the back. At one point I remember I was working my last shift before leaving the company but I was given a new uniform and sent home to try it on. I remember protesting that it was pointless as I was leaving, but I was sent home anyway. The new uniform had a bold Scottish tartan on the front, but with a lot of dark blue. I went back to 'work' in it, but seemed to be over 7 hours late, and no one cared...
...think I might stick to the white noise in future. It's less terrifying.
November 01, 2009
Auf Wiedersehen Pet
Just thought I'd use a German phrase as I do work for a German company, but it's the TV show I'm referring to. More importantly, the fact it was set on building sites.
One of the first things you might notice when you arrive in Malta, and take any kind of journey in a vehicle is the amount of construction sites you'll see. Not necessarily with the roadworks that you associate with them in the UK, but construction workers erecting new blocks of flats where-ever there is a spare acre or two of land. The skyline at any given point will always contain a handful of cranes, and if you step outside during the hours of daylight, you won't fail to hear the sound of a drill or cement mixer. Perhaps you're wondering why I'm mentioning this...
Sliema (the area I live in) is seen as one of the main tourist magnets. It combines all the usual necessities for the tourist trade; bars, shops, restaurants, and the launching docks for almost all the tourist ferry trips. It also boasts at least 6 different construction sites that I can think of (just off the top of my head). There are two at the end of my street, and now one directly opposite me. Sitting out on my balcony is no longer the pleasurable experience it could have been as it is now accompanied by a crane towering over me and the lovely sound of hammers and drills. I thought I left this behind in Southampton!
To cap it all, I now find out my local pub has been reclaimed by the lease holder and all the staff have been given notice. The reason? The owner plans on turning it into luxury flats!
There is a strange edge to this though. Talking to a few locals, it seems Malta has over 50,000 empty flats right now. I seem to remember the Isle of Man going through a similar transistion, Douglas sea-front became awash with flats, but no one seemed to know who was expected to buy them.
What all this means for me is I am paying a premium on my rent for the 'location' I'm in and for the 'luxury penthouse' but when you step back and view it, I'm paying to live in the middle of a series of building sites, and to have a balcony that is only of use after normal working hours. I can guarentee, unless something dramatic happens in the next 10 months I won't be renewing my lease, and I'll move to a different area for half the rent...
...and I can bet my landlord will find himself with a flat he's unable to lease out. After all, would you choose a penthouse to live in if it was overlooked by a crane and had constant noise 12 hours a day?
One of the first things you might notice when you arrive in Malta, and take any kind of journey in a vehicle is the amount of construction sites you'll see. Not necessarily with the roadworks that you associate with them in the UK, but construction workers erecting new blocks of flats where-ever there is a spare acre or two of land. The skyline at any given point will always contain a handful of cranes, and if you step outside during the hours of daylight, you won't fail to hear the sound of a drill or cement mixer. Perhaps you're wondering why I'm mentioning this...
Sliema (the area I live in) is seen as one of the main tourist magnets. It combines all the usual necessities for the tourist trade; bars, shops, restaurants, and the launching docks for almost all the tourist ferry trips. It also boasts at least 6 different construction sites that I can think of (just off the top of my head). There are two at the end of my street, and now one directly opposite me. Sitting out on my balcony is no longer the pleasurable experience it could have been as it is now accompanied by a crane towering over me and the lovely sound of hammers and drills. I thought I left this behind in Southampton!
To cap it all, I now find out my local pub has been reclaimed by the lease holder and all the staff have been given notice. The reason? The owner plans on turning it into luxury flats!
There is a strange edge to this though. Talking to a few locals, it seems Malta has over 50,000 empty flats right now. I seem to remember the Isle of Man going through a similar transistion, Douglas sea-front became awash with flats, but no one seemed to know who was expected to buy them.
What all this means for me is I am paying a premium on my rent for the 'location' I'm in and for the 'luxury penthouse' but when you step back and view it, I'm paying to live in the middle of a series of building sites, and to have a balcony that is only of use after normal working hours. I can guarentee, unless something dramatic happens in the next 10 months I won't be renewing my lease, and I'll move to a different area for half the rent...
...and I can bet my landlord will find himself with a flat he's unable to lease out. After all, would you choose a penthouse to live in if it was overlooked by a crane and had constant noise 12 hours a day?
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