When you live with 3 of your classmates you can really sense that a paper is due soon. We’ve been getting up around 7, even on weekends.

The problem with our house is that you can’t have many secrets because sounds just gets amplified… So this morning I was woken up by Natalia cleaning up the dishes, it sounded like she was banging pots right in my bedroom. Just now I opened a well-deserved bottle of red wine.

Plop.

Me: “Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

Natalia and Audrey laughing at the other end of the house.

What’s amazing is that they are so dedicated that they could resist the temptation to meet me in the kitchen.

Today we paid our rent, that means we’ve already lived here for over a month! Our landlord Carlos got someone to drive us home, because he sent some guys over to our house to fix the internet. Our driver loved Bob Marley (and Michael Jackson) and had a crazy sound system in his car. We listened to Bob Marley at full volume and it felt strangely nice to be in a car listening to music (we’ve been exposed to a lot of really bad music that 20 year-olds like…). I’ve never heard anyone honk as much as our driver, but it work, we made it home safely.

It was fabulous! The eager and mature students sat in the front, the young girls checking facebook sat in the back. Ola, Olivera, Monique, and I took up the whole 3 hour class with our presentations about Poland, Serbia, the Philippines, and Canada. We’re getting much more relaxed about talking in front of an audience and I would dare to say we actually enjoyed it. I got to talk about ECCE in Canada and infused it with stories from my first work experience at Great Beginning (yikes!) and of course Pooh Corner <3.

The day before that Becky and I gave a presentation to our class, we compared the ECCE workforce in Belize and Germany. It was interesting to read up on Germany, especially the difference between the former East and West Germany. But unfortunately my arm is getting worse again, I have to stop using the computer all day, so I won’t go into details about how they conceptualized ECCE today… Maybe another day. Or I can send you my paper.

That’s right. The paper. That’s what I should be working on right now. BEFORE going out for ice cream.

I’m getting another cold. I’m blaming the airconditioning. Is it ever silly to get 2 colds in Malta.

When we got up today we had to figure out how to go to the hospital in Malta. We took one of our IMEC friends, because she was in a lot of pain (our favorite taxi driver picked us up, felt like he was a family friend. Last time he picked us up from the grocery store). Our friend is better now, they took x-rays and an ultra sounds, she got the results, and some medication and we only spent a few hours in the emergency.

In the afternoon Becky and I finished our presentation for tomorrow. And then we finally went to the beach to swim in the sunset. That was a nice end to this crazy day.

A few nights ago we went to a district called Paceville (or as I like to say Touch-a-ville). This is the party district in Malta with lots of clubs. The party was for the Erasmus exchange students, EU students that are spending a semester in Malta. It was so bad that it was good again and I loved hating it.

Last night on the other hand I had a lovely time. We went to the Capital Valetta for an event called Science in the City. As we strolled down the streets we found an outdoor jazz bar with life music. It was 100 times nicer than Paceville, but unfortunately, the season is coming to an end and the last concert will be next week 🙁

During the day we’re doing lots of homework… I’m working on a presentation with Becky, we’re comparing Germany and Belize. I’m also preparing a presentation to the Maltese ECEC students about Canada. And then I really really have to start writing my paper, it’s due in 2 weeks. I’ve already read lots, but now I have to pour my brain onto paper.

For our first module here in Malta I am writing a paper in which I will compare, contrast, and critique the early childhood workforce in any two countries. I’ve chosen Canada and Germany, because so far I have focused on Canada, which is a bit ironic, because I am accepted to this program as a German.

I would have never imagined that one day I would have a Maltese ID.

• TUE25 SEP31°C(88°F)
• WED26 SEP29°C(84°F)
• THU27 SEP29°C(84°F)
• FRI28 SEP31°C(88°F)
• SAT29 SEP31°C(88°F)
• SUN30 SEP31°C(88°F)
• MON1 OCT31°C(88°F)

About 4 years ago my sister Kerstin moved from Vancouver to Hamburg. She thought she would stay for a year to spend some time with our family. Things never are so straight forward, and instead she stayed for 4 years and built a life in Germany.

After 4 years of meeting new and old friends, seeing our family, maintaining a long-distance relationship with John, taking a masters degree, going to the Netherlands for one semester, finding a job and a lovely home…

…Kerstin, John, and Lennert are on a plane back to Canada. I can’t wait to hear how your adventure continues.

Love you.

Wow.

We took a little boat to Comino, a small island between Malta and Gozo. All the tourists left by six and we had the island to ourselves. What a nice nice nice day.