Week 20 18th-24th June

This week started off very well as my education in Malta was completely over as I handed in my last essay which was Sports Psychology. This essay was similar to one that I had completed back in stranmillis as it was about finding an athletes psychological weakness and stratiges to improve it. Therefore I used my previous essay to help me revieve the best grade possible and hopefully higher than what I recieved the first time round. 

On the Monday night most of us in residence went to golden Bay which is a beach for a night time BBQ and games. This was such a highlight as it was a farewell to many and it was the last night most of us would be together. We took loads of pictures and videos that we will all have to have as a memory for when it all comes to an end! During the night we shared are favourite memories looking back and laughing at things that happened during our stay. We got on really well saying how much we would miss Malta and each other. As you can also see by the pictures below I am now a brunette!

On the Tuesday it was the England and Ukraine football match, therefore a group of us decided to head to St Julian’s as there was a huge screen showing the game. I decided to pretend to be English for the night as they were the closest N.I will get to the Euros. Therefore most of us decided to wear red white and blue to get into the spirit of everything. The game was so much fun and had us all on edge, we also met loads of people and supporters especially one group of people from London who we got on with very well and in the end England of course won and we went and celebrated with our new friends! We also ended up meeting up with them for the rest of the week until they had to leave on the Saturday and said we would definitely keep in touch!

This week was sad as the residence just kept getting more empty as the days went by, and as we had no classes or exams left I started to notice the residence getting quieter every day, well except for the children that were staying for the week they made up for the lack of noise from us students! What made this week even sadder was that on the Sunday England were put out of the euros by the Italian team and we were not pleased at all.

As we were all starting to get bored during the end of the week with not much to do and money running low me and a friend of mine Joanne decided to play a prank on a girl called Sophie as she was out of residnce and we had here room key. With a little help from the boys we made a fort in her room by attaching white bed sheets across her room, we then wrapped cling film everywhere for example over her sink and on the ladders of her bed. To make the prank more daring we also turned her wardrobe round so she couldn't get in it, lifted up the bed side table and put it on the top bunk and finally the funniest of all the boys lifted the fridge from the kitchen and put it in the corner of her room! When Sophie had arrived back to all our relief she took it well and couldn't stop laughing saying it was the funniest prank someone has ever done on her!

Week 21 25th-30th June

Our final week had arrived and it was time to say goodbye already on the Monday. The first one to leave us was our friend Sinead from Liverpool, who didn't live in residence (but might as well have) but we will still miss her presence as she was very outgoing and could always bring a group together. To say goodbye we decided to hit the karaoke bar as it was the usual typical Monday night thing to do and coincidentally one of Sinead’s favourite thing to do. We had an amazing night getting loads of free food and just having fun together. I also finally found out what the weird free meat was that I had been eating every time I had went to this bar and thought was chicken, well I was way off apparently it was pigeon! I didn’t mind to be honest it just tasted like KFC.

Even though this was the last week I was really looking forward to it as the Isle of MTV Malta special had finally arrived! Malta has held this event for five years with previous stars including Lady Gaga, LMFAO and David Guetta. The Isle of MTV was a massive concert that was being held by MTV in Valetta with performers this year including nelly Fortado, Flo Rida and Will.I.Am. This was the day everyone was looking forward too as we had known about it since the start of Erasmus and so almost everyone in residence was going.  Unfortunately one of the girls called Jo couldn't attend as she had an accident the day before the concert. A group of the girls decided to go to Melia Bay as there was water trampolines and water obstacle courses, however they weren't as fun as they had hoped as Jo had fallen and ended up dislocating her knee! Therefore for her on safety she couldn't make it too the MTV event and was devastated.

Once we got there we started freaking out about the crowds as Niamh had hurt her toe and we didn't want anyone standing on it and also the heat of everyone being crushed together! However we worried over nothing and as soon as the concert began we didn't even think about any of our worries. We all had an amazing day and had so much fun dancing and singing along together as a big Erasmus group. My favourite artist had to be Will.I.Am as he played not just his own songs but a mix of other artist’s music. I was sad to see the end of the day and I am sure the cleaners were also as the place was just covered in litter everywhere! We were all so tired as we had been singing and dancing all night therefore we couldn't wait to get home but of course we were in Malta and our buses were late (should be used to it by now).

 

Thursday had come and it was time for another emotional goodbye! This time it was Sarah who was from America who was a huge influence in our group of friends, therefore as you can imagine we all got very upset when it was time to say goodbye! As a group we decided to go out for dinner to Sarah’s favourite restaurant called Texmex. TexMex is a Mexican restaurant and served the nicest food you could imagine. The group would go here often but it was my first and wasn't I annoyed that it had taken me this long to finally go as the food was unbelievably tasty! At the end of the dinner we went out to the sea front and took our last picture with the entire group there and that’s when the tears began! Thursday was also our last night as an Erasmus family in Pacevillie, we all stayed together and had a great laugh thinking back on all the memories and time we had spent there. So as well as saying goodbye to our friends we also said goodbye to Pacevillie and the people we had met there.

Friday was a day of just packing and sorting out what I was bringing home and leaving behind so that I wasn’t charged for my bag being overweight. I had more than what I thought and I had to sacrifice pairs of shoes (which is difficult for a girl to do) to fit everything in. between packing I also lay by the pool to catch the last load of rays that I could and to take advantage of the pool as I won't have one outside my door when I come home, not like we have the weather in Belfast anyway! That night the girls that were left decided to sit by the pool and enjoy each other’s company for the last time sharing memories and planning reunions already! That night while we were all together we decided to make sure we were awake at 5am to say goodbye to our Canadian friends Colin and Patricia then to wake up at 8am and say goodbye to Jo from London and Emily from Canada who was going to London to stay with Jo and watch the Olympics. We all stuck by our word and had many emotional group hugs as we said goodbye to each person that’s when reality hit that we were leaving.

Saturday had arrived and my last few hours which should have been for packing and making sure I had everything were actually spent outside by the pool getting my last speck of tan. I was very silly and thought let’s not wear sun cream, and well I just got completely burnt, however eventually turning to tan by the time we were ready to leave for the airport. Once again Malta taxis are never on time or else get it wrong!  We ordered a taxi for six people and one car came, therefore having to wait another 30 minutes on a mini bus, but it wouldn't be Malta if that didn't happen. Our final hugs were given and our last goodbyes were made, but what I like to say is not goodbye but see you again!

So there we have it the end of Erasmus in Malta. It has been emotional in good ways and bad, but I loved every minute of it and I wouldn't take a single moment back! This is an amazing experience that I will cherish all my life, I have seen many places and met amazing people along the way and I will never forget the memories we shared.

Thank you Malta!

week 19 11th-17th June

Finally the day of my last exam in Malta had arrived and it was gymnastics. I wasn’t as prepared for this exam as I was in the human anatomy however I had general knowledge of the subject and had remembered what I had learnt in my gymnastics practical lessons so I knew I would get through it. The questions were all based on the practical sessions that we had taken part in I knew most of the answers and tried to answer them the best I could, I just wish I knew that this is what was going to be on the exam at the start of the semester therefore I would have taken notes in every practical session! There was nothing that I could do now and before I knew it the hour was over. All was left to do was my 12 page marketing report and a sport psychology case study.

I started work on my two assignments and got seven pages completed in my marketing report in just one night so I was therefore very pleased. For my marketing report I had decided to base it on the Ulster hockey association. I had to look into the organisation of the organisation and where they had weaknesses and see what I could do to improve on their financial circumstances and any other problems. The main problem was the lack of coaches and therefore to finish my assignment I had to think hard on what I could do or suggest a solution to fix it. As the assignments were due at the end of the week I made sure I used most of my time to finish them and at the end of the week they had been completed and handed in. I finished my management assignment with the suggestion of an open day/fun day for family members of the players in the hockey clubs. This would include many things such as face painting, bouncy castle, BBQ, team races and five aside hockey games. This will hopefully get more money into the clubs by advertising the sport and getting more members and of course by the money collected from the fun day itself. To fix the solution of the lack of coaches is to train up some of the older hockey members into coaches to save money on bringing coaches in. I completed my 500 word evaluation on the football tournament and handed it all in on time!

In between doing my two assignments my time was mostly for working on my golden brown tan! Also of course to spend time with the people I had gotten close to as it was our last few days together. Therefore we arranged outings such as dinner, trips to the beach and of course some souvenir shopping for the family. This week I was too well at the start and therefore I didn't do that much running about which was convenient as I had to finish my assignments.

It was a sad week as it was time to say goodbye to the famous 103 house. The girls had to move out as the last two weeks the house was being used by a camp full of children to come and learn English. The girl’s one being Niamh were upgraded to apartments so the situation wasn't as bad as it sounds. To say goodbye to the house of 103 we had one last gathering and headed to Pacevillie.

Week 18 4th-10th June

They day had arrived the first ever written exam in Malta for human anatomy! I have to say I wasn't nervous all week then I woke up with butterflies in my stomach! I didn't know what to expect with the questions and how they would be worded, therefore I was a bit worried about that. I also learnt 14 topics very well and the other three not so much which meant I was nervous that they would come up and the others wouldn't. It was now too late as we waited in the room for the exam to start. As I opened the paper a big smile appeared on my face with the jot to see that you had a choice of seventeen questions and you only had to do ten which meant I got to choose my strongest revised topics. The questions were also worded very simple compared to back home as they were very straight forward for example describe the structure of the ankle joint and another was what is posture? Therefore I was relieved and I think I have put in enough work and wrote a lot in detail to have done well, so once again fingers crossed!

On the Tuesday night my friends parents arrived therefore he wasn’t in the residence as he would be with his family for the week. Therefore the guys that he lived with thought it would be hilarious that we all wore a T shirt that he owned and get as many as we could to join in and then take a picture and tag him on Facebook! This was so funny and the picture looked well it was so colourful as you can see in the picture below. When he seen the picture he too thought it was a great idea and didn’t expect anything which was weird because they were always getting up to no good! Therefore he took the joke well and joined in with the laugh. As well that night my friend Joanne from Northern Ireland had come back to Malta after visiting home to see her friend as her dad was to carry the Olympic torch! She said it was an amazing once and a life time experience to see and was glad that she went home to witness the historical event happen. With her she brought back some of my favourite pickled onion Tayto crisp as it was my birthday the next day, therefore when it hit 12 I was allowed to eat them (it was worth the wait).

The next day was my birthday, finally not a teenager anymore as I turned a big 20! I wasn't going to do anything for my birthday as loads of people had exams that week and wanted to revise, however my friends were having none of it and decided to bring me to paradise bay and wasn't I glad they did as it was beautiful! Paradise bay is well secluded and is set in a natural cove. It is located on the northern part of Malta close to Cirkewwa. This beach is excellent for snorkelling and is popular with a younger crowd where there are often parties on the weekends. Despite being relatively isolated, there plenty of facilities available. The water was so clear and the sand was perfect as it was smooth and a white like colour. I am not usually a big fan of the beach however this was amazing and I definitely would come back here. Therefore my birthday so far was off to a great start and I was enjoying my day tanning and spending it with friends.

Later that night it was decided that we hit Paceville to celebrate my birthday. As I was on skype to my parents the girls were getting up to know good planning something (nothing ever gets past me). Not that it wasn't obvious as they were blowing up balloons in front of me and people were for some reason heading up to the famous 103 house. I was lead up the 103 roof and there they all were to surprise me with a party! I was so overwhelmed and was so happy that they had done all this for my birthday. They even made a cake and bought me presents, I really didn't expect this and I thank them so much for making my birthday so special in Malta!

However my birthday celebrations for once didn't stretch over a couple of days as it was back to revising. I had my gymnastics written exam on the Monday therefore it was more work for another couple of days, however I didn't mind so much as it was my last! I found it difficult to revise for gymnastics as we didn't have much to help us revise just pages on the components of fitness used in gymnastics. We also weren't given a clear understanding on what the exam would be on therefore I was very unsure and decided that I just had to go into the exam and use the knowledge that I gained from the practical sessions.

On Friday my roommate and I decided to go into sliema for some shopping and bounding time as she was leaving the next day. We thought it would be good to spend one last day togther and say a proper goodbye. I had fun spending time with her and we enjoyed are day out! 

On the Saturday it was the big group picture that we were all dreading as it meant everything was coming to an end! It was organised that everyone from residence grouped together around the pool and a member of staff from the residence got on the roof and took a Birdseye view picture. This turned out beautifully with almost everyone there as a big group, almost brought a tear to my eye! This is my favourite picture so far in my Erasmus experience as it showed how everyone got along and how much we would miss each other. What made this day worse was that it was my roommates last day and it was time to say goodbye. This was difficult for me as I had spent so much time with and she was like an older sister as she had taught me a lot especially as I lived with her. We knew we would stay in touch therefore we seen it as see you again rather than a goodbye.

Week 17 28th-3rd June

The day finally arrived it was my practical exam for gymnastics, the exam I can honestly say I was nervous the most about. What made it worse was the fact that my roommate that was supposed to do a floor routine for Niamh and also myself was in Poland so I had to perform two routines for Niamh and I got my friend Emily to do mine. So that was a panic in itself. However when it came to my practical it wasn't as bad as I had expected and I think it went rather well considering the rush we were in to find a replacement. I have to say I really need to hit the gym again after performing two routines I was exhausted! After the routines we were asked questions about how we taught them, for example one of my questions was to demonstrate how you would support your performer when teaching them a double cartwheel (two cartwheels in a row) I think I demonstrated this correctly as I knew how to support a gymnast when performing a single cartwheel so I used this knowledge. I hope everything went as well as I thought so fingers crossed for the results!

This week was very much concentrated on my Human anatomy exam which will be on the 4th June, so it was study, study, and study every day. I didn't mind this much as I love this topic and it was the module I would like to succeed the most in. Revising for this was interesting not what we would do back home as we all sent our posters to each other and revised off them. This was a good idea as we knew all the topics would come up on the exam however there was only ten questions and we had seventeen to revise, therefore we had a lot to learn!

On the Friday my friends from Erasmus decided we all needed a break from studying so we decided to go to bowling. This was great fun and a lot of the others hadn't ever bowled before. I also learnt that in Canada they use smaller bowling balls and less pins so it was rather amusing watching them play the game! In fact after a couple of goes they were actually better than me which was embarrassing. We all had a great night and enjoyed doing something different together.

The fun didn't stop there on the Saturday in was our residence pool party as many people were leaving the next Saturday to fly back home. Therefore everyone thought it would be a good idea to hold this event. We booked a DJ and there was a BBQ and most of the day consisted of throwing each other in the pool like big kids. The weather of course was amazing as always and the atmosphere was fantastic watching everyone get along and come together for one of the last times!

On Sunday all the fun was over and it was back to study as the exam was now only 24 hours away! For once I wasn’t as nervous as I knew I had done all I could and it was just a matter of reading over my notes and making sure I had looked at all the topics. Therefore it was an early night for me in preparation for my first written exam in Malta!

Week 16 21st-27th May

This was our final preparation class for our gymnastics Practical and I was getting pretty nervous! In this class we were free to do our own thing and work on the routines that we had for the examination. Niamh was one of my gymnasts as I was one of hers. Our other partner was going to be my roommate however as she wasn't part of our class and had her own lessons to attend she could not make it to our practice. This wasn't a problem as it meant that Niamh and I could concentrate on each other’s routines. We decided to perform each other’s ribbon routines as they were easy to choreograph and learn in the time that we had in class. After this class we had both made up our own choreography and taught each other as much as we could. Overall I found this class very helpful as we could see what space we had to perform and could have a sneak look at the other students routines (we didn't copy promise). All we had to do now was to pick out instrumental music and choreograph a floor routine.

On the Tuesday night we decided to order our first ever Chinese to the residence, we hadn't yet done this as we were warned that it isn't very nice and is nothing like the Chinese delivery back home. However we weren't bothered we thought how bad could it possibly be. Well it started off horribly we rang the place and after giving them our order and gave our address they said we don’t deliver there! So we had to re order elsewhere. So we were waiting for our food and waiting, waiting still, an hour passes still no sign! Finally an hour and a half later it arrives we thought this better be worth it! It turned out that Malta Chinese food actually isn't as bad as everyone says, maybe not just as good as back home but we enjoyed it.

Our last ever class in Malta on the Thursday! This experience of Erasmus has flown in with the last class being Management. In this class we learnt how time management has high importance in any business or organisation and two main issues are punctuality and meeting deadlines. This was interesting to learn about as you don't realise just how important being on time is. Therefore I took a lot from our last class and will try and be as punctual as I can in future! At the end of this class we also had to give in an evaluation of what we thought about this module. This was my favourite class as it was very well brought together and taught with great structure in every lesson and everything was relevant to the module title. Therefore my evaluation was very positive.

As it was coming to the end of the semester and exams were soon beginning we thought it would be a good idea to hold an “I love Malta” night. This is when everyone would buy a T shirt and write each other messages to say how great it was to meet them and maybe even write a few memories. To our surprise there was massive turn out and almost everyone had joined in this was a great night that was full of joy and sadness and one of the highlights so far in Erasmus, as in this night I realised how many friends and different people that I had meat and that I would miss, therefore it taught me to make the most of the time I had left with them.

Saturday night I had a tough decision!  Was going to the last ever boat party, go and see the famous Fat boy slim or stay in and watch the Eurovision song contest? Well wasn't a tough decision of course I was going to sit in and watch the Eurovision! This was a fun night as whoever was left in residence that night all came together and supported our own countries (I was supporting Ireland and UK).

 Overall I had a great week and made the most of it as I knew it was time to get my study hat on as exams were getting closer.

Week 15 14th-20th May

This week was the second and last block week for human anatomy. As we had learnt all the material the Monday class was to prepare us for our presentations for the next day. What shocked us when we were given our preparation was he left it to the last minute, as in the day before which would never happen back in Stranmillis. We also found out we had to pay 35 euro to print a poster out and this wasn’t made clear to us. We were not pleased at the cost of this as we are students that can just about afford to live abroad as it is and therefore got annoyed, however what could we do but to just get on with it and pay the money. Niamh and I were clever however as we found somewhere that printed it cheaper for only 20 euros (typical bargain hunters) so we weren’t too bothered paying this amount.

Today we also met up with our lecturer Melanie who was over on a placement and of course to check if we were doing ok. It was great to see a friendly face from our home university and tell her all about are time in Malta so far. As you would probably already guessed we had plenty to talk about, good and bad, but of course mostly good. We gave Melanie some advice for her stay for example the bad time keeping (also known as mala time) the bus system and of course the best tourist places to visit. We said are goodbyes and hoped that she had a great time.

It was Tuesday and therefore presentation day! My presentation was on posture and I don’t think I had ever been so nervous about a presentation, and I never get nervous as most people know I love getting the opportunity to talk. I think I was so worried because I had never done a poster presentation like this before and therefore it was all new to me. I think also because it was in front of the Maltese in our class and I felt the pressure of making a good impression on them and the lecturer. However I braved up and completed it with everything running smoothly, therefore I panicked for no reason. It was very interesting watching the others do their presentations as I could see what they do different. I learnt from others that I it's good to not always read what I have put on the poster but try and learn it off by heart so you can make more eye contact with the audience. This is something I find difficult but by watching them it has encouraged me to do this in the future.

The rest of the week was to prepare us for the exam and what it was going to be like. We found out there would be ten questions and they would all be based on the title of each presentation, therefore we had to revise each other’s posters meaning revising  seventeen topics on human anatomy. This was the end of our block week all was left in human anatomy was to study for the exam.

This week was very much taken over by university work meaning less of a social life which isn’t too bad especially for my bank balance.  So in my free time it was just lie by the pool and top up my tan, which doesn’t seem that bad at all.



At the weekend my social life picked up just a little as we had our University Residence sports day! this was great fun and everyone got into their country teams (some mixing there race). The biggest game was the tug of war over the water this was very funny to watch! I didn't participate as much as I usually would especially in the tug of war as I am a bit of a wimp! However it was great to cheer everyone on, and I got confused if I should cheer for the Ireland team or the UK team, however after Ireland winning the tug of war I was now "Irish" typical glory hunter! over all it was enjoyable and was great seeing everyone from each country comng together for this event!

Week 14 7th-13th May

This week in gymnastics  we learnt more about the different apparatus used in rythmic gymnastics. We used the balls which i was looking forward to as it was an interesting object to use in a routine, and also seemed rather difficult when we were watching the video. It was really fun and enjoyable and I found that I was actually rather good at it! We had to be able to balance the ball on our hand then throw to the other, as well as being able to throw the ball up as high as you could then catch it. Once you were good at this and forward roll was added, therefore you would throw the ball up roll then catch it. I wasn't very good at this move however it was fun to try a new skill.

After gymnastics as always I had my sport psychology class, were we learnt about eating disoders. this was an intresting topic to learn as I hadn't learnt about all the different types of eating disorders in detail before. We leant all about anerxia, bilemia and obesity and what causes them, the pschological effects it has on people and how they can be treated. This was a good class and I would diffenetly want to learn more about the psychological effects and how people can actually get themselves into the habit of having an eating disorder.



Most of the week me and some other girls decided to start catching some rays and sit by the pool one are days off. This was ralaxing, however one day there was the biggest creature ever sitting right behind us, was a huge lizard and you can imagine what us girls were like.

One of the girls I am friendly with had a friend from home come over and visit, therefore she wanted to be shown the good parts of malta. On the Saturday we went to St. Peters pool.

St. Peter's Pool, also called Hofra iz-Zghira (the small hole) is Malta's dream bay in the Southeast of the island. Peter’s Pool is located on the east side of the Delimara peninsula. It is a rocky inlet which almost looks like a natural swimming pool has been carved into the rocks. Legend has it that St. Peter baptized some locals here when he visited the area. This is an area of incredible natural beauty with the waters being among the clearest and most beautiful that you will come across on the Maltese Islands.  The weather as always was beautiful when we visited this rockey beach so it made the day even more enjoyable. At St. Peters pool there is a load of cliffs, which some of the crazy guys from resendence decided to jump off! I thought I'd play it safe and jump off the smallest which I wouldn't even call a cliff, but at least I tried. This was such a beautiful place and I will hope to visit it again before I leave.

It was a very eventful weekend as on the sunday a big group of us decided to go to a beach party which had huge DJ's performing. this was an all day event from nine in the morning until 3am. It was a great daywith everyone and it was a great first experience. What made it more enjoyable we just happened to meet the tallest man in malta called Samuel Deguara.

week 13 30th-6th May

I was very glad I attended my gymnastics class this week as it was very important as we found out our practical exam dates and what we had to complete for this practical. The practical will be held on the 28^th May which gives us plenty of time to work on it. For this exam I have to choreograph a floor routine and teach a student this choreography. This routine has to be at the most one minute and thirty seconds and a floor plan should be handed to the lecturer before the routine begins. Warm up should be given and a question and answering session with lecturer after the routine is complete. Therefore the complete floor routine section should last no more than five minutes. The second half is to choreograph an apparatus routine which can be on the beam, horse, bars or a choice of rhythmic gymnastics equipment, this has to last 60-90 seconds. Warm up should be included and another question and answering session, therefore this half should also be five minutes long. This practical will only last ten minutes so in my opinion I don’t think it will be that difficult. I have experience in choreography because of dancing so I hope my experience will help and guide me through it smoothly.  This is very different to my gymnastics class last year in Stranmillis as we didn’t have to do a practical exam, however I like this idea as it gives us students and future P.E teachers a chance to teach others and get the experience of being at the other side of a practical session.

I had another psychology class today and we learnt about the effects of drug abuse in sport. I have covered this topic many of times in GCSE P.E, A level P.E and in Stranmillis, however I have never learnt in depth the psychological effects drugs have on an athlete.  We learnt the social factors and how peer pressure has a mighty effect on young people, also the demand to look good for example those with a muscular build taking steroids. Win at all costs significant to athletes as pressure is put on them by fans, coaches and family to win, therefore leading to some athletes being drawn to using drugs to up their game. I really enjoyed this class as it was something that I knew about but I learnt even more about the psychological side not just the physiological.

After having a complete day in university Niamh, Amy and I decided to go out for dinner again to our favourite place meet. We decided to do this as there was another fireworks display in Valetta, this time it was a competition. We were to meet the rest of our friends there however we couldn’t seem to find them anywhere. All three of us therefore stuck together and watched the event, and I didn’t think it was possible but these fireworks were even more spectacular than those on Friday. Niamh and Amy didn’t see the fireworks on the Friday therefore they were even more amazed than I was. Surprise, surprise the winners of the competition were Malta, with Canada in second place. I am pleased that I didn’t miss this as I would say it was a once in a life time opportunity, I am saying this as the friends we were to meet up with turned up late and missed the entire show unlucky for them.

Tuesday was a big day for the Dutch as it was Queens’s day and they would celebrate it to the equivalent of our St. Patricks day. Therefore most of the dutch in our residence wanted us to experience this and organised a party at the residence pool bar. We couldn’t say no as they celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with us. This was a great night and it was really great experience to celebrate a different culture.

On the Thursday I have my management class at 12pm and the lecturer always turns up on time, however we were waiting 45 minutes and there was still no sign of him. We then realised the class was only to start at 1.00pm, well weren’t we silly not looking at the notice board! This class was therefore a short one and we learnt all about how to set up a tournament which was very usefull to learn about as on the 20^th may we were to attend a tournament that was to be organised by our class. I have never done this before, so you could tell I was very excited to experience something new, and in a different country.

On the Saturday It was time for another hike organised once again by the AEGEE team.  On this hike we arrived at the Temples of Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra  which is the site of the oldest free standing structures, this was a very interesting site to visit and we got an up close view at the free standing temple remains. After this we walked to Wied iż- Żurrieq then to the Blue Grotto and watched the rocky scene of the steep Babu Valley. Blue Grotto is a number of sea caverns on the southern coast of Malta and was the most beautiful site I have visited in Malta so far. We got on a ting tour boat which took us all round the caves, the sites were out of this world, the water was completely clear and blue you could see to the bottom of the water. The location of the cave combined with the sunlight lead to the water mirroring showing numerous shades of blue. Several caverns mirror the brilliant phosphorescent colours of the underwater flora; other caverns show a deep dark shade of blue. I also found out it was used for a scene of the 2004 film Troy, starring Brad Pitt. I would definitely advise tourists to visit this site, as I think it’s one amazing memory I will remember from Malta.

week 12 23rd-29th april

This week started off very busy with an early morning start for gymnastics. This class was important as we were starting to learn about floor routines and rhythmic gymnastics with all the different types of equipment that are used. The lecture we originally have on a Monday morning started of the first two hours of the class by showing us videos of different floor routines which was very helpful as I was finding it difficult to come up with choreography, therefore this gave me a good idea of moves and elements to add into my own routine. The level of skills that were performed in these videos however were beyond what we could do in our class so I don’t think I’ll be using too many of the skills!

The next half of the class was taken by a Russian gymnastics coach. I was very excited to take part in this part as we got to watch videos of high class gymnasts performing rhythmic routines with hopes, ropes, batons, ribbons and a ball. I find this type of gymnastics more interesting and enjoyable to watch as dancer myself I found similarities to contemporary dance. What made this class even more enjoyable was that we got to try it out ourselves by learning how to use ropes in a routine. The high class gymnasts in the videos made this look far easier than it actually was! We tried are best and I found I could join in more than previous classes.

After gymnastics we had another class which was psychology of sport. The Maltese were a lot more relaxed in this class than Fridays class thank goodness. The lesson was a continuation of team dynamics. We looked at what a leader is and what makes a team, for example Miller (1992) described a team as those with a shared sense of purpose, interpersonal attraction, personal interdependence and collective identity. They work together to achieve goals and go through five stages:   

·         Forming

·         Storming

·         Norming

·         Performing

·         Mourning

This class was very similar to what I had learnt already in my classes at Stranmillis so I was able to understand and develop an even deeper knowledge about this topic. The psychology classes in Malta are very different to the way the lecturer back home would have taught us. In stranmillis we had a mix of practical group work to help us understand more about teams and how they work; however in Malta we aren’t given any examples of how a team would work and how leaders develop we all just listen to the lecturer presenting the information. Therefore in comparison I do prefer the lectures back home because of the practical work.

No classes until Thursday  and student loans were in, that only means a day in Sliema for shopping and to get my hair cut and coloured by the Maltese (now that has to be a cultural experience). I was worried about getting my hair styled in a different country especially Malta as I’ve seen their hair styles! However I was very pleased with the end result after four hairdressers had to tackle it and it still took two hours for them to colour and cut it! After that experience Niamh and I met up with three of our friends from residence for dinner in the Hardrock restaurant then ice cream after. As you can see from the picture we really enjoyed ourselves!

Back to class on Thursday after a two day break, this time it was management were we continued with legal issues in sports management. I learnt that sports can be dangerous with horrific stories from our lecturer. One in particular was how a boy died due to faulty goal posts! I never thought of how silly things can make a big impact on someone’s life. I found this class very interesting as I have never learnt about the legal issues in sport in our management class in Stranmillis. I learnt how to confirm if the coach/teacher was negligent for an accident happening and what their responsibilities are.

On the Friday of this week there was beautiful fireworks display in Valetta. This was not like any I have ever seen before, they were so beautifully presented and I usually find fireworks displays boring and ever firework looks the same but this was beyond incredible looking Malta definitely know how to put on a good show.

This weekend was very busy and on the Sunday I took my first ever trip to Comino blue lagoon. Comino is an island of the Maltese archipelago between the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, measuring 1.35 square miles (3.5 km2) in area, therefore it is very small! This trip was an organised event by AEGEE as we got to Comino through a boat party. This was my first ever boat party so I was rather excited and scared as I am not really good on water especially when there is a lot of waves.  However despite that I had an amazing day and the blue lagoon was so beautiful the water was so clear compared to the sea we would get back in Northern Ireland, therefore I will definitely be paying another visit before I leave.

week 11 16th-22nd April

 

Zoe was still in Malta but only had two more days left therefore I decided to show her around the area were residence is before she left. We walked down past Balzan and into Birkirkara then back up past the famous smart supermarket and back up through Hal lijah. We really enjoyed the walk as it was a lovely day with the sun out and shinning away.

That night I showed Zoe the karaoke bar Zmerc and got dinner and enjoyed laughing at people attempting to sing! After this entertainment we decided to meet up with a brother and sister from Manchester in a place called Native that we had met the night before as it was their last night and Zoes also. This was a really enjoyable night and we all got on so well and even said that we would meet up again in the Dubliner the next day before their flight.


Therefore the next day we got up and headed into St Julian's again to meet up with the guy and girl from Manchester and got lunch then headed to the Dubliner for a last gathering and chat. it was coincidental that their flight was the same time as Zoe's therefore Zoe wasn’t alone going to the airport which she was worried about. So it was an emotional day saying goodbye to my close friend Zoe, and even though I had only knew the guy and girl for three days it was sad saying goodbye. We all decided that we would meet up in the future especially since they had family that lived in Malta.

                                                 The two lovely people from Manchester

So it was goodbye to Zoe and hello to Niamh, Amy and Rebecca as they had just arrived back from Amsterdam the day Zoe left. It was great to see them as it was over two weeks since the last time I had seen them. That night it was one of the girls 21st so we all helped her celebrate it as this was a big birthday for her especially being away from home. Finally everyone was back at residence and we were all together again after a long Easter break.

So now it was time to get serious as class started back on the Thursday. My first class was management, and it was weird being back again mixing with the Maltese. In this class we learnt all about the six thinking hats when in business meetings and setting up or organising events:

Red- emotions and feelings, how you feel about a matter.

Black- cautions and being careful, not doing anything illegal.

Yellow- positive, suggestive thinking

Green- creative, new ideas

Blue- control of thinking

We also learnt about legal issues in sport management for example fair play, child abuse, supporters, and drug abuse and sports law. I found this class interesting and enjoyed taking part in the group discussions. One in particular was if you were shipwrecked what comes first on priority, and we were given 15 items. Well if I was shipwrecked I would have no chance as i got one of the lowest scores! This was great fun and made the class bound more.

On the Friday it was my first psychology class which I was looking forward to as I enjoyed taking part in this module back in Stranmillis. however when I got to the class i felt uncomfortable as the third years weren’t as welcoming as the second years, throwing crisp about and giving looks at us that were pleasant. I just had to ignore them as I was there to learn and I enjoyed the topics Imagery and team dynamics that were being taught. I like the way the lecturer teaches as she has so many interesting life stories to back up the information she gives us.

On the Saturday the girls and I decided to do are first proper day of sunbathing on the roof resulting in myself getting completely roasted (not a good look) as I forgot to re apply! My cousins husband was over working in Malta’s airport for a few days and had a surprise from back home for me therefore I decided to meet up with him in Sliema.  Well wasn’t I pleased my mum had sent over a 24 pack of Tayto crisp and 80 Nambarrie teabags I am a lucky girl! I now can’t wait for my uncle’s next trip over so I can get more surprises. All in all it has been a great week seeing everyone back at residence, the weather getting more beautiful every day and getting my surprises from home, life is good.

                                                            My Tayto and Nambarrie

week 10 9th-15th April

My last five days in Belfast so I wanted to make the most of my time left with my family and friends before I headed back to Malta for another two and a half months.

On the Monday Nimah and I decided to meet up with Alannah and Nuala from our university in Stranmillis before Niamh headed back to Malta on the Tuesday as she was going to Poland and Amsterdam for six days. It was so good to see them and find out what our class had been up to. It seems that classes were rather difficult this semester with loads of assignments to be completed, think I have it slightly easier over in Malta as we hadn’t yet had deadlines to be completed. We had a great day catching up on all the antics that the class has been getting up to and had a lovely meal at Springsteen’s.

On the Wednesday I took my first trip into Belfast city centre to see what lovely summer clothes I could find to bring back to Malta with me. It was great getting to shop in my favourite places for example H&M and of course Primark as Malta didn’t have these types of stores so I went crazy with the bank card that day. The next day I spent with closest Friend who is coming back to Malta with me on the Saturday until the Tuesday for a short trip. She was very eager to see what all the fuss was about as I had explained what an amazing time I was having. That Thursday night since I was leaving soon my friends organised a trip to go bowling which I hadn’t done in a long time. This was so much fun and of course I lost, but it’s the taking part that counts! This was the last time I’d see this group of friends until I came home in June so it was another goodbye for a little while.

The Friday was mostly spent packing all my new clothes and of course my washing I brought home into my case, it was a tight squeeze I have to say, I even brought over my human anatomy text book (I’m so sensible) due to the lack of understanding from the lecturer. I enjoyed just spending my last day in the house taking advantage of the sofa and T.V and spending more quality time with my family before another emotional goodbye.

Saturday came the day I went back to sunny Malta, this time I mean sunny as it had reached 23 degrees while I wasn’t there so I couldn’t wait to get back and enjoy the lovely weather. This time It was my friend Zoe and I together at the airport, so once again I wasn’t on my own and had someone there to keep me right. We were so excited to get there especially Zoe as I’d been telling her all about it in the airport, we talked for so long we didn’t realise the last call had been announced for our flight, therefore having to run to out terminal. Thankfully we got there on time and even got seats together.

At 7.30pm Malta time we landed and we definitely felt the difference in temperature, the sky was blue and not a cloud in the sky I was happy to be back! I showed Zoe to her room, thankfully enough my roommate was visiting her mother in Madrid so I had the extra bed so Zoe could stay with me. Was not long before I settled in again seeing everyone from residence was great and I was happy to see them as most people arrived back at the same time as me. Once we got our cases unpacked it was time to show Zoe the famous Pacevillie I always went on about. This was a really good night out as it was the first one since before Easter and everyone was just so excited to see each other.

Bright fresh in the morning I got up out of bed to get ready for the strawberry festival also known as Festa Frawli in Imgarr parish square and was the sixth edition of 'Festa Frawli'. There was nine of us that went so was a fun day and I got to show Zoe some of Malta on her first day. The bus journey there was slightly unpleasant as there was no room for us to sit so we had to stand the whole way there and it was very warm and clammy, as well as it took long to get there because of the traffic! It was all worth it though as the day was enjoyable and we got a load of strawberries and even got one drew on our faces. Zoe and I ended the day going for dinner in my favourite restaurant meet then to the Dubliner so that I could show her St Julian’s and she loved it.

                                                                 My friend zoe and I

                                              Me and my friend Patrica with our T-shirts

                                                                           The group

                                                             Me and my strwberry face

week 9 2nd-8th April

Classes have now ended therefore it was time to pack as I was heading home to Belfast on the Tuesday night. I had to try and decide what clothes I didn’t need anymore, and you know what girls are like we think we need everything! So I found this difficult but knew the more I brought home the more summer clothing I could bring back with me. Once I had finally packed I could relax by the pool and enjoy the fabulous weather as it was hitting 18-21 degrees most days! So sunbathing by the pool it was. I didn’t get to relax as much as I thought I could as you can see by these pictures below!

                                                         1.Just minding my own buisness

                                         
                                                                            





Well off to the airport we go, saying goodbye to Malta for ten days. I was lucky enough that I was getting the same flight as Niamh and her mother and Amy one of the girls from Dublin was heading home on a flight at the same time as us, so therefore I was kept right, if I was on my own who knows where I would have ended up! Malta’s airport is very small especially compared to Belfast international so there wasn’t much to do. What made it worse our flight was delayed by three hours due to the French air strike! I was very annoyed as I had a Chinese take away waiting for me when I got home so I had to wait even longer to get it!

Finally at 3.00am we arrived back in sunny Belfast, not quite it was freezing I could hardly feel my face and hands when I stepped off the plane! I was so happy to see my mum and dad and was glad to be home to see them (and my take away) and to get back into my own little bedroom which had been redecorated while I was away.
As soon as I woke up I forgot that I’d came home, looking around the room looking for my roommate.  I just couldn’t wait to get up, get ready and see all my friends as we had arranged a day out for lunch and the cinema. It was great seeing familiar faces and to catch up on everything that had happened while I was away. I only realised how different the nightlife in Belfast to that in Malta when I came home and experienced it. I wasn’t used to paying £10 in a taxi then another £7 to actually get into one place! Other than that I enjoyed my night out as I seen even more of my friends and was surrounded by people that actually spoke the same language.
One thing that I couldn’t wait to do was to go to Asda (sad I know) and see good proper food that I was used to. I went with my mum so you could imagine what the trolley load was like. It seemed to be that everywhere I went when I was home I seen people that I knew so more catch ups in the frozen food isle!

Being at home seemed like such a luxury, in residence I never had my own room, I had a bunk bed, no T.V, no sofa, no kettle or toaster and the washing machines weren’t the best. So just having all these basics was brilliant. I felt like a princess getting proper meals made for me and not having to get the bus everywhere. Another weird thing was that I didn’t see cats constantly everywhere! Malta was full of them everywhere you looked there was a cat, I’m sure Niamh was glad of the cats not being everywhere as she hates them, completely terrified. Speaking of animals I was happy to be home to see my cat and dog, also I got a new dog while I was away and now finally getting to see him two months later.

My new German shepherd Kaiser, believe it or not he was way smaller than this two months ago, they grow up so fast!

As it was Easter I attended church on the Sunday to celebrate the resurrection. It was good to be back as I hadn’t attended church since I went away, and everyone was so welcoming and were glad to see me back. I noticed how different culturally Belfast was to Malta, as Malta were so holy and had so many festivals, marches and all decorations up such as the cross, while in Belfast there was nothing like this just church services and Easter eggs as usual.