By day two of the trip in Malta (our first full day) we hit the ground running. We began with a business visit to the Metaverse, where we learned about website simulation design and how these men run their virtual business. The business visit was followed by a trip to Valetta, Malta, a downtown area, where we were able to immerse ourselves in the Maltese culture. Here we did a brief architectural tour, learning about the history of Malta including the Knights of St. John, the way in which the architecture of Malta reflects the history of its gender roles through different features of housing, and we got to learn about and walk through St.John’s Cathedral. Following this, we went to the Dingli Cliffs which had a beautiful view of the ocean and a tiny St. Mary Magdalen chapel on the top of the cliffs. Malta has very prominent Catholic roots and it guides many attributes of the country such as their politics, lifestyle, and their spaces. Already we saw such a difference in the culture of the US and Malta, the number one difference being “island time”. In the United States we like to rush our lives and pack as many things as we can in, however the people of Malta do not operate in this way. They take their time and do not constrain themselves to abide by punctuality. Another main cultural difference sounds silly, but is very real- which is the bathroom situation! You must plan your trips to the restroom as the access to public restrooms is limited/rare, and our tour guide told us many times- “if the bathroom anywhere is free, use it TWICE!” In all seriousness though, I am truly looking forward to seeing what all Malta has to offer. I feel like it is a hidden gem and as it is a melting pot of British and Italian influence, Malta is extremely fascinating and unique. With so much to learn about the culture of Malta, I am looking forward to what all is in store for the remainder of our time here, and it will be even more interesting to do a comparison of Malta to Italy once we ferry there in a few days!
