It has been three months since we arrived in Malta on our Erasmus exchange. Life here is somewhat different to life in Latvia, so we decided to write this article, underlining the highlights of our stay so far.

Transport

The first shock to the system upon landing in Malta was the traffic and everything related to it. Of course, we had already known that driving was on the left side of the road, but when we witnessed this in real life, it felt really strange and a bit chaotic.

It seems a bit like everyone does whatever they want on the road here, with little consideration for other drivers.

Our first taste of public transport was certainly an adventure. Bus drivers drove so crazily through incredibly narrow streets that we feared each ride would be the last ride of our lives.

The buses had no doors and the music was turned on at full blast. It was all a bit surreal. Fortunately, we survived it and now that we’re used to it, we can say that we do actually like Malta’s public transport.

Sour cream and shop hours

We arrived in Malta in the evening and were surprised that the nearest shops were closed by 7 p.m.

We also learnt that Maltese people have a siesta time and almost all shops are closed on Sundays and late evenings – something we were not used to.

Initially we were also wary of trying Maltese cuisine and we must admit we are still not used to many Maltese products. Meat, milk and potatoes have a different taste.

There are also too many fast food and take-away restaurants on every corner. We also have difficulty finding sour cream here. This is an important garnish in our country, therefore our menu is limited.

It is also new to us to be woken by the local cheese or fish sellers trying to sell their products with their strident voices.

Parties

The first international student we met in Malta told us: “Erasmus is not about studying, it’s also about partying.” We wanted to confirm whether this statement was true and we tried to attend the best and craziest local parties.

The word ‘Paceville’ is now synonymous with parties to us. This is a very crowded place with a lot of clubs, girls wearing short dresses and high-heeled shoes, guys whose hairdos look strange to us, and ‘free drink’ offers.

And yes, a lot of garbage: empty bottles and cigarette ends on the street in the morning when all the parties have ended.

We were surprised how early the party life begins here. Latvians usually prepare to go out at around 10 p.m., whereas in Malta, the party would be well underway by that time.

We can enter almost every club for free here and get so many promotional drink vouchers we can even collect them. This is not the case in Latvia.

What annoys us is that people smoke inside the clubs, so all our clothes and hair smell of smoke the next day. Also, in Latvia you can only buy alcohol till 10 p.m., but in Paceville many shops are open all night long.

Christmas with no snow

Malta’s natural environment is so amazing, and completely opposite to Latvia’s. We have not stopped taking photos of the islands’ natural beauty since we arrived.

What we found especially fascinating was the coastline and the Mediterranean Sea, which is always different. Grottos, bays, cliffs, giant rocks and small islands are Malta’s main characteristics.

Malta is also very different from Latvia in terms of climate. While here is still currently approximately 20°C, Latvia is covered in snow, and the temperature is –20°C. This experience is pretty exotic for us, and our first Christmas without snow.

All in all, Erasmus is a fantastic experience which everyone who has the chance should try. It’s not simply about studying or only about partying – it offers so much more.

We are having a great time studying here and exploring the country.

Ms Juberte and Ms Kokorisa are B. Communications 3rd year students.