As I read a few days ago in Wikipedia (don't really remember where exactly), Malta is recognized by OECD as a "first-world" country, which basicly means, that it's "highly developed". Why is it so?
1. Work and business environment is like a third-world thing. People get paid differently than they agree on, noone has a contract, people tend to cheat one another all the time (customers cheat companies, companies customers, employers employees, employees each other). For instance, yesterday we went to Mistral to get our last payment. As I counted on my own, I should get between 551 and 569 EUR overall. However, the check stood 531 EUR. I checked the payment sheet: three (!) mistakes with basic counting (multiplying or summing). Also, the manager told the accountant (which apparently is also a person with a problem with counting) to make the pay only for basic ours, with no regard on overtime. For instance, one day I worked till 2:30 in the morning - he says, I only get paid till 1:00. But it was not my desire, for heavens' sake, to stay till 2:30! It was a different manager who made me stay. I said I'm not taking the check and I want to talk to him. Let's see what he tells me.
2. Noone seems to know basic maths, people have trouble writing and reading, using a calculator is a chore, not to mention using the till. A lot of mistakes with basic summing, people speak English but can't write nor read in it (I wonder if they have the same problems with their own language), a lot of mispunching on the computer.
3. Public transportation is a disaster.
4. Roads are disastrous. Road signing is inadequate and sometimes inexistant. People are horrible drivers, all of them. Everybody drunk-drives!!!
5. No lifeguards on beaches. I have never seen even one.
6. Almost no police in the streets. Luckily, the crime levels are not very high.
7. Services (Internet, telephone) are on a very low development level.
8. Tap water pressure is very low, everywhere.
I can write twice as much horrifying things about Malta. I'm just pissed off by this hopeless country. Hopefully I'll never come back to work here.
Cat-cuddling in a restaurant in Ħaġar Qim. Cats meowing for food in a restaurant. Employees and managers letting them to do so. Highly-developed country, my ass.edit: notice the plastic tables covered with table-cloths or oilcloths :)))
uh ok so I'm Maltese and i know more about Malta than you. There are some points which yes are a really big disaster to Malta however others are nonsense.. The roads are actually yes in a very bad condition, however ever since about 2008, the government has been changing multiple road surfaces.
OdpowiedzUsuńFew people have I seen driving drunk, however Maltese drivers are better than other countries like Sicily and US. New laws have changed in driving like increased fines and also the driving test changed to EU standards.
The public transport is yes, very bad indeed, however it will change next July.
Well Maltese people know basic maths... however some are illiterate and everyone makes a fault. Most Maltese people know 3-4 languages, usually Maltese, English, Italian and French/German or Spanish (mostly younger people tho).
Police stations are found nearly in all localities and police do wander about places where the risk is increased like in prostitution areas or in disco areas like in Paceville. Crimes in Malta are very low (only about 8-13 murders per year) and when a major crime takes place it is followed for weeks by the media.
Lifeguards on beaches yes are mostly lacking, however the sea in Malta is usually very calm and quite very safe. There were only 3 shark attacks in about 60 years, and all 3 happened because the swimmers were very far off the coast.
Actually I beg to differ about internet and phones. Many locations in Malta have now a Wi-Fi and many people, especially youth basically can't live without these innovations.
Our tap water works just fine... Maybe there were some problems or pipe works when you were here.
The photo you have is of a cheap restaurant and of "low standard" so to speak. I enjoyed dinner there and i frankly like the cats. However you could have sought other higher class restaurants. There are many high standard restaurants especially near the harbour region, like sliema, St. Julians and Bugibba.
I can now bring a lot of good points of Malta... Malta has beautiful scenery (sea, the Grand harbour which is one of the most beautiful harbours in the world), and if you like a Mediterranean climate with a lot of beaches, a lot of culture (eg. village feasts and very good fireworks), a lot of unique history (there are about 33 Megalithic sites in Malta which are unique, palaces, forts, churches, cathedrals...) (Malta was very much wanted by many nations as it is in the middle of the Mediterranean sea...), it has also its own language. Countries as large as Brazil, USA, Australia and Canada don't even have their own language. Malta also has a lot of entertainment sites like discos (in Paceville) which are at their best in summer especiially on Fridays and Saturdays as well as village feasts (only in Summer)...
I am also from Malta born and raised and I couldn't agree more with you except for point 5 and the cat cuddling guy. I have actually seen life guards, not that I feel safe they are there but I have seen them. As for the cat cuddling, I don't consider that a bad thing, I'm a cat lover and may have a biased approach but as long as the cats are healthy I don't see a problem with this.
OdpowiedzUsuńThe other maltese person that commented in 2011 is your typical overly patriotic maltese person who cannot admit that our country is a terrible place to live. The maltese love to overuse the phrase "jekk ma joghbokx itlaq," which means if you dont like it leave.. And thats exactly what I will be doing.
There are good things about this country such as free education, but the bad tips the scale so dramatically that the good doesn't bring it anywhere near a decent balance.
I have gotten used to many things here but the 3 things I will never accept is the level of ignorance and mentality in general, the very low wages and the very expensive property which is inevitable given the country's size and population growth.
Probably you're just jealous that Malta is small being a better country than where you live ;)
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