I once heard someone say that after having lived abroad for several years, it can sometimes be difficult to readjust to the lethargic lifestyle of an island. I cannot say I agree with this statement since there is nothing easier than to return to Malta and get sucked in as though in quicksand, by the laid-back way of life prominent over here. What, on the other hand, can be challenging, is dealing with the fact that despite many changes, it is pretty much the same place you ran away from in the first place and while the rest of the world is advancing in its ways, your home country is just as you left it, no matter how many years ago that was!

Despite the many casualties and deaths reported on building sites each year, it seems that the attitude of the authorities is still a rather lenient one. My colleagues and I were recently faced with the chilling sight of a man in his late fifties, doing some work to the façade of a building in construction, balancing on a plank of wood only a few inches wide, five floors off the ground. Had the man been wearing sufficient gear to ensure his safety, such as a helmet and harness, it would not have been so unsettling to see, however it seemed that he was pretty content to be up there in those unsafe conditions and we eventually had to close the window and blinds to avoid being distracted by the man’s every move and his close encounter with a hospital bed. Needless to say that although the local council and police station were contacted several times, the man and his workmates returned each day and were never once stopped or asked to abide by necessary health and safety regulations. Had anything tragic happened to any of the workers, the authorities would have, of course, stepped in despite it being too late. It is really no surprise that foreigners visiting our country baulk at the lackadaisical way such matters are dealt with especially when so many fatalities could easily be avoided by a mere interest in the matter.

What many a foreigner also finds hard to grasp is our love of fireworks and by this I do not refer to those colourful ones that go off at night which are pleasing to the eye, but to the deafening din created by the launch of these from very early in the morning, especially on Sundays when any chance of a lie-in is disrupted by the racket. I was once attempting to teach English to a group of elderly Germans who nearly had to be rushed to hospital when the sudden clamour of fireworks going off nearby almost shook the poor people out of their skins. I later had to explain that, no, a war had not broken out, however could come up with no logical explanation as to why we revel in it when all it is is a very annoying sound! I have always spoken fondly of our local festas however still never quite understood the need to be deafened by such noise. I suppose it’s just one of those things that will never change and that if you are living in Malta, you will just have to get used to because it will never change, never in a million years.

Change is definitely beneficial; however it is really very scary to see that some of our compatriots are so set in their ways and beliefs that they regard anyone of a different race, religion or sexual orientation. How can we call ourselves open-minded when people who think that being gay is a sinful way of life still exist? If one had to take a look at the opinions that are voiced in letters in local newspapers expressing distaste and even disgust towards those who are homosexual (irrelevant of how that came to be) the intolerance and small-mindedness is evident and also, quite frankly, very embarrassing.

It’s high time we took a look at our neighbouring countries and realised that although it’s noble to stick to your guns, when those guns are not apt for the day and age you live in, you tend to stick out like a sore thumb.