It is now official. Valletta has been named European Capital of Culture 2018, and it is fully deserved.

All too often in Malta, we focus on the negative. We forget that we live on these beautiful islands that have blessed us with warmth, shelter and are steeped in millennia of culture.

We look at our roads and say, what a mess. But how often do we drive along those same roads, and look, for example, at the old watch towers that were bequeathed to us by the Knights of St John.

We complain about the traffic, driving into Valletta. But how often do we stop to look up at the bastion curtain encircling the city?

We complain about the noise and the uneven paving in Valletta, but how often do we take the time to lift our heads up and look at the magnificent buildings and the detail of engraving or statues that adorn them?

We complain that there is nothing to do, but how many of us have actually made a visit to the St John’s Cathedral Museum or the Grandmasters’ (President’s) Palace?

And the same holds true for the rest of Malta. There is so much culture and history that surrounds us, yet because we live here, because it is our home, we ignore all that is good, rich and positive and we focus on the negative. It is one of our traits as a people.

Perhaps now that we have been given a ‘European endorsement’, people will start looking at Valletta (and the rest of Malta and Gozo) in a different light.

Now that the foreign newspapers are raving about Valletta, our pride might grow a little and people will start sharing all they can on the social networks.

It is only when you speak to foreigners living in Malta, or visitors to the country, that you can actually get a real feeling of what this quirky nation of ours is all about.

Forget our abysmal customer service for a second – everyone hates that – and just focus on what is good. We have so much to enjoy around us, and so much to be thankful for. Our country is a treasure trove. What we sometimes see as unnecessary quirks are actually what the visitors look for. And we should embrace them. What we view as necessary morning pit-stops for a quick espresso is regarded by visitors as a “vibrant café culture” – as described by the Times of London. What we regard as a messy but quick sandwich for lunch is described by The Daily Mail as the “King of sandwiches” – in reference to our hobza biz-zejt. Of course there are a great many nuances to Malta – but this is what we are about – a unique culture squeezed onto two tiny islands with a European and cosmopolitan attitude. But we are also steeped in history and surrounded by riches and gems that we do not even recognise. Now is time to embrace it all and show off Valletta’s beauty to the rest of the world. We close on a different note. V-18 did not become capital of culture overnight. It took months and months of preparation and hard work. It is unfair of people to say that it all came together in the last few weeks. It did not. It was a long labour of love and those who were involved, including its former chairman, should be recognized for it.