[texto completo en versión original escrito por Anne Marie Grima]
The reason why I ended up in Malta is because my parents were Maltese and my father missed Malta very much. Once there was an opportunity of employment in Malta, he wanted to return to his own country.
Having grown up and born in Australia, yes, the move to Malta was quite a big one and a rather shock to the system. At first it was difficult to settle down here and I returned several times to Australia on holidays because I missed it so much. Eventually, however, I came to realize that living in Malta has many advantages and I think I will never return to Australia to live there again.
I find that Malta is a safe and pleasant place to live in. There is always lots going on. Here we are like one big family. We currently do not have to face the problems which many other countries of the world are facing. I think that this is because the Maltese people, in general, are very friendly, kind and quiet people. We do not have a big crime rate. It is safe to go out at any time of the day without being afraid of being assaulted. Some crime exists of course, but not to the extent that other countries experience. We rarely hear of children or adults going missing.
Malta is surrounded by the beautiful Mediterranean sea and has a wonderful climate all year round. We have beautiful beaches which the Maltese frequent very much in the summer. In winter the Maltese love to go out on picnics with their families. The island is very popular especially with young people who come to study the English language. In some parts of Malta, English is spoken fluently, therefore, it makes an ideal place to learn the language. Apart from English and Maltese, many Maltese can also speak in Italian.
Malta is also popular with the older generation and tourists, especially those from the U.K. and Europe. For people who are interested in history, Malta has many historical and architectural sites, including nine UNESCO world heritage sites. There is also the sister island, called Gozo. which is interesting in itself.
Since Malta is situated in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, it is also very easy for the Maltese traveller to visit other countries in Europe and Africa. Although Malta is a tiny island, if you need a break, you can easily hop on a plane and go to a nearby country for a weekend. An advantage for the tourist in Malta is that you can can visit many interesting and beautiful sites in a short period of time.