· Yourself

· How you prepared fr abroad

· Your Accommodation

· Your workplace

· The Country

· Your free time

· What is going well

· Difficulties

· Your recommendations for things to do

· Your recommendations for places to go

· Your recommendations on food

· Good restaurants that you found

· Good bars that you found

· Your tips for future students

· Upload photos and videos

· Make a vlog if you prepare

· Tell us about your day

· Tell us about your night out

· Tell us about something unusual that happened

· Tell us about a funny incident

(Liverpool are the biggest club in England)

Dear diary, 

Ayeeee we backkkk. I got to the airport around 4:30am which was a nice difference compared to last time when I slept in the airport after getting the air coach 8 hours early (not by choice 😪)  shout-out to Shane and Vicki for the lift!! The flight went ok except for poor Mark beside me was quite scared :(( . During the flight we also saw mount Etna erupting as we flew past sicily. In the afternoon around 2 we had to make our way to the Erasmus offices where we met some cork students and we were brought to the oddessy which was like a 4D short movie about Malta which was really interesting followed then by a roof top bar 36 floors high which we could see right across Malta it was gorgeous. In the evening everyone including the cork and some galway students went for some food and drinks however with almost 48 hours of no sleep and  the first blast of heat I was fit for the bed and had an early night. 😴 🍕 

Dear diary, 

Today I had my first day of work. I got up at 5am and was out the door around 5:45 to make it to work at half 6. When I arrived at work the gate was closed and no one answered the gate buzzer or my calls, I had to wait until one of the residents of the independent living was going in and opened the door. When I arrived in I wasn't made to feel very welcomed and I got in a bit of trouble for coming in the wrong entrance and not already having a key card although I had absolutely no previous knowledge of this as I didn't really have a welcome meeting with the host company due to them already being in a meeting and easy jobs bridges tight schedule. The work day was quite hard both physically and emotionally due to many factors one of the biggest being that I saw and was asked to help with the removal of a deceased elderly patient which I didn't expect to be apart of my work it was also hard trying to remain composed while being in the same room as the deceased and their grieving family. As Im studying to be an SNA and that's the career I want to pursue when we come back in September I was hoping that I would be more of an activity co ordinator seeing as though that is a lot more similar to the role of an SNA as you plan and adjust activities according to the person's needs and abilities especially given how focused the host company is in providing activities to their patients, rather than being essentially a student nurse which is what the staff thought I was when I went in. I got to finish work a bit earlier as I wasn't given the correct breaks which wasnt the worst as I kinda wanted to be outta there loool. I went back to the apartment for a nice long hot shower, some food and have been in bed since 5 o'clock ready for the day to be over 😮‍💨 dreading tomorrow I won't lie. Good night n God bless 💤

I left Gorey at 12:30 and arrived in Dublin airport at 2:00am. After saying goodbye to my Mam and sisters I went into the airport and met up with Lenny, Mark, Laura, Hannah and Danny. We sat down and had some food and drink while we waited for our flight.

The flight went ok but I started getting a bit of pain in my throat (which I thought was just allergies but turned out to be tonsillitis 🥲) so I wasn’t able to get any sleep on the flight.

We arrived in Malta at about 11 and met Mario at the airport who drove us to our apartments and gave us our keys. We didn’t get much time in the apartment as we had to go straight to a meeting with Ruella and the students from Cork. After the meeting we all met up with Ryan and went to see Mercury tower, the tallest building in Malta (397 ft tall). There, we went to Odyssey, which was a 3D theatre showing the history of Malta, and then we went to the top floor of the tower to see the view.

It was a really fun day but I was very tired and still experiencing a lot of pain in my throat, I went to the pharmacy to get some painkillers which helped and then I went home and went straight to sleep.

I woke up on Tuesday and got ready to meet Ruella at the office. We all got to see our places of work and found out more about what jobs we would be doing. Me, Mark, and Danny will all be working with intercontinental hotel. We met Andres who gave us a tour of the entire hotel, it is a beautiful 5 star hotel with over 600 employees and 19 floors. I was given my uniform and told that I would be starting the next day at 8:00am.

Unfortunately the pain and swelling in my throat had gotten a lot worse and I was starting to get a bad fever as well. I was not able to swallow anything or talk without a lot of pain and I was getting cold sweats and a terrible headache and my Apple Watch warned me that my heart rate was up to 160 bpm while lying down in bed.

I really did not want to miss my first day of work as I thought it would be a very bad first impression but I knew there was no way I would be able to work in the condition I was in so I had to email the hotel that night to ask for the day off to go to the doctor.

After a long night of trying to sleep and coming in and out of fever dreams I was able to get to the doctor who said I have tonsillitis and gave me some pain killers and antibiotics. I’m resting now and hoping to get better and be able to start work soon 🤒

I started work on Thursday at 7am so had to get up at 4.30am to get there on time as the buses are a bit crazy and my job is down the south of the island. It’s mostly cleaning that needs to be done in the work but on Friday I got to clean out the puppy area and they were super cute and jumping up on my legs the whole time. I’ve already been given lots of different jobs to do so it’s nice the days are all very different.

I’m loving my work, everyone has made me feel welcome immediately and the work is really tough but it feels like a great accomplishment. It’s really interesting to see the different types of dogs that live here and the different ways that the sanctuary is run. The dogs are extremely friendly especially considering the situations they came from.

I’ve tried some different foods that we wouldn’t typically get back home such as ‘rabbit spaghetti’ and different kinds of ‘pastizzi’.

The buses I’m still getting used to as they’re a bit hectic and unreliable but as I’m getting more familiar with them, it’s really handy how many places you can get to with the free travel card.

As much as I’m enjoying the work, I was really looking forward to having time off on the weekend. But now I’m looking forward to work again tomorrow after some needed rest!

This year has flown by, as has this first week here in Malta.

Day 1

We arrived at the Airport at around 4:30, said goodbye to my parents and departed to Malta at 6:25. Landing in Malta we realised that this country is gonna be warmer than we can imagine. We reached our apartments, which were massive by the way and went for a nice introductory meeting with Ruella, our Easy Job Bridge co-ordinator. She was lovely and gave us many tips for Malta. We then went to Odyssey theatre with Ryan, also known as the boss man. We learnt about the history of Malta and met other Irish Erasmus Students. We ended the day with a cheeky pizza.

Day 2

My work adventure began at 12:00pm at Intercontinental where we would be introduced to our jobs. I met Andres from HR who showed us around the hotel and all it has to offer. Met some people from housekeeping whom were all very nice. My boss was on holidays and I wouldn’t meet her till the next day. Picked up my uniform, which was nice but I got a long sleeve shirt. I would return the next day to get a short sleeved shirt. After that we looked around St Julian’s. I thought the area was just a bit mental, flashing lights everywhere, fast food spots and tons of bars. The sort of place that would be fun at night but a bit of a kip during the day. We went for a big shop then and got all of our essentials, pasta, pasta and more pasta.

Day 3

First day of work was quite eventful to say the least. Got started at the desk learning the opera system, learning about task assigning, scheduling, answering calls and dealing with complaints. I also got a bit of flexibility with my shifts. They asked me when I would like to work and gave me 5 days a week from Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 2:30pm a nice schedule. I then got to go with a Supervisor (Ashan) to an executive board meeting with all the heads of the departments. It was so random but I just sat there and listened. Got home at 8pm that evening and chilled.

Day 4

Was in for 9 on Thursday for a training day. I had no idea what training was and it was not explained to me. I like Easy Job Bridge and all but Intercontinental have their own way of doing things which meant a lot of prior communication I had not received regarding uniform, training, etc. I was sitting at the desk until someone told me I had to go to training. I showed up at training a little late but it was okay. We learnt more about the hotel and how to conduct ourselves with guests. At 5pm we were let off and I met up with Hannah and had a lovely nice cocktail as seen below before heading home.

Day 5

The day I found out that Malta had a lot of tourists. And by a lot, I mean a lot. Arriving into work at 7am I was told that the hotel would be fully booked over the weekend. All 480 rooms. Which meant stress in the already understaffed housekeeping department. I was not able to learn as much as I would have liked this day but I was put into doing more OTJ training or Learning as you go training (thanks Shirley for HR) when I had to answer some phone calls and assign tasks to people in the WhatsApp group chat. Also they use WhatsApp as the main form of working communication, quite handy. Got let off at about 3 and got home had a nap which ended up being 3 hours and went to try out the nightlife in Paceville. It was crazy and packed and the drinks were too cheap to the point where we had to call it a night early after not feeling well.

Day 6

Had a nice sleep waking up at around 11am. Didn’t do too much in the morning or afternoon, just enjoying the time off. In the evening, we went to the Malta vs Lithuania football match. A overall boring game but had a fun atmosphere. Went to check out a bar beside our apartment after that. A nice English guy owned it and he said he would be showing all the important football for the summer, which meant I would be back.

Day 7

Looking back on the week I think that I balanced it quite well. The right amount of work, right amount of chilling, the right amount of going out and the right amount of Sightseeing which we did today. We went into Valletta to see what all the hype was about. It was a beautiful little town with amazing architecture and stunning views. We looked around the shops and sat down for a nice cold ice tea and took some photos. We wanted to go for dinner in Sliema so we got the ferry for only €2 across from Valletta to get there. My meal was very nice, Spaghetti Bolognese and we had a view of the cove. Ended the evening with some ice cream. (It was no where near ginos quality)

Up and at it early tomorrow for the second week!

Dear diary, 

After work on Friday I had a chat with Ruella and we decided that maybe a different job would be a better fit given that there was some things that happened during work which were well outside of my comfort zone and abilities. I do once again apologies to bife and easy bridge jobs 🙏. After finishing up on Friday and having a much needed rest Danny and I decided to go see what paceville was like after dark, we went out around 10:45pm and were back by around 12, them 2 for 1 drinks tokens were to much for us to handle and unfortunately for Danny it meant he spent a good hour with his head in the toilet (no shame in it dan x). On Saturday Pacey, Lenny, Danny and I headed to watch the Malta vs Lithuania match which was fun yet boring. After the match we went to the bar which is around the corner from the apartment for some drinks and questionable food. When we woke up on Sunday we realized I had left my bag with a lot of belongings behind in the bar which thankfully were recovered. Sunday was lovely, pacey, Danny and I got the bus to Valletta where we met with Lenny and had a wonder around the streets before sitting down and having a nice refreshing glass of sangria! 🍷 After that I headed home while the others stayed on for dinner and had an early night 😴. 

This morning I met with Ruella and we headed to the intercontinental hotel in St. Julians where I will be working in the bar and restaurant sector. The meeting finished early so I made my way to the beach 🏖️ where Lenny and Mark tagged along not long after. It's been a quiet week for me, for the most part anyway but I've really enjoyed it and so far I'm liking the heat!!

Dear diary, 

On Monday I made my way to easy jobs bridge to meet Ruella and we got a taxi to intercontinental hotel where Danny, pacey and Mark all work so that I could join them. I met with the hr Manager and he brought me up to the sky bar on level 19 the highest level in the hotel to meet with the bar manager and after chatting for a little while he said he will place me in the bar to get trained as a bartender. The hr Manager told me later as I was leaving that he was shocked as very few trainees are placed behind the bar there as they are usually always floor staff. I started on Tuesday and was taught a lot and on Wednesday I was working alone in the bar for the majority of the day. I have been googling how to make the drinks as the orders come in and hoping for the best 😔🙏. Thursday was very busy as they were setting up for a private event which turned out to be a massive casino night with a famous DJ and everything ♦️♠️. The work is fun but very tiring because I've been working from 9am-8pm in the sun. I am enjoying this job a lot more than the last!. I got to finish work a little bit early on Friday so I went back to the apartment to get showered and dressed and headed out for some food and drinks with pacey, Lenny and Danny. The bar was alice in wonderland themed which was interesting and my drink was called "Alice's apple pie" I bet you can guess what it tasted like 🍏 🥧.

The people I’m working with, particularly my boss and the full-time staff are so welcoming and lovely. I feel like I’ve been working there for months already. The work is very fulfilling to help the dogs but it’s quite heartbreaking at times to see the state of some of the dog’s conditions and how they were found. 2 dogs were only rescued in the last few days, one is going blind and is extremely thin. A lot of the dogs come in with curled nails, matted fur and a lot of them are nothing but bones. Seeing them all still be so loving and gentle is really bittersweet but hopefully they will only get better from now.

The week flew by and with the weather getting warmer, it’s getting tougher to work outside and even inside sometimes with no break from the heat. I’m seeing the individual personalities of the dogs and which get along and which don’t as it makes it easier to keep them separate as they fight a lot. I also found 2 birds in one day that the dogs got, one half eaten by the puppies but the other I managed to from the bigger dogs before they could eat it too. As always, animals are amazing but you can never trust them to behave when you look away for a second.

I’ve started to get to know some of the locals and there are a few people I always pass by and say hello to during the day like in the morning on the way to work. The people around where I am living have been very friendly. I’m much better at working out the crazy bus timetable which has made it easier to get around.

The workload I’ve been given has been extra hard the last 2 weeks and will be again this week as most of the full time staff have been away so I look forward to them coming back to be able to spend a bit more time just with the dogs instead of as much cleaning - hopefully.

I’m enjoying finding new places to visit like different towns and restaurants and exploring Malta in general. It’s also great because there is a lot of food that we have in Ireland so it’s nice to have some comfort food at times.

Near where I work, there is an amazing looking beach that I look forward to going to soon. As I work by the coast, there are also a lot of restaurants right along the water. I’m really enjoying my time so far.

Dear diary,

After working Tuesday - Friday I got the weekend off. On Saturday Danny and I ventured into Valletta and wondered around the upper barrakka gardens and had a nosey at some of the stalls we than got the ferry across to Selima and had a wonder around a big shopping center and called it a day after having some cookie dough and icecream which was delicious 😋. On Sunday Danny and I got the bus to st Paul's bay we didn't really have much of a plan for when we got there so we just went walking around and came across this weird bar which was doing karaoke Sunday from 12-6:30pm they gave use free crisps and pizza and the drinks were really cheap so no complaints other than the fact it was very English. We walked in and out of the shops along the seafront and I bought a snorkel set🤿 so that I could look at the fish 🐟 🐠 we spent the day at the beach, at first I didn't really like it because where we were had loads of hidden dips that meant when you walked you didn't know how deep it was going to be however we moved to the other side of the beach and it was a lot better. We headed back to the apartment for a take away and had an early night for the work week ahead.

My first breakfast shift was a busy one, the manager wasn’t able to provide much hands-on training due to how busy it was, but I still had a productive day. I spent most of my time polishing cutlery and glasses, as well as cleaning and resetting tables. All the staff are so friendly, and they made me feel welcome right away.

The rest of the week, I continued with breakfast service from 7 am to 3:30 pm, with a 30-minute break. A big part of my responsibilities involved folding napkins, polishing cutlery, and resetting tables, but I was also able to help out on the floor by hosting and taking orders. As the days went on, I started taking on more tasks, like handling room service and making drink orders.

I already feel like part of the team, and I’m really excited to continue learning and working with them!

There’s a lot of other interns new this week so it feels a bit easier to have the work load spread out a bit. There’s a lot of French girls, some Spanish girls and different volunteers every day so it’s interesting to always be meeting new people, it keeps the days feeling a bit different from each other. A good few dogs have been adopted since I’ve started working there so it’s lovely to see them going to good homes.

It can be difficult at times with so many new people starting all the time as sometimes a new volunteer will arrive just for an hour or two. Teaching them from the beginning especially if they are a bit nervous around animals or not having been around any animals very much, there’s been a lot of close calls for the dogs escaping.

It’s the one of the first jobs I’ve had though that I really look forward to going to every day as the dogs are so sweet and the people are lovely, especially a few I’ve gotten close with.

A issue that I’ve been encountering is the bus system. It’s often 1 hour for me to get to work on the bus, but only a 10 minute drive and also a 1 hour walk. I’ve resorted often to getting the bus to work and then getting a taxi back. It costs about €6-8 for a taxi but when I don’t have to spend much money on food because I get fed in the hotel, it’s a necessary sacrifice to make. Otherwise I’m losing basically my whole day. I’ve been trying to get my bus card through email with Maltas public transport, but they are pretty useless so I’m going to have to go to Valletta to get one. I may consider asking if I can either work starting at 6am or work pm shift finishing at midnight. This would mean I am eligible for the free staff transport. This would mean I am saving money and also if I am working morning shift at 7am getting the bus I would still nearly have to leave at the same time as if I were getting the staff transport to start at 6am.

Bring on week 4

Dear diary,

This week I am scheduled to work 3/5pm - 12:30am for 11 days straight. As I am alone in the bar full time now I don't really get a break so I clock in at 5 and then don't start working until 5:30 which I find strange and seeing as I am alone I have to do all the closing myself which is a little tricky to manage at times. One good thing about working the evening shifts is that I save money on taxis home as the hotel provide staff shuttle buses, however the only way I can describe the shuttle is that it's like a fever dream. The driver of the shuttle does be asleep in the front seat and then people get frustrated as they want to leave and so they practically abuse this man out of his slumber. The shuttle leaves me about a 10 minute walk from the apartment, the roads are very dark with a lot of creepy garages so sometimes I run it home 🤣🤣. I am really loving the work and I am learning a lot with a few (many actually) mistakes along the way. I think my favorite part of working in sky beach is that I get to see the beautiful sunset 🌆 each evening however I hope that they start alternating the hours between days and evenings so I'm not always working in the evenings and also they schedule my days off better so that I am not working for 7+ days straight. I don't really do much during the day before work I usually just sleep and catch up on cleaning but on Sunday Danny and I headed to st julians for brunch which was delicious and gorgeously decorated 🥞 !

Dear diary, 

I got in from work made myself food as I normally do and went to sleep so I would be rested for work the next day which was going to be a busy day as there was a big event with around 400+ people and I was 1 of 3 bartenders working. However I woke up around 2:30am (early hours of Wednesday) hot, heavy and had the ever so dreaded mouth sweats and knew it wasn't going to be a good night. After waking up Danny so I wasn't alone 🤣 I learned that he felt the same way and so began a long night of the both of us throwing up 😔. We have had to call in sick from work and spent 2 hours in the pharmacy to get seen to by a doctor to learn we both have the stomach flu and he signed us both off for another day to rest. The doctor also asked me to come back another day so he can run rests for something else which honestly will be a problem for when in home in Ireland instead 🙃. We're feeling much better after the medications 🙏 and our pockets feel much lighter too as we didn't know the pharmacy wasn't covered by the EHIC cards and ended up costing 120€ between us 😳.Danny is back to work tomorrow and I am off Friday and Saturday!

Dear diary, 

(Friday)

After resting all day Thursday and feeling better today - Friday my first scheduled day off in 11 days I decided to hop on the bus to Valletta and explore the streets alone with my headphones on. I left the house around 11am and at 3:30pm got told to come into work at 5 after much back and forth about me explaining how sick days cannot be used in lieu of scheduled days off I was angerly texted "fine just stick to the roster and take the day off then" which was my plan anyway 😁 x 

But honestly if they had of asked me earlier in the day I could have went in, as employees we have to give around a 4 hour notice to call in sick so I would expect about the same back. after Valletta I got the bus to selima and did the same exploring around there too. I popped into a chemist again where the pharmacist was slightly horrified at my mosquito bites and gave me antibiotic cream. Thanks to Google the world's most trusted doctor I have been diagnosed with skeeter syndrome 🤟. In the evening Danny and I went to check out 2 bars in the town over one was your typical younger crowd pub with a pool table and the next one turned out to be a heavy metal bar which was actually nice! 

(Saturday)

This morning Danny and I took it easy while deciding what we'd do for the day. We got the bus to Rabat and explored around the town and went to see st Paul's catacombs which was really interesting it was also nice as it was cold down there! After the catacombs we went to a place called Crystal Palace which has been voted maltas best pastizzi place and it serves the delicious savory snack 24/7 🤤. We then walked across to mdina which is known as the silent city after exploring around there for a while we ran into another Erasmus student Jennifer who we met and haven't seen since the very first day we got here which was unexpected! After chatting for a while we went out separate ways and Danny and I got dinner in a place called coogis the drinks were nice but I probably wouldn't recommend the food too much. We got the bus back to the apartment and not long after we got a taxi to St julians where we met with Pacey, Lenny and Callum who is over for a week to see Lenny. We watched the Chelsea match on a big screen then called it a night after a long day!! 😴.

I went to the cinema with one of my friends from work which was nice. There was an interval half way through the movie which was very unusual at first but was handy to get snacks or whatever you wanted to do.

The weather is getting far warmer by the day which is making it a bit hard to sleep at times. And the last few days there has been a lot of fireworks into the night which seem to be way louder than I’ve heard before.

Lastly - the size of the bugs here is something I’m definitely not going to get used to.

Later in the week, I had the chance to work one lunch/dinner shift, which I really enjoyed. I liked the evening shift more because there was more to do, It made the time go by faster and I felt like I was learning a lot more. I also find it easier to work later in the day than early in the morning. I practiced taking orders and using the POS (point of sale) system. I'm getting more confident with it and learning how to be quicker and more accurate. I’m also starting to remember more about the menu and how to handle special requests from guests.

Overall, I’m feeling more comfortable in the job and I'm starting to learn more each day.

I went to the Mediterranean Film Festival with Lenny to see Gladiator 2, and the screening took place at Fort Ricasoli, the actual location where parts of the movie were filmed. It was such an amazing experience to watch the film in the same place where many of the scenes were shot. Being able to look around and see the surroundings from the movie in real life was amazing. The atmosphere at the fort, especially with the evening lighting, added to the magic of the moment.

It felt like a once in a lifetime experience and something I’ll never forget.

There was also the kitten in the photo that was taken in by the sanctuary. It had to go to the vet to have one of its eyes removed as it was found in a bad state but is doing really well now. It can’t stay at the sanctuary as they only have dogs so there is someone fostering the kitten in their home now after being in the sanctuary for just a day.

I’m loving going to the beach but did get a bit sunburnt the other day by accident 😆

I went to Paceville in St. Julian’s with some of the people from work and it was really fun even though it’s a bit crazy at times, definitely very different to going out in Ireland

Overall a really great week :)

29/06- went to sushi restaurant near my apartment and went to Saint Peter and Saint Paul festival. There were lots of fireworks and horse racing.

Dear diary, 

Today (Friday) is the midpoint of our Erasmus journey - it has been 46 days since June 2nd and we have 46 days until September 2nd! Reflecting on the experience so far and looking at pictures has felt surreal. It started off rocky with the job change however I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to change jobs as I am loving working as a bartender and know that it's not something I would have pushed myself into doing as having no experience put me off applying for jobs within the sector despite having done the bar and restaurant management course last year : Big shout-out to Richie as he was the one to have taught me all the skills and knowledge I'm using in my job now!! Thinking about September and hearing everyone's plans for after Erasmus has me wondering about what's in store for me next too. I have been too caught up with the excitement of Malta and work that I put all thoughts of the future to the back of my head however it's time to dive deep and figure out what it is that I'll do next - will I stay home, work and save? Be like all the other 20 something year olds and follow the horizon to Australia? Brace the coldness of Canada? I just don't know. One thing is for sure though and that is no more bife 😞💔 anyway, on Tuesday I just stayed in and relaxed I didn't leave the house at all. On Wednesday Danny's parents came to visit the apartment. First time meeting the parents #nervous 🥺👉 👈 after that we went to have a nosey and drink in Valletta while making plans for the next morning as we had to be at the top of the island for 8:45am inorder to make it to our boat trip! The weather was a bit windy which meant the sea was a little choppy, we went to check out some of the sea caves and made stops at beaches and random spots so we could jump in and have a swim. We then saw gozo and headed across to the infamous blue lagoon where surprisingly we didn't swim but we did get cocktails in pineapples which were delish! We returned to land a little after 1 and Danny and I got a taxi home while his parents went back to the hotel. We met back up again in the evening for dinner in a little restaurant called Ta Marija in Mosta, dinner was so good but its easily the longest dinner I think I've ever had - it lasted 3 hours!. Today Friday I was awoken by the cleaners so I went and grabbed a few bits from the shop to get out of their way and then came home and have just relaxed for the day again (doctor's wishes 😌 x) we had a spot check in the apartment but ofcourse everything was in place so hopefully no complaints! I'm excited to see what the next few weeks will bring and I'm planning what things I want to see and do before the end!

It has reached 39°C here, but luckily the lobby bar is indoors and has air conditioning. I feel sorry for anyone who has to work outside in this heat.

Dear diary,

Work this week has been pretty much the same. I have a new bar supervisor called Raj and he is very nice and a lot more understanding to the fact that I am still learning how to make all the drinks and get them out at a faster pace. There was one Irish family that came twice and each time had around 15 Amaretto sours alone which was a lot to make but at least I must be making them nice! Working outside is getting a little bit tougher as the weather is getting so hot. The other day the temperatures reached 40°c and I was absolutely baked also the hot weather is attracting a lot more bees at one stage I must have been surrounded by around 20 of them, I'm just hoping I don't get stung 😭. I was off on Thursday and so was pacey, we decided to go for brunch in St julians as we haven't hung out much together we had some good chats and shared some stories and we are weirdly similar it turns out!! In the evening we went to Valletta with Danny to do a cocktail bar hopping night however Danny highjacked the idea and after only 2 cocktail places he insisted we go to paceville. Pacey spun the wheel and won a bottle of prosecco and a mixed drink for only €8 which set the vibe for the night 😳 not long after that Danny lost his dentures on the dance floor 😞🙏‼️ unsurprisingly, Danny was the first to tap out and after him being on the waters for about an hour we called it a night, we headed to the 24/7 spar and got a feast before heading home around 1am. I was also off on Saturday and fancied a bit of a quieter day. I headed to Sliema and went to Kyoto cafe for an iced matcha and a sweet treat that was a bun in the shape of a turtle it was so good! I walked around and wandered in and out of shops and went home and got a pizza. Overall it was a good week with the right balance of work and fun! I was just about to leave for work when I got a text to say dinner service won't be operating due to high winds ayeeee extra day off‼️😜🤟

There’s been a lot of puppies as well, most on their own, usually found somewhere. Only two came in with their mother - and with a load of grapes thrown into the cage… grapes being poisonous to dogs when eaten.

All of the puppies that have been brought in have thankfully done very well as it would be very easy for them to become unwell without a mother. Some have already been adopted and moved from the sanctuary.

I’ve been given a lot of extra jobs since the beginning such as giving medications and getting to hand feed the younger puppies.

There was a bit of a heatwave for a few days and then the wind picked up and cooled the weather down a lot.

I did a tour of Valletta to learn about the history and I’ve been enjoying going to different places around Malta especially with transport being free - even if it takes a long while.

I’ll be sad to leave the dogs at work when it’s time to go home as I’ve gotten so used to seeing them all the time, especially the ones that need more help and care.

One dog in particular had come in a few weeks ago and was extremely thin from neglect. I had never seen the bones in a dogs tail as clearly as this one. He started to gain a tiny bit of weight after a week or two and was allowed to mix with the other dogs. Unfortunately I came in one of the days soon after and he wasn’t at the sanctuary. I found out he had been attacked by a few of the other dogs and had stitches all over his body. He now has to be on his own as the stitches have to heal but also they tried to allow him to mix again but the other dogs were eating all of his food. I go to check on him every day even when my jobs are in other areas of the sanctuary as I can’t imagine how lonely it must be for him. He is absolutely one of the dogs I would bring home in a heartbeat if I could.

Dear diary,

Monday started off strong with an almost 13 and a half hour shift 😮‍💨 I was in at 11am - 12:25am and had to stop to run down for the staff transport. Sky Beach closes between 6-7:30 to set up for dinner so when a couple came over at 7:15 I gave the usual script and told them unfortunately we're still closed but they are welcome to go across the other side for a drink at sky high and the man asked if we're closed because the barman's not there yet and I just looked at him displeased and said "I am the barman 😐" that's when the supervisor kissava ran over to tell them we were open so me and the man stood confused as to whether or not it actually was open and kissava then tells me when the guest had sat down that that was actually the owner of the whole hotel I just denied a drink to lol I ended up making him and his wife 2 mojitos each. On Tuesday the cleaners came at 7:45am so I got up and ready and headed to Valletta to catch the ferry to gozo! Once I was off the ferry I googled my way to the beach I ended up doing an hour and half hike along the cliffs and then had to scale down the cliff face inorder to make it to the beach which was a little scary as it was a bit slippery. After spending a few hours at the beach and yet again getting sunburned oops 😬 I got a taxi to the BnB I booked for one night for myself so I could shower and leave my bag off. I went for dinner in st George's square and then stayed and listened to the live music I walked back to the accommodation at around 11 and was curious to see the pool that's when I got talking to 3 men that were sat chatting at the outdoor table 2 of them were older Maltese brothers and the other guy was an English man we ended up chatting till 20 to 3 in the morning. It turned out that the 2 Maltese men worked in intercontinental before it became what it is now and shared stories about how it used to be and how Malta has changed and in a funny coincidence after Monday's blunder turns out one of them is good friends with the owner of the hotel!! He got a good laugh out of my story he also has his own business now in training bartenders and has his own bartending website. He advised to me as a junior bartender to learn a cocktail and make that my signature cocktail and suggested I do one called the "corpse reviver" which is a gin based cocktail based on how my Erasmus trip started out 🤣🤣. On Wednesday I had a check out of 10am but ended up leaving around half 10 I wondered around the cathedral and old prison castle it was a lot like mdina, it was gorgeous after that I wasn't sure what to do so I decided the best way to see more of the island was to do a hop on hop off tour it took 2 hours and I got to see some amazing views. I sat on the top which just added to the foundation of the sunburn 😞🙏. I got the ferry back to Valletta around 4 had some food and a shower then went back out to Sliema to a pub with Danny and a girl called Natalie who also works in the hotel. It was an early night as I was very tired from the last two days of adventure. It was a nice little getaway which has helped me to feel a good bit better compared to the last week or two. It's good to have some alone time away from everyone every now and again when you need it!

I've had a great experience here in Malta overall, I met some amazing people who I'll stay in touch with in the future, I've learned so much about working in a hotel the size of the intercontinental and made some unforgettable memories. Saying goodbye this last week has been tougher than I expected it to be when I first came and I'm gonna miss this place and the people a lot. Im very grateful for the opportunity I was given to do this and am glad I was able to see it out to the end and do well in my work placement.

Dear diary, 

One last blog before I board the flight back home to Ireland. Where do I even start, this trip has been one that I'll never forget - no matter how hard I try 😳. Thinking back to the start when we landed into the airport I remember how excited I was about what the 3 months had in store, how I was going to meet new friends not only from bife but the other Irish students and people in work,  and gain new skills and confidence in my career as a carer in the nursing home. all these ideas quickly diminished within the first few days which was a pity and screwed up my plans and visions for what lied ahead, however everything turned out good in the end!

What I would have changed:

- more of an effort to bring together the Irish students inc galway & cork. We met them on the first day at the meeting never saw them again.

- enforced the contract a bit stricter. We were told 35 hours over 5 days however at times I found myself working 40+ hours which I wouldn't complain about except the Irish interns in the hotel were the only ones to not be paid by both Erasmus and the hotel 

- Malta didn't feel as safe to me as it was repeatedly told to be. I met a solo Ozzy bag packer and she actually said that to me too

- I think there should be a schedule or a warning before people enter the house. On many occasions I found myself alone in the house when the owner would come in, I found it quite uncomfortable and awkward as a lot of the time it was early in the day and I was in PJ's which because Malta is so hot usually my pj's were short shorts and a crop top (not a good look for anyone to see anyway 😭) also never knowing what days the cleaners are coming made things hard too as I hate not having the house clean before they come 🥲

- I wish the jobs came with more training. Speaking just about working in the hotel - I was given a half day of "training" and then that was it I worked alone and used chatgpt to tell me what to do and how to make the drinks 🤣 I don't think I learned as much as I could have if I was working along side someone else.

What I enjoyed:

- the island itself is so gorgeous! The beaches especially Mellieha are the best I've ever been to. I made good use out of the snorkel set I bought 🤿 🐠 🐟 

- I think gozo is even nicer than Malta i would highly encourage anyone coming to Malta for Erasmus to book a nights stay. I stayed in Ta Speranza farmhouse I couldn't recommend more!

- The freedom that comes with being away from home is always a bonus

- the Maltese certainly know how to do happy hour 🍹🍸

- pastizzis!!! I think I enjoyed these a little too much 😞 gonna have to hit the gym 😭

- I really enjoyed work and I think I want to progress further in the bar and restaurant industry! I would love to continue making cocktails. It was nice to be able to watch the sunset each evening from sky Beach.

- getting to know the othe bife students. I think at times me and Pacey over shared with each other 👀 the secrets stay in Malta pacey!!

- the weather 🌞 I may have even gotten the slightest hint of a tan 😎

I do have to say though if I was given the opportunity to do the trip again the exact same way knowing everything that has happened I would still say yes! I am so grateful for the opportunity and despite the challenges that came with it, I think it will help shape not only my future careers but me as a person too. The last 13 weeks have flown by now that I look back at how far we've come and although a little part of me wishes it could all slow down I know everything must come to an end, ain't that right Dan x

Coming back home was really nice, getting to see my family and friends after so long away was great and I almost didn't realize how much I'd missed being home. Unfortunately I got sick as soon as I was back and spent the last few days in bed just trying to recover. Now I'm back into college Tommorow for my second year induction so I'm looking forward to getting started with that. Im also looking forward to getting back to work and getting back into routine with work and college.

She left a few weeks before I did but it was nice spending the last while with her.

I’ve made great friends particularly from work, hearing about their continued adventures since we’ve all gone home has been fun.

We packed in as much as possible and it was fun feeling a bit like a tourist on holiday for a few days. Among other things, we went on a boat tour, had loads of tasty meals and I showed her lots of places I liked to go. We squeezed in everything we could every day, we even went on one of the traditional Maltese boats over to the 3 cities from Valletta.

We also quickly visited my work on the way back to the airport so I could show her the place I was always describing on the phone.

It was hard saying goodbye even though I’d be home soon but it was amazing having her there for a while.

I really loved the sanctuary because it was really tough but for a great cause. I felt at home there from the first day and I really thrived in the work environment.

It’s definitely shown me that it’s the kind of work that I want to continue with in Ireland and maybe in another country again at some point.

Two of my favourite places were Valletta when the sun was setting and sitting with the dogs in work when I was finished for the day.

I spent my last night having dinner with a friend before buying the last few unnecessary souvenirs.

Overall, Malta was an experience and a half - like a bizarre dream I had that I can’t quite figure out if it was real or not.