Malta - British Expat Forum

the Ns wrote:[Posted: Wed 31 May 2006 21:00 on the "How did you find us?" topic in the Knight and Rabbit] Hi, we are Graham and Susan and we are really happy to have found this site through Google. We are moving to Malta very soon - our house in the UK is under offer and we are fast approaching the end of our convenium on a house in Mosta - and we can't wait! We got married in Naxxar in April this year after 16 years together, and we are really looking forward to a new life with our 13 year old son James. We will start looking at the threads, and hope to join in those in due course. By the way, does anyone actually live in Malta, or are you all in Gozo?

Hi Susan,
Welcome to the forum, I check here every day for updates and to hear from anyone planning to go to Malta. Our house is sold so when it completes and we work our notice etc we'll be on our way.
Our kids are 11 and 3 so we'll be eager to get them settled in our new life. We're going to rent for 6 months before buying a property probably in the Marsascala area, depending on which school we can get our daughter in. My in-laws live in Malta so we know a few people.
I'll look forward to your updates.

Thank you for the reply Ginger. I hope all goes smoothly with your move.

I think this site is so exciting because we can all benefit directly from experiences of others in situations similar to our own. I am going to take some time this evening to go through many more of the strings, because I know there is loads to learn.

I am so excited, but scared, to think we will be in Malta (fingers crossed) by mid-July. Whatever happens, we need to be out by September so that our son can start school. How does your 11 year old feel about going? Our "soon to be 14" is none too pleased with us, even though Malta has been part of his life since he was born. I think it is tough to leave your friends at that age, but I am pretty sure that within a few months he will be perfectly happy. I think his biggest problem will be to learn Italian in 2 years as it is a complusory GCSE subject at the school he will go to! Thank goodness he is spared Maltese GCSE, even though we are all going to try and take classes, and our Maltese friends have been coaching us with odd words and phrases for ages.

Well, back to work, otherwise I will not have a job to bring with me!

For all those moving to Malta with Kids, why not get an expats youth club going ????? All the kids can meet say once a month / forthnight and then communicat via landline / e-mail / outhings ect ect.......
We will be moving over in June / July next year (2007) as our 15 year old son will be going to school there (Junior College) so it would be nice for all the kids to get together as they are going to be a bit cut off from the normal life and loosing friends ect. It would do them a world of good.

I will be living in Mosta (where we already have a house) so maybe this will work out.

Regards
The Snowman

Hi,
The idea of expats youth meetings is a great idea as I am worried how my 11 year old will fit in.
I'm excited about going but quite scared, my 11 year old has always been really keen to live in Malta and hates leaving whenever we're there. There was a day recently when she did a complete about turn and said she didn't want to go.... She was worried about leaving her Grandparents and had made a friend at school! I reassured her that she'd still see her Grandparents several times a year etc and she changed her mind again.
The thing that guts me is that my in-laws are in Malta, (father in law and step mother in law) and they don't want us to come. They've made it quite clear that they think we'd fail big time if we relocate.
They say there's no prospects for the kids, the Maltese won't accept us, my 11 yr old won't settle in school and that they're too old to be bothered with us if it goes wrong (thanks for the confidence guys!)
It's kind of made us determined to prove them wrong but it's really morale shattering. We're not silly, my husband has friends in Malta and we've researched most things.
Anything positive I hear from expats does help.

Well I will say it as it is.
I am also a little worried. I am earning well here in UK but between Malta and working towards heart failure I am choosing Malta. Our sone is 15 now and will be sixteen when we move so it get's harder and harder. So it's now or never.
Malta with ALL it's faults has a much better quality of life than the UK but it is getting expensive.
As I have slaved and already have a house ther and I will be renting our house in the UK I am sure having done my homework I can get by. I can't live like a king but we can't have everything in life.

My main problem is my son, I have to ensure he settles down, he wants to go but he is worried that he is loosing all his friends ect ect.....
My wife is maltese and I know the island like the back of my hand and prospects are good work wise (I am only looking for a part time job) or if that failes I will do something on my own. So it's what you want out of life that's important. I believe that having achieved what I have achieved so far is enough and at the age of 50 it's time to enjoy the quality of life, take up new hobbies and venture to pastures new. Life is what you make it and as hard as it may be the Maltese are surviving. So I should as well.

May your move go well but always have options. Plan B and Plan C ect....

Regards
Bill (The Snowman)

Thanks Bill,
I understand what you're saying 100%, we too are working towards heart attacks, both work gruelling hours and our aim is that in Malta only one of us (preferably my husband) will be working to support the family.
Also, if he can't get work then he will try and be self employed...... we will have to see. We're planning to rent for 6 months then hopefully buy. We'll have money saved but don't want to live off that. My husband has also been going on a regular basis for 20 years (me for 13 years) so he knows Malta well.
I am worried about my 11 year old as well as other things but think it's worth the risk as opposed to staying in the UK, struggling and wondering what would have been.
edited to say - Looking though the child related threads that one of the main concerns expats have is how their children are going to adapt.... This subject needs to be kept going as any info is really helpfull.

Sorry for the long delay in joining this thread again. Life has been manic! We (my husband and I) arrived in Malta 2 weeks ago but as our house isn't ready (!), we are renting a flat in Sliema. That is good, but will be a lot happier when we get the car later this week.

This idea for the kids, and I think especially the teens, to get together is really important. We have made our own decisions to move here - they really didn't have an option, and anything we can do to help them transition well has to be good.

Our 14 year old son will be arriving in mid-September - taking advantage of spending the summer with his friends by staying with his grandmother. And to be honest, he would have been bored out of his brains. As I said, we are waiting for the house to be finished, and this flat feels exactly like a waiting room (echoes a bit like one too). We have internet (obviously), so I am working but we have no TV or even radio. So my husband is putting all his efforts into his new hobby - complete relaxation. But I think that will pall soon.

I really hope others are interested in something for our offspring, so I look forward to hearing from you. Susan

Hi Folks

This is an interesting and important thread. It occurred to me that you could maybe get in touch with Ruth Coppard - a professional child psychologist, please see "sticky" above. Of course, I'm not suggesting that any of your children need professional help. My idea was just that it could be a win-win.

You give Ruth the idea/basis for her monthly column, and she writes a piece targetted to what you want to read. If you're interested in this, and don't want to write to her yourself I can make the suggestion. I really think it would be better coming from one of you, though, as (not having children ourselves) I wouldn't be quite sure of the angle or how to pitch it.

Ruth is always keen to hear from our members but perhaps people are hesitant to involve a psychologist when there aren't any serious problems. She'd just look at the issue from a professional point of view. The service is free so you really have nothing to lose.

Hope this helps.

Kay

Thank you for the suggestion Kay, and perhaps that is something for the future. My husband is going to the UK tomorrow for a final hospital appointment (he broke his foot not long before we came out here) and will bring our son back with him then (you see! Malta is already "home").

My only problem right now is that James doesn't want to come here - so nothing to worry about there! He has two weeks before he starts school - and by the way, does anyone know anything about St. Edwards - and we will use that time to try to get him to talk about what really worries him.

Graham was saying just today that his parents bought him to live in Malta (for the second time) just a month before he sat his 11+ exam, and he survived, so I expect our kids all will as well!

I would still love to hear from anyone interested in arranging some kind of social event, particularly for older children and teenagers.
Susan

Know this is an old post, but was there ever any clubs etc set up for the kids?
Any info on what anyones children do regarding leisure interests, football etc would be much appreciated. My 12 year old daughter is struggling a bit at the moment. Although she is used to Malta she has left a strong group of friends in UK and not yet being in school here yet is probably not helping.

Hi Kow,
Our two boys found it hard to settle at first for the same reasons, (not at school from June-Sept). The only consolation was that they had each other to argue with!

They still haven't joined any formal youth clubs, groups, but since starting school have made new friends with similar interests so spend time with them at weekends, holidays. I know of other ex-pats whose girls are going to ballet, guides, youth activities, etc in the Mellieha area near where they live.

If you let the forum know which town/area you are living in others might be able to let you know what's available for kids nearby.

Thanks pumabob.

We are in Marsascala. And she did actually go to Gymstars gymnastics club yesterday as this is what she did for 4 years in UK.
She came out smiling and is now doing that for 1 and a half hours twice a week. You are right though, once she is in school she will make friends.
My son (aged 9) is happy as he has the xbox live up and running, which at the moment he spends FAR too much time on, but hopefully he will do football soon when we find out about that.