slammer

Looks like Slammer is gonna get a job on Malta, I can't quite put my finger on it but I think it may be a bit different from Switzerland where I now hold abode, the lack of rocky pointy bits for one, won't miss the Fondue and the "Oh Jesus rollerblading Christ is that frikking expensive" shopping but as long as I have my Chuchichäschtli things will be fine.
Now Slammer is a biker, not as a hobby, nor as a way of life, it's more my sexual orientation but seeing that Malta is not much larger than Liechtenstein raises the question if there is any point bringing Iron pig (Slammer's bike) or getting a sail boat?

dmu

Hi, butting in from the France forum, but having worked in Zürich in another life, why would you need to take a Swiss Cuchichäschtli with you to Malta? Aren't Maltese ones adequate?

Chatter Static

Obviously slammer is not a connoisseur of fine chronographs...

Gozit

Haha i'm confused as to your actual question but Im assuming you were asking should you bring your bike? Lol no... You will get rammed down by every driver on the islands! Most people in Malta drive inconsidering of anyone else on the road be it other vehicles, bikes, or even pedestrians. They have it programmed in their heads to get to their destination as fast as possible whilst also saving as much fuel as possible. There are pretty much no designated bike paths in Malta and the sidewalks are either half blended into the road (no kerb) or nonexistent... Plus the steep hills on some roads won't be bike-friendly

Have i convinced you to leave it behind yet?

slammer

Ah well in that case I'll try a Maltese Cuchichäschtli if I must.
Perhaps I should have said that Iron Pig is a motorbike, a big beefy snow white police BMW that eats Hondas' and craps Vespas'.
Slammer is not the daintiest person around and together we top half a ton.

not2old

No and for one reason & one reason only ... pot holes

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles...5#.UpM1b9K-pcY

second reason is speed - unlikely you'll be able to go faster than 60km for more than 1km before you hit a pot hole, round about, traffic light, a cat or dog, person or a cop

Then your two wheeler of choice in Malta is a scooter. On Gozo you can simply walk everywhere

slammer

Slammer is from Blackburn, the 4000 are still going strong and have now had children and grandchildren, dodging pot-holes is second nature.

Gozit

Haha well if you think you can handle roads like these, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mz6NqD2kLw , potholes, horses-and-buggies, idiot drivers and all, then i say go for it! Just dont say we didnt warn you ...

slammer

Certainly them's not roads in the Swiss sense of the meaning, looks like Iron Pig is gonna be getting a shock absorber upgrade.

slammer

Thing is I really thought that I could make a home in Switzerland, I have lived here since 2005 and have all the permits and felt at home. The pace of life is very different to that in the rest of Europe, but, I am over 50 and have been unemployed for two years, 50 seems to be the sell by date, 700-odd sent out CV's later (Slammer is a printing technician, I repair and setup the bits and bats you need to print stuff with) and I come up with nada, nix, zip S.F.A!
And now my unemployment insurance has run out and the house where I have a cheapie small flat has been sold and the new owners have turfed us out, soon the place will be turned into luxury apartments where people who earn in a excess of 200.000 p.a (most of people working at Roche, Novartis etc.) will pay a rent of 3000€'s/m.
So that makes me a longterm unemployed dependent on social services bloody foreigner and homeless to boot.
Sometimes life will grab you by the short black and curlies and take you jogging so now I will pack the pig and head south to a low paid admin job on the beautiful island of Malta.
It's been thirty years to the year that I was last on Malta as a crew member on the German cruise liner MS Europa, let's what's changed.

Gozit

Sounds more like it

Sorry that you got uprooted from your home in Switzerland... I feel for you. I understand that living costs are pretty high there. You will find it different in Malta, living costs are rather low - you could have a decent flat for €400/month or even lower in Gozo (€250-300/month) Let me/the other members on the Malta forum if you need any more help about anything Malta related, and hope you sort your situation out! Enjoy the sun in Malta

slammer

10.50 €'s for a beer and a bag of crisps in the pub, you really tend to suck them glasses dry.
I live in Basel and one of the fun things to do here is to watch the faces of football fans from out of the country when they cough up 150 € for an eight man round of drinks, you should have seen it when (Ahem!) Basel annihilated Chelsea (again, *snicker*) Shell shocked but very sober Chelsea fans huddled round a shared can of lager, longing for it to be late enough for the bus to take them to the airport.
Ahh! Such memories.

not2old

the island has gone to the dogs IMO since joining the EU. Now almost every Tom, Dick & Harry can simply move to Malta & live - best though if they;re retired or have a job lined up.

Its not as I remember back in the 70's

When was the last time you were in Malta?

LivedInaFewCountries

Having lived in Malta for about 3 years myself I would have to say that at those rent prices you won't be getting a very nice place. The wages in Malta are ridiculously low and electricity/water bills are huge.

I do fully agree with you on the way people drive in Malta, crazy, overtaking in blind corners, inventing a 3rd lane ...

not2old

sure there are places in Gozo €250-300/month

even on minimum wage, then again how many live on minimum wage

http://www.franksalt.com.mt/Search/P....aspx?id=31198