The Rock

Honey, you are a rock, upon which I stand...

My sun-soaked days and party-filled nights in the Mediterranean paradise I used to call home are over, after a much too short week. To soften the blow of seeing my precious summer vacation end, I'm bedridden in Stockholm with pneumonia. But instead of complaining about how cruel and unfair my life is right now (as Stockholm's culture festival, with free concerts and block festivals across the city, is in full swing) I am going to share with you what a lovely little island I used to live on, and I'll make it a photo essay. I will then follow up with how my preparations for Jordan are going.

First of all THE VIEWS:

Qaddafi's yacht has been sequestered by the lucky Maltese:

Sunrise on the rooftop of the subpar Hotel Europa in the unbeatable location of Sliema:

One of the best beaches in Malta - Ghajn Tuffieha (take bus 225):

A visit to Malta isn't complete without a stop to the sister island Gozo:

One of the many great seafood restaurants with a view in Malta - I recommend Terrazza:

Avicii stopped by Malta while we were there, and made it one hell of a night:

The promenade that hugs the highly populated bays of Sliema and St.Julians finishes in the quaintly Mediterranean fisherman's haven of Spinola Bay:

The Festa di Santa Marija, Malta's top public holiday on the 15 August honors this feisty woman who not only gave birth to Jesus but could split the skull of a Turk:

Happy me, after a hot night out in the Malta clubbing area Paceville, taking a break at St. Georges Bay beach to show my love for Malta in the sand:

Other things I don't have a photo of but that deserve honorable mention are our daily breakfast place, the Kiwi-owned café Mint,and Cafe Juliani,the most comfortable place if you, like me, have to work on your vacation. Also if you don't have much time in the Maltese Islands, Luzzu Cruises has a great deal that allows you to see Comino, Gozo, and the Grand Harbour in a day in a not as overly commercial way as its competitor Captain Morgan.

As I said, I've been working while in Malta, which was too bad but I made sure to get a tan, swim in the crystal clear Mediterranean waters, and party until 4am in the hot thumping clubs in between deadlines. So far I've applied to two internships in Jordan but need to work on applying for quite a few more soon. I really really hope I get a position!!! I don't want to make this too long, and I need to rest to get rid of this damn pneumonia as soon as possible. But one final story to finish. The doctor I met with this morning happened to be Egyptian, and fortunately I remembered enough dialect to converse with her colloquially, even as I was aching, feverish, and exhausted. This bodes well for Jordan!