21st June - 30th June

So this was my last week in Malta, and although it was very emotional, it was also absolutely brilliant!!
At the beginning of the week, we had the best party I have ever been to, as Patrick hired a masssive boat for all of us for the day, which stopped at Comino for us to go swimming next to the caves. We als had Marco doing DJ on the boat, reguarly playing the official ERASMUS Malta song, created by Allison. After diving off the top level of the boat, swimming and snorkelling, it was back off home to relax for the night.

 Soon  after, it was time for Matthew to return home. This wasn't such an emotional goodbye as I know I will see him back in Belfast. However, having the room so tidy and empty is a rare sight that I dont particuarly enjoy to be honest, I supposed I've got used to sharing a room. As Matthew left, Becca's sister arrived and we had some final activities to get on with before returning home.
On one day, we went walking round 'the three cities'. This proved tio be a terrible idea as it was roasting, and we were all absoloutely wrecked by the time we eventually found a bus stop, where we must have waited at least an hour!! Typical of the Maltese buses, that's something I will not miss!!
Furthermore, we also went to St Peter's pool for the first time, where we sunbathed and dived off the cliffs. Rhyss even attempted a superman dive through a rubber ring in the water. Although he missed, it was quite the attempt!
Finally, we also went off to the blue lagoon, where we got a boat trip around all the different caves. This is one of my favourite places in Malta, with an awesome view and the clearest water!!

So as my last week came to an end in Malta, I looked forward to a flight to Dublin with Becca, Sarah and Ellie, followed by a bus journey to Dublin. Saying goodbye to everyone was extremely weird, and it did not feel right leaving the place and people that I had become so used to, it will definitly take some time settling in back home, after such an amzing time in Malta. I can honestly say that I have never regretted my decision to go to Malta. I had an amazing time and met some of the best people, I would not turn t,down the opportunity to do something like this again and I would like to thank everyone who made it possible.

14th June - 21st June

This week was filled with highs and lows as I finished my exams but had to say goodbye to some friends!

To begin with, we went through the same process of revision for our second exam as we printed off loads of pages and began studying the rules and teaching que's of both badminton and tennis. Badminton rules were thanfully rather short and the notes were kindly provided by our lecturer. The tennis notes were very long, however had been made alot easier by the fact that we had been playing alot of tennis reguarly. The exam was in the same format as the first one and again I feel like it went well and was simple enough compared to the exams back home. However, one thing I am worried about is the marking, as we have never had anything marked in Malta, therefore we have no idea of the standard or what is expected!!
After the exam, our whole class went to have BBQ at a private beach that our Maltese friends knew about, we never eben knew it existed!! It was really good spending the night with our Maltese class mates, as they have been so good and made us so welcome on our stay in Malta.                        The way they have treated us makes me feel guilty and not doing more for those who have come to Belfast! Saying goodbye was not enjoyable, as we knew we would more than likely not be seeing them again, so we made sure we thanked them for everything
.

The goodbyes didn't get any easier as three of my good friends, Jordan Adams, Allison and Jordan Savage departed for America. As jordan Adams was leaving, one of the ither guys Lance asked him to play us one last song on his guitar. Of course he only picked a song that was completely depressing, adding to the sadness as he left. It was hard saying goodbye to these friends as they live so far away, and it has showed me the only downside that I have experienced of ERASMUS. My last week and a bit won't get any easier as I wave goodbye to more friends, and the Malta!

 1st June - 14th June

After completing all of my practical assessments and having a few days resting in the sun, it was time to start studying for our first of two exams, which would be on the rules and teaching que's for both softball and hockey. So, I ventured off to the computer/study room and printed off what seemed like a hundred pages on the rules of both sports!! At the beginning, I didn't know how I was going to learn all the different terms and definitions, especially for softball, as I had never played before coming in Malta. However, one of the American guys, Jordan Savage, knew the game inside out and managed to help me with the rules and terms, he even gave me some practical demonstrations!! The teaching que's were quite simple as we had already learnt them for the practical assessment. For hockey, I found it simple enough as I had played the game reguarly in hich school. Plus with Becca's help, it was an absolute gift, as she has played hockey for quite some time. So we formed a study group and were all set for the exam.
On exam day, I felt pretty nervous as I had no idea what to expect. We have a really small class, so we all gathered outside the hall beforehand, to cram in some last minute revision. When we got in, the room was empty compared to the exam halls in stranmillis, as there are always different students from other courses doing exmas at the same time! The exam itself went well, and seemed simple enough. One thing that was particuarly noticable was the fact that it was not in an essay format. This seemed weird as no matter what the subject I have done before, exams are always done in essays. Instead, there was short questions with simple answers, then longer answers were required for the teaching que's. There were even questions that had multiple choice answers to make it easier!!! The exam room was also far more laid back than back at stranmillis. At one stage, Chris walked over to his bag (which was in the room!!) without his shoes on to get a calculator. If i done this at stran, I would probably be accused of cheating!

Aside from the revision and our first exam, the residence has been very mellow as everybody is in study mode, and some of my friends are alot less fortunate than me, some having up to 8 exams!
So, Matthew, Becca and I have started playing tennis, as we are lucky enough to have a court. Becca (having already played reguarly) is putting us to shame, but I think I might take her before going home!!

24th-31st May

This week began with relief as we handed in both our buisness assignements, both of which I am very satisfied with. There's nothing like the feeling of getting assignments completed and handed in, especially when it isn't a night before job. During this week, Becca had her friend Rosalind out, so we entertained her in between our practical asessments. This mainly consisted of going to the beach, as Rosalind was determined to make the most of the good weather before returning home. This was great news for us as we could look over our teaching que's for our badminton/tennis asessment. Studying on a hot beach in Malta sure beats doing it in the dining room table back in Belfast! During this week, Seamus Dee and I also decided we would go scooba-diving. I was a bit nervous at first, but generally thought it would be easy enough.

                                                    However, when I got under water and started sucking up water, I panicked and if it wasn't for the instructor, God knows what would have happened. Once I got over this initial shock though, I was fine (something that can't be said about Dee!). It was amazing to swim under water and we saw plenty of fish and other animals i'm unable to name. This certainly isn't something I could have experienced at home.

On the friday was an early start as we set off to the junior college to get assessed on tennis. My overall tennis ability isn't the best so I was glad to get the opportunity to coach as this would hopefully better my grade. JP and I were coaching the serve so we constructed a lesson plan that consisted of four different activities. The first simply introduced the path that the ball must follow when conducting the serve, the second used the movements of a serve but still without a racket. The third activity introduced the racket, as students performed the serve against the surrounding fence. To finish, we instructed the students to move onto the court to practice what they have learnt. Throughout our session we stressed the teaching que's which were keeping knee's bent, arm straight and keeping eyes on the ball, ensuring there is a full follow through. Miss Larra Tonna was pleased with our session and was particuarly impressed with the way we asked the students questions throughout to ensure they understood. On the following monday, we had our final practical asessment in hockey. We travelled down to a place called Quormi with Chris from our class. The Maltese students often tease us for our pronunciation of this place. Our asessment wasn't until late afternoon and it was the day was the warmest had in a while. Our first activity was dribbling, which I felt went particuarly well as I was rather quick and I am confident with the indian dribble. We then had to display our ability to trap the ball and pass it. I kept remembering that our tutor told us not to tell the ball come to you, but rather cushion it. Our final task was shooting, which went okay considering I scuffed one shot. All in all, I'm happy with how I did in all of my practical asessment's, now I just have to get revising to do well in our two exams.

17th- 24th May

This week commenced with our first practical assessment in softball. Everyone was feeling a bit nervous before we started and this was made worse when our tutor, Dr Attard called us one by one to be assessed, under the observation of everyone else. I feel I did particuarly well in the pitching and batting activities and was even asked to pitch for the other batters, which couldn't have been bad. All in all, the assessment went fine and I would feel confident teaching softball to children. On the tuesday, we had another theory class  with Mr Riolo. I have became very fond of these classes as Mr Riolo is very passionate about physical education. He discussed the developement process of children, making referance to the child, coach and parent as important factors in this process. He often tells us that physical activity is not an inbuilt part of the Maltese culture, therefore people like him have to work harder to ensure interest is generated from children. He also told us that it is important that sportsmanship is integrated into coaching lessons. This can often lead to educating the parent also.
Furthermore, we also had our final hockey session before assessment next week. Our final session was all about shooting and goalkeeping. Saviour (one of the Maltese students) was fully kitted out in goalkeeping gear and we all got an opportunity to ping a few at him.
On thursday, we had another assessment. We were split into groups of two, one group for coaching volleyball and one for uni-hock. I was in the volleyball group. We were to coach around 20 students a particular skill in volleyball. We had already planned our session and included a lesson plan for the tutor. During my session, I intoduced the 'three pass rule' to the children. The first task was simply to get into groups of three, throw the ball between each other and then on the third pass, throw the ball to the oppsong team of three. I then made this more difficult by telling the children that while the opposing team was passing between them, they had to lie on the ground, get up again and recieve the ball before it hit the ground. After my session, Mr Riolo informed me that I had done very well, seemed confident and my positioning was good and instructions were clear . However, he also stated that I could use demonstration to better effect and that this could be done by using one of the more skilled children as an example.

After a hard week of being assessed, it was finally time to have some fun at the weekend. First up, we had a residence prom. This was organised by mainly some of the American girls and they did a great job. Everybody used it as an excuse to get dressed up and we all looked very smart. Going to the prom also meant you had to get a date, whom had to be proposed to in a public way.                                             With this in mind, I decided I would get into just shorts, spraying "Prom?" across my chest with whipped cream, and a flower in my mouth. Mary was the lucky lady....thank God she said yes! At the prom, we all had our chance to get photos with our dates and their was even a prom king and queen, but I didn't win. On the sunday, Ray, the night receptionist had organised a sports day for the entire residence. For most of the events, we were split into our countries. This was all well and good until Becca decided to go with Ireland instead of the UK.....me and Matt were not pleased! So, as the Irish were giving us stick, Matt and I decided to get changed into our Northern Ireland tops and get the flag out, which caused some reacction from not  only the Irish but everyone else, who also seemed to know the rivalry!                                                          

But all was taken in good steam and it turned out to be a great day. I even managed to win an event, the three legged race with Elaine, despite getting off to a slow start (narrowly beating two of the italian girls). After, memorably beating Becca and Matt in the semi after about three replays, we won the final against the favourite's, Federico and Ilaria.
All in all the day was a great success and hopefully more events like this are organised again to get the residence together for some good clean fun!

2nd May-9th May

Our first day back at university after easter was on the 2nd of may, my birthday. Our first class was softball. The aim of the class was to demonstrate the technique of batting. The tutor stressed that it wasn't simply down to hitting the ball as hard as you could. The best way was to have knuckles connecting on the bat, knees bent with the bar being held straight. When hitting, it is also very important to follow through with the bat. I'm not sure if I was having birthday luck, but I seemed to catch on quite quick and really enjoyed battering the ball around the gym hall. Our other class that day was uni-hock and was the final of our theory classes. We discussed how uni-hock varies for different age groups. The tutor advised us of the best suited teaching points for each age group. We also briefly discussed the importance of getting parents involved. Later that week we had a practical uni-hock class which was based on teaching how to make the best use of the space around you. One of the games we practiced involved a group of four, three passing and one retrieving the ball. The aim was obviously to keep the ball from the defender. the tutor emphasised that this is made much easier if the full area is used.Furthermore, we also had a practical volleyball session, in which we learnt how to teach the serve. The main points to focus on were the body posture, keeping the wrists straight and also letting the ball go instead of throwing it in the air, so that connection with the ball is better. Our final class of the week (due to cancellations) was badminton. Mr, Ronald Zammit explained our practical test and let us practice the different skills we would be assessed on. I felt fairly confident in every skill with the exception of the clear. Eventually, Mr Zammit took me aside and broke down the movements for me. He told me that it is important to move the body quickly to ensure that when I am clearng, the shuttlecock is infront of me and not behind. Then, when hitting, ensure that both the right arm and leg come from behind and follow through, so that the shuttlecock will travel as far as possible, making it difficult for my opponent. Mr Zammit's instructins certainly made the skill alot easier to perform.

Outside of class, I was celebrating my birthday with Mary, whose birthday was the day before mine. On the monday, around fifteen of us went to a restaurant called 'Heat', mainly because it's half price. We then went to our local karaoke bar that night, where everyone was very generous in buying me drinks all night. It really was a great night with all my friends around me. If I thought monday night was fun, thursday was out of this world. This was the day that Mary and I had set out to really celebrate. Laura, Becca and Matt had bought Maltese flags for us and got everyone to sign them, wishing us happy birthday in their own way. All the gesture's made me laugh, particuarly Jean's which was just a typical statement from her! We also had a mini-party in room 107. Both Denise and Synne made cakes for us and I recieved other gifts from a few of the other residents. After that we all headed into Paceville. Overall, I'm really glad I had my birthday in Malta, it was great to celebrate with all the different culture's in residence and it really showed how close I was with everyone here. I don't think i've had a better birthday to be honest!

During the first week of easter, my friend Claire visited for a week. This was really good as not only had I not seen in her since leaving, but as everybody was leaving, I had something to do for the week. Claire was staying in a nearby town called Sliema, which was two short bus trips away. During Claire’s stay we did alot of relaxing, with many visits to the different beaches including Comino as she wanted to make the most of the sun. We also managed to visit the catacombs in Mdina.             I’m not sure if its was the catacombs or the spiders but she was certainly a bit freaked out by the whole thing. As for me, I was too occupied by the handset provided at reception which seemed to know every step I was making, as I learned everytime I went near a dark area: “stay away from the dark areas at all times”. Claire wasn’t exactly impressed with the Maltese buses which were always late and absolutely crammed. We even experienced a bus which broke down. The driver wasn’t exactly polite about the situation, just telling us to get off and wait. Not surprisingly, the most impressive thing about Malta for Claire was the nightlife in Paceville which definitely contrasts that of Northern Ireland. Claire also managed to witness my last football match in Malta. At this stage, the senior teams season had finished, so I played some games with the under 19’s as I was still eligible. This was great as it actually meant winning a game and we got promoted with a 2-1 victory against Pembroke, slightly disappointed about not keeping a clean sheet but sure.

After Claire’s stay, it was time for us to leave Malta for the first time as we ventured off to Sicily with Laura and Mary. We left straight after a massive Easter dinner at the residence in which everybody made food. Matt and I just made spuds. The flight was a mere 45 minutes or so long, but we ended up staying in Sicily airport as we had nowhere to stay the first night. After getting a bus in the morning as far as Trapani, the bus driver left us in the pouring rain and thunder with the knowledge that the second bus we needed was not running today. Thankfully we got a taxi. After a day in Sicily, we were then joined by Allison and Jordan who had flew from Amsterdam with some funny stories to tell. During our stay in Sicily we mainly just relaxed at the beach in the sun and went out a couple of nights. We learned that the Sicilians had very little English, making us appreciate how the English was in Malta even more. We mainly relied on Laura’s ability to speak Spanish to pull us through. I would occasionally fire in the odd French word as well such as “Pourquoi?” Our apartment also had one of the best scenery I have witnessed in my life. Basically, it’s a very big mountain.

                        Every picture seemed to be of this mountain, it was amazing. One day we planned to conquer it and climb up, but then we decided that sunbathing at the beach followed by a football match would be better. The football match was the most competitive game I have played in. The teams were Laura, Jordan and I versus Matthew, Mary and Allison. After going two nil down, we changed our formation, pushing Laura back into nets. We fought back to win 5-2, although this wasn’t without witnessing one of the finest saves I am yet to see, one that I would have been more than proud to make. This was after Matthew managed to get past me for the only time in the game, he shot and was about to skip away in celebration only to have that smile wiped of his face by the outstretched foot of Laura. Amazing. I felt our team totally deserved the victory. Their best asset (Matthew) was totally marked out of the game and Allison was just brutal, leaving Mary as their only outlet.
All in all Sicily was a great trip and I have become very friendly with those who cam. It was good to get away from the residence for a bit, especially as it was empty with everyone going home for Easter. On the other hand, I have never seen four people more excited than we were on the plane home. It was great to be welcomed back by everyone and was brilliant to see everyone after two weeks apart. It just shows how close we have become with everyone after just a couple of months.

11th – 18th pril

After an enjoyable weekend of relaxing, this week was to consist of our normal classes, but more importantly our final sports day!!
In class, we were issued our first assignment by Mr Decelis in our business management class. The assignment was based on constructing a marketing plan for a sports organisation of our choice. Mr Decelis is particularly excited about us foreign students assignments as he wants us to choose an organisation from back home. When Matt and I informed him that we both wanted to do the IFA, he told us it would be possible for us to do it together, so long as it was in more depth than the others. This was strange for us, as we certainly wouldn’t be able to do an assignment together back home.
The main part of this week was completing our final sports day. The location was again St Michael’s school, this time for the upper junior students. Therefore, we again dressed ourselves up in the 60’s theme. During the opening ceremony, the dance was more complicated for the older students, something me and Matt were struggling with, so decided to hide at the back and let the others take the limelight. This time, my activity involved the children doing different forms of dribbling and movement with use of a basketball. This game really tested my patience as none of the children seemed capable of setting their ball back in the box when finished, but instead threw them causing all the balls to fly everywhere. I didn’t receive much help from the teachers either! After twelve different sessions of this and a closing ceremony, we were all delighted that all the work was done so celebrated by having a water fight. We all went home soaked and I felt sorry for our class mate Chris, who was driving us home. All in all the sports days provided a great opportunity and experience for us as we were able to work directly with children, testing us in a different way due to the slight language barrier. It was great to see how their cukture differentiated in sports days. I feel that their way of doing a sports day is much better than ours. They put a strong emphasis on ensuring that all the children involved at all times, unlike back home where children are sitting watching for most of the day. Furthermore, the aim of the day is not winning, but competing. Back home children are usually not happy unless they win and there are few rewards given out. In Malta, everyone is rewarded at the end of the day so everyone goes home happy. One possible downfall of this is that it is not teaching the children how to lose, however as they are still so young I feel this is still the best way.

On Friday of this week we were given another assignment from our other buisness management lecturer. This assignment was based on the economics of sports organisations. The format of this assignment fully demonstrated the difference between university in Malta and in NI. It showed how much more laid back life is out in Malta. This has both advantages and disadvantages. We were happy because we were given plenty of time to complete the assignment, however we were all given random titles with absolutely no guidelines to follow. The lecturer said he wanted this so that the assignment would be very open. Furthermore, we also went over our four sports days on Friday with Lara Tonna. She also give us a report to complete that refers to our organisation and implementation during our own sports day, as well as giving an overall evaluation.
Another week completed and now we have two weeks off for easter. Alot of people seem to be returning home for easter, so I’m glad that I have a friend visiting for a week . Matthew and I have also booked to go to Sicily for a few days with Laura and Mary, so hopefully we will make the most of our time off.

4th-11th April


So this week will be the week of all weeks with three sports days and class running as normal, with the exception of tuesday. The first sports day was at Lamrox football stadium in Pembroke. We all arrived bright and early to meet the St Joseph's caretaker who had all the equipment in the centre of the pitch. We all had a sheet that displayed our game and what equipment we needed. My game only required hurdles and the aim was to begin with letting the children jump over or crawl under in any which way they wanted, followed by relays. I would often shout out other instructions during the game to ensure they didn't get bored. Everybody had their own station located on different areas of the pitch and we were all discussing how we didn't want to be located infront of the stand as that is where all the parents would be. Sure wouldn't you know I got the worst spot imaginable. Not only did I have to deal with the speakers blaring non stop music, but the all the children shouting and waving at their parents, although I feel I coped very well. The main worry I had coming into the day was the language barrier that may have become apparent. However, this was not a problem as all the children understood English, I just had to speak clearly for them to understand my accent. I also demonstrated each activity and asked the children questions to ensure they understood. The day proved to be a great sucess and was closed by all the children, parents and teachers doing the 'Waka Waka'. Even me and Becca decided to join in, which I was quite proud of as dancing isn't my best trait and I certainly wouldn't have done this back home.
The second sports day was at the Victor Tedesco stadium in Hamrun, a location Matthew and I are very used to from our football matches. As this was my sports day I felt the need to be more active than the last one, so I quckly set up my station and began to help others with their activities. Keith, Kayleigh and I had previously given all our students a sheet that informed them what they were doing, their station number and who they would be working with. We also ensured that everyone had a helper, which was a parent of one of the children involved. After all our planning and organising, all the children began arriving and there were loads of them! All the children were split into different colours and moved from station to station accordingly. My game was called 'The Grid'. The aim was to make your way through the grid according to the sequence I had on my paper. This was a game I proposed to be included and I thought was fitting as it highlights the children's need to work as a team (as they have to go in two's and remember the sequence), which fitted the theme of our sport's day: co-operation. Again this sport's say was very successful and am pleased to say we encountered no difficulties. One thing that Becca, Matthew and I noticed was that despite having helpers, it was us who done all the work, which I seen as a plus, as it helps us go outside our comfort zone, I feel all three of us were doing a great job.

On friday we had an early start for another practical tennis lesson, in which we moved on to striking the ball with the raquet. The main teaching points were the person's co-ordination, body stance  and positioning on the court. After our tennis lesson we went to buisness management before rushing off to do our final sports day of the week in St Michael's mixed primary school. The age of the children were 5-7 year old's and this time there was a theme: The 60's.



This meant us dressing up in colourful t-shirts and painting our faces in all sorts of colours. This really made the day more enjoyable for us and the children, making some funny pictures with our class mates.
In this sports day, it was inside the school and we had alot less room than normal, which I thought would be a problem but in the end turned out just fine. This time my game consisted of just cones and the aim was that one team would turn them upside down, while the other team do the opposite. I thought that this game may become too repetitive for the children however they seemed to really enjoy it. During the day, one of our students had to leave for a sports game. This left one station free and nobody was aware. I noticed this during my break as there was a group of children standing at the station doing nothing. I ran over (with no idea of what the game was supposed to be) and started playing random games with the basketballs at the station. I really felt this showed how much my confidence had grown since coming to Malta as I was able to make fun games for the children on the spot. I also got a big thank you from one of the student organisers who would have been quite embarassed had I not took the session.
All in all this week has been very tiring but very benificial and worthwhile. I hope that the final sports day next week runs as smoothly, but until then I think a weekend of resting is on the cards.

28th March-   4thApril

This week was supposed to be a very sad one for me, as I was waving goodbye to my parents. Little did I know that as I went to the airport with them, my little sister Anna would be getting off their plane to greet me. This was a great suprise as I hadn't expected to see her during my entire stay in Malta as I am not returning home during easter break. I couldn't wait to introduce Anna to my friends at residence, who already knew all about her! To say I was excited about spending the next few days with her would have been an understatement. Not long berfore she arrived in residence, we were straight out the door and hitting Paceville, what a night! Aside from that, I also took Anna to see Comino, which is one of the other Maltese islands. This place is literally tiny and consists of two burger stands, a tiny area of sand and the most clear and blue water I have ever came across. Other than relaxing all day, Sean and Reece showed us the cliff which they all jump off on previous visits. Anna and Denise decided they would give it a go and after about half an hour of nervously looking down at the water, they finally jumped. I thought I might as well do it myself, so I ran and jumped, no waiting like the girls. This made for some class photos.




More importantly, inside university classes were continuing as normal. Fielding was again at the centre of our lesson as we were taught the best activities to teach children how to move the ball quickly without dropping. My personal favourite activity was when the students formed a circle and had to move the ball around the circle before one student ran around the entire circle. This proved that the ball moves quicker than human, however dropping the ball can cause otherwise. The point was to show that fielders are their own worst enemies.
Additionally, we had our first practical tennis lesson thus week. I was really looking forward to playing some tennis but I wasn't going to be playing any this week. Our tutor Lara Tonna, put strong emphasis on how it is important to allow children to familiarise themselves with a tennis ball before coming anywhere near the raquet. We played a series of games that invloved throwing, bouncing and catching  the ball with both hands. I feel this would be the perfect way to intoduce tennis to young children.
In our friday afternoon buisness management lecture, we began reading and comaring/contrasting articles on the economics theory of professional sports teams. My article was based on how different sports teams from different countries vary in relation to their wealth and the money expenditure. I found this interesting as it showed the difference between English premiership clubs and sports teams in America.
After this week, I feel like a good night sleep is much needed to prepare me for a hard week ahead, consisting of three of our four sports days. Here's hoping they will run smoothly and be a sucess.

21st March-28th March
This week my parents came to visit me and it was brilliant to get to see them. On the down side I missed two days of classes as I had a bit of a bug, which meant I had to get a sick note from the doctor also. Being sick is never fun, but being sick in another country is definitly worse and did make me feel homesick, so it was great having my parents about. The classes I did make an appearance for were buisness management, softball and volleyball. During our buisness management class we began discussing the impact of money within sports organisations. This was particuarly interesting as we compared how the organisations in N.I and malta varied in relation to wealth. In many ways, football is similar, especially in the top divisions of each country, however it is evident that N.I invests significantly more money into it's sport. This is reflected most in the standard of facilities. One guy in our football team informed me that he played his football matches on concrete up until about four years ago, and this was the same for all football teams with the exception of the teams in the premier division. Furthermore, in softball we moved on to learn the best ways to teach fielding to young children. This consisted of a variety of different games but the main point to be made was that the fielders should remain focussed and consistently plan their next move before the batter makes theirs. Keith, Kayleigh and I also had another meeting this week to finalise our sports day arrangements. We had our activities plans, so it was just a matter of allocating our helpers to each station, discussing how the children would move from station to station and also organising our plans for the actual day.
Outside of class, I managed to see some more of Malta with my parents, which was made easy by the fact they had rented a car. One day we even just took off and drove around the whole island. Needless to stay this didn't take too long as Malta isn't the biggest country, but it was great to see the culture and architecture of the country, which completely contrasts that of Northern Ireland. We also went to Mdina, which is the previous capital of Malta. This is definitly one of the most cultural areas in Malta and is completely enclosed by massive walls. My dad was fascinated by the history of the place and lectured me all day on how the walls were built to protect those that lived there. My favourite part of the town was the view, which showed the majority of Malta. There is a restaurant in this location and I was informed that the Maltese celebrities pay to eat their on Old years night, just to enjoy the view.

On another day, we ventured off to Golden bay beach to enjoy the sunshine. Little did we know that we would be followed by about forty of the other erasmus students in our residence. I laugh when I think about how others see us on our outings, as forty of us get off a bus and dander to the beach. Anyway, my mum and dad were taken back by how kind and friendly all of our friends were and were particuarly fond of our Irish chums. Denise and Jean decided they would have a private conversation in Irish, totally unaware tha my mum understood every word, they were just a bit embarassed when my mum let them know.
At the weekend, Becca, Matthew, my dad and I attended the Malta versus Greece European qualifier match. This was a great way to see how passionate the Maltese were about football. I thought that due to the standard of football being mediocre, the support wouldn't be great....boy was I wrong. One man had a microphone, there was numerous drums and waving flags. They didn't shut up for the whole ninety minutes. It was great to see how such a small country united to support their team despite being total underdogs. It reminded of The Northern Ireland supporters. The stadium was quite small, but very nice and differed from any British sports stadium I have been to.

All in all this week has been great, not just as I seen my parents but also because I managed to learn more about the way of life in Malta. I was taken back by the fans at the football game, and this was definitly the highlight of my week.

14th March- 21st March

The next week both Matthew and Becca had family visitors, so I wasn’t expecting to see much of them, although by this stage we were so friendly with the other residents that this didn’t bother me too much. I did however manage to visit St.Pauls’ cathedral with Becca and her cousin, which was an amazing sight and again emphasized the country’s passion for religion. This week consisted of SEC exams for the students in our practical classes, so we were not in university much, with the exeption of our business management class and a hockey session, which was based on the basic teaching skills of passing the ball. Most of us even found this difficult due to the uneven playing surface. I also managed to celebrate St.Paddys day on the Thursday. Everyone from the residence joined in our celebration and the whole place was decorated in Irish colours. It was great to see everyone appreciate the Irish culture, although I did run up a big phone bill after ringing my mum back home when the Irish songs came on.

The week ended in my second game for our new club, which Matthews mum and dad, as well as Becca came to watch. We were comftorably beaten needless to say, were not best pleased in the changing room after. The Maltese players got their first glimpse of our Northern Irish temper. Next week my parents are coming to visit, so hopefully I will get to see more of Malta then.

7th March-14th March
After our weekend in Gozo, the next week we decided to take it easy, so its was just attending class and training sessions for the week. During our hockey class, we moved on to begin learning the basic dribbling skills. Our lecturer clearly thinks that Becca is a professional due to her hockey shirt, as  he keeps using her as an example. Personally, I reckon I would give her a run for her money anyday! This week also consisted of my group’s first meeting with the primary school we would be carrying out our sports day with. Our lecturer ensured that the three of us were split up, so we were all with two other Maltese students. As I arrived with the other two students, we got to watch a P.E class as we were early. It was great to see a P.E class carried out in Malta and it did enable me to learn a few new activities which I will definitely use when I am coaching again back home. The thing that fascinated me most was the fact that the class (which was being taught to 7 year old’s) was being taught primarily in English, with the students having no difficulties understanding their teacher. Once the session had ended, the three of us went with the head of P.E in the school to her office, where we began discussing our ideas for the sports day. She seemed to know her stuff, although was very open to our ideas. The first priority was to establish the three different age groups and what activities they would be doing. These activities had to include teambuilding as the theme of our sports day was co-operation. We found this easy due to our class in team building. However, I did find myself having to try harder to become involved in the conversation and I could not help but think that this was due to being an international student. The meeting lasted one and a half hours and we scheduled another one for the following Monday at the same. During this week, our business management class was particularly enjoyable as we were discussing how we would organise a sports event with relation to funds, location, sponsorship etc. Our lecturer then enabled us to compare this with how similar events would be organised in Northern Ireland, which raised some interesting contrasts. The main contrast being that sports facilities in Malta were not of the same standard. During our day off this week, we decided to get the long bus trip up past St.Paul’s bay and visit Popeye’s village. Here we got a few good photos with Popeye and Olive and even managed to get a short boat trip around the bay. We were also shown how Maltese crosses were made in the village, which was interesting as we had seen the symbol in so many places, due the country being so religious.

21st Feb-7th March


This week, classes ran as normal, and we actually had a full week in class, with the exception of our Wednesday off. This week, the introductory theory classes had been done, therefore all our practical classes were held in the university sports hall as we got to show off our skills. This included a third badminton class, which was great fun as usual, although I encountered some difficulties mastering the overhead volley, providing great amusement for Becca and Matthew, at least I only have to teach how to do the move, not actually perform it. We were also taught the best teaching points on how to serve the shuttlecock in this session. Our team building activities session also continued, again helping us to become more comfortable with the other students. In one game, where we had to be carried through a hoop without touching the ground, Matthew’s dodgy knee began to give him trouble. So far, many of the Maltese have found it difficult to understand Matthew’s accent and he often gives me stick for the way I talk so slowly and clearly to be understood. So, when Matthew was being carried and his knee started playing up, he shouted ‘Simon! Tell them about my bad knee!’ They could all understand him perfectly at this stage, I couldn’t stop laughing and Matthew was forced to suffer on through the hoop. During each team building activity, the class was split into groups, with each person having a specific role in that group. The role’s were leader, praiser, encourager, recorder and summariser. We all had a turn at each of these role’s, and was particularly good when we were leader as it helped to push ourselves further outside our comfort zone with the class. Our lecturer put a strong emphasis on praising and encouraging, and when any activity went wrong, we would start again until we succeeded.
The three of us attended our practical hockey session, which proved a challenge as the facilities were not exactly the best, as we were playing on a terrible gravel pitch. We just went through the basics of hockey such as how to hold the stick. Much of our first practical sessions were similar to this, introducing us to the implements we were using.
The best part of this week was the annual Gozo carnival at the weekend starting the 4th march and ending on the 6th, although the carnival actually went on from the Thursday. We had been told tat this was the biggest festival in Malta and has been celebrated since 1530. Becca and I had decided to travel early on Saturday instead of the Friday as we didn’t want to miss class and I wasn’t feeling the best. This turned out a great plan as I got plenty of rest (knocking back about 5 lemsip’s) and it persuaded Matthew to join us, preventing him from having one of his ‘douvet’ days, where he decides to hide under the covers all day doing nothing. In total, there were about thirty people that decided to make the trip to the Maltese island, all of which were crammed into an eight person house. Becca thought she had it bad sharing a bed with a few people, me and Matt had to share a small sofa with another person, and it was freezing. Before going to the carnival, we took a bus trip to the Calypso caves. We went about ten feet into the cave before we turned back as they were tiny and in complete darkness. This lead to a walk along the beach which made for some good photo’s. Back at our one night ranch we began getting ready into our costumes that we bought at the 25c store. All of us decided to go us pirates and as we all went to the same store, we all looked identical, which turned out to be a good thing, as the carnival was so crowded, we needed to be easily identified to prevent getting lost. The costume consisted of a old smelly gold shirt, tank tops, eye patches, a big hoop earing and even makeup, we looked ridiculous!

After a barbecue at the house, we headed to a town called Nadur, which was the main spot to be. The streets were filled with bright colours and massive floats with people in crazy costumes dancing on top. They even threw fish from the floats, the place was stinking, I certainly wouldn’t to be living in those streets the day after! The carnival really showed us how serious the Maltese take their festivals and the extreme efforts they go to, they can certainly throw a party! On the Sunday, we got the ferry after a massive clean up at our rented house. The ferry was just a bit rocky to say the least, but at least it didn’t last long.  

Matthew and I have been training regularly with our new football team and Matthew made is debut this week, unfortunately I could not as my clearance is yet to arrive from the IFA, although it is looking good for next weekend! They lost that game comfortably, despite Matthew’s best efforts. I’m hoping I can have an impact next week, a clean sheet would be nice!

7th Feb- 21st Feb

7th Feb - 21st Feb
Classes were to officially begin on the 14th of February, so we went to a variety of classes that we thought may have been most beneficial to our course. After attending classes and thoroughly studying module guidelines, we finally chose that we would all study Teaching implement games, mini-games and Management of sport and leisure, with me and Becca also studying Principles of training, coming to a total of 24 ECTS. We had also spoken to the director of the physical education department, informing him of our choices to ensure there were no clashes between classes. Although there was one minor clash, he told us we could work round it by leaving one class a bit early on a Friday afternoon. This was great to hear as we were really pleased with the modules we had chosen as they were perfect for our preferred career paths! The director also spoke to us about possibly getting a placement while staying in Malta, and when we told him that we were looking something along the lines of teaching/coaching, he informed us that this should be possible, leaving us extremely enthusiastic about the times ahead.
Our first class was implement games and the sport was badminton. We met our class mates for the first time and they could not have been nicer, so we were glad to hear that we were sharing the majority of classes with them. The classes were also taught in English which obviously made it easy to follow, as our maltese wasn,t the best (despite spending hours in the language room back in Stran). We also become aware of the lackadaisical Maltese lifestyle, otherwise known as the ‘tomorrow will do’ attitude, that so many people had told us about before arriving. This was highlighted most when we were at the intenational office, waiting forever just to attempt registration, only to be told that we were couldn’t do it until next week, not something I could imagine Margaret doing back home!
This is one thing that we would find difficult to become accustomed to, as their lack of enthusiasm often came across as quite rude, but we knew it was just their way of life.
After only one day of classes, we were given a day off due to the anniversary of St.Paul’s  shipwreck, so we couldn’t complain! We decided to go to Valletta and watch the festival, which fully demonstrated how very religious the country is.
The rest of our practical classes began with an introduction to the sport we were studying, followed by beginning learning how to teach them to children in the sports hall. This began with basic introductory games that were boring for us, but definitely suitable for children, and I did pick up some new drills that I knew I would use back home.
Our mini-games module was particularly interesting as it consists of learning team building activities and sports day events. The team building activities class was very amusing and definitely helped us to become more friendly with the other class members. We were all given the opportunity to be group leader and organise an activity for the rest of the class (having been given the instructions). This proved slightly difficult as the Maltese members could not fully understand my directions due to my accent. However, I spoke slower and we got their in the end, it was a perfect ice breaker!
For our sports day class, we are going to be organising a field day and the implementing in a local primary school in groups of three. This is something I have never done before and am very excited about it, however I am also hoping that me speaking English will not be a barrier when working with the children.

Aside from classes, me and Matthew have also been looking to play for a football team. We got in contact with a few of the clubs nearby and their presidents arranged for us to have trial. Our first trial was enjoyable, however we did not feel entirely welcome, although after not returning, we realised this could again just be down to the Maltese culture. However, we felt a lot more welcome at the second team we trialled with, St Joseph’s from Msida. The coach really seemed to like us and informed us that once we could get clearance from the IFA to the MFA, we would be starting. However, this would mean training five nights a week! This was hard to imagine as e had both struggled to make two sessions a week back home. The coach made us feel like true pro’s by getting us training gear, and a tracksuit and gym bag. We also attended one of their matches in the VIP section of a reasonably impressive stadium, which had around 300 supporters! We knew that the standard was nothing special, but it was evident that football was still taken seriously, we couldn’t wait to play!

As regards to the nightlife in Malta, it certainly puts Belfast in second place. I don’t know how I will socialise when I return home again, as I will be sick paying the prices, considering some places here are just one euro a drink, as Becca would say…..LETHAL! One night I recall spending just ten euro, which included our transport (which is usually free) and a hot dog on the way home. Their laid back lifestyle is again shown on nights out as you can literally wear whatever you want, wearing a shirt literally makes you feel overdressed, and I am pretty sure Becca is enjoying not wearing heels while she dances her heart out. Recently, all the residents went to a karaoke bar, where Becca was pleased to hear me and Matthew sing ‘Brown eyed girl’ as she was under the illusion it was for her, though I am pretty sure it was mainly because Matthew fancied himself as a Van Morrison impressionist.

To sum up my Malta experience so far, it has been brilliant, and despite difficulties such as washing and experiencing Becca’s cooking (dry pasta with cheese and curry powder!), were getting on great and already making some great friends, I am already wishing that this experience lasted longer!

31st Jan-7th Feb

Erasmus begins..
After a bus journey and a three and a half our flight (which consisted of a 35 euro baggage fine and sitting in the middle of Becca and Matthew sleeping), we finally arrived in a sunny malta airport. After ordering a taxi, Matthew and I were forced to sit with our luggage as the trunk could only handle Becca’s three large suitcases. On arrival to our residence, we were not exactly impressed with the standard of living, however we would grow to become very comfortable with our surroundings. The residence manager welcomed us and informed us of the rules and regulations, as well as issuing us with a timetable that displayed the times that the shuttle bus went to the university. Once we had got ourselves unpacked, we decided to go on a wee walk, which lead to an exploration of half of Malta as we got completely lost! As we had done no shopping at this stage, we treated ourselves to a meal in Sliema after walking along the promenade from St Julians. As Becca and Matthew had paid for the taxi into St Julians, I thought I would pay the way back. Just my luck, I was ripped off  again as I was charged 20 euro for a taxi that cost the other two 7 euro between them! 55 euro down in one day!!

During the first week we did a lot of walking, getting lost every time, and we began to familiarise ourselves with the transport system in Malta. We realised that every bus (which were old, shabby things) went to Valletta, the capital of Malta, and only cost 47 cent per journey. We also starting to become friendly with the other residents, although at times this was difficult as the majority of them were departing after first semester, but it was still evident that the residence was just like a ‘family environment’. Even though there were no classes on the first week, we thought (being good Stran students) that we should make ourselves known to the international office and have a look around the university campus. The coordinator basically informed us that we did not need to be in until registration, which was next week!
Knowing this, we put our feet up for a bit and even went on a hike, organised by one of the receptionists at the residence. Despite having a late Saturday night, we were up bright and early and made the most of what was the sunniest day I had seen in a while. The hike mainly consisted of falling and getting filthy, but the scenery was great, which made for some good photos to make friends at home jealous of the weather! The hike also provided another good opportunity to get to know the others we would be living with for the next four and half months.