Preparing my journey
Since there are only four days left, my preparations for Malta are in crunch mode. Well, theoretically anyway. I guess this journey will start just as all my other trips do, namely in a little bit of chaos. But this is me. I'll write lists, work out time tables, plan and organize stuff, but in the end everything will happen differently than I planned. I always take comfort in the fact that, at least, I've tried.
So, all of the basic things which are really important for the whole project are done: I have my Erasmus+ contract signed and ready, contacted the school I'll be attending in Malta, got the information regarding my host family, and of course my flights are booked and the transfer to and from the airports organized. The really important things are done - luckily.
What remains to be taken care of is packing - which I honestly hate. Like many other girls I'm a chronic over-packer. Somehow I'm always ending up sitting on top of my suitcase and it still won't close. On some occasions I even asked people to zip my suitcase closed while I was lying curled up on top of it. Why? Well because in my mind my whole body on top of the suitcase is better than just my behind. Logic!
I don't know why, but I sill can't tell where the problem lies. I've been on quite a number of trips. Since my 14th birthday/my first holiday without my parents, I've been packing and unpacking my things on my own. Technically, I should know by now what I do need and what I don't need. But only technically. I'll keep you in the loop about whether I can fight my over-packer's disease this time.
Another step I consider important before a trip is finding out about the country or region you're going to. I never really plan as far as which monuments I want to see or where exactly I want to go, but I like to read up on the country and its culture. That's why I bought a little guide book about Malta - very important for me: the map inside as I tend to get lost, day-dreamer and all.
I'm already excited to see this beautiful view of St. Julian's (the one on the postcard). St. Julian's or San Giljan, which is the Maltese name for the city, is where I'm going to live and attend school during my stay. The city is situated in the northern part of the island, along the coast. It's mostly famous among young people as its district Paceville is a mecca for party lovers. My school just happens to be right in the heart of Paceville… well… A little bit of a waste, if you ask me, since I'm gonna have to get up as early as 6.30 for school every day. But well.
According to the info sheet Cristina, my Maltese contact person and a very nice lady, sent me, I'll be staying with a single-mom and her 15 year old son in a terraced house. I chose the option of staying with a host family instead of a hotel or holiday apartment because I think staying with a family makes it possible to get to know a country and its culture on a more authentic and deeper level. I'm particularly interested in learning about the Maltese school system and education as I'm working in this sector and am curious about how other European countries organize it.
I guess, this is about it. I'll figure out the rest as I go. In the next days I'll be swamped with work - the new term (of what, you might be wondering, but that will be the topic of the next post) starts this week plus I'll have to prepare and do my English courses. But I like doing a lot, it gives me a satisfying feeling at the end of the day.
One last thing: in case you're interested in the program which enables me to go to Malta and attend a two-weeks teacher training with a generous funding, it's called Erasmus+. It's a European program with which you can participate in different trainings in your own country or in a number of other European countries. Have a look, it's really worth it!
https://eu.daad.de/erasmus/alle/mobilitaetsfoerderung/de/11739-erasmus-die-neue-welt-der-eu-bildungsprogramme/
Oh, and I'm thinking about writing this blog in two languages, German and English. Tell me what you think about that.
Ich denke drüber nach, den Blog zweisprachig zu machen - was denkt ihr darüber?
That's it for now.
Have a good one!
So, all of the basic things which are really important for the whole project are done: I have my Erasmus+ contract signed and ready, contacted the school I'll be attending in Malta, got the information regarding my host family, and of course my flights are booked and the transfer to and from the airports organized. The really important things are done - luckily.
What remains to be taken care of is packing - which I honestly hate. Like many other girls I'm a chronic over-packer. Somehow I'm always ending up sitting on top of my suitcase and it still won't close. On some occasions I even asked people to zip my suitcase closed while I was lying curled up on top of it. Why? Well because in my mind my whole body on top of the suitcase is better than just my behind. Logic!
I don't know why, but I sill can't tell where the problem lies. I've been on quite a number of trips. Since my 14th birthday/my first holiday without my parents, I've been packing and unpacking my things on my own. Technically, I should know by now what I do need and what I don't need. But only technically. I'll keep you in the loop about whether I can fight my over-packer's disease this time.
Another step I consider important before a trip is finding out about the country or region you're going to. I never really plan as far as which monuments I want to see or where exactly I want to go, but I like to read up on the country and its culture. That's why I bought a little guide book about Malta - very important for me: the map inside as I tend to get lost, day-dreamer and all.
I'm already excited to see this beautiful view of St. Julian's (the one on the postcard). St. Julian's or San Giljan, which is the Maltese name for the city, is where I'm going to live and attend school during my stay. The city is situated in the northern part of the island, along the coast. It's mostly famous among young people as its district Paceville is a mecca for party lovers. My school just happens to be right in the heart of Paceville… well… A little bit of a waste, if you ask me, since I'm gonna have to get up as early as 6.30 for school every day. But well.
According to the info sheet Cristina, my Maltese contact person and a very nice lady, sent me, I'll be staying with a single-mom and her 15 year old son in a terraced house. I chose the option of staying with a host family instead of a hotel or holiday apartment because I think staying with a family makes it possible to get to know a country and its culture on a more authentic and deeper level. I'm particularly interested in learning about the Maltese school system and education as I'm working in this sector and am curious about how other European countries organize it.
I guess, this is about it. I'll figure out the rest as I go. In the next days I'll be swamped with work - the new term (of what, you might be wondering, but that will be the topic of the next post) starts this week plus I'll have to prepare and do my English courses. But I like doing a lot, it gives me a satisfying feeling at the end of the day.
One last thing: in case you're interested in the program which enables me to go to Malta and attend a two-weeks teacher training with a generous funding, it's called Erasmus+. It's a European program with which you can participate in different trainings in your own country or in a number of other European countries. Have a look, it's really worth it!
https://eu.daad.de/erasmus/alle/mobilitaetsfoerderung/de/11739-erasmus-die-neue-welt-der-eu-bildungsprogramme/
Oh, and I'm thinking about writing this blog in two languages, German and English. Tell me what you think about that.
Ich denke drüber nach, den Blog zweisprachig zu machen - was denkt ihr darüber?
That's it for now.
Have a good one!
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