Small Things Malta Can (And Should) Learn From Big European Cities Like London
Last week, joining countless Maltese people before me, I made the early summer pilgrimage to London, one of Europe’s busiest capitals and the world’s most-visited city. And while my agenda mainly involved shopping, music festivals and museums (sadly, in that order of importance), I couldn’t help but be faced with some startling observations.
Perhaps, it really does take visiting a city for the umpteenth time to really formulate strong comparisons with your home country. Whatever the case, within hours, some aspects of life in a behemoth city like London quickly rang as very different to Malta (read: better). And the worst part was, they were all things I felt could be nearly instantly improved upon back home.
1. Healthy fast food is an actual thing that exists and it is amazing
Listen, I’m all for getting four different types of cheat meals, squeezing them together into one monstrosity that can’t physically fit in a human being’s mouth, and putting it up on Instagram. But sometimes, someone’s going to feel like something different. And chances are, they’re not going to find it in Malta.
From meatless meatballs (yes, you read that right) to vegan-breakfasts-to-go, London has been hit with a new wave of healthy hipster food that goes well beyond your usual avocado toast. And while Malta’s been slowly playing catch up, we could quickly do so much better if only we dedicated the same amount of blood, sweat, tears and taste buds to healthier fast food options.
Vegan and #FoodPorn. Who would’ve known?
2. Events don’t have to start at midnight
Especially if you live a seven-minute drive away from the venue.
During my stay in London, I went to watch some small bands performing in small venues around the city, along with a larger festival featuring some of the biggest names in the scene right now. And while the attendance and music varied, one thing remained consistent: an 11pm curfew. By the end of the event, chart-topping band The XX were the only artist to perform after sunset.
Back in Malta, a similar curfew has drawn the ire of many promoters and party-goers (myself being one of them on many occasions). Of course, this is partly due to the fact that on our island, nearly no event starts before 11pm.
Now don’t get me wrong; I don’t think people should be gearing up for proper pipi u sodda by 11pm, but would it kill us to organise something at a normal time? It’s not like we don’t have beautiful sunsets to enjoy mid-event.
This photo was taken towards the end of a big music festival
Pop princess and international superstar Lorde had already performed by now. Seriously, Maltese people would still be showering and getting ready for pre-drinks at this point
3. It’s amazing what a park in the middle of a bustling city can do to mental health
Sure, London is huge. It’s nearly five times the size of Malta. And yes, I just compared a city to an entire country.
But if anything, you’d expect the infinitely busier London to have less space and time for a green park when compared to the Mediterranean island of Malta. Well, surprise; you’d be wrong.
London might not have small woods like Malta’s Buskett, but when they do parks, they do them in style. From the west’s Hyde Park to the east’s Victoria Park, the city’s green pockets aren’t just a much-needed respite from the never-stopping light and noise pollution. They’re an amazing place to just sit down, block everything out, and focus on yourself. And while it looked like it was doing wonders for the many people walking around the parks or just chilling (definitely helped by the fact that it was a long, Bank Holiday weekend), it did wonders for an overwhelmed islander like yours truly.
At a point, one woman came up next to me, took her bag and shoes off, sat down, and started meditating. Never mind blocking me out; at a point, not even a dog licking her face got her out of her zone. Good luck being this zen back in Malta.
Meanwhile, we’re frantically obsessed with cutting down any and all trees, whether they might pose some sort of danger, or they’re just quite literally in the way of progress.
Having the parks be right in the thick of it all, surrounded by the busiest parts of the city and blocking everything out, was exactly why these parks are essential. And that’s where Malta needs to start introducing them. Because parks shouldn’t just be on the other side of the country, reserved only for Sunday picnics where you cheekily try to sneak in a BBQ to cook your pink sausage lunch.
The epitome of zen. Outside, but completely blocked out, traffic and hassle raged on
Relax ħassa man
It might look like green fields for days, but 100 metres behind me, an ambulance had just loudly overtaken a double decker bus, nearly crashing into a firetruck.
4. Just because the Bible has a story about us being super friendly and welcoming doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement
Walking in to every shop in London, I felt a little weird.
Why were people smiling at me? Why were they asking about my day? Why did they want to know where I’m from and what my country’s most popular dish is? How can they be so genuinely interested about my life, when they’ll never see me again? Then I remembered; this was the way it was meant to be in the first place.
Sure, Malta ħanina, ħobża u sardina, and we’re the descendants of the people who gladly welcomed a shipwrecked guy into their ranks. But guess what; that happened 1,958 years ago.
It’s amazing how far a smile and (what at least appears to be) a genuine question can do to improve someone’s day. And this was happening in a country-sized city where no one will ever meet each other again. Meanwhile, tiny Malta still has a lot to learn… and way more to gain.
Maltese people, approximately two and a half minutes after not being nice
5. There’s no such thing as too many health and safety precautions
Two scenarios really stuck out for me during my latest visit to London.
The first was actually when the music festival came to an end (at 11pm, by the way). Even though the two closest underground stations were both at least a 15-minute walk away, stewards were there every single step of the way, guiding attendees back home, making sure no one is too drunk to walk back alone and giving helpful information on the way. At a point, they even stopped traffic with the help of police officers and instructed people when they could safely cross, setting up barriers throughout the whole road so that we could only cross from where they told us.
And while all of that sounds more like a point on organisation than health and safety, add thousands of people, alcohol and traffic into the mix, and you’ll soon get the gist. The organisers’ job of protecting attendees was not over just because the festival was, and to the Maltese people among the crowd, that came as a pleasant shock.
Another, slightly more controversial observation was raised right in the thick of it all; wide, busy Oxford Street.
Driving down the endless road, as usual, were the legendary double-decker buses, some clad in the iconic red, along with other open-top ones echoing the now notorious Maltese sightseeing buses.
With no potential hazards or obstacles in sight (every single lane in central London is wider than the widest road in Malta), each bus’ top floor had the same level of protection as the bottom one. And when they weren’t, the front part where people would need to stand up to go down (not to mention the first point of contact in case the bus meets any obstacle) was also protected by a transparent barrier. Looking at the buses drive past and looking back at this year’s tragedy in Żurrieq, I couldn’t help but feel like this was another very simple thing Malta could easily consider.
What do you think of these points? Do you think Malta has more to learn from Europe’s biggest cities? Let us know in the comments below!
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