Writer 4 Writing
  • Home
  • Services
  • Portfolio
    • Content Writing
    • Articles >
      • Love, sex, and relationships
      • Travel
      • Lifestyle and culture
      • Malta and the Maltese
      • People
      • Artikli bil-Malti
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Happy Tea

Time for tea and inspiration ... happiness in a teacup

1 very good reason to love the Maltese village way of life

28/10/2015

1 Comment

 
Man from Gozo. Photo source: Flickr / Andrea D'Alba
Man from Gozo. Photo source: Flickr / Andrea D'Alba
​"Good morning, Madam," said the old man, smiling, as he stood at the entrance of his house. It was one of those traditional entrances with two heavy wooden doors and a decorative brass knocker on each. Beyond it was the "antiporta," a more delicate door with large glass windows, lace curtains maintaining a smidgen of mystery about the interior of the house.

"Bonġu," I replied, smiling back.
​“Maltese?” he asked.

“I am,” I replied, “but my friend here is from Germany.”

The man seemed delighted that we seemed to have time for small talk. Within two minutes he told us about his family: his wife who passed away, his nine children and twenty-two grandchildren, and then proceeded to invite us inside to look at a small table packed with framed photos of all of them.

We did have time, as we were just wandering aimlessly, charmed by the narrow winding back streets of Victoria, Gozo. And he was so polite and had such a bright smile that we obliged.

We looked at the old photos – the youngest child in the picture was now a teenager, he told us – and then noticed, at the end of the hallway, a statue of the holy mother amidst several plants behind glass. Noticing our curiosity, the man led us further in and talked some more about his house, offered us tea, and proceeded to tell us a few things about Gozo and how it used to be in his younger days.

We spent about half an hour with the man, and left with a smile on our faces and our hearts warmed by his hospitality and complete lack of fear of strangers. Perhaps his ease was born from his younger days, when it was customary in Gozo to leave the key in the front door to show your trust of the neighbours?

I had a similar experience one day while working on a photo shoot in Siġġiewi. And I find such experiences most endearing.

Some might say that lonely old folk might do anything for a chat; I do not agree. Loneliness and friendliness are two very different things, and one does not necessarily call on the other. I perceive it as village culture, a culture that still persists today despite the influx of foreigners visiting and living on these islands which have, in general, contributed to Malta’s more cosmopolitan feel and modern way of life.

In the villages, where few tourists might venture and the inhabitants are not concerned with the commerce related with them, Maltese people still live a traditional lifestyle; one where people say hello when they meet strangers in the street, get curious about outsiders and want to get to know them, feel inclined to offer tea as a gesture of amiability, and generally have time for interacting with their neighbours and anyone who might visit their village.

I recently moved to a village so that I could savour, on a daily basis, the feeling of living among real people. I felt I had spent too many years living in various apartments where I never met the neighbours and didn’t even know their names.

There is something beautiful about the quaint way of life in a village, a way of life which nonetheless may also include curtain twitching and gossip when the fine line between familiarity and nosiness may be crossed.

In any case, while I genuinely enjoy the variety and excitement of cosmopolitan culture, I also hope the charm of small town community life will continue to be a reality in years to come.

This article was originally published on 23rd October 2015 on Indulge.com.mt.
1 Comment
Monica Aggarwal
10/11/2015 02:21:08

Dear Malini....Stumbled upon your blog and am glad about finding it. This piece is close to my heart as I feel the same way about villages in India where people open their hearts and homes to strangers and invite them in for a cup of tea and a chat. Where everything happens at a much slower pace to give you time to savor it. I would one day like to go live in a village, grow my own food and try and live simply.

Much love to you.
Maheshwari

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Melanie Drury

    This blog is my writing indulgence. It is the kind of writing that emerged from me long before writing became my profession.

    Happy Tea is inspired by my human experience as I explore reality and my place in it.

    Life is lived and perceived. Presence and awareness make every detail magnificent - like a sip of tea that tastes like a universe of gratitude.

    Find your own inspiration with Happy Tea.

    Read: Just another perspective?

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All
    Beauty
    Change
    Communication
    Connection
    Content Writing
    Crazy
    Culture
    Dance
    Digital Marketing
    Energy
    Fearless
    Feminine
    Freedom
    Goddess
    Gozo
    Gratitude
    Happiness
    Inspiration
    Intuition
    Lifestyle
    Loneliness
    Love
    Malta
    Maltese
    Music
    Non Attachment
    Positive
    Reality
    Relationships
    Self Care
    Self Love
    Service
    Sexuality
    Signs
    Simplicity
    Sound
    Synchronicity
    Thought Provoking
    Tradition
    Transparency
    Travel
    Traveller
    Truth
    Village
    Vulnerability
    Women
    Writer

    View my profile on LinkedIn

Writing ​Services

SEO digital content writing
Copywriting
Blogging
​Marketing emails
Newsletters

Press releases
Feature articles
​
Interviews
Editing

Melanie Drury
Freelance Writer, Blogger, Editor & Digital Content Specialist

About
LinkedIn Profile

Request a Quote

Contact

​

​

© COPYRIGHT 2015.
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Services
  • Portfolio
    • Content Writing
    • Articles >
      • Love, sex, and relationships
      • Travel
      • Lifestyle and culture
      • Malta and the Maltese
      • People
      • Artikli bil-Malti
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact