Friendly Rory Trying to get through life without looking stupid since 1988

Even in Malta it rains hard, crapping up nearly everybody’s day. The rain is inevitable. Even the driest places in the world, are only so by virtue of the fact that it does rain sometime, just less so than anywhere else. It’s safe to say however that I’m better equipped than so many others here for the rain.

Rain of course gives life to the planet by feeding the plants that feed the animals etc. More than that though to me the rain means something to me. When so much water can fall from the sky across such a large area as a perfectly natural occurrence, oddly enough I find it both whimsical and truly awe inspiring. Strange looks are cast upon me as people think me unhinged to rejoice in a storm.

Please dear Scottish friends don’t be angry when I say the shitty weather reminds me of home, I I mean it as a kindness. As the evenings grow dark early and the cold wind tries to bite at my weather hardened exterior I am filled with both a feeling of impending Yule tide shenanigans, and homesickness.

With each progression into winter there is bound to be a Christmas, and with each new journey there is bound to be some sad feeling for what is left behind.

Slowly slowly I get to grips with using HTML to create a web page layout, and the CSS documents I read start to actually make sense. I hope my ability to create web pages becomes an inevitable end product of my study and practice. This new skills will some day be my livelihood so it is of the utmost importance I learn.

For anybody who has randomly googled onto this page -there has been a handful already- the following will probably be pretty boring. This will also be pretty boring for everyone who I’ve been speaking with back home lately as you’ll all know what I’m up to. However for all my friends who are never online to chat this is an update on what’s really going in my life here. Hopefully you’re all just as interested to read this as I am to write to you.

In my adult life I’ve come to believe that the ‘secret’ to a happy life is almost formulaic. While it may be easy to smile at the sun and the sea regardless of what’s going on, real happiness is having three important things together….

In truth I am working like crazy, as you’ll all probably know this suits me just fine! I am currently the writer for www.euromillions.com. My work for them is also allowing me to study online publishing and marketing. Here, I feel like I’m making a real difference with my contributions while I develop new skills. In the evenings a local nightclub has me drumming up better business. The evening work has helped me with the second ingredient in the formula

Free time may be hard to come by with two jobs, however it’s good to know that when the free time does come up it’ll promptly be filled with awesome company and good times. Here in Malta I’ve met the people who share my interests and disposition. You all know who you are and I thank you for the excellent games of chess, the drunken nights out and the hangover lunches! Hopefully you all get just as much from me as I you.

Maybe it’s too soon to call this, maybe I’ll be writing about heartbreak by next Sunday, but for now I dedicate the smile on my face right now to Louka.

 Disclaimer: The following may seem highly pretentious and over hyped, sorry Henrik.

Initially titled ‘These things are universal’, I had intended to discuss how things remain the same regardless of location. Having only been in Malta 2 months I can’t yet presume to judge what things are universal or not. My thoughts go now instead to the new things in my life, for they are many.

There is something inherently satisfying about new and different things. It’s more than just a feeling of fulfillment however, it is truly a joy. The greatest joy comes with the discovery of new people. Nearly everything in my life has changed but the most significant change is the people. All of a sudden every person I have regular interaction with is new, and this is good.

The nature of friendship is an interesting one. While I miss the friends I leave back home, I am not sick with the feeling because here I am not alone, nor am I lonely. It seems that so long as I live I will never be alone, for it isn’t in my nature. A man who defines himself by how he interacts with others will never truly forget the friends he leaves, for they teach him all the things he knows, and help shape him into the sort of person he is. In this way, everyone remains in my mind or in my heart, always part of who I am.

I falsely believed myself to be a reactionary, a person uncomfortable with change. It turns out however that when things change around me I change to fit. Moreover with change comes growth, both spiritually and intellectually. Whether it’s picking up pieces of another language, understanding a new culture, learning new skills, or even just getting a bit better at chess, the new people in life are teaching me and helping me grow. I hope to remain always a student of life.

To have written such personal things is cathartic, hopefully this has been an interesting read for you. When I next write there will be many more details about this new place, but for now I want my friends to know I am happy, and can’t wait to tell you all more.