Sat

Today was our last full day in Malta. Charlie our bus driver took us to see this church were everyone claims a miracle happened. He said that his mother-in-law was inside the church when three bombs fell on it and only because of a miracle none of them went off. Inside they have the capsule of one the bombs so that people can see it. He took us to the market to go shopping, Mdina Glass, and the beach. Only on this trip can I see snow one day and lay out on the beach the next. After our last day of touring Malta our bus driver Charlie and his family invited us over for dinner. He and his family made all kinds of different Maltese finger foods for us to try. We got to visit them and ask them one on one questions about the Maltese culture. It's these opportunities that allow us as students to experience and learn things a classroom can't offer. Being that we are all girls on this trip we were definitely interested in Maltese weddings. Charlie's youngest daughter had just gotten married last year. Charlie said that in most cases the parents of the bride pay for everything but that now it is becoming more common for the bride and groom or the grooms parents to help out more. Lara's wedding had 600 guest in attendance. We learned that in Malta is customary for the bride and groom to mainly receive money as gifts but now it is becoming more common to register at places and that gift are brought to the bride and groom at their houses a week before the wedding. We also discussed schools and how in Malta there is no such thing as a rival school. Schools there don't compete against each other in sports or academics. Another thing we learned was that when a child turns 18 it is tradition for them to receive the key to their parents home. Charlie said that although that tradition isn't fully kept because more parents are now both working and it is necessary for their child to have a key to let themselves in after school they still do honor the tradition and present them with a key when they turn 18.