The Bazaar: always with a finger on the pulse of what sells!

With the countdown in days – or rather hours – to Christmas Day, our thoughts turn to shopping. But not the glitzy, swish designer and brand name shops that now dominate Valletta and Sliema’s main streets. We’re pausing in the Christmas rush to take a look at the far more mundane, work-a-day shops that cater to our local needs 364 days a year – the village bazaars.

The village bazaar is an Aladdin’s cave, not for all that glitters, though it’s bound to have all the Christmas paraphernalia in stock right now. The bazaar will stock just about any useful little thing a home and family could want – from everyday items like light bulbs, food containers, preserving jars, dustbins and plastic buckets, to seasonal goods like cheap plastic Xmas trees, fans (summer) and gas heaters (winter). It’s always the first to signal seasons changing. It may also offer dry cleaner services and do a good trade in bed mattresses, conveniently taking away your old one for free! It has shower curtains, cheap towels, buttons and cotton. Need a belt, shoe lace or hair grips? The Bazaar is the place.

The bazaar is often named after its owner; my first rented place in Malta when I moved here was (conveniently) next door to ‘Silvia Bazaar’ in the lower reaches of Zabbar. I didn’t mind her wares spreading across my frontage – I was a regular and she had everything I needed. My local one now is a corner shop that doubles up as the place for catching up on gossip about who’s died and what ailments people have. As the word ‘bazaar’ suggests, these shops are merely stone and mortar versions of a market place and certainly have a busy market feel to them. And as with most local shops, if you’re a regular, you can put things on the ‘tab’ or if you’re out of change, just pay a day or so later.

If you do live near a bazaar, try it first if you’re seeking something for the house. I almost drove to a large kitchen store the other day, but thought I’d just see if the bazaar had what I needed. And lo and behold it did! You might not be getting those special presents for nearest and dearest from the bazaar this week, but I am sure if you find your roasting tin for the turkey too small, you’ll be hot footing it to the bazaar round the corner. As always, it will be open mercifully late on Christmas eve!

Photo: Gethin Thomas

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A typical Maltese shop; but not shopping as most expats know it.

Despite having lived, worked and travelled in many different countries, coming to live in Malta took a lot of getting used to. Of course, there is no massive culture shock or language barrier to negotiate; my British sense of humour is understood; there’s shared history; and shops stock Marmite and Heinz Baked Beans.

But, there are of course some things to get used to in order to settle in to a new pattern of life. Most of my early struggles were about getting around and shopping.

Here’s how I dealt with them and why I get a smile on my face when I reflect on them now.

Things to despair over (at first)

Getting Around

Walking: In August, heavily pregnant, with two very young kids – on pavements which are either non-existent, look as if they were built on a fault line and are just too narrow for a buggy. I tried, I really did.
Driving: I was used to walking to shops, pools and parks, bussing to museums, tubing to work. Here in Malta, most things are a drive away – albeit a short one – but that means braving the roads…
The Roads: Potholes a plenty – unless there’s a big sign announcing EU funding for works. Make sure your tyres have a bit of give in them.
The Road signs: Key junctions and roundabouts are bereft of signs… maps don’t help. Allow plenty of time, know the general direction you are heading in, and memorise the place names, just in case there is a random sign.
The Road Users: Snail snow or furiously fast. Overtaking irresistable, particularly on hills, blind curves, approaching junctions etc. No use of indicators, ever. I now drive very defensively, and usually very calmly.

Shopping

Opening Hours: In my village, I think the shops open at 6am. I know they close between 12 and 4, but don’t re-open on a Wednesday afternoon, or a Saturday afternoon, and never on a Sunday. But I now know where to get the UK papers on a Sunday morning, and where to get fresh bread any time of day or night.
Milk: In the UK, I used to buy 4-litre recyclable cartons to last the family a few days. In Malta, milk comes in non-recyclable cartons and 1 litre is the biggest size – which in the heat of summer can go off anyway before you get it home.
Hawkers: The best type of ‘man with a van’ (I rarely see female hawkers), where I love to get bread, fruit, veg and fish which are fresh that morning. If I can find the van that is! Different days and times mean it’s in different locations. I still haven’t figured it out, and have been known to drive round the village in hot pursuit.
Choice: I used to live on little tubs of hummous, bagged salad, any fruit and veg, any time of year, preferably hand-picked from organic slopes, the odd ready meal…I was shocked that none of this was available. But my wallet and my waistline have benefited.
With Kids: In the village store, aisles are narrow, shelves stacked precariously and cakes at toddlers’ eye level. Very stressful. Supermarkets have more space, but none had trollies with seats for more than one child. Very uncharacteristically, very few people offered to help with unloading/packing bags/getting to the car.

….And the delights

Getting Around

Traffic Jams are practically non-existent – once every few months I may get stuck for 10 minutes if I’m very unlucky. Though, accidents do gridlock roads pretty quickly.
Vintage vehicles: The ancient, cherished cars and vans still delight me – I even saw a motorbike with a side car the other day.
The buses: Always cheap, usually reliable, often full of character – and a great outing with the kids!
Getting lost: Many times I have stopped to ask someone directions, and they have jumped into the car to direct me and make sure I know where to park.

Shopping

Everyone delivers: So I don’t need to brave the narrow aisles with the incomprehensible queue-jumping or the terrible trollies. One ex-pat friend with a new-born would SMS the veg man and get the baker to leave ftira on her door. All with no charge and lots of smiles.
Less choice means less temptation: I just don’t really shop much, which means I save loads of money, and my kids aren’t hanging out in malls and exposed to rampant consumerism.
Fresh, seasonal produce: In the UK people will pay a premium for locally-grown fruit and veg. Here, it’s a fact of life – if we could buy tasteless strawberries 365 days a year, would we still enjoy the sublime taste of the local harvest in early summer?

All this, makes me smile, and it still does…

Photo: Gethin Thomas

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Malta Buses, models of convenience and comfort

In this age of globalisation, some products are still unique to a place. Especially here.

Here’s our round up of stuff that shouts ‘Made in Malta’ at you and is part of the nation’s collective ‘heritage’. It includes those odd things that you miss, remember through rose-tinted spectacles or brag about when you’re away from the island. Some even make it as tourist souvenirs too. We’ve left Malta’s numerous food products and specialities for another feast post later on.

Our top 10 Malta products

Hand-blown glass: the most famous exponent is Mdina Glass. Get down to the factory at Ta’ Qali Crafts Village to see wonderful works of art created right in front of your eyes.

Hasiras: made from cane, these are blinds to keep out the harsh summer sun.

Fly-swotters: unbelievably sold as souvenirs, these have a cult following in places as far-flung as Austria and Australia (though in the latter, a country renowned for cork-hung hats, the swotter might perceivably be of use).

Filigree silverware: any jeweller in Malta will have a selection of items of filligree, said to have been perfected in Malta several hundred years ago to please knights’ and priests’ tastes for adornment.

Hand-made Lace: some beautiful stuff, using combini. Gozo is trying to regenerate the industry and the university here runs a diploma in lace-making studies. But do look at the labels and make sure that it’s locally made. If it’s cheap, it’s likely to be machine-made, and originating in China!

Hand-knitted woollen garments: not exactly at the cutting edge of haute tricot as designs never change. But solid sellers from the Crafts Village at ta’ Qali and the market at it-Tokk in Gozo. It’s widely dislayed for sale even when temperatures are hitting 40 centrigrade!

Religious artefacts: kitsch for some, holy objects of desire for others, you can pick up some delightful items from village stores to that shop in Merchants street. You can take your pick from bleeding heart madonnas, various gory crucifixions and a saint of your choice. A friend of mine collects 1950s’ religious memorabilia and scours antique and bric-a-brac shops, so try those as well (if you’re into it).

Wicker work: if you’re into baskets, you can find plenty of these where you find the woollen garments. Good for vegetable storage and logs.

Model Buses: Most visitors love the old Malta buses, while most regular commuters and users living here are quite happy to see the new breed of ‘made in China’ buses take to the road bringing some improvement in comfort levels. The Malta bus has spawned a vast souvenir industry from badges and plaques to metal and pottery miniatures.

Brass door knockers: Everyone has a photo of a door knocker or two in Mdina, where residences sport some of the largest, most lovingly polished and ancient examples. A shop there conveniently sells the popular designs – dolphins and Bacchus heads. Like most impulse buy holiday purchases, the Maltese knocker might not look quite at home in other countries on other styles of front door.

Photo: Alan Paris

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