Siesta Time in Malta

The nice thing about Malta-like other Mediterranean countries-is that most shops-food, clothes, banks, etc-close from 1 to 4 PM. You're induced to relax yourself at that time (unless you're working at a language school as I do) because you can't buy anything.

The worst thing about Malta is that most shops-including those with chocolate-close from 1 to 4 PM. So you better not run out of chocolate at that time or you'll be forced to lick candy wrappers from the streets (and there are plenty of them).

That's the kind of day I had yesterday. It was Friday and I ended the week at school a little sad because a student I like and was supposed to teach for another three weeks was taken away from me because of scheduling purposes. It was 3 PM.

So I needed chocolate. Of course, even if I had kept the student, I would have needed chocolate.

But I made the fatal error of running out of my latest love-- Chunky KitKats with white chocolate. And the shops were closed.

I walked two blocks back and forth in my high-heel clogs that I can only walk inside the school because when I walk in heels in the streets of Malta, I fall into a hole along with the candy wrappers.

I knew every shop along the way and knew they would be closed. When I would see the Sorry, We're Closed sign on each of my chocolate haunts, I felt like wearing a Sorry, I need to Kill Someone sign. Even Andrews was closed and he's open all the time.

I went back in my house and tore apart the refrigerator, looking for something Mr. S. must have hidden (he's my boyfriend who is away tending his Mum in England right now), but there was nothing. Fortunately, they don't make chocolate cat food.

I was depressed and got into my sort-of pajamas to take a nap. But I thought I would check one more time. Looking out my window, I could see that Andrew was standing in front of his store. And that could only mean one thing--because Andrew just never stands for nothing.

I took a chance, went out in my sort-of pajamas in the streets of Malta and voila-there were my chunky KitKats. But Andrew didn't have white chocolate. So I had to settle for the regular chocolate Chunky KitKat.

Umm, sorry-I had to settle for two of them.

Ilene Springer is editor of An-American-in-Malta.com