Following on from my position as a Maltese emigre, nostalgia inevitably comes into play.
I aim to make use of my own nostalgia to identify Maltese idiosyncrasies that I consider important, that are often taken for granted by locals, to point out the uniqueness of our culture, and the hidden beauty found in unexpected places.
Note: I do not want the project to become overly personal. It should be relevant to all Maltese people. For it to be successful it should tap into a common nostalgia, and not simply my own.
*The term nostalgia describes a longing for the past, often in idealized form. The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of nóstos, “returning home” and álgos, “pain” or “ache”.
What about: the closeness of the family group; the sea; the garigue; going out of one’s home is always blessed by chance encounters with friends, colleagues and relatives. These may have some meaning for you; in fact I have always considered them Maltese.
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