My Little Loves

My time out here in Malta seems to be going SO fast. I'm having an amazing time, and trying to do as much as I can out here in this fantastic country. I've been keeping a scrapbook (check me out, little miss arty farty) where I write down all the trips and events I go to. But I want a way of remembering the little things I loved or enjoyed during my time in Malta. So where better to put it than on my blog. Then I can look back and reminisce about the 'good old days'.

I'm going to call this feature 'My Little Loves', and I'm not sure how often I'll post, but it will probably be when there's something to talk about, rather than me forcing out posts just to stick to a schedule.

So, here's my collection of little things that I have discovered, rediscovered or happened to me recently that have put a smile on my face.

Instagram: becominghugo

1. Volunteering. I have recently started volunteering at a dog sanctuary which is so much fun. The dogs are lovely, the sanctuary sends out a brilliant message to all dog owners on the island, and honestly, who could complain about playing with puppies all day long. I almost died with cuteness over load last time I went.

2. Pretzels. I'm not talking about the little crunchy ones you buy in a packet, I mean the big doughy ones where you can choose your own topping. My favourite so far is the Parmesan cheese one, though my housemates would recommend Nutella or White Chocolate.

3. Beer explosions. Watching Stacey drop a can of beer in the kitchen so that it explodes everywhere like a firework really made me giggle. Stacey, covered in beer, didn't see the funny side, hehe.

4. The weather. Hearing about how cold it is as home has made me really enjoy the sun we are getting in Malta at the moment. The Maltese are still walking around in coats and scarves whilst we're tanning. Crazy tourists.

5. Watching the Malta Marathon runners cross the finish line, from my balcony, whilst sitting on my sofa, eating junk :) The best way to enjoy a marathon yes?

H x

50 things about me, Part 1

I've mentioned it a couple of time before, but I'm really nosy. Super nosy in fact. So whenever I see that other people have done this tag I get really excited. And seeing as I get so much enjoyment out of reading about other people's lives, I thought I'd let you in on mine.

So here's part one of 50 Facts About Me

1. Despite currently living in a hot country, I actually prefer the cold. Nothing beats wrapping up, and going for a walk in the country side

2. In the sweet vs savoury war, I would back savoury every time. Always

3. I love fancy dress

4. I have a phobia of knees. Seriously! I don't like it when people touch mine, I cant touch other people's, I can't touch my own knees, heck..I can't even watch other people touch their own knees. Talking about it now is making me cringe... hfusagufdhgufgfod

5. The way to my heart is through my stomach. I'm such a foody. Cook me Eggs Benedict for breakfast and I'm all yours 

6. I study Mathematics at uni, but still can't do mental arithmetic 

7. My sister used to have a pet tarantula called BD that was kept in the utility room which would freak all my friends out when they came over

8. I can't sing. At all. Not even a little (but it doesn't stop me)

9. I love reading. I have just finished The Great Gatsby and am now reading Game of Thrones

10. I have tiny feet. Size 4

So there we are, 10 random facts about me. Only 40 more to go :)

Has anyone else done this tag? Let me know as I could spend all day reading posts like this :)

H x

Carnival Weekend

The 8th to the 10th of Feb is carnival weekend in Malta and Gozo. I'm talking crazy outfits, loud music, superb dancing, giant moving floats and a cheeky little drink.

My housemate, Jenny, and I went to Gozo for the first time to experience the carnival. It was amazing. To start we saw a show in which different classes from a school all danced in some amazing costumes.

Then we hit the town. All the bars and clubs were full of people dressed up and celebrating this annual carnival. Many people from Malta had made their way over to Gozo, so the streets were full. I tried to take some pictures, but they all came out blurry, sorry!

The next day we visited Valletta. 

One of the things I've said about Malta is that they don't dress up much. At Uni in England we are always in fancy dress for nights out, but over here noone seems to do it. Well...I ate my words that day..

It was truly a bazaar and brilliant experience.

Has anyone else ever been to something like this?

H x

An Explanation and a Surprise

Today's post is going to be a quick explanation of why I'm not writing a proper post this week. I was planning on showing you some pictures from the amazing Gozo carnival but something kind of...errrr...popped up.

Basically, on Wednesday, the doorbell went. I assumed it was Cen Su, the apartment's handyman, so I left it to one of my housemate to answer the door (I was getting ready to jump into the shower). Instead all of my housemates ran into my room grinning and told me to answer the door. Very warily I did, and standing in the hall where two of my best friends. They had flown over to surprise me :)

L-R: Me, Bry and Sarah

It's so nice to have them out here and show off my home to them, and it's great to get a catch up of what's happening back in England.

So that's my excuse for not putting a proper post up this week. They both leave on Monday, so my one-a-week can resume from then.

Hope you're having a great weekend and all enjoyed Valentines day. Even though I love my boyfriend to pieces, I did really enjoy having a girly date with my friends. Did you do anything special for Valentines day?

H x

End of exams, and Smartie Cake

Exams are over! :)

And to celebrate we did what anyone else would do, and opened a bottle of wine last night.

Cheers!

Instagram: becominghugo

To celebrate our new found freedom today, the girls are I decided to bake a cake. I got the recipe from Sophie Loves Food, which is a brilliant blog filled with cake recipes and baking ideas. I challenge anyone to read this blog without their mouth watering.

The cake we decided to bake was a twist on Sophie's Malteaser Cake.

We substituted the Malteasers for Smarties, and made three tiers instead of two. The perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea and a good book on our first day of freedom.

If you'd like to look at the recipe and see a more professional looking version, then click here. I think for my next bake I might try my hand at Banana Cake, as it's one of my favourites.

Has anyone made any cakes recently? Which type of cake is your favourite?

H x