MARCH
      28,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      °
      8
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ashley
      Clark’s
      year
      to
      remember
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Martha
      MacIntyre
     
    

    
     
      Reporter
     
    

    
     
      Cemmenti
      is
      an
      exchange
      program
      that
     
     
      focuses
      on
      the
      themes
      of
      migration,
      cul-
     
     
      tural
      identity
      and
      transmigration.
      It
      also
     
     
      offers
      a
      student
      the
      wonderful
      experi-
     
     
      ence
      to
      go
      overseas.
     
    

    
     
      This
      year
      for
      Ashley
      Clark
      is
      different
     
     
      because
      she
      finds
      herself
      studying
      half
     
     
      way
      around
      the
      world
      as
      part
      of
      the
     
     
      Cemmenti
      program.
     
    

    
     
      Clark
      was
      in
      disbelief
      when
      she
      found
     
     
      out
      she
      was
      accepted
      to
      the
      program.
     
    

    
     
      “Obviously
      I
      was
      super
      excited!
      It
      was
     
     
      a
      fairly
      thorough
      application
      process,
     
     
      so
      I
      had
      no
      idea
      what
      my
      chances
      were
     
     
      going
      to
      be.”
     
    

    
     
      Although
      she
      was
      originally
      supposed
     
     
      to
      study
      in
      Greece,
      she
      could
      not
      be
     
     
      more
      happy
      learning,
      exploring
      and
     
     
      studying
      in
      Malta.
      She
      is
      also
      living
      with
     
     
      fellow
      UPEI
      student
      Brent
      Slater,
      which
     
     
      has
      really
      cut
      down
      costs
      of
      living
      and
     
     
      has
      helped
      them
      to
      escape
      living
      in
      a
     
     
      residence.
     
    

    
     
      For
      Ashley,
      her
      time
      in
      Malta
      is
      going
     
     
      by
      so
      quickly.
     
    

    
     
      “T’m
      really
      enjoying
      it
      here
      so
      far.
      P’ve
     
     
      been
      here
      for
      2
      months
      so
      far.
      I’m
      still
     
     
      getting
      used
      to
      some
      of
      the
      differences,
     
     
      but
      I
      feel
      like
      I
      am
      starting
      to
      settle
      in.”
     
    

    
     
      Malta
      is
      a
      little
      island
      in
      the
      Mediter-
     
     
      ranean
      in
      between
      Italy
      and
      Africa.
      Malta
     
     
      is
      one
      twentieth
      the
      size
      of
      P.E.I.,
      with
     
     
      4
      times
      the
      population,
      and
      everything
     
     
      gravitates
      towards
      the
      coast.
      Everything
     
     
      is
      mostly
      condensed
      into
      one
      area.
     
    

    
     
      Malta
      is
      a
      really
      Catholic
      culture.
     
     
      Every
      town
      has
      about
      five
      churches.
      The
     
     
      houses
      usually
      have
      names
      instead
      of
     
     
      numbers,
      and
      are
      often
      named
      after
      bib-
     
     
      lical
      figures.
      All
      buses
      in
      Malta
      also
      have
     
     
      religious
      slogans,
      crucifixes
      and
      pictures
     
     
      of
      Jesus
      and
      Mary
      prominently
      displayed
     
     
      on
      them.
      Easter
      is
      more
      important
      than
     
     
      Christmas.
      They
      have
      huge,
      crazy
      festi-
     
     
      vals,
      passion
      plays
      and
      re-enactments
      to
     
     
      celebrate.
     
    

    
     
      Clark
      said
      she
      was
      amazed
      at
      the
     
     
      amount
      of
      PDA
      in
      Malta.
     
    

    
     
      “Kids
      live
      with
      their
      parents
      here
      until
     
     
      they
      are
      married.
      They
      don’t
      really
      get
     
     
      their
      transitional
      period
      when
      they
      are
     
     
      living
      alone,’
      Clark
      said.
      “The
      streets
     
     
      are
      flooded
      with
      teenagers
      making
      out
     
     
      all
      over
      the
      place,
      because
      they
      have
     
     
      nowhere
      to
      go.
      Seriously,
      people
      are
     
     
      straddling
      each
      other
      and
      dry-humping
     
     
      all
      over
      the
      place,
      especially
      in
      Valletta,
     
     
      the
      capital
      city.”
     
    

    
     
      Clark
      recalled
      one
      time
      when
      she
      ate
     
     
      lunch
      in
      the
      presence
      of
      a
      couple
      who
     
     
      weren't
      shy
      about
      their
      love.
     
    

    
     
      “J
      ate
      lunch
      at
      a
      bench
      at
      school
     
     
      directly
      across
      from
      a
      couple
      who
      made
     
     
      out
      the
      entire
      time.
      I
      will
      never
      complain
     
     
      about
      PDA
      again!”
     
    

    
     
      People
      from
      Malta
      are
      also
      not
      used
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacBeth
      and
      the
      3
      witches
      (Me,
      Jessica,
      Josef,
      Daniel)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cold
      weather.
     
    

    
     
      “Tt’s
      a
      dead
      give
      away
      your
      from
      a
     
     
      foreign
      country
      if
      you
      can
      handle
      the
     
     
      weather.
      They
      think
      winter
      weather
      is
     
     
      10
      degrees
      Celsius!
      I
      am
      running
      around
     
     
      in
      t-shirts,
      taking
      the
      bus
      with
      people
      in
     
     
      winter
      jackets!
      I
      guess
      they
      knew
      I
      wasn’t
     
     
      from
      here,”
      she
      said
     
    

    
     
      The
      Maltese
      people
      are
      also
      very
      eager
     
     
      to
      show
      off
      their
      homes.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      have
      been
      to
      the
      fortified
      cities
      and
     
     
      a
      few
      other
      places
      so
      far.
      Every
      time
     
     
      anyone
      from
      here
      finds
      out
      I
      am
      from
     
     
      away
      they
      spout
      out
      places
      I
      just
      have
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ”?>
     
    
   
   
    
     
      go.
     
     
      The
      women
      are
      insanely
      stylish,
      how-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ever
      the
      men
      are
      really
      aggressive.
     
    

    
     
      “In
      PE.I.,
      obvious
      things
      like
      ignoring
     
     
      someone
      would
      give
      them
      the
      hint
      you
     
     
      ate
      not
      interested...
      but
      here,
      unless
      you
     
     
      say
      “Listen
      Pal,
      leave
      me
      alone
      I
      have
      a
     
     
      boyfriend!”
      they
      will
      not
      leave
      you
      alone.
     
     
      I
      think
      they
      figure
      if
      you
      are
      single
      they
     
     
      can
      wear
      you
      down
      eventually.”
     
    

    
     
      Incase
      your
      wondering
      girls,
      Guys
      are
     
     
      HOT
      in
      Malta!
     
    

    
     
      “Maltese
      men
      are
      dark
      complected
      and
     
     
      some
      of
      them
      have
      really
      pretty
      blue
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eyes.
      There
      are
      also
      a
      lot
      of
      Italian,
      Arab,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      African
      men,
      most
      of
      them
      are
      gor-
     
     
      geous.”
     
     
      Clark
      said
      she
      was
      lucky
      to
      have
      con-
     
     
      nections
      in
      Malta
      before
      she
      came.
     
     
      “Sarah
      Tabone
      and
      Karl
      Cassar
      were
     
     
      at
      UPEI
      last
      year
      as
      part
      of
      the
      program
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      we
      became
      friends.
      They
      were
      both
     
    

    
     
      really
      helpful
      in
      getting
      me
      set
      up
      in
      this
     
     
      new
      country
      and
      helping
      me
      make
      many
     
     
      new
      friends.”
     
    

    
     
      She
      has
      already
      made
      so
      many
      memo-
     
     
      ries
      in
      Malta
      in
      the
      two
      months
      that
      she
     
     
      has
      been
      there.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      the
      funniest
      thing
      she
      has
     
     
      done
      was
      being
      involved
      in
      the
      Carnival
     
     
      in
      Gozo.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      whole
      week
      before
      lent
      they
      have
     
     
      a
      carnival
      here
      full
      of
      parades,
      floats,
     
     
      and
      many,
      many
      parties.
      I
      dressed
      up
     
     
      like
      Macbeth
      (It
      kind
      of
      felt
      like
      hal-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Clark
      photo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      loween)
      and
      with
      a
      bunch
      of
      my
      friends
     
     
      we
      walked
      the
      streets
      of
      Nadur
      for
      the
     
     
      night.
      There
      were
      bands
      and
      DJ’s
      set
     
    

    
     
      up
      everywhere,
      with
      people
      dancing,
     
     
      shouting,
      throwing
      things
      and
      grabbing
     
     
      at
      each
      other
      everywhere!
      It
      was
      an
      awe-
     
     
      some
      time,”
      Clark
      recalled.
     
    

    
     
      Clark
      will
      be
      back
      in
      Canada
      in
      mid-
     
     
      July
      (After
      doing
      some
      travelling
      through
     
     
      Scotland,
      England
      and
      Wales!).
     
    

    
     
      Anyone
      interested
      in
      getting
      involved
     
     
      in
      the
      Cemmenti
      exchange
      program
      can
     
     
      talk
      to
      Lisa
      Chilton
      who,
      is
      the
      main
     
     
      coordinator
      for
      UPEI.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      Fortified
      City
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Clark
      photo