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The interview

Your goalI can introduce myself fully and answer questions about my work, my languages and my past.

Lucía

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The capital: big, loud, grey. The interviewer wants to know everything: who you are, where you are from, which languages you speak, what you can do, why you came to the town, when you can start. On the bus back, you read flat ads: thirty square metres, €1,200 a month.

Monday, ten o'clock, in Valletta: crowds, traffic, noise. The meeting room is high up in a glass office building.
Lucía
Bonġu. Jien Lucía Fernández. Poġġi, jekk jogħġbok.
Good morning. I'm Lucía Fernández. Please sit down.
Lucía
Jien Spanjola, imma ilni noqgħod f'Malta għaxar snin. Mela nitkellmu bil-Malti.
I'm Spanish, but I've lived in Malta for ten years. So we'll speak Maltese.
Lucía
Anna ilha magħna tliet xhur, u qaltli ftit dwarek. Issa rrakkontali int: min int, u minn fejn int?
Anna has been with us for three months, and she told me a little about you. Now you tell me: who are you, and where are you from?
Jien Lukas Becker. Jien Ġermaniż, minn Hamburg, u għandi tletin sena.
I'm Lukas Becker. I'm German, from Hamburg, and I'm thirty.
Jien Lena Becker. Jien Ġermaniża, minn Hamburg, u għandi tletin sena.
I'm Lena Becker. I'm German, from Hamburg, and I'm thirty.
Jien inġinier. Naħdem ma' kumpanija f'raħal żgħir, ħdejn il-wied.
I'm an engineer. I work for a company in a small town, by the valley.
Jien inġiniera. Naħdem ma' kumpanija f'raħal żgħir, ħdejn il-wied.
I'm an engineer. I work for a company in a small town, by the valley.
Lucía
U kemm ilek f'Malta?
And how long have you been in Malta?
Ilni hawn tliet xhur biss. Ġejt f'Marzu.
I've only been here three months. I came in March.
Ilni hawn tliet xhur biss. Ġejt f'Marzu.
I've only been here three months. I came in March.
Lucía
Liema lingwi titkellem?
Which languages do you speak?
Il-Ġermaniż, l-Ingliż, u ftit Malti.
German, English, and a little Maltese.
Il-Ġermaniż, l-Ingliż, u ftit Malti.
German, English, and a little Maltese.
Lucía
Mhux ftit! Titkellem tajjeb ħafna. Kemm ilek titgħallem?
Not a little! You speak very well. How long have you been learning?
Ilni nitgħallem tliet xhur. Il-kollega tiegħi jgħinni kuljum.
I've been learning for three months. My colleague helps me every day.
Ilni nitgħallem tliet xhur. Il-kollega tiegħi jgħinni kuljum.
I've been learning for three months. My colleague helps me every day.
Lucía
U x'taf tagħmel?
And what can you do?
Naf niddisinja siġġijiet u mwejjed. U naf nieħu ħsieb qattus.
I can design chairs and tables. And I can look after a cat.
Naf niddisinja siġġijiet u mwejjed. U naf nieħu ħsieb qattus.
I can design chairs and tables. And I can look after a cat.
She laughs.
Lucía
Qattus?
A cat?
Storja twila. U hu ilu fid-dar iktar minni.
It's a long story. And he's been in the house longer than me.
Storja twila. U hu ilu fid-dar iktar minni.
It's a long story. And he's been in the house longer than me.
Lucía
Għaliex mort toqgħod f'dak ir-raħal iż-żgħir?
Why did you go to live in that little town?
Għax-xogħol. Imma issa... għan-nies.
For the job. But now... for the people.
Għax-xogħol. Imma issa... għan-nies.
For the job. But now... for the people.
Lucía
U meta tista' tibda?
And when can you start?
Il-perjodu ta' prova tiegħi jispiċċa fit-tletin ta' Ġunju.
My trial period ends on the thirtieth of June.
Il-perjodu ta' prova tiegħi jispiċċa fit-tletin ta' Ġunju.
My trial period ends on the thirtieth of June.
She stands up and holds out her hand.
Lucía
Eċċellenti. Ix-xogħol tiegħek. Tista' tibda fl-ewwel ta' Lulju?
Excellent. The job is yours. Can you start on the first of July?
Diġà? Għandi bżonn naħseb fuqha.
So soon? I need to think about it.
Diġà? Għandi bżonn naħseb fuqha.
So soon? I need to think about it.
Lucía
Żgur. Ħu ħinek. Nistenna t-tweġiba tiegħek sal-Ġimgħa.
Of course. Take your time. I'll wait for your answer until Friday.
Outside the office, a grey cat sits on a wall. It is not Ċikku.
Ċikku? Le... Mhux Ċikku.
Ċikku? No... It's not Ċikku.
Ċikku? Le... Mhux Ċikku.
Ċikku? No... It's not Ċikku.
On the bus back, you read flat ads on your phone.
Appartament fiċ-ċentru. Tletin metru kwadru. Elf u mitejn ewro fix-xahar.
'Flat in the centre. Thirty square metres. Twelve hundred euros a month.'
Appartament fiċ-ċentru. Tletin metru kwadru. Elf u mitejn ewro fix-xahar.
'Flat in the centre. Thirty square metres. Twelve hundred euros a month.'
Elf u mitejn! U bla qattus.
Twelve hundred! And without a cat.
Elf u mitejn! U bla qattus.
Twelve hundred! And without a cat.

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