Karl Stennienibarra
A Swedish igaming worker still thinks ‘F’għoxx kemm għandek’ means good morning, despite having lived in Malta for over five years.
Sven Svensson, who works as a developer at MegaBettingSlots in Sliema, was taught the phrase when he first moved over in 2014.
“I knew everyone in Malta speaks English, but I wanted to go that extra mile. Most of my fellow expats only know ‘mela’, said Mr Svensson, who two months ago travelled beyond Gzira for the first time.
“So to start with, I asked my Maltese colleague how to say ‘Good morning’, and he replied, “F’għoxx kemm għandek.”
“F’għoxx kemm għandek! What a beautiful way to wish someone a pleasant start to their day. I’ll tell you one thing though – you Maltese are definitely not morning people. Whenever I greet someone they either give me a dirty look or start yelling at me.”
Mr Svensson said he also learned the phrase ‘F’għoxx il-lib’ommok’, which he believes to mean ‘Good soup, mother.’
“My mum makes great Swedish meatball soup so I tell her that every time I go back home,” he said.
Glenn Caruana, the Swede’s colleague, said he taught him the phrase because he thought he was “a bit of a wanker”, but didn’t expect the joke to last so long.
“Joseph Muscat is visiting our offices next week so it’s going to be amazing,” he said.
Mr Svensson admitted he himself had not been entirely honest with his colleague.
“I’m really ashamed to say this, but I taught Glenn that the Swedish for ‘How are you?’ is ‘Jävla kuksugare’ (fucking cocksucker). I should probably tell him the truth before he visits Stockholm next month.”
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