Joseph Calleia

Joseph Calleia, a Maltese actor who was 'one of Hollywood's giants during the golden era of the silver screen', died 30 years ago today. Charles Mizzi writes that Calleia was in constant demand by the powerful Hollywood studios for over thirty years during the 40's up to the early 60's but became a recluse following his retirement in Malta:

..At his funeral there were only a handful of friends and relatives, including a cousin, Dr. Censu Tabone and the other Maltese film star, tenor Oreste Kirkop. His death hardly made any news in Malta, except an inside page report and a photo of his casket at the cemetery in the Times of Malta. Ironically, his death was splashed with great prominence on the RAI Italian news bulletin of the day. The Italians tried to take the credit. Confusingly, because he played so many parts of a Sicilian, RAI stated that Calleia was a famous Italian film star, but died in Malta..

Calleia bought a villa in Sliema, which most probably was one of the first to be installed with an elevator and air conditioners. He became a recluse as he was never a good mixer with people he never met. At later years in his life, he was often seen stopping for a tea or a coffee in some run down bar always by himself. He dressed humbly and sometimes stopped shaving for weeks.

Calleia retired in Malta at the age of 66. Few people can claim that they know him well. "He was a very reserved man. When people stopped him, his conversations were short and usually ended abruptly. He never liked publicity after he retired and he was only interviewed once on the then Rediffusion cable by Victor Galdes. He made only one public appearance - when he attended a Valletta fiesta and went out in a balcony to salute a crowd who were chanting his name.

However, when the Maltese tenor Oreste Kirkop went to Hollywood to make the "Vagabond King", Calleia called him to offer him all the help he needed. He asked him to stay at his villa not to stay in hotels, as "both of us are Maltese". His last major film was "The Alamo" in 1960, although he played a small part in his last film "Johnny Cool"(1963), before retiring in Malta for good..

Three of Joseph Calleia films were withheld by the local censors of the time and were never shown in Maltese cinemas. Joseph had a part of a priest in the film titled "Full Confession" that was banned in Malta. In 1936, while taking part in the film "Tough Guy" Joseph Calleia came out with the idea to sing a Maltese folklore ballad called "Ah Lilek tal-Gallerija". It was a ballad that he knew, when with other boys from Rabat he used to sing under the trees of Buskett gardens. MGM studios were skeptic that this ballad may have a copyright, and were afraid they will be sued for payment. But after accepting Calleia assurances that no copyright existed, Calleia was allowed to sing. It was the first and only time a ballad in Maltese was heard in a Hollywood movie. Joseph sang the Maltese ballad with boy actor Jackie Cooper, who today is a retired actor...

Calleia's grave; Calleia movies on VHS and DVD; TimeOut Filmography; Calleia by John Anderson

Literature across frontiers

'Re-Visions - Literary Exchange in an Enlarged Europe' is an international symposium that will be convened next weekend at St James Cavalier by Inizjamed and Literature Across Frontiers. The event will bring together '25 writers, literary translators, publishers, editors, organizers of literary festivals and representatives of literature organisations from 16 European countries'. Blogger Immanuel Mifsud will be one of the Maltese participants. From Tgedwid:

Naf li huma diversi l-kollegi bloggejja li tinteressahom il-letteratura li qiegħda tinkiteb fuq il-Blata. U naf ukoll li wħud minnhom jistaqsu jekk din il-letteratura hijiex tolqot il-miri (mitiċi jew le) li nimmaġinaw li hemm. Waħda minn dawn il-miri minn dejjem kienet li nkunu bħall-oħrajn, li nimxu pari passu mal-kumplament tad-dinja (jiġifieri l-Ewropa)..

..Issa, li Malta tħaxknet fl-imbierka Evropa, tajjeb li nerġgħu nqajmu dawn il-mistoqsijiet li ilhom iħufu fl-imħuħ. Did-darba iżda, ir-realta' hija differenti għaliex politikament Malta hija l-Ewropa. Il-mistoqsija tibqa' jekk kulturalment u mentalment, hijiex qiegħda hemm. Jonkella, il-mistoqsija hija jekk aħniex hemm bir-ruħ u bil-ġisem jew aħniex hemm bil-ġisem biss.

Biex ma ntawwalx (għax in-normi tal-bloggiżmu jiddettaw il-konċiżjoni) jekk int interessat li tistaqsi aktar (m'għandix dubju li mintix se twieġeb) tista' tattendi għal simposju li Inizjamed, flimkien mal-Literature Across Frontiers, qegħdin jorganizzaw fil-Kavallier ta' San Ġakbu, bejn nhar il-Ġimgħa u s-Sibt li ġej. It-tema: Re-Visions - Skambju Letterarju f'Ewropa Akbar.

Symposium programme

Where do we go from here?

Gavin Kennedy has taught in universities for 32 years and has published widely in negotiation behaviour and in defence economics. He is the author of "Adam Smiths Lost Legacy" and set up this blog and this book companion site. He was impressed by an article writtten by JG Vasallo in yesterday's Malta Independent. From Adam Smith Legacy Blog (29 Oct 05):

J. G. Vassallo writes an excellent article, “Where do we go from here?”, in Malta Independent On Line (The Malta Business Weekly, 29 October, St Julians, Malta), while discussing a brief recent history of political affairs in the island of Malta and the problems created by its governments. His answer to his own question, “Where do we go from here?” is a lovely link between Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” (March 1776) and the US “Declaration of Independence” (4 July 1776). I am not sure whether Jefferson had a copy of the “Wealth of Nations” in time for it to have influenced his drafting of the “Declaration”...That the sentiments of the “Declaration” and Smith’s works are of similar vintage is at least a reasonable assertion without implying conscious borrowings...

Firegoat Rant

Firegoat in Southall, London recalls the low points of her honeymoon in Malta:

Then we went on honeymoon to Malta. It was a last minute deal and we didn’t quite know what to expect, so we weren’t particularly surprised to be in a Saga hotel with a bunch of 90 year olds as well as the Moldovian football team and all their hangers-on. Having a two-year old and a pregnancy to take care of, it wasn’t the most carefree of holidays. Finding good vegetarian food was difficult; even though we tried a lot of the local fish we weren’t really impressed and felt hungry a lot. It was worse for our son because the food was quite unfamiliar to him, and after a few days he caught Salmonella from a badly boiled egg at the hotel..

One day we were walking around and were approached by someone offering us a free lucky dip which we accepted and then she told us we’d won the first prize, a gold pendant. I don’t know why we were sucked in, we must’ve been incredibly distracted, but we followed her to a hotel where we were supposed to pick up the prize. After waiting a while in the hotel she came and told us that we would be taken to another hotel to collect the prize. By this time we were a little suspicious...

Chemical scientists mystery meeting

An unpublicised meeting for international chemical scientists will take place in Malta sometime in November. Their focus will be on the situation in the Middle East. From PRNewswire:

Sometime in November, at a date and place that will not be publicized in advance, some 67 chemical scientists, plus six Nobel laureates will meet on the island of Malta for the continuation of collaborative discussions on topics of mutual concern. The brainchild of Zafra M. Lerman, an Israeli-born chemistry professor and head of the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication at Columbia College Chicago, the meeting is the second major gathering for most members of this elite group of scientists. The first was held in Malta in December, 2003. Lerman conceived and organized the event, chairs the organizing committee and recruited the participants. She believes that scientists, unlike politicians and diplomats, can lead the way to peace and cooperation in the Middle East...

Since the 2003 conference, participants have been actively engaged in collaborative efforts, including a joint proposal on water purification by Israeli and Palestinian participants that has been funded...Nobel laureates Aaron Ciechanover, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel; Richard R. Ernst, E.T.H., Switzerland; Roald Hoffmann, Cornell University, USA; Yuan T. Lee, Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Jean-Marie Lehn, Universite Louis Pasteur, France; and F. Sherwood Rowland, University of California, USA will present keynote addresses...

Dutch helping hand

The Netherlands has agreed to take refugees from Malta, Teresa Küchler reports for Euobserver.com:

..As a first step, the Netherlands will receive 30 refugees from the Mediterranean island group, with Dutch immigration authorities also offering to train their Maltese counterparts on handling migrant flows. "They have understood our position, and have agreed voluntarily to help us without anything in return", the Maltese foreign minister Michael Frendo told EUobserver on Friday (28 October), adding that media and political discussion of EU states facing immigration problems has been somewhat unfair recently..

The Czech Republic has also announced that it is willing to help Malta, while Ireland and Germany have also responded positively to the Maltese call..."With a population of 400,000 people, for us to receive one immigrant is like Italy receiving 140", he said.

A spokesperson for the EU justice commissioner, Franco Frattini, said that bilateral agreements between member states were welcomed by the commission, although other measures will be needed to get a grip on illegal immigration at EU level. "We see these agreements as tokens of solidarity between member states, but re-settlement does not solve the issue in itself", he said..

Meanwhile, EU leaders gathered in Hampton Court, UK, on Thursday showed support for a Spanish-French proposal on tackling illegal immigration, releasing €400 million to finance the plan. The commission plans to take the best bits of the various initiatives to establish a pan-EU policy on the subject, a spokesman said.

Illegal immigration: Italy - Malta collaboration

Malte Tricolore

Didier Destremau, former French Ambassador to Malta, has just launched a new book - Malte Tricolore - an 'imagined description of Malta had the French not let it be taken over by the English'. The book is translated by Simone Mizzi and published by Midsea books. From The Times:

..Well researched and amusing, Malte Tricolore gives a counter-factual account of a French Malta and takes the reader through the last two centuries. It describes the social, economic and political evolution of the Maltese islands as it might have been had Malta remained French from the time of Napoleon's return, breaking through the British blockade, to the granting of Independence in 1964 by....Charles de Gaulle, and on through to EU accession, a subject on which Ambassador Destremau was particularly forthright.

The reader will meet several well-loved historical characters along the way, from Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton to many a Maltese heroic figure and political leader. Malte Tricolore carries some rare and colourful illustrations of Malta and will be sold at Lm4.95. Lighthearted and satirical, but with his great love of Malta evident on every page, this is Ambassador Destremau's third book on Malta but the first to be translated into English and published in Malta...

Austrian version of Maltese history

Natasha Turner writes about a Malta history book written by Vienna-born Andreas Pittler, biographer of Bruno Kreisky, Monty Python and Samuel Beckett. She quotes Dr Pittler:

"Malta is not only an extremely beautiful island with very nice people on it, but it has also a very fascinating history. There are so many topics that would deliver enough stuff for a couple of novels, beginning with the interesting people of the Stone Age, going forward to the Greeks and Romans, the days of the Arabs, the era of the knights of St. John until the time of its Independence. I find each stage very thrilling. There are a lot of persons who would deserve to have a biography written about them (Parissot, Strickland, Mintoff a.s.o.), since they has contributed so much to Europe's history. Although being such a small nation, Malta is really amazing. You have superb beaches, very good food and wonderful people. I found your hospitality always overwhelming, and if it weren't for the smoking-ban I would really intend to live permanently there someday."...

Malta News Digest - October20 to October26

Wednesday26: Malta sends aid to Pakistani quake victims International Film Festival starts 2 November; EC raps Malta on non-implementation of environment directive; Joghla l-petrol utittrippla t-taxxa fuq id-dawl u l-ilma; Alfred Sant mistieden tal-PM Ingliz
Tuesday25: From workpermit.com, UK to help Malta fight illegal immigration, and more; Power surcharge goes up to 55%, increase in petrol price; 'Public finances remain a key priority for Malta'-IMF; Employment in the EU - Malta has highest rate of inactive people; Hruq fil-Kullegg ta’ Sant’ Agata; Dun Karm twieled u miet fix-xahar ta’ Ottubru minn Anton Cassar
Monday24: From The Scotsman, British and Maltese PrimeMinisters have breakfast together; From Reuters, Avian flu did not kill birds on ship in Malta port; From the Indian Financial Express, Prime Minister to attend CHOGM; Interview with Harry Vassallo by Michael Carabott; Eliminating discrimination, interview with Sina Bugeja; Interview with Fr Mark Montebello; Irregular immigration - Europe is part of the solution - Joanna Drake
Sunday23: Ten years and nothing to show, Noel Grima on the Euro Med Barcelona process; Malta’s plight in layman’s language by J. G. Vassallo; Migrating birds and people by Marisa Micallef; Chatting safely on the Net by Juan Ameen, more from Eurobarometer; MEDAC's Euro-Mediterranean diplomatic vocation; Serious television is something we lack, by Pamela Hansen; Economic and political tandem, by Manuel Borda; Fuel to the fire, interview with GRTU Director-General Vince Farrugia; In-‘nazzjonalizmu’ minn Fr Mark Montebello; Pont minn Pembroke ghal Pennsylvania minn Charles Flores
Saturday22: Waste disposal in front of National Poet's house condemned; The spring of hope... the winter of despair, by Lino Bugeja
Friday21: From the BBC, Immigrant frustration for Malta; Small is increasingly beautiful - EIU's Dan o'Brien on FDI in Malta by David Lindsay, more from the Business Weekly - interview with MDC's Philip Micallef; Timing is everything by Alfred Mifsud; Malta 'least corrupt' of new EU states
Thursday20: From IPP Media, former President of Malta to lead Commonwealth election observers in Tanzania; From Travel Video TV News, Julian Zarb reports on new Malta hotel; Bells ring in Malta to commemorate Battle of Trafalgar; Verheugen addresses European Tourism Forum in Malta; Learning the past to understand the present by Daphne Caruana Galizia; What if the French had stayed on in Malta? - new book by Didier Destremau, former French ambassador to Malta; Never mind golf, turn to the sea, by Tony Zammit Cutajar

Lockerbie doubts

Citing flawed evidence and a suspect Maltese witness, Magnus Linklater writes in today's London Times that 'it's time to look again' at the Malta link in the Lockerbie case:

From the clothing in which the cassette player had been wrapped, detectives were able to trace it back to Malta, and there close questioning of the shop owner where the clothes had been bought implicated two agents of the Libyan intelligence service. It was, said Lord Fraser at the time, old-fashioned detective work of the highest order — and it was enough to secure al-Megrahi’s conviction in 2001. The complications of a Middle East link were shelved. There the matter might well have rested, save for a series of allegations that have emerged over the past year, and which suggest that this apparently watertight evidence may be not only flawed, but might possibly have been tampered with..

All this might easily be dismissed as the conspiracy fog that tends to gather around cases of this kind. Except that last weekend Lord Fraser himself, who was in charge of the Crown evidence, suggested that he too had begun to have doubts. In an interview with The Sunday Times he said that the Maltese shopkeeper, Tony Gauci, whose identification of the two Libyans was central to the prosecution case, might not have been a reliable witness. He was, said Lord Fraser, a “weak point” in the case, who might have been “easily led”. He added: “Gauci was not quite the full shilling. I think even his family would say [that he] was an apple short of a picnic. He was quite a tricky guy . . .” ...

Lockerbie background from the Guardian and CNN;
MaltaMedia special feature

Quitting Eurovision

From doteurovision, Grace Borg quits Maltese Eurovision team:

Grace Borg, the chair of the Maltasong board has resigned, blaming excessive interference by government officials. “I cannot continue working in an atmosphere where every single decision is vetted by the minister and everything is controlled by his representative,” Borg said yesterday. She had worked for several years with the board responsible for organising the ‘Song for Europe’ and Junior Eurovision entries for Malta..

Ms Borg said she had sent her resignation letter to the minister and to the Prime Minister last Tuesday but she failed to understand why the minister chose to announce it on Sunday, when she was overseas. Asked if she would reconsider her decision to resign, Ms Borg said that unless the minister’s representative resigned, she would not withdraw her resignation.

Eurobites - gossip and rumours about Eurovision; EurovisionMalta

Maltese in Belgium

MIBA - A new organisation that aims to bring together Maltese residents in Belgium. Via Maria in Brussels:

Refreshing experience, here in Brussels. There is a new initiative taking place here in Brussels - MIBA, Maltese in Belgium Association. We had the first meeting yesterday and I felt at home...imagine this... I had to leave early from work to go to this event, but work didnt allow that, was raining cats and dogs, had to walk for 20 minutes when I had to be there 30 minutes before...I ring building number 289 and as I open the door and I see sooooooooooooo many familiar faces from Malta...unbelievable..

We drank Maltese wine, beer.. good food and most important of all... the familiar language, the Maltese patriotism.. our gestures... our Malta........
My community here in Brussels is growing stronger and stronger...it really feels like home...

A more rational system

The Maltese Prime Minister met with Tony Blair yesteday in 10 Downing Street. Answering a question about illegal immigration during the press conference, Blair had this to say:

Well we did have a conversation about this, and as the Prime Minister made clear, this is a major issue for Malta, and indeed for other countries in the European Union. It is quite useful probably for my own media and public here to hear it is a major problem in Malta, it is a problem all over the European Union, indeed I would go further and say all over the world at the moment. And what is happening is that as part of globalisation you are getting these vast numbers of both economic migrants and genuine refugees who perfectly naturally want to search for a better life, but that then ends up as a major problem for the host country that takes them in. And so what we were discussing is how we get a more rational system in place so that you know countries aren't expected to do more than they can...

More from MaltaMedia; Blair - Gonzi press conference transcript

Iceland eyes on Malta

Maria Alva in Iceland says that 'Malta's history kicks Iceland's Viking butt any day'. From Iceland Eyes:

..I had thought that this building had housed the consulate to Malta here in Reykjavík because I was in University with a girl who lived here: her father was some kind of consulate and Malta always stuck in my mind. But it seems its been a guesthouse for a while now. Just goes to show how creative our minds can be with bits of information. Malta is very interesting, though. It's a country with an only slightly larger population than Iceland, with 400,000 citizens who are jam-packed onto two rocky islands totalling only 115 square miles. Talk about crowded.

Without meaning any disrespect to my own island culture, I have to say Malta's history kicks Iceland's Viking butt any day. Thought to have been settled by an ancient civilization in the very early bronze age, more than 7,000 years ago, Malta has been changing hands ever since: from Vandals to Arabs to Brits, the country has been plucked from the Mediterranean as a prize by countless land-hungry rulers, and pawned for trade a number of times. Icelanders, on the other hand, have written a couple of famous books and have managed to cling to their lava rock for about a thousand years or so. Not a mean feat in itself, but slightly less fantastic sounding than the saga of the Maltese...

Spotlight on Andrei Claude

Andrei Claude won the Mr. Romance International pageant held in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. His prize is a contract with Harlequin Publishers to appear on romance novel book covers as well as a contract with Oxygen Media/TV. He discusses his Malta connection in this interview with Janice Lynn:

Janice: After the Romantic Times convention, you stayed in the States for several weeks. Can you tell us about some of the things you did? What did you think about the US? Any major differences from Malta (I think this is where you said you were from, but correct me if I'm wrong)? What was your best experience? Your worst?

Andrei: Yes, after the Romantic Times convention I spent another four weeks touring the States. The main reason for that was to meet up with different agencies around the country and see what kind of response I got. I also had a few test shoots scheduled with some local photographers in New York, New Jersey, Las Vegas and Kansas City.

Oh . . . I absolutely love the US ! The people are great and the country is beautiful. Malta is nothing like the US. The size of the entire island is 122 square miles, and there’s almost 380,000 people living there, so as you can imagine it’s densely populated. The people there are somewhat conservative and not very open to new ideas, unlike American folks who always crave for something new. I would have to say the RT convention was the best experience, and it’s not merely because I won the Mr. Romance pageant, but I also made a lot of friends, and I really enjoyed myself at the evening parties and meeting so many interesting people...

A Few Quiet Moments - Andrei Claude talks to Marjorie

'Patschewill'

Tobias Singer is staying at the University Residence in Lija and keeps this blog to document his Malta experience. In this entry, he writes about Malta's nightlife:

Paceville ist Maltas Partystadt und wird so ausgesprochen wie in der Überschrift. Eigentlich ein Traum, dass es so was hier gibt, hatte schon ein bisschen Angst, dass es auf so einer kleinen Insel auch kaum Nachtleben gibt. Das absolute Gegenteil ist aber der Fall. Allein in Paceville ist abends mehr los als in ganz Bremen. Leider hat Paceville zwei Probleme: Zu viele deutsche und englische Touristen (naja gut, für die wurden die ganzen Clubs wohl gerade gemacht) und eine Auswahl an verschiedenen Stilen, die bei der Anzahl an Lokalitäten doch schon sehr bescheiden ist. In fast jedem Laden läuft die gleiche Musik, man hat eigentlich nur die Auswahl zwischen Black Music und Charts-Trance. Mit etwas Glück findet man auch House und etwas alternativere elektronische Musik...

Inquiry Collective

The Inquiry Collective (i5) came together while working on a project in Northern Ontario, Canada. The inquiry method "emphasizes the space between the hand and the body as a site from which artist's investigation and research can be authentic and fruitful". From i5 inquiry:

Sites chosen for investigation are both literally and figuratively "touch stones" where the i5 collective continues to focus on stone as a kind of world membrane manipulated by the human hand throughout the history of our species and through which cultural practices pass. The oldest proto-architectural stone structures on the planet are on the tiny Island of Malta home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

i5 will spend 14 days in Malta inquiring into the stone remnants of the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum, Ghar Dalam, Mnajdra, Hagar Qim, Gganitja, and Tarxien all listed by UNESCO in its world heritage sites. In addition Malta, always an important strategic site in the Mediterranean, has Roman Ruins and many mediaeval stone sites as well as the Baroque City of Valetta, another UNESCO world heritage listing, with its centuries of fortifications.

Read about the Malta Projects of the Inquiry Collective members

Histories of Malta

Judge Giovanni Bonello's 6th volume of the 'Histories of Malta' series, published by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, was launched yesterday. From the Malta Independent:

The latest volume of Histories is Patrimonju’s 28th publication, and a worthy successor to the previous collections. Once again, the Histories contain a range of contents to suit every palate, from finger food from the tables of Maltese history to gambling and Malta-made playing cards of the Knights of St John, from two articles about Caravaggio to the fascinating story of a Knight of Malta and Lucretia Borgia.

Dr Xuereb said the original research carried out for this volume that covered Maltese social and medical history was outstanding. As were the articles on gambling and Maltese playing cards, the essay with a medical background and a 17th century baroque romance by the Maltese Cagliola. He added that he was also impressed with the memoirs of the Spanish knight, Alonso de Contreras...

Immigrant frustration

Daniel Sandford filed this report for BBC news about the issue of illegal immigration in Malta:

As you walk the historic streets of the Maltese capital Valletta, there is little sign of the turmoil on the Mediterranean islands. Tourists mingle with shoppers in the ancient streets laid out in an unusual grid pattern. In the centre of the tiny city is the building that houses the Malta Emigrants Commission. From these offices, generations of Maltese migrants prepared to leave and start new lives overseas. But the main corridor is now packed with young Africans - men, women and children. These are not people who are about to leave Malta, they have just arrived. It is the first sign that everything is changing..

..The government is asking if some other EU countries cannot help by taking some of the asylum-seekers. Just a few hundred less would make an enormous difference. They are running out of places to house them. The new arrivals are having a disturbing affect on Maltese politics. While we were there, a new far-right party, the Alleanza Nazionali Republikana, staged the first anti-immigrant rally..

..They also say something very unusual for immigrants. They all want to leave. They came to Malta by mistake. They were crossing the Mediterranean between Libya and Italy. Thousands make the journey each year in tiny boats. Many die, but some end up in Malta after running out of fuel, or losing their way...

More on blogging

A warm welcome to new readers of this blog particularly those who are visiting via today's Weekender on The Times. If you are interested in reading more about the blogosphere, the following links may be useful material for browsing:

Wikipedia - the best introduction to blogging

On Maltese blogs: I blog, therefore I am and A blogger's world and Welcome to the Blogosphere

List of Maltese Blogs - from aboutmalta.com

Web of Influence - from Foreign Policy magazine

The blogging revolution - from Wired magazine

Technorati Tag: Blogging

Toni Sant: Digital Communities and Malta's internet image

Political Blogs and Index of Political Blogs

More on Wired Temples; Monthly 'Top Ten Maltese Blogs Entries': September; August; July - more in archives on sidebar

Pirates hijack Maltese ship

From Reuters, Pirates hijack Maltese ship off Somali coast:

Somali gunmen have hijacked a Maltese ship in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia in the latest of a spate of such incidents that have prompted strong maritime warnings, officials said on Friday. Pirates seized the Maltese-registered MV Pagania on Thursday with 22 Ukrainian crew members aboard, according to Ukrainian officials.

The ship was on its way from South Africa to Europe with 15 tonnes of iron ore. The pirates have demanded a $700,000 ransom for its release. Andrew Mwangura, a Mombasa-based seafarer official who received a VHF radio signal from the ship during the hijacking, said the gunmen ordered the captain to surrender at gunpoint.

Maltese dreamscapes

RM Vaughan is a Toronto based writer and filmmaker whose latest book, Invisible to Predators, is available from ECW Press. He is also the author of magazine articles and a National Post column that he archives in his blog. In this entry, he writes about the latest exhibition by John Borg at the O'Connor Gallery in Toronto. From Rmvaughanink:

..John Borg’s new collection of gouache on paper works at the O’Connor Gallery is a lovely reminder of why art that relies on and celebrates the impulsive gesture will always prompt an immediate emotional response. Few of us, let’s admit it, are careful planners or emotionally cautious, and art that reflects our own impulsiveness (and the subsequent vulnerabilities that that impulsiveness prompts) speaks to us with a febrile directness. If Borg were a singer, he’s be wobbly but real Morrisey, not note perfect but plastic Mariah..

Visitors to the O’Connor Gallery expect a heaping helping of nekkid menfolk..but after they ogle Borg’s supine and slippery slabs of flesh, they might be surprised to find themselves just as drawn to the painter’s luminous and ghostly paintings of Maltese interiors.

Compared to his model studies, the Malta paintings are much more cloudy, as if seen through a snow globe, and are washed with a muddied, indirect light. The dusty, sunburnt church corridors and narrow, haunted streets reveal themselves only in faint bursts of light, in patches of clarity surrounded (sometimes smothered) by a murky indistinctness so thick and watery it made me wonder if the paint had dried. These are dreamscapes, not travelogues...

Recent paintings by John Borg

A thirty-year love affair with Malta

The Periscope is the companion weblog to the Euro-correspondent.com journalist network. This entry features an Independent article about the Whitehead couple's 'thirty-year love affair with Malta'. From Periscope:

In 1948, Walter Whitehead, a young British soldier on his way home to England, spotted Malta from afar. Little did he know that he and his wife would be visiting that small island more than 90 times over a period of 30 years. “When we first arrived in Malta, it was very different – there were fewer buildings and more fields,” Aida Whitehead told The Malta Independent yesterday. “When we first stayed at Qawra, there were only two hotels, all the rest was fields.” Now on their 96th visit to Malta, there is little doubt that the couple have truly fallen in love with the island. They also love staying in Qawra and this is the 30th time they are staying at the Palm Court Hotel...

Observing Tanzania

From IPP Media - Guardian of the United Republic of Tanzania, former president of Malta, Prof Guido de Marco, to lead Commonwealth observers for Tanzania elections:

Former President of Malta and chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation, Prof Guido de Marco, will lead a team of Commonwealth poll observers to the country during the general election set for October 30. Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon made the announcement in a statement issued by the Communication and Public Affairs Division of the Commonwealth secretariat in the United Kingdom yesterday..

..The statement said the secretary-general’s decision to send a team of observers was at the request from the Tanzanian government. An assessment mission from the Commonwealth secretariat visited the country last month and established that the team had the support of the government. The observers have been invited in their individual capacities and the views they express regarding the elections will be their own and not those of either their respective governments or the Commonwealth secretariat,’ the statement added.

More from The Times

Malta News Digest - October13 to October19

Wednesday19: Malta 12th most transparent in EU; Meeting targets set by Lisbon Agenda; Bird flu simulation exercise
Tuesday18: MLP discusses illegal immigration in Libya; Reaching out to the poor, by Fr Frankie Cini; Bird flu - Tests on poultry, wild ducks ; Malta war veteran tells of emotional reunion; Malta proposes small states network in World Bank, IMF; Avviz bi hlas, minn Toni Abela
Monday17: Guy Ritchie planning his next movie Knights of Malta; Cohesive and focused - David Kelleher talks to Alfred Sant; Interview - A direct link with Brussels; Talking Point - Baying at the moon by Lino Spiteri, and more; Il-Festival ta’ l-Ibliet Storici: Il-Konti Ruggieru “lura” fl-Imdina; Il-pustier li sar professur
Sunday16: From the People's Daily Online, the Chinese vice premier 'speaks highly of Sino-Malta relations'; MaltaMedia among finalists of Malta Journalism Awards; Government to shut the stable door, by Noel Grima; Time for the Church to speak out, by Caruana Galizia; Game of Chinese mirrors, by J. G. Vassallo; Flores on the Akkademja tal-Malti; Dorothy Dunnett Siege of Malta; Why the US is building a new embassy in Malta; Smash and grab, James Debono talks to Smash TV owner; Il-Prim Ministru jrid icaqlaq il-Monument tal-Helsien; It-taqbida bejn il-progress u t-tradizzjoni, minn Charles Flores
Saturday15: EU embarks on 'listening' blitz; Se jkollna bazi tan-NATO f’Malta?
Friday14: Ggantija temples restored; Muniti ta’ zmien il-krucjati, minn Daniela Attard Bezzina
Thursday13: Sheffield United on ground-breaking tour of Malta; Majority of students have access to the Internet; Online poll respondents admit to racism and intolerance; EU needs to develop its own ME policy - de Marco

Boosting tourism

From the Europa site, European Tourism Forum in Malta: Boosting a multi-billion euro sector:

The tourism industry is one of the leading global economic activities, a multi-billion-euro industry with 700 million international travellers per year around the world, and more of half of them visiting Europe. By 2020 international travellers will more than double to 1.6 billion. The European Commission organises a European Tourism Forum every year to exchange views on how this important branch of industry will remain competitive. The fourth edition of the Forum, to be held in Malta on 19 to 21 October 2005, will highlight, amongst other, better regulation and sustainable development...

European Tourism Forum - Malta

Parliamentary soul searching

The chairman of the foreign affairs parliamentary committee takes a cue from Eurobarometer to ask a number of pertinent questions. It is not too difficult to come up with some of the answers - Parliament is not the only Maltese institution that requires reform. From today's Times:

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi yesterday urged fellow MPs to discuss why, according to a Eurobarometer survey, the level of trust in the Maltese Parliament had fallen to 38 per cent from a high of 56 per cent in the Spring of 2003. Dr Azzopardi said in an adjournment speech in the House that this survey finding should serve as an eye-opener and an opportunity for soul searching. It was no comfort that confidence had also declined in the Parliaments of other countries.

Had the Maltese people become disillusioned with the way Parliament worked? Was it because the people were not yet truly informed about the workings of Parliament? Was it because the House needed to communicate its message better? Did the House need a Press and Communications Office? Was it because of the way Parliament was reported, or not reported, in the press? Was it because MPs were finding it difficult to reach out to their constituents while attending to ever-increasing parliamentary duties? Was it because Parliament was still considered as being a government department - the only Parliament in the EU which still lacked autonomy and flexibility?...

Partying

Björn Strömblom 'reporting live from Malta' for the Swimp Blog. Episode 512, From Malta with love, with photos:

I've been down here for about 4 weeks now and I think I'm starting to get a pretty good feel for what Malta is all about. Well I could say something sophisticated like the unique architecture or all the nice people, but since this is a blog and not a traveling magazine I better stick to the truth, so what is Malta all about? Let me spell it out for you, P A R T Y I N G! Yes that all they do except work their asses off for something which is about a half Swedish minimum wage. And then they go clubbing! And this isn't only the younger ones, this applies for every one from the age of 16 to 60. Well yeah, don't be chocked if you see a 50 year old dude shake his ass with a 25 year old hot Maltese girl. I'm telling you this is a crazy country. I'm used to drink every now and then, mostly weekends, but since when I got here it's been like weekend every day of the week...

Second thoughts

Today on Reuters, 'Malta robbers snatch woman's purse, then return it':

Two hooded gunmen who robbed a pharmacy returned an elderly woman's purse after she told them it contained the only money she had to buy medicine, Maltese newspapers reported on Tuesday. The two men barged into a pharmacy at Marsascala, a seaside village in the south of the island, on Monday and took 600 Malta liri (957 pounds) from the till after threatening the pharmacist with their guns. One of them grabbed the purse held by the elderly woman who was waiting to be served, then handed it back after her pleading and rushed out to a waiting motor cycle.

On the way to Afghanistan

SC Eagle blogs about his military deployment at A storm in Afghanistan but is currently on a family break in Malta. His observations about Malta begin as a reflection on the island's history and heritage and end as a contemplation on war and peace. From Scenes from Malta:

Some have asked what there is to do in Malta. Good question. After a week here, I can tell you - we're not sure. Malta's been around for thousands of years. Being that it's directly in the middle of the Med, has a large natural harbor, and is a large chunk of rock in the middle of the sea, it was destined to be stumbled upon by people in boats, as far back as the early Phoenicians (check your history books)..

On some tours, they'll point out all the fortifications. On other tours, they discuss all the times Malta's been conquered. Conclusion - Malta has built a lot of unsuccessful, yet impressive fortifications. All that said, Malta is an impressive, sleepy town. Yes, yes, Malta is really many towns, but it really seems like one big town. Everything is tucked into corners and any available spot that can be found. The people are friendly. Crime seems minor. The newspaper carries such major stories as the new car fleet at Avis and McDonald's has a new menu. We have had quite a bit of fun just wandering and meandering. We picked up a stack of brochures and tried a few of the tours..

Some interesting experiences? Well, on one day, while wandering around the capital of Valleta, we learned that there was going to be a military tattoo. A tattoo is basically like a military music concert / marching demonstration...Of a special devious pleasure for me, there was a protest set-up in a square just down the street from the square where the tattoo was...All the goodies were there. There were signs for "Peace Not War", "All Different, All Equal" (not a math major), protests against McDonald's, Nike, Adidas, the usual exhortations for workers to unite... I was just soooo tempted to go and introduce myself and what I do for a living, but...

Heavy rain

Kevin Blake, who blogs at Even the wrong words seem to ryhme, compares the consequences of heavy rain in Malta and Cyprus. From 'It never rains in Cyprus':

I actually feel rather fortunate to be in Cyprus while it’s raining. Just a few days ago I wondered what it would be like. A few years ago I visited Malta during the middle of February. Malta is supposed to be gorgeous sunshine for all but about 5 days in the year - where it rains heavily. Because of that, they don’t really care about small things like rain - so when it does rain - there is quite a large flood problem on the hilly roads.

There was nothing at all like that in Cyprus. This rain hasn’t exactly clogged the streets, and there appears to be more than adequate drainage. Nobody’s been running through the city screaming of the end of the world, nor dancing in the streets. With the exception of a few shop workers coming to watch from under the cover of their shopfronts, everyone’s gone about their business as if nothing’s different to the day before...

Sino - Malta relations

From the People's Daily Online, the Chinese vice premier 'speaks highly of Sino-Malta relations':

Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said in Beijing Friday it is in the interest of both nations and peoples to further develop the friendly relations between China and Malta. Hui, also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark at a meeting with Tonio Borg, deputy prime minister and deputy leader of the Nationalist Party (NP) of Malta.

Hui said both the CPC and the Chinese government attach great importance to the bilateral relations and are ready to join hands with the NP and the government of Malta to promote the comprehensive and in-depth development of the party-to-party and nation-to-nation relations. Borg said the Malta-China friendship is deeply rooted in the heart of the two peoples, and will be consolidated and further developed with the joint efforts of the two governments and political parties.

More from China View

A gradual transition back to Europe

For Dave, who is touring Italy and Tunisia, landing in Malta is a 'gradual transition back to Europe'. Before moving on to Sicily from Tunisia, he stops for two days to explore Malta:

The place we’re staying, the Asti Guest House on St. Ursula Street 18, is a delightful little B&B run by an old lady and her sister. The house has been in the family for generations. The lady’s husband, who died a few years ago, had been an electrician who liked collecting crystal from broken chandeliers; he assembled a massive beautiful chandelier out of them which hangs from the stone arches in the breakfast room..

The guidebook recommended a restaurant in Marsascala which turned out to have a stupid menu; the next one we stumbled on was a wonderful little place called Tal-Familja which basically made us a Maltese tasting menu with fish soup, pumpkin soup, octopus stew, fried cheese, and lampuki, their favorite fish which is in season only in September and October. The wine was also quite good, and they were very nice, popular with locals and tourists alike..

Monday we set out to explore Valletta, the capital city where we’re staying. We went to the Museum of Archaeology, where the best artifacts from the prehistoric sites around the island are collected. In addition to spiral designs on rocks much like at Bend of the Boyne in Ireland, there are many representations of animals and humans. There was even a tiny model of a temple. Then we went to St. John’s Co-Cathedral, a large church which, though rather plain on the outside, had every square inch of floor, wall, and ceiling decorated on the inside. It was also packed with people. The floor was essentially a mortuary in which the person buried beneath each 1 x 3 meter plot had an inlaid stone picture in which he was illustrated as a skeleton in some context..

In the afternoon we set back out to see some of the prehistoric places which had been closed late on Sunday. There was a cave called Ghar Dalam in which many, many bones from European hippopotami, elephants, deer, and other animals had been found: these were exhibited in the “old museum” sorted by bone type — all the molars here, all the toe bones there, etc. A “new museum” room was a little more explanatory, showing where everything fit in in the timeine of the Earth. The Hagar Qim and Mnadrja temple sites were similar to the Tarxien temple we saw on Sunday, but on closer inspection revealed even more in common with the Boyne site, including alignment with the sun (it would shine in particular places on equinoxes and solstices), and corbelled roofs (slabs gradually inset over each other)...

Michael Sandle

The London artist who created the Malta Siege Bell Memorial in Valletta is exhibiting his works at The Drawing Gallery. Michael Sandle, one of Europe’s most original artists of the past fifty years has received numerous international awards. Inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II, thirteen years ago, the Siege Bell Memorial commemorates the dead of World War II. The bell rings daily at noon. From ArtDaily:

Reflecting upon the significance of drawing within his broad practice Sandle wrote recently: ‘I do not think of myself as being primarily a sculptor. I think of myself as being simply a visual artist. Drawing – and I include watercolour painting here – and printmaking – are as important to me as sculpture. I trawl my so-called ‘sub-consciousness’ or imagination for ideas and images. Drawing is for me the main method of fixing and developing these ideas and images, which may or may not be carried through into sculpture. My approach is not necessarily analytical, some things I just have to do because of neurotically obsessional or emotional involvement, but I do also often say to myself, quite objectively, “What would happen if I do this?” and try out many variations of an idea in my sketchbooks. It will be fairly obvious that my choice of subject matter does not reflect a particularly optimistic outlook; the human condition in my view is essentially tragic. This is perhaps why I have always been extraordinarily moved by the First World War.’

Too many memorials: 'Britain's ever-growing number of World War II memorials are marked more by vanity and kitsch than dignity and restraint—unlike the monuments built after the Great War'

Malta News Digest - October6 to October12

Wednesday12: Francis Berry’s ‘The Bride of Mosta’ launched; GWU calls for revision of cost-of-living calculation; Nelson and Malta: a naval hero’s vision; Bagit 2006: Il-GWU thabbar il-proposti
Tuesday11: Young Maltese violinist James Grech passes away; Chilean on Maltese warrant arrested in Miami; FOI calls for re-examination of lira’s fixed euro exchange rate; Birds without wings by Kenneth Zammit Tabona; Who were they? by Frank Salt; X’biza’!... se jiekluna, minn Joe Chetcuti; Gimgha dedikata lill-harsien tal-patrimonju
Monday10: From the Guardian, the Maltese language and the new $1billion industry for Europe; Malta Diary Project launched at Bay Street; Maritime employment by Censu Galea; BBC interested in memories of Queen
Sunday9: Lawyers claim Lockerbie evidence was erroneous; Another 70 immigrants repatriated to Egypt, Libya seeks control, and more; easyJet to be first major low-cost airline to fly to Malta; Scandal as regulator crosses over; Mobile phone costs from Malta under EU scrutiny; Racial tensions run high following ANR rally; Crusades: Myth and Realities; Racism has uncovered 'political opportunism'; Colouring Malta by Lino Spiteri; Humanitarian crisis by Pamela Hansen; Outrage as Arts Council scraps Francis Ebejer award; Malta’s bizarre Iraqi deal ; Gerald Digby - wiehed mis-suldati tal-azzar, minn Victor Scerri; Qalulu: “F’Malta jsewwu kollox”... u baqa’ hawn, minn Charles Flores;