2005 - That was the year that was

Events in Malta over the past year were dominated by the usual combative MLP-PN crossfire, a relatively stagnant domestic economy and increased arrivals of migrants from Africa. New buildings continued to rise on what remains of the traditional landscape and roads were resurfaced to accomodate visiting dignitaries. CHOGM, which captured the headlines in the later part of the year, gave Malta a hint of international attention even if it was largely ignored by the global media. From an organisational perspective, the event was good practice for what is to come when Malta takes the presidency of the European Union in 2017.

In contrast to the Commonwealth's objectives of racial harmony and global understanding, extreme right wing organisations took centre stage in Malta during the past 12 months. From the views of the villainous Norman Lowell who advocates shooting migrants at sea to the less extreme ANR who model themselves on the Italian post-fascists. Thankfully, the mainstream political parties are increasingly collaborative in handling this challenge.

In spring, Labour won the local elections convincingly thanks to growing disaffection with the administration. According to Eurobarometer surveys, the Maltese public became more pessimistic about national economic and political prospects and also lukewarm about their personal expectations. As with the rest of the European public, the Maltese have also become increasingly euro-sceptical despite the parliamentary consensus on the shelved European Constitution. A new comprehensive Malta survey due to be published by the European Commission in mid-January suggests that this slide has now come to a halt.

In the wider world, Live8 offered hope to many Africans but the international media was dominated by the barbaric attacks in places such as London and Baghdad and also by the natural disasters in Asia, the USA and elsewhere.

From a personal perspective, my year was spent working as a university lecturer in the Czech Republic and as an editor of Eurobarometer surveys. 2006 will be spent less in cold Central Europe and more in the warm Mediterranean due to my involvement in other EU financed research projects closer to home.

Equally enjoyable was my daily blogging here on Wired Temples, independently at first, and then as part of the MaltaMedia team. As in the case of Toni Sant's blog, 2005 represents the first complete calendar year for WT. Winning third place in the Malta Journalism Awards for my blog efforts was very encouraging. Following developments in the Maltese blogosphere was also a continuous delight throughout the year. Having guest bloggers ( more to come in 2006) on Wired Temples was another highlight and I particularly enjoyed listening to Toni's Maltese podcasts. I hope to go a step further with my activity at MaltaMedia during 2006 and also plan to give more attention to my other personal blog and to writing for other local and foreign media channels.

All the blog entries of 2005 can be read via the archives on the sidebar and they are an alternative medium to chronicle the year and to look back on the ideas, people and events that shaped it. A monthly snapshot for those who lack the time or patience:

January: Local elected official resigns over racist activism; Europe observes minutes of silence for Tsunami victims; Maltese people lead the world happiness barometer.

February: Turkey blocks Malta's bid to rejoin NATO's Partnership for Peace; Remembering Malta's first female President; Council of Europe examines corrupt practices in Malta; Corto Maltese turned into French film.

March: Maltese Wikipedia takes shape; Malta in bottom place on Lisbon strategy scoreboard; Political bias and local elections.

April: The death of Pope John Paul II; Blog reactions to the election of Benedict XVI.

May: A pro-European NO in France; Government proposal ruins abortion consensus; Chiara and the Eurovision in blogosphere; The demise of Julian Manduca.

June: Pakistani doctor recalls Karin Grech; The first blog carnival; Malta ranks highest on belief in God; First feature on Maltese blogs in the mainstream press.

July: Death of British Prime Minister who undertook tough negotiations with Malta; Judith Miller's Malta connection with KMB interview; Letter from a wounded London.

August: Songwriting malaise; A tribute in London for Maltese heroes; Malta's film commissioner censored by the authorities; Remembering Gerry Zammit and Robin Cook; The Raison D'etre of Wired Temples.

September: Blogging at the European Parliament; The latest Malta Eurobarometer; Croat shame at Ta'Qali stadium.

October: Immigrant frustration in Malta reported by BBC; Maltese people disillusioned by Parliament; The Guardian publishes article about Malta's language question; Aboutmalta newsletter marks fifth anniversary.

November: Guest blogging by Martin Debattista and Toni Sant; The Queen visits her island of happiness; MaltaMedia clean sweep at Journalism awards.

December: Amnesty issues Malta statement; Maltese antipathy towards divorce featured by Reuters; Guest blogging by Coryse Borg; UK gets Malta support on EU budget.

Munich in Malta

According to a report on Sky News, Steven Spielberg spent around Lm5 million last summer while filming the movie Munich in Malta:

The report, prepared by Sky correspondent Rachel Ammett, began with some stunning footage of Grand Harbour by night, and focused at length on a particular corner of Valletta, where the British Hotel is situated and where some of the kidnap scenes were filmed. Snippets of the film were also shown in the report. Ms Ammett interviewed Malta’s Film Commissioner Oliver Mallia, who explained that the film had not been shot in the usual locations for which Malta is famous but featured places – such as a café in Rabat – that are not normally featured in films which are shot on our islands.

Ms Ammett said that filming of large budget films is rapidly becoming an important mainstay of the Maltese economy which was, no doubt, music to the ears of the government, which has long been touting the potential of this industry. She also spoke to a taxi driver who said that he had worked for Brad Pitt when he was here filming Troy and to an extras coordinator who said that around 1,000 local people had taken part in Munich.

With a history that is the envy of most countries and with diverse foreign rulers that have included the Knights of St John, the French and the British, Malta is ideally poised to exploit the important niche market of blockbuster films, said Ms Ammett. “You can now add Hollywood to that list”, she concluded – an ideal sweetener for those who dream.

Social Software

Aleks Krotoski, who studies the psychology of online social networks, writes about social software in this Guardian piece. He says that it is the internet's latest revolution creating new connections and brings people together:

Whether you know it or not, if you've used the internet recently you have been part of the revolution that will integrate technology more thoroughly into our lives and blur the boundaries between us and machines. But don't panic - this is a stride towards social advancement. This revolution goes under the name of "social software", and it is the element that elevates the internet from a simple tool into an interpersonal phenomenon, connecting people in a meaningful way.

While the names of many of the websites involved - such as del.icio.us, Orkut or Flickr - might be unfamiliar, the concept behind them is simple: to bring together widely-scattered groups to meet on common ground. In doing so they develop relationships, create reputations, generate politics between people who would never have met if it weren't for the connections that emerge from social software. Rather than destroying communities, it creates them. Social software corrects one of the most significant failings of the world wide web...

Addolorata

Kenneth Borg blogs at The day I attended to my funeral. In his latest post, he writes about a photo featuring the Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery with which he will participate in a photographic competition:

Il-ħmistax ta' Jannar se tkun id-deadline ta' kompetizzjoni fotografika lokali bit-tema ta’ patrimonju kulturali u ddeċidejt li nidħlilha. Tfajt mużika daqsxejn alternattiva (Martin Grech, Goldfrapp u Interpol) u ntfajt nipprepara erba’ xogħolijiet fuq stil monochrome. S’issa lestejt wieħed u nofs, għalkemm il-probabilità hi li sakemm tingħalaq il-kompetizzjoni nkun għamilt xi erba' modifikazzjonijiet oħra. Jaf illum ritratt tarah tajjeb, għada tarah b’nuqqas ta kuntrast, pitgħada żżidlu d-dawl u pit-pitgħada tneħħilu xi dabra sewda li kont għadek ma nnutajthiex.

Dan ir-ritratt fuq in-naħa tal-lemin huwa wieħed mix-xogħolijiet li se nitfa’. Għal min forsi għadu ma ndunax din hija l-knisja taċ-ċimiterju tal-Addolorata, il-Marsa. Din il-knisja tfakkarni f’żewġ affarijiet: i) fir-rumanz pop qasir ta’ Stagno ‘Inbid ta’ Kuljum’ għax hemm referenza diretta għal din il-knisja partikolari; u ii) f’parti minn dan iċ-ċimiterju fejn kienu jindifnu dawk il-laburisti li mietu fi żmien l-interdett, ‘l hekk imsejħa ‘miżbla’...

Meier's German adventure

The Meier's German Adventure is the platform for Lisa to blog about her travels with Scott and the children Kaitlyn & Jake. She wrote this about their Malta visit:

This sunny morning our shipped pulled into port in the city of La Valletta, Malta. This little Mediterranean island situated between the North African coast and Sicily has so much history. The ancient Greeks claimed the island had divine origins. In Homer's Odyssey, Ulysses landed on Malta. In the Middle Ages, the Crusaders partially fortified the island during their expeditions to the Holy Land, giving rise to the powerful Maltese Knights. The apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the island and remained on Malta for three months. During this time the island was converted to Christianity and today, 99% of the Maltese people are Catholics. It has been invaded by the Turks, the French and even the British. We decided to do one of the ship's excursions today. We chose the Megalithic Temples tour. In the picture behind Jake is our first stop - the archaeological site of Hagar Qim, that means "Sacred Stones".

Marion at sea

Marion from Australia has set up a blog to record her travels and work on a cruise ship. She spent a forthnight in Malta two weeks ago:

This photo was taken about two weeks ago on the small island of Gozo, Malta with my good friend Hannah. She was a fabulous host and showed me around her little "rock" of Malta. I had a great time meeting her friends (all at once!) and enjoying the Maltese life for a couple of weeks. One of the highlights was going out in Paceville and totally by accident, seeing Ira Losco playing live at The Alley. She is a Maltese singer and she is awesome! I had a fabulous time and even bought her CD a few days later, which features on my mp3 player at the moment! Check her out www.iralosco.com

Writings of the Lone Maltese Rider

Ishmael Muscat is a 24 year old racing mountain biker & cyclist who blogs at Writings of the Lone Maltese Rider. He rides for the cycling club of Mosta and was recently in Melbourne, Australia for a training camp. In his latest entry, he discusses the effects of travelling on cycling:

It is widely agreed that the effects of travelling on the human body is detrimental to immune systems. Scientists articulate that travelling West to East seems to aid the adaptation of the human body’s biorhythms better than travelling East to West. Nevertheless, whatever the travelling direction, the negative impact of travelling on athletes has been verified through the various studies carried out over the past decades.

Numerous critics articulate various means of combating the so-called ‘jet lag’ effect. Believe it or not, crossing the Atlantic earlier this year left an indelible stain on my biorhythmic system, even though various precautions had been taken. The worse part was returning back to Malta from New York City after having spent two days in Italy on my way back. The sleep patterns reflected late last September were quite worrying-it took me 3 days to get into my normal sleeping hours pattern, with the worse part being the first two days when I was hitting the sack not before 04:00!

Yet, it is not only the difference in time that leaves an indelible temporary stain on one’s immune system. Think of travelling vertically North or vertically South, such as a long 10-hour trip to South Africa. The travelling effects are just as bad and need a couple of days to disappear...

Siege and Destiny

Bright B. Simons is a UK based Ghanaian film-maker and migrants rights activist. His research feature about Malta has just been published in WorldPress. He takes a historical look at the "ethnic stock" of the Maltese islands, interviews key stake holders and experts and takes a close look at the way Malta is handling the challenges posed by immigration. From World Press:

..So, on the issue of the desirability of increased European involvement to offset some of the pressure on the Maltese government, there does appear, thankfully, to be some sort of national consensus evolving. In the case, however, of how to treat migrants detained by the military during the course of attempts to enter Malta without the requisite paperwork, or after being rescued from sinking vessels off the islands' coasts, the situation is entirely different..

..I took it to mean he was referring to that ancient habit of islanders to be wary of the "change" that inevitably must follow in the wake of the stranger; to the crippling anxiety that attends getting "used to" this change and "sense of change." For people so used to associating change with conflict, and subsequent resistance, as the Maltese historically have been, such an attitude is clearly a collective defense mechanism. But like any defense mechanism the transformation to self-harm can often be subtle, and insidious.

It recalls a similar incident towards the end of the 18th century, The Bonapartists who had initially been welcomed as saviors from the unjust, unfair aristocratic status quo had been relieved of their favor in a general insurrection and Valetta was once again under siege. But this time it was the Maltese doing the besieging.

Migration island - more from Wired Temples

Christmas Play Diary

MaltaGirl, convenor of the first Malta blog awards, takes her readers through the production stages of a church Christmas play that she has directed. Her diary starts with script preparations and ends with the encore at the first performance. From Diverse Ramblings:

Start rehearsals with kiddies, deal diplomatically with the sulking that ensues when you cast the play. Have a little lottery to see who gets to be the princess. Explain what an understudy is. Compromise by letting one little girl be Princess for first play performance, and the other for the second..

Spend the next half-an-hour walking everyone through the play, glossing over the bits that include props you don't have yet. Yell a lot. Yell at adults who keep wandering into the room. Swear under your breath (so the kiddies can't hear you). Yell some more. Feel bad when you yell at an adult who interrupts practice, because then you realise she only wanted to give you a Christmas present. Feel very relieved then the walk-through is finally over...

Presepju

In this MaltaMedia feature, Brian Bonnici writes about his lifelong enthusiasma for cribs:

..Niftakarni li meta kull nhar ta' Sibt konna mmorru ghand in-nanna, f'dawn iz-zminijiet, kont nintefa quddiem il-presepju li kien jintrama f'dahla fil-hajt u ma kontx niccaqlaq minn quddiemu. Nistqarr li mhux darba u tnejn li hadt lill-pasturi passiggata madwar il-presepju kollu u bejn diskursata u ohra maghhom il-hin kien itir. Tista' tghid li d-diskursata dejjem kienet tkun dwar il-qaghda ta' hbiebi l-pasturi, il-post fejn tpoggew u l-paraguni bejn pastur tat-tafal u iehor ta-xemgha. S'intendi dan kont naghmlu meta kont inkun wahdi ghax allahares kienu jaqbduni imqar nahsel sieq xi pastur fl-ghajn..

Iva l-presepju jnissel fija entuzjazmu mhux tas-soltu, inissel paci li twasslek kwazi f'estasi (dan dejjem meta jkun lest, ghaliex waqt li nkun qed narmah mhux darba u tnejn li tlift il-pacenzja u wehel mieghi l-ghageb tal-presepju). Imbaghad meta nintefa' fid-dalma quddiem dak il-presepju li nkun ghadni kemm bnejt, b'xi ghanja tal-Milied fl-isfond u b'idi shan bil-kikkra tal-kafe` tahraq, quddiem ghajnejja nibda ngib ix-xeni sbieh li nkun ghadni kemm rajt f'Wied Qirda waqt li kont qed nigbor ftit haxix biex naghti lill-presepju dehra aktar naturali. Hawn f'imnifsejja nhoss diehla rieha friska ta' haxix u rancis u l-pulmun jintela' bl-arja friska ta' l-irdum ta' Had-Dingli minn fejn kont gbart il-gebel rustiku, filwaqt li l-pasturi jfakkruni wkoll fil-hajja semplici ta' l-imghoddi u t-tradizzjonijiet Maltin u ta' pajjizi girien taghna fosthom Sqallija...

The largest crib in the world; Presepi Italiani
Send a Xmas Card

Amnesty concerns

Amnesty International have issued a public statement about the investigation of incidents at the Hal-Safi Detention Centre. It comments about the 'excessive use of force and ill-treatment of detainees by armed forces'. Amnesty is urging the Maltese government to 'bring the perpetrators to justice in proceedings that meet international fair trial standards and to give the victims an effective remedy, including compensation':

Amnesty International is deeply concerned about the ill-treatment and excessive use of force by Maltese authorities against individuals held at the Hal-Safi barracks detention centre on 13 January 2005 as described in the report (published 12 December 2005) of the results of the investigation of the Board of Inquiry appointed by the Maltese government to investigate the incident. The Board of Inquiry found, among other things, the army officers assigned to control the Hal-Safi detention centre did not have sufficient training for this type of work. It found certain members of the armed forces did not understand their role in supporting the principal action to coerce the protesters back into the detention centre. It also found there was an overall lack of coordination between soldiers in the execution of their plan to subdue the protesters. The inquiry found that each of these factors led to several members of the armed forces applying excessive force “exaggerated and out of proportion in the circumstances” in their attempts to force the protesters back into the detention centre...

Background from MaltaMedia; more by Sharon Spiteri and Majistral

Student newspapers facing threats

Patrik Kronqvist writes about student newspapers in Europe that pay a high price for their investigative journalism. From Spine:

..Mark Sciriha is the editor of the newspaper Insiter at the university of Malta. This autumn the newspaper revealed the result of an investigation that showed that there were more bacteria on the tables of the cafeteria than on the seats of its toilets. – When we published the news, suddenly a thousand newspapers disappeared from our newspaper stands. After that we were sued by the company that ran the cafeteria, he says.

In March Mark Sciriha and the writer of the article, Anthony Gatt, are going to court in Malta, charged with defamation. They stand the risk of having to pay a big damage. Mark Sciriha was one of the participants at a conference for European student newspapers in Budapest in the end of November. Remarkably many of the participants testified about difficulties in carrying on with the investigative journalism in their home countries...

Slower pace

Malta is historic getaway for those seeking a slower pace, writes Sonya Rabbitte for Deutsche Presse-Agentur:

An archipelago at the foot of Europe with a tiny population and no natural resources, Malta is often overlooked and underestimated. But what it lacks in stature and people power it makes up for with a strategic location, a colourful past - and with its accession to the European Union last year - an apparently bright future..

The main shopping strip on Republic Street has some familiar brand names and a few decent cafes. But really there isn't enough in Valletta to entertain for more than an afternoon. The city's population, now less than 10,000, has been falling since World War II and the streets are noticeably quiet. But tourists don't come to Malta for the bustling crowds or the hectic nightlife. In fact many of them hop on a boat to neighbouring Gozo - one of just three inhabited islands making up the Maltese island chain - to sample a quieter way of life...

Miscellaneous blogs (4)

Wayne Flask blog

Rocker's and Runners space - Mark Anthony's space

Malta photos from TrekEarth

The Editor of Motoring ( S Times) blogs here

Valletta on Logical Theory

Louis Henwood's Senglea

Gabriella - 1/2 Swedish, 1/4 Maltese, 1/4 Sicilian

El Debono - Travel adventures

Valletta photos by Ancient Skipper

Suzanne - semi professional singer & dancer

Married to the EU but No to divorce

Robin Pomeroy writes that Malta's unhappily married couples have three options if they want to live apart. From Reuters:

..Like Bezzina, they can just do it, having children with another partner but remaining married to the first; they can apply for a religious or secular annulment -- in which they have to prove before a tribunal that the marriage never really existed or was based on a fraudulent premise; or they can get what Malta calls a `separation'. With separation, a legal ruling establishes practical details such as the division of property and rights to see children, but the couples remain officially married -- meaning they cannot re-marry and, the law actually states, must remain faithful. "One can but smile when the judge warns the couple: 'Listen: you are now legally separated but that does not mean you can have a partner or have sex with anybody else,' -- when the new partner is waiting outside so they can go off together hand-in-hand," said Bezzina...

"Il-Maltin jibzghu hafna mid-divorjzu"

Writings of a Caoimhin

Coemgen is touched by a sad Xmas story. From Writings of a Caoimhin:

Lejlet il-Milied tas-sena l-ohra, ghaggilt lejn is-supermarket biex nixtri l-ahhar ftit rigali li ma lhaqtx xtrajt qabel. Meta rajt dawk in-nies kollha kienet ser ittini rasi u bdejt ingorr wahdi, 'Nispera li ma nehilx hawn, baqghali tant fejn immur...!' "Il-Milied qed isir idejjaqni aktar, sena wara l-ohra. Nixtieq li norqod u nqum wara li jkun ghadda kollox!" Minkejja kollox ersaqt lejn is-sezzjoni tal-gugarelli. Tghidx x'qata' hadt meta rajt il-prezzijiet li l-gugarelli kienu mmarkati bihom. Possibbli li t-fal jilghabu bihom dawn! Kollox fuq kollox kelli nidhol u fil-pront innotajt tifel ta' madwar 5 snin izomm pupa ma' sidru. Kontinwament kien qieghed imelles xaghar il-pupa b'wicc mimli dieqa. 'Min jaf ghal min riedha dik il-pupa?'...

Malaysian software

From Bernama, the Malaysian News Agency, Malta Govt Dept Selects Malaysian Software:

The Internal Audit and Inspection Department (IAID) of Malta has selected a software developed in Malaysia to help it with its increasingly complex audit responsibilities, following the country's entry into the European Union. The IAID, which is part of Malta's Prime Minister's office, selected the Malaysian software, called Audit Solutions Generator, after a full international tender process and extensive assessment. The software was developed here by Columbus Circle Technologies Sdn Bhd (CCT), which is part of the Multimedia Super Corridor, and in Malta, it would be supported by Information Technology Services who are business partners of Columbus Circle in Europe, a statement from CCT said Thursday.

Columbus Circle's managing director, Navin Pasricha said the IAID was looking for a state-of-the-art software that was extremely flexible and with the ability to handle the most complex multi-site internal audits. "Their needs are actually extensive because they are the internal auditors of all government departments and agencies in Malta. They also perform audits on projects that have EU funding," he said...

Euro we go...

The main story of most of today's papers is that we're going to get a substantial amount of dosh from the EU. According to The Times of Malta:

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was all smiles yesterday as Malta secured a net EU budget package of €455 million (around Lm194 million) over a seven-year period. After more than 17 hours of intense negotiations in Brussels, which ended at 3 a.m. yesterday, Malta managed to retain the same terms negotiated under the Luxembourg presidency with a few additional sweeteners. Of the €805 million it will receive from the EU, Malta has to contribute €312 million to the EU budget and another €38 million to the UK rebate for the period 2007-13 - leaving it with a net amount of €455 million.

In more 'euro news', shops and the service industry will be made to display their products in both lira and euro in 2007. Read the article here.

This is my last post here at Wired Temples. I’ve must say I've enjoyed writing here, although I was rather nervous abot it… and thanks to Toni and Robert who finally managed to convince me to take the plunge!

It's that time again...

Yet again it’s soon time for the annual pantomime to be performed by the MADC at the Manoel Theatre. Having taken part in my fair share of pantos, it never fails to amaze me that it manages to sell-out in a few hours. In fact I remember one of the people who work in the Manoel’s booking office telling me last year that the theatre’s website had crashed because there were thousands of people trying to access it at the same time to book their seats.

Now I know that a lot of people take their kids to the panto because they (the kids I mean) enjoyed the fairy-tale, the music and so on. But what attracts the more adult theatre-goers to return year after year, to purchase their tickets, sometimes after queuing for hours on end? Last year we (I say we because I played the evil Queen Vindicta in last years panto) had to add on an extra performance to the 24 original ones as there was so much demand.

I have a theory. I think it is because the panto is one of the few places where one can find honest-to-goodness satire. There are still too many people on this island who have not learnt that it is ok to laugh at yourself sometimes. The panto pokes fun at people in a funny way and it’s ok to laugh. I think that is why the recent ‘Four Play’ and ‘Bla Kommixxin’ theatre productions were sold out. Net TV’s ‘Zinners’ is another good example. Not everyone ‘gets’ it, but those who do find it hilarious. Maybe finally people are realising that we don’t have to be so serious all the time.

Anyway, if you want to watch the panto, there’s some information about this year's offering on The Times, apart from other places . But hurry up because I doubt there’s many tickets left!

Tiny Malta feels pressure of immigrant traffic

From Reuters:

VALLETTA, Malta - More densely populated than Bangladesh, Malta has little room to house illegal immigrants. Even the newcomers, fleeing to Europe from war and poverty in Africa and Asia, know the island is approaching crisis point.

"There are 400,000 people here. The problem is the land isn't enough for the Maltese, so how about the refugees?" said Mohammed Abdull Osman, a 26-year-old Somali who like thousands of others landed in Malta in a fishing boat from Libya.

This year at least 1,800 immigrants have arrived in Malta -- a rocky outcrop barely twice the size of Washington, D.C. at just 122 square miles.

Read the whole article here.

Read more about this issue on MaltaMedia's special feature:
Lanċa Ġejja u Oħra Sejra: Malta and its migrations.

Etnikafe on DVD

It’s with rather a lot of trepidation that I approach my weekend stint at guest-blogging Wired Temples. After all, I’ve only been a ‘blogger proper’ for, let’s see, three whole days now! Anyway, let me start off slowly and see where that gets me...

Being a long-time Etnika (Malta’s fabulous folk band) fan, I took my mother to watch the latest Etnika concert last August. It was my third time and her first and she is now a convert. At the end of the concert, she was already telling me that she would definitely go next year… and this time, she’d take my dad, a musician himself in the sixties, just like the dad of Etnika’s fronstman Andrew Alamango.

Every year Etnika puts up a fantastic show… and every year, Andrew worries that he won’t have enough money/sponsorship to put a concert up the next year. Well, while living in hope that there will be one next year, you can watch last year’s offering on DVD, according to The Times:

Etnika are releasing on DVD etnikafe-Kabare Malti, the live 2005 concert held near the former Barrakka lift at Lascaris Wharf, in Valletta. The DVD has 14 tracks featuring over 40 performers including Salvu Giordamaina's Village Brass Band and guest appearances by Frans Baldacchino il-Budaj, Toni Spiteri Tal-Gebel, Malta's last exponent of tanbur playing, It-Tommi and Alison Galea of the Beangrowers. It also features innovative use of Maltese instruments such as the zafzafa, zaqq, zummara, tanbur and trepied and high-powered percussion rhythms, evocative flamenco moves and performance art by Help The Blind Artist.

Etnika DVDs are available from all leading record and gift shops and through www.etnika.com.mt. Let's hope that the time will not come that this will be the only way to watch and listen to traditional music.

Coryse Borg to guest blog

Coryse Borg will be guest blogging here on Wired Temples throughout this weekend. Coryse is a well known actress with extensive experience on stage and has brushed her elbow with international stars with parts on full-length feature films like Gladiator (2000). She played the jewish alchemist's wife in Revelation (2001) and the part of the midwife in the US TV film Helen of Troy (2003).

Coryse's first love is the stage and she started acting at the age of 14 when she joined the Manoel Theatre Academy of Dramatic Arts (MTADA). After graduating, she performed in numerous theatrical productions such as Mabel in Oscar Wilde's 'An Ideal Husband', Katrina in 'The Taming of the Shrew', Chiffon in ' Little Shop of Horrors', Maria in 'West Side Story', Hermia in 'A Midsummer's Night Dream', Celia in 'As You Like It' and Queen Vindicta in last year's pantomime 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'. She also took part in the local production of 'The Vagina Monologues'.

Coryse has also participated in theatre courses and performances overseas and has been a soloist and backing vocalist in various musical projects and concerts. She has also worked in the marketing and travel sectors and, until she was discovered by Ridley Scott in 2ooo, was a key member of the MaltaMedia team. She is currently working as a drama teacher and lives with her husband and two cats. Her new blog aims to provide a light-hearted look at life and it is a pleasure to introduce her to the readers of this blog.

Born to be a star - Coryse on her role in Gladiator; The Last word - Coryse talks to Sharon Spiteri; An interview with Ramona Depares; Reesa's Blog

Gil's Malta Trip

Gil Feibleman's Malta travel diary is the first in a series of reports created by Travel Talk by Fodor's Travel Wire:

Our son is a U.S. Marine serving as a Marine Security Guard at the U.S. Embassy in Valletta, Malta, after a six-month stint at the Baghdad embassy. Each year the Marine Corps. plans a formal ball at each foreign embassy to celebrate their anniversary where the guest of honor is the sitting ambassador. Our son suggested that we "pack the tux" and come to Malta. How could we refuse our only son? Then we realized that Sicily was a mere 60 miles away. If we didn't go then, when would we? Next, it was simply a matter of adding a flight out of Rome to finish the trip..

How beautiful the Grand Harbour was in the daylight and at night. The Harbor defenses on the Valletta side and on the other side at the "Three Cities" were just haunting, and at night they glowed. When you learn the history of Malta and realize WWII is just a blip on the historical radar, the significance of these defenses means even more. It is so easy to imagine the Knights of St. John defending the towns, and the photos try to capture their beauty...

3 Weeks in Sicily, Malta & Rome -Trip Report

Violence in New South Wales

Today's editorial of the Daily Telegraph in Australia refers to acts of violence on Maltese and other innocent people in New South Wales:

The vilification and assault of innocent people on Sunday - some of whom were not even of Middle Eastern background, but with ancestry from countries such as Malta and Bangladesh - has been rightly described as a disgrace. But equally disgraceful was the reciprocal violence of Tuesday, perpetrated by young males from the Middle Eastern community. Carloads of young men, ruthlessly terrorising households and businesses of Cronulla, Maroubra and Brighton-le-Sands, in violent reprisal.

Enough is enough. All of these people must draw back and take stock. Before someone is killed, they need to reach a sober consensus. It's time to allow the imposition of the law, to get behind the police as they move to restore civil order, to demand our law-makers - our State Government - properly focus and act on an issue where leadership has been a scant commodity.

Maltese Braille

Hundreds Welcome First Maltese Braille Scriptures, from The Christian Post:

Hundreds gathered in a cathedral on a southern European island south of Sicily to celebrate the first printed volumes of Scripture in Maltese Braille. Members of the congregation listening to the Joy Gospel Singers singing at the launch at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, on Nov. 5, 2005, of the first printed volumes of Scripture in Maltese Braille.

The United Bible Societies (UBS) announced last week that on Nov. 5 at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valetta, more than 300 people attended the launching of the new Braille Scripture. Prior to the completion of the project, Malta’s visually impaired Christians had to read the Scriptures in English Braille. “This has been a dream I have cherished in my heart for 30 years,” Charles Borg, who proofread the Braille text before it was printed, told UBS.

The Society began producing the Scriptures in Maltese Braille last year with the help of Ingrid Felber-Bischof, UBS Coordinator for the Production of Scriptures for the Visually Impaired; David Barnard, Senior Programmer and Braille Transcription Coordinator; and the Rev. Paul Sciberras, who checked that the Braille version matched the printed one...

Sacrifice

In an interview with The Times, EU Commissioner Joe Borg says Malta will have "no more deficit to think about" in three years time thanks to current sacrifices being made. Let's wait and see till 2008 when a general election is due:

It does not surprise Malta's European Commissioner, Joe Borg, that according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, public support in Malta for the EU has waned significantly during the first 18 months of membership, a decline also seen in the other new member states. This was quite natural and expected, he said - he expects things to turn around in a few years' time. "This is a very natural reaction and one can easily understand it. When I was a minister in Malta we had anticipated this scenario. "Change makes people feel a bit insecure but I am sure that the mood will change. One has to give time for the reforms that the government is introducing in all sectors to bear fruit. As the benefits of membership become more visible and tangible, public support will turn around. We have only been in the EU for 18 months."

But how long will we have to wait? In Dr Borg's view, things will be much better in three years' time. "Changes will become more obvious and the benefits will be significant. Let's take budgetary reforms. It is obvious that Malta can't go on carrying a weighty deficit and debt. Sacrifices are being made but they will bear fruit when we have no more deficit to think about. Our economy will be in a much better shape."

Approaching crisis point

Tiny Malta feels pressure of Med immigrant traffic, writes Robin Pomeroy in a feature published today by Reuters, with additional reporting by Nelsom Graves:

More densely populated than Bangladesh, Malta has little room to house illegal immigrants. Even the newcomers, fleeing to Europe from war and poverty in Africa and Asia, know the island is approaching crisis point. "There are 400,000 people here. The problem is the land isn't enough for the Maltese, so how about the refugees?" said Mohammed Abdull Osman, a 26-year-old Somali who like thousands of others landed in Malta in a fishing boat from Libya.

This year at least 1,800 immigrants have arrived in Malta -- a rocky outcrop barely twice the size of Washington DC at just 316 square km (122 sq mile). The wave of migration began in earnest in 2002. Most immigrants land in Malta by mistake as they try to reach the European mainland on overcrowded, wooden fishing boats or are picked up by Maltese authorities, who have a duty to save lives at sea. Just as the new arrivals don't want to be here, many Maltese would rather they were elsewhere. Critics accuse the former British colony's conservative government of having no answers...

Cultural highs and lows

Chiara, Immanuel Mifsud's ‘Kimika’ and the Roman Domus are highlighted by the Malta Independent in a feature about the year's cultural triumphs and failures. A number of well known members of Malta’s cultural scene are asked to list the highs and lows of 2005. Guze Stagno mentions the Maltese blog scene:

“The highest high was probably Chiara’s second placing at the Eurovision, even though the first part of the song’s chorus did sound like Freddie Mercury’s In My Defence. Then there was the release of Abstrass’ debut CD (better late than never, eh, guys?) and the explosion of the Maltese blog scene, which gave plenty of Guzé Stagno wannabes the chance to show us how witty and clever they are. In literature, the publication of Ktieb Ghall-Hruq by Inizjamed brought together many of the best young writers in one volume.

“And the year’s low? Chiara again, I’m afraid. Those doctored Chiara billboards were ridiculous – I’d say that the digital removal of her double chin was a disappearing act worthy of David Copperfield. Then there was the Progress Press vs Immanuel Mifsud soap opera, something which is best forgotten. And finally, a big thumbs down to Bay Radio for failing to include The Rifffs’ Dance Music For The 80’s Depression among the Best Single Ever nominees.”

Stagno's blog

Bloggers gathering

The Gathering Of The Bloggers convened by MaltaGirl will take place on Thursday 22nd December. Get in touch with her as soon as you can. From Diverse Ramblings:

So far there's about ten people coming - if you're not one of them and you want to come, please let me know some time this week by tomorrow morning, i.e. Tuesday 13th December, because I need to confirm the number of people with the restaurant. You can do this by leaving a comment or emailing me using maltagirl at gmail dot com. Friends/spouses/partners/etc welcome!...

Cisk in Gozo

Jeddy3 writes about a visit to Malta, from Tnejn Cisk jekk joghgbok!:

Well I am back after an excellent 10 days away on the islands of Malta and Gozo. Had a really great time, lots of R&R, good food, fine wine [thanks Sidroc], 5 star accomodation [thanks Huntleigh] and that was only Malta! Stayed in a lovely converted 400 year old farmhouse on Gozo [thanks Aunty Pat] for the second half of the trip where Darren and I explored the island day and blended in with the locals by night [thanks Aunty Reena]. Just a few things that made me smile: Playing pool in the Sannat Lions football club; George Michael’s Last Christmas being played through out Nadur on a PA system; Chatty northern tourists in the Citadel, Victoria...

Budget bashing

When the UK has to rely on the sole support of Malta for slashing EU funds, it knows it is in trouble, writes Nicholas Watt in The Guardian:

The awarding of the George Cross to the people of Malta in 1942 for their heroism in withstanding Nazi bombing raids is clearly not forgotten on the tiny Mediterranean island. As Europe's mighty powers tore strips off Britain this week over its plans to trim the EU budget by £16bn, the lone voice of Malta's foreign minister could be heard offering support for the island's former colonial master. Malta was "more on the receptive side of the spectrum", Dr Michael Frendo declared in the Times of Malta after a bruising meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

The support from Malta, if slightly lukewarm, was gratefully received by Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, who endured a barrage of attacks from across Europe over his plans to cut the EU budget from £580bn to £564bn. But when Britain is reduced to relying on the EU's only other Commonwealth member - with a population of just under 400,000 people - it knows it is in trouble...

Malta’s EU budget allocation unchanged

Horses cannot wear nappies

From Reuters, Malta court says horses cannot wear nappies:

Regulations to control horse dung in the streets by forcing horse owners to tie bags under horses constituted cruelty to the animals, a Maltese court has ruled. The bags, popularly known as nappies, were ordered under 2002 regulations to stop the horses from fouling the streets, but owners never enforced them and 60 of them took the government to court.

A magistrate found the nappies to breach the Animal Welfare Act after vets explained that a horse's tail had to be kept free to swat flies, the Malta Times reported on Thursday. The practise of putting nappies on horses is also used in other European cities where horses pull carriages for tourists.

Ocean Without End

Kelly Gardiner is a professional writer and editor of NZ Lifestyle Block magazine. The first book in her ‘Swashbuckler!’ children’s adventure series, Ocean Without End, is set in Malta and will be published by HarperCollins next May. She lives on an island in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf and has now posted her travel notes from a trip to Malta in May. From Day One of her Malta travel notes in Ocean Without end:

I really should not be left alone in a city of wooden boats, knights and really good door knockers. I know I'm supposed to be doing very serious research but it's gorgeous and you can't help falling in love - the cities glow yellow, and sea and sky are ridiculously blue. The limestone is crumbling now, but it's warm and honey coloured, and even the most impressive ramparts seem somehow welcoming (unless you're a Turkish corsair, of course). Flew in a circle around the islands and it all seemed terribly familiar, except for the high rise apartments, which don't feature in my unique 1798 picture of the archipelago. Then the first things I saw when I arrived was a restaurant called Il Pirata and a house called Lily [the name of the main character in Swashbuckler!]. Mind you I have since seen houses called Eileen, Doris and Elvis. Then I opened the curtains in my hotel room and a schooner sailed past.

Malta research trip: Day four; Malta research trip: Day eight; Malta research trip: Day ten; Malta research trip: Day twelve; Malta research trip: Day thirteen

Il-Blobb tas-Sibt Filgħaxija

Immanuel Mifsud takes his blogging to a new space:

Minn hawn u ftit ieħor jibda l-ewwel Festival Internazzjonali tan-Novella f'Malta, b'parteċipanti Maltin u oħrajn mill-Awstralja, l-Italja u l-Marokk. Hemm diversi affarijiet li huma ta' l-ewwel f'dan il-festival: l-ewwel attività tal-Kumitat Tekniku tal-Letteratura fi ħdan il-Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Lingwa; l-ewwel festival tan-novella li qatt sar f'Malta; u, tajjeb li ngħiduha wkoll, l-ewwel attività letterarja f'Malta li tefgħulha billboard (!) Iktar informazzjoni hawnhekk.
ejjew ejjew ja anġli...

Il-blogg tiegħi reġa' emigra. Ma kienx biżżejjed li nirxuxtah. Fil-fatt m'hu qiegħed jirxoxta xejn: wieħed miet u l-ieħor twieled. Jiġi żmien fejn tkun trid tibdel. Min-naħa tiegħi l-bidla kienet kważi imposta: is-sitwazzjonijiet ġodda tal-ħajja, u s-sitwazzonijiet oħrajn li dalwaqt jinbidlu, ġegħluni nirrifletti li ladarba kollox qiegħed jinbidel madwari, nistgħu nibdlu l-blogg ukoll, ħalli kollox ikun f'sintonija (speċi ta'). Waħda mill-affarijiet li nbidlet hija l-iskeda tal-ġurnata. Dik inbidlet radikalment u magħha nbidlu l-prijoritajiet tiegħi. Kont ilni nħoss li l-interess fil-blogosfera kien qiegħed jeħodli ħafna ħin - iżżejjed anzi - u allura jista' jkun li sibt skuża tajba...

Bus Shelters of Mellieha

Spacing is a Toronto-based magazine that focuses on 'the joys, obstacles, and politics of the city's urban landscape'. The Spacing Wire is designed to act as a hub for news, articles, events, websites, projects, and ideas about public space issues in Toronto and from around the world. Shawn Micallef arrived in Malta last night and went for a walk in Mellieha:

I arrived in Malta last night and went for a walk in my temporary neighbourhood today. Mellieha is a town on the north side of the Island, with a large sandy beach that’s usually packed with people in the summer. Today it was grey and empty, but nice. The public transportation here is pretty good — a fairly robust bus network. There are new air conditioned coaches, and then these really old things that belch black smoke (I heard Malta bought them off of London when they were done with them) and have crazy Catholic religious displays on the dashboard. Statues (Our Lady of the Windshield Wiper), cruxifixes, flags — stuff that will cushion the crashes maybe.

Some of the bus shelters in the countryside are simple limestone huts, but here in tourist-land they are modern with electric ads. Up close though, the glass has a buch of writing on it. I hoped it was art, but feared it was more ads.

Often in Malta things in the tourist area are in English (in fact, English is everywhere here — the island was under British control for more than a century), so it’s striking to see Maltese in a tourist zone — in season this shelter would be full of lobster-red Britons waiting for the bus back to their holiday flat. Triumph of the local is always nice.

CHOGM pride

D.Bruce Shine is the Honorary Consul for Malta in Tennessee and North Carolina. He wrote this piece after attending CHOGM as an accredited correspondent of the Kingsport Times-News:

..Throughout Malta citizens participated in hosting their multiple guests. One such event which Betsy and I attended was sponsored by our dear friends Professor and Mrs. David J. Attard, for Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Attard, an internationally recognized maritime legal scholar, is director of the UN sponsored International Maritime Law Institute, a graduate law school located on the campus of the University of Malta, where this writer has been a Visiting Fellow.

The IMLI event for Mrs. Blair was attended by all of Malta's resident foreign ambassadors including U.S. Ambassador Molly Bordonaro, as well as the institute's 36 students, all lawyers from around the world.

Given the fact Malta's population is less than 400,000, with a land mass about one half of Sullivan County, CHOGM 2005 was a stellar event which brought together the representatives of one-fifth of all world trade and showcased this small but economically vibrant nation. The Maltese will be taking about this event with pride for decades to come with ample justification.

At Home in Malta

At home in Malta is a new book by Geoffrey Aquilina Ross just published by Miranda:

Many books have been written about the Maltese Islands, their history and strategic location at the centre of the Mediterranean, but AT HOME IN MALTA explores, for the first time, what it is like to live on the islands today and what homes and gardens look like, spotlighting the idiosyncratic styles that encompass a glorious variation in taste, approach and inheritance. The book captures the Maltese way of life.

The rich collection of photographs records the Palaces of the Nation inherited from the days of the Knights, as well as the true nature of the islands', often surprising, countryside. There are Neolithic temples, beaches, rugged cliffs and a rocky coastline, churches, the festa and an affection for St Paul who was shipwrecked here in 60AD. It is these that give the islands their uniqueness and the Maltese nation its own individuality...

My Top Ten Maltese blog entries - November2005

- in alphabetical order -

Chewing the CHOGM - Martin discusses colonialism

CHOGM soundtrack - Raphael's Skip records

Glasgow travelogue & language - inutile de dejeuner

Joy - Tingiza with Xtruppaw background

Luttazzi - Antonio introduces the Italian comic

MATSEC Review board - Kenneth's analysis

On marriage - Sharon is 'not the marrying kind'

On the road - Lanzarote reflections

Service with a smile - Confessions by Andre

Toni Sant - Guest blogging; Camilleri & music podcasts

Spanjol Malti

Djarju ta' Malti tturufnat go Spanja is the new blog space of a Maltese guy living in Madrid. In his blog he gives some clues about why he left 'a sun-bathed paradise like Malta to go to the hustle and bustle of the big city'. In this post, he discusses Stagno, labour mobility and Almódovar:

..Issa ghaddiet minn Malta l-burraxka li gabet maghha l-laqgha tal-Kapi ta' Stat tal-Commonwealth, li waqt li suppost gabet hafna interess fuq il-Gzejjer Maltin, hafna qligh ghal kumpanniji involuti, xorta ma nistax nifhem il-ghala jintefqu dawn il-flus kollha f'dawn il-laqgha meta l-Commonwealth m'ghandiex hafna setgha f'dak li hu twettiq tad-decizjonijiet, bhalma hi l-gnus maghquda, iktar meta tara li persuna mill-Afrika t' Isfel ghandha inqas drittijiet minn persuna Slovakka fl-Ingilterra, biex issib xoghol (ladarba jispicca l-perjodu ta' tranzizzjoni li ghandhom il-pajjizi ta'l-Ewropa tal-Lvant membri ta'l-Unjoni Ewropea)..

Illum filghaxija suppost ghandi nara 'Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios' (Nisa f'xifer ta' brejkdawn) ta' Pedro Almódovar, film ta' dan id-direttur Spanjol li jaghmel films surrejali hafna...

First post

Reunion

Hsejjes recalls her days of hikes and drama twenty years ago:

Yesterday was one of those days where I realised how old I am becomming!! A friend of mine of Bongu Malta and Orienta(l) fame (Jacques take note...tee hee!) decided to make a reunion of old theatre cronies which include various actors who grace our media, some of Ipokriti fame, some of Atturi Theatre Group some of Ateatru fame and others who walked the planks many moons ago but gave up the trade. The reunion was in the sumptous house in Zebbug, full of luxurious knick knacks and silver which definately did not look out of a tal- Lira shop or Connimex!! The food on offer was more then delicious, but the best of all was the company. These are the people whom I grew up with..

..... memories of long hikes to Gnejna and Riviera Martinique, trips to the cinema (The old Embassy of course) in the afternoon, and coffee and mushroom toast at the Perfection. And after each production at MTADA a trip up Republic street still high on adrenalin and reliving the parts we had just done. And of course we all had to be home at 9pm or else...

BBC Prime Launches in Malta

From worldsecreen.com, BBC Prime Launches in Malta:

BBC Worldwide’s entertainment channel BBC Prime has launched in Malta on the digital terrestrial platform Multiplus. The platform’s CEO, Jan Spitieri, said of the carriage deal, "BBC Prime represents a very important addition to the Multiplus channel line up. Multiplus is very grateful for the support of BBC Worldwide and for their efforts in making this channel available to us in Malta on DTT. This exercise will also allow BBC Prime to be broadcast on other DTT platforms across Europe, something which will be beneficial to European DTT market as a whole."...

Malta objects to EU initiative

The Maltese government has joined officials from five other member states to object to European Union funding for embryonic stem cell research. From LifeSiteNews:

Malta’s Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea launched the complaint in Brussels, emphasizing the country is against the use of human embryos for use in medical research. The objection was a part of a joint declaration also adopted by Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland and Slovakia. The countries petitioned the EU to drop plans to fund research that utilizes human embryos in favour of research that uses adult stem cells exclusively.

“We are of the opinion that the approach envisaged by the Seventh Research Framework Programme and the specific programmes does not take sufficiently into account the therapeutic potential of human adult stem cells and ask for a consequent commitment at community level in order to reinforce the research of human adult stem cells,”...

'Europe's Arabic connection'

Fr Geoffrey G. Attard in Dundee, Scotland, writes to the editor of the Sunday Times in reaction to the article about Malta by Louis Werner published by Aramco World:

..The article was published in the November/December 2004 issue of a review entitled Saudi Aramco World (Vol. 55, No. 6). The article explains in a nutshell the origins of the Maltese language and some of its unique characteristics. However I observed a little mistake in the section about the Gozitan manner of speaking. The author writes: "Gozitan Malti most strikingly maintains an emphatic h sound that is now lost on the main island, and it fully pronounces the letter q that elsewhere has become a glottal stop - a shift that, curiously, also happened in the Arabic of Cairo. Former President of Malta Ugo Mifsud Bonnici was a Gozitan, and his pronounciation on occasions of state always drew attention - sometimes unfavourable - to his roots" (p. 6).

I can almost surely state that the author had in mind former President Dr Censu Tabone, a Gozitan by birth, whose public speaking still reveals his Gozitan origins in the pronounciation of q as k. It is the people of Victoria and Xewkija, especially those over 40, who still speak in this manner. Dr Mifsud Bonnici does not hail from Gozo but incidentally did spend some years on the island during World War II. Anyhow, Werner's article Europe's New Arabic Connection certainly deserves a read.

Europe's Arabic Connection by Louis Werner