Vida Magazine August 2012 - Issue 32

August 2012 - Issue 32

www.vida.com.mt

Antonello Vendit ti

Unica Tour 2012 Malta

Special guests: Winter Moods

A moment in the life

- page 52

A story by Tim A. Montalto - page 18

Entertainment and nightlife trends

Making a difference

What do you do for fun?

Facts about foster care

- page 14

- page 47

WIN! Print perfection

Where time stood still

A local talent

Latest releases

EVENT TICKETS, BEAUTY TREATMENTS, A SECURITY SYSTEM & MORE

editorial The heat wave bringing a large portion of the Maltese population’s minds and bodies to a halt throughout the last few weeks contrasts sharply to the shuddering cold last winter brought to our fair islands. True to islander form, complaints are rife and tempers high – even the most even-tempered of us will admit our penchant for treating grumbling like an Olympic sport.

Despite August bringing out the worst in us at times, it does, in some ways, also reveal the beauty of living in our corner of the Mediterranean. Whereas we may dismiss a tourist’s remark about what a paradise we live in with a retort about how hellish it is to work in the heat, we love going to one of our many beaches or delighting in the balmy summer evenings August brings. Whereas we complain about the electricity short-circuiting due to a certain temperamental boiler, we welcome the excuse of upping sticks to the terrace or roof for an impromptu cookout. Despite grumbling about how drained of energy we are in summer, we always seem to muster up the will to head out to a party or meet friends for drinks much more often than we do in winter. Even though we complain about how we simply can’t get anything done since the children are home on their holidays, we truly treasure the valuable family time that summer makes possible.

The truth is that whereas we may act as if we don’t know how good we truly have it, we secretly do, so despite it being in our nature to have a good grumble, why not try to assume a more relaxed outlook this month? That is, until the humid days of September are upon us, when it becomes truly unbearable… oh bother!

This month in VIDA’s entertainment special you’ll find everything from an assessment of nightlife and entertainment trends and how they change with age, tips on collecting antiques, our first published short story, a local artist and travel tales, to our regulars focusing on pets, interior design, motoring and so much more besides.

Enjoy the issue.

vida.com.mt Issue 32 - August 2012 VIDA Magazine is a monthly lifestyle magazine distributed to households in Malta and Gozo. It aims to empower the people to lead a better, healthier and happier life.

Publisher

Focused Knowledge Ltd Pitkali Road, Attard ATD 2214 Malta, Europe Tel: (+356) 2339 2403 Fax: (+356) 2141 9089 Editor Sarah Micallef editor@vida.com.mt Layout & Design Alexia Baldacchino Kevin Abela studio@vida.com.mt Advertising Tel: (+356) 2339 2333 sales@vida.com.mt

Sarah Micallef

VIDA next month – Fashion special It is understood that all material supplied by agents (printed or otherwise) to promote their products is supplied with all necessary permissions for reproduction. Whilst great care and attention has been taken by the editorial team to ensure accuracy of text, advertising and other published matter, we disclaim all responsibility for any omissions and errors.

The editor and publisher do not necessarily agree with views expressed in articles, adverts, letters, or other content appearing in this publication.

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Contents Sticker spotting

9

My thing

10

Alberobello – the land of trulli

11

From clubbing to coffee mornings

14

The harmony of nature

16

A moment in the life

18

Photography with a message competition

22

Women’s football season kicks off in September

23

The beauty of the antique

24

Saintly salads

26

Living with a stoma

28

Street style

30

Fashion fairground

32

August’s tragedies and triumphs

40

Mary Baldacchino – A murder steeped in blood

42

2500km of heaven and hell

43

Time waits for no man, or cat

44

Sit down and listen to the music

46

Families that make a difference

47

August at the movies

48

VIDA visits

50

Lights, camera... action!

51

One hell of a night

52

Events this month

54

Rediscovering Luigi Maria Ugolini

56

Never judge a book

57

Competitions

63

Only for kids

64

39 22

24

26

46

30

Updates Letters

6

Keeping it Short Ivan Grech Not for Profit Junior Achievement Young Enterprise

7

Nursery rhymes in Maltese for young children A newcomer at British festivals

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letters

Your say

Arriva, one year on

STAR LETTER

Dear Editor, While I understand that the subject has been flogged to death by now, I’m afraid I can’t hold back from criticising some aspects of the Arriva transport reform – almost exactly a year after the turquoiseand-air-conditioned buses were unleashed on our unsuspecting roads.

Dear Editor, While taking this opportunity to congratulate you on a very interesting publication, I would like to tell all those people who are continuously trying to attract my attention to switch off my car headlights whilst I am driving in broad daylight, that I cannot do so. Most modern cars imported nowadays have this feature installed as a safety measure and motorists in most other countries are used to it.

I appreciate that these people are well intentioned, but after two years of driving this car, I get quite frustrated with all the frantic hand signals I keep getting. After all if the car is in motion, no harm is done whatsoever.

Peter Barbara

WIN STAR LETTER COMPETITION VIDA and Unitech are giving one lucky Star Letter writer the chance to win a full Intruder Alarm System*.

The competition will run for the rest of the year, with the writers of the letters chosen as a Star Letter from each issue entering a draw to win. Unitech will also be giving each letter published on the magazine a 10% discount. The overall winner will be announced on the January 2013 issue, so get writing!

For all your security needs T: 77773388 47, Cottoner Avenue, Fgura | unitech@go.net.mt *Terms and conditions apply.

• What’s your idea?

• What would you recommend?

• What’s bugging you?

Share your views with the nation

Send your letters, questions to the experts and suggestions to The Editor, VIDA Magazine, Pitkali Road, Attard, ATD 2214, or by email on yoursay@vida.com.mt

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What happened to me on a particular Sunday is enough to illustrate this. Waking up early to ensure I arrived at Għadira beach from Sliema at a decent enough hour to soak up the rays, I was left waiting – naturally, with an eager gaggle of tourists – at the Ferries bus stop for nearly half an hour. The bus finally arrived and began its journey... only for the driver to stop in Xemxija to take a toilet break. Also worth noting is the driver’s behaviour with the passengers throughout... he was brusque enough to make you nostalgic about the old service, and when he wasn’t yelling in passengers’ faces, he was insulting them under his breath (after a particular customer made a justifiable complaint, I heard him utter a decidedly unprintable obscenity).

The cherry on the cake plopped down from the heavens (or should I say cannonballed out of the circles of hell?) when, after nearly a two-hour journey, the beleaguered bendy bus finally gave way, forcing us to switch buses mid-journey.

As if this incident wasn’t bad enough, that very evening I was left stranded in Birkirkara due to a festa-related diversion. I had somewhere I had to be very urgently at 21:00. I found out about the diversion at 20:45. How? Because I actually had to call the Customer Service office myself. Would it have been so difficult to simply paste some kind of notice on the bus stops?

The fact is that the reform is simply not successful, whichever way you spin it.

Talk of ‘teething problems’ was the excuse last year, but what valid excuse could Transport Malta and Arriva possibly dredge up to justify their ongoing inefficiency now?

Trevor Spiteri Sliema

Variety and inspiration Dear Editor, After reading through another excellent issue of Vida Magazine, I felt I had to write in to simply say just how much I appreciate a publication of such quality and variety to be delivered to our doorstep (for free!) every month.

What impresses me most about the magazine as a whole is not just the professionalism and attention to detail with which it’s put together, but also the fact that it covers so many different topics and aspects of day to day life, along with educational features related to our history and culture.

In the July issue, for example, we got a wonderful fashion photo shoot, but also intriguing information about antique maps, recipes and a couple of very informative (and even inspiring) lifestyle articles.

I look forward to the next issue of VIDA – just wanted your team to know that your work is very much appreciated!

Josephine Zarb

updates Not Maltese voluntary organisations for profit Junior Achievement Young Enterprise

It all began… in 1989 when the first board of directors was inspired by an overseas organisation to introduce the Young Enterprise experience to Maltese students. Fast-forward to 2012 and the vision, values and objectives of the organisation remain as steadfast and valid as they were at its inception.

Our mission is… to bridge the gap between the classroom

and the business world. A ‘learning by doing’ method is the focal point of all the programmes we offer. We are proud to embrace a stronghold of State schools, State colleges, church schools and private schools that believe in entrepreneurship education as the key to future success.

Our enemies… include lack of financial support. Through the Friends of Young Enterprise network we have recently set up, we aim to attract alumni, businessmen and young enterpreneurs who are willing to support us to ensure a sustainable mode for the organisation.

We have… students aged between seven and 19 as members.

We have delivered two separate programmes since January. The first one, Our Community, includes over 900 primary school students and Enterprise in Action, includes the participation of 180 students at secondary level. Through this hands-on experience, students may understand what running a business is about. Our flagship programme is the HSBC Company programme, which caters for students aged 16 to 19. Since inception, over 5,000 students have participated in it.

Our greatest achievements are… the pride we feel

when seeing our youths participate overseas and winning prestigious prizes. As an organisation we are also proud to have won the 2010 National Enterprise support awards. In the same year, we were nominated for the European Enterprise support awards.

Our current projects include… revamping the HSBC

Company Programme 2012/2013, which will include the new concept of Social Entrepreneurship. It kicks off on October 20th, and we will be visiting Sixth form schools and MCAST to invite students to take part. We are also finalising a new programme entitled Europe, My Business, aimed at students in Form I, that will offer an insight into the EU single market.

We are happy… because we strongly believe that this

non-formal way of education opens up opportunities for our youths thus furthering their employability skills. We are proud to have a broad number of students who today serve diligently in our society as alumni. They occupy various roles including a member of parliament, lawyers, architects, financial advisors, brand managers and journalists and many others who have successfully set up their own businesses.

Keeping it short I was born on January 6th 1969.

My childhood dream was to sing and entertain people.

Reality is better because I have entertained huge crowds!

Singing and performing is reaching out and sharing emotions.

Ivan Grech

Winter Moods is a group of ordinary men in a band, and my family in music.

photo by Ruth Frendo

I first started singing at the humble age of six.

Collaborating with Joseph Calleja on Miss You was another magical experience.

My proudest moment within my singing career was our concert at the Granaries in Floriana – there were over 10,000 people just for us.

My proudest life moment was marrying Deborah.

When I’m not singing I like watching movies and football.

The Olympics are a celebration of talent and passion.

Summer 2012 so far has been relaxed and creative in terms of new music.

I am passionate about everything I do.

I am not one to give up on anything easily.

I always try to help others as much as I can.

I will never intentionally hurt anyone.

Life is like a game of Snakes & Ladders!

Music is the fuel to my existance; my life.

An artist I would like to collaborate with is Bono from U2.

If I could invite anyone to a dinner party I would invite U2 and Belen Rodriguez.

I love honest people, humour and harmony.

I hate betrayal, lies and jealousy.

If I could change one thing it would be losing my loved ones.

The best things in life are being loved, charity and music.

www.youngenterprise.org.mt E: lfarrugia@youngenterprise.org.mt T: 7924 4991 or 2124 4991 Know of a local voluntary organisation that could use the recognition? Contact the editor on editor@vida.com.mt

The future is now.

In the end we should make the most out of what we have while we have it, as all we have is now, this moment. May we all shine on!

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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updates

Nursery rhymes in Maltese for young children The National Council for the Maltese language and the Department of Curriculum and eLearning within the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education are jointly working together on a new project to promote the Maltese language in the most informal and entertaining way for infants and young children.

A committee set up for this aim is inviting anyone who has poems, lyrics or nursery rhymes in Maltese aimed at children of up to five years old to participate. This Music Committee will evaluate the lyrics sent and music will be composed for the ones selected, which will then be uploaded on YouTube and compiled in a CD. This will be distributed free of charge to kindergarten and early years primary classrooms.

The lyrics sent are to have basic themes with the aim of introducing children to the world and social life around them. These include: the seasons, names of months and days of the week, weather, clothes, holidays, village feasts, numbers, the alphabet, body parts, colours,

shapes, animals, family, jobs, real or fictional characters, toys, musical instruments, transport and games.

Aside from these, the Committee will consider any other topic which is suitable for young children.

The wording sent should: • be original and entertaining • be related to the world of children today • look at things through the eyes of children • include an element of imagination • have proper use of the Maltese language • have an open attitude towards other cultures and embrace the principles of social equality Lyrics should be sent by August 31st 2012 to kunsilltalmalti@gov.mt.

Rights shall remain the authors’ and their names will be mentioned wherever used. This is a non-profit project with the aim of compiling educational material for children. No payments will be given to authors whose lyrics are selected. The Music Committee is not bound to promote all the lyrics it receives, but only those that are appropriate and of good quality. The lyrics that are not considered suitable for this project will not be used elsewhere.

A newcomer at British festivals Last month saw many parts of Britain showered with heavy rainfall, but that didn’t stop tens of thousands of music lovers from attending several events that make up part of the Olympic celebrations and the British summer festival calendar.

FPSM Best Story Competition Gok Wan and Sophie

At Luton in Bedfordshire, celebrations for the arrival of the Olympic Torch started on Friday July 6th with a concert headlined by The Wanted at Popes Meadow. On the same day in Norfolk, King's Lynn held their annual event Festival Too – the largest European free music festival, with The Pigeon Detectives headlining, along with Lemar + Marcus Collins. Saturday July 7th was World Pride Day in London, with thousands packing Trafalgar Square and partying with the likes of Boy George and Deborah Cox. Despite the grey skies, 18-year-old Sophie brought some Maltese sunshine to the stage as she performed at all three events, making an immediate connection with the crowds. At the star studded World Pride, world famous fashion icon Gok Wan commended Sophie on her great performance. An Anglo-Maltese singer/ songwriter signed to British music management company Thru The Mill, Sophie is a newcomer to the UK music scene and is currently touring.

Sophie has recently finished recording her first (self-penned) studio album at Freetime Studios in Malta. Her new single Sunny, a remake of the Bobby Hebb classic, will be released by Thru The Mill at the end of this summer.

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Golden Key Entertainment, in cooperation with Film Production Services Malta announce the FPSM Best Story Competition which will focus on the lives of Russian immigrants in Malta, the winning stories of which will be included in a new TV miniseries (comprising four to eight episodes) for the channel RUSSIA. Each episode will be treated as a separate story.

Topic 1: ‘To marry a Maltese person’ Topic 2: ‘Escape from the past’ – the story of a person who decided to change everything in his/her life and immigrate.

Format: 10 pages of printed text.

First prize: €1,000 for the story, which will appear as one of the main lines in the film.

Second prize: €300 for the story, which will become an episode within the series.

Applications are to be sent to script@goldenkeyfilm.ru or info@fpsmalta.com.

Dates: Submission deadline is October 1st, 2012 Results will be posted on the website www.goldenkeyfilm.ru on November 15th, 2012 The winners can also choose to be included in the movie credits.

column Shouting from the Hili Top

You may have seen him on stage, heard him on the radio, or laughed at his lack of colour-coordination (he’s the one walking down the street with the orange shorts and pink shirt). He is loud, hairy, controversial and… well… different!

He is Steve Hili and he is writing for VIDA.

Sticker spotting I really admire parents.

They just have so much innate wisdom. Knowledge that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to acquire – like how to survive and thrive on three hours of sleep, how to change a nappy with one hand whilst simultaneously breastfeeding, or even more astoundingly, (given that parenting courses very rarely veer into motor mechanics) how the wheels on the bus work (they go round and round).

Once you have children you undergo a transformation and start understanding the world very differently. While us, the as-yet-un-kidded can only look on in wonder. Never is the wonder more profound than when we chance upon a rear windscreen and see a Baby-on-board sticker.

For the life of me, I cannot understand the point of such statements on stickers/dangly ornaments/novelty number plates. And as they develop into the declarations of having a named princess or little angel in the car (that are currently so popular in the shops), it becomes even more confusing. Why tell the world that ‘Amazing Prince Arnold’ is in your vehicle? What is the point?

At first, I confess, I thought that these stickers were trumpet-blowing devices. But I did not want to accuse parents of boasting about having kids. It seemed unfair and to be honest, a bit silly (I could understand Adam and Eve thinking that they were pretty special but...)

So I started looking at other possibilities.

My second line of thought was that perhaps all this it is just a question of being informatively friendly. Maybe parents are just leading the way. Animal lovers might soon be telling us that they have a ‘Guineapig-on-board’. Florists could soon be informing the world that they have a ‘Yucca-on-board’ and maybe it is only a matter of time before supermarket delivery people are letting us know about the ‘six-tins-ofcorned-beef (for-the lady-who-lives-in-Triq-il-kbira) on-board.’

Another theory, according to a friend of mine, is that these stickers remind other drivers to drive with a bit more caution.

I don’t like that.

This implies that if I don’t have an aforementioned sticker, drivers might just forget to be careful!

‘My new car! Ruined! Why did you do that?’

‘You didn’t have a baby-on-board sticker! So I forgot that I wasn’t meant to smash into you!’

It also means that there exists a unique business opportunity – stickers that say ‘I do not have kids but I would still be really, really grateful if you wouldn’t crash your car into mine.’ (I am currently at the design stage.)

Having exhausted the other options, I had to fall back on my original thesis. I suggested (on air) that baby-on-board stickers might just be the result of very proud and happy parents showing off a bit.

But as it turns out, I was wrong.

I learnt that day – through a barrage of SMSes, phone calls and threats to my kneecaps – that, in fact, parents DO NOT show off. When they talk about their own offspring, all parents are rational, logical and reasonable. Of course they love them and are proud of them, but not to the extent of wanting to brag. That would be wrong, and could lead to a generation of young people thinking they are the centre of the universe. That of course will never happen because thankfully, parents are instilling the correct values into their offspring.

Moreover, if I were to hint at any parents NOT being like that, one in particular would be making sure I myself would never become one.

So the mystery endures.

For more Steve, tune in to the BIG Breakfast on XFM 100.2 on Monday to Friday from 06:30 onwards or follow him on Twitter @SteveHili.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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real life

My thing Jordan Cutajar’s 12” vinyl of Rainbow’s Difficult to Cure has never been played and is destined to remain that way.

Here he shares the reason behind this, and why it makes it so special.

A

round six years ago, my father passed on his vinyl collection to me, and due to my passion for classic rock music and heavy metal, I started collecting vinyls myself. I bought them from the Internet, from car boot sales and from metal markets during festivals abroad. In 2008, I received a special birthday gift from a close friend – a 12” vinyl titled Difficult to Cure, which is a studio album by the British rock band Rainbow. This album was recorded in Sweet Silence Studios in Denmark and was released in 1981.

Even though this album had not scored high in review rates (when compared to other Rainbow albums, especially the first albums with the original Rainbow line-up), I consider it one of the best pieces in my collection. The reason behind this is the vinyl’s unique defective fabrication: since the paper-print, which is normally pasted on the middle part of the vinyl, was torn and randomly pasted on the tracks of the vinyl during processing. Apart from that, some parts of the vinyl rim are chipped (even though I am not sure whether this is a manufacturing defect or caused by a lack of care by previous owners) but the inner sleeve is still intact. As a result, the vinyl has never been played on a record player.

This vinyl may be considered damaged and therefore useless to some people, but not for me… I consider this piece a prestigious

one because it was manufactured before I was born, made its way through the pressing plant’s quality control and went from one owner to another until it finally joined my collection. In fact, I have never tried to find another copy of Difficult to Cure to replace it, because I feel that this particular album is the one that was intended to be mine and to form part of my collection.

Even though I know that this vinyl cannot be played in the future (because it would damage the record player’s needle due to the paper-print), I do not feel disappointed – I believe that if the paper-print had to be damaged, this vinyl would lose its prestige. Each and every flaw on the vinyl marks a feature of its history and makes it even more special and unique for me. Unlike other vinyls, I have never cleaned this piece because alcohol (which is normally used to clean vinyls) would degrade the scattered paperprint. I believe that this vinyl needs special care because of its distinctive character, even though ironically enough, this vinyl is in fact difficult to cure, as self-titled!

In the coming months I will be moving to a new home and needless to say my vinyl collection has its own reserved place, with a special design to accommodate each and every vinyl forming part of my collection (and those that are yet to join!), and this vinyl will certainly be placed in the favourites section.

Do you, or someone you know, have a treasured ‘thing’? Send us your suggestion to My Thing, VIDA Magazine, Pitkali Road, Attard, ATD 2214 or by email to yoursay@vida.com.mt for a chance to showcase the item that means most to you – we’d love to hear about it!

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travel

Alberobello – the land of trulli

A

small town in Puglia, Italy, walking through the streets of Alberobello is like visiting a mystical land where time stood still. Jane Vella shares her experiences of the picturesque town, which by virtue of its unique buildings is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Stonehenge, the Sydney Opera House, and our very own Hypogeum.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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travel Alberobello was awarded the accolade of World Heritage site for its unusual housing – white-washed little buildings with conical roofs, also known as ‘trulli’. There are many theories as to the trullo’s origin, including the fact that deforestation may have led the local inhabitants to use the abundance of limestone to build their houses instead of wood. Another theory goes that the ancient Greeks built the trulli in the 8th century BC, as they often used similar masonry techniques. My favourite theory however, is that the trulli were built to avoid paying heavy taxes back in the 17th century. At the time, the nobility imposed heavy taxes on permanent structures. Peasant families, who could not afford to pay them, could easily demolish their homes thanks to the way they were built. It was only the keystone in the roof which prevented it from caving in, so once it was removed, the trullo would be nothing but a pile of stones.

Besides being made without mortar, much like the Maltese ‘girna’, the painted symbols on the trulli roofs are also cause for fascination. These symbols, which are both pagan and Christian, can be seen throughout the two trulli districts in Alberobello.

Rione Monti, the main district, where hundreds of trulli congregate, is built on a hill right near the town’s surprisingly modern centre. Besides the trulli that people actually live in, a number have been converted into restaurants and souvenir shops – in fact, it would take a hardy individual to avoid entering at least one of the latter. The souvenirs range from the super-kitsch trulli snow globe to Puglia’s famous orrecchiette, little bags of pasta seasoning, wine from the region and even leather goods, ceramics and every variety of wind chime directly sold by the craftspeople who produce them. The shop owners will entice you to walk in, view their wares, and even enjoy the view from their roof, where you can see a panorama of trulli skyline.

If the touristy area is not for you, the smaller district, as its name suggests, Aia Piccola, is much more serene. In spite of being a residential area, you’d think it was almost uninhabited, except for the odd bicycle leaning against the wall, or the three wheeled vans, which seem to be popular in the area.

A few minutes’ walk behind the town church, the Chiesa dei Santi Medici Cosma e Damiano, you will find yourself in front of the Trullo Sovrano – let’s just call it a very large trullo. For a small fee, you can enter the trullo, which has been converted into a museum of sorts, for visitors to get a feel of what trullo living was like. I must admit what caught my fancy was a small spy hole next to the front door. I was soon to discover that such a hole was made to see who had knocked on the door and presumably welcome guests, as well as to “shoot at ill-intentioned persons”, as the sign near the door declares.

Other museums in Alberobello include the Museo del Territorio, a trullo mega-structure, if you will, displaying agricultural and building equipment and also showing how people used to live back in the day. Other museums include the Museum of Olive Oil, a Museum of Wine and a Museum of Handicrafts.

It would be a sacrilege to visit any part of Italy and not enjoy the local cuisine. Alberobello is peppered with restaurants, where you must try the ‘orrecchiette’, the sausage of the region, and if it’s on the menu, the smoked ‘scamorza’.

For the ultimate trullo experience, many of these houses are available to rent, although those that are more conventional can still book a hotel room or self-catering accommodation, just a stone’s throw away from the town centre.

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travel

Nearby villages Whilst in Alberobello, you can visit nearby villages easily by using the regional FSE train service. With just a few stops between towns, it is almost a waste to miss the scenery by renting a car, unless you want to go further. You cannot visit the area without passing through the quaint Locorotondo, with its winding streets decorated with bright flowers against the contrasting whitewashed walls. In fact, during my short stay in the area, Locorotondo’s charming restaurants drew me back for a second visit. If you’re planning to use the train in the evening however, do keep an eye on the time, as the service does not run very late. Castellana Grotte, or rather its incredible Grotte di Castellana, is also not to be missed. The stalactites, stalagmites, various rock formations and underground caves, explained during a guided tour are an exciting experience, though I’d recommend taking warm clothing with you – it can get very cold down there!

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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entertainment

From clubbing to coffee mornings Kristina Cassar takes a look at entertainment and nightlife trends, and how what we do for fun changes with age.

O

ur leisure time is somewhat precious to us, so much so that seldom comes the Monday morning when I don’t long for the weekend. The toll of a week’s work or study has its impact on our mood, energy and at times even our health. Relaxation is a must, but the ways in which we have fun tend to change as we mature and adopt new philosophies on life, thus creating our identity and making a name for ourselves.

The most influential day of my life was the first day of kindergarten, hands down. Being the first child in our family, I hadn’t interacted with other children of my same age as most other Maltese children do. My first steps into kiddie school allowed me the opportunity to bond with children and develop a relationship outside my family. Gaining friends and forming enemies is something we all go through, but mine was altogether positive seeing as my happy-go-lucky character always oozed out of me.

My four-year-old niece is exactly the same – she’s got a certain charisma that’s contagious, she’s just lovely.

Her main leisure time is spent with her parents; most definitely, but the things in which she finds most pleasure are joyous and energetic. Days at the beach are plenty in her glorious summer break, but for this bundle of energy the most common words that come out of her mouth are a request to take her out to the local park accompanied by an ice cream or sleepover at my and my partner’s house.

When we’re young, family is the dearest thing to us but as we grow older, our friends get a promotion – they become the most important thing in our lives.

From the age of eleven, we start to find ways in which we can break away from family bonds by interacting with our peers outside the confines of our homes and schools. We muster up the courage to ask our parents for permission to go out with our friends, maybe to the cinema or to the beach (leaving out the part that we’d only be meeting one person and embarking on our first ever ‘first date’ that we’re so nervous yet eager to go on).

All is well, cheery and innocent until that one kid decides to tell his school mates that his older brother took him to Paceville with his group of friends one Saturday night, making everyone jealous and wanting to be in with the cool crowd. Curfews get extended from 22:00 to a glorious 22:30, allowing a half hour to sneak into a club, but leaving enough time for the smell of alcohol and cigarettes to wear off before we cunningly walk from the direction of the cinema into our mother’s car with an angelic bottle of water in hand.

Seeing as our curfews get extended by a half hour, we think it wise for our parents to let us stay out till midnight when we reach the legal clubbing age.

Most parents, although sceptical, accept, but at times regret their decision upon many interrupted nights of stumbling teens making their way into the

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entertainment house at obscene hours of the night. Indeed, many a Maltese youth is seen walking the streets of Paceville or Bugibba, with picture perfect hair, short skirts and stylish shirts – dressing to impress on a night of partying.

Seeing as I am in my twenties at the moment, I have a first hand tale to relate. Twenty year olds as well as the bulk of thirty year olds come in two forms, I believe, the first being in no way ready to accept the fact that they are nearing a responsible lifestyle and rebel against it, partying with like-minded friends and realising that time has caught up with them by the elongated recovery from the dreaded ‘h’ word in the English language – the hangover. Personally, I feel I form part of the second group, in that these partying days are rather out of my weekly planner now. I’m far happier sipping away at a glass of wine while relaxing with a number of close friends or enjoying a meal at some seaside restaurant. Even though I think bingeing at the weekend is fun, I’m far happier hitting the clubs on a monthly rather than weekly basis.

When kids enter the equation, or more specifically the family, life is seen in a new light. A reality check is taken and caution is adopted. The pleasure gained from a previously spent night out is surpassed by the joy and warmth gained in spending nights in with your children. Parenthood is a great responsibility but also a great honour and joy. It’s more than evident that my parents have always put me first in their lives, even by the simple choice of restaurant or activity, my sister and I always got what we wanted and were a happy pair throughout our childhood. Sacrifice is hardly avoidable when dealing with young kids, so romantic evenings out with our better halves may be scarce, until, the dreaded mid-life crisis comes along and causes males to go on a shopping frenzy of fancy sports cars or the latest boating vehicle and women on their newly found holistic activities or slimming diets, hoping to fit into that dress worn oh so long ago.

Following this, our minds settle and our hearts accept the fact that we are nearing the pensioner’s many perks in holding a 60+ card. Grandchildren might embellish our dinner tables, allowing for newly found loves that fail to disappoint. This, together with coffee mornings, family get-togethers and the occasional school play is what most grandparents look forward to. My own grandmother, however, still visits her friends and meets up with them down at the kiosk on the Sliema promenade, but she never fails to mention that her family’s company is the best possible, while reminding me to pay her a visit even if I would have just walked out of her house.

Even though our nightlife and entertainment activities change in the development of our lives, we hold those few hours of socialisation very close to our hearts and need them in order to develop and enjoy ourselves – gaining the motivation to get us through yet another week.

Zack Vella, 19 What would you say best describes your ideal weekend?

Plain and simple, three words describe my ideal weekend: beach, beer and clubbing!

Do you often meet up with family or friends?

I meet up with my friends three times a week and family just the once. When I’m with my friends I mostly drink and mingle. We often go to Paceville and spend our evenings there.

Do you think your leisure time will change in years to come?

I think I’d probably spend my free time with my friends and family in a more relaxed environment. I think I’d stray away from the clubbing scene in years to come.

Margie Cooper, 39 What would you say best describes your ideal weekend?

As a married working mum of young boys, leisurely weekends are few and far between.

My ideal weekend would consist of pampering sessions and shopping sprees. Not to mention relaxing and a nice meal in a fancy restaurant.

Monday would definitely have to be a day off work, just to get Monday Blues off my mind!

Do you often meet up with family or friends?

Apart from my immediate family and work, my life is rather solitary.

I enjoy my own company sometimes, but I do miss going out with friends. My socialising now happens at the school gates!

Has your leisure time altered from previous years?

That is an understatement! Pre-kids my husband and I used to enjoy weekends together doing what adult couples do: fine dining, shopping together, cinema, weekend breaks away, and a quick pint at the pub.

Mary Dowling, 76 What would you say best describes your ideal weekend?

A day at the beach is the most pleasurable way to enjoy the summer’s heat. During the winter though, my typical weekend is spent with family. I’m a grandmother of a surprising number of grandchildren so big family meals embellished with children’s laughter and family endeavours are always music to my ears.

Do you often meet up with family or friends?

I have an open door policy – my friends, family and oodles of children walk in and out of my house during teatime. I scarcely spend the evenings alone as there’s always someone in my kitchen, sipping away at a hot tea or munching at a homemade snack.

Has your leisure time altered from previous years?

Obviously, I am getting older. It’s slowed down a bit; I used to go out a lot when I was younger... drinking my signature drink of J&B while smoking away at the family bar, ending the night with a couple of laughs and a brisk walk home!

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

15

culture

The harmony of nature With a prolific artistic career spanning over 50 years, the late George Fenech (1926 – 2011) presented us with a legacy of masterpieces that ranges from portraits, nudes, still-lifes, landscapes, and religious representations. A few days after the launching of the new book about the art and life of this beloved artist, co-author and former student of George Fenech, Lino Borg, explains how this artist’s love of nature inspired his vivid brushstrokes.

G

eorge Fenech was first and foremost an artist who was sensitive to all that surrounded him – his physical and social environment, especially the landscape around Mellieħa, the village where he was born and lived throughout his life.

This passion for landscape paintings started in his childhood, when Fenech used to roam around the hills and valleys, exploring the vast garigue hills that characterise the village’s scenery. As an artist, he developed into a romantic who was fascinated by the Maltese rural landscape dotted by the solitary, abandoned, cubical farmhouses, whose structure reflects the quarried Maltese limestone blocks. When he set up his easel for an out-ofdoors session, the farmhouse, the rubble wall or the rock face before him became a structure that reflected and absorbed light, abstract patches of colour hues, which he transformed into works of art.

During the first half of the 20th century artists like Ganni Vella and the Caruana Dingli brothers produced some brilliant landscape paintings, but for Fenech, landscape painting became almost an obsession, and his production was enormous.

With a few brushstrokes Fenech could capture the fleeting moment as the light caressed the solitary farmhouse, rubble wall or boulder. He was very selective in his approach – details were reduced to the bare minimum, yet the coloured brushstroke reflected both the season and the time of the day, and the final painting, once complete, reflected the magical harmony of nature.

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culture

Book in aid of local charities The new 384-page publication, The Art and life of George Fenech 1926 – 2011, was officially released at the end of July, during the inauguration of an exhibition bearing the same title, at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, which runs until September 7th, 2012. Authors Joseph Paul Cassar and Lino Borg take readers on a comprehensive journey through Fenech’s life as a child, as a young man, a husband, a father and a teacher, with a commentary on how these different stages of life reflected in his works. It also features a critique of the artist’s different genres and an analysis of his artistic development.

A percentage of the book’s price will be donated to The Malta Community Chest Fund and the Arka Foundation in Gozo. It can be bought during the exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts or ordered online through the artist’s website.

The book will also be on sale during another two exhibitions displaying George Fenech’s works. One will be held at Sanctuary Square in Mellieħa, between August 16th and 19th, and the other will take the artist’s works to Gozo, at the Ministry of Gozo’s Exhibition Hall, in Victoria, between September 29th and October 21st. For more information, contact the Fenech family on 27520083. www.georgefenech.com

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

17

fiction

I smiled as I r em em ber ed

me t old e h ver an hour and half now since been o ad h To this It

how

she had hug ged me before leaving.

he

over. ing m o s c wa

day, it p f e t w mo ains x ne ment me the s. to r eliv e

I’ve got a meeting with Mic hael ’s sch k ool tea cher at eleven o’cloc

A moment in the life

Tim A. Montalto

Maria’s story, at around 07:30…

"Do I really need to remind you, dear brother, that I don’t follow sports," I said, smiling.

"I know you don’t. And I’m not asking you to, either. All I’m saying is that I think it would do you and Michael some good to get away for a bit. You haven’t done something for yourself since, you know, then," Ray said.

"Yeah, I know. But if you had to ask me, spending money on a holiday just so that you can watch eleven grown men kick a football around when you can do that from the comfort of your own living room, is just a tad loony. And what if your team loses? Are there refunds for that sort of thing?" I teased.

"Oh Maria, it won’t all be about football. We’d spend the rest of the week going around, seeing places and doing touristy stuff, you know?" he said. "And besides, my team never loses," he added, with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Fine. I’ll think about it." I said.

"That’s all I ask" he smiled, spreading butter on his second slice of toast that morning.

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I looked at my baby brother looking all grown up in his police uniform. Ever since Danny had passed away, Ray had been my rock. There was not a day that went by without a call or a visit from him. He was especially good with Michael, my ten-yearold son. I’d like to think that, in Michael, Ray saw the son that he never had. In turn, he provided my boy with the father figure he now missed.

"So, what plans for the day?" he asked.

"Well, I’ve got a meeting with Michael’s school teacher at eleven o’clock" I said.

"In mid-July?" he asked, a bit perplexed.

"I thought it was rather strange myself," I said, "but he’s been so supportive since Danny passed away that I couldn’t not meet with him. You know, he even gave Michael some private tutoring for free?"

"Well, this guy sounds great" Ray said.

"Oh, he’s the best" I said, nodding.

fiction

Andrew’s story, at around 12:00…

As I sat there looking up at the portraits of past Headmasters, the words of Mr. Miller came back to me.

Michael had defied all the odds and had aced his exams. The boy had done her proud. He had done us all proud.

"You keep up the good work, Andrew, and your face will be on that wall soon enough," the ageing Headmaster had told me.

Then, the flabbergasted look Ms Sullivan had on her face when I produced the cheque.

He had told me these words in relation to my handling of Michael Sullivan, and I couldn’t deny that the prospect of becoming the youngest ever Head of St Andrew's was exciting.

"I spoke to Mr Miller and we both agreed that the last thing you should be doing at this time in your life is handing out donations. And so, we’d like to give you back your annual donation," I had told her.

The story of Michael, however, was far less merry. A student in my senior one class, Mike lost his father to cancer around six months ago. In the weeks that followed, I witnessed the rapid decline of one of my best students. I felt I had to do something so I set up a meeting with the boy’s mother. I told her of my concerns and proposed some extra tutoring after school. He hadn’t turned up for our first session but, with time, things improved.

It was, in fact, because of Michael that I found myself in the school boardroom on this hot July afternoon. I had just finished off from a meeting with Ms Sullivan during which I showed her her son’s end-of-year results.

It was the first time in a long time that a woman had cried in front of me. She was overjoyed and she had every right to be.

I had cut short her protestations. "I should tell you that the Headmaster is a very difficult man to argue with," I had said.

"Look at it as a holiday fund for you and your son. I’m sure it will do the world of good for you two to get away for a bit," I had said.

She had smiled.

"You’re the second man to tell me that today," she said.

"Well, then you’d be wise to take our advice," I had laughed.

I smiled as I remembered how she had hugged me before leaving. There was only one person I wanted to see now. I texted Joanna telling her I’d be over soon.

Joanna’s story, at around 13:00…

I was making my fourth cup of tea that day. I glanced at the wall clock. It had been nearly an hour since Andrew’s text.

Strange, I thought.

I had met Andrew at the bar at Stagger Inn some three months ago. I remember clearly that it was a Wednesday night and I had gone there to drown my sorrows away.

I was on my second Martini of the night when Andrew walked in. He ordered himself a pint and sat down on the bar stool next to mine. It didn’t take me long to realise that he was there for the same reason that I was. A momentary catching of eyes and a couple of Sambucas later, I plucked up the courage and turned around to face him.

"Girl troubles?" I asked.

He looked at me and smiled. A nice smile, I thought.

"I wish it was that simple," he said.

"It’s a student of mine," he added, but said nothing more.

"I see," I said. I didn’t really see.

"And you?" he asked me.

"What do you mean?" I said.

He pointed towards the 80-something-year-old bar tender "Well, unless Elvis there is your boyfriend," he said, "I’d say you’re having some troubles yourself. Why else would you be at a bar on a week night?"

"Let’s just say, boy troubles," I said.

He nodded as if he understood.

"Here, let me buy you a drink," he said.

That night, we chatted for hours. I told him of how I had stopped school when I was sixteen to help my dad out in his antique shop. I told him of how I had taken over the business when my dad passed away and how difficult it was for me to start over when it failed.

He told me of how he had lost both his parents in a car accident when he was a young boy. He told me of how he had spent his childhood in an orphanage and how he saw teaching as a way of giving back to students the opportunities he himself lacked.

We were the last to leave the bar that night. For the first time in years I felt free. I felt like myself. And when he suggested I spend the night at his, I didn’t even hesitate.

Over the next three months we saw a lot of each other.

Sometimes he’d come over to mine, and sometimes I’d go over to his. I grew to love him more than I thought I could ever love a man. For years, I had accepted that my time had passed but things were different now. Things were very different now.

As I sipped the last bit of my tea, I looked at the clock. It had now been over an hour and half now since he told me he was coming over. Very strange, I thought.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

19

fiction

Ray’s story, at around 14:00…

The message over the transceiver didn’t give me much information. All I knew, as I drove to the scene of the crash, was that it was a head-on-collision.

I had just got off the phone with Maria when the report came in. I smiled as I remembered the excitement with which she told me the news. Michael had aced all his exams. The boy deserved it, I thought, after the year he’s had. And for me personally, it was the best news I’d had in months.

"The lorry driver lost control and swerved into the oncoming traffic," he said.

"Condition?" I asked.

"He’s in shock but he’ll be okay," he said.

"And the other one?" I asked, hesitantly.

He looked at me and shook his head.

Of course, at a time like this, any news was good news.

It didn’t take me long to arrive. There was a smell of smoke in the air and as I pushed my way through the crowd of people that had already gathered around, I realized that this was serious.

I sighed.

I had been a police officer for many years now and had been called to the scene of countless road accidents before. And yet, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I saw the gravity of this one. A white Fiat lay completely flattened under the bonnet of a six-wheeler lorry.

As he walked away, I unclipped the pocket-sized compartment.

I recognized a colleague of mine and made my way towards him.

"Horrific, isn’t it?" he said, visibly shaken.

"It’s got to be the worst I’ve ever seen," I said. "What happened?"

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"Details?" I asked.

"It’s all in there," he said, as he handed me the dead man’s wallet.

To this day, it pains me to relive the next few moments. I remember feeling a sense of numbness as opened the wallet to see their happy faces smiling back at me. If I said it didn’t make much sense, I would be lying. It did make sense. The problems we had had, the constant arguing, the drifting apart, the nights she had spent at her mother’s. Everything. It just fit. People just like to believe that it would never happen to them.

I took my phone out and dialed my wife’s number. I could hear myself choking as I asked Joanna who Andrew Cunningham was.

special feature

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August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

21

photography

Photography with a message competition Three months ago, we featured an article by photographer Andrew Galea Debono that highlighted some tips on how to get your photos to convey a message. The competition required you to use your newly acquired skills to send us photos that speak. Here are some of our favourite entries.

Winner

Samuel Meilak

Runners up

Travel photography competition Have you managed to take a photo using the techniques explained in last month’s issue? Well, you’re still in time to send your entries to snap@vida. com.mt or by post to photography competition, VIDA Magazine, Pitkali Road, Attard, ATD2214. The deadline for this competition is September 3rd, 2012. Your photo may win you this great prize from Living Colours. The best entries will be published in the October 2012 issue.

Yvette Grima

Win a voucher worth €100 for a deluxe canvas print (50x100cm or

WIN! 70x70cm) printed on premium quality cotton art canvas using the latest

⇩

⇩

printing technology, hand-stretched over a 35mm wooden frame.

Visit www.livingcolours.eu today for high quality canvas prints, photobooks, personalised cards, posters and books all featuring your own photos and messages. Also on offer are luxury personalised Holy Communion and Confirmation bookmarks and matching party invitations. Create, preview and order all products quickly and easily online and have them delivered to your door. Get started today.

Sonia Vella-Zarb

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sports

Women’s football season kicks off in September

S

eptember sees the beginning of Women’s football for season 2012/13. This promises to be another interesting campaign comprising the first division and second division championships followed by the knockout competitions.

The prelude to the league programme will be the Super Cup match between Birkirkara and Mosta to be played on September 10th at the Centenary Stadium. This match will be preceded by a Girls Festival.

Prior to these domestic competitions, Malta will be hosting the qualifying round Group Three of the UWCL (Women’s Champions League) 2012/13 scheduled between August 11th and 16th. Birkirkara will be Malta’s representatives in a mini-tournament comprising three other teams, 1 Dezembro of Portugal, Olimpia Cluj Napoca of Romania and Glentoran Belfast United of Northern Ireland. The programme of matches is listed below.

Meanwhile the league is due to commence on September 18th.

There will be eight teams in each of the first and the second divisions. The top brass teams will be Birkirkara, Hibernians, Mosta, Gozo, Pembroke Athleta, Mġarr Utd, Hamrun Spartans and Tarxien Rainbows, the last three having been promoted.

The second division will be made up of St Venera Yellow Blues, Kirkop Utd, Raiders Luxol, Lija/Iklin, Naxxar Lions, Melita and newcomers Fgura and Vittoriosa.

As is evident, the participation of more teams in Malta’s National League, with a wide cross-section of localities being represented, indicates increased interest by women footballers in our country.

No doubt, this is the result of the MFA’s drive to promote the game among the fairer sex.

Furthermore, matches will be played in different venues spread across Malta and Gozo, enabling spectators from different areas to follow the matches. The football grounds are Luxol, Pembroke, Melita, Ħamrun, Mġarr, Mosta, St Luċija, Sannat (Gozo) and possibly three other grounds.

Matches are scheduled to be played every Tuesday at 20:00.

photo by Victoria Saliba

Rachel Cuschieri (Birkirkara FC): Women's Best Player 2011/2012

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PROGRAMME Match Scedule:

Dates:

Kick-off:

Stadium:

Home Team:

Away Team:

Match Day 1

11.08.12

14.00

Centenary

1 Dezembro

Glentoran Belf

Match Day 1

11.08.12

17.30

Centenary

Olimpia Cluj Na

Birkirkara

Match Day 2

13.08.12

14.00

Centenary

1 Dezembro

Birkirkara

Match Day 2

13.08.12

17.30

Centenary

Glentoran Belf

Olimpia Cluj Na

Match Day 3

16.08.12

17.00

National

Olimpia Cluj Na

1 Dezembro

Match Day 3

16.08.12

17.00

Centenary

Birkirkara

Glentoran Belf

The women’s department of the MFA encourages all girls who have an inclination towards football to signify their intention with the association and be part of this society by sending an email to footballgirls@mfa.com.mt or phoning 2338 6000.

by Claire

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

23

homes

The beauty of the antique

by David Grima

T

he feeling that we are in some part a by-product of the way our parents and grandparents lived is common to the majority of us as human beings. Collecting antiques allows us to interact with that history in a very real way, while allowing us to bring things of interest and beauty into our lives.

The industrial world is full of sameness, but antiques can provide an alternative to the homogenous culture we live in today.

Antiques collectors have the opportunity to brighten their lives and to stray from dull norms by bringing items of historical significance and a unique aesthetic into their daily lives. Indeed, you can choose to decorate your walls with prints found at various outlets or you can add extra greatness and impact to a room by hanging an antique painting.

Antique collecting is also one of the few hobbies that can offer the chance of financial gain. In fact, most hobbies can be viewed largely as an expense – they cost money and although they may be beneficial in some ways, they usually do not produce revenue.

Antiques on the other hand are valued commodities. Many antique items double nicely as investments and many collectors have found their hobby is also a great way to earn additional money, but this is something I’ll discuss in detail at a later stage.

Besides the financial aspect, collecting antiques allows the owner to experience history and enrich their lives at the same time – few other pastimes can offer a package as complete as antique collecting does.

Despite the benefits however, collecting antiques may be perceived as a daunting hobby by many because of their lack of

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knowledge within the field, where a small mistake or oversight can leave a sizeable dent in your wallet. Whereas most would like to further their knowledge in this field, few actually have time to do so. In this issue of VIDA, I’ll be dealing with how to go about collecting antique paintings, avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls. In future issues I’ll be elaborating on various topics relating to the collection, conservation and preservation of antique paintings and furniture. To this end, here are a few points one should take into consideration when looking into purchasing an antique painting:

Don’t be too quick to buy.

Particularly when you’re just starting to collect, it is much more important to look than to buy. Go to museums, churches, antique shops and auction houses. Let your eye learn what is good and what is better, what you like and what you love. Later on, when you find yourself still remembering the one that got away, you will learn the corollary to this rule: don’t be too slow to buy either, when love comes along.

Stand on your tiptoes.

When buying art, stretch yourself and buy one strong painting, even if it costs more than you had previously planned to pay, rather than buying a few inexpensive or minor works. Ask if you can pay over a period of time. This would increase the anticipation and raise your standards.

Buy what you like.

You should buy art with your gut, not your head. If something speaks to you, so to speak, or stays with you, pay attention.

Chances are that connection will endure and grow richer throughout the years.

homes Seek professional help.

Professional help at a minimal fee can be sought from art historians in order to get an expert opinion prior to purchasing a painting. This would help put your mind at rest from any niggling doubts or questions.

Use a trusted establishment.

It would be a good idea to buy from establishments through which the works of art are vetted by art experts for authenticity, which could be put in writing by means of a certificate upon purchase.

Don’t get sticker shock.

One should not be hindered by the common misconception that an antique painting is too expensive and thus, unaffordable.

Indeed, one can buy some nice watercolours by famous Maltese artists for a few hundred Euros. In addition, a 19th century oil painting is usually within budget for most of us. Obviously, 17th or 18th century paintings usually carry a higher price tag, but always keep in mind that such items are an investment in addition to adorning your home and giving you satisfaction.

David Grima has been dealing in antiques from the age of 19. After reading for a University degree in Banking and Finance (the thesis of which dealing with Antiques as an Alternate Investment) David went on to establish the Antiques Gallery Victoriana Antiques, which specialises in Antique Maltese Furniture and Old Master paintings. www.victorianaantiques.com | www.bottegaantika.com

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

25

eating & drinking

Saintly salads

Salads are great for a variety of reasons come summertime. Besides being a healthy option to keep you looking trim on the beach, they (usually) require minimum cooking, which means less time slaving away at a hot stove, as well as being crisp and refreshing in the midday heat.

Spinach and mushroom salad Ingredients

Preparation

• 4 slices bacon • 2 eggs • 2 tsp white sugar • 2 tbsp cider vinegar • 2 tbsp water • ½ tsp salt • 450g spinach • 100g fresh mushrooms, sliced

Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium high heat until browned. Crumble. Reserve 2 tbsp bacon fat.

Place eggs in a saucepan filled with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and remove from heat, letting the eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes.

Take the eggs out and allow to cool before peeling and cutting into wedges.

Return the bacon fat to the skillet, stirring in the sugar, vinegar, water and salt. Wash and dry spinach, and tear into pieces into the salad bowl. Pour warm dressing over and toss until coated. Top with mushrooms, bacon and egg.

Quinoa salad with feta cheese Ingredients

Preparation

• 500ml water • 150g quinoa, rinsed and drained • Olive oil spray • 2 bunches asparagus, cut into 4cm lengths • 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped • 75g crumbled reduced-fat feta • 40g sunflower seed kernels • 4 shallots, trimmed and sliced • 2 tbsp chopped fresh continental parsley • 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice • 2 tsp honey • 2 tsp olive oil • 1 tsp sweet paprika • 100g baby rocket leaves

Place quinoa and water within a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Bring to the boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

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Meanwhile, preheat grill on high.

Spray lightly with oil and cook asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Add the asparagus, red pepper, feta cheese, sunflower seeds, shallot and parsley to the quinoa.

Whisk the lemon juice, honey, oil and paprika until well combined and add to the quinoa mixture along with the rocket. Season and toss.

eating & drinking

Chicken and lemon couscous salad Ingredients

Preparation

• 300g couscous • Rind and juice of 1 lemon • 1 barbecued chicken, skin and bones discarded, chopped • 3 spring onions with bulbs, thinly sliced • 1/3 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced • 1/3 cup mint leaves • 6 brazil nuts, roughly chopped • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar • 1 tbsp olive oil

Place couscous in a large bowl, stirring in the lemon rind and juice, 250ml boiling water and 1 tsp sea salt. Cover with cling film and let stand for 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Season to taste with and serve immediately.

Thai beef salad Ingredients

Preparation

• 1 bunch coriander • 3cm piece ginger, finely grated • 2 cloves garlic, sliced • 4 red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced • 2 lemons, zested and juiced • 2 tbsp fish stock • 55g brown sugar • 700g beef sirloin, cut into strips • 80ml vegetable oil • 1 red onion, thinly sliced • 1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced • 1 cup mint leaves • Chopped roasted peanuts

Trim the roots from the coriander and rinse well. Pick leaves and reserve. Blend coriander roots, ginger, garlic, half the chillies, lemon zest and juice, fish stock and brown sugar in a food processor until well combined. Combine half the dressing with the beef in a large bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large wok over high heat. Add half the beef mixture and stir-fry for about 3 minutes or until the beef has browned. Remove from wok and repeat with the remaining 2 tbsp oil and beef mixture.

Place onion, cucumber, reserved coriander leaves, mint, remaining chillies, beef mixture and remaining dressing in a large bowl and toss. Season, scatter with peanuts and serve.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

27

health

Living with a stoma

by Charmaine Taylor

H

ave you ever felt a weird sensation that something is out of place, that people are staring at you as if you are an alien or wearing a funny costume when it isn’t carnival? I do sometimes, and this is all because I wear a ‘poop-bag’, as some people call it. Many people shed a negative light on this surgery, and it is often seen as a curse or a death sentence rather than a life saving procedure. I am going to tell you how it feels to live with a bag or a stoma, as it’s called. But first you should know some basic information about it.

A stoma is a surgical opening in the abdomen where stools or urine are diverted. The waste will pass from the stoma and collect in a bag. Only few people have (or will have) a stoma, and these are generally children born with birth defects in their colon, colon cancer patients, patients who had an accident that led to a perforated bowel, and patients with other conditions such as diverticulitis and IBD. People who have a stoma are called Ostomates. There are various types of ostomies and the most common ones are Ileostomy, Colostomy and Urostomy. Nowadays, one can have his/her stoma reversed (depending on the patient’s rectum health), a procedure called IPAA or J-pouch surgery.

Every Ostomate confronts a lot of challenges at first. Apart from the shock, one must accept the fact that they will start using the bathroom in a different way, carrying a small bag attached to their abdomen, either permanently or for a couple of weeks until it is reversed. Confidence is a big issue, and clothing can be also be an issue for some, whereas not so much for others. Unfortunately, the stigma and the mentality associated with this surgery certainly don’t help. Other sensitive concerns Ostomates face are the lack of control on their bowel movements and of course relationships with their partners. These can cause a lot of distress, anxiety and sometimes even fear.

Despite this, I strongly believe that with more public awareness people will come to understand more and more about our way of life, which after all is completely normal – the only difference being that we use the bathroom in a different way. There are a lot of misconceptions and even ignorance about the subject, and this is due to lack of public awareness. It is for this reason that I took the first step to actually break the silence and start doing something to promote public awareness as well as forming a support group for us Ostomates.

During this difficult time, one may feel lonely and assigned to his or her own destiny, but it might be helpful to speak and share their fears, worries and insecurities with other people that have gone through the same experience. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign that we are not in a position to keep on struggling on our own and that we need a helping hand in order to get back on track and live life to the full.

To join us or or to contact us, email on theostomyclub@gmail.com or join our Facebook page – Ostomates support group Malta.

Let’s stay Ostomists!

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vida.com.mt | Issue 32 | August 2012

fashion

Street Style After being upstaged by tourists last month, we dared the locals to do better, and upon our monthly venture onto the streets for some style snooping, the VIDA team was very impressed! Here’s this month’s stylish pick – top marks!

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Chelsea Galea, 20 Supervisor Waistcoat & jumpsuit Oviesse Bag & shoes Vintage Sunglasses Topshop

Romi Evez, 16 Student Top H&M Skirt Zara Flip flops Havaianas Watch Fossil

Lara Micallef, 17 Student Skirt Zara Shoes a shop in Paola!

T-shirt Bershka

Paige Attard Portughes, 15 Student T-shirt & shoes New Look Shorts Calliope

vida.com.mt | Issue 32 | August 2012

Celine Vigar, 14 Student Shirt Zara Shorts Bershka Shoes Stivaletti

Ashild Austad, 27 Student Dress Norway Flip flops Havaianas

fashion

Fashion

Backpacking Whether you’re off camping, going to the beach or leaving on a jet plane, the carryall your items want to be seen in this summer is the backpack. Go for small and plain for a classic ladylike look or make a statement with a patterned or embellished version.

Whatever your favourite trend this season, you’ll find the corresponding bag for you. Backpacking has never been more stylish!

Spotlight on designer:

1

2

“A hyperrealist aesthetic, bold graphics and industrial jewellery.”

3

1: Boohoo 2: Kate Sheridan 3: Asos

Label we Mulberry

Luxury British label Mulberry’s Fall 2012 campaign sees Lindsey Wixson return as the face of the brand for her third season. Captured by the inspirational fashion photographer (who I worship in my free time) Tim Walker, the campaign images were shot on location at Blackheath Forest in Surrey, England and possessed the trademark Tim Walker twist via furry creatures inspired by Where the Wild Things Are.

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vida.com.mt | Issue 32 | August 2012

fashion

Fairground Mary Katrantzou

by Sarah Micallef

Greek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou has taken the fashion world by storm since opening the Central Saint Martins Master Fashion Textiles graduating show in 2008.

While that collection was nominated for the Harrods and the L‘Oreal Professional Award, her first Prêt-à-porter collection walked the runways at autumn/winter London Fashion Week of that same year.

Bralets If you fancy a fashion boost, it may be time to try a bralet. Bustiers or bralets are everywhere this summer, and look their best when paired with anything high-waisted – be it a pleated skirt (my favourite combination!), little shorts or jeans. Make yours a pastel one if you have a tan to show off, or go for a loud print if you’re feeling feisty!

1 2

Starting out with a primary focus on prints for interiors, Katrantzou switched her attention to fashion prints, only to produce some of the most inspired and speedily iconic prints out there today. Following her debut runway collection in Fall 2009 Katrantzou continued to deliver, culminating in her first stand-alone show in Spring 2011, which can only be described as a tour de force. Since then Katrantzou has steadily continued to show collections comprising fascinating prints inspired by everything from the interiors in Helmut Newton photographs to Fabergé eggs, coupled with modern silhouettes that leave the London fashion crowd in a “jaw-dropped state of irreality”, as Tim Blanks calls it in a review for Style.com, and ever clamoring for more.

3

What’s more, favoured by stars like Alexa Chung and Hailee Steinfeld, Mary Katrantzou seems to be the name on celebs’ lips too. The SS12 capsule collection she designed for high street brand Topshop also did its part to cement the designer’s status, and opened up new doors, making her unique aesthetic more accessible to the girl on the street (and boy did the appreciation show, with the line selling out online within hours).

Katrantzou’s “lickety-split to the top of the London fashion class” was further bolstered by her Fall 2012 collection last February, which featured different silhouettes extracted from Elizabethean England in order to emphasise embroidery and embellishments. Each garment from any of her collections thus far has encompassed a printed explosion of ideas, with unique prints being backed up by innovative shapes and jewellery that looks more like an art installation than anything else. I’m certainly not the only one who can’t wait to see what this talented designer has got up her printed sleeve next.

1: Miss Selfridge 2: New Look 3: River Island

Celebs Polka dots

The celebs have gone dotty and are doing the polka this season (too much?), sporting colourful polka dots in a variety of ways, with some even going for a top-to-toe dotty look – we’re looking at you, Cheryl Cole!

Polka dots are a classic pattern that can look chic, classy and girly all at the same time, besides never truly going out of style.

Invest in a polka dot item for serious style points this summer.

Marissa Montgomery

Kelsey Chow

Cheryl Cole

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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Bralet Miss Selfridge Shorts New Look

Let the games begin Creative director: Sarah Micallef Focused Knowledge T: 2339 2403 Photography: Jacob Sammut Carabez, Pearl Works E: info@pearl-works.com Hair: Lara Steer, D Salon T: 2137 1245, dsalon@maltanet.net Makeup: Diandra Mattei using Givenchy T: 7982 8414 Model: Angèle Buscemi Le Brun

Swimsuit Miss Selfridge Shoes New Look Goggles Eurosport Bottle Eurosport

Gloves Eurosport T-shirt New Look

Shirt Topshop Bralet Miss Selfridge Shorts New Look Tennis accessories Eurosport

Dress Miss Selfridge Football accessories Eurosport

culture

August’s tragedies and triumphs August 1877 – Cholera in Malta

by Martin Morana

August 21st, 1934 – Maltese becomes one of the official languages of administration

Up until the early years of the 19th century, Malta was frequently visited by epidemics of the plague.

Following the outbreak of the bubonic plague in 1813, cholera became the most deadly epidemic of the 19th century. The source of the malady was food or water contaminated by human excrement, and the bacterium that afflicted humans is known as ‘vibrio cholera’.

The first time cholera reached Malta was in 1836.

Very probably imported from India or Egypt and transmitted initially by soldiers and sailors of British merchant and naval vessels, other serious outbreaks of cholera in Malta occurred in 1854, 1865, 1877 and 1887.

The cholera outbreak of 1877 started in early August, spreading like wildfire and lasting several months. In all, 450 persons out of a total of some 600 afflicted died.

The major symptoms of the disease are profuse diarrhea and vomitting leading to rapid dehydration, and it often took a matter of days for the patient to succumb to this malady. There was no actual cure for this disease at the time, only supposed remedies to alleviate and hopefully cure it. Such remedies included scrubbing the patient with hot salt water, potions of spirit of camphor and cocktails of herbal mixtures such as mint. The health authorities of the time recommended not eating fruit and heating water to boiling point before its consumption.

Letters patent of August 16th, 1934 declared English, Maltese and Italian as the official languages of Malta.

Of these however, only the English language was to be the obligatory medium of administration. Maltese and Italian translations were to be optional, that is, these languages were to be used only wherever and whenever convenient. Maltese was to become the general language of administration in the law-courts.

The letters patent were followed on August 21st by a proclamation issued by Sir David Campbell, Governor of Malta which was to be activated as of October 1st. Members of the judiciary were very reluctant to accept the Maltese language in their course of work as they claimed that this language was an inadequate tool to carry out court cases because it lacked all the terminology one could find in the Italian language. This step was followed by another proclamation in 1936, whereby Italian was dropped from one of the three official languages and Maltese became the official language of the courts.

August 9th, 1942 – Santa Maria Convoy On June 10th 1940, Mussolini declared war on Britain and France. From the following day up until May 1943, Malta was to bear the brunt of thousands of air raids, almost always unleashed from Sicily.

From mid January 1942, the situation in Malta turned from bad to worse as German Junkers and Stukas flew over Malta for the first time to attack HMS Illustrious inside the Grand Harbour. During the months that followed, air raids increased as more and more sorties took place which usurped most of Malta’s provisions. The Maltese population was soon to suffer from malnourishment and ill health. By June, the Malta Air Command had warned London that there only remained a few weeks' supply of aviation fuel to keep up resistance.

In the early weeks of July 1942, the British Admiralty decided to support Malta’s war efforts with a military convoy. Seventeen convoys in all had been organised in aid of Malta throughout the war years. Some of these departed from Gibraltar, others from Alexandria.

This convoy, code named Operation Pedestal, was made up of 14 merchant vessels, some of them laden with fuel with others carrying other important provisions. These were escorted by 38 destroyers and three aircraft carriers. This was the largest escort force yet deployed for a single convoy.

The shattered bows of the Brisbane Star

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The operation was put together on August 9th 1942, when the convoy sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean. Once the journey across the Mediterranean

culture started, the Axis powers immediately got wind of what was going on and sent 10 submarines into the Sicilian Channel, along with German and Italian aircrafts that were based in Sardinia to destroy and disband the convoy.

The harshest attack on the convoy and its escort occurred in the morning of August 11th. During this attack the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle was hit by four torpedoes from submarines. She sank 79 miles south of Cape Salinas, South of Majorca. Some 160 members of the crew out of 927 were killed. Yet, while HMS Eagle was being torpedoed, HMS Furious successfully flew off 37 Spitfires to Malta, while still some 1,000 kilometres away.

Throughout the days of August 12th and 13th, the Axis forces kept coming to annihilate the convoy. The raids were led by Junkers and Stukas from the air, and E-boats and submarines from the sea. On August 13th, the convoy passed through minefields that had been placed between Africa and Sicily. Then, 15 more attacks were unleashed by eight Italian and seven German torpedo boats.

The merchant ship Wairangi and the Almeria Lykes were hit and disabled while HMS Manchester was torpedoed by two Italian E-Boats. The Waimarama was hit and burst into flames as the fuel stored on deck exploded. The ship sank and 80 of the 107 crew were killed. 60 Stukas went on to attack the tanker Ohio, which was carrying the largest amount of fuel.

Rear Admiral HM Burrough, who commanded the close escort, shaking hands with Captain Dudley Mason of SS Ohio

The Rochester Castle, Port Chalmers and Melbourne Star steamed ahead and were able to reach the Grand Harbour at around six o’clock. Brisbane Star also arrived in Malta, its bow torn off by a torpedo, but was able to unload its supplies.

On August 15th the prize ship Ohio, carrying thousands of tons of fuel and heavily battered by air attacks, was towed into the Grand Harbour at 09:30.

Crowds waved and cheered from on top of Valletta’s bastions while a band played Rule Britannia. The tanker was just able to discharge its cargo into two tankers before sinking.

This convoy operation was to cost more than 400 lives from the Allies’ side. Only five of the original 14 merchant ships reached Malta. From the enemy side some 40 aircrafts were shot down out of a total of some 330 that had attacked the convoy. Nine merchantmen were sunk, as well as one aircraft carrier (Eagle), two cruisers (Manchester and Cairo), and a destroyer (Foresight). Still, some 32,000 tons of fuel cargo had made it to Malta, enough to extend Malta’s lease of life by some ten weeks further and over the existing amount of fuel.

SS Ohio entering the Grand Harbour supported by two destroyers

Immediately following this arrival of supplies, Axis convoys to North Africa were being harassed by air raids from Malta. Indeed, Allied forces sank some 100,000 tons of Axis shipping, plying the seas between Sicily and North Africa. This included fuel destined for Rommel, thus leaving him short of supplies for his assault on El Alamein in October of 1942. The master of the tanker Ohio, Dudley William Mason, was awarded the George Cross medal for showing his skills and courage. It was due to his determination that, in spite of the persistent enemy attacks, his vessel, along with her valuable cargo, reached Malta.

Photograph taken from the flight deck of HMS Victorious showing HMS Indomitable and HMS Eagle

August 31st, 1947 – A new constitution for Malta Letters patent were issued on August 31st 1947 to declare that a new constitution had been awarded to Malta. The 1921 Amery Constitution was now superceded by a new one, the so called MacMichael Constitution. This constitution was, like the Amery Constitution, to allow for a government that would be autonomous within a diarchycal framework of administration.

This time however, there was to be only one House of Representatives and no Senate as the latter was eliminated. The electoral franchise was to be based on a universal suffrage, meaning that voting was now eligible to all those over 21 years of age, including women. Election of political representatives was to be based on a single transferable vote system.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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murder cases

Murder in Malta

by Edward Attard

Mary Baldacchino – A murder steeped in blood

M

ary Baldacchino, known as a man cowering on a sofa. When he saw Il-Furfiċetta, who lived in St the police, the man rose to his feet and Frederick Street, Valletta, one said in Arabic: “Cut off my head.” The of the narrowest streets in the capital inspector told him to disarm himself but city, made her living by prostituting the man answered that he had no weapons herself in her first-f loor house. When and raised his hands. One of the at about 14:00 on Wednesday, July policemen tore a towel into 23rd 1851 her neighbours heard her strips and tied the man’s "the man shouting for help, two men rushed hands behind his back. rose to his feet to see what was the matter, but

and said in they found her door closed.

A thorough search of Although muffled words could be all the rooms proved Arabic: 'Cut off heard, repeated knocking yielded fruitless, but an even more my head.'" no result and one of the men went careful search revealed to fetch the police while the other bloodstains on the mouth of stood guard till they arrived. the well into which a constable

was lowered by means of a rope. The The constable who arrived knocked several corpse of Mary Baldacchino was found at times on the door, ordering Baldacchino to the bottom. The body was covered with open it. Although there was no reply and knife wounds and both arms had been no one opened, the sound of the drawing severed. The post-mortem examination of the bar behind the door was distinctly revealed that the woman had 16 superficial audible. There was someone behind the wounds all over her body and five mortal door, and the constable sent word to wounds in her chest. this effect to his superior officer while

remaining on guard outside.

Meanwhile, the man identified himself

as Paul Azzopardi, aged 28, a Turk and Sub-Inspector Joseph Attard, who arrived former Muslim previously known as with more constables, noticed that the Hamet bin Mabruk. In his statements window of Baldacchino’s house was halfto the police and later to the magistrate, open, and asked a neighbour for a ladder Azzopardi said that that afternoon at so that he could reach the bedroom. The about 13:30 while he was passing through furniture was found to be in disarray and St Frederick Street, he was invited by two the floor and bed were covered with blood. men to enter the house, and they offered To his astonishment however, Baldacchino him sex with a woman. When he told them was nowhere to be seen. that he had only nine pence on him, they

told him that they would pay the woman Calling out to his men to follow him, the themselves. Azzopardi also said that when inspector led the way downstairs, where he took off his clothes and went to the in a corner of a darkened room they found room above, he found the floor covered

St Frederick Street, Valletta

with blood but no woman. Then when he was in the bedroom, he was hit in the neck by one of the men and he stumbled, losing his footing on the slippery blood on the floor.

Azzopardi said that when he got up he was covered in blood and that one of the men tried to keep him down by threatening him with a knife which he tried to grasp, wounding himself in the hand. Then, when they heard the knocking on the door, the two men ran to the roof and escaped.

Azzopardi also gave a description of the two men who, he said, had talked to him in Maltese.

Despite his statement, after a search of Azzopardi’s person, some gold jewellery was found in his pockets, which supplied a good motive for the murder. Azzopardi was charged with murder and his trial began on August 27th 1851. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict and he was sentenced to death. He was executed on September 1st 1851 in Floriana.

VIDA would like to thank the author of Murder in Malta Edward Attard as well as the book’s publishers Book Distributors Ltd of San Ġwann.

BDL Books is giving VIDA readers a special 50% discount on Murder in Malta. Simply visit www.bdlbooks.com and enter the coupon code 'VIDA' while checking out to receive your discount.

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vida.com.mt | Issue 32 | August 2012

motoring

2500km of heaven and hell

by Joe Anastasi

My contribution to VIDA so far has featured the birth and formative years of local motorsport, but this fourth article is totally different, in that it takes us right up to July 2012 and the completion of another chapter in my seemingly unending to-do list.

Since my first trip over the Alps in 1967 and on numerous trips that followed, I have always dreamt of travelling around the Alps of northern Italy and Switzerland on a motorcycle – those beautiful mountain passes were just made for motorcycling.

The opportunity arose some months ago, when the FJR Club Italia invited me to their International FJR Rally, which was to be based in Aosta. My wife Carolyn didn’t take too long to persuade, and entries and preparations were made accordingly.

The rally was to consist of three days of socialising, riding our Yamaha FJR motorcycles over the numerous Alpine passes, and of course feasting on the excellent cuisine of the area. We weren’t disappointed. However, first we had to get to Aosta.

This took more planning than any other part of the 10-day holiday since, unbelievably, in 2012 it is virtually impossible to travel out of Malta with a vehicle to any other location except Pozzallo courtesy of Virtu Ferries, and July is not the best time to be travelling up and down Italy on a motorcycle, wearing the necessary protective clothing. The first leg of the journey would therefore be Malta – Pozzallo, then the three and a half hour trip diagonally across Sicily to Palermo to catch a ferry directly to Genova. It was a ride we could have easily done without, arriving at Palermo absolutely sopping wet with perspiration, and not to mention completely knackered!

Genova 24 hours later wasn’t much cooler, though temperatures did drop slightly as we headed North towards Aosta, arriving to meet the first of the foreign arrivals from Britain, Portugal,

Available from John Bull Tel: 21571025, 99448738

Holland and Sweden. Friday morning saw more of the 140 bikes arrive from Spain, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Croatia, Greece, and even one intrepid rider from Australia, who shipped his FJR all the way from Kearns. There were of course plenty of Italians too. A ride and lunch at Cogne was followed by a visit to the Passo del Gran San Bernardo and the Swiss border. There was snow there, and the sun was out – what more could one hope for?

Saturday was taken up by more riding to Gressoney and the Piccolo San Bernardo on the border with France, and then back to base at the Hostellerie du Cheval Blanc by 16:30, thus giving everyone ample time to have a rest before rejoining the group for dinner. The program for Sunday morning included a ‘sfilata’ into the town centre at Aosta, each nation’s representative carrying their national flag through the town and into the main square. This was followed by drinks at the local Yamaha representatives, Moto America, and then another great ride up the Col di Joux, where we were also treated to another superb lunch. It was now time for everybody to bid farewell and au revoir.

We left Aosta on Monday morning, deciding to spend three beautiful days riding down Northern Italy and taking in some of the beautiful scenery of Liguria and Tuscany on the way to our next ferry at Civitavecchia to Palermo. From Palermo it was another contrasting day of hell across Sicily, though we did take a welcome break at Sortino where we enjoyed another of Pierluigi’s excellent meals and relaxed by the pool at Pantalica Ranch, before starting the last leg to Pozzallo, and home.

I love Sicily, but in the heat of July it was hell. Luckily, there were so many happy memories from Aosta and the rally, which was definitely heaven. What a pity it’s all so far away!

Joe Anastasi started competing in local Motorsport in 1964 with a Mini Cooper S. Apart from participating in and winning a number of local championships, Joe also took part in numerous races in Sicily, including the famous Targa Florio, winning on seven occasions. Now retired, Joe helps Malta's young drivers to compete in Motorsport events in Sicily, where they have been very successful.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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pets

Time waits for no man, or cat Caring for your senior cat

P

et owners, especially owners of ageing cats, often wonder what will happen to their pet with the passage of time.

Physical and medical conditions in animals do worsen with time, however, with the advancement of veterinary medicine today there are steps one can take to prevent, cure or at least manage diseases in senior cats.

Possible diseases in ageing cats could be classified into preventable diseases such as infectious diseases, obesity and tooth decay; manageable diseases such as joint disease, diabetes, heart disease, hyperthyroidism and kidney disease; and uncontrollable diseases such as tumors and genetic diseases.

Infectious diseases that are contracted via fleas or worms can be avoided if pets are treated against them on a regular basis.

Products must be applied correctly, at regular intervals and chosen according to the cat’s weight. Other common infectious diseases are the Fiv and the Felv, (or cat aids and cat leukemia), which are most prevalent in cats that roam the streets. Whilst these diseases are easy to diagnose, they are expensive and difficult to treat. In the case of Felv however, a preventative vaccination is available.

Just like in humans, obesity in senior cats can stimulate the onset of heart disease, joint disease and diabetes. In order to prevent these, cat owners should stick to senior cat food, which contains the correct amount of minerals, fibre, protein, fat and carbohydrates.

Veterinary diet food for weight loss is also available for obese cats.

Dental hygiene is another important factor, which can be maintained by daily brushing with a special toothbrush worn on the finger of the carer and cat toothpaste, which contains minimal amounts of fluoride. Dental hygiene makes it possible for the cat to sustain itself without difficulty.

There are some diseases that are not preventable but are manageable. Joint disease is one such instance. This is difficult to notice immediately, but when the cat stops jumping onto tables and begins using a chair as a step, something has changed. The reason behind this is simply wear and tear, but luckily for our cats we can help them using joint lubricant and anti-inflammatory tablets.

Diabetes is a very serious disease in cats. Indeed, the earlier this disease is diagnosed and treated, the better. The telltale signs are increased drinking and frequent trips to the litter tray, and this can be confirmed by tests on urine and blood samples. Once again,

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special veterinary diets exist to cater for this medical problem, and can be supplemented by medication in serious cases.

Obesity, diet and lack of exercise have a lot to do with the onset of heart disease in cats. Cat owners should be alert to signs like weakness and excessive sleeping, occasional vomiting, breathlessness, coughing and weight loss. Diagnosis can be made via auscultation, ultrasonography, chest x-rays, monitoring blood pressure and ECGs. Treatment exists via a special diet and medication.

Kidney disease is often a consequence of an inappropriate diet, but could also be genetic or due to infections of the lower urinary tract. Hypoxia during sedation resulting in lack of oxygen while undergoing an operation could also bring about kidney disease.

Advice should be sought immediately if the cat owner notices excessive drinking, weight loss, lethargy and decreased food intake.

This condition can be treated by hydrating the cat with body fluids.

Hyperthyroidism, which is the malfunction of the thyroid, is often caused by ageing, with visible signs such as over eating, weight loss and an enlarged thyroid. Once diagnosed, this condition can be treated successfully by medication, surgery and diet.

Lumps and bumps are invariably seen in older cats – an eightyear-old cat with lumps is very common indeed! Lumps can be inflammatory or cancerous, which in turn could be benign or malignant. Cytology tests can ascertain the type of lump present whilst surgery will enable the vet to remove the maximum amount of cancerous cells.

Things to remember: • Always observe your cat for any noticeable changes.

• Ask for immediate professional advice if you think that something has changed.

• Do not wait as this might mean a lot for your cat.

• Keep your cats inside the house – do not let them roam. When they are beyond the boundaries of your house you have no control over them. Keeping them under your watchful eye will also protect them from other injuries like car accidents, dog and cat fights, falling from high places and getting into all sorts of trouble!

By Dr Trevor Zammit, DVM Chief Veterinary Surgeon at San Frangisk Animal Hospital

homes

Interior Design

Sit down and listen to the music

D

espite all the modern communications that are now available for us to enjoy music and video at the press of a button, many of us still prefer to enjoy music by actually playing a musical instrument. Have you, or one of your kids, ever shown an interest in learning how to play the piano, or the guitar? If there is a passion for this talent within your family, why not design a music room within your home?

Where would I start?

The first and foremost consideration, before actually selecting the appropriate room (where available), would be to consider the neighbours, as well as other household members. Then, set up a plan.

Assess how the room will be utilised – will it be just for the playing of a soloist or a band arrangement? If there ever would be a chance of an audience, besides planning for basic furniture, one must also consider seating, which is possibly removable. In attempting to keep this task ‘simple’, whilst planning a rough diagram on paper and introducing the essential components of furniture, mark out the approximate location of various

electrical socket outlets, air conditioner unit and positioning of speakers, as well as any recording or amplification equipment.

Soundproofing Now that you have established the location of this room (basements are usually an ideal place), there are further factors to take into account, and I do not just mean budget, although, no doubt, this would be a fundamental aspect to consider also.

The transfer of sound, both into and out of the music room, would be a primary factor to consider. You would want to ‘block’ sound entering and leaving the room, and ensure an appropriate sound quality within the room as well. To this end, soundproofing is designed to actually ‘absorb’ the sound. The more you manage to contain the music within the room, the happier your neighbours and all at home will be! Likewise, keeping daily sounds such as traffic, village petards, refuse collecting vehicles and the television out of your music room would be ideal as well.

Soundproofing materials and products (available locally as well), can be applied

By Jean-Marc Bianchi, Interior Designer B.A. Interior Design Studies, Rome – Italy

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to walls and ceilings and play a major role in absorbing these sounds. Other materials that will also add to sound absorption are thickly lined curtains as well as floor carpets, which add to embellishing this type of room.

Furniture and lighting The type of furniture, and the quality of lighting in a music room depends on how many people will be using it. As mentioned, there may be occasions when an audience may be invited. Hence, a couple of plush sofas would not go amiss.

Adequate lighting, besides the omnipresent central ceiling light, is also an important consideration. Introduce appropriate task light fixtures to illuminate music books, as well as the possibility of some form of stage lighting to enable you to create atmosphere and impact, where necessary.

Needless to say, you can even plug in your modern (even if not modern) music playing gadgets should you prefer it, and sit back and enjoy your favourite tracks.

So, sit back and enjoy the music, but do try not to bother the neighbours too much!

jmdesign@go.net.mt

special feature

Families that make a difference C

hildren have the right to be brought up within a family, or at least, a family environment. This is even stated in the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child. But what happens when a child cannot live with its birth parents?

This generally happens when children and adolescents’ families are passing through difficult times. These situations could include abuse, parents with physical or mental health difficulties, parents with a substance abuse problem and deceased parents among other possible scenarios. In such cases it might be more beneficial for the child to live away from the natural family until the situation improves, if it does improve. as sometimes it may not. Fostering is one of the solutions.

What is fostering?

What makes a good foster carer?

Dedicated foster carers provide children with a stable family environment where they can get the love and the security they need. Fostering involves finding the right foster carers for a child in need of care. This is a complex, delicate task at the heart of the fostering process. Foster carers take good care of the child until the time comes when the birth parents are able to take care of him/her once again. However, this only happens if it is in the child’s best interest.

Prospective foster carers need to provide and care for children in a holistic manner. This entails seeing to the child’s emotional, developmental, educational and health needs. Furthermore, they are expected to provide stimulation, guidance and boundaries, as well as stability for children. The latter quality is imperative since the provision of a stable family environment would enable the child to develop and maintain a secure attachment to the foster carers in order to ensure the best possible development.

Moreover, professionals from the Fostering Team at Aġenzija Appoġġ are always ready to give their support to both the foster families and the children entrusted in their care.

There are different types of fostering in existence, with the duration of placement in foster care varying according to the case’s exigencies. In this way, fostering can be either short term or long term.

Other types of fostering include: • Respite Fostering: This involves a foster family that takes care of the child on weekends.

• Emergency Fostering: This comes into effect when there is no one from the child’s family who is able to take care of him/her in case of emergency situations such as hospitalisation of parents.

• Kinship Fostering: In this type of fostering, foster carers are the child’s next-of-kin such as aunts, uncles or grandparents.

• Specialised Fostering: This happens when the child to be fostered requires specialised care due to disability, illness, challenging behaviour or other special circumstances.

Fostering fact box Currently there are 253 children in foster care within 244 foster families. However, there are another 120 children and youths waiting to be fostered. Aġenzija Appoġġ organises regular training courses for prospective foster carers and also provides support to foster carers and their natural children throughout a foster placement. The fostered child and his/her natural family are also given the necessary support to address their difficulties.

Those interested in becoming foster carers may call on Supportline 179 or visit www.appogg.gov.mt or www.nfcam.org.mt for more information, where an application form can also be filled in.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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cinema www.MarksMovieMarks.com – Release dates are subject to change. All films released locally

by KRS Film Distirbutors Ltd.

August at the Movies

by Mark Camilleri

Film of the month

Brave Total Recall I remember being slightly shocked when number plates ending in 90 started showing up, because I still thought 1990 was just a few years ago, but evidently the class of 90 were now contributing to the morning traffic. Fast-forward a few years and suddenly remaking a 1990 classic seems like a perfectly normal idea. If they can already remake Spiderman, of course they can redo Total Recall.

If you’ve seen any of the gorgeous artwork for this film, with the luscious red hair standing out amidst the emerald robes and scenery, you might already have pencilled this into your diary. If not, here’s a few more points to consider.

Point #1 - Most things sound better in a Scottish accent. See Shrek, for example.

Or Frankie Boyle.

Point #2 - Despite recently rekindled debates about independence from Britain, Scotland has no major worries about lack of national identity, with a very distinct image that most people worldwide would be able to appreciate. You won’t see many kilts on St Patrick’s Day, and you might get a few odd looks if you order a shot of English on the rocks.

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Point #3 - Pixar make great films, and have been consistently great since their inception. Last year’s Cars 2 was a bit of a ripple in their pond of excellence, but it was a slightly unnecessary sequel rather than one of their original gems. When somebody makes Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Toy Story, The Incredibles and Up, they’ve earned my lifelong viewership.

Point #4 - Heroines are not too common as main characters, which makes the Mulans and the Ellen Ripleys of cinema stand out and be all the more memorable.

Merida, might soon be sitting alongside those names.

There’s nothing brave about forking out a few euros to watch this – it’s a no-brainer.

The original had three main plus points – a good story that keeps you guessing and mildly confused (from the mind of Philip K. Dick, like many other good sci-fi stories), a futuristic setting which was still shiny and cool back then, and Ahhhnuld Schwarzenegger in the main role. His box-like grimace as they clamped down on his head with lots of volts is one of the iconic images of the film, and it’s hard to imagine feeble men with lesser jaw lines pulling it off. Colin Farrell is eager to give it a try, and he’ll have Kate Beckinsale (Pearl Harbour) alongside him as his wife (in a role previously filled by Sharon Stone, just before her peak). This should be great fun for a new generation, and for those of us who have forgotten the plot of the original.

cinema The Five Year Engagement Wedding films have often been a safe bet, but after the huge success of Bridesmaids we can expect quite a resurgence. This one rides the wave slightly, even using similar posters and pink titles. There’s more testosterone in it, however, with Jason Segel (The Muppets) starring as the male half of the equation. The ubiquitous Emily Blunt (and I mean that as a good thing) is the fiancée whose walk down the aisle keeps getting postponed, and this might provide laughs for most, but awkwardness for some.

The Bourne Legacy

Step Up 4: Miami Heat

Matt Damon helped make the Bourne trilogy a fantastic piece of action cinema, and the films managed to get even better as the story progressed. The wonderful backstory and the fast-paced action were key to the high entertainment value of the films, and they served as a sort of alternative James Bond for a few years. Damon has now stepped away, but the rest of the team have more to offer. The first three films were based on novels by Robert Ludlum, and after he passed away, author Eric Van Lustbader kept the characters alive in a series of sequels. This film is based on his first book, and stars Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, The Hurt Locker) in the main role, but not as Jason Bourne.

Many of the cast return, and the film is directed by Tony Gilroy, who wrote the screenplays for the previous ones. So, all in all, we can be hopeful that this should be as good as the others were. I guess it depends on whether or not you miss Matt Damon too much.

If you enjoy the regular flow of plot-light dance films we’ve had in recent years, you might want to see this new, presumably similar, offering. If you’re looking for more substance, my guess is something else on this month’s lengthy menu might satisfy you more.

Fast Girls This is not about loose morals; it’s about a 4x100m relay team. Just in time for Olympic fever, this low-key British film follows a group of girls as they join forces and aim for the world athletics stage. The cast are mostly unknowns, but then again so was a certain Keira Knightley in the similar-looking Bend it like Beckham ten years ago.

Red Lights Directed by Rodrigo Cortés, who started to reach a wider audience with his simple but effective thriller Buried two years ago, this film has quite an impressive cast. Robert DeNiro, Sigrouney Weaver (Avatar), Cillian Murphy (Inception), Toby Jones (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), Joely Richardson (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) and Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene). It’s a psychological thriller about a psychic, and hopefully there’s some clever twist in the plot that attracted all these big names.

Dr Seuss’ The Lorax When the titular character is described as a “grumpy yet charming orange creature with an amazing moustache”, it’s hard not to feel interested. This is the fourth Dr Seuss tale to be made into a film, and just like the others we can expect lots of colour, sizeable dollops of craziness, and a moral to the story running throughout. Danny DeVito lends his voice to the Lorax, whilst Zac Efron (The Lucky One), Taylor Swift (the singer) and Ed Helms (The Hangover) also star.

The Expendables 2 This one is not optional I’m afraid. Chuck Norris wants you to see it, and therefore you will. You can play around with times and dates, but that’s about it. His inclusion in this sequel corrects the grossly mistaken suggestion that the original film contained all the major 90s action heroes. It nearly did, but out of the high-profile absentees, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Norris have now joined the steroid-fest. I guess Steven Seagal will join the third one. This is not a date movie.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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events

visits

4

Patches Market @ Upper Barrakka Gardens

5

1

2

6

3

7

1. Cupcakes on display 2. Pia Zammit 3. Yvonne Borg Salnitro’s stall 4. Live music 5. More than just a strawberry jam stall 6. Handmade dolls 7. Handmade bookmarks

The Extreme Metal Assault @ Buskett Roadhouse

Face of Malta Competition @ Dolmen Hotel

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

1. Some of the judges, including VIDA’s Sarah Micallef 2. Daniela Darmanin crowning Martine Vella 3. Face of Malta winner Martine Vella, with runners up Paula Azzopardi and Sanaa Rizgalla 4. Martine Vella

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4 1. Chris Grech and Leo Stivala 2 Julian Grech, Alexia Baldacchino, Jenny Aquilina, Vica Mifsud, Noel Mifsud and James Mizzi 3. Nomad Son 4. Beheaded

entertainment

Lights, camera... action!

With the fourth edition of the Malta Short Film Festival, broadcast on TVM, having begun, Sarah Micallef takes a look at what it takes to put together such a production for television and what went on behind the scenes; guided by Studioseven’s Manager in Media Broadcasting Development Timothy Bartolo Parnis, Design Manager Stuart Richardson and Director Alan Paul Mizzi.

As polished and effortless as the final product looks on your television screen, what the majority of viewers don’t know when watching a program on TV is just how much work goes into setting it up. I found this out on my recent visit to Studioseven Media Productions, to discuss the technical side of the Malta Short Film Festival. Timothy Bartolo Parnis outlines the process, informing me that it took just over a month for the creative team to develop the concept, to design the set and to prepare all the animations and CG elements needed for the projection. He explains: “This production posed some additional challenges. We needed to incorporate three massive projection screens and build a 360 degree rotating stage. All this was successfully put together painstakingly by our set construction team.”

The director of the project Alan Paul Mizzi further educates me about what goes into this process, maintaining, “It all starts with pre visualisation of the programme structure. Next comes the discussion with the technical team about the coordination of projected graphics, camera movement and stage rotation.” He goes

on to explain that the production team wanted to capture a theatre atmosphere. “This was enhanced by minimalistic lighting, music, movie countdown sequences and projected stage curtains.”

"we wanted to reflect the diversity of the target audience"

A crew of five focused mainly on the opening sequence. During the programme, a crew of seven controlled the five cameras, the dolly camera and the crane camera. Another six team members operated the control room. A separate team worked on the preparation of animations and graphics.

The music was also originally composed at Studioseven incorporating “a fresh, jazzy feel” which the team felt would suit the short films.

Design Manager Stuart Richardson talks me through the concept behind the film festival’s brand identity, as well as the design of the intro to the program, explaining, “What we wanted to do was reflect the diversity of the target audience, ranging from more mature viewers that see film making as a classic art form to the younger generation whose viewpoint might

be more experimental, viewing film as an evolving and innovative medium.” The opening sequence to the program led to a twofold production, Stuart maintains, starting off in the hands of a traditionalist filmmaker and then making a switch, almost as if the camera was handed to a younger film maker, creating a more playful feel. This is also echoed in the film festival’s logo: “the programme title is written in a clean and traditional font and then drawn over with a light painting effect, almost like a graffiti tag.”

When asked about the advantages of broadcasting the film festival on TV, Timothy maintains, “The decision to broadcast the Malta Short Film Festival on TV means more exposure for the production teams involved – showing their short films on a channel like TVM gives widespread exposure.”

Following this behind the scenes tour, I will be watching the rest of the Malta Short film festival with heightened appreciation.

Produced by the Malta Film Foundation, the fourth edition of the Malta Short Film Festival is supported by The Malta Arts Fund and Studioseven, and brings together films of different genres from around the world.

Broadcast on TVM, the films are discussed and partially adjudicated by a panel of judges, and partially by public vote. The resident judges are Prof Saviour Chircop, Winston Azzopardi, Joyce Grech and Tony Cassar Darien. The festival's 41 candidate short films will be screened on TVM every Tuesday at 21:45 between July and September. The programmes are also streamed on the festival’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/MaltaFilmFest?feature=mhee.

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events

One hell of a night

Ahead of celebrated Italian singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti’s upcoming performance on August 24th at the MFCC Open Grounds, Sarah Micallef discovers why the concert will be, in organiser Antonella Vassallo’s words, “one hell of a night”. © palalottomatica

W

hen asked why Stand Out Events decided to choose Antonello Venditti following last year’s mega concert by Zucchero, director Antonella Vassallo admitted, “I have a soft spot for singer-songwriters, I must say!” Having last visited Malta 11 years ago, Antonella maintains that Venditti didn’t perform a full-scale concert back then, hence “Given his popularity amongst Maltese musiclovers of several generations, we hope to finally be able to organise a concert his local fans can truly relish.”

In fact Venditti, whose career spans 40 years and counting, will be visiting Malta as part of his Unica 2012 World Tour. “His stage presence leaves you speechless and his songs really have substance, as he’s a very intelligent – and political – songwriter.

It’s evident he’s passionate about both the music itself and the subject matter. In fact, the press conference that announced the concert was the longest one we’d ever had... he was very keen to discuss his work, its impact and its political implications with journalists, and he took their questions

seriously and dealt with them with warmth and in good humour,” Antonella said.

Asked about the MFCC venue in Ta’ Qali – which has become a mainstay for large-scale events organised by Stand Out including the Zucchero concert – Antonella singled it out as an ideal, and comfortable, option for summer concerts. “It’s a very viable venue, from the logistics point of view as well as everything else. It’s cut away by itself so there’s plenty of room for parking and it’s not a problem to get there comfortably, unlike the Granaries in Floriana for example, which could easily become very congested,” Antonella said.

Venditti has been an active presence in the Italian music scene since the 1970s. He can boast of a multi-generational fanbase worldwide, in part thanks to his wideranging lyrical scope, which touches on both universal themes of love, while also being shot through with political satire. Most notably, many of his songs are informed by a love-hate relationship with his country of origin, and particularly his birth city: Rome. The city, in fact, was instrumental in landing Venditti his breakthrough hit

VIDA and Stand Out Events are giving one lucky reader the chance to win 2 VIP tickets to Antonello Venditti’s concert on August 24th. Just answer the following question and send your reply, along with your name and telephone number to win@vida.com.mt.

single. Following two full-length albums, the success of the 1974 song Roma helped to boost the soon-to-follow album Lilly, which quickly found its way to the number one spot of the Italian charts in 1975. In 1982, Venditti forged a professional relationship that remains strong to this very day, when Alessandro Colombini of Heinz Music produced his album Sotto la Pioggia.

His long career has managed to gather a wide variety of fans since then. His success as an artist was recognised even in America when, in 2009, he was awarded the prestigious National Italian American Foundation Special Achievement Award in Music for his contribution to Italian musical culture. Rather than resting on his laurels, Venditti recently launched a fresh album entitled Only prior to embarking on the Unica 2012 tour, with a single of the same name launched soon after.

With local favourites Winter Moods set to perform live on the night at 20:00, followed

by Venditti’s own performance that is set to dazzle at 21:30, making it effectively two concerts in one, August 24th certainly looks like a recipe for a VIP night to remember!

WIN!

What is the name of Antonello Venditti's 2012 tour?

Antonello Venditti will be performing at the MFCC Open Grounds on August 24th as part of his Unica 2012 tour.

Tickets are available from www.ticketinfo.com.mt. For more information log on to www.standoutevents.com.mt.

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calendar

Romeo and Juliet 2 (and a Zombie) MADC Club Rooms – St Venera August 31st On August 31st 2012, a little bit of Maltese theatre history is going to be made, as the Revolt comedy Romeo and Juliet 2 (and a Zombie) premiers at the MADC clubrooms in St Venera.

This mad follow-up of the greatest love story ever told takes Shakespeare where he has never been before – namely the insane world inside the mind of local radio personality, actor and VIDA columnist Steve Hili – director and writer of this sequel the planet has been waiting for.

This play tells the story of what might have been – if Juliet had woken up just five minutes before she did, and had escaped to modern day London with Romeo.

Picking up the tale seven years later, we soon realize that all is not well between our star-crossed lovers. To make matters worse, not only are Paris and Rosaline back on the scene, but Tybalt has been resurrected. As a zombie.

Friday 3rd

G7 Fridays - Gianpula Fields - l/o Rabat - 23:00 - www.g7events.com

Prive Saturdays - Marrakech Gianpula - Rabat - 23:00

The Farsons Great Beer Festival Ta’ Qali National Park - 20:00 T: 2381 4114 Sunday 5th Blood Donation Mobile Unit In front of St Francis Parish Church - Qawra - 08:30 to 13:00 T: 2206 6209 Feast of St Peter in Chains Birżebbuġia - T: 2165 1200

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes - San Gwann - T: 2138 6112/3 Feast of St Joseph - Qala (Gozo) T: 2155 6684

Kinemastik - Short Film Festival Valletta & Floriana Bastions E: kinemastik@gmail.com The Farsons Great Beer Festival Ta’ Qali National Park - 20:00 T: 2381 4114 Monday 6th Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord - Ħal Lija - T: 2144 2553 Kizomba Lessons - Surfside Sliema - 21:00

Dates & times: Open till September 2nd - 10:00 till 20:00 T: 2122 3200 info@sjcav.org

Wednesday 8th

Dates & times: Open till September 2nd - 10:00 till 23:00 www.palazzodepiro.com

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Friday 10th

The Farsons Great Beer Festival Ta’ Qali National Park - 20:00 T: 2381 4114

Tuesday 7th

Palazzo de Piro Cultural Centre - Mdina

Music

Feast of St Lawrence - Vittoriosa T: 2182 7057

One Saturday - Numero Uno Ta' Qali - 22:00 www.clubnumerouno.com

Exhibitions in August

Clubbing

Classical Ensemble - St Catherine's Church - Valletta - 13:00 www.maltaartevents.com

St James Cavalier - Valletta

Piazza, Photography Exhibition by Oliver Gatt

Culture & History

Kinemastik - Short Film Festival Valletta & Floriana Bastions E: kinemastik@gmail.com

Romeo and Juliet 2 (and a Zombie) is rated 18.

Tickets and more info on 9944 9161.

Divergent Thinkers

Sports

Saturday 4th

Romeo and Juliet 2 (and a Zombie) may very well be the most unique piece of theatre you will see this year, offering full-blown, low-brow, guilty pleasure, fringe-style fun, and featuring some of Malta’s finest actors including Joseph Zammit, Joe Depesquale and Sean Briffa.

Malta Society of Arts - Valletta Dates & times: August 1st till August 31st - 08:30 - 11:30

Theatre

G7 Fridays - Gianpula Fields - l/o Rabat - 23:00 - www.g7events.com

Oh, and there is the mad witch from the Scottish play in the mix too. Weird? You bet your iambic pentameter it is.

Jewellery Exhibition by Kevin Attard

Events

Smokie - Live in Concert - Għaxaq Grounds - Għaxaq Groovy Jazz Rhythms Live Margo’s - Republic Street - Valletta - 20:00 - T: 2158 2736 Thursday 9th Delicata Wine Festival - Upper Barrakka Gardens - Valletta www.delicata.com

Veccja Thursday Jazz Sessions - Veccja Wine Bar - St Paul's Bay 21:00 - E: veccja@onvol.net

Delicata Wine Festival - Upper Barrakka Gardens - Valletta www.delicata.com

Saturday 11th Delicata Wine Festival - Upper Barrakka Gardens - Valletta www.delicata.com Prive Saturdays - Marrakech Gianpula - Rabat - 23:00

Comedy in Performance Workshop

by Jeremy Stockwell - Osborne Hotel - South Street - Valletta - 10:00 Sunday 12th Blood Donation Mobile Unit - Next to Parish Church - Għarghur - 08:30 to 13:00 - T: 2206 6209

Feast of St Lawrence - San Lawrenz (Gozo) - T: 2155 6073 Feast of San Gaetan - Ħamrun T: 2123 8593 Delicata Wine Festival - Upper Barrakka Gardens - Valletta www.delicata.com

Comedy in Performance Workshop

by Jeremy Stockwell - Osborne Hotel - South Street - Valletta - 10:00 End of The London 2012 Olympics Monday 13th Kizomba Lessons - Surfside Sliema - 21:00 Tuesday 14th Feast of St Francis - Qawra T: 2157 7088

AVICII - Gianpula Fields - l/o Rabat 18:00 - www.g7events.com Wednesday 15th Blood Donation Mobile Unit - Next to St James Church - Xgħajra 08:30 to 13:00 - T: 2206 6209 Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Mqabba - T:2164 9306 Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Qrendi - T: 2164 9395 Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Mosta - T: 2143 3826 Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Gudja - T: 2169 6039 Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - H'Attard - T: 2143 4949

calendar

Au g u s t

this month Fund Raising

Blood Drive

Kids & Family

Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Ħal Għaxaq - T: 2189 2004

Wednesday 22nd

Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Birkirkara - T: 2144 8026

Thursday 23rd

Groovy Jazz Rhythms Live Margo's - Republic Street - Valletta - 20:00 - T: 2158 2736

Friday 24th

Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Victoria (Gozo) - T: 2155 6087

Paul Kalkbrenner Live in Malta Numero Uno - Ta' Qali - 22:00

Thursday 16th Veccja Thursday Jazz Sessions - Veccja Wine Bar - St Paul’s Bay 21:00 - E: veccja@onvol.net Friday 17th Classical Ensemble - St Catherine's Church - Valletta - 13:00 www.maltaartevents.com Summer Nights - Xagħra www.xaghra.com

G7 Fridays - Gianpula Fields l/o Rabat - 23:00 - www.g7events.com Saturday 18th Malta-Gozo-Malta - Open Water Swimming Competition - Ċirkewwa - 05:15 - www.malta. com/en/events/2012/august Prive Saturdays - Marrakech Gianpula - Rabat - 23:00 Espionage - Surfside - Sliema - 23:00 Sunday 19th Blood Donation Mobile Unit - Next to Village Church - Manikata - 08:30 to 13:00 - T: 2206 6209

Antonello Venditti - Ta Qali - 21:00 - MFCC

G7 Fridays - Gianpula Fields l/o Rabat - 23:00 - www.g7events.com Saturday 25th Prive Saturdays - Marrakech Gianpula - Rabat - 23:00 Sunday 26th Blood Donation Mobile Unit - Next to Old Bus Terminus in St Patrick's Street - Birżebbugia - 08:30 to 13:00 T: 2206 6209 Feast of St Bartholomew - Ħal Għarghur - T: 2141 3488

Feast of St Joseph - Manikata T: 2157 5679

Feast of Maria Regina - Marsa T: 2123 8012 Feast of St Paul - Ħal Safi T: 2164 9223

Feast of St Julian - St Julian's T: 2138 0270

Feast of St Dominic - Vittoriosa T: 2182 5198

Feast of Our Lady of Loreto Għajnsielem (Gozo) - T: 2155 3710

Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Had-Dingli - T: 2145 4634

Thursday 30th

Feast of Our Lady of the Sea Sliema T: 2133 4941

Friday 31st

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes Paola T: 2169 5081

Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Zebbuġ (Gozo) - T: 2155 1145 Tuesday 21st Feast of St Pius X - Santa Luċija T: 2182 8931

Others

Veccja Thursday Jazz Sessions - Veccja Wine Bar - St Paul’s Bay 21:00 - E: veccja@onvol.net

Wednesday 29th

Feast of St Leonard - Ħal Kirkop T: 2182 9572

Fairs

Groovy Jazz Rhythms Live Margo’s - Republic Street - Valletta - 20:00 - T: 2158 2736

Feast of St Helen - Birkirkara T: 2144 4725

Feast of The Assumption of Our Lady - Mġarr - T: 2157 2578

2012

Groovy Jazz Rhythms Live Margo’s - Republic Street - Valletta - 20:00 - T: 2158 2736 Veccja Thursday Jazz Sessions - Veccja Wine Bar - St Paul's Bay 21:00 - E: veccja@onvol.net Delicata Wine Festival - Nadur (Gozo) - www.delicata.com

Classical Ensemble - St Catherine's Church - Merchant Street - Valletta - 13:00 - www.maltaartevents.com

G7 Fridays - Gianpula Fields l/o Rabat - 23:00 - www.g7events.com

Romeo and Juliet 2 (and a Zombie) - MADC Club Rooms – St Venera T: 99449161

Blood Donation Centre in Guardamangia opens 7 days a week from 8am till 6pm.

www.blood.gov.mt T: 2206 6209 M: 7930 7307

Blood saves lives.

The Vida team does its utmost to publish the most updated information in these pages.

We can not, however, take any responsibility for details omitted or changed by third parties after going to print.

To include your events in this page email all details to events@vida.com.mt or call 2339 2236 by August 13th.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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books

News from bookland

Rediscovering Luigi Maria Ugolini Some weeks ago, Midsea Books published Malta Antica I, the first of three books penned by archaeologist Luigi Maria Ugolini.

The Italian archaeologist Luigi Maria Ugolini (1895–1936) visited Malta on several occasions between 1924 and 1935 to study the megalithic monuments that impressed and still impress several researchers and tourists to this day.

America’s poet laureate nominated Natasha Trethewey, author of three poetry collections and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, has been named as the 19th US poet laureate.

Trethewey, an English and creative writing professor at Emory University in Atlanta, won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her book Native Guard. She also penned Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“Her poems dig beneath the surface of history – personal or communal, from childhood or from a century ago – to explore the human struggles that we all face," Librarian of Congress James Billington said.

Tretheway has also drawn upon her own family history for her poetry, including the union of her parents – her mother was black and her father was white.

In the mid-1960s that was still a crime in her native Mississippi.

Her mother, part of the inspiration for Native Guard, was murdered in 1985 by an abusive second husband whom she had divorced. Her father, also a poet, is a professor of literature at Hollins University.

(Source: Yahoo Book News)

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An able photographer and acute observer, Ugolini gathered a large number of photographs, illustrations, notes, and reports dedicated to the prehistoric temples and the archaeological objects found within. The Italian scholar’s aim was to prove the Neolithic date of the megalithic temples of Malta, and in so doing, asserting the important role Malta had in giving birth to Mediterranean civilisation. Ugolini’s work however was interrupted by his sudden death, just before the publication of the series of volumes Malta Antica, which he had planned.

The main theories of the Italian archaeologist were put forth in 1934 by means of the volume Malta Origine della civiltà mediterranea. The monograph represents a seminal part of Ugolini’s archaeological thought and is a necessary premise to the final publication of his precious archive.

The text of Malta Origine della civiltà mediterranea is now being re-published together with an English translation, and preceded by a comprehensive introduction that allows the reader to place Ugolini’s work within the context of the tormented political scenario of the time. The value of Ugolini’s work is only now being appreciated in Europe. For Malta, the publication of Ugolini’s unfinished work will provide archaeologists, heritage managers and scholars with an indispensable tool in managing the prehistoric remains, some of which are inscribed on UNESCO’s world heritage list.

Maltese must reads Europe and Empire, Culture Politics and Identity in Malta and the Mediterranean Henry Frendo, Midsea Books

Hailed as the first Maltese in-depth study examining national and international cultural politics, this book relies on Italian as well as British archival sources. In addition, the author also had access to American, Australian, Tunisian and Maltese documentation. As is readily discernible from the 22 chapters, this volume deals mainly – but by no means only – with Malta and the Maltese during the inter-war period in their Imperial, European and Mediterranean contexts, with ample references to Britain, Italy, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Australia, Egypt and the Maghreb, wherever there was a Maltese presence or Malta exerted a resonance for political, strategic, linguistic, cultural, economic or ethnic reasons.

Paul Boffa: Malta’s First Labour Prime Minister

Desmond Zammit Marmara,

SKS

Last year SKS published Paul Boffa’s autobiography in Maltese. This time the publishing house is presenting an English version of the book, with the addition of new material. Following a record-breaking election victory, Paul Boffa, at the helm since 1928, became Labour's first Prime Minister in 1947. A greatly respected leader and politician, he was the driving force behind many social reforms including compulsory primary education, old-age pensions, the vote for women, the removal of voting plurality and the legal recognition of the Maltese language. The book assesses Boffa’s role in history.

The books page in VIDA is coordinated by the National Book Council. Check out this page for information from the world of books and reading! www.ktieb.org.mt

eating & drinking

Never judge a book

Badass Cafe

46, Old Theatre Street Valletta

T

here are many restaurants and eating I stop? I then spotted the Posh, a burger topped establishments whose names are with Stilton, which surely would be the one? But intriguing. You want to know the story as I turned to order (bypassing the vegetarian, "It’s amazing behind the name – some of which are a clever Greek or chicken versions) I spotted a special what some play on words, and some just downright daft. promotion on a rabbit and Maltese sausage people can do Badass Burgers falls into the last category for burger with local rucola and crumbled ġbejniet. with a small I was sold. me. My English is too English to say it how it is meant to be said, and besides, I am too old space" I was warned it would take about 20 minutes, so to think it’s cool to use minor swear words. Use maybe not the place to go if you have to squeeze the ones that would make your worst enemy turn your choosing and lunching into an hour, but it gave me in their grave – huge, violent, onomatopoeic ones, or chance to catch up with my previous meeting’s notes and do a don’t bother, I say. bit of people watching.

And it’s such a shame to limit the appeal of a place whose food When the burger arrived, I was pretty hungry, which was good is good with such a huge marketing blunder. In fact, as I was as it was huge. I wasn't quite sure how to tackle it elegantly, heading to the Marks and Spencer's food hall in Valletta for an so after dousing the chips (which sadly, were manufactured) air conditioned treat, I noticed that the road had been dug up, with ketchup and pepper, I opted to cut it in half and use my meaning entry would be through M&S’ convoluted system of hands. The burger itself was good, though the Maltese sausage stairs, lifts and bridges; so I decided this newish venture, tucked element was more evident than the rabbit and surprisingly, in on the end of Palace Square, would benefit from my hunger needed salt. The rucola was fresh and crisp and the cheese pangs and laziness. not as overwhelming as it could have been. The base of the bun though, was soggy, probably from the water of the It’s amazing what some people can do with a small space. In accompanying salad – so could have been a one off. I flipped the this diner, for want of a suitable term, stands a sweet U-shaped burger over and removed the offending article and carried on bar with stools and shelving along the walls for diners to eat at with my knife and fork. In hindsight, this actually made it easier while giving a view of the Square to those seated at the front. to eat, so a sort of blessing in disguise! I enjoyed the chips; The bar offered up an array of gorgeous looking salads; on the they were hot and crispy, but I thought with such a well-made day were a chunky salmon one with interesting leaves, a cheese burger and pretty hefty price tag (€13) one would expect chunky salad, as well as varieties of wraps and baguettes with out-ofhandmade chips using Maltese potatoes, which are, of course, the-ordinary fillings. the best and not at all expensive.

As tempting as they were, the menu board of burgers seduced So my tip would be to go, even though the name is silly, the me – the 'plain' option was offered with a 'dollop' of onion chips frozen and the salad soggy, because the burgers are pretty relish, weak spot number one. Then came the cheese version, ‘badass’. so I moved on to that, and then The Daddy went a couple of steps further with onion rings and crispy bacon – when would

Ambiance

Service

Décor

Food

Value

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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money matters

BOV Club - B The ideal choice for students

OV Club is set to support students where they need it most – their finances! Students have to face a set of mind-boggling decisions – the choice of subjects that will affect the rest of their lives; new classmates and friends; new opportunities; and bigger financial requirements!

BOV Club gives you an array of financial benefits, allowing you to concentrate on your studies and talents whilst enjoying student life to the full.

As a BOV Club member, you can apply for the BOV Student eAccount, which gives you a premium interest rate when compared to a normal savings account. The eAccount allows you to manage your finances through various alternative channels which offer you the flexibility and convenience of being able to bank in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week using your own debit card, the BOV 24x7 services, ATMs and also through BOV Mobile.

BOV 24x7 services are being offered free of charge for the first year to students aged 18 and over who receive a regular stipend. This suite of services allows you to access your bank accounts via Internet Banking, Telephone Banking and BOV Mobile, making your life easier and giving you the freedom and flexibility to manage your banking requirements wherever and whenever you want. A Customer Service Centre is on stand-by, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist you.

Issued by Bank of Valletta, 58, Zachary Street, Valletta VLT1130 – Malta.

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With more demands on their time, students need technology at their fingertips and reliable means of transportation. BOV Club facilitates the purchase of a new laptop or a car through unsecured student loans with special interest rates and waived processing fees.

That highly deserved holiday or participation in a student exchange programme is also more accessible as you can get preferential exchange rates on the purchase and sale of foreign currency notes and other foreign related transactions.

To add to all of these benefits, new BOV Club members attending a postsecondary institution or the University of Malta and those renewing their BOV Club membership because they are continuing their studies are eligible to choose from one of our great gifts. Further details may be obtained through the BOV Club website at www.bov.com/bovclub, or by visiting the BOV Club page on Facebook.

Alternatively, for further details you can call our Customer Service Centre on 2131 2020 between Mondays and Saturdays, from 08:00 to 20:00 (excluding Bank and Public Holidays).

Terms and Conditions apply.

money matters

Plastic money

Some tips to help you stay cool!

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ou should always take great care when using your bank card, wherever and whenever you use it. The following are some important tips you should follow if you have a debit or credit card.

The first thing to do is sign the card as soon as you receive it from your bank. The card belongs to you – never ‘lend’ it or allow others to ‘borrow’ it. Save your bank’s 24hour number on your phone. This will come in handy if you find that your card has been lost or stolen, as you’ll need to call the bank straight away. In addition, provide your bank with your mobile number if it provides an SMS alert service. The bank will alert you whenever particular transactions (such as ATM withdrawals) are made using your card. This will enable you to take immediate action if the transaction is unauthorised.

Check your credit card statements to make sure you are being charged correctly.

Contact your bank immediately if you find any transactions you didn't make as soon as possible or by no later than 13 months from the debit dates.

Never disclose your pin number to anyone, keep it in your wallet or worst still, write it on the back of your card! It is also risky if

you include it with your contacts on your mobile. Make sure you always keep your card safe and destroy the pin upon receipt.

Many banks invite you to change your pin to any number of your choice. Never choose a number that can be guessed with some trial and error (such as your birthday).

Never disclose card account numbers over the phone unless you are certain that the person on the other side is trustworthy.

Unsecured e-mails may be intercepted – therefore, disclosing your credit card number via e-mail is certainly not recommended.

Reputable banks and organisations do not request your personal details by e-mail.

Make sure you know or trust the seller and make sure you know how to contact them if your goods don’t turn up or something goes wrong. It is worth making independent checks rather than just calling the number provided on the website.

In shops or at the ATM, don’t let your cards or your card details out of sight when making a transaction and always ensure that the transaction is conducted in your presence. When using your card at an ATM, always take ATM receipts with you and don’t dispose of them in the adjacent bin. When

entering your pin in an ATM or shop, shield the keypad with your spare hand and be aware of any persons who may offer you assistance.

Security is not the only issue to keep in mind when using plastic cards. Remember that your cards may be subject to a daily transaction limit, which varies between banks and the different types of cards. Make sure you are aware of these limits before committing yourself to a particular purchase to avoid any disappointments.

In addition, you should be aware that if you use your card in a non-Euro country, including when buying online, such as the UK (GBP) or US (dollar), your bank is likely to charge a currency conversion fee (or overseas transaction charge) that must be separately disclosed on your card statement with each foreign purchase. That fee may range between 1.25% to 2% of the purchase amount. Check your card’s terms and conditions for more information as to how and when such fees are applied – possibly before travelling or purchasing from abroad.

More information about card use is available at http://mymoneybox.mfsa.com.mt

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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advertorial

Effective and affordable child locators

Why taking care of your teeth means taking care of your general health Most of us clean our teeth regularly but few are aware that poor dental health is linked to a variety of serious health conditions. In fact, regular dental visits are an excellent way of keeping many potential problems at bay.

First of all seeing a dentist regularly obviously prevents dental pain, gum disease, dental emergencies and invasive treatment such as root treatments or even worse – having to replace teeth with bridges or expensive implants costing thousands. Indeed, a dental emergency can put a huge damper on the holiday season or a holiday abroad! Oral cancer can also be detected early by keeping to your six monthly dental visits.

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veryone, at some point or another, remembers either being lost as a child or else an instance of not being able to find their children. With the dangers that exist in the world, we have to be careful, especially if we are to go abroad with young children.

Mommy I’m Here child locators are the most fun and effective way to keep track of small children. Mommy I’m Here locator products give parents and caregivers the peace of mind they deserve and children the added safety they need. One needs only press the button on the transmitter to set off the alarm on the teddy bear to locate the child.

Products include the original Mommy I’m Here locator, consisting of a teddy bear locator that can lace onto a child’s shoe laces or be mounted onto the child’s belt, or even tied around their hand.

When you need to find your little one, all you need to do is press the button on the accompanying keychain remote to set off the alarm on the little bear.

On the other hand, the alert system notifies the parents and caregivers that the child is starting to roam around. The parent need just press the keychain and will discover in which direction the child is heading. They are a great helping hand for parents and guardians, especially during popular village feasts, trips to the supermarket and fun parks. Also, if you are going abroad with a young child, this is surely a must.

The locators come with long-life batteries already installed and are ready for immediate use. They sell for €35.

Maxi Quartz Spl, 325, Zabbar Road, Fgura mandyc@onvol.net

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An even more compelling reason for looking after your family’s oral health is your family’s general health and wellbeing. For a long time it was thought that bacteria was the factor that linked periodontal disease to other infections within the body, however, the American Academy of Periodontology reports that more recent research demonstrates that inflammation may link periodontal disease to other chronic conditions. Research has shown, and experts agree, that there is an association between periodontal diseases and other chronic inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Links between gum disease and infertility in men and low birth weight babies in pregnant women have also been found. Therefore, treating inflammation may not only help manage periodontal diseases but may also help with the management of other conditions.

In fact, there are many general diseases and conditions that can cause signs and symptoms within the mouth, and the earlier the signs are detected the easier it is to treat the problem. You might consider joining a dental plan or taking out dental insurance to budget for your dental care – with such a plan you pay a small amount every month and all preventive and most restorative treatment will be covered.

With Denplan, you get treatment when you need it not just when you can afford it!

Find a Denplan dentist today t: 21 322 600 e: denplan@atlas.com.mt w: atlas.com.mt/denplan Atlas Healthcare Insurance Agency Limited is authorised by the MFSA to act as agents for AXA PPP healthcare limited who provide the insurance cover. Denplan Limited provides the support and expertise to administer Denplan Care.

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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Property Bugibba – Flat 1st floor, having 2 double bedrooms, sitting/living, kitchen, bathroom & boxroom, fully furnished €82,000 or nearest offer - Call 7921 1466 Attard – Choice of highly finished maisonettes, apartments and penthouses in a brand new block starting from €121,000 – Call 7943 3883 Attard – Penthouse, large terrace, views, 3 bedrooms, open plan, ensuite, bathroom, semi-finished €214,000 – Call 7943 3883 Attard - Ground floor maisonette, open plan, 2 double bedrooms, 1 single, ensuite, internal yard, bathroom, large back yard, optional garage - €148,000 – Call 9958 5767 Birkirkara - Terraced house, hall, kitchen/dining, living, toilet, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, backyard, washroom - €130,000 - CALL 7900 7931

For Sale Honda SLR650 – Year 1999, regularly serviced, new Dunlop rear tyre & new chain €3725 Call 9940 3599 Nissan Datsun – White in good condition. Always garaged. VRT passed. €700. Call 9982 3498.

Services Models wanted – Male and female models between the ages of 18 and 25 wanted for advertising and fashion magazine shoots. Send recent photos (close up and full body shot) to fashion@vida.com.mt.

All Construction Project – We supply various items including construction items, commercial printing and commodities right to your door at great prices.

Call 7902 0312 or email zammittonio@gmail.com.

To book your advert you can: · Send the details and photos you wish to include in the advert, together with a cheque payable to ‘Focused Knowledge Ltd’, by post to: CLASSIFIEDS, Vida Magazine, Pitkali Road, Attard, ATD 2214. · Send the advert details and photos by email followed by a cheque sent by post to the same postal address above. classifieds@vida.com.mt · Visit our offices at Pitkali Road, Attard, and ask for our Sales Team to book your advert and pay in cash or by cheque.

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All bookings and payments must reach our offices by no later than August 13th 2012.

Bookings that reach our offices after this date will be published in the following issue.

BOOK NOW

2339 2236

Games & Competitions

WIN! All competition replies should reach our offices by Monday August 13th. Send them to Competitions, VIDA Magazine, Pitkali Road, Attard, ATD 2214, or by email on win@vida.com.mt.

By sending in an entry to any of VIDA magazine’s competitions, you are giving Focused Knowledge Ltd and carefully selected partners permission to store and use your contact details.

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July’s solutions

Meal for two

Tumeric, chilies, crisp, sweet, kebab, spices

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The award winning Indian restaurant, Sa Re Ga Ma is located at the tropical gardens of the Fortina Spa Hotel Sliema - Level 1 T: 9949 2513

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LOSE 8 KILOS IN ONE MONTH

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Winners!

Lux-it: Christine Mizzi, St Paul's Bay The Fish Lounge: Lauren Brincat, Swieqi Becky d'Ugo, Sliema Rita D'Anastasi, Mosta Marisa Spiteri, Fgura Rosanne Busuttil Bellizzi, Mosta Sarah Spiteri, Fgura Sa Re Ga Ma: Marlene Spiteri, Baħrija Essence: Joan Cristina, Santa Luċija Star letter: Peter Barbara Pierre Lannier D. Borg

N.B. It is with apologies that we announce that last month’s Accurist winner was Brian Pace from Mosta, not as was otherwise stated.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

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10 slimming sessions for 150 T: 2787 9665/2163 6625 Find us on Facebook (Essence hair, nails and beauty centre) Triq il-Baħrija, Marsascala

Name:

Address:

Contact Number:

WIN €50

voucher

LUX-IT Lighting, 105, Luqa Road, Paola (Opposite Carters Supermarket). W: www.lux-it.com T: 2166 5544 Name: Address: Contact Number:

Name: Address: Contact Number:

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Mention one of the brands of LEDs that Lux-It imports.

6 3 9 5 3 4 7

people win a WIN 615min Voucher

worth €9 per person

WIN! €50*

voucher

7 2 3 1 5 1 6 9 8 8 6 9 6 7 5 2 8 6 3 7 5 5 3 8

* Applicable on services offered by Essence. Not applicable on products.

46, St George’s Road, St Julians - 210, Triq San Xmun, Bugibba T: 2137 7444 W: www.thefishlounge.com

Which species of fish is used for our Fish Pedicures?

Koi

Gold Fish

Garra Rufa

Name: Address: Contact Number:

How does this child locator operate?

WIN!

Name: Address: Contact Number:

Trade enquiries: MaxiQuartz Spl 325, Zabbar Road, Fgura T: 2180 6661 – 7920 7632

2 winners will win this Child Locator worth €35

August 2012 | Issue 32 | vida.com.mt

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only for kids

Kid-friendly recipes Feel like a tasty snack or fun dessert but think cooking’s just too hard? Let VIDA make it fun this summer with these recipes that are so easy and just as tasty! Make sure you get an adult to help you when it comes to using the oven or any sharp knives, and you’ll be chowing down on these homemade lovelies in no time.

Dippy eggs You’ll need ham, spinach, cherry tomatoes, eggs, cheese and sliced bread for this recipe. Switch the oven on to 120C. Cut a large slice of ham and a few spinach leaves into strips, dividing them into four ramekins.

Squash tomatoes in a bowl and spoon two, along with their juices, into each pot. Break one egg into each ramekin and grate some cheese on top. Place in the oven for 15-18 minutes. Toast and cut bread into slices and dip!

Pitta pesto pizzas You’ll need four mini pitta breads, mozzarella, pesto and ham. Heat the pitas on a high grill while you slice the mozzarella. Turn pitas and spread with a little pesto sauce each, topping with mozzarella and sliced ham. Grill for a further 3-4 minutes.

Strawberry jelly You’ll need a sachet of gelatine, strawberry or apple juice, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Sprinkle gelatine into six teaspoons of boiling water and whisk. Pour in 450ml juice and whisk. Remove strawberry hulls and slice them into chunks, putting some into six glasses.

Pour the juice into the glasses and place in the fridge to set for about four hours. Decorate with whipped cream and extra strawberries.

Chocolate marshmallow sundae You’ll need two packs of instant pudding, cold milk, whipped cream, marshmallows and a chocolate bar.

Beat pudding mix and two cups of milk in a bowl. Stir in whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate chunks.

Spoon into a sealable container and freeze for around four hours.

Another chance to win!

Send us a photo or drawing of something you made – either using one of the recipes above or one of your own, to be in with another chance of winning the hamper made up of Nesquik products!

Soraya Galdes

Liandra Borg

Amanda Schembri

Karl Balzan

Lucienne Balzan

WIN !

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Sefora Borg, 15, is the winner of

Win a hamper made up of Nesquik products!

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Sarah Camilleri

Find 10 things related to cooking in the grid and send us the solution by post. The correct answers will enter a draw to win the Nesquik Hamper.

Recipe Grill Oven Pizza Strawberry Baked Chocolate Gelatine Mozzarella Egg

last month’s competition. She wins a hamper made up of Nesquik products.

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Send your entries, together with your name, surname, age and contact details (address, telephone number, email address), to: Kids Competition, VIDA Magazine, Pitkali Road, Attard, ATD 2214 by no later than Monday August 13th.