Sunday Circle Issue 233

www.sundaycircle.com

THE

BATTLE FOR BRUSSELS We meet faces old and new in this month’s race to the European Parliament

MAY 2014 – ISSUE NO. 233

THE GHOST THAT I KNEW Expert insight into how dementia affects the lives of those it touches page 31

page 37

FIRELIGHT Meet Malta’s Eurovision hopefuls

page 23

Roberta Metsola

MEP Roberta Metsola speaks about safeguarding Malta’s interests on a European level, bringing up three boys and – why she’s a real EU law geek page 16

Treat her this Mother’s Day Sunday 11th May

Valletta - Paol VAllettA - PAolA - St JuliAn’S

Be inspired at

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St Julians BOSS Store Malta 2, Ross Street Malta International Airport BOSS Store MIA Gate 1, Departures Lounge

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. contents .

INTERVIEWs

16 SEEING STARS

MEP Roberta Metsola is a woman in a lifelong relationship with Europe, David Schembri discovers

48 THE SHAPESHIFTER

Charlon Gouder has had many job descriptions over the years, but he tells David Schembri it is about continuation as much as it is about change

63 THE WINE COUNTESS

52 THE NEW kID ON THE BLOCk

69 OF TIMES GONE BY

hEAlTh

ARTs

For the families of people with dementia, watching the disease take its course is like watching their loved ones disappear before their eyes, Philip Leone-Ganado discovers

Philip Leone-Ganado meets Chiara Soldati, the fifthgeneration head of one of the most prestigious Gavi producers in the region

When writing her book about the 1950s, Patricia Salomone took a nostalgic look at the minutae, she tells Giuliana Barbaro-Sant

23 THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE Firelight wanted to grab public attention when they entered the Eurovision contest, now that they have it, David Schembri’s listening

57 FROM SHIP TO SCREEN

Jimi Busuttil went from ship captain to Simshar star in a few years; Philip Leone-Ganado traces that journey

83 THE BOxER

Singer-songwriter and beatboxer Dana McKeon tells David Schembri about self-expression, unique selling points – and pantyhose

ThE BATTlE foR BRussEls

37 THE vIEW FROM BRUSSELS

Malta’s entry into the EU 10 years ago has given Maltese minds the space to escape the intellectual shackles of their homeland, David Friggieri writes

41 THE PEOPLE’S CHAMPION

Arnold Cassola tells Philip Leone-Ganado why he believes in the power of citizens to make a difference on the European stage

Mario Farrugia Borg tells Philip Leone-Ganado about working in the PM’s private secretariat, the social side of politics – and pigeon racing

31 THE GHOST THAT I kNEW

photography Jacob Sammut

108 THE RIGHT COLOUR TO SMILE IN This month, Jean Paul Demajo takes a look at tooth discoloration and how it can be fixed

sTylE

75 THE COLOUR OF SPRING

The Clouded Revolution team talks onions, snakes, all in the name of the upcoming trends for the warmer months

TEchNology

89 THE WEB OF I-NIqUITY

75

105 THE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO

115

WIN a €500 voucher from LIST Roma

David Schembri shows you how not to make a fool of yourself online by believing – and sharing – articles which are patently untrue

117

KIDS Shopping Special

Ivan Borg dons his virtual scuba gear and dives into the murky depths of the web, inaccessible by search engines

coMPETITIoN

ONLINE ARTICLES

TRAVEl

44 THE COMPULSIvE CAMPAIGNER 95 TREkkING THE COASTAL PATH There are many things veteran MP and former minister Francis Zammit Dimech holds dear, but chief of all is trust, he tells David Schembri

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Philip Leone-Ganado gets out of the office and is wowed by the beauty of the Gozo coastal path

REgulARs

6 A WORD FROM THE EDITOR 10 C BODY | 12 C BEAUTY 14 C FASHION

Send your letterS to: Philip Leone-Ganado, the editor, Sunday Circle, Network Publications Ltd, Level 2, Angelica Court, Guzeppi Calì Street, Ta’ Xbiex, XBX 1425, or email: philip@networkpublications.com.mt. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and where space is limited. For advertising enquiries email: renee@networkpublications. com.mt or call: 2131 6326/7/8. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole, or in part, is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in the Sunday Circle are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome, but cannot be returned without a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The editor is not responsible for material submitted for consideration. The Sunday Circle is printed by Progress Press and distributed free with The Sunday Times of Malta every month.

Yours with any Elizabeth Arden purchase of €60 or more from the following outlets.*

Exclusively distributed by C+M Marketing, Tel: 21424080/79 ©2014 Elizabeth Arden, Inc.

*House of Beauty perfumery in St. Julians, House of Beauty perfumery at Duke’s shopping complex in Rabat, Gozo, Victors pharmacy in Sliema, Roberts perfumery in Sliema, Pro Vita perfumery in Naxxar, Grognet pharmacy in Mosta, Royal pharmacy in Valletta and Body Needs perfumery in Rabat, Gozo.

Collis Williams perfumery and Beauty in Swieqi

A Word froM

rimmellondon.com

the editor Turnout for European Parliament

elections in Malta has always been low.

Not low by any normal standards – with 78.8 per cent in 2009 or 82.4 in 2004, we’ve still got the highest turnout of any country with non-compulsory voting – but compared to the turnout for our local elections it’s clear that, statistically, we just don’t care. Which makes the space we’ve devoted this month to interviews with MEP candidates – and an alternative Trade enquiries: Vivian corporation tel: 21320338

feature on the role of the EU in forming Maltese minds – a bit...odd. But, of course, we should care. If it’s not enough that so many of our laws emanate directly from Brussels; if it’s not enough that issues that are important to us here – civil rights, energy, immigration – will be debated by our elected representatives there; if it’s not enough that the European Citizens’ Initiative actually allows you to propose legislation; then consider that through the MEPs you elect, for the first time ever you have a say in electing the President of the European Commission. And that’s pretty cool. Which is all by way of saying: vote. And while you’re at it, vote for candidates who share your views, who can represent them in one of the most important staging grounds there is.

This and more inside. Thanks for reading.

wiNNER’s bOx elaine Grech was the winner of NescAFÉ Gold blend’s competition in the March issue of the sunday circle. she answered the question correctly (150g) and won a year’s supply of Gold blend, Gold blend decaf and Gold crema. elaine (left) is pictured here with Josianne Micallef, Junior Product Manager at Nestlé. congratulations elaine!

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EdITorIAL www.sundaycircle.com

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BATTLE FOR BRUSSELS We meet faces old and new in this month’s race to the European Parliament

MAY 2014 – ISSUE NO. 233

THE GHOST THAT I KNEW Expert insight into how dementia affects the lives of those it touches

page 31

page 37

FIRELIGHT Meet Malta’s Eurovision hopefuls

page 23

Roberta Metsola

MEP Roberta Metsola speaks about safeguarding Malta’s interests on a European level, bringing up three boys and – why she’s a real EU law geek page 16

Philip Leone-Ganado ediTOR

David Schembri dePuTY ediTOR

Ivan Borg Giuliana Barbaro-Sant David Friggieri The Clouded Revolution cONTRibuTORs

ArT & dESIGN Sarah Scicluna Jessica Camilleri

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CoVEr PErSoNALITY Roberta Metsola RITA ORA wears colour rush lip and nail collection: 60 Seconds nail Polish in rita ora shades. colour rush intense colour Balm shade 500 The redder The Better.

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Similar to UNTOLD Eau de Parfum, Elizabeth Arden UNTOLD Eau Légère was designed to reflect the many dimensions of a woman, highlighting those special moments when she is truly at ease, revealing her genuine smile and effortless grace. UNTOLD Eau Légère accentuates the modern woman’s brilliant vibrancy, spontaneity and natural femininity with a citrusy, airy floral essence. Exclusively represented by C+M Marketing Ltd. Tel: 2142 4079/80

Prada Candy Florale is an exciting floral fragrance full of life and sensuality, inspired by an imaginary flower that smells like candy, or a bouquet of flowers standing on the counter of an ice cream shop in Italy. This romantic and powdery composition contains accords of limoncello sorbet at the top, flower of peony in the heart and the base composed of benzoin, musk, caramel and honey. The fragrance is available as 30, 50 and 80 ml Eau de Toilette. Exclusively distributed by Ta’Xbiex Perfumery Limited. Tel: 2133 1553

In Very Irresistible L’Eau en Rose Givenchy has created an eau de toilette for the senses, a universal floral designed for all women, to wear both in the depths of winter and the heat of summer. A frosted rose blooming with a burst of juicy blackberry. A cloud of mellow, almost cottony musks subtly weaves the trail of this luminous and delicate fragrance. Available in 30ml and 50ml. Givenchy is exclusively represented by C+M Marketing Ltd. Tel: 2142 4079

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The buildable, light-to-medium coverage formula is rich with hydrators, antioxidants and reflective pigments that help correct problematic areas and highlight the contours of the face. It works with all skin types and is suitable for the delicate skin around the eyes. Exclusively represented by C+M Marketing Ltd. Tel: 2142 4079/80

Ghost Moonlight is a floral oriental scent with a mesmerising blend of ingredients that create a scented tapestry of emotions and a subtle romantic accord. The vibrancy and spicy freshness of ginger, bergamot and cantaloupe are bound by the hypnotic scent of orange blossom and delicate accords of pink peony and subtle hints of lily of the valley. An enchanting air of mystery entices and enthrals as delicate white chocolate base notes add warmth and sweetness. Accords of amber and sandalwood enrich this elegant new fragrance and complete this twilight world of temptation.

Ghost Fragrances are distributed by Chemimart. Tel: 2149 2212

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

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BEAUTY evoking the exotic A scent of sicily Dolce, the newest fragrance from D&G goes back to founder Domenico Dolce’s homeland of Sicily – with a gentle, feminine mix of white flowers, introduced by the freshness of neroli leaves and defined by the white amaryllis, a South African flower used for the first time in scent. Receive a beautiful handbag mirror when you buy a 75ml bottle or a dainty bracelet with a 50ml bottle from authorised retailers – only while stocks last. For trade enquiries, call VJ Salomone (Marketing) on 8007 2387

The new Roberto Cavalli Exotica perfume promises an escape to exotic destinations with selected ingredients – mango, frangipani flowers and creamy sandalwood. The new perfume carries the same beautiful essence as other versions, and is crowned with an exotic union of sweet fruit, tropic flowers and creamy, warm wood in the base, evoking the sandy beaches of the Pacific. Roberto Cavalli is exclusively represented by X-treme Ltd. Tel: 2388 2000 | www.x-treme.com.mt

A nAturAl AlternAtive The new Milk Solutions Natural range is a paraben-free range for the hands, body and feet, specifically for those looking for a more natural alternative. The range includes a refreshing hand and foot mask, a nourishing hand and body moisturiser, a hand and body scrub, foot soak, a refreshing foot spritzer, a hand repair serum, a cuticle hydrating oil, a liquid hand wash and cuticle repair cream, incorporating unique and exciting fragrances – absolutely divine!

For your nearest stockist please call 2131 3208 or 2701 0997

four shAdes of beAuty The Les 4 Ombres Collection, by Chanel, is a tour de force of the company’s make up expertise. The new formula of the Les 4 Ombres eye palette offers new colour effects and expresses all the intensity of the shades, whilst capturing the subtlety of the nuances and playing with textures.

Meanwhile, Le Volume de Chanel and Stylo Yeux now come in a waterproof version for impeccable makeup all day long. Chanel is distributed by Alfred Gera and Sons Ltd.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

subtle luxury Coco Mademoiselle is a sensual and refined fragrance that combines audacity with elegance.

Now, the exquisite features of this fragrance are being expressed in two limited-edition products – the Scented Foam Bath, which transforms into a revitalising delicately-scented, gentle lather when in contact with water – and the Gentle Body Exfoliant, which can be used on dry or wet skin for satin-soft skin.

FASHION A new home for A new seAson ESPRIT’s flagship shop at The Point has recently been refurbished with the expert assistance of Danilo Dreyer, Esprit’s store designer. The new soft, woody interior was one of the first outlets internationally to be refurbished, and is now host to the Esprit Spring/Summer 2014 collection, which boasts of stylish and unique outfits for every occasion, from contemporary and relaxed casual basics to the perfect dress for life-defining moments, be it at work or play.

wrisTbAnds To end Aids BUY IT. WEAR IT. END IT. ALDO is urging everyone (and their friends) to join in its continued fight against AIDS with the launch of a new fundraising and awareness campaign: #FRIENDSFIGHT. As part of the campaign, ALDO will release a limited edition set of friendship bracelets in red, black, navy or mint adorned with an arrow charm in antique gold finish.

100% of sales of the bracelets will be donated to HIV/AIDS organisations. https://www.facebook.com/ ALDOShoesMalta

fresh And exclusive Fashion blossoms down the garden path of the Prime Minister’s Summer Residence at Girgenti Palace, when on May 8th, Sarto will be previewing the Blumarine, Emporio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer Collections, with graphic effects and light fabrics dressing international models for a dramatic finale. Limited runway pieces will be available for a short period after the event exclusively at SARTO, Ross Street, St Julian’s.

Timelessly elegAnT Founded in 1989 by Danish couple Henrik and Charlotte Jorst, Skagen is named after the seaside village in Denmark where the Baltic and North Seas meet. This inspired the brand’s mix of natural textures and modern design, which is evident in every one of their chic pieces. Timeless, simple and elegantly styled, Skagen offers both watches and jewellery at affordable prices.

Available from Sunlab, VIP & other selected boutiques.

Two looks in one This MEXX bag is designed to give you more options for your outfits this Spring.

Turn it inside out and from a green bag you have a beige bag with bright green straps. You can add straps to the inside bag making it even more comfortable as a shoulder bag. Have a look at the colours available from the MEXX April Collection, from yellow to coral, at the MEXX stores in Baystreet, Pjazza Tigne – The Point, Valletta and Mosta at €59.95.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

AlmosT fAmous Preppy meets quirky in the Spring/Summer 2014 GUESS handbag and footwear collections. All the season’s key trends are interpreted in the playful, flirtatious and iconic GUESS manner to offer styles perfect for all occasions. The bags ooze feminine finesse, and shapes are kept clean and retro-inspired.

Super-cute cut outs adorned with micro-studs, polka dots, flowers and stripes all find a home on irresistible frame satchels and box bags. Available from The Point, Baystreet and Accessories Store in Bisazza Street, Sliema.

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cover story

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

cover story

seeing stars RobeRta Metsola is a woMan in a lifelong Relationship with the euRopean pRoject and its values, david scheMbRi discoveRs Photography Nicky Scicluna

Roberta Metsola doesn’t do fluff. She doesn’t want her pictures airbrushed and wrinkles smoothed out – she wants to come across as she is. And what she is, is a 35-year-old mother of three, EU affairs lawyer and MEP for the Nationalist Party.

She is now in her third electoral campaign, but she hasn’t been particularly idle in between. Having specialised in EU law at the College of Europe in Bruges, Roberta served as Malta’s Legal and Judicial Cooperation Attaché within Malta’s Permanent Representation to the EU for eight years. There, she was involved in negotiations for key EU treaties, including the Lisbon Treaty and European Fiscal Mechanisms. Her EU legal career shifted up a gear when she became legal advisor to Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. “That was an honour, as well as a highlight in my career,” Metsola says. That job was to be short-lived – 10 months into her tenure, she was called upon to fill the EP seat vacated by Simon Busuttil when he became PN leader.

As one of a mere six Maltese members in the EP, she sits on four committees – including the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE), which deals with a wide range of issues, including human rights and migration. It is, by her own admission, more than her fair share, but she’s not complaining.

“We’re only six MEPs, and there are 20 committees, so we need to have more than our fair share; we have to at least try to cover all of them,” she says. “Even if I don’t sit on a committee, and an issue which affects the Maltese community is being discussed on it, I will make sure that I send my colleagues there so that MEPs from other countries sitting on the committee know of the Maltese view.”

“Maltese” is the key word here, and Metsola stresses that she represents the whole of Malta. “The EP represents a forum where what is not necessarily possible on a national level can be brought at a European level,” she says – citing this as the reason she took up matters such as the citizenship issue and the Marsaxlokk gas tanker to Europe.

One of the main pillars of her work is the protection of people’s rights, which she believes have to be guarded under the current administration, particularly when it comes to employees in the civil service. “Malta Tagħna Lkoll is turning out to be a big farce,” she says, “because if you aren’t of the same colour as the government you are likely to be kicked out of where you are or transferred for no reason. One year ago, I would have said it was a perception because very few people had come up to me with that issue, but day in, day out, knocking on doors, receiving correspondence from people who feel wronged by this government make it no longer a perception.”

Apart from being a hardworking politician in her third electoral campaign, Roberta is the mother of three boys: Luca, Alec and Marc. How does she cope? “This is the right year to be asked that question, because it’s the EU year for work-life balance. It’s a year when we all get asked how it can be done, and my answer is that there is never an easy solution,” Roberta says. “It requires a lot of hard work, but I have a very supportive family in my husband and our parents, and we manage, week by week, to organise our life. My children know that their mother is always on the go, and they know me as that,” she says. She does make it a point to put her boys to bed every day, even if it means leaving the campaign trail for an hour to do it. “But I’d rather do that than not be there when they fall asleep,” she says.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 17

cover story

I’m a real geek. For me, reading case law from the European Courts of Justice is fun

Her husband, the Harvard-educated Ukko, who contested the 2009 EP elections for the Finnish National Coalition Party, also knows what politics entails, and she is grateful that she has someone who knows what is needed of him during campaign time. After that, however, it’s “absolutely 50-50,” she stresses. This role sharing is not something new to her: Roberta and her two younger sisters were brought up in a household where responsibilities were shared, and where they were taught to be independent – indeed, both her sisters have gone on to academic careers. “But beyond that, [our parents] taught us to be strong. When church schools were closed in the 80s, I remember our parents being resilient to political oppression. I think they instilled that rebellion against oppression when I was six years old,” Roberta says.

Roberta has achieved it in her chosen field, and doesn’t feel that her being a woman has impeded her from reaching her professional and political goals. That said, she does believe there are further steps that should be taken to improve women’s participation in public and working life – but she does not count positive discrimination to be one of them. “I agree with merit and competence,” she says.

However, she does view increased childcare facilities as an example of a measure which could help more women enter the world of employment. She acknowledges, however, that there are many women in Malta who suffer because of their economic situation, and these issues had to be addressed – but not just by women.

“People expect me to talk about women because I’m a woman. I would expect those questions to be put to everybody,” she says.

Instead she wants to talk employment, particularly for young people, which is the greatest challenge Europe is facing for the next five years. For this to happen, the EPP is working to incentivise youth and economies to grow, “because once economies grow, you can attract foreign investment and you can have jobs,” she says. Jobs, she says, “are important because that’s the road to fulfilment in a person’s life.

In order for you to be able to contribute back to society, you need to have people who are willing to be employed or to employ.”

Time for more “fluff” though – how does she relax? “I really like reading: I’m currently reading a book called In Defence of Politics,” she says, somewhat apologetically. “It’s by Bernard Crick, and it tries to humanise politicians and tries to say that politics is necessary.”

Perhaps expecting something totally different to her day job is inconceivable, given her strong attachment to it. “I’d say European Law is my vocation, but I’m a geek, I’m a real geek. For me, reading case law from the European Courts of Justice is fun,” she says.

Does this woman, who is clearly in love with the European project, see it lasting? “I would say that if it didn’t fail at the height of the economic crisis two years ago, then it won’t fail now,” she says. “The EU has emerged stronger from the crisis; the euro, contrary to what some said, has not led to the doom and gloom some were foreseeing for countries that were on a strong economic path,” she says. “Given the political will of the countries that created the political union to ensure that Europe never falls back to the situation of World War I and II and the economic strength, I don’t think it will fail.”

This feature, including the cover, is a paid advertorial.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

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music

The Charge of The LighT Brigade

Firelight wanted to grab the Maltese public’s attention when they entered the eurovision. they’ve got it, and david scheMbri’s listening Photography Elisa von Brockdorf

It would be fair to say that many music lovers take a somewhat cynical look at the yearly Eurovision circus. Music snobs either shun it completely or watch it while tweeting ironically, for others it’s a guilty pleasure.

Firelight, the group representing Malta in the Copenhagen semi-final later this month, take an equally calculating look. With an album already recorded in lead singer Richard’s bedroom studio, the band, made up of five musicians who play music at weddings for a living, was hoping to get national

Art Direction Sarah Scicluna

attention to kickstart their career as Firelight. “When Firelight started, it was just about having a band and having fun making music we were proud of basically. But in Malta, there’s nothing better than the Eurovision to launch yourself as an artist,” Richard says. “Just like that, you get the attention without all that much fuss,” Michelle, the keyboardist and singer says. Being known – and in demand – is essential for people who depend on total strangers booking them to play on their occasions.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 23

music

In the case of Firelight, the Micallef siblings: Michelle, Richard, Daniel and Wayne (who is joining the group as a backing singer on the night), were no strangers to the world of performance, being the children of Joe George, who plied his trade singing in hotels and, at times, even entering the local Eurovision song contest.

Their English has a Yorkshire drawl to it, which they’ve inherited from their mother, Diane, who’s from Doncaster. She met their father when they were both performing in the same nightclub.

“One thing that always remains in my head is that our dad used to take us to the Preluna, where he worked; he’d get us on stage and we’d sing a medley of songs,” Richard says. “We used to do sing-alongs, mostly old songs. Once we had friends over, and as a joke they threw a bottle cap, and people saw something jingling and thought they were throwing money, so they started throwing money at us,” Michelle laughs. The money was something of a distraction for young Richard, and as soon as he saw pocket money falling from the sky he left the stage mid-song to pick up the cash.

A much older Richard left the island to London in order to, as he puts it, “spread his wings”, an expression which Daniel, the group’s guitarist and the youngest of the Micallef siblings, cannot help but smirk at. “It wasn’t just music there, I did some labouring jobs, all sorts of jobs basically. It’s a different ballgame there,” Richard,

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

who went there with his brother Wayne, says. While he was there, he entered the X-Factor, but he complains that he was overshadowed by a certain Leona Lewis – who went on to win the competition.

After his London adventure, Richard came back to Malta. “He missed his sister,” Michelle quips. “That was basically it,” says Richard. “One of the hardest struggles I had over there was being away from home, being away from family, being away from Malta basically.” Which brings us full circle to Firelight and their Coming Home adventure. Formed last year, the band was meant as a creative outlet for Richard and the band, which also includes bassist Tony and percussionist Leslie.

“I wanted to get a band together that was a bit different from the kind of music that is made in Malta. That’s why I introduced the mountain dulcimer in the band,” Richard says. This simple instrument is what he believes gives the band a different flavour to other folk bands, which of late seem to have a fixation with the banjo. “This is a cross between the guitar and a sitar, and it’s very flexible,” Richard says.

Coming Home is one of nine songs in their debut album. Although the official video places it within the context of World War I, Richard reveals that the song is about an experience which was much closer to home to him.

INSTANT SKIN

SMOOTHING

music

It’s less raw I guess, but we have to think in terms of Eurovision “There was this girl I knew who had cancer twice when she was young.

I knew her after she’d been through that experience, and when you talk to her, it’s like nothing ever happened: she was full of life, full of joy, full of love – she’s a very positive person. But when I got to know her and learnt that most of her childhood and teenage years were spent in hospital… She lost a big chunk of her life. She was positive, she came out of it, and she was inspiring enough that I wrote a song inspired by her,” Richard says. “Coming Home is about finding herself again.”

says, admitting that there were some production choices he was not personally fond, of despite the more professional final product.

What they weren’t expecting was the song to actually win the local contest. “We really weren’t planning to win. We had an album sorted out, and we were hoping to get a good result and launch the album straight after,” Michelle says. Now, the songs in their album are being re-recorded using the better gear that Wayne, their brother, owns. At the same time, they’ve accepted the fact that Coming Home is no longer just theirs as a song. “It’s all of Malta’s now, so PBS has taken on a big part of that responsibility to see what sound will work best at the Eurovision,” Richard says of the song’s re-recording, which saw a layer of sheen being added to the song. “It’s less raw I guess, but we have to think in terms of Eurovision,” Michelle shrugs. “The structure is better,” Daniel

Their participation in the festival has come at a cost: since they all ply their trade in weddings, they’ve had to cancel seven bookings to be able to honour their Eurovision commitments. “But this is going to be the experience of a lifetime, it’s going to be great,” Richard says.

After that, Eurovision is going to be a closed chapter for Richard and Michelle as performers, but they have high hopes for Firelight.

“Right now we’re fully focused on the Eurovision, and we’ll give it our all. But after May, a week will pass and it’s back to real life,” Richard says. “Then we have to work for Firelight,” Michelle adds.

“Thanks to the Eurovision, we are becoming more well-known,” Richard says. “We want to make an impact with our music, and spread our message: enjoy the music.”

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Onto the Eurovision itself, though, and the group reports they have been warmly received when they performed their song abroad.

“We used to think that people in Malta were dedicated Eurovision fans, but those people out there are really into it,” Daniel says.

“Eurovision fans are fanatics there. They’ll know songs from start to finish, including old songs,” Michelle says.

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THE GHOST THAT I KNEW

For the Families oF people with dementia, watching the disease take its course is like watching their loved ones disappear beFore their eyes Words Philip Leone-Ganado

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 31

HEALTH

F

or Anne Cuschieri, the story of an illness that would rob her of a mother and utterly consume twelve years of her life began simply enough. “My mother started to repeat things,” she recalls. “It was more annoying than anything else: she’d rattle on and on about the past and her childhood.” But her condition quickly degenerated. “She’d go into a trance of a few seconds or minutes and say things that were completely out of the ordinary – the most horrible things, it wasn’t like her – but then she’d come to. We’d ask her if she knew what she’d said, and she’d say no.”

Rosa, Anne’s mother, was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia that affects 70 per cent of sufferers. It is estimated that there are approximately 5,200 people in Malta suffering from dementia, and that number is expected to rise to 14,000 by 2060. The condition is degenerative, and there is no cure.

“Dementia is a medical condition where certain areas of the brain start to die off at an alarming rate,” explains Dr Charles Scerri, co-founder of the Malta Dementia Society, and chairman of the Malta Dementia Strategy Working Group. “The first damage usually appears in the areas of the brain that control the consolidation of short-term memory into long-term memory. Then it starts to spread to areas that control executive function: things that for a normal person are automatic become nearly impossible.

Something as simple as making a cup of coffee, for example, takes a lot of mental resources: there’s a lot of processes you have to perform in the right order, and a person with dementia would not be able to do that.”

For Anne’s mother, who had been known by all around her as a bright, friendly and energetic pharmacist, the changes came thick and fast. “She became very aggressive,” says Anne. “Over time, she started to lose all her skills. She wouldn’t wash, she couldn’t eat, she became incontinent, she just got into a totally different world, and we slowly took over everything a normal person would do for themselves.”

By this time, Anne and her husband had sold their house in Naxxar to move into an apartment in Sliema, in order to be closer to her, and help her father, on whom Rosa was now entirely dependent. “She started a phase where she’d run away. My father would be upstairs hanging the clothes and she’d sneak out of the house, cross the road without looking, and come to my door. She’d say: ‘There’s a man in my house, I don’t know who he is’; other times she’d start crying and say: ‘I want my mother’ or ‘I need to go home, I’ve left my children alone.’”

Eventually, taking care of Rosa at home became impossible. Anne’s father was against moving her into a home, but as her behaviour grew ever more erratic, he was left with no choice. The family decided to move her to Villa Messina, at the time the only home catering for people with dementia. “It was the worst week of our life,” says Anne. “She felt like she was locked in prison. She wouldn’t sleep, she’d bang on the door, she wanted to come out.” Anne has nothing but praise for the carers at the home, but at the same time, the change took its toll on the family.

“She just got into a totally different world, and we slowly took over everything a normal person would do for themselves” 32

Sunday Circle | May 2014

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HEALTH

“My father started this life of going up to Villa Messina every day, 45 minutes each way. For me, speaking to her every day on the phone became speaking to my father every day on the phone. I developed this relationship with my father as I lost my mother – you are losing the person, even though they’re still alive. You’re grieving while they’re still alive.”

Anne’s mother passed away in November 2012, after 12 years of illness. “It sounds strange, but I used to think: why is my mother taking so long? When you see people suffering like that you forget about yourself: you want them to survive, but not in that condition.”

With her mother gone, Anne’s attention turned to what she could do to help others who were going through similar situations. “I didn’t want my mother to have suffered for nothing. We had nothing and nobody to help us, and I didn’t want others to be the same.” Together with Sr Vinnie Catania – who had just lost her mother to a different form of dementia – they formed a support group within the auspices of the Malta Dementia Society.

The group organises regular informal gatherings and outings for patients suffering from dementia and their families, as well as talks on various aspects – practical and psychological – of coping with the disease. Activities are held in various homes and across the island, to bring support to those who might not be able to seek it out on their own. “You can’t change the situation,” says Anne, “but emotionally it’s very hard: you feel anger, sadness, desperation. So it’s good to have someone to lean on.”

Dr Scerri agrees: “For carers, the hardest part is often the psychological aspect: seeing their family member evaporate in front of them; you’re doing all this with them on a daily basis and they’re not even recognising you. There are financial problems too – you could be spending €180 every month just on medicine – and physically, the person becomes very fragile and needs help with everything, so even going to work becomes difficult.”

With Malta’s aging population (over 80s will account for 12 per cent of the population by 2050, a fourfold increase), Dr Scerri believes Malta needs to be more aware of how big a national problem dementia represents. To this end, Malta’s National Dementia Strategy is currently under public consultation until May, with a view to publishing in October. “The main aim is to improve the quality of life of patients, families and carers,” he explains. “One main pillar is increasing awareness among all sectors of the population. Another is research: we need more research to identify the steps we need to take in the future, and to measure the success of the strategy.”

Dr Scerri speaks about the importance of early diagnosis, which in many cases can delay institutionalisation. He also points to the need to improve on existing services, increasing the number of homes and specially-trained carers, and focusing specifically on help within the community. “The ideal is for patients to remain in their own home: if you put them in a new place, when they’re incapable of adapting to it, it’s going to cause a lot of anxiety.”

The launch of the National Strategy will place Malta on the forefront of work on dementia, with just 15 other countries worldwide having comparable measures in place. The question remains whether policy can be successfully translated into tangible support for those whose lives the disease has touched.

The Malta Dementia Society is a non-profit NGO for persons with dementia, their carers, families and friends. Dementia Helpline: 22081826

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

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politics

the View from brussels Malta’s EU MEMbErship 10 yEars ago has givEn MaltEsE Minds thE spacE to EscapE thE intEllEctUal shacklEs of thEir hoMEland, david friggiEri writEs – froM brUssEls Words David Friggieri

Time flies. I can hardly believe that it’s been more than ten years since I told a Sunday Times journalist that joining the EU would prove to be crucial for young Maltese people eager to move beyond the career and thought strictures imposed by the island’s political duopoly.

Apart from the more tangible advantages associated with Malta’s EU membership, this factor, perhaps, remains closest to my heart, reinforced by the fact that the fundamental patterns and unwritten laws of Maltese public life have remained largely unchanged over the same period: three Prime Ministers (Fenech Adami, Gonzi, Muscat), three Opposition leaders (Sant, Muscat, Busuttil) and two European Parliament elections later. Ħbieb tal-ħbieb has morphed almost effortlessly into Tagħna Lkoll, entrenching what I call the “rent-seeking elite” as the constant in Malta’s political landscape.

Columnist and academic Mark-Anthony Falzon recently made no bones about branding this enduring phenomenon “an institutionalized scam”. For young, ambitious people unwilling to tie their destiny to either PN or PL but who nonetheless wished to contribute to public life, Europe has offered oxygen, sustenance and space. And, perhaps, most importantly, a decent life.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 37

politics

It’s not at all surprising, I believe, that three of Malta’s most interesting contemporary authors work in Brussels and have written their best literature since they moved here. I’d like to emphasize the fact that they work here. In other words their daily bread – crucial even for the least bourgeois among us – doesn’t directly depend on being close to the inner circles of power, handouts bequeathed by the government of the day or on not making enemies.

Brussels diaspora and its fraught relationship with an island it only partially still calls home, taking on our idiosyncratic class divide (and obsession with pronunciation) along the way. But it was perhaps Vella Gera’s unique and courageous decision to refuse his Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika – and the clear, political reasons he provided for not accepting it – that marked out his total independence from the establishment.

It would be totally misguided of me to claim that nothing at all accomplished or interesting was written in Maltese prior to the doors and windows of Europe being flung open. That’s not my point.

But I absolutely concur with Kenneth Wain and John Baldacchino who, in their damning but refreshing analysis of the Maltese artistic scene, agree that fear, among several other factors, has prevented the Maltese artistic and cultural community from developing any semblance of independent political will. “To-be-political”, Wain reminds us, “does not simply mean supporting-one-party-againstthe-other”. He goes on to quote Foucault – “It is particularly difficult to proclaim your thinking publicly when this involves risk”.

Stagno’s What Happens In Brussels Stays in Brussels (Merlin, 2013) – by far the most immediately political of the four books – deserved deeper analysis and certainly far more exposure in the context of the forthcoming EP election as it focuses an uncompromising microscope onto the rapid, often contradictory, European metamorphosis of Sant’s antagonistic MLP caterpillar into Muscat’s PL butterfly. The fact that journalists have not chosen to engage with the novel in the context of the EP election proves, I believe, that we’re still miles away from truly taking our writers seriously.

In their own diverse ways, Pierre Mejlak, Alex Vella Gera and Ġużè Stagno – all members of what I like to call the “Brussels School” of contemporary Maltese literature – provide an intimate, rich and liberating canvas for Generation 2004, in contrast to much of the ultimately hackneyed rhetoric you’ll have heard in the run-up to the EP election. In his two collections of short stories, Mejlak’s pop literature took Maltese writing way beyond its hang-ups with pique, family and Church, proving that the language is perfectly adapted to describe a wealth of human experiences beyond the Breakwater.

In Is-Sriep Reġgħu Saru Velenużi (Merlin, 2012), Vella Gera, a more political writer than Mejlak, explored one species of the

In their very distinct ways – and free from the inevitable shackles associated with modern feudal systems – all three authors have tapped into, what is, ultimately Europe’s greatest attraction and strength: intellectual freedom.

David Friggieri works on freedom of expression and the fight against racism and xenophobia within the European Commission’s Directorate-General Justice. He has maintained a keen interest in Maltese public life and is currently reading John Baldacchino and Kenneth Wain’s Democracy Without Confession – Philosophical Conversations on the Maltese Political Imaginary (Allied Publications, 2013). The views expressed here are strictly his own.

“It “It is particularly is particularly difficult proclaim your difficult totoproclaim your thinking publicly when thinking publicly when this involves risk” this involves risk”

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

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politics

the people's champion AlternAttivA DemokrAtikA ChAirmAn ArnolD CAssolA tells PhiliP leone-GAnADo why he believes in the Power of inDiviDuAl Citizens to mAke A DifferenCe on the euroPeAn stAGe

Photography Marija Grech

It’s not every day I meet the leader of a political party on a park bench.

Then again, although Alternattiva Demokratika is Malta’s third largest political party, these days one almost feels obliged to add the qualifier “technically”.

Nevertheless, party chairman Arnold Cassola is keeping the faith: “This time there seems to be a different urge,” he tells me.

His optimism is based on the fact that people in the crucial under-35 demographic have now, for the first time in their lives, experienced both a

Nationalist and a Labour government (not to mention Nationalist and Labour MEPs), meaning that now more than ever, some of them will be looking with renewed vigour for an alternative. The bar is also set lower: since Malta is for the first time electing six MEPs instead of five, the electoral quota is some 7,000 votes lower than usual; and with all of Malta being considered one electoral district, there is no problem of AD’s vote being split. All this, Cassola believes, represents a neat melange of circumstance for his party to break its duck.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 41

POLOTICS

Here I have the freedom of being who I am, of being principled, saying things as they are. It’s better not to be elected and stick to your principles With the support of MEPs actively following the problem, he believes, this approach can have huge weight on a European level. “That’s why you need MEPs who are on the citizens’ side, rather than on the side of the big lobbies that tend to influence laws and directives in Brussels. Big companies have huge lobbying power and lawyers on their side. We need to make laws with people’s wellbeing in mind.”

Electing an AD candidate then, would first and foremost mean that Malta is represented in a third political grouping, the European Greens, potentially influencing an additional 60 MEPs who currently do not have a Maltese voice amongst them.

“We’ll also be pushing for the issues we speak about much more than the Christian Democrats or the Socialists,” says Cassola.

He encourages voters to research the parties’ voting records in Europe, pointing to two crucial votes in recent months: one on an amendment to a resolution on data protection, calling for the protection of Edward Snowden, and one on introducing stricter fines for tax evaders – Maltese MEPs voted against in both cases.

With the referendum itself still to come, it’s far from job done, but as an exercise in citizen empowerment the campaign has already been a massive success. “People in Malta have always been fatalistic. They think: ‘what can we do? The politicians are too powerful,’” says Cassola. “But now they’ve seen that if you unite and speak up, you can really something going.”

In contrast, Cassola says, what he offers is consistency. The issues that he prioritises are immediately apparent: civil rights and the environment foremost amongst them. He speaks passionately about the importance of creating a sustainable, green economy; of pushing renewable energy; protecting residents’ rights; privileging the specificity and inventiveness of small Maltese businesses. And he believes Europe can be the perfect forum for all this. “80 per cent of our environmental law – 50 per cent of all our law – is decided in the EP. When we discuss the gas terminal or spring hunting, we are discussing EU directives. People aren’t aware that Maltese issues can be European issues.”

Now, Cassola is keen to carry that people power into Europe. “I’m interested in how citizens and civil society can get close to and influence the decision-making process,” he says. “The Petitions Committee is actually based on this idea. Any EU citizen can appeal directly to the EP online on injustices or things that go against EU law. We talk about cleanliness of the sea, building infringements, noise pollution: these can all go against EU directives, and people have the power – especially if they unite – to appeal to the EU, which will then start an investigation.”

For all this, does Cassola ever feel that he could have contributed more had he aligned himself with one of the bigger parties?

“No,” he says. “Possibly, if I had been in another party – and we have had offers many times during our lifetime – I may have been elected at some point. But here I have the freedom of being who I am, of being principled, saying things as they are.

It’s better not to be elected and stick to your principles. Now I think we are coming to a time when you can stick to your principles and still be elected.”

Certainly, AD enter this campaign on the back of a historic success: gathering 45,000 signatures to force a referendum for the abolition of spring hunting.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

SLIEMA

ST. JULIANS

POLITICS

the compulsive campaigner

44

There are many Things veTeran mP and former minisTer francis ZammiT dimech holds dear, buT chief of all is TrusT, he Tells david schembri

If idle hands are the hands of the Devil, Lucifer has long given up on the use of Francis Zammit Dimech’s mitts. Ever since he was 14 when, he set up his own NGO – the Teens’ and Twenties’ Talent Trust – Francis has been nothing if not active, going on to serve as president of the University Student Council, the Moviment Żgħażagħ Partit Nazzjonalista, contesting the general elections in 1981, getting elected in 1987 and in every general election to date. It would be fair to say he’s kept up the momentum going ever since.

Photography David Schembri

Take the past 18 months, for instance.

Sunday Circle | May 2014

After campaigning for his successful reelection into the national parliament, he practically dived into his next campaign – this time unsuccessful – for the PN leadership. Now, he is on the campaign trail to be one of Malta’s six members of the European Parliament.

“When Simon Busuttil was at my campaign launch, he described me as a ‘compulsive campaigner’, which I take as a compliment,” Francis says from his law firm’s office on Republic Street. His law practice is another example of his drive: having been a minister for a large part

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POLOTICS

Politics without being close to people and building trust would be meaningless even if it only happened towards the end of the legislature,” he says. He only put himself forward to the EP because the party asked him to, and he agreed. What does he think he can offer?

He believes it boils down to his experience and track record.

“If you look at the MEPs from various European countries, it is very much the norm that a good number of them would actually have had experience of their own national parliaments, sometimes even former ministers and prime ministers,” he says. “And why does that happen? Because experience of the national legislative process is very relevant to being effective in the EP, which in the end is the parliament of Malta much as the one in Valletta is,” Francis says. Pointing out that decisions taken in the EP had an immediate impact on our country, he says experience of the national political process would give a seasoned politician the insight to gauge any legislative process or initiative from the viewpoint of their country and intervene with that in mind. “You’d also have experience in networking, which is crucial in the EP, and that would be an element which you’d already be used to, and this is what I’m trying – humbly – to offer the Maltese electorate,” Francis says.

of his political career, Francis found himself at a loose end when, in 1996, the Labour Party took power. The lawyer used the time on the opposition benches to resume his studies, this time in financial services. Those studies served him well when, in 2008, following the PN’s hard-fought victory, he found himself on the backbench.

“That is when I had to remember that I am also a lawyer,” he says with a chuckle.

“I always look upon a difficult moment in one’s life as one which should be considered as an opportunity,” Francis says – signalling that he had been disappointed at the non-inclusion.

“But I always said to myself that that should be a moment when I prove my loyalty to the party, because loyalty should be manifested not only when everything is bright and happy around you, but also in more difficult situations,” Francis says.

That loyalty – a precious commodity in the PN’s parliamentary group in that legislature – did not go unnoticed, and towards the end of that administration he was back in cabinet, this time as foreign affairs minister. “I can only express satisfaction at that, 46

Sunday Circle | May 2014

There are six issues which Francis wants to focus on: employment, NGOs, Malta’s identity, reputation and culture, the environment, Malta’s small-island dimension, immigration and NGOs. On employment, he believes that Malta’s niche industries and the people employed within them – the financial sector and the maritime sector being two examples – should be borne in mind when issues affecting them are being discussed at EP level. The former environment minister believes the environment is being disregarded by the current administration; on immigration, he says that Muscat’s government’s grandstanding in the EU garnered less results than the PN in government did; most of all, he believes immigration policy should be responsible and respect the dignity of each individual.

His love for culture – a former portfolio of his – is no secret, and it is clear that he sees creativity and culture as more than mere entertainment. He digs out an excerpt from a book he’s currently reading, Richard Florida’s The Rise of the Creative Class, which reads: “The essential task before us is to unleash the creative energies, talent, and potential of everyone – to build a society that acknowledges and nurtures the creativity of each and every human being.” But dearest to him is trust: “What is dearest to me is being able to trust others and being trusted by others, which should be based on the principle of being close to the people and interacting with people. I think politics without being close to people and building trust would be meaningless.”

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POLITICS

the Shapeshifter Charlon Gouder has had many different job desCriptions over the years, but he tells david sChembri that it is about Continuation as muCh as it is about ChanGe

Photography Jacob Sammut

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

Charlon Gouder asks how long the interview should take. I explain that I have 800 words to play with. “So it’s a 20-minute job” he says, right off the bat. In fact, having Gouder, the Labour Party’s prize newshound for over a decade behind a desk, the day’s papers strewn across it, with someone else asking questions and taking notes on the other side of the desk is still something of a surreal image.

Indeed, it’s hard to think of Charlon Gouder – now employed within the parliamentary secretariat for

competitiveness and economic growth and contesting the European Parliament elections – as anything other than a journalist known and respected for his peskiness. “It wasn’t a question of annoying people, it was more a question of not accepting any response,” Charlon says. “Everyone has a right to their opinion, but my interviewee has to answer the question, even if it’s just a no comment. But I can’t stand evasiveness.”

He maintains, however, that he was respected by his political adversaries,

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I think there’s a bridge between journalism and being a lawyer... You help people as a journalist through your stories, as a lawyer you help them using the art of law Gouder now has an 18-month-old daughter, is in the final stages of his law degree and is hoping to be one of the six Maltese members of the European Parliament.

It is a big change from journalism, but then again, change is a key word in his vocabulary. Prior to becoming a journalist, he was a professional trombone player, even playing with the national orchestra. “Politics and journalism took over my life,” Charlon says. “I couldn’t keep being a musician, because you have to practice to the point of eliminating the fear of making a mistake. Once that creeps in, you have to call it a day. It was a phase, I enjoyed doing it, I learnt, and gave it all, and then it was over,” he says.

But rather than seeing it as a radical step, he sees his law studies and political campaigning as a continuation of what he had been doing: “I think there’s a bridge between journalism and being a lawyer. All are tools in the hands of the people, to help people. You help people as a journalist through your stories, as a lawyer you help them using the art of law,” he says.

and that ultimately, some of his stories actually helped effect change. “That’s the beauty of journalism, that it’s a tool for change. People have questions, which they don’t always have the opportunity of asking, so they use – it’s not the best word – the journalist and his powers to transmit their voice through the medium. In my case, I used TV and radio,” he says.

“I was convinced of the stories I was pushing, because they brought about a change in the electorate, because the electorate either chose not to elect the protagonists of these stories, or else, the protagonists were not appointed to Cabinet if they were elected after 2008,” Charlon says of his previous work.

2008 was a bittersweet year for Charlon. Having been on the bitterly-fought campaign trail of the general election for months, he was faced with a result where his party lost by a whisker. But, with the breathing space the end of the campaign afforded him, Charlon and his fiancée Sarah were able to focus on the next step in their relationship, and within four months they had a wedding date and a place to stay sorted out.

50

Sunday Circle | May 2014

Charlon is still getting used to his life as a politician: “To understand what people want you have to get down on the ground, knock doors and listen to what people have to say.

You have to continually be close to people, and when you’re doing that, you’re flagging issues on the national agenda which belong to the people,” he says. “In the 14 years I worked in broadcasting, I wasn’t always necessarily in contact with people’s reality. Today, I understand how vital it is to keep in touch with people, because everyone has a story to tell.”

He believes that in politics, time spent in the office is time which could be better spent by meeting people, and because the European Parliament affects what happens even on a local level, it is imperative that the voice of the people is heard in Europe. “The EU is taking many decisions that have an immediate effect on Member states, and I want to be at the EP to make sure that the voice of my constituency is heard,” Charlon says.

And when will it be time for the next phase? “I hope to read the times well, to know when my time is and when it is time to bow out. I hope to be able to leave when I have nothing else to offer – it all depends on how much I remain in contact with people.”

POLITICS

the new kid on the block Mario Farrugia Borg tells PhiliP leoneganado aBout working in the PM’s Private secretariat, the social side oF Politics – and Pigeon racing

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

Despite a long history of involvement in the Labour Party, and working full time on last year’s election campaign, Mario Farrugia Borg had never really considered contesting this year’s European Parliament elections. “I was always happy doing back office and internal work for the Party,” he says. In fact, he lists as one of the highlights of his career a speech he delivered to the Labour National Conference in February 2010, when he recounted the story of how he came to the Labour Party and of which people still remind him today.

So when the Prime Minister – in whose private secretariat he has worked since last March – asked him to contest, Farrugia Borg was shocked, “but at the same time flattered. I decided to accept after a discussion with Dr Muscat who convinced me that this was the next logical step for me and also after I realised that I could push a social agenda plus other issues which I consider as priorities if elected.”

The social aspect of politics has always been foremost in Farrugia Borg’s mind.

“I am a socialist and therefore I have

POLiTiCS

I have always believed that the vulnerable in society, the poor, the underprivileged, should always be at the top of Malta’s political agenda He also speaks about the need to work towards established UNHCR offices in North Africa where applications for asylum can be processed, allowing those accepted to move across borders legally, and in this regard, points to the government’s recently signed repatriation agreement with Nigeria as an important step forward. Peace in the Mediterranean, he feels, is also a fundamental part of this. “Malta has long taken this as its mission, to make Europe understand that there can be no peace in Europe unless there is peace in the Mediterranean,” he explains. “I feel this issue is still relevant today, as is also still relevant the concept of Malta being a bridge between Europe and Africa.”

Farrugia Borg is also a Muslim convert, and indeed the first Maltese Muslim candidate in a European Parliament election.

But despite the mileage this detail has been given in the media, he is keen not to overstate its importance. “This candidature is about politics, not religious beliefs. No politician should impose his religious beliefs on others.” And he feels that, in general, people don’t react to him any differently because of it.

“Most people understand that religious beliefs are a personal issue and what matters is whether I am capable of working in the national interest.”

always believed that the vulnerable in society, the poor, the underprivileged, should always be at the top of Malta’s political agenda,” he says. “Therefore putting these sections of society also at the top of the European agenda would be my priority. I do not believe in austerity; I believe in a social Europe.”

At the same time, he takes a hard line on immigration. “The Labour Party in government has already make huge steps to ensure that, as the Prime Minister himself mentioned, Europe wakes up and smells the coffee. Voluntary burden sharing has not worked; in fact the USA alone has taken more immigrants from us than all the EU countries put together. Whilst we realise that other EU countries also have their immigration problems, we must work towards a compulsory burden sharing system.”

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

Coming into the tail end of the election campaign, Farrugia Borg believes that his experience in the Prime Minister’s private secretariat – where he has worked since since last March – will prove invaluable were he to be elected. “The Prime Minister is full of energy and this energy is transmitted to his staff. My work at the Prime Minister’s private secretariat consists mostly of listening to people and their needs, and trying to help as much as possible. The Prime Minister gives a lot of importance to being close to the people. The experience has taught me that being in politics is not about popularity or money, but about being of service. In this regard, yes, I think this would definitely help me be of better service to my constituents, in this case, the people of Malta and Gozo.”

Outside politics, Farrugia Borg considers his love for animals an important part of his life, jokingly pointing out that he has a mini-zoo at home. “I also keep racing pigeons and up to last year I used to compete, although, again, this is a hobby which requires plenty of time.” With a race of his own coming up fast, he will be hoping to prove as adept as his pigeons.

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film

FROM SHIP TO SCREEN A few yeArs Ago, Jimi Busuttil wAs working on film sets As A ship cAptAin. now, he is BAck on the deck of A ship – But this time he’s in front of the cAmerA. the SimShar stAr speAks to philip leone-gAnAdo ABout his love of the seA, surviving cAncer, And telling stories Walking past the array of moored fishing boats at Marsaxlokk, Jimi Busuttil points to the thing we’ve been heading towards – or rather, the lack of a thing. Whether by chance or design, a single berth sits poignantly empty. “This is where we filmed a lot of our scenes in the film,” he tells me. “It’s also where the actual Simshar used to be moored.”

Jimi is one of the stars of Simshar, a new Maltese feature film directed

by Rebecca Cremona. Jimi plays Karmenu, a 61-year old fisherman and one of the victims of the real-life Simshar tragedy in July 2008: when Karmenu’s son Simon Bugeja was the sole survivor of an ill-fated fishing trip that also claimed the life of his 11-year-old son Theo, and two other fishermen, Noel Carabott (who doesn’t feature in the film) and Somali national Abdulrahman Gedi. The film also interweaves the story of the Simshar with another set aboard a merchant vessel stranded on the high seas by diplomatic wrangling over the fate of a group of migrants it has rescued from drowning.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 57

film

“For me to play Karmenu was relatively easy because as soon as I step on a boat, I’m home, I’ve been a sea-person all my life: if you remove the sea from my life, I’m just a vegetable” In a film like this, then, art and life are always going to be playing fast and loose with each other. But for Jimi in particular, the film struck close to home in more ways than one. “For me to play Karmenu was relatively easy because as soon as I step on a boat, I’m home,” he says, sipping a beer in a bar at the water’s edge. “I’ve been a sea-person all my life: if you remove the sea from my life, I’m just a vegetable.”

Growing up in St Julian’s, Jimi spent most of his childhood on fishing boats with his uncles, learning the tricks of the trade and acquiring a taste for the sea that would stay him his entire life. When he was older, he first opted to study and train in production engineering, rather than heading straight out to sea, because he didn’t want to turn his passion into work. “I thought that if I worked at sea I’d lose my love for it. But I was wrong. So I lost time.”

Rectifying his error, he studied to be a captain, starting a long career at sea, ending on supply boats for a small local company with a reputation for doing jobs that other companies wouldn’t, going alongside tankers and oil rigs, supplying them with personnel, spares, and food. It was through his work with this company that Jimi eventually found himself working on film sets, captaining vessels to ferry cast and crew out for open sea shoots, 58

Sunday Circle | May 2014

and coordinating the work of smaller vessels. On the set of Kon Tiki, the Academy Award nominated film shot almost entirely in Malta, he captained the mothership, the production’s mobile hub when shooting 10 miles out at sea.

So was it this proximity to the film world, I ask him, that fuelled his desire to start acting himself? “Not really,” he says. “What fuelled me was simple: we all have a story to tell, and I want to tell mine.” In fact, Jimi only started acting late in life: he was 59 when he saw an advert in the paper for acting lessons, and decided to finally chase after a dream that had been with him for years. Those lessons led to roles on TV shows like Emilia and Zafira, as well as a few adverts – one of which he was spotted for while once again working behind the scenes, this time captaining a ship for Captain Phillips – and finally, Simshar itself.

With so much of the Simshar filming process taking place in the tanks and out at sea, Jimi quickly found himself in his element.

“I would help the props people in preparing the line we were going to use for the film. I taught Lotfi [Abdelli, who plays Simon] what to do in the shots where we’re tying hooks,” he recalls. “My comfort with the water obviously helped me, and I believe it

film

“I embrace change. At sea, change is the only constant factor” gave confidence to the other actors too. There were scenes where we had to steer the boat across to a bigger ship, and I told Rebecca: ‘Don’t worry, I do this for a living.’”

In playing the role of Karmenu – or Tabakku, as he was known among other fishermen and as Jimi refers to him – he drew extensively on his first-hand knowledge of the fishing community.

“I wasn’t asked to interpret Tabakku, I was asked to interpret a father who is clinging to the past, who hates change – still, these are things that are not inherent in me: I embrace change. At sea, change is the only constant factor. But I could also understand that these old fishermen are very reserved people, they don’t want to disclose a lot about themselves,” he says.

“In the fishing world, you don’t tell one hand what the other is doing. It’s about survival, but it’s also about hope. You wouldn’t go out on a small boat and get battered by a storm, spend €1000 on bait and fuel, get nothing, and then go back out again, unless you had a lot of hope, a lot of faith... and well-kept secrets.”

There is yet another level in which working on Simshar had particular resonance for Jimi. Because even as he walked with his character through the trying experiences of the plot, Jimi was dealing with an ordeal of his own: battling cancer.

“When I started filming Simshar I knew something was wrong,” he recalls. “I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew something was changing inside me. When we took a break from Simshar, I realised I had to do something about, but I was worried that if I had what I thought I had, they wouldn’t let me finish shooting – and then I’d cause a problem for all the team.”

So he ploughed on: shooting long, emotional scenes in the cold water of the tank, with make-up that took hours to apply and remove, all the while dealing with what would eventually turn out to be a diagnosis of colon cancer. He only started treatment once Simshar had wrapped, and had surgery to remove the tumour a few months later.

Fortunately, today, his recovery remains on course.

So what does the future look like for Jimi? Since finishing work on Simshar, he has already appeared in two short films: The Maltese Fighter, and Flutter, where he plays a man struggling to put his life together after the suicide of his daughter, and which he defines as his most intense acting experience to date. And though he can’t yet discuss details, more projects are appearing on the horizon.

“The future looks good,” he says. “I know I’m going to be given the opportunity to tell more stories, and that’s all I can ask for.”

Simshar is appearing in cinemas now

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

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WINE

The Wine Countess Chiara Soldati iS the fifth generation head of one of the moSt preStigiouS and hiStoriC gavi produCerS in the region. She tellS philip leoneganado why She approaCheS winemaking aS an artform Photography Elisa von Brockdorff

C

hiara Soldati’s first experience of wine is probably not too different to that of other young girls from Piedmont.

“My father started encouraging me to dip my finger into his wine glass when I was very young,” she says with a smile. “What I remember more than anything is the salty taste of the wine.” But that’s probably where the generality of her experience ends. Because the wine she was tasting had been made by her father, from vineyards that had been in his family since his own great-grandfather’s time.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 63

WINE

“My father always told me that it’s a passion: you have to sacrifice your life for it”

Chiara’s great-great-grandfather founded the La Scolca winery in the town of Gavi in 1919. At the time, the region was traditionally known for its red grapes, but he made the decision to focus exclusively on Cortese white grapes, becoming one of the first producers of quality Gavi. So, as Chiara puts it today: “Nearly a hundred years ago, my family invented the Gavi wine.”

Today, La Scolca is one of the most historic white wine producers in all of Italy, and unsurprisingly, Chiara always felt drawn to continuing that legacy. “I felt this passion immediately,” she says. “I remember my first harvest, when I was just a little girl; I remember my father standing with me in the cellars and in the vineyards, explaining everything to me. And I remember my first steps into the wine business after high school, when I decided seriously to become involved.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

My father always told me that it’s a passion: you have to sacrifice your life for it.”

Before entering the family business full time, Chiara studied law and economy at university, while at the same time, training in the production and technology of wine. She also started focusing on marketing and branding – a subject in which she now lectures at an Italian university – in order to understand the luxury goods market as a whole, and the place of wine within it. Her experiences at this time included working with the prestigious jeweller Gianmaria Buccellatti – a friend of the family – and in the world of luxury yachts: “in order to compare the world of wine with other worlds with the same level of luxury and detail,” as she explains.

Sitting in the swanky Portomaso bistro where my interview with Chiara takes

place, it is easy to grasp the association her wines have with luxury. This is, after all, a winemaker whose wines have been included in Wine Spectator’s “Best of the Best” celebration in Florida, and have graced the tables of everyone from Colin Firth and Tom Cruise to Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth. “I remember once I was eating at San Lorenzo in Knighstbridge, and at the table near mine was Sting, and he was drinking La Scolca Black Label,” says Chiara. “I love him as a singer, so to see my bottle on his table was a huge honour.”

But at the same time, her approach to her work remains surprisingly down-toearth. “Being a winemaker has changed my personal life,” she says. “I live in tune with the seasons, the natural cycle of the life of my plants, the harvests.” Representing such a prestigious winery sees her regularly

WINE

“Wine tells stories.

If you drink a native grape, especially one that has a great history for the territory, and the families of that territory, it gives you something special” travel across the world as an ambassador of Gavi: from the ‘usual’ countries to far-flung locations like the Caribbean, Kazakhstan and Indonesia (she is particularly proud, in fact, of the inroads her wine has made in the Baltic markets).

But she still derives the greatest satisfaction from the actual production of her wines. “I spend a lot of time in the cellars: I’m a winemaker, after all, not a merchant.”

Chiara describes the role of the winemaker as similar to that of an artist. “We put a great part of ourselves into the glass, and I think you can taste that. I know many producers, and their wines all reflect them in some way,” she says.

What she wants her own wines to reflect is the rich tradition behind them, combined with the modernity and technological innovations she has introduced in her tenure. She is also proud of the relationship her wines have with the territory, and was in fact president of the Piedmont Wine Tourism Movement for six years.

“Gavi is a very particular area. It’s not far from the sea, the soil is very mineral-rich, and all these elements appear in the glass: it’s a mineral, crisp, salty taste. It’s like a mosaic, with every element adding something to the beautiful picture.”

People today, she believes, want more than simply a good tasting wine: they want an experience. “Wine tells stories. If you drink a native grape, especially one that has a great history for the territory, and the families of that territory, it gives you something special.”

So what of the future of the Soldati wine dynasty? Chiara’s son is 12 years old, and though she is adamant that, just like her, he will be given the opportunity to make his own choices in life, his interest in wine is growing by the day. “I remember when he first put his finger in a glass of Sauvignon, and he said it reminded him of green apples,” says Chiara, smiling again.

“I was stunned because that’s something you can learn, but he just had it. The best gift I can give my son is the freedom to make the choice, but I hope he feels within him the same passion that I feel.”

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 000

WWW.PRONOVIAS.COM THE WORLD’ S LEADI N G BR I DAL HO U SE

style

THE COLOUR OF

SPRING What do onions and snakes have in common? they both shed layers, and so should you, noW that spring is in full sWing. find out What nicole, claire and sandro are envisioning for this year’s vernal months Words The Clouded Revolution

Photography Cinzia Bruschini

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 69

society

Pat’s grandfather, the Hon. Cap t. Walter Luke Salomone during the war

on a Carnival ll a etta roof in V

“I was a little Catholic girl who felt Italian, was Maltese and spoke English” But rather than a history book, Patricia wanted to tell her story, the rich human story of her childhood years, of loves and passions – often the subject of discussion in the domesticity of her grandmother’s kitchen – rather than impersonal deliberations upon the happenings of the time at the Suez Canal and the invasion of Hungary.

As we sit together on her comfortable blood-red sofa, Patricia lures me into a time where, strung between the gorgeous whiff of homemade pizza alla Italiana and the toffee apples of a British-bred nanny, the Maltese chapter of her identity was yet to be written.

This markedly mirrors the broader cultural context in 1950s Malta. At the time, Qui-SiSana housed countless British families in the enchanting Art Deco houses that have now been almost completely eradicated in Sliema.

Most street names were as British as bacon and eggs for breakfast. Some other names 70

Sunday Circle | May 2014

were religious, perhaps thrown in for the sake of balancing out the rife Protestantism of the British era.

“As I grew up, I became more aware that the Maltese element in my upbringing was missing,” Patricia tells me, frowning slightly.

She was, as she confesses in her own little contribution to history, “a little Catholic girl who felt Italian, was Maltese and spoke English”.

Born to a British-Maltese father and a very Italian mother who started their passionate romance in wartime Taranto as the epitome of the famed expression ‘opposites attract’, Patricia was schooled and spoken to almost entirely in English – except for those late Saturday afternoon Maltese lessons that the majority of her classmates often skived. Her off days, especially in summer, were spent going to the beach with Nanny Jean, her beloved friend and companion, Roy and her delicate, ballerina sister Daniela.

They often ate toffee apples and drank hot water straight from the thermos – “How British, how British!” Patricia exclaims, reminiscing on D.H. Lawrence’s own travels and pleasant musings upon thermos flasks...

“Ta’ Ingliżi li kienu!” – and cut their knees and tore their jeans (especially Patricia) as they ran while playing hide and seek near the Chalet in Sliema. Cowboys and Indians was one of Patricia and Roy’s favourite games – Patricia always won, because “the Cowboys always won” and Roy, the little Jewish boy playing the Indian, gentlespirited as he was, made sure of that.

The older she got, the more she embraced being Maltese – finally adding ħobż biż-żejt to her food equation. She went out of her way to learn Maltese, so much that when her seventeen-year-old self was working at the office and a colleague of hers ripped his shirt, she said, very innocently: “Ħudha għand tal-

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society

r Anna, in 1949

jagħmlulek qroqqa!” (“Take it to Phoenicia, they’ll make you brooding hen”). Of course, she meant to say “roqgħa” (patch) instead of “qroqqa”. Nevertheless, she persisted. Later on in life, she continued to nourish herself further with the Maltese heritage, producing and presenting programmes on TV and Radio, including Campus FM – both in Maltese and English – and collaborating with Din l-Art Ħelwa – but never forgetting her Italian half.

Pat Salomone & her mothe

Patricia’s love for the arts, music, history and literature, like the love for her mother and father, Anna and Albert Salomone, never died and probably never will. It is what ultimately led her to read for her BA. Ever since she heard Anna singing while she cooked and playing her beloved husband’s favourite, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (which played on BBC Radio on one of his birthdays while he was serving British Intelligence in India – requested by Patricia’s grandfather), Patricia’s life became an alluring mélange of the vibrant colours, tastes and passions that, thanks to her mother’s cultured Italian elegance and her father’s kind, self-controlled nature, she and her sister grew up with and nurtured in their own children.

The legacy that Patricia wants to leave to her children and her sister’s children is one that goes beyond material riches. She wishes to share her memories with people, to allow them to hold, one more time, the “memory of our people gone by”, with all the nostalgia brought about by all the pizza, toffee apples and ħobż biż-żejt of one’s dreams. As she writes in the concluding chapter of her childhood chronicle, “history is not only made up of great deeds of Kings and Queens but of the small lives of common people – the forgotten voices of those who made little noise, but had so much to tell”.

My Pizza and Toffee Apples in the 1950s is available from all Agenda Bookshops.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

style

THE COLOUR OF

SPRING What do onions and snakes have in common? they both shed layers, and so should you, noW that spring is in full sWing. find out What nicole, claire and sandro are envisioning for this year’s vernal months Words The Clouded Revolution

Photography Cinzia Bruschini

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 75

style

D

id you know that, according to an old Chinese superstition, you can stand a raw egg on its

end on the first day of spring? This belief has since been debunked by scientists – stalwart champions in raining on someone’s parade – only because you can do it at any time of the year with enough patience. Be that as it may, we are going to take said proverbial egg and use it as an allegory for springtime fashion. Yes, really. Eggs are a symbol of fertility and abundance, and standing them on their end could signify rebellion, or defiance. Our egg, in this case, is the gamut of Spring trends for 2014, which we will stand on their imaginary ends to deliver a unique take on what’s in and what’s out. And then shake it all about.

Colour is key. Following the monochromatic winter of 2013, and its cruel polar vortex of whites, it is time to give the sunshine something to feast upon. Saturated tones in primary and secondary colours – a cosmic echo of the colourblocking trends of seasons past – bring life to the cleansed palettes of the previous year. The sartorial wasabi, if you will, of last winter gives way to the colour and lightness of springtime sushi.

(Outfits: left and opening page) Nicole Blazer, top & cropped trousers - Marks & Spencer Bag - Coccinelle Bracelets, ring - Michael Kors at VIP Sunglasses - GUESS at Sunlab Shoes - Aldo Claire Shirt & trousers – Marks & Spencer Bag – Coccinelle Rings – Michael Kors at VIP Watch - Fossil at VIP Sunglasses – Michael Kors at Sunlab Sandro Shirt & trousers – Marks & Spencer

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

style

Claire Trenchcoat & shorts - Massimo Dutti Shirt - GUESS Sunglasses – GUESS at Sunlab Bag - Coccinelle Rings – Michael Kors at VIP Shoes – Aldo Nicole Sunglasses - Michael Kors at Sunlab Shirt, jacket & trousers - Massimo Dutti Shoes - Aldo Watch - Skagen at VIP

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 77

style

78

Consider the primary trifecta of blue, red and yellow.

standalone building block for your outfit (head-to-toe

The angular graphic print on Claire’s shirt, reminiscent

white is fresh and invigorating) as well as a way to break

of

an

up eye-grabbing colours, like Nicole’s rich blue trousers

easygoing flair that paves the way for summer and the

and handbag. Red lips, red nails and blue frames earn you

holiday season. The bucket bag (an essential handbag

bonus points for attention to detail.

shape this year, which has evolved from its bohemian

This colour-centric mantra applies also to your shoes.

predecessors into a luxury leather good) ties everything

Claire and Nicole opted for yellow heels, one in a

together with its bright yellow hue and its laid-back,

highlighter tone, the other in a rich marigold, which not

practical vibe. White is equally as important, both as a

only complement the clothes but add to their vibrancy. It

Céline’s

Spring-Summer

Sunday Circle | May 2014

2011

show,

evokes

style

Sandro Leather jacket & scarf – Massimo Dutti Jeans – GUESS Shoes – Aldo Sunglasses – GUESS at Sunlab Nicole T-shirt – Massimo Dutti Trousers – GUESS by Marciano Bag – Coccinelle Shoes – Aldo Watch – Skagen at VIP Claire Linen shirt – Massimo Dutti Trousers – GUESS by Marciano Shoes – Aldo Sunglasses – GUESS at Sunlab Rings – Michael Kors at VIP Watch – Skagen at VIP

does not mean, however, that comfort should be sacrificed

seasons. It is a failsafe method of looking put-together.

for brightness. Think of it instead as upping the ante on

Everyone owns a trenchcoat, typically in beige or navy.

your standard jeans-and-shirt or top-and-trousers combo.

Make good use of it by considering not only its practicality

Nevertheless,

we

understand

that

not

everyone

is

comfortable with flying such colourful flags, hence our third

but also its length and proportion. When paired with shorts, the play on hem length offers an interesting take on a British summer staple. Factor in texture, via denim

option: springtime blues (not to be confused with Lana Del

(on Claire) or chambray (on Nicole, ingeniously paired

Rey’s Summertime Sadness). If you typically subscribe to

with statement striped trousers), to give dimension to a

the all-black way of life, consider navy for the warmer

seemingly mundane combination.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 79

style

Sandro Leather jacket & shirt – Massimo Dutti Jeans – GUESS Sunglasses – GUESS at Sunlab

G you

ents, wake up: it’s your turn!

We would like to introduce

to

your

new

best

friend:

coloured leather. No, not leather trousers inducive of talc-and-lotion disasters à la Ross Geller in Friends, but soft yet tough-looking leather jackets. Although a wintry option for outerwear, it’s easy to transition them into spring by going for lighter layers, like a classic shirt in linen. If new purchases are offlimits, good news! Your denim jeans are still as viable now as they were in the past, if not more, thanks to their increased exposure on the runways. Fit and wash are key, but also other stylistic turns like ripping, or patchwork, zipping or even leather inserts.

We

would

like

to

extend

our

gratitude to Cinzia Bruschini, our photographer

for

this

month’s

feature, whose work you can check out

on

www.cinziabruschini.it.

Not only was she a consummate professional, but more importantly a

wonderful

source

of

energy

and vitality on a very early and climatically dubious morning!

The Clouded Revolution, known individually as Claire, Nicole and Sandro, are three stylists and bloggers whose friendship and shared love of clothes have drawn them together in their quest to offer a new attitude and dynamic towards style and fashion. www.cloudedrevolution.com & www.facebook.com/TheCloudedRevolution

CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES ARE SPONSORED BY MASSIMO DUTTI, MARKS & SPENCER, GUESS, SUNLAB, VIP, ALDO, COCCINELLE

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

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MUSIC

The

Boxer Singer-Songwriter and beatboxer dana McKeon tellS david ScheMbri about Self-expreSSion, unique Selling pointS – and pantyhoSe Photography Nicky Scicluna

I

it, and how much freedom and creativity is involved, and in the same way songs other people wrote made my life better, I want to do that for someone else, and I want to share my music with the world,” the songstress says.

“Music is both an escape and expression for me,” Dana says. “When I’m going through daily life, I need to have a song playing.” Nowadays, the songs are mostly in her head as she mentally works through new ideas, but the tune remains the same – only she’s the one playing it now. “Now that I write music, I’m in love with the expressive part of

The first step in doing that was breaking out of her cocoon and actually singing her songs to an audience – having first picked up a guitar at the age of nine, she only started singing ten years later, a few years after she’d picked the guitar up again. “I used to write songs in my bedroom, but I never thought I would be the one to sing them, I thought I’d be a songwriter for someone else. Then I took part in a singer-songwriter showcase at University and I won it,” the singer says.

t’s hard to write about Dana McKeon and not mention beats or boxes. Her uncanny ability to sound pretty much like a fully-fledged drum kit when she does her beatboxing act makes people stop and pay attention. Only they’d be missing out if they just listened to the breakbeats and the dubstep wobbles this woman can send singing through a PA and ignored her upbeat melanges of rhythm, melody and lyrics.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 83

MUSIC

This theme of breaking out and expressing oneself is the core thought behind Street Art, Dana’s latest single, which is accompanied by one of the best local music videos in recent memory. “I write about anything: I can write about love – everyone does that. My debut single, Street Art, is just about artistic expression and about how someone can feel suffocated and unable to express themselves if they don’t. I felt it for a while, when I was writing songs in my room and I was too shy to express them: once I started singing I felt that relief,” she says.

Having garnered a name for herself on the local scene, it was time for Dana to venture outside of her comfort zone once again. Two years ago, having qualified and working as a physiotherapist – her dream job as a kid – she made the painful decision to leave her family, her burgeoning profession and her basketball career – her passion for most of her teen years – and leave to London.

“The reason why I do music is because I love that expression, sharing, making people relate, so I wouldn’t get that from playing just covers” “I wanted music to be my full-time thing, rather than a part-time thing. In Malta, the limited opportunities, including the size of the island, for one, don’t really allow you to do that with your original music,” she says. “You could easily make a living playing covers in weddings and the like, but the reason why I do music is because I love that expression, sharing, making people relate, so I wouldn’t get that from playing just covers.”

One of the first things a guitar-less Dana did in London was what any self-respecting guitarist would do – pay a visit to the city’s hallowed Denmark Street, which is crammed with music shops selling mostly guitars. With her guitar in hand, she got her first gig at an open-mic night, and got onto the open-mic circuit – the proving ground for many singer-songwriters who went on to be successful.

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

PIPI

In the meantime, she has been getting more and more gigs, and, with some labels having expressed an interest, Dana began itching to get some of her some songs recorded – which brings us to the present EP. “I’ve been writing songs non-stop, but I wanted to put together a demo of some sort and have something recorded, because people kept asking me and I had nothing to show them. So I got together three friends, and we co-produced this EP,” Dana says. Being selffinanced, the four tracks were recorded in Treana Morris’s – an open-mic host and singer with Wire Daisies – bedroom studio.

The “bedroom” element was even amplified in some stages. “We used pantyhose instead of a pop shield on a microphone when the pop shield got broken. We just had to improvise,” Dana says.

The resulting four tracks are a fair representation of what Dana’s music is: “They’re four very different styles, but they’re all things I do. This is a bit of everything. There’s always a general feel to it, but it’s quite varied: it’s just who I am.”

“Instead of using drums or percussion, they can just use me. It’s much more feasible to get a microphone to a gig instead of a whole drum kit” Being a beatboxer, she admits, has helped her get noticed in a city where everyone is fighting for attention. “It helps being different, because people need to remember you, particularly in London.

It is a big advantage for me that I have something so different to offer, as opposed to being a regular singer-songwriter. If it is a novelty, I’ll try to use it to my advantage,” she says. It also has got her a wide variety of gigs which wouldn’t have been otherwise possible – including variety shows and sitting in with artists who needed to add some spice to their set. “Instead of using drums or percussion, they can just use me. It’s much more feasible to get a microphone to a gig instead of a whole drum kit,” she laughs.

Dana’s songs remind the listener of Alanis Morisette or even Vanessa Carlton – catchy pop songs with meaningful lyrics. It is no surprise that she therefore lists people such as Dave Matthews, Imogen Heap and KT Tunstall as some of her favourite artists. Chief among them is Don’t Worry Be Happy singer Bobby McFerrin. “He doesn’t beatbox, but he’s using his body as a percussive instrument, it’s beautiful, what he does. I just love how raw, how genuine it is, because it’s coming right from him,” she says.

If she had to choose between beatboxing and singing, what would she do? “I’ve heard that before. I don’t think I can choose – it’s like choosing between your kids. They both come from me, they’re both ways of expressing myself, and I love them both.”

Watch an exclusive video of Dana McKeon singing her song Out Of Air on sundaycircle.com

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TECHNOLOGY

i-niquity Vast portions of the internet are inaccessible to normal search engines, serVing as home to eVerything from drug transactions to weapon sales. iVan borg plunges past the surface into the deep web

W

e’ve grown accustomed to hearing about the legion of prying eyes that infest the web.

Everyone – from the CIA-NSA tag team, to Facebook and Twitter analytics gurus – seems to have an incredible interest in your online behaviour, with nary a thought about your privacy. In fact, there’s no such thing as privacy on the internet anymore, right?

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 89

TECHNOLOGY

Wrong. There’s more to the internet than a Google search can turn up. There is a whole underworld lurking beneath the “surface web”.

It goes by several names, but the most popular one seems to be “Deep Web”. It is nigh on impossible to access this very sizeable part of the web with a mainstream search engine – that’s because the Deep Web has been woven specifically to go largely unnoticed. The Deep Web is exceptionally strong on privacy – to the point that it’s become a haven for all manner of online criminals.

Tor is, at its core, an attempt to restore privacy to the internet. It relies very heavily on passionate volunteer contributors, who might genuinely believe in privacy as cause worth fighting for. Tor enables near-total anonymity – hiding the origin and content of the user’s internet activity. It has largely repelled any attempts to break in – leaving some very competent hackers stymied. However, in some ways, it has become a victim of its own success. The anonymity it creates for users also makes it a very useful tool for a would-be online criminal.

Ironically, the Deep Web owes its origins to the U.S. military. Its intended use was as a covert network for U.S. military assets and law-enforcement agents to establish and maintain communication online, without having to worry about third-party snoops. There’s no debating its eventual usefulness. There have been reports of the U.S. State Department training foreign political dissidents to use Deep Web trickery.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, however, and until quite recently, the criminal potential of the Deep Web was somewhat mitigated by the relatively easy-to-shadow financial transactions.

A budding drug lord could fly under the radar for a while thanks to the incredible anonymity afforded by Tor, but would ultimately be undone something like by a PayPal transaction– which is relatively easy for law enforcement to access. That all changed with Bitcoin – a “decentralised peer-to-peer payment network that is powered by its users with no central authority or middlemen”. The predominant crypto-currency of our day now also makes financial transactions equally inscrutable to law enforcement. Bitcoin’s arrival on the scene brought about a very unsavoury development - a criminal marketplace known as Silk Road. Drug transactions, all manner of contraband weapon sales, even mercenaries for hire…there’s virtually no limit to the arcane criminal activity commercialised by the Silk Road project.

And it was all made possible by Tor and Bitcoin, both of which have been singled out for criticism as a result.

The fundamental innovation that made the Deep Web possible is a process known as “Onion-routing”. This involves relaying messages through multiple nodes and multiple layers of encryption – making them untraceable. This layered approach is responsible for the onion-themed nomenclature, and for an outstanding measure of privacy that is just not possible on the surface. While onionrouting was originally championed by the U.S. military as an infant technology, it has since outgrown its maker; nowadays, the primary example of onion-routing technology is the Tor project.

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TECHNOLOGY

“It is clear that law enforcement agencies... worldwide are woefully unprepared to deal with the challenges of an internet underworld”

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Sunday Circle | May 2014

Prior to Bitcoin, all attempts at creating a marketplace like Silk Road were not very successful. A currency designed specifically to offer exceptional anonymity was the final ingredient. It made the Silk Road marketplace possible, and very hard to crack down on. In October 2013, Silk Road’s alleged founder was arrested and the site shut down. Ross Ulbricht, a 29-yr old Texan at the time, was identified as Dread Pirate Roberts – the notorious online personage that drove the anonymous marketplace. In a matter of weeks, however, Silk Road 2.0 was online, with a number of additional tweaks to resist further interference.

While the Silk Road project has met a rockier road of late, Tor software remains a very tough nut for anyone to crack.

One of the least touted of Edward Snowden’s leaked documents was a NSA study on Tor itself. While other leaks have caused more controversy, this document sheds light on the NSA’s very limited success in prying into the Deep Web. It is clear that law enforcement and surveillance agencies worldwide are woefully unprepared to deal with the challenges of an

internet underworld, and have been forced to rely on more old-school trade craft based on observation, rather than technical savvy.

For instance, anti-vice police officers scouring the darkest corners of the Deep Web regularly try to corner pornographers trading disturbing images of underage children. They are often forced to rely on the minute details contained within the same images for clues. It seems it’s more viable than attempting to trace the communication on the Deep Web. The origins of the Deep Web, and the motivation behind the development of Tor and Bitcoin, lend a fair amount of irony to the narrative. We may have been led to believe that Big Brother is tracking every click of our mouse, and generally tearing down any privacy we feel entitled to. That’s not necessarily the reality of it. The online snoops may have started an arms race with a multitude of privacy crusaders, and may have bitten off more than they can chew in the process.

It’s a brave new world, and the Deep Web is here to stay. Big Brother may end up pushing the internet underground. And crime is rife there.

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travel

TREKKING

PhiliP leone-Ganado Gets out of the office and walks around the Gozo coastal Path, discoverinG windinG coastlines, sPectacular vistas – and altoGether too many references to the lord of the rinGs There’s something exhilarating about circumnavigating the coastline of an entire island on foot, returning to the exact point you set off from, and there are not too many places where the feat can be accomplished as readily and rewardingly as our sister island.

Photography Jacob Sammut

There is no single, marked path around Gozo, but with the island blessedly nearly free of the problems of restricted coastal access that afflict Malta, it is simple enough to keep the sea as your guide and navigate your way around the coast, as close to the water’s edge as is practicable. The route is about 50 kilometres long, utilising mostly footpaths and country roads, with a few brief sections carrying you through village streets and public promenades.

THE

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 95

travel

It’s possible to break the hike up into a number of day-stages, but if you are hoping to complete the trek in one go – as we did – three days should probably suffice. There is an official campsite at Dwejra (though if you avoid private land and leave no trace, wild camping is also a possibility), as well as hotels and guesthouses at Xlendi, San Lawrenz, or Marsalforn, depending on how you split your days. The terrain underfoot is in most places relatively straightforward, but with a few notable exceptions where the going gets really tough, and with Gozo’s notorious cliffs and valleys to contend with, you’re going to want to have at least a moderate level of fitness and a bit of hiking experience before setting off.

We arrive on the island on a sunny March morning. The hike is manageable year-round, and every season is sure to offer you something entirely different, but the explosion of greenery and fragrance that characterise Gozo in the spring, to say nothing of the weather, makes it a particularly inviting choice.

From Mġarr Harbour, we set off on a gently undulating path towards Mġarr ix-Xini (ignoring an inauspicious wrong turn within five minutes of our departure). It’s only minutes until we’re out of sight of civilisation, past the clay slopes below Fort Chambray and Xatt l-Aħmar, with spectacular views across the channel and down the coast of Malta accompanying us along the way. At the Mġarr ix-Xini coastal tower, three or so kilometres in, we stop for a breather. Ahead of us are the imposing cliffs at Ta’ Ċenċ, and the path’s first major hurdle. But first it’s along the beautiful narrow inlet of Mġarr ix-Xini, down a treacherous stone-cut staircase to the pebble beach, and right back up the other end.

When one of our group stumbles backwards and has to be caught by he shirt, it brings the first Lord of the Rings reference of our trip; an old stone bridge spanning a small valley further inland brings the next: it’s a side-effect of extended walking in the countryside, we reckon, and resign ourselves to humming the theme tune as we go.

At 135 metres, the cliffs are the highest sheer drop on the island, and an area of both imposing natural beauty and ecological value, with Cory Shearwaters and Blue Rock Thrushes (il-Merill) nesting in the cliff face, and Widnet il-Baħar growing amongst a variety of flora. It is also, unfortunately, where we find our first impediment to coastal access, with

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“one moment we are hemmed in on either side by fields and rubble walls, the next we’ve emerged onto the karst, windswept northern coast” a farm’s boundary wall force a lengthy detour through the Sannat village centre before we make our way back out onto the cliffs, and a beautifully paved and signposted walkway leading all the way down to Xlendi bay and offering spectacular views back over the last few hours of walking.

the karst, windswept northern coast. Past Wied il-Mielaħ (with its answer to the Azure Window) and the fjord-like Wied il-Għasri, the harsh coast, in turn, gives way to the expansive Salt Pans at Xwejni, and ultimately the rather less inspiring holiday-flat monotony of Qbajjar and Marsaxlokk.

It is morning when we set off from Xlendi, with the challenge of the seemingly-indomitable cliff face that fronts the bay prominent in our minds. None of the staff at the café where we stop for coffee know of any way up past the staircase leading to a viewpoint over the bay. There’s something poetic about the thought of living in the shadow of a cliff you can’t scale, but actually scaling it, we find out, is rather more prosaic. There is indeed the ghost of a rock staircase leading all the way to the top: it’s a hard climb, but manageable, and the path rewards us with a gentle amble through the fields to regain our composure.

It is the following day, past Ramla Bay and on the path to San Blas, that we encounter some of the most interesting – and treacherous – hiking of the trip. Here, immediately beneath a sheer cliff face, the vegetation grows thick and almost impassable. Closer to the sea, boulder scree renders the going more akin to rock climbing. The view is otherworldly: massive red clay boulders look like they’ve fallen from Mars, vast flats of grey clay so soft it can be marked with a stick are more reminiscent of the video-game Skyrim. It is a fascinating experience in a little-seen corner of the island: but with a two kilometre jaunt taking us four hours, not one we are keen to prolong further.

A few kilometres along, the panorama of Dwejra and Fungus Rock opens up beneath us, a prehistoric, glacial vista that is all the more impressive viewed, as it were, from above. We take a detour to the Punic Tombs at Wardija Point: a small complex comprising a small man-made cave decorated with niches, and two deep cisterns, all in dire need of preservation.

Past Dwejra, coastal access in the North-West corner of the island is entirely blocked off, so we’re forced to turn inland. A trek through Birbuba, in the limits of Għarb, and along the narrow winding roads surrounding the chapel of San Dimitri (where, legend has it, the titular saint once strode out of his painting to fend off Turkish corsairs), reveals one of the most intriguing highlights of hiking in Gozo, the seamless and spectacular way in which one landscape morphs into another: one moment we are hemmed in on either side by fields and rubble walls, the next we’ve emerged onto 98

Sunday Circle | May 2014

With the delay costing us precious hours, and afternoon on the third day upon us, the reluctant decision is made at San Blas to turn away from the coast – and the equally tricky Mistra Rocks – and head inland, through Nadur and Qala and down towards the picturesque Hondoq Bay, and a view of Malta and Comino once again. From here, the path turns back towards Mġarr Harbour, a level – albeit in places dangerously narrow – walk that deposits us, ultimately, right back to our starting point – and a few hard-earned drinks.

This article was written with the help of Jonathan Henwood, who provided useful context. Jonathan is the co-author of The Gozo Coastal Walk, which contains maps, practical information, and route highlights to help you experience the coastal path for yourself. More information on www.greatwalksmalta.com

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Monday

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lunch: Singapore noodles Snack: Banana Loaf dinner: Thai Chicken Salad

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Let it Be There’s never a dull momenT for dynamic frank salT real esTaTe leTTing manager PhiliPPa Tabone. WiTh more demand Than ever for neW renTal ProPerTies in malTa, she exPlains Why she loves her non-sToP role

From helping a tenant locked out on his terrace in his underwear, to liaising with top embassy staff on important security considerations, the busy world of property letting is as diverse as they come. And one woman who knows that more than most is Frank Salt Real Estate’s vibrant letting manager Philippa Tabone.

With years of experience behind her, Philippa is quick to explain that no two days are ever the same – which is exactly what she loves so much about her role. “Besides the managerial side of it, I also have my own clients and monthly targets to reach,” she explains. “Thankfully I am hyper-organised, which helps me to stay on top of things.”

And that is no mean feat. Philippa currently manages a busy team of 22 people spread across three offices, as well as the short-let website www.maltaholidaylets.com.mt “My week revolves around planning appointments, showing properties, managing our database, following up with clients and liaising with my consultants, as well as so much more,” she says. “It’s a non-stop industry and it is exciting to always be so busy.”

As Philippa explains, the letting world differs substantially to property sales, not least because it is so fast-paced. “A week is a long time in this industry,” she says, adding that she has worked in the sector nonstop for six years. “You have to think on your feet as the market is constantly evolving, and I love how it keeps us on our toes.

“You also get to meet people from all walks of life: students, families, CEOs and celebrities, so it’s constantly exhilarating. You’re part of the whole process from start to finish and you develop quite a rapport with your clients; it’s always wonderful to meet people months or years later and have them thank you for finding them the ‘perfect’ home. After all, we’re often someone’s first contact when they arrive in Malta, and knowing we’ve helped them to settle in is a great feeling.

“Overall, in both sales and letting, I really do believe that Frank Salt Real Estate offers customer service that is second-to-none. You do find a lot of ‘sharks’ in this industry and many agencies come and go because they don’t realise that reputation is everything. Frank Salt Real Estate has survived as long as it has, and continues to be a market leader, because of the professional and reliable service we offer our clients,” she says.

The letting team are also dedicated to giving a comprehensive and superior service to their clients. “We’re there to help them with everything from setting up their internet connection or bank account to assisting with their children’s school registration,” she says.

“We also have a dual role in helping the landlord to market their property while also getting them the best-possible return on their investment. Thus, we offer after-sales and home interiors services to enable home-owners to upgrade or maintain their rental property in the most feasible manner possible.”

Philippa also explains that the letting market continues to go from strength to strength, and that Frank Salt Real Estate is constantly looking to register properties on their books. “We’re not even coping with the demand from would-be renters, so we’re on the hunt for new properties on a daily basis,” she says.

“I am also looking to expand my team as we are inundated with enquiries. There’s no doubt that this is a very exciting time to be part of the rental industry in Malta – whether as a consultant or a landlord – as we encourage interested people to get in touch to find out more,” Philippa adds. www.franksalt.com.mt

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 103

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media

The

Idiot’s Guide to Online Articles The inTerneT offers an endless array of informaTion aT your fingerTips – and an endless array of ways To make yourself look sTupid by sharing obviously false informaTion, wriTes david schembri

Online social media is a wonderful thing.

Facebook, with its users ever-connected, has made keeping in touch with old and new friends from home and afar easier – and more natural – than any other method hitherto available. The ability to express one’s thoughts and share interesting links online has increased our pool of information and potential enrichment. It has also made many of your friends from different times and places look stupid – or at least, horribly naïve and gullible.

There is little doubt that the web is a goldmine of information – be it the latest news (as the fading fortunes of newspapers are testament to) or the inspiring story of the man who was born with no limbs but became a globe-trotting inspirational speaker – the web has it. What the web also contains is a remarkable array of false information masquerading as news. So how do you avoid making a total fool of yourself by believing – and sharing to all your (judgemental, if I’m on your friends list) friends – articles containing news so incredible it needs to be shared?

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 105

media

For instance, a while ago, I was surprised to find out just how many friends on my (predominantly Caucasian) friends list relied on the entertainment section of vacancynigerians.com for Vatican-related news. The article in question, a repost butchered from a website containing content of dubious authenticity (Diversity Chronicle) reported that Pope Francis, in a speech concluding the non-existent third Vatican Council, said, among other things, that hell didn’t really exist, that all religions were equal, and that he hoped women would become priests. That this article – and its source – was shared by many of my “liberal” friends is no surprise. Why?

One of the easiest traps to be led into is to believe something which fits in somewhere with your pre-existing beliefs Well, first of all, check the date of the article. If the news is something like pastizzi or selfies being made illegal, or a penguin in a Dover zoo laying a golden egg, do check whether the date is the first of April or not, before deciding to believe it. That’s one day of the year sorted – what about the next?

One cardinal rule of journalism – whether it’s writing it or reading it – is to always check your source, in this case, the website this article you’re reading is on. This, provided it isn’t the first of April, is generally a good way to start gauging whether the news is true or not. Is the source somewhere you – or people you know – generally get their news from? Websites such as this would include local news portals or the online equivalents of established newspapers. If not – are other serious news media reporting it? If it’s a world story that hasn’t been broadcast on the BBC or CNN, then alarm bells should be ringing. If the site is not somewhere you generally access for news – what sort of news does this site give out? If the rest of the articles are equally incredible or contain conspiracy theories about 9/11 and the Malaysian Airlines plane, or unironically mentions the Illuminati or chemtrails anywhere in its headlines, then you’re better served looking for news elsewhere.

106 Sunday Circle | May 2014

This was a case where many of these friends, who would probably agree with the Pope’s assertion that women should become priests or that hell was a literary device, simply wanted to believe something which, although highly improbable, fit in nicely with their interests.

Which brings us to another point – when reading an article, check yourself. One of the easiest traps to be led into is to believe something which – even though as far-fetched as a pint of milk from a Martian cow – still fits in somewhere with your pre-existing beliefs. It is called confirmation bias, and it can make you look pretty stupid.

Consider the case of the priest who, despite being a smart person, shared an article saying that a message from God (in English) was found to be encoded in the DNA sequence.

Ready to believe something which fit into his worldview, he inadvertently shared an article from dailycurrant.com – a satirical website like The Onion, The Daily Mash and the defunct Bis-Serjetà. Mind you – not even journalists are immune to these slips: the Daily Mail once reported a story published in a Fiorentina supporter’s club journal that a boy had reported his father to childcare authorities for making him support Juventus. Easy to believe for anyone who hates Juventus or who thinks Italians are a fanatic bunch, but clearly a joke.

While we’re talking about bias, websites, too have their own bias. So if you’ve just read that the cure for cancer really is eating garlic or using aloe vera and the website you’ve just read that from is called “Green Herbal Remedies” – you probably should double-check that – particularly if that website is also a shop where you can buy garlic and aloe vera remedies.

Businesses – no matter how well-intentioned they may appear to be – will try and attract your attention at whatever cost.

So remember: check the date, check the source, check the story and check your bias. And if you don’t, remember: we’re judging you.

health

Smile

the RIGHT

COLOUR to

in

This monTh, we Take a look aT TooTh discolouraTion and how iT can be fixed

Smile. What colours do you see? Is the colour right, or have your teeth gone all Technicolor, or a grainy black and white? Colour, as you will know, is a major factor related to the aesthetics of teeth. The first colour of deciduous or baby teeth is milky white, hence the term milk teeth. As we grow up, our milk teeth are replaced with denser, slightly more yellow permanent teeth. This natural shade, however, is at risk of losing its shine to a variety of factors.

Causes of tooth disColouration:

3. Old crown/bridgework: grey margins at the gum line or exposed metal due to design of prosthesis 4. Denture: metal dentures with visible metal frameworks and clasps Prevention and treatment •

Oral hygiene.

•

Ultrasonic cleaning

•

Teeth whitening 1.

Extrinsic Staining 1.

Food and drink: Coffee, tea, soft drinks and red wine may ruin your teeth’s natural colour

2. Smoking and tobacco use damage the teeth as well as the lungs 3. Oral hygiene: Discoloration is just a minor side effect of inefficient dental care

2. Laser tooth whitening: This method uses a peroxide gel to lighten teeth in the dental office in about an hour. After the gel is applied to teeth, a laser uses heat to activate the teeth whitening agents, with excellent results in a shorter amount of time

4. Medicated mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine gluconate Intrinsic Staining 1.

Drugs: Antibiotics such as tetracycline can cause discoloration in children whose teeth are still forming

2. Dental Fluorosis: Fluoride is incredibly important in preventing tooth decay. But too much fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis, a condition that causes white spots or lines to form on the teeth 3. Trauma: Chipped teeth or broken teeth can darken due to enamel damage or a dead nerve 4. Tooth decay is often evident in brown or black spots on teeth 5. Genetics and aging: Some people are just born with discoloured teeth, and unfortunately most people’s teeth will not age gracefully.

Everyday wear and tear will contribute to tooth discoloration and over time this will lead to very dark teeth Dental Treatment 1.

Dental fillings: Large grey amalgam tooth fillings and old yellowish composite fillings

2. Gold inlays

There is no reason why you should not want to smile wholeheartedly.

Do not let your discoloured teeth keep you back from smiling or reduce your self-confidence. The solution is out there – just ask your dentist.

108 Sunday Circle | May 2014

Home kits: Your dentist can provide you with custom-made tooth whitening trays to wear at home. These trays are formed from a mould of your teeth, and hold a gel containing peroxide, the active agent. Worn daily, at-home bleaching trays can whiten teeth in a few days. Trays are kept for maintenance top-ups

•

Cosmetic Dentistry 1.

Dental fillings/restorations: Replacement of old-looking darkcoloured fillings into natural tooth-coloured composite resin or porcelain fillings

2. Dental veneers: Veneers may partially cover frontal tooth discoloration. Simultaneously, porcelain veneers are also brilliant at correcting broken teeth, or straightening slightly rotated teeth 3. Dental crowns: These are similar to veneers, but crowns fully cover discoloured teeth. Changing old metal-ceramic crowns or bridges into all-ceramic metal-free prostheses will completely correct the aesthetics and eliminate those grey margins along the gum line once and for all. The colour may be chosen to match the adjacent natural tooth colour or may be made to look ultra-white – the latter not always looking natural 4. Conversion of metal frameworks into plastic dentures or complete elimination of dentures and conversion into tooth or implant-supported prostheses.

Dr Jean Paul Demajo, Dental and Implant Surgeon, trained in London and works in private practice in Malta.

CONFIRMED BY TEST RESULTS*:

VISIBLE ANTI-AGING EFFECT IN ONLY 28 DAYS.

e Wit h in n ov ativ ll a p p le s te m ce e x t rac t

Distribution By: Noriva Ltd | Tel: 2141 3112, 2123 7351, 2131 3909 | Email: info@noriva.com.mt | Web: www.sanssoucis.com

* Effect proven by an independent external dermatological institute test.

THE NEW ANTI-AGE SKINCARE »ONE APPLE A DAY«

passion for sport since 1962

● Offers a complete cardiovascular exercise and works major muscles. ● Elliptical motion allows intense aerobic exercise to burn calories without subjecting the body to impact ● LCD screen includes various functions ● Scan, Time, Speed, Calories, Heart Rate, Odometer.

● Available in both indoor and outdoor models ● CTT folding system permits 3 positions: play, playback and folded ● Recommended by Spanish Table Tennis Association (RFETM)

15u%nt as o disc motion pro r

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es pric m o fr €250

288 Zabbar Road, Fgura Tel: 2167 7262 | Fax: 2182 1591 | fullmarks@melita.com | www.fullmarksporting.com

A PROMISE OF QUALITY Ever wondered where McDonald’s™ sources its ingredients from? We take a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes of your McMenu™ meal.

Millions of people worldwide consume McDonald’s™ meals regularly, but have you ever stopped to think about what makes this franchise one of the world’s most popular ones? It’s quite simple really; good quality food tastes better.

Since inception, quality has always been a key core value for us here at McDonald’s™. Along the years we have consistently strived to deliver high quality meals, prepared with genuine, fresh ingredients. From carefully selected potatoes that are used to make the restaurant’s world-famous fries, to the fresh vegetables in their salads, and the prime cuts of 100% pure beef used to make their burger patties, we have regularly expressed our commitment to serving each of our consumers only the very best.

Much speculation goes on as to where we source our ingredients from.

We thought we’d look into this and provide you with this handy step-bystep guide.

Where does McDonald’sTM get its beef from?

All of McDonald’s™ hamburger patties are made using prime cuts of 100% pure beef, originating from European farms, mainly in Italy, that have been approved and are regularly monitored. Nothing is added or taken away from the beef – preservatives, additives, binders or fillers are never used. Contrary to popular belief, these burger patties are always grilled and never fried. A clamshell grill is used to cook the patties from both sides simultaneously that are then sprinkled with salt and pepper prior to being served.

All of our approved cattle are provided with an ID number and a passport in order to allow monitoring and tracking of all beef products closely from farm to restaurant. We are able to track a beef patty back to its origins in around three hours.

What about the potatoes?

In McDonald’s™ flagship farms, potatoes are selected, washed thoroughly and delivered to our production facilities. Steam pressure is applied to the potatoes at 210°C to separate the peel from the flesh and manual trimming and further quality inspections are carried out. Potatoes are then preheated to improve cutting efficiency and are then propelled at 100kmph towards a cutter block giving fries their distinctive long size. Fries are then blanched, dried pre-cooked, pre-cooled, flash-frozen, packed and transported to our restaurants respecting standard cold chain procedures.

As you can see, perfect fries don’t just happen. Only the highest grades of Russet Burbank and Shepody potato varieties, planted and cultivated by trusted McDonald’s™ approved farmers are used to produce fries that are golden and crispy on the outside, and warm and fluffy inside.

Want to discover more?

For further information about our Quality Promise, and to find out more about the origins of all our core ingredients, visit www.mcdonalds.com. mt/quality or visit McDonald’s Facebook page on www.facebook.com/ McDonaldsMT

BREED BREEDHEALTH HEALTHNUTRITION NUTRITION Because Because pure pure breed breed dogs dogs areare nono ordinary ordinary dogs, dogs, they they need need a made a made -to-measure -to-measure diet, diet, tailored tailored to to their their breed breed andand age. age.

A Breed A Breed specific specific kibblekibble has has an individual an individual texture texture designed designed to break to break at a specific at a specific time.time.

A Breed A Breed specific specific kibblekibble is exclusively is exclusively adapted adapted to thetoindividual the individual breed’s breed’s jaw. jaw.

A Breed A Breed specific specific kibblekibble has has unique unique ergonomics ergonomics affecting affecting the the time taken time taken to crunch to crunch and the andease the ease with which with which the food the isfood picked is picked up. up.

A Breed A Breed specific specific kibblekibble is designed is designed specifically specifically to adapt to adapt to each to each rate ofrate ingestion. of ingestion.

Coming Comingsoon.. soon..Family FamilyDog DogBreed Breedget gettogether together OneOne Family, Family, OneOne Lifestyle Lifestyle , One , One Family Family dogdog Softie, Softie, Comforter, Comforter, Athletic, Athletic, Charming..

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Contact our customer carecare on : on - :Contact our customer 21414753 or or 21414753 mail@borg-cardona.com mail@borg-cardona.com for more details. for more details.

2. Kirstie Saliba, Laura Jasenaite & Liza Bianco

1. Ivan Filletti & Gianni Zammit

4. Tony Farrugia, Ann Fenech & Melo Hili

5. Liza Bianco, Jeff Fabri & Bertrand Attard

3. Oleg Jakovlevs, Ryan Bonnici, Gerald Darmanin, Michelle Farrugia Sultana, Inga Rutko, Nakita Bugeja, Justin Galea, Mauro Campilongo & Paul Caruana

6. Albert Isola, Stephen Xuereb, Fabian Picardo, Angelo Xuereb, John Portelli, Albert Poggio & Gareth C. Flower

PAPARAZZI • 1-5: Opening of the new McDonalds outlet in Għargħur • 6: Visit of the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the Hon Fabian Picardo, to Valletta Cruise Port on April 9 • 7: Saturday April 19, at the opening of Nestlé Wonka Choco fest at Bay Street Complex

7. Andrew Farrugia, David Muscat, factory characters & Philip Galea

8. Anthony Bernard, Charles Mifsud, Fiona Galea Debono & Renee Micallef Decesare

• 8: Inauguration of the newly refurbished Esprit flagship store at the Point • 9-10: Unveiling of new Satariano sofa collection and wider selection of home furniture pieces during get-together at Satariano outlet in Pieta • 11-14: Launch of the MercedesBenz Fashion Week Malta 2014 * For inclusion in Circle Paparazzi contact Renee Micallef Decesare on renee@networkpublications.com.mt

9. Joe Satariano & Chris Bianco

12. Colin Fitz & Vanessa Muscat

10. Claire Galea & Henry Catania

11. Steve Muliett & Katarína Miklós Homoly

13. Charmaine Cilia, Elaine Galea, Adrian J Mizzi & Amandine Raths

14. Roberto Calleja, Conrad Buttigieg, Mark Camilleri & Paul Azzopardi

COMPETITION

DONATE & WIN Sunday CirCle iS giving one luCky reader the ChanCe to win a €500 vouCher from the faShion Shop liSt roma – all while helping out a Charity CloSe to our heart This month’s charity is The Marigold Foundation – a voluntary organisation that supports various community initiatives Spruce up your wardrobe with the latest fashions this spring, or perhaps treat your loved ones to a new look on Mother’s Day, with a shopping spree at LIST Roma (located at The Plaza, Sliema and Duke’s Shopping Complex in Gozo) – with a €500 voucher to help you on your way. www.listmalta.com How to take part: To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the question below and send your reply with your contact details and a €5 or €10 cheque (the latter counts as a double entry) to: Sunday Circle, LIST Competition Marigold Foundation, 58, Zachary Street, Valletta.

Draw date is May 26

Question: LIST Fashion Group was established in 1991 (22 years ago) – in which Italian city?

The Marigold Foundation is a non-profit organization launched in 2014 and supported by the Bank of Valletta (BOV). Its objective is to positively empower people and to work with associations, entities and NGOs acting in the community to raise standards, support initiatives and strengthen voices.

May 2014 | Sunday Circle 115

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Send a blank sms to 7969 6975 (normal SMS tariffs apply) Offer valid until 30th June 2014 and may close earlier at the Bank’s discretion. Representative example of a Motor Loan based on a loan amount of €12,000 being made available by Bank of Valletta p.l.c. at a variable interest rate of 4.99% p.a. (interest margin of 2.54% plus Consumer Lending Bank Base Rate of 2.45%): APR will be 5.178% p.a. and loan will be repayable in 84 equal monthly instalments of €169.94 over a term of 7 years. The total sum payable throughout the term of the loan, assuming the variable interest rate remains unchanged, will be €14,274.96 being capital of €12,000 and interest of €2,274.96; no processing fees are payable. Terms and conditions apply.

Issued by Bank of Valletta p.l.c. 58, Zachary Street, Valletta VLT 1130 - Malta

SUMMER activities SUMMER WORKSHOPS 2014 IN COLLABORATION WITH DANCE COUNCIL MALTA Between August 19 and 23, choreographers James Robinson, Chanelle Carey and Craig Turbyfield will be visiting Malta and Gozo for a very exciting five-day workshop in commercial jazz and musical theatre. The British Theatre Dance Association summer school is in collaboration with the Dance Council Malta. Classes will be divided into juniors, inters, seniors and adults.

Classes for juniors and inters will be held in the morning, with afternoon sessions for seniors and adults.

FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL SERvICES The Foundation for Educational Services will be offering the service of Klabb 3-16/Skolasajf between July 7 and September 17 for children aged 3 years and older. Opening hours are 7.00am to 5.30pm in 30 localities, and 8.30am to 12.30pm in 34 other centres.

Registration fee is €25 for the whole summer (8.30am to 12.30pm programme). Extra hours are at €0.80 per hour.

The Alison White Dance Studio 27, Valley Road, Birkirkara Tel: 2144 2646 or 9942 0162 Email: alisonwhitestudio@gmail.com Web: www.alisonwhitedancestudio.com

Foundation for Educational Services Tel: 2258 6818 | Email: klabb316.mede@gov.mt Facebook Page: The Foundation for Educational Services

FAIRWIND SAILING Sailing is a sport that can be experienced by all, starting from 8 years, with no age limit. Learning sailing is not just another sport: for kids, sailing a boat on their own gives them great satisfaction, self confidence and a sense of achievement. They will also learn to appriciate nature and use the wind as their only power source, tie knots, be safety conscious, deal with different wind/sea conditions, understand weather, as well as being introduced to seamanship skills, ropework and rules of the road. For those with a competitive edge, sail boat racing could be also be taught in more advanced classes. Sailing independently could be achieved just by taking the first couple of levels. We also teach adults, and one does not have to be an athlete to enjoy this sport.

Fairwind Sailing | Portomaso Marina, St Julians | Tel: 7955 2222 Email: pauldebono@onvol.net / pdebono@gmail.com Web: www.fairwindsailing.com.mt

ART ACADEMy For the ninth consecutive year, Art Academy is offering art and other courses for children 5 years and older, during the months of July, August and September, with a break in midAugust. Courses are available mornings or evenings for oncea-week sessions. Qualified & dedicated teachers give individual attention to students in small groups. All Art Academy Courses and Attendance Certificates are recognised by the Malta Qualifications Council. Other courses, such as photography, Art O’Level and art courses for adults are also organised year-round.

Art Academy, 131 Constitution Street, Mosta | Tel: 2143 3821 Email: info@artacademymalta.com | Web: www.artacademymalta.com May 2014 | Sunday Circle 117

SUMMER activities

ChiSWiCk hoUSE SChool This summer our young explorers shall be flying Up, Up & Away on a fun packed 8-week expedition around the world.

There is nothing better than getting to know a new language, culture or environment. From Wednesday 9 July to Friday 5 September, children from 2 ½ to 10 years old will experience the wonders of our planet and fire their imagination! Along the way they will explore the exciting world of various authors, dabble in art, listen to native music, and taste foods from various cultures... so don’t miss out and join the fun!

We offer 2, 3 or 5-day programmes between 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Following the successful launch of our Enrichment Programme (Extended hours) this scholastic year, we are pleased to inform parents that we shall also be offering this service throughout summer school. During this time, the children will be engaged in various exciting activities to stimulate their creativity. This extended programme runs on a daily basis between 1.00 and 4.00pm for Early Years pupils and 1.00 to 5.30pm for Juniors.

Chiswick House School 38, Antonio Schembri Street, Kappara, San Gwann Tel: 21374 396/7 | Web: www.chs.edu.mt 118 Sunday Circle | May 2014

Gymbabes (6 months to walking) in action

Help your children stay active, fit and healthy Join Tumble Tots, the UK’s leading physical development programme For children from 6 months to 7 years Tumble Tots allows children from 6 months to 7 years the opportunity to participate in fun physical play in a safe and caring environment using specially designed, colourful equipment. The programme aims to help children develop skills and contributes towards their growth into confident, healthy adults.

Skills for life Tumble Tots sessions are structured to assist in the development of physical skills such as agility, balance, climbing and co-ordination. In addition, social skills are developed as they are encouraged to listen, interact with each other, take turns and share their experiences.

search “tumble tots malta”

During the most formative years from birth to five, physical activity is critical to help maintain a healthy weight and strengthen muscles and heart. Physical activity greatly improves the development of the brain leading to strong foundations for reading, writing and basic co-ordination to enhance confident learning ahead.

Register now for the summer term Children join one class every week. The summer term classes will be starting 7 July. For more info and timetable or to book a class: call 2142 1632 visit tumbletots.com.mt ● email info@tumbletots.com.mt ● ●

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SUMMER activities

Mary Jane Bellia Ballet school

COME AND SEE WHERE SMILES ARE MADE AND CELEBRATE PLAY! Playmobil FunPark, HF80, Industrial Estate, Hal Far T: 2224 2445 E: funpark@playmobilmalta.com Opening Hours: Mon-Sun 10.00 - 18.00 By bus: Route no. X4 By car: Proceed to the Airport then follow the signposts www.playmobilmalta.com

120 Sunday Circle | May 2014

the Mary Jane Bellia Ballet school was established in 1979 and specialises in professional training in classical ballet, and teachers’ training in collaboration with the royal academy of Dance. it also offers Jazz Pre-Grade Dance curriculum, adult beginners’ classes and other dance styles. the school has trained several dancers and qualified teachers who are pursuing careers both locally and abroad. summer classes commence on July 17 for both juniors, lasting 6 weeks, and senior classes, which last for 8 weeks.

Mary Jane Bellia RAD Dual examiner, 119-121 Nazju Ellul Street, Gzira Mob: 9920 8393 | Email: mjbellia@hotmail.com

Children grow so quickly that before you know it they have grown into young adults. The older they grow the more difficult it will be to sustain their dreams; buying their first car, the need to place a deposit on a new home or even the need of extra cash to finance their education...

The MSV Child Savings Plan has been specifically tailored for those parents or grandparents who wish to save a regular amount over a fixed number of years.

Telephone: (+356) 2590 9000 Freephone: 8007 2220 E-Mail: info@msvlife.com Website: www.msvlife.com MSV Life p.l.c. is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority to carry on long term business under the Insurance Business Act 1998. Bank of Valletta p.l.c. and APS Bank Ltd are enrolled as Tied Insurance Intermediaries of MSV Life p.l.c.

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For more information on the MSV Child Savings Plan contact MSV Life today on freephone 8007 2220 or contact your Tied Insurance Intermediary, your Insurance Broker or visit any branch of Bank of Valletta or APS Bank.

Registered Address: MSV Life p.l.c., Pjazza Papa Giovanni XXIII, Floriana FRN 1420, Malta.

www.chanel.com