Sunday Circle (August 2018)

AUGUST 2018 – ISSUE NO. 283

TECHNO NANNIES Kids’ addictions

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Domestic violence on same-sex partners

CELEBRITY CHEFS Tim Butler in Malta

CYBER HARASSED? Your online privacy

AĦNA REFUĠJATI A next generation opera: Meet Miriam Gauci & Federica Falzon

CONTENTS COVER STORY 04

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NEXT GENERATION OPERA Soprano Miriam Gauci and mezzosoprano Federica Falzon meet with Kristina Cassar Dowling to talk about Aħna Refuġjati, an original opera set to challenge modern day dilemmas.

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ISSUES 12

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LIVING THE AGE OF PAPARAZZI Data protection in the age of personal filming is a tricky beast, and the recent furore re GDPR has only served make things more confusing. So, can you take photos of random people in the street and use them as you will? Victor Paul Borg finds out from the source.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Victims of domestic abuse in a male same-sex partnership still find it difficult to speak out – one such victim shares his story with Anna Marie Galea.

TECHNO NANNIES In a world dominated by technological wizardry, the latest game or gadget can appear to be heaven sent when you need a quick babysitter. However, when children are over-exposed to technology, addiction and other social complications will ensue.

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FOOD

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A CULTURAL ALLIANCE Antoine Le Marc, former press and culture attaché at the French embassy, sits down with Iggy Fenech to discuss the past three years of work in culture by the Embassy in Malta.

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FROM MAINE TO MALTA: A FOODIE JOURNEY Having recently completed a month of pop-up dinners at Verdala Palace to raise money for the Malta Community Chest Fund, chef Tim Butler – who runs one of Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants in Thailand – talks to Anabel Attard about the foodie news locals will be excited to hear.

ENVIRONMENT 38

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52 GOOD CAUSES

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PEOPLE

THE WAYS OF A SOPRANO From operettas to operas of the highest calibre, Rosabelle Pavia shares her journey in the theatrical sphere with Kristina Cassar Dowling.

OUT OF THE IVORY TOWER Iggy Fenech heads to Siġġiewi to speak to Fr Gioele Galea, an ex-hermit whose life changed when he discovered a hand-written note in a keyhole.

WHO WILL PROTECT OUR OCEANS? Alan Deidun’s name has always been synonymous with our seas, but with his recent appointment as Malta’s Oceans Ambassador, his role as protector of the seas has become official.

REMEMBER ALS? Versatile & Friends will see a host of some of Malta’s most popular musicians and singers come together in one massive concert in order to raise funds for ALS sufferers and to build a newer facility for those needing care.

ROCKESTRA TURNS TEN! The concert that combines the talents of the national orchestra with some of the top rocks stars in Malta turns 10 this year, and big plans are afoot. Maestro Sigmund Mifsud, the brains behind the annual event, gives us a sneak peak.

T R AV E L 52

LOVE STORIES FROM CHINA Fujian may be off the beaten track for a lot of Western tourists to China but the province’s visitor-friendly cities offer a gentle and fascinating introduction to this mighty dragon of a nation. Words by Mark Wood.

H E A LT H 56

I CHOOSE IMPLANTS! Dental and Implant Surgeon Jean Paul Demajo writes about implants.

REGULARS 02 27

A word from the editor C Living

Send your letters to: Ramona Depares, executive editor, Sunday Circle, Allied Newspapers Ltd, Mrieħel, or email: ramona.depares@timesofmalta.com. The executive editor reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and where space is limited. For advertising enquiries email: renee.mdecesare@timesofmalta.com or call: 9947 7193. 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-in-chief or publisher. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor-in-chief and publisher 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-in-chief is not responsible for material submitted for consideration.

A WORD FROM

the editor

This may not be the best topic for a

like this: you stopped us from shooting at

Plastic and a fishing line. Black, maggot-

supposedly chill Sunday morning but we,

one species, so we’ll just mow down an

infested liquid was being discharged

my friends, are failing at humanity. Failing

entire flock of other, just as threatened,

directly in the sea in Kalkara, killing off

hard, in fact. This applies to the entire

species instead.

heavens know how much flora and fauna,

planet in general, and also to us Maltese

The stork murders were followed (or

not to mention the probable health

specifically. This is not an exercise in

preceded, maybe, but the order of events

Maltese-bashing, or some silly ‘only in

is hardly the point) by an equally

Malta’ soliloquy; I make the latter

distressing incident where one of the

and environmental front. But the fails

observation merely because it’s Malta I

carriage horses that take tourists around

crossed over to our own species too. On

happen to live in and so I’ll keep my

Valletta collapsed and died on the street. It

the feast of Santa Marija, a group of good

comments to my own reality.

is widely acknowledged by authorities that

Samaritans took it upon themselves to

the laws governing horse-drawn carriages

carry out a highly-unattractive display of

needs a good overhaul.

hate towards a group of over a 100

Somehow, we are managing to kill every other living thing that is not human off the planet. The list where we messed up

You’d think that this incident would

hazards attached to it.

This was mostly on the other species

migrants that had just been rescued and

throughout the past week is endless. We

make us think twice about subjecting

brought into Grand Harbour. Beautiful, our

were actually visited by a fleet of storks –

horses to unnecessary exertion in the lethal

sense of empathy, and our generosity,

an unexpected, certainly undeserved given

afternoon sun. But no. Yet again, horse-

right? Not to mention ironic, given the

our track record, surprise – and manage to

racing was carried out to ‘celebrate’ Santa

occasion that we were celebrating, when

kill off most of them. That wasn’t enough;

Marija.

the famous Santa Marija convoy finally

we had the hunters’ association somehow

Why? Because we can, because

sailed into the harbour to save the entire

trying to palm off blame on EU regulations.

tradition, because why the hell not, right?

At this point you have to stop wondering

No-one cared that vets had already

whether you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole

officially recommended that the races be

We do have an August edition that is

to emerge in some other hellish reality

moved to a cooler time of day, or that it

chockful of interesting reads and that

because really, how can an organisation

wouldn’t affect ‘celebrations’ one iota.

should provide more relaxing company

blame the EU when its members break the law? Apparently, the logic went something

There was other dismaying news – a rare turtle was found dead. The cause?

PUBLISHER ALLIED NEWSPAPERS LTD.

PUBLICATION SALES MANAGER Renée Micallef Decesare

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ramona Depares

DESIGN Joseph Schembri

Maltese population from certain starvation.

I suppose this is enough for today.

than my ranting so far. Enjoy, and see you next month!

COVER Miriam Gauci and Federica Falzon Photography: Kris Micallef

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Iggy Fenech, Ramona Depares, Anna Marie Galea, Kristina Cassar Dowling, Martin Calleja Urry

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Send in your replies to sundaycircle@timesofmalta.com with your full name, mobile number and email. First one out of the editor’s bag wins. Result is final.

2 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

COVER STORY

Next generation opera SOPRANO MIRIAM GAUCI AND MEZZO-SOPRANO FEDERICA FALZON MEET WITH KRISTINA CASSAR DOWLING TO TALK ABOUT AĦNA REFUĠJATI, AN ORIGINAL OPERA SET TO CHALLENGE MODERN DAY DILEMMAS. Opera in Malta has grown in popularity in recent years, with even the younger generation heading to their theatre of choice for an evening soirée or an afternoon matinée, our exposure to theatrical performances isn’t at all rusty. This August, the Maltese theatre scene will experience a challenging operatic work, composed by Mario Sammut and Richard Brown and produced by Valletta 2018 – ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls prepare yourselves for Aħna Refuġjati.

Aħna Refuġjati is composer Mario’s first venture into the opera scene and will showcase some of the challenging moral and political dilemmas present in European waters. With a family of refugees at centre stage, some of Malta’s greatest talent will feature in the two performances held on August 31 and September 2. A number of key performers will grace the impromptu stage set at Il-Fosos, for a spectacle aimed at stirring the emotions and opinions of the public.

The family in question will feature some of Malta’s biggest performers with Spanish countertenor José Hernández Pastor as the father figure in the dramatic tragedy. José will take on the role of Eleja, a patriotic father whose number one priority is his family’s safety. The sensational Miriam Gauci will be encapsulating the role of Shari, the mother in the story. Mezzo soprano Clare Ghigo and tenor Joseph Zammit will take on the roles of Saja and Hamid respectively - portrayed as adamant adults but nonetheless members of a family fleeing in hope of a better life. A series of contradictory ideas inflict this family with budding star Federica Falzon as the youngest daughter in the family of five yet the pure symbol of neutrality. Throughout the family’s journey scenes of tragedy, chaos, danger and drama infiltrate the cast while moments of love based on pure family values awaken the crowd to an alternative possibility.

This unconventional opera is set to urge its viewers to observe. To think about the situation with a clear head and an uninfluenced point of view.

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COVER STORY

Photography Kris Micallef Styling Luke Azzopardi Set Andrew Borg Writh using props from Camilleri Paris Model Ltd. Produced by Valletta 2018

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

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COVER STORY

The opera showcases some of the challenging moral and political dilemmas present in European waters

Miriam wears a pure silk kimono gown created by Camilleri Paris Mode Atelier.

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COVER STORY

This tale of political convenience will highlight the talent of two entirely different performers, the internationally renowned soprano Miriam Gauci and the mezzo soprano Federica Falzon; taking on the roles of mother and daughter and highlighting the noticeably juxtaposed views on the drastic situation their family is facing.

Miriam Gauci carries the symbol of a protective, courageous woman, who through thick and thin, supports her husband in his life changing decisions – her strength is contrary to Federica’s unadulterated innocence. The young mezzo soprano’s operatic debut delves her deep into an ethical rendition that pulls on the heart strings through the depiction of a family in a state of loss. Federica explains that her participation in

Federica wears a wool caped gown by Luke Azzopardi.

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

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COVER STORY

Miriam wears a hand beaded, black velvet and silk organza gown by Luke Azzopardi

Federica wears a pure silk crepe satin and hand-beaded tulle gown by Luke Azzopardi

the cast is somewhat overwhelming; “I sometimes feel like an

and Mario Philip Azzopardi drawing up the libretto and directing

outsider, learning from the crowd and trying to adapt. The people

the show, there’s no doubt that this serata will have a positive

around me are so experienced and this is my first time taking part

outcome for the public as a special event for Valletta 2018.

in an opera.”

As Federica humbly takes a step back, Miriam’s role as the

There is of course a great obstacle in the launching of this opera to the public; the question of migratory movement to and

mother figure in the opera stretches into reality, as she boosts

from our waters is not a fictional allegory made up by the writer of

Federica’s morale: “She has such a special talent; it’s not only the

Aħna Refuġjati. This is reality, a monster that thousands face year

voice. She’s so natural, always spot on.”

in, year out. The name of the opera evokes a sense of community;

Miriam continues: “We’ve never had an outdoor opera on

Aħna Refuġjati refers to the collection of refugees struggling to

such a big scale, so taking part in this opera, which should be

find a place of belonging, a new home and community so to

attractive to young people in particular, is a great experience for

speak. This unconventional opera is set to urge its viewers to

the both of us. We have been rehearsing intensively for two

observe. To think about the situation with a clear head and an

months. The choir, which includes some very good voices, also

uninfluenced point of view.

has a very important role. It is being coached by Geoffrey Thomas.”

Her unequivocal talent and experience landed her a grand

With a thought-provoking plot, dramatic composition and a profound script, there’s no doubt that Aħna Refuġjati will hit the nail on the head. What better way than to top off the suspense

invitation to join the cast and take on one of the main female roles

with Miriam Gauci in a leading role and Federica Falzon as one of

in the opera. With Richard Merrill Brown as the musical director

the most endearing characters in the opera.

8 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

CIRCLE PROMOTION

Top in destination management NOW CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, COLOURS OF MALTA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST COMPANIES ON THE ISLAND TO SUCCESSFULLY SPECIALISE IN DESTINATION MANAGEMENT. CEO DAVIDE CACHIA SHARES HIS VISION ABOUT SECURING MALTA’S TOP SPOT ON THE MAP FOR LARGE-SCALE EVENTS. How was the concept for Colours of Malta born and what was the aim behind it?

Colours of Malta was one of the first

our services with continuous sales calls.

We faced difficult challenges in the beginning but, with the outside catering

How did your experience working in five-star properties in Italy shape your approach to the tourism industry?

DMCs in Malta specialising in the MICE

companies and the hotels, we always

industry (Meeting, incentives, conference

worked together as a team and Malta has

hospitality and trained in five star

I attended school in England, I studied

and events). The aim was to assist

always been a top destination for

properties in London, and then went on to

professional conference organisers and

Conferences and Events.

work for some of the top five star

corporate companies, providing them with

properties in Italy – all this was definitely

the best services on the islands for their

You pretty much built up the

the best kind of training and preparation for

events, as well as creating innovative ideas

company single-handedly – what spurred

this job. It makes you understand and

for incentive programmes

your interest in the sector?

appreciate what the corporate and five star

I would never say single-handedly, as

clients expect for their conference,

this line of business is always a teamwork

incentive or event and that the standards

the first of its kind in Malta – how was it

effort that involves all Colours of Malta staff,

need to be the highest. One must look at all

received on the market and what were the

together with our clients and suppliers, to

the details and nothing must be left

biggest challenges you faced?

create a successful event.

unattended or taken for granted.

At the time, the company was one of

Colours of Malta was very well

In 1998 I saw a huge investment in five

received by the five star hotels at the time

star properties and, having the experience in

and, together, we approached the market by

conference and events, I felt there was a

How have you seen it evolve – and the

promoting our services and attending the

great opportunity to work hand-in-hand

specially-targeted trade fairs. We travelled

with the hotels to promote their properties

tremendously. Today, it is much easier to

to various European countries promoting

and Malta as a destination.

have access to all services through internet,

market change – through these 20 years?

The industry has changed

and online pricing is extremely competitive.

Today’s clients are more and more demanding and expect the top services with the best available prices. Services in Malta have continued to get better and our hotels are some of the best in the Mediterranean.

We have great conference facilities and Malta has become a super incentive destination and has great historical venues and restaurants for lunches and dinners. Of

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CIRCLE PROMOTION

course, we also boast rich heritage, such as

What is the most important thing

with Valletta, Mdina and other locations, and

you’ve learnt about large-scale event

these things make us all the more proud to

organisation?

sell our destination. Last but not least, the

Our motto for Colours of Malta has

and we plan for outdoor dining in the

Malta Tourism Authority is doing a great job

always been: “the difference between the

summer period as well as outdoor activities

to help the MICE industry by introducing the

ordinary and the extraordinary is the little

almost all year around. I would say our main

QA (Quality Assured) Standard, which

extra”. Large-scale events are all about

competitors are Spain, Portugal, Greece and

applies to high standards of service,

details and giving that extra push to make

South Italy. But we always do very well.

insurance and so forth, within hotels,

sure that everything works like clockwork.

restaurants and DMCs. They have also

When we are organising large scale events,

introduced Conventions Malta and work

the most important part is the planning

very closely with us and invest in the trade

before the event and making sure that we

shows.

are covered from all angles. We look at Plan

haul destinations and this will continue to

Bs and back-ups for all venues, outdoor

improve and we will see more and more non

What have been some of the

activities as well as security, crowd

EU clients and corporate companies

company’s proudest moments through

management, insurance and permits. Once

travelling to Malta from the US, Canada,

these past two decades?

you have all this covered and the planning is

Brasil etc. I think we need to take care of our

all done, it’s a matter of teamwork to create

infrastructure and cleanliness. Unfortunately,

a successful event.

many negative comments we do receive is

I think the proudest moment are always the ones that follow the most difficult challenges. Just a few years ago, we had a couple of difficult years and –

In what ways do you feel the market could be improved?

Malta is now looking at more long-

that Malta is becoming over-developed. We Would you say that Malta makes the

must make sure to take care of our beautiful

following some changes in Colours of

best of its assets when it comes to

coasts, the sea and our historical parts of

Malta management and internal

destination management? Who are the

the island.

administration – we now have a better and

main competitors?

more motivated team which has, in turn,

Malta is a great MICE destination

led to the best years of Colours of Malta

because of its size and has a lot of historical

Where do you see Colours of Malta in

since 1998. Last year alone we had a large

venues, and great weather. The fact that the

conference of 3000 delegates and we

transportation time to get to the venues,

continue to specialise even more in this

were one of the officially designated DMCs

airport and activities is short is a very big

industry and grow together with our

for the EU presidency. This is a very proud

advantage, as we can fit a full programme

partners. It is an ever-changing industry and

moment for Colours of Malta, especially

into an event without wasting too much

we always need to be one of the leaders in

since we are celebrating our 20th

time on transportation like in other

new technologies and the different ways of

anniversary.

destinations. The weather helps, of course,

growing the market.

five years’ time?

I hope to see Colours of Malta

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

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ISSUES

Living the age of

paparazzi DATA PROTECTION IN THE AGE OF PERSONAL FILMING IS A TRICKY BEAST, AND THE RECENT FURORE REGARDING GDPR HAS ONLY SERVED MAKE THINGS MORE CONFUSING. SO, CAN YOU TAKE PHOTOS OF RANDOM PEOPLE IN THE STREET AND USE THEM AS YOU WILL? VICTOR PAUL BORG FINDS OUT FROM THE SOURCE.

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ISSUES

Consumer gadgets that can film and record every moment of our

Spy cameras have also become consumer items. In fact,

lives have been flourishing years. Among the latest fads are the

covert filming and recording has become common. There are even

dashboard cameras and the home-based camera, including

apps now that record every phone call we make or receive, and

surveillance cameras. Surveillance cameras operated through apps

audio recorders on apps on tablets are free.

on tablets and mobile phone through Wi-Fi connections have

Yet much tetchiness and misperceptions remain about filming

made it possible create a home surveillance system that is

or recording in public, even filming or recording covertly; does it

remarkably cheaper and less invasive than CCTV systems installed

fall foul of data protection laws and privacy? People often ask, do

by shops.

you need prior permission to film or record covertly? Bewilderment

The range of in-home cameras is every widening. Sleeklydesigned, operated by batteries or connected to the electricity,

also exists about the permissibility of surveillance cameras.

The law that applies in instances wherein ‘processing of data’

small and funky or concealed in household accessories (clocks for

takes place is the data protection law, the aim of which is to

example), these cameras can be put to many uses. You can film a

regulate how ‘data’ (which can be footage, photography and

maid when you are not at home, or keep an eye on children or pet

recordings) of an identifiable person/s is used. As to what is

left at home while you go out on an errand or meeting. These

permissible under that law, the overarching principle is what’s

cameras now come with two-way communication, enabling you to

known as the ‘household exemption’, which holds that you can film

communicate with whoever is within proximity of the camera. They

or take pictures or record in most imaginable life situations for

also come with motion detection – any movement triggers an alert

personal use. The idea is that you can film virtually anything for

through your tablet or smart phone – you could be at the other

personal use (this excludes, of course, sensitive sites for reasons of

side of the world and talk to someone who rings your doorbell. Or

national security and public order). In such situations, infringements

you could tell your child that he is supposed to be doing his

of data protection and right to privacy only come into play if you

homework, not watching TV.

publish or disseminate the pictures or footage (hence ‘process the

Drones too are getting ever more popular, also operated through tablets, and bodycams have also proliferated in recent

data’– this includes uploading on social media or on a blog.

Yet, there are no hard rules regarding uploading to social

years. Made fashionable by Go Pro, cameras that can be clipped to

media – it depends on what you upload and who is able to access

apparel or caps in the upper body, or worn on special

the material.

headmounts, can record life and events and encounters as we experience them.

Confused? We have put together a guide to assist you in remaining within the law in various scenarios.

AnY MoVeMeNt TrIgGeRs An AlErT ThRoUgH YoUr TaBlEt Or SmArT PhOnE – YoU CoUlD Be At ThE OtHeR SiDe Of ThE WoRlD AnD TaLk To SoMeOnE WhO RiNgS YoUr DoOrBeLl AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

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ISSUES Can you photograph any stranger in the street?

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

data protection can be countenanced. Anyone is free to take and publish pictures or footage of public events without having to get the permission of anyone who might be recognisable in such material.

Cameras inside the home and filming private events In line with the principle of ‘household exemption’, you can

Surveillance security cameras outside one’s home These cameras are also part of the household exemption rule, yet the principle of limitations here is that cameras can only

film or photograph anyone inside one’s home or in private events

capture footage of one’s private property. Cameras are not

(such as parties) for as long as it’s for personal use. That means

supposed to capture public spaces – the wider street. Overspill

you can keep the material on a computer or in an album, show it or

onto the immediate neighbour’s is permissible within the context of

share it with friends, even share it among friends on social media.

household exemption rule – the wideangle nature of these cameras

In line with Article 29 Data Protection Working Party opinion

make it almost impossible to be narrowed in coverage to one’s

5/2009, the Data Protection Office makes a distinction between

private property – although neighbours can in theory make a

sharing material with friends on social media, and uploading it in an

complaint of harassment (see side box on this).

open profile accessible to anyone, not only just friends – in the

Places of entertainment are likewise permitted to use

latter you would find yourself on the wrong side of the law if

surveillance cameras, and issues with the Data Protection Office

anyone identifiable complains.

would only arise if footage is leaked and published, and an

Videos and pictures at feasts, festivals and public events Pictures and footage of feasts and public events are outside

identifiable person makes a complaint.

Dashcams, drones, and body cameras This also constitutes filming for personal use, hence

the realm of data protection and privacy constraints: the idea is

exempted from the data protection laws unless the footage is

that anyone attending a public event is by virtue of attendance

published. Same applies for covert filming or audio recording

doing so ‘publicly’; hence, no complaints of invasion of privacy or

(including covert recording through apps of all telephone calls).

YoU CaN FiLm A ClEaNeR WhEn YoU ArE NoT At HoMe, Or KeEp An EyE On ChIlDrEn Or YoUr PeT LeFt At HoMe WhIlE YoU Go OuT 14 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

ISSUES

Filming or photography in school or children’s private events Schools usually get parents’ consent in writing for any footage or photography gotten within the school grounds or activities.

This is technically called ‘granular consent’, and the Head of the school might tell parents to refrain from taking videos or pictures at school, and procure only footage or pictures taken by professionals engaged by the school. Irrespective of school’s guidance in this regard, any filming or photography at school or on school activities is permissible under the ‘household exemption’ rule and the law only comes into play if any material published would show identifiable children other than the

Footage, pictures or recordings used for legal purposes

publishing parent’s own (of course a parent is free to publish pictures or video of his children). Yet, the law allows some

Anyone is free to supply any recording or footage or

leeway and interpretations in these circumstances. For example,

pictures, irrespective of whether it was gotten covertly or overtly,

if the parent uploads the material to social media that can only

to a court of law as evidence, or to the police as evidence of

be accessed by friends or connections, then that still falls under

wrongdoing or innocence. Admissibility of such evidence is at

the household exemption (this is considered an expanded

the discretion of the court on a case-by-case basis.

version of inviting a group of friends and friends of friends at home and showing them the material). The Data Protection

Footage, pictures or recordings passed on to the media Once footage or recordings are passed on the media, any

Office would only intervene if an upload that shows children other than one’s own is viewable by the general public – by anyone who may access to social media pages. This is one

ensuing publication of such material would then be governed

reason why Facebook offers a variety of sharing options for

by the Media and Defamation Act as well as the overlapping

each individual post uploaded.

Data Protection Act. The two acts often find themselves in uneasy coexistence, and a journalist who publishes or broadcasts footage in which a person is identifiable has to have a justification of ‘public interest’. This also applies to politicians

Harassment and filming

doing a private activity, and here the public interest justification

In certain situations if you take pictures or videos, or record

would rest on whether the activity that a politician is engaged

someone, repetitively you can be reported to the police for

in has a bearing or relation to his public role. For example, a

harassment, which is a criminal offence (Article 251A of the

politician cavorting with women in a bar is a private matter

Criminal Code). Harassment charges can only be invoked if the

that, although abominable to many people, might not justify

action is repeated, so if you take a one-off close-up picture of

publication on public interest grounds. But the same politician

someone on one occasion that cannot constitute harassment.

cavorting with women in the villa of a businessman who is

Harassment also has to be intended, and proven as such. The

involved in Public-Private Partnerships in which that politician

law states that harassment occurs when a person “pursues a

has a regulatory say or role, then public interest is compelling

course of conduct which he knows or ought to know amounts

(that’s because that politicians would have exposed himself to

to harassment of such other person.” Moreover, the penultimate

influence by his behaviour and association). In any case when

sub-article in law that sets the threshold of harassment states

footage is passed to the media, and the media publishes that

that “the person whose course of conduct is in question ought

footage, then the person who took and supplied the footage is

to know that it amounts to harassment of another person if a

jointly liable in theory, although in practice, since journalists are

reasonable person in possession of the same information would

not obliged to reveal sources, then that person’s identity will

think the course of conduct amounted to harassment of the

remain unknown, and it will solely be up to the media house to

other person.” In this context, if a spiteful or antagonistic

justify publication.

neighbour reports you for harassment because overspill from a surveillance camera captures his movements somehow, the

To ensure the accuracy of this article from a data protection perspective, Ian Deguara, Director of Technical Affairs within the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner, has been consulted on the contents.

16 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

court might find that report vexatious and frivolous, and he might end up being held to account as a result.

TRAUMAS

AS THE LAWS ARE TIGHTENED UP AND AWARENESS INCREASES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NO LONGER A SHAMEFUL SECRET TO BE BRUSHED UNDER THE RUG. HOWEVER, VICTIMS IN A MALE SAME-SEX PARTNERSHIP STILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SPEAK OUT – ONE SUCH VICTIM SHARES HIS STORY WITH ANNA MARIE GALEA.

Behind closed doors While quite a bit of attention has been given to women and

realised that his problems were much greater than I could have

domestic violence locally – and rightly so – domestic violence in

imagined.”

the context of same-sex relationships has been somewhat neglected, especially within male relationships.

Fear, coupled with shame and the belief that one will be ridiculed and thought weak for speaking out, has prevented any

Insecure, unable to express his anger in a healthy way and with a home life that was immensely unstable, Mark would take out all his anger and frustrations on Steven.

“In the first month of our relationship, there was no sign of

concrete statistics from being gathered in order to gauge the

aggression. However, I didn’t really feel like the relationship was

extent of male-on-male violence. I sat down with a young man who

going to go anywhere so I decided to end it. Mark took it extremely

suffered domestic abuse for the better part of a year and hears

badly. He started to cry and he convinced me to stay with him and

about how he dealt with the physical and emotional scarring which

give it another shot. What I didn’t know was that this was just the

still troubles him today.

beginning of his manipulation: on top of everything else, he had

Steven met Mark (not their real names) through social media and, after speaking online for a short period of time, they decided to meet. This meeting was the first of many: “After that first date,

lied to me about something I considered to be serious so I had huge trust issues too.”

Steven remembers that it was some three or four months into

we just kept on seeing each other. Initially, I thought that he was

the relationship that things really came to a head. The couple was

just the average teen with family troubles, but after some time I

arguing when Mark started biting and scratching him.

I will never know why I didn’t speak up, but I will always regret the fact I didn’t

whole thing off. But from then on, the beatings became a constant

“I didn’t defend myself and, I suppose, I just brushed the

18 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

part of my life, where the slightest thing would set him off.”

What stopped Steven from stopping the relationship immediately and definitively?

TRAUMAS

“My first inclination was to break up, yes. But then again, knowing his family situation held me back. I knew that he couldn’t deal with things at home, and I suppose I felt sorry for him. After he would get violent, he would tell me over and over again that he wanted me to stay with him and I felt so much shame about being treated this way that I just left things the way they were.”

Steven felt so unable to share what was going on in his life that he gradually isolated himself from his friends and didn’t even tell his family about what he was going through.

“I didn’t want to worry my family and friends, so I isolated myself in order that I didn’t have to talk about my situation with anyone. Mark used to be extremely jealous and possessive, so I had already started seeing my close friends a lot less. At that point, I didn’t feel like I could speak to anybody about it. I began selfharming to deal with the pain and the anger and made sure I covered myself up well even during the summer, so that no one would be able to tell what was going on. I was living two parallel lives.”

Things took a darker turn when, after a particularly bad argument, Mark beat him up badly enough for it to have lasting effects.

“I was in so much pain. Yet, five minutes later we were upstairs at a family gathering speaking to everyone as if we didn’t have a care in the world. Looking back, I have no idea how I managed to put up with things for so long, or how to put up a façade, even.”

Ironically, it was not Steven who ended the relationship. A little over a year from their first date, things ended as suddenly as they had begun.

“I actually asked him to be more committed to the relationship and he basically packed up his stuff and left. I will never forget his parting words to me which were: I hope you learn.”

Despite all the dark elements of the relationship, Steven did not cope well with the break up.

“I took a bunch of pills just because I wanted to leave it all behind me. I could no

Getting help If you find yourself in an abusive situation

longer deal with things and I felt like I had been left with nobody to care for me. I was

at home or within an intimate

alone – and free, granted – but the damage had been done. I wish that I could have

relationship, Victim Support Malta is an

dealt with things differently and been less destructive. I never heard from him again.”

NGO offering support to victims of crime.

Today, Steven is in a new relationship but this has not been without its

Victim Support Malta can be contacted

challenges as he constantly remembers all the negativity from his previous

on 21228333 or email info@victim

relationship.

support.org.mt. Appoġġ also offer

“I deeply regret not going to the authorities about the violence. But the truth is that when I did go and speak to a lawyer a few months after the relationship ended, I was told that there wasn’t much that could be done at that point. I really

support to victims of abuse and can be reached by calling Supportline 179.

feel that the law is not geared towards protecting people as much as it should, and

The law

this both angers and upsets me.”

The Gender-Based Violence and

Steven says that it is precisely for this reason that he wanted to come forward

Domestic Violence Bill which was voted

with his story, so that those who may be going through similar situations realise that

law earlier this year, does not differentiate

they are not alone. “The whole experience left a lasting trauma. I used to have

between genders where domestic abuse

nightmares about Mark and now I have a lot of trust issues, which have been known

is involved – from a legal point of view,

to cause problems in my relationships. My advice to anyone going through domestic

violence between same-sex couples is

abuse is to talk to someone. I know that it’s very hard to do so, and that you may

treated exactly in the same way as when

not feel like you can, but please do. At the time everything was happening, I felt

heterosexual couples are involved.

guilty and didn’t want to cast a shadow on Mark. I will never know why I didn’t speak up, but I will always regret the fact I didn’t.”

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

19

PEOPLE

A cultural alliance ANTOINE LE MARC, FORMER PRESS AND CULTURE ATTACHÉ AT THE FRENCH EMBASSY, SITS DOWN WITH IGGY FENECH TO DISCUSS THE PAST THREE YEARS OF WORK IN CULTURE

BY THE EMBASSY IN MALTA.

PHOTOS : MATTHEW MIRABELLI

20 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

PEOPLE

If you ever had to wander into the garage of the oldest

to the French custom of Apéritif which, as she explains, is

għannej in Żejtun (known as Żgej), you would probably be

when one serves Champagne and nibbles rather than a lavish

quite confused by the fact that he has a portrait of

feast.

ambassador to France Béatrice le Fraper du Hellen, on his

“I have a fantastic team at the Embassy, all of whom do

wall. But it would all make sense once you realise that this

an incredible job, and they had picked up another winner!

man’s garage is his castle, and that Madame and her team –

Meeting Antoine, I saw this person who was totally immersed

particularly her ex-press and culture attaché, Antoine Le Marc,

in the Maltese people and who spoke incredibly easily to

whose service came to an end recently – are always on the

them. I soon discovered he had been here for a while and that

ground, seeking to make connections between the Maltese

he had cracked the cultural barrier we sometimes find. He was

and French Republics in everything from high- to street-

not even 20 at the time, and hadn’t even finished his degree in

culture.

law, but we are here to connect with all generations of Maltese

“You can’t have cooperation, or create a lasting legacy,

people and create mutually-beneficial relationships. He was

without making connections that can be upheld in the long

perfect for the job… And, well, my mother also noticed his

run,” explains Antoine, who was Madame’s unofficial right-

shoes (he was wearing glittery loafers), which were the ‘it’

hand aide almost since the beginning. “Our work has had to

shoe of that summer, apparently!”

be structural and we have sought to get Maltese and French

Madame’s intuition proved to be right, and Antoine’s

counterparts to connect in order for those links to continue to

work-ethic a strong one. Over the course of his service, in fact,

strengthen in time.”

he was instrumental in enhancing an existing scheme that

Antoine’s departure from the French Embassy was much

sends eight teachers of French to France for a few weeks for

lamented, and was marked by a fête aboard the Premier

an immersive experience in the language, as well as in a huge

Maître L’Her, a French navy ship that was in Malta. The event

mission of restorers, which the Maltese government has

was not only attended by the French community (in fact,

become very interested in.

during the event, gifts were distributed to the latest French

“In France, the Ministry of Culture gives a label to public

new-born and the latest person to acquire French citizenship),

works and construction companies based on their experience

but also by various members of the media, local business

and expertise in restoring our cultural heritage. To get this

owners, diplomats, designers, bloggers and even Government

label, all the staff of such companies needs to have gone

officials. It was a testament in itself to the work and the

through – or be undergoing – a year-long apprenticeship on

connections created by the Embassy over these past three

the ground after finishing their studies,” Madame explains.

years.

“The point of this is simply to ensure that different ateliers can

“Antoine joined my service after the Head of Consular

focus on particular restorations, and that our heritage is

Affairs asked to bring her ‘very good assistant’ to the Bastille Day celebrations at the French

safeguarded not only thanks to the restoration experts but also the builders working on them. Malta is blessed with

Residence,” Madame

having numerous companies working in support of talented

explains, as she

restorers, and such a label would also benefit them

introduces me

internationally.”

He was instrumental in enhancing an existing scheme that sends eight teachers of French to France for an immersive experience in the language AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

21

PEOPLE

And this has been one of the strong points of this Ambassadorship: the exchanging of best practices, culture, customs and talents from both Republics. Something that can be seen in everything the Embassy has put its name to.

Last year, for example, for Goût de France (Good France) – a celebration of French cuisine observed all across the world – the Embassy embarked on a partnership with the lecturers and students of the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS).

For the occasion, the Chef of the Résidence cooked a French menu alongside students at the ITS restaurant, while the students also got the opportunity to create a model of the Arc de Triomphe in chocolate with world-famous chocolatier Andre Farrugia, as well as a Tour Eiffel sugar sculpture.

And that is just one example out of many, as the Embassy has also connected local għanneja with French musicians for la Fête de la musique, which takes place every June 21; continued to strengthen its ties with – and role within – the Alliance française (where countless Maltese and foreign students head to learn French). And, for la Fête de la Francophonie last March, Antoine even gave a whole speech in Maltese during the Embassy’s official event, which took place at the Catholic Institute in Floriana.

“In France, we have a tradition of public service. People come and go, but they have to leave a legacy,” continues Madame, who throughout her career has served in the Directorate of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in France, and was Head of the Human Rights Unit and Legal Advisor to the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York, among other roles.

“It is with this understanding that all of us –

The Embassy has also connected local għanneja with French musicians

whether it’s the ambassador, an attaché, or anyone in any position in between – works, and I’m very happy that Antoine

insurance companies have their headquarters here; Malta’s Freeport

turned out to be such a great public officer, and that his legacy now

– the second biggest industrial harbour in the Mediterranean – is

lives on in the many partnerships we have created between France

managed by a French company, but the CEO and many of the

and Malta’s main cultural institutions and the Maltese press.”

workers are Maltese.

While I cannot compare the current French Ambassadorship

“All this is a sign of a very good partnership between the

to the ones that came before it – mostly because I had never

two countries, and one we wanted to continue building on – not

worked with or met them – I can attest to one thing: my perception

only in terms of business or commerce or diplomacy, but also in

of the relationship between Malta and France has changed since I

terms of culture through music, food, language and fun!” she

first met Madame and Antoine. Their love for their country, and their

concludes.

willingness to take a slice of it and place it within ours – and, more

Antoine is now back in Paris, finishing his Bachelor of Law

importantly, the reverse – is an incredible step towards

degree at La Sorbonne, but the legacy his work helped create lives

strengthening the link between two countries that share a long and

on. And, with so many memories attached to Malta, I have no doubt

intertwined history.

that a big piece of his heart is here too. And that is something that

“We’re already very close as nations. It’s not like France is discovering Malta, or the other way round. The biggest French

22 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

can’t happen without genuine love for your adoptive country… So, to Antoine: Grazzi!

ISSUES

Techno Nannies IN A WORLD DOMINATED BY TECHNOLOGICAL WIZARDRY, THE LATEST GAME OR GADGET CAN APPEAR TO BE HEAVEN SENT WHEN YOU NEED A QUICK BABYSITTER. HOWEVER, WHEN CHILDREN ARE OVER-EXPOSED TO TECHNOLOGY, ADDICTION AND OTHER SOCIAL COMPLICATIONS WILL ENSUE. MARTIN CALLEJA-URRY SPEAKS TO THE EXPERTS.

24 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

ISSUES

Super-stimulating gadgets are ever present in our lives from the

“It is important to explore different interests of the child

cradle to the grave, in every institution, around every corner. The

before the only interest becomes gaming or social media. Setting

technological wave has swept up our children too – many have

limits is often the first step. In our household, there’s no technology

smartphones in their pockets, tablets by the bedside and powerful

in bedrooms and we regularly organise activities, outings and

home entertainment systems available at the touch of a button.

hobby nights. There is access to various technological devices, but

Today’s parents are digitally baptising their children within the first two tender years of life. As they grow into their kindergarten and primary school years, they’re inundated with even more technology.

it’s just one other item that can be used for entertainment.”

Statistics would suggest that digital device usage is intensifying and is not going to stop anytime soon.

According to the Malta Communications Authority, 97 per

Many parents consider media consumption to be a harmless

cent of primary school children and 99 per cent of secondary

pastime, but there is sufficient evidence to encourage mothers and

school children have internet access. Technology rehab clinics are

fathers to exercise moderation, especially for children under the

sprouting worldwide and, while we’re yet to see one on our shores,

age of two. Research by the American Academy of Paediatrics

there are indeed local services offering help for psychological and

reveals that overuse can have a significant impact on a child’s

addiction related difficulties. Bernard Caruana, a clinical

attention span, sleeping habits and learning capabilities. Young

psychologist with more than 20 years experience, underlines the

children who are repeatedly exposed to violence through internet

need for parents to understand the root cause of the issue.

movies, TV and video games generate elevated levels of adrenaline

“The most important thing is for them to establish or create a

and the stress hormone cortisol, which may result in a hypervigilant

good relationship with their child. Then they must ask what

sensory system. This keeps the child excited and engaged, but also

function the addiction has – is playing computer games the only

overstimulated.

way a child is getting excited? Are they distracting themselves

As they grow older, they’re also more likely to battle with obesity,

from other uncomfortable thoughts or loneliness? Is the child

depression and exposure to dangerous and inappropriate content.

seeking comfort and understanding through chatting with others?

Once living a virtual life becomes the norm for these children, it’s

Knowing the function of this addiction will help parents to enable

no surprise if eventually, they move on to more ‘intense’ digital

their children to find alternative behaviours through which they can

media. Higher up the ladder of mega-stimulating media are video

fulfil those same functions.”

games, a reality Bianca Chircop, a social worker who dedicates her working life to helping kids unglue themselves from the screen, knows all too well.

“Over the years we’ve seen a dramatic increase in cases of children and adolescents addicted to gaming. Half of my caseload is addicted to gaming; in some cases boys even wet themselves to continue playing. They start absenting themselves from social

Half of my caseload is addicted to gaming; in some cases boys even wet themselves to continue playing

situations such as school, museum lessons and other after-school activities, as they only want to spend their time gaming. Others are

Prevention is better than cure, and most devices have their

physically aggressive towards their parents when

own parental controls which allow adults to set appropriate time

they switch off their technological equipment.

limits and manage content. If left alone, children may keep using

Some children do not care about their

their devices for hours on end. Bernard urges parents to pay

homework and fail their exams. There isn’t enough awareness in Malta about how games are

attention to a few telling signs that their child might be at risk, “Be concerned when children are spending excessive

designed to make the gamer addicted to them, or

amounts of time in front of any technological apparatus, or if they

about their effect on mental health.”

prefer the smartphone/tablet to real experiences, or if it interferes

Children are exposed to more media than any generation ever before. They’re targeted by multibillion euro industries whose sole objective is to compete for

with daily responsibilities. If they’re staying up late at night on the internet and waking up tired for school, or if they model negative behaviour they’ve seen. Also, if they show fear or anxiety because

their time in a world of decreasing attention spans.

of what they’ve seen online, or hide what they are watching or with

Parents need to be aware that a pro-active approach is

whom they are chatting to (this depends on the age of the child).”

needed nowadays; becoming media-savvy themselves helps,

Encourage them to make use of educational media and have

as it granting them the tools to protect their children. Bianca

a fun, easy-going discussion with them about their experiences.

emphasises the importance of early intervention, nipping the

Oversee the media they consume and keep them away from

problem in the bud before it spirals out of control.

mindless games designed to make them hooked. If they’re

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

25

ISSUES

There isn’t enough awareness in Malta about how games are designed to make the gamer addicted to them angry outburst, but instead maintain an atmosphere of a warm parent-child relationship,” comments Bernard.

Both Bianca and Bernard agree about technology’s potential to help teach and entertain our children – the issue lies within striking a respectable balance between it and other activities. If one were to use food as an analogy, the occasional greasy burger or slice of pizza isn’t going to do any harm if it’s enjoyed within the confines of a well-balanced diet. Similarly, enjoying a television show or playing non-violent video games would not be the end of the world so long as other responsibilities are attended to, and the child understands and respects the rules. already using their devices for much longer than you’d like, then sit

Practice what you preach – enjoy the time spent with your

them down and have an open, mature discussion with them,

children and resist the urge to impulsively check your phone when

preparing them for what’s to come.

you’re around them. If you set restrictions, make sure the whole

“Parents must help their children to weigh the costs of, for

family follows suit. They need alternatives to digital media, like

example, internet addiction and compare them to the benefits of

books, toys, musical instruments, arts & crafts, board games and

alternative behaviour. If you need to set new limits, do so

imaginative play. Childhood is a time for exploration,

reasonably depending on how much the child is used to

experimentation and imagination, and the virtual equivalent

technology. Remain consistent and don’t set rules as a result of an

doesn’t hold a candle to the real world.

LIVING

DINNER WITH A VIEW DB San Antonio Hotel & Spa has just launched a new flagship restaurant, Taza Restaurant. Perched at the very highest vantage point of the hotel, on the roof top, boasting stunning views of the surroundings, the restaurant joins an array of other San Antonio offerings. The emphasis at Taza is on the highest quality – with only 56 available seats, this is definitely not a volume-based restaurant, but a restaurant where guests can enjoy a relaxing meal overlooking St Paul’s Islands – definitely your place of choice if you enjoy experiencing Malta’s amazing sunsets.

The restaurant serves a contemporary, Mediterranean Cuisine inspired, à la carte menu. With delicious offerings such as the Chicken Liver Pate Terrine served with Apple Chutney, or the Home-made Sausage, or the Ravioli for starters; moving on to Mediterranean favourites like the Lamb Shank with apricot and almond couscous or the Escalope of wild SeaBass served with smoked bacon for mains, the tastebuds are guaranteed to

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be very well-satisfied. There is also a yummy range of options for vegetarians. Wash down with some wine and finish off with dessert – we personally recommend the dark chocolate bomb – and you have all the ingredients for a perfect evening out.

The restaurant is open five days a week for dinner between 7.30pm and 10pm between Friday and Tuesday, weather permitting. For reservations, call on 2158 3434.

PERFECT BLENDS Farsons Gold Label Pale Ale is an all-malt pale ale brewed using two different types of malt and hopped using a special blend of five different hop varieties, which together give this beer its characteristic and unique hoppy flavour profile. The overall result is an innovative combination of the hoppy basic notes with exclusively fruity characteristics. Dominant hints of apricot, passion fruit and red berries, coupled with a touch of grapefruit, complement a very pleasant malt character with hints of biscuit flavour in the after-taste.

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

27

CIRCLE PROMOTION

Bringing it back to its former glory THE ĊENTRU SANTU ROKKU, IN VALLETTA, BOASTS GREAT HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND OFFERS AN IMPORTANT SAFE SPACE TO SOCIALIZE FOR THE CITY’S YOUNG PEOPLE. NOW, THE BUILDING’S FULL RESTORATION IS KICKING OFF SHORTLY THANKS TO THE PLANNING AUTHORITY FULLY FUNDING THE PROJECT THROUGH ITS DEVELOPMENT PLANNING FUND. Ċentru Santu Rokku is a Church property

schoolwork, while empowering them with

(St Paul Shipwreck Collegiate Parish)

social and life skills.

located at 196, St Ursula Street, Valletta.

Additional activities for the teens

Apart from holding and serving the social

are also held, like movie evenings, outings,

needs of the Valletta community, the

crafts, cooking and live-ins. The

property also holds great historical worth.

volunteers also try and impart useful life

In the 18th century, it was owned by one of

skills and spiritual values. At Teen Klabb,

the foundations of the ‘Soladita dei Preti’,

teens are given the opportunity to

‘Naves’. In the 1950s the property had

interact with other teens while being

passed to the Order of the Knights of St

monitored by helpers such as teachers,

John, from where they operated the

counsellors, and social youth workers. The

service of a Blood Bank while also serving

main objective is to give the youth of the

as their headquarters. Once the Blood

area a sense of empowerment and

Bank was moved to another location, the

provide preventive care.

Order also transferred its headquarters to a new venue in the proximity of Our Lady of the Victories church. In the 1990s the

Keeping tradition alive The property which possibly

parish initiated its pastoral work from this

belonged at first to a wealthy family, was

premises to serve the community of the

built according to the traditional style of

area and its surroundings.

the time, having a large open courtyard. A

entrance. The book and the sword

generously proportioned staircase in the

depicted on the coat of arms are the

as youth centre, known as Teen Klabb.

The property is currently being used

yard leads to the upper levels, including

common attributes of Saint Paul. A wordy

Teen Klabb was launched by Tabgha

the sala nobile, whilst a stone spiral

inscription below the bust reads

Foundation. Its main aim has been that of

staircase connects the back rooms on all

‘FUNDATIO NIS. NAVES. 1749.’

creating a safe social space and providing

floors and was most likely intended for use

academic help to teens in Valletta and the

by the servants of the household. It

surrounding region. Here volunteers assist

contains various alterations carried out in

youth with their homework and

more recent times, including the division

intense restoration works due to the bad

of the property into a number of

condition of the façade, in particular the

tenements and the replacement of a

wooden apertures. Internally, there is need

wrought-iron balcony with that of timber.

to renovate the courtyard, masonry

The façade holds certain simple

staircase, cellar, Sala Nobile and the

architectural elements, namely the

cleaning of the walls and ceilings.

The main objective is to give the youths of the area a sense of empowerment and provide preventive care 28 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

mouldings around the doors and windows,

The project The property is now in need of

The Planning Authority and the

the wrought iron railing of the open

Valletta Local Council signed an

balcony and the balcony corbels.

agreement for the PA to fully fund the

One also finds a bust and a coat of arms mounted on top of the main

restoration of Ċentru Santu Rokku in Valletta. Once restored, the centre, which

CIRCLE PROMOTION

is an old palazzino will provide the city’s young people with a safe social space for them to receive the necessary

How the Development Planning Fund helps The purpose of the development

skills and mentoring to cope with life’s

planning fund is to widen the scope for

pressures.

funding and therefore give greater

development is also being directed to the fund. This combination is bringing and making more funds available for locality community projects.

“The property hosts a number of

flexibility to what projects can qualify. This

community services: teaching catechism to

financing up to €288,000. Development

fund assists local councils, NGOs,

boys; formation and personal development

Planning Fund Committee Chairperson

government agencies and any interested

for women; and a youth centre ‘Teen

Vincent Cassar said that: “This project,

party to create small and large projects

Klabb’. The project to restore the damaged

which the Planning Authority will be

within a locality that can enhance the

façade, courtyard, and rooms as well as to

financing, is one of the best examples of

quality of life within Malta’s towns and

take full advantage of the existing space is

how we wish the Fund to be utilized.

villages.

vital to enhance our services. This would

The Planning Authority will be

Through this project, we have seen how

This fund sees its financing coming

not be possible without the Development

this fund can serve to improve the social

from 70 per cent of the contribution

Planning Fund in collaboration with the

and community life within the locality. We

developers have to pay when they do not

Valletta Local Council. Our grateful thanks

know the challenges faced by today’s

provide car parking spaces within their

go to all the people involved as they were

youth are large and therefore the

development. In addition, 20 per cent of

very helpful in guiding us to obtain the

restoration project will certainly create a

the revenue generated through

funding,” said Project Leader and Tabgha

safe social space for these youth.”

applications for the regularisation of

Foundation volunteer Maurizio Lapira.

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

29

FOODIES

FROM MAINE TO MALTA A FOODIE JOURNEY

HAVING RECENTLY COMPLETED A MONTH OF POP-UP DINNERS AT VERDALA PALACE TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE MALTA COMMUNITY CHEST FUND, CHEF TIM BUTLER – WHO RUNS ONE OF ASIA’S TOP 50 RESTAURANTS IN THAILAND – TALKS TO ANABEL ATTARD ABOUT THE FOODIE NEWS LOCALS WILL BE EXCITED TO HEAR.

30 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

FOODIES

I have a bit of a thing for celebrity chefs; there’s something so ‘cool’ about them.

To be fair, many of them do present an interesting range of skills – they are usually creative, quick-witted, strong minded and, of course, good in the kitchen. Not a bad combination it has to be said.

Chef Tim Butler – the man behind award-winning eateries Eat Me! and Esenzi in Thailand – is fast becoming a

I am adamant about only using sustainable seafood

celebrity chef in his own right, not least because he made it onto the list of Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants. Locally, he has also gained star-status thanks to his recent month-long stint of pop-up dinners at beautiful Verdala Palace. Not only did it prove to be one of the most in-demand and stylish experiences of the early summer, but the effort also raised a whopping €100,000 for the Malta Community Chest Fund. That must have taken some cooking.

Tim is no newbie to Malta, and he has come to really like the island. So much so, that he and renowned international entrepreneur Mark Weingard (the man behind the Iniala hotel in Thailand, local foodie experience Dinner in the Sky and the soon-to-launch Iniala Hotel on St Barbara’s Bastions in Valletta) will be opening a new dining concept – Esenzi – in the months to come.

“Mark invited me over and I have since developed quite a connection to the island; it’s great,” says Tim, who is originally from Maine in the US. “Malta has a developing restaurant scene and it’s a very exciting time to be here. Customers here have definitely become more adventurous, so the time is right to launch a concept like Esenzi, because it is going to give them something new and different to look forward to.”

Looking back on his career, Tim says he became a chef completely by accident, when he started cooking in a little café over the summer. “I wanted to buy a car,” he recalls, “and my father said that – if that was what I wanted – I would have to pay for it myself. So I worked in that café throughout high school and it is where it

Tim Butler

all began.”

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

31

FOODIES

So, by the time he finished school, Tim felt that a career in

Soon after, Tim signed up to the Culinary Institute of

cooking would be the obvious choice. “My parents weren’t

America – one of the best cooking schools in the world – after

quite so keen on the concept!” he quips. “They warned me

which he graduated and went to work with some truly excellent

about how challenging it would be and that I had to be sure I

chefs on the international sphere. “I was made executive pastry

was doing it because I really loved it. It knew I was.”

chef for the New York restaurant Aquavit, which, at the time,

It was at that point that Tim moved to Manhattan, where

had been given three stars by The New York Times (this was

he worked 16 hour days and earned just $240 a week (around

before Michelin rating had started). There I worked under

€200). “I only ended up with about $400 (€350) to live on at

celebrity chef Marcus Sammuelson, before moving on to work

the end of the month, so it was quite a challenge. I walked

with chef Daniel Bouloud at Daniel in New York, and chef

everywhere and saved what I could, but I knew it was what I

Michael Cimarusti at his restaurant Providence in Los Angeles.

wanted to do, so I persevered.”

It was quite a journey!”

32 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

FOODIES

Next, Tim decided to move to Thailand and to focus on being a cook rather than a pastry chef. He says the fact he grew up by the water played a role in his desire to cook with ingredients from the sea; in fact, he now considers it to be his driving force. “I am adamant about only using sustainable seafood, though,” he continues. “I would never touch tuna for example, and will only serve wild salmon, never farmed. It is our responsibility as chefs to guide people about what they should be eating. I frequently consult with a marine biologist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institution, who is

In Malta we have also done our best to use sustainable local seafood as much as possible

our main seafood supplier, and I work with him on product sourcing. In Malta, meanwhile, we have also done our best to use sustainable local seafood as much as possible, and will continue to do the same once we’re officially launched.”

Now, of course, it is an exciting time for Tim, who is very much looking forward to the opening of Esenzi – which will join the ranks of his two eateries in Phuket and his other establishment in Bangkok.

“Working with Mark and the team in Malta has been fantastic, and we’re rearing to go. Between the wonderful work that we are doing through Mark’s Iniala Foundation, the restaurants, and being able to live between Thailand and Malta, I have to say I am very content.”

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

33

STARS

The ways of a

soprano FROM OPERETTAS TO OPERAS OF THE HIGHEST CALIBRE, ROSABELLE PAVIA SHARES HER JOURNEY IN THE THEATRICAL SPHERE WITH KRISTINA CASSAR DOWLING. Sometimes we meet people, artists who

backs. Her first step was The Gondoliers,

somehow reignite our love for a certain

performed at the Astra Theatre in Gozo.

kind medium, people who give us a boost,

Rosabelle is Gozitan so the presence

a surge of energy to relive a somewhat

of both the Astra Theatre and the Aurora

nostalgic sensation that once connected us

Theatre on the island of Gozo made her

with our passions. Rosabelle Pavia is a

passion an absolute reality. “My voice is an

muse, a soprano extraordinaire whose

expression of my art,” claimed Rosabelle as

journey from small scale appearances

we began to discuss her interest in music.

escalated to major roles within the

“Gozo gave me a platform to realise my

operetta and opera scene. As a lover of

talent. I always loved the stage – my first

music, operatic and classical pieces too,

ever experience as a performer was in the

Rosabelle was excited to share her story,

local Carnival at the age of 10.” She was

highlighting each detail to a T and 40

still too young to perform in operettas, let

years in the industry is no joke; she had a

alone opera – both musical platforms

lot to say.

where her young, yet bold, voice would

Rosabelle was discovered accidentally – that’s how most exceptional talent is noticed. As she packed her bags

have flourished no matter her age. But she had to take it slow.

Norma and Nabucco at the Aurora

after a rewarding flute lesson under the

not only saw Rosabelle take on the usual

guidance of Maestro Giuseppe Giardini

tragic theme of any opera but it also

Vella, her tutor began to tune a violin, to

allowed her to belt it out on a new stage,

which Rosabelle nonchalantly sang along -

amid some of Malta’s most prominent stars

tuning her voice so to speak. Do you know

of her time.

that reaction we often see in big movies,

Rosabelle encourages the younger

where someone’s eyes open wide in sheer

generation to dream big and take the first

disbelief? This is the impression Rosabelle

step in developing their art no matter the

imprinted on me; one I would think

boundaries or limitations. “Where art is

Maestro Giardini Vella might have felt as

concerned, there’s no politics, no

the talented 11-year-old gently hummed to

limitations and no hesitation - follow your

his tuning violin. This unforeseen delight

dreams and aim for the stars.”

set the young soprano at centre stage; it

As with all trips down memory lane,

opened the curtains to a world of standing

Rosabelle’s rendezvous on the many

ovations, encores as well as a series of call-

stages, both local and international, a few

34 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

STARS

“Where art is concerned, there’s no politics, no limitations and no hesitation - follow your dreams and aim for the stars.”

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

35

STARS

memories are fonder than others, their

played in her family. Now it’s not that

the 1987 soundtrack to Għawdex Illum with

sentimental value and possibly even the

people of this generation would take up

DCapitals, a stunning Musical Literary

opportunities they created found a place

the offer without battling an eye lid, but

Evening at the St Francis Convent where

at the forefront of her mind for quite a

the current possibilities are for more

young local talent, namely budding tenor

long time. Rosabelle’s top performances

generous. In the 1980s, the then chairman

Angelo Muscat, trumpist Robert Buttigieg

have to be La Traviata and AIDA while one

of the Manoel Theatre urged Rosabelle to

and harpist Charlene Portelli will perform

of the most valued influences in her career

take her talent to Milan - an opportunity of

Noti mill-Kunvent. Other projects are also

was musical director Anton Bonnici – her

a lifetime where family trumped career.

in Rosabelle’s near future; look out for L-

‘fountain of knowledge’ who painstakingly

The same difficult decision was presented

Għajnejn li qatt ma Kelli - a composition in

provided her with the repertoire needed to

to her by Impresa Fasano, who wanted to

aid of the Guide Dogs Association with

practice her solo performances in

fly her around the world to sing in the role

Rita Pace’s lyrics and Phillip Vella’s music

preparation for a show. This recording was

of Grande Sacerdotessa in Aida. Two lost

to complement her voice. In addition, a

slightly more complicated to get your

opportunities but, for the Gozitan soprano,

jovial performance, in collaboration with JC

hands on than a simple download Spotify

not one regret as her ties to her family are

Aquilina at the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary is aimed

so generously provides us with.

strong.

to feature in mid-2019.

Other challenges that Rosabelle and

Although her past was as full as the

There’s no stopping this big star from

women of her generation had to face was

theatres she graced the stages of, her

spreading her wings and giving Malta a

that of relocation - an adventure that could

future is just as bright. Pipeline dreams for

cultural muse to boast about for years to

not be accepted due to the vital role she

our local soprano include a music video of

come.

36 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

CIRCLE PROMOTION

A fun family day out Mewġa Mużika concert in Mdina

by Valletta 2018 Mewġa Mużika is an interactive musical work curated by the

This project reinforces the

Portuguese group Ondamarela.

idea of any citizen being able to

The concept is grounded on

take part on an artistic initiative

cooperation and collaborative work,

with huge scale and impact, in a

over several preparative sessions

structured, rigorous and ludic

with the participant communities.

way, giving light, at the same

Based on a sustained research

time, to a local musicians’ mass

process, it proposes the composing of original music pieces on the

(music schools, brass bands, folk groups, choirs). It also grounds itself

specifics of the various communities involved (its music, its

on the concept of creating a new community as a means to identify

references, its memories, its culture and view of the world). This

links between different people and to promote the building of

communities worked intensively with the maestro, Tim Steiner, to

bridges, through music.

form a big orchestra that shall produce a unique and unrepeatable

Rooted in co-operation and collaboration, people of all ages

concert, valuing the cultural and symbolic expressions of those

and musical backgrounds have taken part in intensive workshops

communities. The idea is to involve professional orchestra

to create a big community orchestra.

musicians, amateur musicians and musical communities from the most different and eclectic musical backgrounds.

The concert, taking place on September 9, will be held at the Mdina Ditch and starts at 7pm.

ENVIRONMENT

Who will protect our oceans?

ALAN DEIDUN’S NAME HAS ALWAYS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH OUR SEAS, BUT WITH HIS RECENT APPOINTMENT AS MALTA’S OCEANS AMBASSADOR, HIS ROLE AS PROTECTOR OF THE SEAS HAS BECOME OFFICIAL. KRISTINA CASSAR DOWLING DIVES INTO A DEEP CONVERSATION ABOUT HIS ROLE, DUTIES AND HOPES FOR THE FUTURE. Our oceans are bountiful. They provide us with food, oxygen and

and thankfully so. Alan has dedicated most of his professional life

are also a key place to wash away the worries of a day’s work

to an underwater world that has “evolved in the absence of men”,

during the summer months. For eons, our ancestors have

and strives to safeguard its treasures and use the waters to their

depended on the sea; fishermen have provided for their

full potential.

communities, mothers have fed their families and tourists have

The ocean is resilient and can withstand our exploitation of

travelled to bathe in our waters. Protecting our sea is not an easy

its fish, coral and even its area – but, Alan adds, there is a limit we

feat, it takes knowledge, pride and passion to carry the title of

need to restrict ourselves to. Overfishing is one of the main worries

Oceans Ambassador – Professor Alan Deidun steers his ship with

that stigmatises our future. Artisanal fishing is encouraged,

honour and longs for an ocean of success in his newly-appointed

traditions should be kept alive and niche systems continued, to

role.

preserve local economy, lifestyle and ultimately cuisine. Alan briefly Most of us think we know quite a bit about the environment,

speaks about the environmental implications and juxtaposes them

we adopt certain habits to ‘do our part’ and we encourage others

with the political conflicts that may arise and, in some way, need to

to follow suit. When Alan began to explain what role the ocean

be safeguarded to. Living in a world where the oceans are crystal-

plays in our lives, I realised how little we actually know about it.

clear while the pharmaceutical world falls flat is not entirely dandy.

Why is it that everyone knows about the cutting of trees in the

You can very well argue about adopting a more holistic approach

Amazon, and is grievously shocked by tragedies taking place

to medicine, taking on ancient rituals to support our health system,

beyond our shores, while locally we are unaware of the dilemmas

but that might be a long way away and will not necessarily be

our Med is facing? It’s only fair to say that there are a number of

enough.

well-informed and highly-active inhabitants of the Maltese islands

Alan points out that most issues that we argue about are

who do know exactly what is going on, but the sad reality is that a

generally two-sided, if not multi-faceted. In an ideal world,

good portion of us don’t. This awareness and ‘foot-forward’

excavation of the seabed would not necessarily need to take place

mentality is what Alan is hoping will kick off while he is Malta’s

but, scientifically, we are at a stage where research still needs to be

Oceans Ambassador.

invested in. He also mentioned that thus far we only “know up to

A marine biologist by profession, Alan first fell in love with

our waist”. In other words, we’re waist-deep, swimming in a sea of

the sea on his first deep sea dive. His eyes were opened to a new

possibilities that may lead to a cleaner and safer ocean while

dimension, an untainted, undisrupted dimension that left so much

developing new and effective products that can potentially benefit

to be discovered. To use his own words, “it was love at first sight”,

society.

38 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

ENVIRONMENT

PHOTOS: MARK ZAMMIT CORDINA

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

39

ENVIRONMENT

I’m a believer in preservation, if there’s an alternative route to solving a problem that does not require the interruption of an ecosystem or habitat, then I’m all for it. Alan explains that it is not the scientific research that disrupts communities but, rather, our environmental footprint that depletes habitats due to fixed structures planted on our seabed, together with negligence and omission. Negligence and omission here work hand in hand.

Failing to educate yourself in the field is by definition omission of knowledge and exposure, therefore negligence is a direct result due to unfamiliarity.

Deidun stressed that our biggest war at the moment is with plastic - we are at a point where reversing the damage is still a foreseeable outcome, but mass effort needs to be in place. That’s where Ocean Literacy comes into play.

With a steady goal in mind, Alan strives to educate the public and expose them to the importance of Ocean Governance with the many talks he presents locally and globally. Standing firm in his beliefs, Alan hopes for a

Alan has dedicated most of his life to an underwater world that has evolved in the absence of men

Literacy Centre on the island that will work with the National Aquarium in providing the public, especially the younger, more influential few, the skillset and admiration needed to protect our oceans. It is his dream to see all Marine Protected Areas under his jurisdiction follow a sustainable route while following the laws and regulations set by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

As powerful and mighty as the oceans are, Alan is faced with the responsibility to protect our seas, educate our public and encourage our young to develop the same passion he holds for the Earth’s ultimate source of life. And judging by his track record, he will not disappoint.

40 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

CIRCLE PROMOTION

her interpretation of modern and

A WORLD MUSIC EVENT

contemporary music.

Music is just one of three important ingredients that contribute to this performance’s impact and aftertaste, the other two being the documentary that portrays Claron McFadden’s travels – which kickstarted the idea for this project – and food, but not just any food.

The star of the show is the aubergine: on the night of the main event, this project lets the audience experience rich aubergine-centred cuisine while enjoying travel stories, a documentary film and

Nightshade Aubergine comes to Malta as part of Valletta 2018.

live music with influences from many cultures.

McFadden traces the migration route of the aubergine in reverse, back to its roots in the Far East, where she learns local aubergine recipes and

Nightshade Aubergine is a World Music event featuring American

practices traditional songs in multiple households.

soprano, Claron McFadden. McFadden gained international fame

Nightshade: Aubergine will be held on September 1 at St Aloysius’

when making her Glyndebourne Festival Opera debut in the title

College, with food being served from the Migrant Women

role of the opera Lulu. As well as singing many of the major

Association Malta. Tickets cost €5 and can be purchased from

oratorio works, McFadden became particularly world famous for

www.valletta2018.org.

DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES

Out of the

Ivory Tower IGGY FENECH HEADS TO SIĠĠIEWI TO SPEAK TO FR GIOELE GALEA, AN EX-HERMIT WHOSE LIFE CHANGED WHEN HE DISCOVERED A HANDWRITTEN NOTE IN A KEYHOLE.

42 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES

As you make your way through the old, winding lanes of Siġġiewi, it’s hard to miss all the religious iconography, monuments and churches embedded in the fabric of the architecture, and which have propelled Christianity to the forefront of the Maltese way of life. Yet, for all the inanimate objects that remind us of God and of the importance of goodwill towards others, it is the people who practise all that that truly bring the light (of God or otherwise) into the community.

I have to admit, however, that while I have read Fr Gioele Galea’s new book, Tħabbat Xtaqtek (I Wish You’d Knocked), published recently by Horizons, I don’t know what to expect from the man himself.

When I finally get to Triq ta’ Brija and knock on Gioele’s door, I try hard to shed all the ideas I’ve built up in my head of a priest and an exhermit whose life has been turned upside down by a note.

Rather unsurprisingly, he is incredibly hospitable and immediately shows me the newly-designated chapel within his new refuge. We then make our way to the kitchen through a corridor lined up with bookcases groaning under the weight of a thousand books, and walls chock-a-block with religious paintings and icons. As we do so, he tells me that he doesn’t like being called ‘Father’, but rather ‘Brother’ or simply ‘Gioele’.

“We don’t have a radio or a TV here,” he adds.

The kitchen has all the modern amenities you’d expect, however.

Indeed, the whole house is, dare I say, normal? At least, it’s definitely a far cry from the sparsity of the cell Gioele would have called ‘his own’ at the hermitage in Italy, where he spent 14 years praying and spreading the word of God to anyone who ventured up to the 700-metres-above-sea-level, cliff-side retreat which peers over a valley.

Yet, the life of a hermit is not just made up of silence, solitude and prayer, but also of all the other things that humans must do to survive – particularly in a harsh environment like the mountaintops of Italy, where even the most basic necessities aren’t always met and amenities are sparse.

In his book, in fact, which is sub-headlined Diary from the Hermitage, Gioele explains the rigorous daily routines of prayer peppered with cleaning, repairing roofs, and heading down to the closest village to buy food supplies.

You may be forgiven to think that Gioele had chosen this life for himself, but that is not what he believes… Much like the life he lives now, it was all a matter of fate and faith coming together in two very powerful, and very life-changing, moments that led him to first become a hermit and then leave the hermitage.

“When I was 15, I found myself in front of Christ, and I felt the love of God,” he tells me, almost getting frustrated by the fact that he can’t properly put the episode into words. Something that is impossible to fathom when keeping in mind that Gioele has been writing since the age of 17, has had five other books published under the name Joe P. Galea, has been nominated for a National Book Prize, and was one of the six authors invited to speak at the 2016 Mediterranean Festival of Literature organised

by Inizjamed.

“I was your typical adolescent. I didn’t care much for God, didn’t go to Mass… I just wanted to have fun. Then, one day, while hanging out with friends, it just happened. I was not here anymore but in God’s love. I understood a lot about humanity at that moment, about how God is alive in PHOTOS: JONATHAN BORG

us and in everything and not only in heaven. And I said to myself: If God loves me so much, I want to love Him back.”

AUGUST 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle

43

DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES

Gioele dedicated the next few years of his life to studying the teachings of the Bible and the Church at the University of Malta, before retreating to a monastery on the Isle of Wight in the UK. After a year, he felt drawn to a more intense sort of solitude, and he followed the footsteps of many men and women over the centuries and left the world at large behind to enter a hermitage.

“I didn’t miss anything when I was there,” he tells me. “I loved, and love, the people I left behind, including my parents and my family. But when you go deeper into silence, you find the world within you.

“You know, they accuse us of escaping the world, but the world and all its turmoil is within us.

Once we accept that and we let ourselves be crucified with this solitude then, in due time, this solitude will be transformed into the presence of God.” I found the word ‘accuse’ very fitting in this context, as it is what the note that led Gioele to his second epiphany did. The note, which he found in the keyhole of the hermitage upon his return from a trip to the town, read as follows: “Don’t you ever feel sorry for those who come all the way up [to the hermitage]? Why aren’t your doors open to the public? Don’t we deserve to share in your silence, or are His mysteries for you alone to explore? Weren’t these words also said to you: Knock, and it shall be opened unto you?”..

“The note stunned me,” Gioele recounts. “As I read it and re-read it, I began to feel selfish and like I had let these people down. The hermitage is open to visitors and we are always there to talk, but this person felt that we didn’t do enough. That

They accuse us of escaping the world, but the world and all its turmoil are within us

we were closed up to the world.”

Knowing that the hermitage doors would never be as open to

who revisited the hermitage over a year later with her husband and his cousin. Their encounter was brief, full of questions by the young woman. The revelation that she was the one who had left the note is only made in passing when, before getting back into the car, she asks: “Did you ever find a note rolled up and stuffed in the keyhole?”

There is one part of their encounter that still reverberates in Gioele’s mind, however, even now, after moving back to his home country and after Archbishop Mercieca asked him to create the refuge we are now sitting in.

“At one point, she told me that she could tell my eyes had experienced love,” he says. “Me, a man who had been plunged in darkness time and time again by life, its meaning and my faith, was

told by a stranger that my eyes had experienced love. Once again, this young woman had shifted something within my brain and I

the public as he now wished them to be, Gioele decided to open up

came to the realisation that my darkness can bring some light to

the world of the hermitage through his words, by writing a diary of

others.”

the days and weeks that followed the incident.

The book is, in its own way, a pilgrimage for both author and

Leaving the peace of Gioele’s home, it is impossible to imagine how this man – so calm, so cool, so collected, so reasonable

reader. “One wouldn’t assume you were as troubled as you come

– could feel so much. His book, like a crack through his soul, engulfs

across in your writings,” says one of Gioele’s friends in the book. “If I

you with unexplained emotions that you start to wonder if they are

had to describe you in a word, it would be ‘thirst’. Nothing more.

yours or his. But what’s more impressive is how well he captures the

Just ‘thirst’.”

nuances of human thought; how arduously he feels the ache we

That quote encapsulates Gioele and his book more than anything else could, because it is his ‘thirst’ to understand mankind,

have all numbed; and how entrapping or liberating faith can be when it’s your vocation.

God’s plan and the path fate has dealt him that has both stalled and kept him going. His wandering, in fact, is as human as it is divine.

Satisfyingly for both him and the reader, however, Gioele does finally meet the person behind the note: a young Romanian woman

44 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

Tħabbat Xtaqtek is available at all leading bookstores. Those who wish to speak to Gioele, may do so by sending him an e-mail on fragioele@gmail.com

CIRCLE PROMOTION

FEEDING YOUR CAT DRY FOOD OR WET FOOD? At ROYAL CANIN®, we make both dry and wet cat food – so you

your cat’s specific needs, with exceptional

may be wondering which we recommend for your cat.

palatability and digestibility.

Both wet and dry food have their benefits.

Ultimately, both kinds of food have different benefits for your cat. You may choose dry food because: • It can be designed to help support dental health • It can be left out for your cat to graze on as it can’t dry out You may choose wet food because: • It helps to increase water intake, if this is a concern

Best of both worlds?

Another option is to feed your cat a combination of both wet and dry cat food. Many owners choose to do this and it may be that this is the best solution for your cat. But be careful that this doesn’t lead to overfeeding – look to the feeding instructions for guidance on combination feeding.

If you’re unsure which kind of food or

• It may be preferred by your cat

diet would be better for your cat, it’s always

As long as the cat food you choose is nutritionally

wise to consult your vet.

complete, either option will provide all the essential nutrients they need so you won’t need to add anything else.

At ROYAL CANIN® we believe every cat is unique

Hopefully this helped you understand the differences between dry and wet cat food.

However, if you have another question about

and deserves a nutritional programme that respects

dry or wet cat food, what kind of diet is right

their individual requirements and preferences, to

for your cat or any other questions about cats

help bring out their very best. So we offer you

then we’d like to help. Submit your question to

the choice and, whether you opt for wet or dry,

sales@borgcardona.com.mt or find us on

you will find a ROYAL CANIN® food tailored to

Facebook Borg Cardona Pet Supplies.

GOOD CAUSES

Remember

ALS?

VERSATILE & FRIENDS WILL SEE A HOST OF SOME OF MALTA’S MOST POPULAR MUSICIANS AND SINGERS COME TOGETHER IN ONE MASSIVE CONCERT IN ORDER TO RAISE FUNDS FOR ALS SUFFERERS AND TO BUILD A NEWER FACILITY FOR THOSE NEEDING CARE. BJORN FORMOSA, WHO BRAVELY PUT HIS EXPERIENCE OF THE DISEASE IN THE LIMELIGHT AND SPEARHEADED A HOST OF FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES, TELLS US WHAT TO EXPECT.

The heart of Malta’s capital – St George’s Square – is set to be pumping with life and hope as some of our most beloved homegrown artists come together to give one massive concert, Versatile & Friends, in aid of ALS sufferers.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, most of you will by now have heard about the progressive disease that was pushed into the spotlight thanks to the efforts of one brave man – Bjorn Formosa. Until Bjorn went public, many of us had never even heard of the disease. Since then, enough funds have been collected in order to open a state-of-the-art facility, called Dar Bjorn, that cares for ALS patients, providing them with everything they need.

But the work is far from done; plans are afoot to extend and improve this facility and, for this, a lot more funds are needed. We caught up with Bjorn to learn how he hopes to collect enough funds through the upcoming concert, which features Versatile Brass, Ivan Grech, Christabelle, Matthew James Borg, Amber, Glen Vella, Brooke, Pamela Bezzina, Christian Arding, Martina , Larissa and Cliff Zammit Stevens, as well as a warm up act by The New Victorians, and a DJ Fusion set with Sound Salon’s LEX. Can you explain to readers what ALS is?

Bjorn Formosa

ALS is a life-threatening disease that negatively affects thousands of people each year. It is a progressive neuromuscular condition

46 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

GOOD CAUSES

Christabelle

The New Victorians

adaptive, technological and medical

The new facility will host an additional 30 patients

challenges to organise the event?

characterised by muscle weakness, muscle

it! We have worked within very

equipment.

What have been the biggest Time – or rather, a big lack of

wasting, muscle twitching, and increase reflexes.

limited time frames, however we

The progression of the disease is different from

managed to produce miracles in

one person to the next. This a motor neuron

such a brief period of time. It will be

disease – sensory, executive functions, and

one great show, that’s a promise.

intellect remain intact.

What kind of music can the What causes it?

audience expect?

The cause of ALS remains unknown.

A wide variety of genres, so

Theories to the cause of such disease are thought

that everyone can enjoy the concert.

to be genetic, viral or even autoimmune disorder.

Our artists are preparing a

Currently there is no known medical cure to alter the fatal progression of the condition. Gradual

repertoire that ranges from the

Versatile

most commercial hits to jazz,

death can take place within one to five years from diagnosis due to respiratory problems.

What is the aim behind this upcoming concert?

There is only one goal, and that is to open the newer and

classic, contemporary, dance and even a House music fusion with the guys from Sound Salon!

What is your appeal to concert goers?

We want everyone to come and enjoy the show in a feast of

bigger Dar Bjorn, a facility which will host an additional 30 patients

solidarity. We want to delight you with our music and present you

over a much bigger footprint and while offering state-of-the-art

the newer Dar Bjorn. We will gladly accept any donations, so

medical facilities.

please do join us. We are going to make history!

When was Dar Bjorn set up and how does it help sufferers?

The first Dar Bjorn was opened on November 1 last year, and it offers sufferers round-the-clock care and the most advanced in

Versatile & Friends takes place on September 1 at St George’s Square, Valletta. Entrance is free but donations are much welcomed.

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MUSIC

Rockestra turns ten!

THE CONCERT THAT COMBINES THE TALENTS OF THE NATIONAL ORCHESTRA WITH SOME OF THE TOP ROCKS STARS IN MALTA TURNS 10 THIS YEAR, AND BIG PLANS ARE AFOOT. MAESTRO SIGMUND MIFSUD, THE BRAIN BEHIND THE ANNUAL EVENT, GIVES US A SNEAK PEAK. It’s official –Rockestra has been entertaining the crowds, with

chest fund, the impact of rockestra was 10 times more effective.

Maestro Sigmund Mifsud and musician Pawlu Borg Bonaci at the

Over these past 10 years it has become one of the biggest local

helm, for 10 years!

concerts on the island, entertaining thousands of people and

“When Rockestra was born in September 2008, my idea was to have a continuation of the National Orchestra Goes Pop project, reaching out to a wider audience. Rockestra continued to build on this and, thanks to the fact that it was organised by the community

48 Sunday Circle ∫ AUGUST 2018

helping out people in need thanks to the revenue of each edition,” Sigmund says.

Does the maestro have fond memories of any particular tracks?

MUSIC

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MUSIC

Half the concert will be dedicated to those numbers that really made the audience go wild in past editions “We were blessed to have most of the best local talent to perform. I would be unfair to mention some of them as I can say that mostly all the performers have given that something special to Rockestra. However, I must admit that every year I look forward to Pawlu’s performance. He is a natural entertainer and manages to give that extra something to the audience to interact and participate in a particular way!”

One can say that the two musicians will be delivering an extra bang, as this year’s event can be considered a Best Of edition of Rockestra, to a certain extent. Planned for the event, in fact are the usual mix of top hits, mega rock numbers, golden oldies and current chart-toppers – with a difference: half the concert will be dedicated to those numbers that really made the audience go wild in past editions. The other half will be numbers that are new to Rockestra.

As always, the event will see a stellar cast of names getting together in a spirit of bonhomie that is also a huge part of what makes this event a success. This year will see the likes of Matthew James Borg (whose solo career has taken off magnificently and a single, Lemonade, that promises to be a summer hit), Fire’s Kenneth Calleja, rock chick Mikaela, Konrad Pule, Klinsman and the Animae Choir taking to the stage. Just expect a number of surprises on the night, the maestro concludes with a smile.

As for the music itself, rest assured it will be as eclectic as usual.

Rockestra 2018 takes place on September 15 at the MFCC, Ta’ Qali.

Tickets are available online. https://mccf.store/ Pawlu Borg Bonaci and Sigmund Mifsud

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TRAVEL

Love stories from China FUJIAN MAY BE OFF THE BEATEN TRACK FOR A LOT OF WESTERN TOURISTS TO CHINA BUT THE PROVINCE’S VISITOR-FRIENDLY CITIES OFFER A GENTLE AND FASCINATING INTRODUCTION TO THIS MIGHTY DRAGON OF A NATION. WORDS BY MARK WOOD.

Marriage in the air She stood straight and tall, emanating a proud and noble

dress and her fiancé waited to enter her aura on the boulder beside her. Meanwhile, on the promenade, passers-by clicked away,

elegance as the copious folds of her crimson dress cascaded

delighted at the opportunity to turn a simple holiday snapshot into

around the boulder she was standing on by the water’s edge.

something special, an arty picture, simply by the commanding

The lady in red cut a striking figure against the blue of the sea and beige of the sand, as spotted from the promenade on Gulangyu Island, just off the south-eastern Chinese city of Xiamen, in the province of Fujian.

The attention was all on her. A photographer squatted in front of her calling directions, an assistant fussily arranged her

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presence of the lady in red and the contrast of colour she presented with her surroundings.

Gulangyu Island, our guide explained, had become a fashionable venue for pre-wedding photoshoots. Indeed, we saw more of the same later, as we departed from the seaside promenade which weaves all the way around the small, enchanting

TRAVEL

A dragon head on a traditional boat in Turtle Garden, Xiamen.

The little village of Yunshuiyao, where an epic love story was filmed.

The lady in red: Posing for wedding photos on Gulangyu island, just off Xiamen in the Chinese province of Fujian.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL PISCOPO.

island and ventured into the colonial-style town of gracious

wisely capped the number of visitors. This helps preserve the

buildings and paved streets. Couples were waiting their turn to be

genteel and airy feel of the place, with queues to get into the

photographed, resplendent in their wedding gowns and suits,

museums kept mercifully short and the streets with their quaint

outside a Christian church in the centre of town.

little shops kept enjoyably uncrowded.

We’d crossed to the island by ferry from Xiamen, a short hop

This romantic island is a Unesco World Heritage Site and one

similar to the time it takes to cross between Malta and Gozo.

of the major tourist attractions of Xiamen, itself an island lying just

Gulangyu is smaller than Gozo but attracts a similar flow of tourists

opposite Taiwan. The city is a huge and busy metropolis, with six-

– exactly 10,000 per day in peak season. In order not to overwhelm

lane thoroughfares lined with countless residential tower blocks of

the site – once the home of consulates from several European

skyscraper stature. Yet by Chinese standards it has a moderate

countries, hence its European architecture – the Chinese have

population of 3.5 million and is relatively unpolluted. This makes

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TRAVEL

it an ideal introduction to urban

A tulou.

China for first-time travellers to this country, whose cities have populations running into the tens of millions.

CNN ran a travel piece last year calling Xiamen “China’s new capital of cool”. That captures some of its flavour as a buzzing, visitor-friendly place proud of its various attractions, from its famous puppet shows and delicious street food to its elevated cycling route – the world’s longest – and its tall buildings lit up by LED displays at night.

Young love In one little corner of Xiamen lies a tribute to China’s own Romeo and Juliet, a story of impossible love with a slightly more hopeful outcome than the Shakespearean tragedy.

Deep in history, or possibly myth, a boy and a girl – still schoolchildren – fell deeply in love.

Schools at the time were segregated by gender but such was the strength of their feelings that the girl decided to dress up as a boy so that they could be together in class.

The ruse was discovered. The two had no option but for the girl to ask her father if she could marry the boy. But her father refused because the boy was from a family of lower standing.

In despair, the young lovers could find only one way to stay together: they killed themselves and turned into butterflies, joining each other in the afterlife, free at last to express their undying love.

The story is carved on one of the hundreds of stone tablets that document the stories of old and modern China found within the grounds of Turtle Garden, a 9,000 square metre area commissioned in the middle of last century by Tan Kah Kee. He was a great philanthropist and patriot who founded Xiamen University,

The inside of a tulou, which is hundreds of years old but still lived in by families forming a community.

Fujian’s most prestigious.

His too can be said to be a story of love… for education and for his country. And with a good guide, the beautiful stone sculptures in Turtle Garden, which are considered a treasure of

and which is mainly dedicated to Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy and of loving kindness.

Kuan Yin is said to be the most well loved of all Buddhist

Fujian art, can make Chinese history come alive – just the purpose

deities, perhaps because she is believed to answer fervent prayers

they were designed for.

to her by granting miracles. In one representation she is holding a

Divine compassion The sculptures in another part of Xiamen are intended to

child, which has drawn comparisons with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Among all the statues of her in the extensive temple grounds perhaps the most majestic is a shimmery large white one that

stimulate a different sort of contemplation, more of the spiritual

stands outside a little shrine to her, a small cave in the woodland.

kind. For the city is home to one of China’s greatest Buddhist

The meditative atmosphere inside is tangible, as if built up over

temples, Nanputuo Temple, parts of which date back 1,000 years

the centuries by the spiritual tranquillity emanated by every

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TRAVEL

Buddhist adherent or monk who has ever prayed in there. One

A tea ceremony to introduce the delights of jasmin tea.

emerges renewed for more sights to come.

Romantic film set It was back down to earth – literally – for a two-hour trip outside the city to Nanjing and a visit to several of the famous Chinese round earthen buildings known as tulous – which have also made it to the Unesco World Heritage list.

On the way is the ancient village of Yunshuiyao, setting for a 2006 Chinese romantic blockbuster movie The Knot, “the story of a pair of lovers separated by the Taiwan Strait”.

While some of the structures in the village do look as if they have been built as a film set, they don’t seem to detract from its charm and authenticity, complete with idyllic river and enormous trees spreading their branches over the water. A walk through the lanes to the outskirts of town reveals tea leaves out to dry or being heated in the old tradition, and you A tea plantation in Fujian.

may have to get out of the way of chickens hopping through the lanes and cycling farmers in pointed Chinese hats.

Then there are the tulous, some hundreds of years old, large, round, multi-storey buildings, many still lived in, which served the dual purpose of fortress and residence. Inside the plain, thick, mud-like wall of a toulu is a large open courtyard around which families live in their own wooden tenements side by side, each about three or four floors high. Here, privacy is traded for communal living, centred around the Buddhist shrine in the middle of the courtyard.

It could be seen as a microcosm of Chinese society, with the population concentrations in their megacities requiring both planners and people to adopt a strong community perspective. Perhaps love may be too strong a word to describe the tolerance and patience families must practise in order to live peaceably together in a space like the toulu, but a good dose of Kuan Yin’s compassion would certainly come in handy.

Sleeping together If the Chinese worship Kuan Yin, they adore their tea. And Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian, is home to a unique variety of it: jasmin tea – known as a symbol of love.

This is how the guide explained its making in simple form: jasmin flowers are mixed in with green tea leaves and they are then left to rest together for a period. They say the two ingredients are allowed to “sleep together” – hence the symbolism – before the tea is separated out again and sold on its own, but now carrying the wonderful aroma and taste of jasmin.

Just like one’s ‘first love’, Fujian, a relatively small and prosperous province, provides a sweet foretaste of China that Jasmin flowers lie on a bed of green tea, as they ‘sleep together’ in order for the flavour of the flower to permeate the leaves.

long lingers in the memory.

Mark Wood travelled to Xiamen and other parts of Fujian province courtesy of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Valletta.

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55

HEALTH

I CHOOSE IMPLANTS! It is a fact that the majority of the

involving elective extractions,

population wishes to have straight

crown building and the fixation of

teeth. It is also a fact that they want

porcelain veneers. This may be a

them white and natural-looking.

controversial topic, which in some

Patients never request crooked,

countries may even have you lose

yellow or poor-looking teeth. So

your licence. Having said that, in

straight, white and natural looking,

other countries it is done upon the

are adjectives patients often use to

patient’s request, the reasoning

describe the type of smile they

being that the teeth are theirs and

wish to have. Patients also request

they get to decide. Time and

that they receive the necessary

money are also factors, which push

treatment in the quickest time with

patients to opt for the second or

the minimal number of injections

third option of treatment leaving

and appointments. A typical

the unattractive first option out

scenario is a soon-to-be bride and

altogether.

mother-of-the-bride. Unfortunately

Intra-oral 3 months after implant placement

What is a must is to inform

time is very often an essential part

the patients of all the treatment

of it, especially when the treatment

options that are available in

involves braces and tooth

dentistry, discussing in detail their

alignment. The proposition of

advantages and disadvantages. It is

having a treatment plan spanning

then up to the patient to choose

over a year or two is absurd and is

their preferred option. Let us not

quickly shot down.

forget that even dentists aim to

Quick fixes are often

Intra-oral before treatment

provide their patients with straight,

attractive but, by far, not the best

white good-looking teeth. Dentists

choice as they tend to be non-

might disagree with the patients’

conservative in nature and

choice of plan but might also

destructive towards the tooth

understand where they are coming

tissue. Often, upon patient’s wishes,

from, given that time and money

dentists are made to propose

are not always available. Ask your

alternative treatment plans

dentist!

Intra-Oral after fitting of implant bridge

A CASE STUDY A middle-aged lady wishes to fix her top four front teeth. She is extremely conscious of them and is always covering her mouth. As

Extra-Oral after treatment

time goes by, the teeth get worse. She is not interested in braces and wishes for a relatively quick fix. She doesn’t wish to touch any of the other teeth. Besides aesthetics, her main concerns are how they will feel on her lip and whether they will affect her speech. The decision was taken to remove the four front top teeth and place three dental implants. These implants were then restored with a porcelain bridge, straight and relatively white-looking teeth.

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Content and clinical cases provided by Dr Jean Paul Demajo, Dental and Implant Surgeon.

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