Pink (July 2019)

ISSUE177∫JULY2019

LIFE WITH AN ALCOHOLIC

WATCHING SOMEONE KILL THEMSELVES ONE BOTTLE AT A TIME

CARING FOR A DISABLED BROTHER

SIBLINGS TOO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS

Whiter than white

SUMMER’S COLOUR

GOOD GUT HEALTH

GREATLY AFFECTS PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING

The risks of getting inked STAY SAFE WHEN GETTING A TATTOO

INSIDE

July 2019 FEATURES

10 PrivateEye their own special needs Protecting the siblings of persons with disability 17 EyeWitness you did not cause, you cannot control, you cannot cure Loving, living with and losing an alcoholic 21 InFocus think before you ink Ensuring safety when getting a tattoo

FASHION 28 ShowStopper white hot The obvious choice for searing summers

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21

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HEALTH & BEAUTY 39 InThePink what’s gut got to do with it?

Taking care of your second brain

REGULARS 7 EditorsNote 8 MailShot 25 WomanKind not just the artist’s wife Karin Larsson 38 ThinkPink events 47 WomenOnWheels jazzy by name, jazzy by nature Honda Jazz 49 SnapShot limelight & liberation Davinia Pace

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COVER Photography Bernard Polidano ∫ Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] ∫ Hair Lara Steer @ dsalon, Ta’ l-Ibragg ∫ Make-up Natasha Polidano ∫ Model Meltem @ Supernova MM, wearing Kaftan, MEI Boutique.

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EDITORSNOTE

With so much going on these days, I feel odd [and almost guilty] that I have nothing much to add. I’ve come across so many strong opinions, hard-hitting columns and posts that are so on point, that it would seem futile – and, consequently, also a form of surrender – to continue writing more of the same.

These days, the thirst to be informed and up to speed is countered by that inevitable sinking feeling that results from reading the news. However, the ignorance-is-bliss status cannot cut it either; there is no more escaping the scandals and environmental disasters that are engulfing us, the laissez-faire attitude of so many, and the ability to get away with murder that has become a way of life.

But before I throw in the towel, let me make a last-ditch attempt at finding hope in the rise of voices and protestors, who, today, as you read this, should be chaining themselves to the 549 trees that are sentenced to get the chop in the name of the controversial Central Link project.

We support and throw our weight, for whatever it is worth, behind these brave environmentalists – no, actually, simply brave citizens. These matters affect

everyone and not just the activists, after all. Moreover, the word ‘environmentalist’ is even starting to have negative connotations among the many who see as far as their noses and are deriding and pigeonholing into a group of oddball fanatics anyone who cares about their surroundings.

We salute and stand by these people who are standing up to the road-widening insanity that has just been given the green light by authorities and politicians with all the wrong credentials for their jobs.

I hope this initiative does take root and I hope it bears fruit in the arid brains of those who continue to desiccate quality of life – together with almost 50,000 square metres of agricultural land to make way for a wider thoroughfare leading from Rabat through Attard to Mrieh-el.

If the tree protest doesn’t happen, it probably means we are in a far worse situation than we were when I wrote this – and not that the project has been dropped.

Whatever the case, no amount of spin in the form of more trees being planted and traffic congestion vanishing into thin [and polluted] air should appease anyone. And while the powers that be continue to blow smoke, we back the tree sitters and encourage them to note that this practice has had an impact on protecting whole forests elsewhere, among other positive effects.

Of course, our island is a whole different species… which cares for neither the deciduous nor the evergreen types.

July 28, 2019 ∫ Pink is a monthly magazine ∫ Issue 177 ∫ Executive editor Fiona Galea Debono ∫ Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Printing Progress Press Ltd ∫ Production Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Contributors Adriana Bishop, Karen De Souza, Iggy Fenech, Anna Marie Galea, Mary Galea Debono, Marisa Grima, Vanessa Macdonald, Natasha Polidano, Lara Steer, Rachel Zammit Cutajar ∫ Design Manuel Schembri ∫ Photography Matthew Mirabelli, Bernard Polidano, Chris Sant Fournier ∫ Advertising sales Veronica Grech Sant [2276 4333; veronica.grechsant@timesofmalta.com].

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Pink July 2019 ∫ 7

MAILSHOT

THE LETTER THAT TICKLED PINK GRAZIELLA, YOU SIMPLY ROCK! What a joy to read such a beautiful self-disclosure of an amazing young lady. The article The Other Side of the Spectrum [PrivateEye], featured in the June issue of Pink, is a breath of fresh air for all the people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. As very well explained in the article, people with ASD are not all affected in the same way. Some are highly functioning and fully independent.

Graziella is a clear example of this, even though she still faces the challenges autism brings along with a lot of courage and confidence. Others might need more support, but it does not make them any less as their needs are like everybody else’s: the need to be loved, to be accepted, to be respected, to have a shelter, the right to education and the list goes on… Don’t we all have these needs, autistic or not? We are all human beings, surely different, but all unique. Very recently, I came across various posts on social media in which a TV presenter stated that people can be ‘healed’ from autism and he claimed to be a witness. Rightly so, people who are directly emotionally involved were furious because they know the facts and false hope and misinformation were given. Social media leaves a huge impact on its viewers. Why isn’t more awareness about ASD raised and the message of acceptance, respect and inclusion passed on, instead of giving the wrong messages, hinting that there is something wrong with these people? Why do they need to be ‘healed’ if they are not sick? Yes, they might need support, but they still shine in their own way. Graziella is a true example of success. I am very confident that she performs her duties as a learning support assistant to her best abilities, if not better than others, I dare say. She can be very understanding and is highly sensitive to the children's needs – just like people who have been doing drugs, quit and become facilitators to support people undergoing rehabilitation programmes. To me, they are the best people to support others going through their same problem, which haunted them in the past, because they have been there, and they know what it means to struggle with the addiction. Graziella, you are an inspiration to many. You simply rock and I wish you all the success in the world! Thank you Pink for giving a voice to such beautiful people.

Keep up the brilliant work!

ALEXIA AQUILINA, FROM ST PAUL'S BAY

The writer of the letter of the month wins a fabulous €500 voucher to spend on a shopping spree in any of the luxury stores at Sicilia Outlet Village, complete with two return Air Malta flights and coach trip, courtesy of tour operator Sharon Travel Sicily.

SO DIVERSE AND PARTICULAR Dear Pink, I have just finished going through the June issue, and in my opinion, the features are so diverse and at the same time each of them so particular that I ended up reading all of them: from the overwhelming experience of Home Birth [LifeStyle] in which Liza Ciantar gave birth to her second baby in her mother's tiny spare toilet; to the tenacity of promising fashion designer Maria Cutajar in Sacrifice to Succeed [SnapShot]. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every feature, although three in particular held my interest more than all the others. I will start with the article titled Preventing the Rise of the Machines [InFocus]. I, who, to be honest, am not one to normally read about technology-related topics and even less about a topic like AI [Artificial Intelligence] couldn't stop reading the explanations given by Dr Jackie Mallia, an IT lawyer. At least, now I can understand better what the difference between narrow and strong IT is. It is also reassuring to read that this brilliant Maltese lady, who has also lectured at Middlesex University in England, forms part of the Malta AI Taskforce – a government initiative to create a national strategy for artificial intelligence. Personally, I think that this was great reading. The second feature that was totally unique in its perspective is A Love Letter to Style [FashionStory]. Iggy Fenech, in my opinion, you have loads of guts to express yourself and try to convey ideas and reflections by wearing maybe eccentric clothing, with the intention to communicate your feelings to your entourage. This is very original. Bravo! Last but not least, the feature The Other Side of the Spectrum [PrivateEye] presents a courageous and inspiring young lady, Graziella Bezzina, who isn't afraid to admit, knowing that there might be repercussions in her work as an LSE, that she was diagnosed with autism at the age of 22. Her path wasn’t and still isn’t that easy, trying to live as normal a life as possible while living in Villa Chelsea run by the NGO Richmond foundation. Graziella firmly believes in raising awareness about autism. Since the condition can manifest itself in so many different behaviours it is not easily understood. A big thank you to all at Pink magazine, who work very hard to issue such an interesting monthly magazine.

ROMINA CASELLI, VIA E-MAIL

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8 ∫ Pink July 2019

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PRIVATEEYE

THEIR OWN SPECIAL NEEDS

How does it feel to be the typically developing sibling of a person with disability? ADRIANA BISHOP talks to two women about their own special needs and their relationships with their disabled brothers.

“We have a normal relationship” These are the first words Jeanette* tells me about her brother Andre*. But this is no ‘normal’ situation we are discussing.

Now 35 years old, Andre was born with an intellectual disability – an invisible disability hidden behind an otherwise handsome and perfectly formed physique.

Five years his senior, Jeanette has spent most of her life trying to come to terms with her brother’s condition, and there was a time, especially during her teenage years, when she found it difficult to accept his disability.

Now, thanks to a support group for siblings of persons with disability organised by Aġenzija Sapport, Jeanette has finally come full circle on her brother’s condition and her relationship with him.

It is generally understood and expected that the primary carers for children with disabilities would be their parents and there is no shortage of support services offered to them. Not so for the siblings, however, who find themselves in a delicate situation, having to navigate a balancing act of sorts, juggling the demands on their parents’ love and attention with the very particular needs of a brother or sister who require constant care.

These typically developing siblings experience their own insecurities and questions surrounding their relationship with their disabled brother or sister – issues that are often overlooked as the spotlight is solely shone on the person who carries the face value definition of ‘special needs’ and their immediate carers.

10 ∫ Pink July 2019

From an age when they can barely understand what is going on, typically developing siblings have to contend with complex feelings and situations. Later on, as adults, they realise their relationship with their brother or sister is changing once again as they look to the future and take on the role of carers once their parents pass on.

Most poignantly, their desire to protect their sibling becomes the most important factor in the relationship. And it is this overwhelming wish that led Jeanette to ask for anonymity. “My first priority is to protect my brother,” she insists.

The workshop organised by Aġenzija Sapport has been something of a turning point for Jeanette. “From the first session, it really felt like home. I get goosebumps saying this. Thankfully, everyone came to the sessions without wearing any masks.

We were all there because we care about and love our siblings. My relationship with Andre has definitely improved thanks to the course.”

Growing up, Jeanette, Andre and their younger sister had as ‘normal’ a relationship as could be. “He played just like me; he was penalised just like me if he did anything wrong. We were brought up quite close. We would quarrel just like normal siblings do, but we would never call him names because of his disability. We were brought up as if he were just like us.”

But the shift in the family dynamics had already taken place. “I had five years of me being on my own, having all the attention from my parents [before he was born], so for me, there must have been some kind of change [after Andre’s birth] even though I may not have realised it at the time. Suddenly, this brother comes

along and he needs even more attention.

My sister was born already in that situation so for her it was different.

“The bond between Andre and my sister was much closer because I was seen as a parent figure as I am the eldest.

I realised through the siblings’ workshop that I took over this role automatically because he’s younger than me and I could see there was something different in him.

When my sister was born, he bonded much more with someone who was younger than with me.

“Now that the three of us are all adults, there isn’t that difference, but when we were younger, it could be seen and felt.

The tricky bit came when my sister started growing up. I had the key to the house, I

PRIVATEEYE

“THESE TYPICALLY DEVELOPING SIBLINGS EXPERIENCE THEIR OWN INSECURITIES AND QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR DISABLED BROTHER OR SISTER – ISSUES THAT ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED AS THE SPOTLIGHT IS SOLELY SHONE ON THE PERSON WHO CARRIES THE FACE VALUE DEFINITION OF ‘SPECIAL NEEDS’ AND THEIR IMMEDIATE CARERS” had started driving, I had a job and boyfriends and that was fine because I was older. But then the little sister asked for the key when Andre himself didn’t get the key to the house. That was a tricky and sensitive situation. Andre would question how his younger sister could have the key and could drive, but he couldn’t?”

Jeanette admits that they had to get through the situation by resorting to what she called a “painful lie” since he was always brought up as ‘normal’. The

family would find excuses and reasons why Andre shouldn’t or couldn’t have a key or couldn’t drive a car, but Jeanette is quick to admit this was a “very difficult situation for all of us”.

As a teenager, Jeanette found it very hard to accept her brother’s disability and was very conscious of people’s perception of disabilities. “Sometimes, I couldn’t understand why he was given more attention or more time, why my mother was being super extra patient with him.

We were always treated the same, however, now I realise my parents treated us the same depending on what was required at the time. Now I understand why my mother would tell me once to do something, but she would have to explain it several times to Andre.

“Society makes a difference. When I was in my teens, I used to see my friends making fun of people who had a similar disability as my brother, and I used to think that if they knew about my brother, Pink July 2019 ∫ 11

PRIVATEEYE then they would not accept me. I found it very tough to tell my first serious boyfriend about my brother. I was about 15 years old. I was so anxious about this.

I told him that if he wanted to break up, I would understand. For me, it was something so huge,” Jeanette admits.

When she joined the siblings’ workshop, it came as a huge relief for Jeanette to find herself surrounded by people who not only understood her completely, but were also living pretty much the same experience as her.

“It was a safe haven,” she sighs.

As the course progressed over seven months, Jeanette came to realise that everything she had felt and all that she had been through was common to all the other participants too. “If I talk to my relatives or friends about Andre, they cannot truly understand how I feel when people reject my brother, or make fun of him, or when he tries to do something but finds he cannot because of his limitations.

You have to literally go through it yourself to understand what it means.”

“I AM PROUD TO SAY I HAVE A BROTHER WITH A DISABILITY BECAUSE HE TEACHES ME A LOT” Jeanette and the other workshop participants quickly bonded as they shared their experiences and learnt new ways to deal with their siblings and how to tackle certain moods or situations that may arise.

“One of the things that always bothered me with Andre was the fact that he stares at people. He does it without even realising it. I would tell him to stop staring and he would feel embarrassed or frustrated by my reprimand. It turned out that all the other participants mentioned exactly the same thing. For me, it was like a revelation.

This is normal. This is who he is. Now, if I notice him staring, I understand that he is not doing it on purpose but only because that is the way he is.”

The course gave Jeanette and the others the opportunity to let off steam in privacy, without any judgment or prejudice. “The fact that we were on our own [without any other family members] meant we could really open up. Sometimes, we had a good laugh, and other times, we had tears running down our face. We shared a lot of emotions; a lot of things we would not 12 ∫ Pink July 2019

Lorraine want to tell just about and Ronnie anyone especially Meachen because of the sensitivity of the subject,” she explains.

More importantly, Jeanette felt the course helped improve her relationship with Andre considerably. “I took some decisions instead of others because of my brother. I am much more sensitive to his needs because I realise he does need some attention. As I grew older and learnt more about his disability, I saw our relationship change. I am much more protective of him now. I have started to see the positive in the disability – how caring he is, how sensitive and altruistic he is. He takes pride in what he does and in his job.

“I started looking at him and he started to teach me: in the eyes of the world I have everything and yet I would get disappointed for minor reasons, whereas he, in his small, limited world, was much more appreciative. That made us bond even more.”

Jeanette’s protective side comes out in full force when someone takes advantage of her brother because of his disability.

“The insensitivity of people has left a very bad mark on Andre. He’s had supervisors or managers take advantage of him; so-called friends who would push him to drink too much even though he is not supposed to drink at all due to his medication.”

While acknowledging that a lot of ground has been covered, society still has a long way to go in terms of changing the mentality of how we deal with persons with disability. “You have to literally go through it yourself to understand what is needed. Even the way people sometimes talk shows there isn’t much awareness. It should start at school,” points out Jeanette.

“We are not all equal. Everyone suffers from something. In today’s world, we accept so many things – even something that is done through a decision, but a disability is not a decision. I am proud to say I have a brother with a disability because he teaches me a lot. I can be more sensitive to others thanks to what I have learnt from him. I can see the positive in people, I can see there is more than meets the eye in a person.”

“He is very protective towards me” Ronnie Meachen, 41, has always been very protective of his little sister Lorraine. She is equally protective of her brother, but is now bracing herself for that moment when she will have to take care of his future too.

This is no ordinary sibling feeling of protectiveness. Ronnie was born with Down’s syndrome, and at the age of 23, suffered a stroke, which left half his body paralysed.

“Ronnie and I were very, very close when we were young. I am like his baby.

He was always protecting me and taking care of me. Even today, he is still very protective of me,” says Lorraine.

“When we were younger, we were even closer. We were always together – always.

Even if I were cleaning, he’d be there next to me, helping me. I could never understand what was different between us.

“I was maybe 10 years old when I started realising he might be different.

I couldn’t understand. Then, when I was around 20 years old, I finally confessed to my mother that I felt Ronnie was different. I didn’t think about asking why he was different. He is really kind and so very sweet. I have a very special connection with him. But since he had the stroke, I changed. I was only 17 years old at the time and I found it difficult to accept his condition.”

Lorraine was about to sit her A levels when Ronnie had his stroke. Doctors prepared the family for the worst, warning them he would not survive the night. Defying all the odds, Ronnie slowly recovered, but the episode was a major upheaval for the whole family. Lorraine

PRIVATEEYE repeated her final school year and then changed her studies from physics and maths to commerce to take care of her brother while her father changed career from engineering to teaching to have more time available for his family’s needs.

“I spent a year taking care of him. He had to have a lot of physical therapy after the stroke.

He never wanted to be stuck in a wheelchair, so, despite the fact that the doctors warned him he would never walk again, he did everything in his power to do so.

However, he never regained the use of his right hand,” explains Lorraine.

With her mother turning 70 and insisting on continuing to look after Ronnie, Lorraine has started thinking about her brother’s future. She found the necessary information to guide her decisions as well as priceless solace in the siblings’ workshop.

“During the course, we discussed so many different

ON THE COURSE issues such as respite services, guardianship, care homes and our personal experiences. It is important to think about my brother’s future. I am trying to convince my parents from now so that they will know where he’s going to be to put their minds at rest. I cannot be my mum.

I cannot take care of him. I don’t know what’s going to happen to him in the future. We need to make sure that if anything happens to us, he’s taken care of.

That’s the constant struggle for siblings,” Lorraine says.

“The workshop helped me a lot. We compared our stories; we talked about our experiences. I could relate to other people’s lives.

They would understand me when I’d say I am tired, I feel sorry for him, I feel society makes me angry.

I felt comfortable talking with my fellow course mates. And I made some friends too.” *Some names have been changed to protect the persons’ identities.

Aġenzija Sapport offers a wide range of services for persons with disability and their families. It aims to implement initiatives and opportunities for inclusion of persons with disability within society. The support groups for siblings of persons with disability are facilitated by the Sapport Social Work Service.

“Aġenzija Sapport always strives to include all individuals in contact with persons with disability within their services and provide a holistic service. Siblings of persons with disability are known to have certain responsibilities that are taken for granted from their parents,” says Lorraine Polidano, Social Work Leader Adult Services.

“However, siblings have their own opinions and expectations when it comes to their brothers’ and sisters’ care. They would have their own concerns, such as what will happen when their parents pass away or if the parents cannot take care of the person with disability anymore. These workshops help the siblings in expressing their feelings and receive support from other siblings.”

The sessions are held once a month at Professional Development Centre [Aġenzija Sapport] in Santa Venera. The premises are fully accessible. The next course starts towards the end of August and will include seven sessions.

Groups are kept small because the workshops are intended to offer an environment where siblings can feel safe to express themselves and are encouraged to share their personal experiences.

So far, around 25 people have attended such courses. Topics covered include self-care, legal aspects and family relationships.

These sessions are designed for siblings over 18 years old.

However, Aġenzija Sapport also facilitates workshops for parents of young children with disability, with one of the subjects tackled being taking care of the young sibling of the child with disability.

For more information, visit www.sapport.gov.mt

EYEWITNESS

YOU DID NOT CAUSE, YOU CANNOT CONTROL, YOU CANNOT CURE VANESSA MACDONALD pens her hardest piece ever – about living with an alcoholic and losing a husband, a father and a friend.

I

once stole my husband’s shoes.

Not just one pair, you understand.

All of them. The flip-flops, the sports shoes, the wing tips.

I thought that if he didn’t have shoes, he would not be able to go out of the house to buy alcohol.

And I so desperately wanted to stop him from doing that.

It didn’t work, of course. When he eventually came around from the previous day’s drinking, nothing was going to stop him. Faced with his rage, I went to the car and dragged back the suitcase.

When you sit there at 2am in the shambles of your marriage, your family, your life, it is funny what thoughts creep in.

I stole all the money in the house another time – even the ubiquitous jar that you find in every kitchen full of 1c and 2c pieces.

And then I woke up again at 4am, sitting bolt upright in a cold panic because in his office drawer was the new company cheque book, which had arrived a few days earlier in the mail.

When you live with an alcoholic, it takes over your whole life. When he doesn’t answer his phone, your life goes into slow motion as you weigh up the options: Is he busy, in traffic, distracted?

Is he passed out, is he hurt, or is he dead?

At the beginning, I used to go and look for him, dropping everything at work to drive around, and asking my son to do it when I couldn’t. Then one day, he refused. It was pointless, he said. But my heart bled for my beloved husband of almost 30 years… What if he had hit his head, crashed, vomited?

But this happened day after day after day, and life goes on. Work goes on.

Family goes on.

Things had come crashing down so fast.

We had been together for 30 years, living on three continents, supporting each other’s careers, bringing up two lovely children, having adventures, travelling the world.

He had set up his own company in Malta in the early 1990s, building up a loyal clientele of people who admired not only his technical expertise but also his integrity. Money was never a motivation; gaining respect was.

We danced and laughed and threw memorable parties with friends, at home, or on our beloved boat.

And then he had a breakdown. It hit us all hard as he had always been so easy-going, but as middle age menopause hit, he began to dwell on his own father’s premature death, going through bouts of depression.

How did we not realise how serious it was?

About a year later, I had made him a cup of tea and put it next to where he was sitting on the sofa and realised that he had hardly touched it. Just as I walked towards him, he keeled over and fell flat on his face to the ground.

It was my first time in an ambulance, and as we sped through the dusk, I was vaguely aware of the reflection of the blue light on the cars pulling to one side, the siren wailing, the paramedics trying to resuscitate him. I caught the word ‘stroke’ and froze.

At Mater Dei, seven or eight people came

“HE HAD HIDDEN HIS DRINKING SO WELL, AS MOST ALCOHOLICS DO. WE HAD IGNORED IT JUST AS EFFECTIVELY, AS MOST OF US DO WHEN FACED WITH THE UNBEARABLE. THERE WAS NOWHERE TO HIDE ANY LONGER” We bought a boat and spent months alone together cruising, never tiring of each other’s company, saving up for a round-the-world cruise once the kids were on their own way.

and went, tests were done, tubes connected, he was wheeled away, brought back. Hours passed without change; no response. Text messages kept coming in: What was happening? How was he?

Pink July 2019 ∫ 17

EYEWITNESS And then the medical team disappeared, one by one. There he was, unconscious, non-responsive and no one was paying any attention.

I was furious, grabbing someone by the arm as they passed by. They looked wearily at me and said: “He hasn’t had a stroke. He has alcohol poisoning. He must have drunk a whole bottle…”

Can you actually hear your life crumbling?

He had hidden his drinking so well, as most alcoholics do. We had ignored it just as effectively, as most of us do when faced with the unbearable. There was nowhere to hide any longer.

Years before, I had done an interview as a journalist with Al Anon, the support group for the relatives and friends of alcoholics. I reached out, and within an hour was sitting with my angel, who handed me a well-thumbed book of daily readings, and told me about the three Cs: you did not cause, you cannot control and you cannot cure.

reading about it and I finally realised what it meant. Alcohol had already deprived my children of their father. They deserved to have one normal parent.

My days could no longer be about whether he was drinking or not: the minute I let my guard down, then alcohol was destroying my family’s life as much as it was his.

At Al Anon, each and every week for years, I had it drummed into me that we needed to have compassion.

Easier said than done.

How do you not allow rage and despair to take over when he has completed six whole months in rehab, and then stops at a supermarket on the way home to buy a bottle?

How can you understand that the urge to drink was so strong that he walked out of the house with potatoes still bubbling in the pot on the stove?

How do you keep hope alive, when you see him bravely struggle over and over again to stop, going to rehab, going to AA,

“HOW DO YOU LOVE HIM ON THE DAYS THAT HE IS SOBER WHEN DREAD OF THE INEVITABLE RELAPSE IS CONSTANTLY HOVERING OVER YOUR SHOULDER?” Even as she said these things to me, she knew that I would resist this advice.

Why else would I have stolen his shoes?

The urge to stop people you love from self-destructing is so hard. So brutal.

I went to one of the Al Anon meetings.

I listened, in a state of despondency that hung over me like a heavy blanket, thinking that these people had such terrible stories, so much worse than mine.

How were they laughing about tragedy?

How were they coping?

The first step – from the same 12 that alcoholics themselves follow at AA – was haunting: “I have to admit that I am powerless over alcohol.”

I read the book my angel had given me for days and days, I spent hours online

18 ∫ Pink July 2019

only to relapse a day, a week and – in one case – two whole years later?

How do you love him on the days that he is sober when dread of the inevitable relapse is constantly hovering over your shoulder?

And how can you feel compassion when you feel so alone?

What had I done wrong? Why could I not stop him? How could he do this if he loved us?

They say an alcoholic destroys the lives of 10 people, and as time passed, I could see the rage, the shame, the guilt in those who loved him, who felt the same way I did, tortured by the sober times when we looked into his eyes and saw the man he still was.

We lied so often. About why he missed family occasions and work appointments.

People would play along. No one talks about alcoholics.

One time, a group of close friends sat with me, one of them holding my hand, the other handing over tissues, as self-pity engulfed me. One of them, anxious to help, suggested a film she had seen about an alcoholic, Crazy Heart, saying it might force him to face facts and shake him out of his denial.

I bit her head off.

Years later, I ran into her and apologised, but it happened so often. Everyone wants to think there is something that can be done, some magic word, some epiphany, that you can love them enough, stop them.

That other ‘C’: you can’t control.

All you can do is learn coping skills. I learned that the best way to deal with selfpity, that most unproductive of emotions, is to indulge it. Set yourself an appointment with yourself later in the day, and park it.

By the time that appointment crops up, you can’t remember why you needed it.

Don’t be hard on yourself. Your life is in turmoil. It is OK to admit that you cannot cope. Scale down your expectations.

Cope for a day. Cope for an hour. Cope for 10 minutes.

Police turning up at your door.

More ambulance trips. Hospital visits.

Meetings with psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists. Friends who cut you off because they don’t know what to say.

Birthdays, Christmases, graduations, births, all with a person missing.

But mostly the pain of watching someone kill themselves, one bottle at a time. He refused help, didn’t turn up for dinners, he let his health deteriorate.

Mac died last year, aged just 63, having gone in and out of hospital a dozen times in just six months. Each time, he was warned, treated, cared for, loved.

Each time he came back out, he had to face the self-loathing of what his life had become, all that he had lost, all that he was too ashamed to deal with.

My daughter had the courage to tackle the elephant in the room. She posted on Facebook: “Last night my father succumbed to the complications of alcoholism. While yesterday marks the end of his battle, today we are mourning and remembering the wonderful man we lost eight years ago before the disease.

He was the greatest father – with the silliest sense of humour and the strongest shoulder to cry on. He was humble, generous, loving and patient. We had endless adventures and he never really did stop dreaming about the next one…

It’s hard to imagine him anywhere but on the sea. Keep sailing Daddy Cool.”

We learned that we did not cause.

We learned that we could not control.

We learned that we could not cure.

But we also learned the fourth ‘C’: compassion.

INFOCUS

THINK BEFORE YOU INK

Getting inked has become even more popular over the last few decades.

RACHEL ZAMMIT CUTAJAR says making sure the practitioner of your choice has a licence is fundamental to ensuring these risky services remain safe.

I

f you think you’ve seen more and more tattoos on different people over recent years, you’re probably right. Tattoos have gone through a bit of a renaissance over the last couple of decades.

Since the dawn of Instagram in 2010, Americans seeking out tattoos has almost doubled. In 2015, one in three had at least one tattoo. Just three years earlier, it was one in five. And the fact that Malta has its own tattoo convention suggests that the Maltese are following this global trend.

Since the beginning of time, humans have felt the urge to mark their bodies in a way that was different from others. Otzi, the prehistoric iceman, who lived between 3400 and 3100BC and was found, well-preserved, in the ice and snow of the Italian Alps in 1991, had 61 tattoos on his body.

Over the years, the reason people got tattoos differed around the world, particularly in the past. In Japan, criminals were tattooed either on the arms or the face, though this practice died out when decorative tattoos came

into fashion and criminals started covering up tattoos.

In the US, it was generally sailors who got tattoos with different images marking achievements at sea. For example, a swallow indicated a sailor had completed 5,000 nautical miles at sea, which was no mean feat at the time, and a tattoo of a ship indicated they had been around Cape Horn.

Indigenous tribes, particularly of the Pacific Islands, used tattoos to identify members of their group.

For example, if a person had a tattoo of indigenous plants on their skin, it acted as a type of address.

Today, people get tattoos for a number of reasons, including attention, self-expression, artistic freedom, rebellion, a visual display of a personal narrative, reminders of spiritual/cultural traditions, sexual motivations, addiction, identification with a group, or even drunken impulsiveness.

Tattoos are, indeed, a form of selfexpression, with research showing links with managing depression as well as Pink July 2019 ∫ 21

INFOCUS self-image. However, they also carry a number of risks as, fundamentally, the skin is punctured and ink is injected into it.

In fact, any service where the skin is punctured – think dentistry, semi-permanent make-up and even acupuncture – can result in the transmission of blood-borne viruses.

So, making sure the practitioner of your choice has a licence is fundamental to ensuring these services remain safe.

The decision to get a tattoo should not be taken lightly for a number of reasons, not least because the design is permanent. [Though 78 per cent of Americans are happy with their tattoos, some do regret it.]

Patricia Galea, director within the Health Care Standards department, says “some people see health regulation in their industry as an unnecessary burden, however, the inspection team does its utmost to establish a collaborative relationship with licensees so that the highest standards are met.

“Most applicants are happy to comply with our standards and regulations, while those who do not meet 100 per cent of the checklist are given guidelines and assistance until they are fully compliant and granted a licence.”

To get a licence, an establishment, such as a tattoo parlour, semipermanent make-up studio, dental,

“OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, NINE ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE HAD THEIR LICENCES TEMPORARILY WITHHELD UNTIL THEY UPDATED THEIR PRACTICES AND WERE COMPLIANT WITH THE LATEST STANDARDS” Most importantly, the health risk associated with getting tattoos should also be considered before a decision is taken. Tattoos are done using a sewing-machine-like instrument that pierces the top layer of the skin and injects tiny droplets of ink into the holes where it remains permanently.

As a result of this breach of the top layer of the skin, infection can occur.

Allergies to the inks can also occur, especially with red, green, yellow and blues, while scarring and the development of keloids [a raised surface that occurs when scarring happens too quickly] may also develop.

Infections could be passed on through equipment that is not properly sterilised and can include blood-borne infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA), hepatitis B and C and HIV.

So how do you ensure the tattoo artist you have selected is going to provide a service that is safe?

The Health Care Standards Directorate inspects and licenses tattoo artists and their studios to ensure they provide safe services. There are currently over 150 licensed tattoo artists in Malta and Gozo.

22 ∫ Pink July 2019

acupuncture, or podiatry clinics, must adhere to current regulations; ensure that all staff are qualified, registered and vaccinated against blood-borne viruses; that cleaning procedures and sterilisation processes are adequate; and all equipment used is CE marked.

In the case of tattoo parlours, the inks used are checked to ensure they are valid and not expired and are not among those that are known to have presented some form of adverse reaction.

Over the last four years, nine establishments have had their licences temporarily withheld until they Guy Lee

updated their practices and were compliant with the latest standards.

However, Patricia is mostly concerned about the places that practice without a licence and are not reported.

“It is very important that the public is aware that the establishments are inspected and licensed through the Directorate and the advantages of opting to get a service from a licensed establishment. A list of these is available on www.deputyprimeminister.gov.mt” Perhaps the tattoo industry has begun what Patricia calls “selfregulation”. Clients are requesting that tattoo artists are licensed, therefore, professionals will seek out a licence before the Directorate has them on their radar.

Tattooist talk Guy Lee has been operating as a tattoo artist, both in the UK and Malta, for 15 years and has been on the frontline of this huge increase in people seeking out their own individual brand of ink.

Though in the past, tattoos were associated with particular types of people – sailors, criminals and biker gangs – today, people from all walks of life are getting inked, he notes.

“There has been a dramatic increase in people getting tattooed,” Guy acknowledges. “The people that come through my parlour doors range from locals to foreigners either living in Malta or here on holiday. They are from a broad spectrum of ages ranging between 18 to over 85,” he says.

INFOCUS Guy believes that regulation is important. “It is a necessary procedure to ensure a basic standard is held in the premises and that public health is respected as we are working in an environment that is exposed to bloodborne pathogens and it is important that establishments like ours are not the cause of transfer of such diseases.

“Getting a tattoo shouldn’t be a dangerous game and adhering to the rules simply ensures safety.”

In the past, the art of tattooing could be taught by anyone with a licence. Today, amendments have been made to the law to ensure that people teaching others how to tattoo are licensed as instructors. This requires them to have been working in a licensed parlour for at least five years and to follow all the protocols stipulated by the new requirements.

A licensed tattoo instructor, Guy says this new approach is highly welcomed. “The purpose of this is to try to eradicate poor quality and reduce risks involved in the tattoo industry here in Malta.

“Teaching the practice of hygiene is the foremost priority in such a profession that deals with blood-borne pathogens and it involves great care and understanding.

“We have a nurse who ensures the best possible procedures are not only adhered to but also understood by students in our studio environment. I am renowned among my students to be a strict teacher when it comes to their safety and that of their potential clients.”

The decision to get a tattoo is generally not taken lightly, he maintains, and people tend to do quite a bit of research into the design they want as well as the artist they wish to use. After all, a mistake in artist selection could mean you are left with an unattractive permanent mark on your skin, even if the practice is safe.

Taking tattoo precautions Sarah Scicluna, 28, got her first tattoo at the age of 18 and has a total of 25, mostly on her arm, but also on her legs. For her, it is important that a tattooist is licensed, and she generally sticks to the same artist she knows has a licence.

“The risks to both personal and public health are the same as the skin is being punctured and blood-borne pathogens can be transmitted if they are not operating according to infection control protocols,” Patricia warns.

Looking for a licensed practitioner or an approved tattoo instructor? Check which tattoo artists, dentists, physiotherapists, body piercers, acupuncturists, semi-permanent make-up artists and diagnostic labs are licenced at www.deputyprimeminister.gov.mt

Sarah Scicluna

“I generally stick to the same tattoo artist, Rebecca Bonaci, because I like her style. I know her establishment is licensed, so I never needed to ask to see credentials. However, if I were to use someone else, I would definitely check that they were operating out of a licensed parlour. It’s not worth the repercussions of a dirty needle.”

Not just tattoos It is not only tattoo artists that can put public health at risk. The Health Care Standards Directorate regulates a number of industries such as dentistry, physiotherapy, podiatry, X-ray clinics, medical diagnostic laboratories, blood establishments, body piercers, semi-permanent make-up artists and acupuncture.

“We monitor any services that could put public health at risk.

A dentist using equipment that has not been sterilised could be the cause of transfer of blood-borne disease, which then has a multiplier effect as that person may then go on to spread it. A diagnostic lab giving the wrong results to patients may also be a threat to public health.”

Though clients are likely to seek out the services of a registered dentist, not that many customers looking for services like semi-permanent makeup and acupuncture are likely to ask if their service provider has a licence.

At the time of writing, there were just six licensed acupuncture clinics, though many Chinese massage centres as well as physiotherapists will offer unlicensed services.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR TATTOO Once you have selected a licensed artist and are sure about the design, there are several steps you can take to be certain your tattoo heals properly and to reduce the chances of infections: KEEP THE SKIN CLEAN As obvious as this sounds, keeping the skin clean is vital to keeping infection at bay. Use plain soap and water and avoid direct streams of water on the tattooed area. Be gentle when washing and gently pat dry rather than rub.

USE A GENTLE MOISTURISER Apply a mild moisturiser several times a day.

AVOID SUN EXPOSURE Keep the tattooed areas out of the sun for at least a few weeks. Burning newly tattooed skin may cause the area to blister, peel and crack. Even with old tattoos, sunblock is a good idea as the UV rays cause the ink to fade and change shape.

AVOID SWIMMING Stay out of the water, particularly pools that may have waterborne infections floating around.

BE CAREFUL WITH CLOTHING Try to select loose clothing that will not stick to the tattooed area.

ALLOW YOURSELF TO HEAL Healing should take around two weeks. Don’t try and hurry it up by picking at the scabs as this will only increase the risk of infection and can damage the design and cause scarring

Pink July 2019 ∫ 23

WOMANKIND

NOT JUST THE ARTIST’S WIFE It is now clear that Karin Larsson’s role in the creation of what became known as the model for Swedish domestic design went much deeper. She was the homemaker – in more ways than one – but few suspected her wholehearted involvement in the house itself. MARY GALEA DEBONO paints the true picture, which differs somewhat from her artist husband’s.

I

n Sundborn, a village in the province of Dalarna, 240 kilometres north-west of Stockholm, there is a house, familiar to most Swedish people from having seen it in reproductions of watercolour paintings in magazines, books and cards. It is called Lilla Hyattnas, meaning ‘little furnace point’, recalling the type of industrial activity that took place in the area in an earlier era.

Carl and Karin Larsson used it as a summer retreat for their family from 1889, and in 1901, it became their permanent home. But it had been in the family since 1877 and is now a museum and residence owned by the descendants of the same family.

Carl Larsson is one of Sweden’s most popular artists and Lilla Hyattnas is probably the most publicised artist’s home in the world – perhaps just as familiar as Claude Monet’s house, with its lilly pond, at Giverny.

For decades, he was considered the sole creator of what this house stands for – a model for Swedish domestic design – while the contribution that his wife Karin gave to this success was largely ignored.

The first attempt to draw attention and highlight Karin’s artistic input into the house was made in 1913 on the occasion of Carl’s 60th birthday when the weekly magazine Irdun published a commemorative issue in which the journalist Elin Wagner chose to write about Karin rather than about Carl.

coincide with this prestigious exhibition, describes as a conscious and united effort to create “a middle-class towndweller’s idyll of the healthy country life”.

Karin, born on October 3, 1859, grew up in Hallsberg, where her father, Adolf Bergöo, was a successful businessman.

Unlike her future husband Carl, who came from a poor family, she lacked neither love nor money. Determined to become an artist, at the age of 12 she enrolled at the handicrafts school in Stockholm, and in 1887, was accepted at the Royal Swedish

“FOR DECADES, HE WAS CONSIDERED THE SOLE CREATOR OF WHAT THIS HOUSE STANDS FOR – A MODEL FOR SWEDISH DOMESTIC DESIGN – WHILE THE CONTRIBUTION THAT HIS WIFE KARIN GAVE TO THIS SUCCESS WAS LARGELY IGNORED” “There are details in the Larsson home,” she wrote, “which a man could not think of.”

More recently, in 1997, an exhibition, Carl and Karin Larsson – Creators of the Swedish Style, was mounted at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In this exposition, Karin’s contribution to the development of this innovative approach to domestic design was emphasised. Yet even today, without proper documentation, it is still difficult to disentangle the respective roles that Carl and Karin played in creating what Michael Snodin, in his introduction to the book published to

Academy of Fine Arts, which had, in 1864, opened its doors to female students. From there, she moved on to the prestigious Académie Colarossi in Paris.

In the summer of 1882, with a friend, she joined a community of Scandinavian artists and writers who lived in the small French village of Grez-sur-Loing. It was here that she met and fell in love with Carl whom she married in the following year in Stockholm; he was 30 and she was 24.

Between 1884 and 1900, Karin gave birth to eight children.

When her first daughter, Suzanne, was born, Karin packed up Pink July 2019 ∫ 25

WOMANKIND her easel, her brushes and her paints and dedicated herself to her home and family. This was a conscious choice.

It could be that Karin was intelligent enough to realise her limitations as a painter although it is difficult to assess her work because very little of it remains; it could also be that she preferred to remain within the bounds of the traditional role of a full-time wife and mother; or she may have felt that two competing artists in one household was not conducive to a happy relationship.

She certainly did not underestimate the difficulties a female artist encountered in her time. Although women were beginning to be accepted for training in academies, art was still considered to be nothing more than a pastime for women.

Carl, himself, was a man of his time; he did not think highly of women artists. Karin was not a feminist; she just accepted the situation.

That Carl was always in control – or as Lena Rydin put it, “he was the star, and she [Karin] was the extra” – can be deduced from one little detail in Lilla Hyattnas. On approaching the front door, the first thing that catches the eye is an inscription painted over it. Inscriptions and mottoes such as ‘Put Your Trust in God Alone’ are found all over the house – over doors, above panelling, as part of a frieze, or on a piece of furniture – each beautifully executed and in a style that fits the subject. But this particular one over the front door is revealing: Welcome Dear Friends to the House of Carl Larsson and his Spouse – not ‘and Karin’ but ‘and his spouse’.

Lilla Hyattnas had been in the Bergöo family since 1877 when Karin’s father had bought it for his widowed mother and his two unmarried sisters. When the house was vacated, Bergöo offered it to the Larssons on condition that they deposit the equivalent of its value in the children’s bank account. Yet the emphasis that the house belongs to Carl and only to Karin by virtue of her being his wife, unacceptable though it seems to modern thinking, does not seem to have upset or had any negative effect on Karin herself, who probably

Carl and Karin Larsson reading with sculpture and artwork.

“ALTHOUGH WOMEN WERE BEGINNING TO BE ACCEPTED FOR TRAINING IN ACADEMIES, ART WAS STILL CONSIDERED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A PASTIME FOR WOMEN” rightly interpreted the words, and the portraits of each of the eight children with his or her name on either side of the porch, as simply meant to be a warm and informal welcome to any visitor to a home and into the family.

Carl and Karin worked as a team, but during their lifetime, through his watercolours depicting the day-to-day life at Lilla Hyattnas, Carl was the better-known component of this partnership. When the reproduction of these paintings, with their universal appeal, started appearing in books and magazines, his fame spread beyond Sweden, and in 1899, with the publication of his first illustrated book Ett Hem [A Home], which consisted of 24 watercolours, reproduced in full colour, the public got to know not just the house but also Karin and his seven children [one died in infancy] as they went about their day-to-day life. Carl’s fame meant that every member of the family became a public figure. However, Karin like the children and their home, remained just an extension of the artist.

These paintings conveyed more than just an appealing picture of a happy family and a tranquil domesticity with 26 ∫ Pink July 2019

which everyone could identify; they also introduced a different lifestyle to which Karin contributed much more than by simply being the symbol of the contented mother and housewife at Lilla Hyattnas. It is now clear that her role in the creation of what became known as the model for Swedish domestic design went much deeper.

Karin had lived in Paris and Stockholm, but it was in this house that she found her fulfillment. She loved the district of Dalarna, which brought many happy childhood memories of when she used to visit her grandmother. She adapted instantly to its provincial culture, its customs, its conservative lifestyle and its charm. Above all, the house gave her the opportunity to develop her artistic talents.

Karin may have given up painting when she became a mother, but her creative abilities always remained alive. She was au courant with modern trends and channelled all her energy into developing the new house.

In 1890, during a visit to the village of Bingsjö, she learnt to spin and weave braids and, inspired by the traditional designs

of the area, she produced textiles with which she furnished the house. She created tapestries, embroidered table clothes and designed clothes for herself and her children. She was inspired by traditional designs, but also introduced abstract motifs. In so doing, she showed she was ahead of her times.

Like Carl, she had a great interest in furniture. They loved antiques, but not as antiquarians do. They collected them, but changed them, often painting them in bright glossy colours.

She bought inexpensive items of furniture, some of them in poor condition, which they then restored, adding inscriptions and portraits on the panels. Karin also designed pieces in which the emphasis was on style and practicality.

To complement this style of furniture, she wove rugs and embroidered runners with traditional and modernist designs and introduced striped and checked soft furnishings.

Karin and Carl had very clear ideas of how a home with a young family should be. They broke away from the bourgeois style of the late 19th century of sober furniture, heavy drapes that shut out the sunlight and dark wallpaper; and introduced a bold colour scheme and practical and stylish designs. They were au courant, mainly through their subscription with several foreign periodicals dealing with the current ideas in home décor, with the various fin-de-siècle trends in Europe such as the Arts and Crafts movement in England, led by William Morris and John Ruskin, and the Biedermeier in Germany.

Karin filled the rooms with potted plants and flower arrangements making these an integral part of interior design.

Carl’s watercolours of Karin and his children, gaily going about their daily work in bright airy rooms fit for family gatherings, in a house that was child-friendly, were more than an interior design exercise; it was about a new lifestyle. Internationally, they had created a style that became distinctly and unmistakably Swedish.

Karin was Carl’s muse and model and he painted her doing ordinary tasks around the house. She was the homemaker, but few suspected her wholehearted involvement in the house itself. Her contribution was on different levels.

When Carl was abroad for long periods carrying out his work commissions, it was she who had to deal with workmen, and it was she who was responsible for the steady stream of visitors to her home.

Their work relationship has been aptly described as “an intimate aesthetic partnership”. They worked as a team while complementing each other and it would be misleading to emphasise the success of one without reference to the achievements of the other.

But Carl often downplayed her role in creating Lilla Hyattnas, and in public, he even sometimes made uncomplimentary comments about her. However, he was not unappreciative; she was his sounding board and he sought and relied on her artistic judgement.

Although Carl made sure he was in control, Karin never felt the victim; she was down to earth and practical, and her letters, especially those to her mother, exude joy – a joy that is obvious in Carl’s portraits of her.

The Larssons’ legacy lives on; the multinational IKEA, among others, still draws inspiration for mass-produced furniture of good design from their model.

Karin died in 1928 and is buried in Sundborn.

SHOWSTOPPER

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28 ∫ Pink July 2019

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SHOWSTOPPER T-shirt; Julien Macdonald jacket, both Debenhams ∫ jeans, Cortefiel.

Pink July 2019 ∫ 29

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Pink July 2019 ∫ 31

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32 ∫ Pink July 2019

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Pink July 2019 ∫ 33

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34 ∫ Pink July 2019

SHOWSTOPPER Jumpsuit, Cortefiel ∫ Tom Ford sunglasses, O’hea Opticians.

Pink July 2019 ∫ 35

PINKPROMO

ANTI-WRINKLE AND HYDRATING SKINCARE THAT WORKS! With summer in full swing, hydrating and transformative skincare products are vital.

Here, Ingrid Coleiro from Makiba Essence introduces the Repêchage Vita Cura® Gold Collection, which is lightweight, nourishing and encourages your skin to radiate that summer glow.

I

n an industry where skincare brands launch at the rate of drinking a cup of tea, it takes something extraordinary to stand the test of time. Repêchage knows this all too well.

With skin health always the object of the game, Repêchage is a revolution in the sector – and one we're very pleased to have discovered.

Needless to say, Ingrid Coleiro – owner of Makiba Essence, a leading skincare and beauty training centre in Malta – is enamoured by the brand and for good reason. Ingrid is a skincare and beauty professional in every sense of the word.

Growing up, the beauty salon where her mother worked was her second home, and Ingrid opened her own salon in 1995 before starting Makiba Essence 13 years later. The Repêchage family welcomed Ingrid as their Maltese partner in 1996, and their relationship has blossomed since then.

“I absolutely love the brand,” beams Ingrid. “Repêchage gives results because the company invests a lot of time and energy in doing the right research and developing cutting-edge skincare technology.”

Repêchage was founded by Lydia Sarfati in Manhattan in 1980 to target the biggest problem facing skin back then [and more so today]: dehydration.

After all, we lose moisture due to the climate, sun exposure, air conditioning

and, of course, age. For Lydia, the lightbulb went off when she discovered seaweed.

“Seaweed has long been used as a fertiliser to retain moisture in the ground and to produce healthier plants. So, why not use the miracle of the sea on human skin?” grins Lydia, who visited Makiba Essence a couple of years ago. “Together with biologists, we ran tests, and we quickly understood that seaweed is a fountain of youth.”

Repêchage has evolved from sourcing seaweed in France to sustainably farming its own Laminaria Digitata alga in Maine, the US. It also does something unheard of in today’s globalised world: it manufactures its own products, from growing ingredients to creating the final result and everything in between.

The Vita Cura® Gold Collection is Repêchage’s most exciting series to date. Having just launched at Makiba Essence on July 15, the collection gives salon-grade, professional results at home. The B3 Serum, B3 Elixir Complex

and B3 Lifting Mask are the latest in skincare nanotechnology. The main ingredient is vitamin B3, which defends the skin against environmental damage. It also works with the body’s natural substances to brighten the skin, reduce enlarged pores, improve skin tone and smoothen wrinkles.

The facial sheet mask is the star of the show. Soaked in vitamins, minerals and amino acids, it creates a firm, lifted appearance. “At last, we have a product that imbues the skin with youthful smoothness in a matter of weeks,” smiles Ingrid.

“Before turning to surgical procedures, I wholeheartedly recommend using appropriate skincare products, like the Gold Collection, that noticeably delay wrinkles and tighten pores. In fact, clinical studies have proven that the Gold Collection reduces wrinkles by 58 per cent and shrinks pores by 41 per cent.

“Beauty ingredients and technologies have improved radically.

So, I encourage people to seek up-todate, top-quality products and advice.

Our skin is literally what we live in, so it deserves the very best in nourishment and care,” Ingrid concludes.

For information on the Vita Cura® Gold Collection and Repêchage, as well as specialised beauty courses and product training, contact Ingrid Coleiro at Makiba Essence in Santa Luċija; www.makibaessence.eu

Pink July 2019 ∫ 37

THINKPINK EVENTS

1 1 EXPERIENCING FURNITURE

From furniture to food and useful information for the kids, this is all you need to know about recent events and launches.

2

Dino Fino, a staple name in the furniture industry, recently inaugurated a new 1,000-square-metre, state-of-the art showroom, DINO FINO HOME, featuring a range of exclusive brands such as Lago, Cattelan Italia, Rastelli Cucine and Arketipo. DINO FINO HOME is situated in Valley Road, B’Kara, and is cleverly designed to enable patrons to visualise what their new home, new kitchen, or new room will look like prior to purchasing the furniture pieces. The main aim of this new space is to offer shoppers a place where they can ‘experience’ furniture prior to buying so that they will then ‘live’ and ‘enjoy’ their new pieces. The DINO FINO HOME designers and sales consultants are all professionally trained and ready to assist clients.

From sofas to carpets to beds for kids and adults, DINO FINO HOME has all that is needed to build a dream house. www.dinofino.com

2 AL FRESCO DINING

3

Situated in the heart of Mosta, Ta’ Marija Restaurant offers creative Maltese and Mediterranean cuisine that inspires even the most discerning palate. With more than 50 years of experience, the family-run restaurant is known for its elegant, warm and informal ambience and a quality, friendly service. It is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with Maltese-themed nights every Wednesday and Friday [complete with folk dancers, mandolins and guitars] and an all-inclusive buffet extravaganza on Saturday night and Sunday lunch for only €30, with regular live shows and entertainment. Patrons can also dine al fresco thanks to the outdoor area with stunning views of Mosta Church. For bookings, call on 2143 4444. www.tamarija.com

3 THE MALTA KIDS DIRECTORY COMES OF AGE! During her first pregnancy, director Lisa Grech noticed a gap in the market for a one-stop reference guide to introduce soon-to-be parents into this wonderful new world. And the concept of The Malta Kids Directory was born. The online portal, www.maltababyandkids.com, now offers users free access to a wide variety of relevant categories for assistance in making the right choices for their children. These range from parties to travel, sports as well as shopping and activities. The latest edition of The Malta Kids Directory – the only printed children’s directory for those living and visiting the Maltese Islands – was recently launched to include the most relevant topics for parents, including Pregnancy & Birth, Health, Childcare, Schools, Days Out & General Advice. All pregnant mothers are entitled to a free copy. This year’s book launch, a family-friendly celebration, took place at Malta National Aquarium. To form part of The Malta Kids community, subscribe to its free monthly e-newsletter, packed full of interesting information. Visit the maltababyandkids.com website, where family-friendly events happening across the islands are updated daily. Follow the maltababyandkids Facebook page and join the maltababyandkids.com chat Facebook group to stay updated on the latest services and products designed to make parenting life easier.

A copy of the 13th edition of The Malta Kids Directory may be purchased online for only €5 and delivered straight to your door!

38 ∫ Pink July 2019

INTHEPINK

WHAT’S GUT GOT TO DO WITH IT? With the rising increase in gut health concerns across Europe, it’s about time we turned our attention to the importance of our own, says colonic hydrotherapist and personal trainer KAREN DE SOUZA. She’s here to help re-set our belly well-being, incorporating lasting changes to achieve better overall health. Creating a symbiotic relationship with gut bacteria means reaping physical, mental and emotional rewards.

T

he Digestive Health Across Europe report [2018] identifies that one in four Europeans are affected by Irritable Bowel Syndrome [IBS] and only one in three people seek medical assistance for their digestive health concerns.

These figures highlight the vast amount of people who suffer in silence, perhaps managing it as best they can and considering it a normal but inconvenient part of their daily lives, i.e. until they reach breaking point.

It is important to acknowledge that with our modern lifestyles, our gut health is being compromised by increasing stress factors and poor diets, but good gut health isn’t just something we should focus on when we are trying to get out of pain and distress. It is part of a better understanding of developing an

ongoing intuitive connection with our gut and acknowledging its importance.

This may seem like an alien concept to most, but given that 70 to 80 per cent of your immune system is held within your gut, poor gut health can and does have far-reaching consequences on your general health, well-being and energy levels.

Who wouldn’t want to feel healthier, happier and have more energy?

When we do eventually seek medical advice for digestive discomfort, having struggled for some time, we are often looking for an immediate solution, but it can take a long time before a digestive health diagnosis is found and several trial-and-error attempts, with different pharmaceutical recommendations, before there is an improvement in symptoms.

The thing about gut health is that it is more than just a ‘what goes in must come out’ approach – good gut health is about lifestyle choices, individualised nutrition and developing an awareness of what works for you.

Over the last decade, research has focused on the microbiome; for the average Joe and Jane, that’s your gut bacteria. Your microbiome begins its own unique development when you are born, as you leave and obtain bacteria from your mother’s birth canal, and this is continually altered every time you eat something, or come into contact with others.

Your day-to-day environment plays an important role in your microbiome.

Think of it as your tiny village within!

Peter Turnbaugh et al [2007] found that there can be variations of 10 to 100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells held by every person and that these are largely within the gut, thus making up a hugely diverse set of nationalities [gut bacteria] among the villagers.

For most, this can be a difficult or strange concept to understand, but the important thing is to comprehend that by creating a symbiotic relationship with your gut bacteria, you will reap Pink July 2019 ∫ 39

INTHEPINK physical, mental and emotional rewards.

The thing about bacteria is that in order for the good to thrive, just like humans, they need to be fed and provided with a good environment.

Thankfully, you have full ownership over how you choose to house these bacteria, and every time you eat and drink, you have the opportunity to replenish and feed them.

It is incredibly important to consume a diet that is high in fibre, not only because your gut loves fibre, but also because it helps to keep you fuller for longer and has many nutritional benefits.

But as Andreu Prados [2016] found, where a diet lacked in fibre, this impacted on permeability, the quality of the gut mucous and increased chances of pathogens entering the gut barrier junctures. In addition to this, it is incredibly important for your gut mucous, immune system and microbiota that your diet contains probiotic and prebiotic foods. The better your food choices, the more your gut will thank you in return with tremendous benefits.

Have you ever noticed how the more sugar and unhealthy fats you eat, the more you want them?

Well, that’s because the bacteria that live off these food choices are multiplying every time you feed them, and when they multiply, they take over more space, speak louder than the good bacteria and win in the foods you consume. Hence you give in to your cravings.

It’s a case of: ‘He who shouts loudest wins.’ In the same bite, it is important to acknowledge that the healthier you eat, and the more plant varieties, the more plentiful your good gut bacteria, which ‘call’ for better food choices. It shouldn’t have to take a nutritionist or personal trainer to inform you that the better your food choices, the better your health, sense of well-being and physical performance both in your daily activities and fitness and wellbeing pursuits.

The better shape your gut is in, the greater ability you have to provide your body with the nutrients from your foods, directly affecting your physical, mental and emotional functioning.

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done through meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, walking in nature, reading and engaging in any calming activity. Find what works, take the time, make the time and, in time, you will feel the benefits.

It is also equally important to ensure that you engage in regular exercise – not only so you can reap all the health and aesthetic benefits, but also to encourage the process of detoxification through sweating and elimination.

“THE GUT HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE SECOND BRAIN AND THIS GOES BEYOND JUST HAVING A ‘GUT FEELING’” So, let’s get down to the nittygritty… What is the link between your gut and your brain and what can you do?

The gut has been referred to as the second brain and this goes beyond just having a ‘gut feeling’. The brain and gut are directly connected via the vagus nerve, referred to as the gut-brain axis.

Your left and right vagus nerve, starting in your brain, take a web-like descent to your vital internal organs via your central nervous system, down your spine, and connecting down to your small and large intestine.

Every primary digestive organ and assisting organ is connected by your vagus nerve. The vagus nerve [just like your muscles] is better off when well-toned. This takes practice and repetition. It is not good for your sympathetic nervous system to be out of balance: neither your sympathetic ‘flight and fright’, nor your parasympathetic ‘rest and digest’.

It is acknowledged that it’s pretty difficult in this hectic world not to be in fight and flight mode, which impedes good digestion. But in life, we should practise obtaining balance, the yin-yang effect. In today’s constantly active culture, it is vital to value the importance of your parasympathetic nervous system as a serious part of your daily self-care. This can be something we have to re-learn, to tap into, particularly in a world of the ‘crazy busy’, ‘superman/superwoman’, ‘driven’ professional, ‘burning the candle at both ends’.

You can develop your self-care by accessing and creating some quiet space in your life, for you. This can be

Just strike the balance. You owe it to yourself and your gut bacteria to improve your health and well-being, and those around you will benefit from your renewed vigour and mood.

What’s the link between your autonomic nervous system and your gut health?

It is important to know that your digestive system is governed by your parasympathetic nervous system and, as a process, functions best when uninterrupted and in a calm state. This means giving yourself the time and space to enjoy food without being interrupted by your bleeping messages, e-mail notifications, or being distracted by the humdrum of the background television and, worse still, your inquisitive mind of social media scrolling.

Put in place boundaries with yourself, acknowledging the benefits of these and the carry-over they provide. These modern technology vices will all be there when you have finished your meal. For now, I challenge you to be present in your important bodily function of absorption and digestion. Notice the smells, taste and textures of your food and the satisfaction that follows with mindfully eating. Then take a moment or two to allow your stomach to start digesting. These could be your first steps to changing your digestive health.

It should come as no surprise that your digestive system is affected by stress, which comes in different forms [relationships, finances, deadlines, toxic load] and it impacts us all differently.

Paul Enck [2017], in a study of military soldiers, found that the gut wall lining

[intestinal permeability] and microbiota were impacted upon due to the physiological stress during their training period.

Although this study is of a group of participants undergoing intense physical and psychological stress, it’s important to acknowledge that we all experience stress to some degree, but our body cannot differentiate between the different types of stress. A little stress can be beneficial; it can be the driving force in meeting your deadlines. But ongoing and persistent stress, which is not managed and counteracted with rest, relaxation and selfcare, will have an impact on you physically and mentally.

There have been links between those affected by IBS and being affected by anxiety and depression. A large proportion of your feel-good chemicals are made in your gut and a healthy gut makes and retains more happy chemicals. This provides further reason to find and engage in activities, to spend time with others and to give yourself positive experiences for your feel-good factor.

Let’s also not underestimate the importance of good quality sleep, one of the most underused, naturally restorative functions available to us, and at no additional cost. Your gut lets you know the benefit of good sleep by way of easier and fuller elimination, no bloating, no sugar and unhealthy fat cravings and improved mental clarity.

Become a master of your own sleep hygiene and you are one step closer to developing a good gut and get even closer to total health. This can mean regularly going to bed at a set time, committing to your natural circadian rhythm and making sure you have at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

SO WHAT’S THE TAKE-AWAY? • Understand the importance of your nutrition and making conscious food choices. This includes prebiotics, probiotics and fibre.

• Make time for exercise in all its different forms.

• Give your head and gut some space to relax and de-stress.

• Enjoy your food, honouring the process of digestion, and make sure you are well hydrated every day.

• Give your gut-brain axis some enjoyable joint experiences by spending time in nature, which is great for your parasympathetic nervous system.

• When your gut is out of kilter and you would benefit from a re-set, seek professional help from a colonic hydrotherapist to help you restore balance.

• And finally, but most importantly, don’t forget to listen to your new friend, the gut-brain connection.

It’s likely to be whispering – or screaming – something that is valuable.

Contact Karen De Souza on karen@gloriouslygoodguts.com; Facebook @gloriouslygoodguts; Instagram @gloriouslygoodguts; www.gloriouslygoodguts.com

PINKPROMO

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

While some local businesses may not give much scope and space for people to grow, the same cannot be said for BEN ESTATES. Henry Zammit, one of the BEN ESTATES franchise owners, speaks to Pink about his journey with the company, which he considers to be his home.

H

enry Zammit has been in the real estate industry for eight years after working in catering. He found his ‘home’ at BEN ESTATES after working with other estate companies.

“We eventually found a place in Attard and I invested in a space with my business partner Claudio Parascandalo.

This would not have been possible if I didn’t believe in the BEN ESTATES vision.”

Managing Director of BEN ESTATES, Bernard Mangion, has always spoken about treating his employees like family

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and Henry places a particularly strong emphasis on this when speaking about his own experience: “When you’re investing your own money, the stakes are obviously much, much higher. None of this would have been possible without Bernard’s support and advice.

“When you have to take big decisions, you want to do so by making sure you make the least mistakes possible.

Anyone can open an office, but making sure it is a success is a different matter altogether. I have always received nothing but the highest care and attention from the parent

PINKPROMO The BEN ESTATES family: Claudio Parascandalo, Bernard Mangion, Michelle Azzopardi, Henry Zammit, Karl Schranz, Karen Azzopardi and Graziella Vella,

company, both when I started working as an agent as well as when I became a franchise owner. I’ve never ever felt like a number; we have always worked hand in hand.”

The Attard branch was merely the beginning of Henry’s new journey, as last year, he opened another franchise office in Sliema: “I can’t highlight enough how invaluable the advice I have received has been. There are challenges, but when you’re working with someone who knows the local business so well, everything becomes a little easier. Just because you become captain of the ship, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you always know

point: it’s seeing personal growth that makes me always strive to work harder. I’m endlessly grateful that this company has always allowed me to spread my wings and that I am now able to help others do the same.”

Henry feels that the key to the company’s growth and success is ultimately down to a healthy work environment: “Bernard’s commitment to the company and his belief that everyone should have an equal opportunity to grow is what has brought me to the wonderful place I am in now.

The fact that it is a local company also means that we know the local market better than anyone else.

“IT’S AMAZING TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT NEW AGENTS AND SEE THEM GROW IN THEIR PROFESSION: THERE’S NOTHING BETTER THAN SEEING A PERSON EVOLVE” what’s coming. You always need to plan ahead and make sure you have the best tools and the best people on board.”

While the ride is not always easy, Henry does feel that the rewards are endless: “The best thing about my job has always been making others happy. It’s amazing to be able to recruit new agents and see them grow in their profession: there’s nothing better than seeing a person evolve. Earning money is only rewarding up to a limited

“We believe that giving our clients the best service starts with us having a great work environment, where everyone strives to do their best, but not at the expense of their co-worker. It is very important to us that everyone has a strong work ethic. By working hand in hand, we can give our clients an unparalleled real estate experience.”

Get to know us by following us on Facebook and Instagram. benestates.com.mt – your trusted partner

Pink July 2019 ∫ 45

PINKPROMO

A SNACK WITH JUST THE GOOD BITS? YES! PLEASE! If you’re looking for a satisfying, flavourful-yet-healthy snack that’s packed full of good things… you’ve found it! Fall in love with YES!

W

hether you’re trying to shift a few kilos or simply want to fuel up with good, wholesome food, finding a healthy source of protein and energy can be a challenge.

Unfortunately, products that are very healthy may not taste great, making you less likely to want to eat it.

Now, though, there is a snack bar to tickle your taste buds that is also genuinely healthy.

The new YES! range of nut bars has completely eliminated the flavour vs nutrition compromise. Invented by a team of dietary experts, the range 46 ∫ Pink July 2019

comprises delicious combinations of wholesome ingredients that deliver great flavour and no nasty extras.

YES! bars harness the natural qualities of nuts and dried fruits, combined with the natural sweetness of honey. Nuts are especially high in protein and each YES! bar contains over 7g of this long-lasting energy source. The addition of dehydrated fruits means that each bar is high in fibre, which helps keep the digestive tract healthy.

Dark chocolate, with its high cacao content, antioxidants and minerals, features in all three of the YES! bar

flavours available. This decadent ingredient gives the bars that irresistible flavour and offers a host of health benefits including a reduction in blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

What doesn’t go into your food is as important as what does and the YES! creators have taken great care to ensure that only the good stuff ends up in your bar. All the bars are completely gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians.

There are no preservatives, colourings, or artificial sweeteners and flavours.

Each bar contains only 5g of sugar.

When it comes to calories, YES! bars contain fewer than 190 each and that energy is released slowly, thanks to the snacks’ high protein content.

This makes them the perfect solution for busy days when you just don’t have the time to prepare a healthy snack in between meals.

There are three flavours to choose from: • Tempting Sea Salt, Dark Choc & Almond • Sumptuous Cranberry & Dark Choc • Delightful Coffee, Dark Choc & Cherry.

So, whether you’re nuts about almonds, can’t get enough of cranberries, or prefer a cheeky cherry flavour, there’s no tastier way to keep you going throughout the day.

YES! bars are available in all retail stores.

YES! bars are already making their way round Malta!

The YES! team was proud to attend The Pink Tea Garden event at Vincent’s Eco Farm, where guests loved trying out the different flavour combinations and discovering how to add this genuinely healthy snack to their daily diets. Next, YES! was also one of the must-have inclusions within the Run the #WaveOfChange goodie bags, with all participating runners given a scrumptious bar at the end of the event.

WOMENONWHEELS

JAZZY BY NAME, JAZZY BY NATURE

ANNA MARIE GALEA took to the Honda Jazz like a fish takes to water and found it to be a perfect family car.

I

t’s jazzy by name, jazzy by nature for the Honda Jazz from GasanZammit Motors Ltd I recently had the pleasure of driving.

I’m not one of those people who can quickly switch from driving one car to driving another in a matter of seconds; in fact, it usually takes me quite a few stops, starts and swearing from the people behind me to really find my mojo. However, in this case [and the photographer may wish to contradict me here], I took to the Jazz like a fish takes to water.

Considering how well-priced this car is, you would be forgiven for thinking that it didn’t come with much.

rougher terrains. We climbed a few green hills for the photographer to get his money shot, and at no point was I anxious or worried that the car would encounter any difficulty.

Something I found particularly intriguing was how spacious the Jazz was from the inside. Although it looked pretty compact at first sight, the area inside just kept giving and giving and I could easily imagine a family of four or five and all their stuff sitting more than comfortably in it.

The aforementioned magic seats are so versatile that you could literally fill the car with everything but the kitchen sink and not feel cramped.

All it takes is a quick pull down of

“SOMETHING I FOUND PARTICULARLY INTRIGUING WAS HOW SPACIOUS THE JAZZ WAS FROM THE INSIDE. ALTHOUGH IT LOOKED PRETTY COMPACT AT FIRST SIGHT, THE AREA INSIDE JUST KEPT GIVING AND GIVING”

However, nothing could be further from the truth. Complete with Magic Seats, Auto Lights Dusk Sensors, Hill Start Assist [HAS] and my favourite of the bunch, the Idle Stop/Start function, it really makes navigating our traffic a seamless affair. And we got to taste a

full-on amount of that as we took the car out for a spin at rush hour.

As the photographer guided me away from the hustle and bustle of the traffic and we took a turn into a hilly backstreet, I was impressed by how easily the car was able to negotiate

the back seats and the car is literally transformed.

Spacious without compromising on style and with an engine that runs as smoothly as a purring cat, this perfect-for-the-family car certainly had me dancing.

Pink July 2019 ∫ 47

PINKPROMO

FUTURISTIC WOUND HEALING TECHNOLOGY IN CLINICAL TRIALS Medsytec Engineering Ltd managing director Daniel Camilleri talks about the breakthrough in healing wounds thanks to stem cells and ground-breaking technology.

H

ave you ever imagined a gun that could shoot stem cells onto second-degree burns to heal the skin faster than ever before? Well, let’s just pause right there and recap that.

An American and German company are collaborating on this development, their initial idea being to grow human skin on bioreactors [an apparatus that functions like a large fermentation chamber for growing organisms under controlled conditions]. However, this idea was unsuccessful.

They came up with a device that very much resembled a gun, but it could keep over 97 per cent of the cells alive while gently distributing them onto the wound.

All that was needed was a skin sample from the patient. These stem cells naturally reside within the skin and are responsible for replacing approximately 500 million skin cells our body sheds every day.

Stem cells are cells of the body [somatic cells], which can divide and become differentiated. When an

“ONCE THE STEM CELLS ARE SPRAYED ON THE WOUND, THEY FORM THOUSANDS OF LITTLE REGENERATIVE ISLANDS THROUGHOUT” Reaching a near dead-end, another idea to use the actual wound as a bioreactor was proposed. Now, going back to the definition of bioreactor: what is a better controlled environment for cells to grow than the body itself ?

Great idea, but the challenge was to keep the cells alive until they were transferred to the wound. Since the original conventional method could only keep 50 to 60 per cent of the cells alive, they decided to build their own design.

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organism grows, stem cells specialise and take on specific functions. For instance, mature tissues like skin, muscle, blood, bone, liver and nerves all have different types of cells.

Once the stem cells are sprayed on the wound, they form thousands of little regenerative islands throughout.

This way, the wound heals simultaneously, rather than in the natural method from the edges to the middle.

The longer it takes, the higher the risk of inflammation and scarring. The bigger the wound, the higher the risk.

But this technology has already been tested on some patients and the results were marvellous.

A particular patient was suffering from second-degree burns on 30 per cent of his body and was released only four days after this treatment was done. He had regrown the epithelial layer and simply didn’t need any more dressings and special care.

Skin grafts [the method currently in use] are samples of skin taken from one part of the body, stretched, modified and reapplied to the wound area. The current ratio of donor area to wound area is 1:6.

With this new technology, the ratio is 1:100 without the need of stitches and scarring, and to top it off, the procedure takes no longer than 90 minutes.

How about that for a breakthrough?

Medsytec Engineering Ltd is in Megaline - argh - ar 1979, Qormi.

Building, Triq l-Gh For more information, send an e-mail to info@medsytec.com; or call on 9965 3001; www.medsytec.com

SNAPSHOT

Limelight & liberation As Davinia Pace promotes her latest single, Cure, IGGY FENECH catches up with the diva to find out where she’s planning on heading to next. Hint: It’s in New York!

B

efore I make my way to meet Davinia, I decide to rewatch her brand-new music video for Cure for the umpteenth time. The heat immediately gets turned up, both literally [everything goes up in flames!] and metaphorically [Davinia can be seen licking her male co-star, and pole dancers perform acrobatic moves].

What strikes me is how much Davinia’s image has changed since she first burst onto the scene. Rewind some five years, and Davinia’s music videos were much more subdued and kosher. She may have partied with Muxu in Feel Good Song and gone for proper folk feels in Sail Away, but there was little to show how – image-wise – that Davinia was going to become Malta’s most daring and controversial songstress.

But it didn’t all come out of the blue either. Two years ago, Davinia reinvented herself with Perfectly, the first song she released upon her return from Los Angeles. The video, which was directed by Steven Levi Vella, gave us a taster of just how grunge and unapologetically sexy Davinia’s visuals were set to become. The song, too, was a transition, and Cure delves deeper into the emotions that inspired both.

“It’s about a four-year relationship that left scars that were way too deep to heal quickly. It talks about how so many of us try to fill the void love leaves with bad flings that mean little emotionally and are physically unsatisfying. It is closure with all the good and the bad needed to achieve it,” she tells me as we sit at a table and order cappuccinos: normal for me; and with skimmed milk and two shots of espresso for her.

The song, which was actually finalised last summer, was put on hold until Davinia finally felt ready to deal with emotions she wanted to present. Indeed, Cure was ahead of its time for Davinia, as what it expressed was something she was still working on.

“It’s been a tough year emotionally, and I just wasn’t ready to release anything new. Then, finally, this year, I felt ready to go back to my diva self and to unveil my new sound and image.”

Written by Davinia and Muxu to a beat by DJ Siconix, this song builds on Perfectly in both rhythm and visuals. It made sense, therefore, for Levi Vella to direct the new video, but it had to be bigger and bolder than her last. The result is a video that took 13 hours to film and explores the Seven Deadly Sins Pink July 2019 ∫ 49

SNAPSHOT

– vices so many of us indulge in as we nurse ourselves back to emotional health after a break-up.

“The video is as savage as the song,” she continues. “It’s no-holds-barred and it was incredibly fun to film, as you can imagine. Though it was a very sweaty affair, seeing as this was done in June… In fact, I almost had a breakdown while doing the licking scene – the taste of sweat is not exactly pleasant!”

As Davinia continues with the anecdotes, we get talking about what it’s like for her to act.

“Oh, I have some big news for you,” she tells me, sitting up.

“I had an interview at the American Embassy right before meeting you. I’m going to New York for two years to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts [AADA]!”

Surprised, I ask her how it all came about, and she recounts how she had seen that the AADA were holding auditions in London. Never one to rest on her laurels, or get too comfortable within her work, she applied, thinking the worst they could say was no…

“So, I rang up the wonderful Polly March [a veteran actress], and we prepared for the interview together. It had always been my dream to study acting, but singing has always come more naturally to me. But I did get accepted for two scholarships and I’ll be making my way to New York come September!”

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This is, indeed, major news, particularly as alumni of AADA include world-renowned actors like Grace Kelly, Danny DeVito, Sarah Paulson, Kim Cattrall and Paul Rudd, to mention but a few.

“I’m excited and terrified at the same time,” she explains.

“While I have lived and worked in LA, NY is a different beast altogether. Even so, I’m ready and I can’t wait to go… And I already have another song lined up, which I would like to release while I’m there, so fingers crossed!”

As we pack up and sip the last drags of our cappuccinos, we continue talking about Davinia’s journey: from bursting onto the scene with Betrayed for the Malta Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 to having a sold-out show at The Viper Room in LA, through to her return with Perfectly two years ago and now heading to AADA. Indeed, while I don’t get to interview Davinia often, she has big news to share.

“I wonder what you’ll be up to next time we meet for an interview,” I tell her, jokingly.

She concludes as we air-kiss each other: “Broadway, darling. Broad-way!” Somehow, I know she’ll find her way to an audition there at some point… So watch this space!

Direction Steven Levi Vella Styling & Hair Clinton Chetcuti @ Vigorous Make-up Gabrielle Zammit Grungo