Pink (March 2019)

ISSUE173∫MARCH2019

The Pink Tea Garden

ALONG THE WELLNESS, WHOLESOME AND ORGANIC PATH GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

FEEL-GOOD FASHION

NEUTRAL, NATURAL, AND DOWN TO EARTH

“LIKE A TORNADO” MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TOOK OVER THEIR LIVES

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

ADJUSTING LIFESTYLES TO BE HEALTHIER

INSIDE

March 2019

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FEATURES 12 PrivateEye the invisible disability – living with MS Misunderstood, hard to diagnose and incurable 21 ArtyFacts what they dù best All-female theatre group 25 WomensWorld #womeninSTEM Girls do science too

FASHION 40 ShowStopper down to earth At one with nature 51 FashionStory trapped in plastic – fashion with a cause Highlighting the suffering of sea creatures

HEALTH & BEAUTY 55 InThePink the change Making menopause manageable

REGULARS 7 EditorsNote 8 MailShot 35 WomanKind the intellectual actress Eleonora Duse 59 TableTalk five-star freshness at your fingertips Vanilla and fresh strawberry layered log 63 SnapShot a singing sensation Miriam Gauci 64 Pink@TheParty The Pink Tea Garden 66 WomenOnWheels ‘like sitting in a church’ New Toyota Corolla

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COVER Photography Matthew B. Spiteri ∫ Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] ∫ Hair Dominic Bartolo from Dreads Hairdressing ∫ Make-up Jean Zammit ∫ Model Giulia @ Supernova MM, wearing dress, €235, Ted Baker.

4 ∫ Pink March 2019

EDITORSNOTE Stifling!

Statistics on the number of early deaths in Malta due to poor air quality are cause for that choking feeling. More than twice as previously thought, the situation is overwhelming, and it’s no wonder I find myself walking around with my scarf lifted above my nostrils not only when I’m having to dodge the more obvious plumes of dust wherever I go.

A new study shows that 576 people die prematurely every year of diseases brought on by airborne pollutants – staggering! Research using new data on the health impacts of air pollution also shows that the average person loses two years of life. Malta’s figures are worse than the EU average.

To put things into perspective, this means that air pollution causes more extra deaths a year than tobacco smoking. The thing is smoking is avoidable, but air pollution is not!

Moreover, and I didn’t really need a study to know this, there is now evidence of a direct link between air quality and overall mental health and happiness.

In an article, Peter Howley, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Leeds, says that, for decades, GDP has been the standard measure of a nation’s well-being. But it is becoming clear that an economic boost may not be accompanied by a rise in individual happiness. You don’t say!

“While there are many reasons for this, one important factor is that as nations become richer, environmental features such as green space and air quality often come under increasing threat.”

The mental health benefits of access to parks and waterfronts, for instance,

have long been recognised – not in Malta of course – but more recently, researchers have also started to look at the role air pollution can play in our happiness and the adverse effects of poor air are significant and well-established.

In light of all this, it’s also no wonder that I naturally gravitate towards greenery and open spaces, drawn like a magnet to the country side and the thought of fresh air, while many others equate quality of life with how tall an ego-boosting, non-descript building they can drop in the limited space they find, running roughshod over their own neighbourhood.

I’ve said this before, but this is one of the reasons why I never complain about the school run, mostly passing through country lanes and offering that pollutionfree feeling. It is also a drive through Bidnija, which I only really discovered after 2017 and which has a special place in my heart and mind. It’s a road that instils both dread and a strange and paradoxical sense of serenity – and the latter is due to the fact that it is still ‘safe’ from the feast of construction and destruction that is going on everywhere else.

It is these few remaining pockets that can keep us going – those of us who cannot take it anymore. It’s a stop at Vincent’s Eco Farm close by in Mgarr, where I stock up on organic produce and other healthy foods, that helps to start a day that is destined to be littered with [environmental] frustrations on a positive note.

That usually fades the moment you hit the fast road, but it is nonetheless a good start to be surrounded by people who respect nature… and their bodies… and who are going down the clean, healthy and eco-friendly route against a current of contamination and toxicity.

It is this wave of a want for wellness, for nurturing our minds and bodies, for going after goodness, that has inspired this magazine to embark on another

event, The Pink Tea Garden, gathering under one blue sky and what is left of our fresh air and natural environment the top brands and services in the field of wellbeing for people to learn about how to lead a better life and how even minor lifestyle changes can improve health.

The Pink Tea Garden, a Times of Malta event, in collaboration with Tettiera, is being held in the idyllic setting of Skorba Gardens on Vincent Eco Estate between 11am and 3pm for a day of feasting on healthy, light and clean food and refreshments, sampling the finest quality natural and organic products on the market, washed down with free-flowing artisanal teas, infused waters, juices and smoothies, and followed by delightful vegan desserts, all created with the freshest ingredients, sourced by the most dedicated hands with a passion for all things wholesome and pure.

It is also an opportunity to listen to talks and raise questions about why to go organic and justify the costs, the farm-tofork concept and how to treat menopause, for example, through natural remedies; to dip into the benefits of essential oils, botanical skincare, non-toxic fragrances, aromatherapy, Ayurveda, meditation, functional medicine, relaxing massages and natural weight-loss methods, all the while mingling with like-minded people, sharing ideas, networking and getting to know more, while picking up a goodie bag bursting with the best on the market.

It’s a recipe for a great day, so take the opportunity to cut off from those humdrum – and even harmful – habits and carve out your own way of coping with the dire situation out there.

Maybe, just maybe, the wave of interest in what we consume, inside and out, which also stems from more respect for our bodies, could possibly grow into a tsunami and push back the pollution?

Buy your tickets from www.ticketline.com.mt Let’s try!

March 24, 2019 ∫ Pink is a monthly magazine ∫ Issue 173 ∫ Executive editor Fiona Galea Debono ∫ Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Printing Progress Press Ltd ∫ Production Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Contributors Dominic Bartolo, Adriana Bishop, Tezara Camilleri, Iggy Fenech, Anna Marie Galea, Mary Galea Debono, Marisa Grima, Veronica Stivala, Jean Zammit ∫ Design Manuel Schembri ∫ Photography Amanda Hsu, Matthew Mirabelli, Chris Sant Fournier, Matthew B. Spiteri, Mark Zammit Cordina ∫ Advertising sales Veronica Grech Sant [2276 4333; veronica.grechsant@timesofmalta.com].

THIS PUBLICATION IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF:

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© 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole, or in part, without written permission of the publishers, is prohibited.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 7

MAILSHOT

THE LETTER THAT TICKLED PINK BORN AGAIN Organ donation is a topic close to my heart as we have experienced it twice in our family, receiving a kidney and liver. There are no words to describe how receiving an organ changes not only the recipient’s life, but also that of his family. It is like being born again; being given the chance to live again. Only those who experience it can truly understand. What touched me most, however, in the article Born to Shine [PrivateEye, February 2019] was the experience of the family of the donor. In our experience, we never knew or met the donor’s family. I was really touched by their experience and I am grateful that they not only shared their son, but also that they are sharing themselves by being so open about their grief and their feelings. I find that as a country we tend to hide our feelings and I truly believe that it is only by baring our innermost heartaches that the healing can begin. May I also say how I deeply relate to Adriana Bishop’s article Ticket for One [RelationTips, February 2019].

My thoughts exactly! I treasure my dates with myself, but for me, they are just a coffee alone or a shopping trip alone. I have not been courageous enough to go on a solo trip yet, but it is on my bucket list. I find that there are few women who understand this concept. In fact, many women I know do not even consider going shopping alone. I have passed this need onto my daughters – to be independent and happy in their own company.

We might appear strange, but it’s good to know we are not alone! Having two teens in the family, the article Teen Love by Dott. Edward Curmi [PinkShrink, February 2019] was also eye-opening. Overall, I found this issue of Pink very informative and enjoyable and I shall surely keep it for future reference. Well done!

ISABELLE CASSAR, FROM ZURRIEQ

The writer of the letter of the month wins a Carven Dans Ma Bulle eau de parfum; and a Montblanc Explorer eau de parfum both from Chemimart.

NATURAL BEAUTY IS INCOMPARABLE Dear editor, the whole layout and content of Pink is very interesting, and I always look forward to it. I was moved by the article Born to Shine, [PrivateEye, February 2019] regarding organ transplants as I’m a blood donor myself and have registered myself as an organ donor should I die in hospital before my time. Another article l found extremely interesting was A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words [ArtyFacts, February 2019]. I’m an artist and, years ago, I used to run around with my Nikon camera and take pictures of nature and then make paintings of them. Nowadays, I photograph beautiful sunsets, sunrises and rainbows in all their glory with my mobile phone camera, and every time l look at them, I feel something spiritual inside me as natural beauty is unique and incomparable to anything. Please keep up the good work.

DAVID BORG ATTARD, FROM VITTORIOSA

FULL OF SURPRISES Dear Pink, what I enjoyed reading more than anything else in the January issue was A Hidden Life [WomanKind] by Mary Galea Debono. It came to me as a surprise that Charles Dickens had a secret love affair. However, it shouldn’t have for, generally, I like and appreciate Ms Galea Debono’s contribution to Pink… and certainly, she is full of surprises in her writings! The news should not have surprised me for another reason – that is, everyone is human – and certainly men are too. This information about Dickens’s life has not altered my admiration for the writer – a great author that has given the world very interesting works that have enriched English literature throughout the times.

ANTOINETTE BARTOLO, FROM PIETÀ

WRITE IN AND WIN

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The writer of the letter of the month wins two tickets to The Pink Tea Garden on April 5, a Times of Malta event, in conjunction with Tettiera, for a day immersed in wellness and open to all things healthy, nutritious, wholesome, pure and organic in the idyllic natural setting of Skorba Gardens on Vincent Eco Estate in Mgarr.

Write to Pink, with your contact details, at Allied Newspapers Limited, Triq l-Intornjatur, Mrieћel, BKR 3000, or send an e-mail to pink@timesofmalta.com Correspondence may be edited for length and clarity. If prizes are not claimed within two months, they will no longer be available. Winners should be willing to have their photograph taken for marketing purposes.

8 ∫ Pink March 2019

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PRIVATEEYE

THE INVISIBLE DISABILITY Living with MS

Misunderstood, difficult to diagnose and ultimately incurable, Multiple Sclerosis takes over a sufferer’s life “like a tornado”, affecting every aspect of it. On the occasion of MS Awareness Week, marked in March, ADRIANA BISHOP talks to two women whose lives were irrevocably changed by MS, but who refuse to be bowed by this lifelong condition.

A

few weeks ago, 55-year-old Christine Montague took control of a three-seater Cessna plane for the first time ever and flew over the Maltese Islands. The taster private flying lesson was a Christmas present from her family. Her son Sam, himself a commercial pilot, watched bemused from his passenger seat. Such was the thrill of this first flying experience that Christine has not ruled out the possibility of taking to the sky once more in the near future.

She wouldn’t be the first woman in her mid-50s to take on flying lessons, but there is one thing that makes her skyward ambitions all the more remarkable. Christine has Multiple Sclerosis [MS]. And if you think her condition has left her wallowing at home, feeling sorry for herself, be prepared to rethink MS, for Christine is determined not to let it define her.

But first of all, we need to get to grips with what MS actually is. This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood conditions, an invisible disability that afflicts around 350 people in Malta. It is a lifelong, progressively debilitating condition for which there is no cure.

MS is a neurodegenerative disease 12 ∫ Pink March 2019

affecting the central nervous system [the brain and the spinal cord] and is associated with the loss of myelin, which is a sheath that forms around the nerves.

Less myelin leads to disruptions in the transmission of electrical impulses to and from the brain, causing MS symptoms such as blurred vision, extreme fatigue, pain, numbness in the legs and hands, loss of movement and speech problems.

It affects almost three times as many women as it does men and this gender difference has been increasing over the past 50 years. It is estimated there are 700,000 people with MS across Europe, the majority of whom are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 years old.

customised cane, went viral. Suddenly #multiplesclerosis started trending on Instagram and grabbing headlines.

Two days before her red-carpet appearance, the actress told her one million Instagram followers in a heartbreakingly honest and revealing post how the costume designer on her Netflix show helps her get her legs into her trousers, pull her tops over her head, button up her coats. Her message reflected what every single MS sufferer goes through every single day for the rest of their lives.

“I am disabled. I fall sometimes. I drop things. My memory is foggy. And my left side is asking for directions from a

“It affects almost three times as many women as it does men and this gender difference has been increasing over the past 50 years” One female sufferer described MS as a “tornado because there isn’t a part of you that isn’t affected”. Just last month, MS stole into the spotlight on social media when a video of Hollywood star and MS sufferer Selma Blair, hobbling glamorously on the Oscars red carpet with the aid of a

broken GPS. But we are doing it. And I laugh and I don’t know exactly what I will do precisely but I will do my best … I am in the thick of it, but I hope to give some hope to others. And even to myself,” she wrote as MS sufferers the world over nodded in unison.

PRIVATEEYE Not even the sky is the limit for MS sufferer Christine Montague… She may not be able to drive anymore as she suffers from spasms in her shoulder and arm, but she managed to tick another goal off her bucket list when she recently flew a Cessna plane.

“Some eight years ago, I was working as an LSA and had to take time off work because I was feeling under the weather. After three weeks of feeling unwell, I became paralysed on my left side and lost my hearing on the left. As I also happen to have a heart condition, I called my cardiologist. I thought I was having a stroke. It wasn’t a stroke; it was a neurological episode.”

However, Christine was still not taking it seriously. She was advised to go to hospital as an emergency patient, but she didn’t go. “I couldn’t walk; I couldn’t focus on TV. I rested and the symptoms got slightly better, so I thought I could handle this. I am the type of person who likes to be in control of things, so I thought how dare my body give up.”

It took another three weeks before Christine understood that these symptoms needed further medical attention. “When the neurologist saw me, he immediately knew what it was.

An MRI scan showed there were plaques in my head, albeit not many, confirming it was MS. I went to hospital the next day, thinking I was just going to be given some medication and get sent back home, but I was admitted straightaway and kept for 10 days. I was in agony at that point.”

Despite suffering from a raging headache and vomiting after a lumbar puncture, Christine never lost

“Once you recover from an episode, you can get on with life.

I pretended it hadn’t happened and that it would go away.

But it had happened… and it did not go away” “HOW DARE MY BODY GIVE UP” Christine was diagnosed relatively late, at the age of 48, but it took her some time to come to terms with the diagnosis. “At first, I pretended everything was OK and that it would go away. I dug my head under the sand,” she confessed.

Looking back, she believes the earliest signs of the condition were already showing when she was in her 20s. “I think my first episode occurred when I was around 21 years old. I was living in the UK and took on a job at a 7-Eleven convenience food store, working all hours to make enough money

to buy a house. I was at work one day and I fell down the stairs. I thought my legs gave way under me. I lost my peripheral vision for three or four days. Later, when we were living in Holland, I remember going up the spiral staircase at home on my hands and knees. I used to walk everywhere and sometimes I would walk as if I was drunk.”

It would take another 20-odd years before the symptoms, or episodes, intensified to a point when one particular incident landed her in hospital. “I was always told that my symptoms were due to stress. Stress is a trigger, but the symptoms of MS were there,” explains Christine.

her fighting spirit. “I asked the doctor if I would be well enough to travel for an event in the UK at Christmas a few weeks later.”

Ever the pragmatist and not just a little optimistic, she whiled away the time in hospital doing online shopping. “I had lost some weight and bought myself a size 12 dress for the party,” she added.

Undeterred by her newly diagnosed condition, Christine did go to that party a few weeks later, wearing that new dress.

“Once you recover from an episode, you can get on with life. I pretended it hadn’t happened and that it would go away.”

But it had happened… and it did not go away. Two years later, fatigue, which Pink March 2019 ∫ 13

PRIVATEEYE afflicts all MS sufferers no matter the form of their condition, started taking its toll on Christine. “It was the end of the scholastic year. I was very busy doing voluntary pastoral care at the catechism centre, and after the last function, I collapsed in the street. A Russian lady rushed out of a restaurant nearby, grabbed me and helped me home. My condition started deteriorating again and I was going down the same road towards paralysis. Another MRI scan revealed more plaques on my spine too.

“While sitting in hospital, hooked to a steroids drip, I met another woman who asked me if I was a member of the MS Society. I didn’t even know there was a society in Malta because I was ignoring MS so much. I called its president, Carmen Muscat, and had a good cry with her over the phone for over an hour. After that, I went to my first meeting.”

only 157 or so are known to the Society.

“A lot of people don’t want to join because they don’t want to see people in wheelchairs and get a glimpse of what they will become themselves. But I have met a lot of lovely people through the Society, who have helped me a great deal,” she admits.

For Christine, the diagnosis came as something of a relief after years of having her seemingly random symptoms dismissed under the umbrella term of ‘stress’.

“All the symptoms I had been feeling now had a label and I could do something about it,” she says. However, it is not easy coming to terms with such a devastating and life-changing diagnosis, especially if the patient is in their 20s.

“Imagine you are diagnosed with MS as a 20-year-old and suddenly all your dreams of a gap year, a career, a relationship, are

“Imagine you are diagnosed with MS as a 20-year-old and suddenly all your dreams of a gap year, a career, a relationship, are all shattered. People need psychological help” Today, Christine is the secretary of the MS Society and has represented Malta on numerous international conferences and events. She has even been selected for specialist courses in Brussels on lobbying and leadership, which helps her with her advocacy role within the Society.

“I had to stop working because of MS. I have to do things at my own pace.

These courses in Brussels have given me a sense of worthiness, which is very important to me. With MS, I get brain fog – I could be reading a form, or an instruction, and I would miss out chunks of it,” she admits.

Another symptom of MS is debilitating chronic fatigue, which leaves Christine feeling tired even half an hour after waking up, following a good night’s sleep. “The school went out of its way to keep me, but I couldn’t continue working.

MS made me take that step. I took an abrupt decision. I even refused a farewell party because it was too emotional. Even talking about it now is too emotional.”

[It is estimated that 80 per cent of MS sufferers stop working within 15 years of diagnosis.]

While there are around 350 people known to be suffering with MS in Malta, 14 ∫ Pink March 2019

all shattered. People need psychological help from the diagnosis. They need to be prepared and informed of what is available for them especially in terms of support.”

Christine is hoping to use her newly acquired lobbying skills to encourage the government to introduce MS nurses, who would specialise in taking care of MS patients, acting as a first point of contact between the patient and the various medical specialists that are involved in treating a sufferer’s varied symptoms.

This system is already in use in countries such as the UK, where there are some 300 MS nurses. The MS nurse programme was actually announced in Malta some six years ago, but to date, there are still no MS nurses.

“Some patients don’t even realise the need for a MS nurse,” remarks Christine.

“Their role is to liaise between the neurologist and the patient. Neurologists are busy people, and with modern drugs available today, they need to have a lot of data to see how people are reacting to various medication. The MS nurses personalise that as they would know the patient in depth. Once I was on holiday and I started feeling enormous pain in

my leg. I checked on the website of the European Multiple Sclerosis Platform [EMSP] as I suspected it might be related to MS. If I had an MS nurse then, I would have called, and I would have been directed on the way to proceed.

“We have 350 patients, but most of them are working on their own. We need a more patient-centred approach, with a multi-disciplinary team that puts the patient at the centre from day one; from diagnosis.”

General awareness about MS is key in understanding the condition; hence the annual Awareness Week held worldwide in March and the World MS Day, which this year will be marked on May 30.

“People still have no idea what MS is,” points out Christine. Some mix it up with scoliosis [a medical condition in which a patient’s spine is curved sideways], or are completely ignorant of the facts about MS. Others try to empathise by claiming they too suffer from headaches, fatigue, aches and pains, which bear no similarities with the real symptoms felt

by MS patients. Worse still, many remark how “they don’t look sick” or that “everyone gets tired”, offering unsolicited medical advice.

Christine also highlights the importance of accessing the correct information about the condition.

“On the internet, people find all sorts of information about MS, which is rubbish, but through the EMSP and the MS International Federation [MSIF], they can read accurate information.”

The MS Society in Malta raises funds to give its members subsidised physiotherapy and occupational therapy at home. The society also organises psychotherapy and psychiatric workshops for members and their carers.

“The ones who are forgotten the most are the child carers, some as young as six years old, who support their mummy after school. Those children grow up with a mess in their lives. They need more recognition. There are other issues that also arise, such as cases of separation because the partner is not ready to take on the role of carer. There are cases where the patient ends up completely abandoned and alone.”

Christine does not permit MS to control her life, but she does concede she has to make adjustments as the condition progresses. She is determined,

however, to always see the positive side as much as possible, and recalls how at an MS conference in Oslo, she spotted a fellow delegate at breakfast in a wheelchair, with a pair of bright pink crutches stashed behind the chair. “I thought, that’s what I would want,” she smiles gleefully.

“You hear a lot of stories; some are sad, but some have a more positive ending. That’s what I would like to be.

I cannot pretend it’s not there, but I’d like to see the positive in this condition,” she adds.

However, it is not always so easy to “see the positive”. Christine cannot drive anymore as she suffers from spasms in her shoulder and arm.

She sometimes loses her vision and the spasms make her throw up.

“I am at the stage where I need a bit more support now. I realised that in recent months, when I am out, I have to hold on to someone, or if I am alone, I hold on to the wall.

Recently, I was walking back from church and I was zigzagging across the street. Someone remarked loudly that I may be drunk. I turned around and told him: ‘No, I am not drunk; I have MS.’ “I was down for a few days after that and I asked my physiotherapist to teach me how to use crutches because I wanted to have them as a security blanket. I needed to get over that hurdle. I needed to feel empowered, and if the crutches are going to help me, then I will use them.”

People suffering from MS deteriorate at different rates. While some end up in a wheelchair, others may seem ‘normal’, making it all the more difficult for people to understand or acknowledge this invisible disability.

“I had so many people tell me: ‘But you look so well.’ Some people frown when I sit in the section reserved for disabled persons on a bus, but I cannot stand on a bus. People wouldn’t understand me having a blue sticker on my car, but I cannot park miles away because I wouldn’t be able to get back; I would be too tired to walk. Tolerance is key,” explains Christine.

She has devised a way of coping with her day by splitting it into three sections, with the expectation of only

Lea Tabone still cannot say she has accepted her diagnosis.

managing to successfully complete two out of three of those. “If I have something in the evening, I will definitely rest in the afternoon and maybe in the morning too. You don’t focus on what you haven’t done, but what you can manage to achieve.

I give myself little goals.”

One of those goals is to feed her passion for rock music by attending concerts of her favourite band Nickelback whenever they happen to be performing in Europe. Flying a plane was another goal ticked off her bucket list.

“My family support me in this way by sending me to these concerts; these goals to aim for and look forward to,” she says, adding that MS made her appreciate more the importance of living for the moment.

But even for someone with so much zest for life as Christine, some days with MS simply get too much.

“Depression is very common with MS. I refuse to say I have depression, but I could get a day when I am just crying the whole time and feeling very emotional. It’s all part and parcel of the mess that’s happening up there in the brain. I start my day with half an hour of meditation. When I am very tired, I listen to rock music, and if Nickelback doesn’t do it, then it’s Linkin Park.”

“MS HAS BROKEN MY LIFE” LEA TABONE, 45, has been living with MS for over 20 years. She was so young when she was diagnosed that she just cannot imagine what her life would have been like without the disease. This is her story.

“

I was diagnosed with MS three months after giving birth to my daughter. I was just 22 years old. At the time, there was little to no information about the condition. I had no idea what it was or what the diagnosis meant.

I was experiencing double vision from both eyes and started feeling numbness in my fingers. I was admitted to hospital, but in those days, there was no MRI scanner in Malta and they were planning to send me to the UK for a scan. Several months passed and the numbness continued to spread through my hands and legs. It felt like pins and needles.

I couldn’t hold my baby daughter because I couldn’t feel anything. I missed out on caring for her properly in those early months and years because of this condition.

I tried to walk, but instead of the floor I would feel a hole under my feet.

A lumbar puncture revealed I had MS, but I had to wait for Malta’s first MRI scanner to be introduced in a private hospital before the diagnosis was fully confirmed and treatment could start.

The diagnosis was like a lightning bolt out of the blue. I didn’t know if I would ever be normal again. I thought I was going crazy.

I didn’t know if I could ever get out of bed.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 15

PRIVATEEYE Then they told me that as an MS sufferer I could not have any more children.

[Medical advice today has changed and women with MS can have a baby, but careful planning with family and a doctor is advised.] That was a shock to me as I was so young and only just starting my family. It felt like my world had stopped.

I used to work very long hours; I enjoyed my work. I was a very active person, always busy doing something and my hobby was going out for long walks every day. All that had to stop. I couldn’t do anything anymore.

“I hate the feeling of fatigue washing over me” I became depressed. I was bedridden for a very long time. At first, the treatment consisted of injections on alternate days, however, I kept on getting relapses. I tried a different treatment, which involved a weekly injection that was so painful to administer, I had to be sedated. I would be bedridden for two days following each injection.

For many years, I never knew what a weekend was because I would spend each Saturday and Sunday in bed recovering from the injection. I continued getting relapses, but in the past couple of years, I started a new treatment in pill form that has helped me a lot. For the first time in many years, I was not confined to a bed on a Saturday. I could go out at the weekend again. I felt reborn.

During those long days in bed, my daughter would look after me, bringing me coffee and toast. While I appreciated her thoughtfulness, I felt guilty about the role reversal. It should have been me looking after her not the other way around. She was only a little girl.

I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without MS. I was too young when I was diagnosed. I had planned my future differently. Eventually, MS was one of the contributing factors that cost me my marriage. I was in a deep depression. I felt like I was lost in another world. I don’t blame anyone. I blame myself. Maybe I could have calmed down and reacted differently, but when you don’t find any help or support it’s very difficult.

Up to this day, I still cannot say that I have accepted the diagnosis and maybe I never will. MS has broken my life. I felt like 16 ∫ Pink March 2019

it had stopped at the age of 22. Now I have learnt how to deal with it. All this time, I kept trying to fight the condition. I wanted to stand up, to get out of bed, to try, and that is what kept me going and not lose heart.

For ages, I didn’t want to see anyone or speak to anyone. My doctor helped me a great deal. He gave me a huge amount of support and encouraged me to stay positive.

Nowadays, when I get tired, I accept that there is nothing I can do about it and I stop. If I feel well, I take the opportunity to do what I can in that short period of time. I can still walk, but I cannot go for long walks like I used to. If we go abroad, then I use a scooter so that I can keep on going. I consider myself lucky as a lot of my symptoms have regressed. The scars are still there, of course, but the condition has not progressed.

People still don’t understand this condition. Far from it! If I park in a disabled parking bay and people don’t see me using a wheelchair, they comment. The comments hurt. I pretend not to hear them, but it still hurts. I wish I could park anywhere I wanted like everyone else. I wish I didn’t have anything wrong with me just like you.

MS is invisible. People cannot figure out that I have this condition. If you look at me, you don’t see it. But inside me, it’s as if I have an alarm clock ticking away: at some point, I will get tired; at some point, I can get up. In the morning, I find it difficult to start the day even after a good night’s sleep; then in the evening, sometimes, I get a good couple of hours when I feel refreshed like I had just woken up. I enjoy those short moments when I feel fine and keep on going.

Today, I work reduced hours in a pharmacy. I spend most of the day sitting down. Friends cannot understand that when I am tired, I actually have to stop.

I hate having to explain why I am tired; why I am suddenly limping. So when I am not feeling well, I prefer not to go to work.

People start asking me questions: ‘Are you tired? Did you hurt your leg? Did you work too much?’ These questions are well meaning, but they don’t reflect the situation.

I wouldn’t want to hear certain comments.

I hate the feeling of fatigue washing over me.

I insist on trying to do things on my own as much as possible for as long as I can. Even if chores take me four times as long, the sense of satisfaction I feel from having done something on my own despite the condition is enormous.

I enjoy working and I used to work long hours before I got sick. Now, I simply cannot work those hours if I am tired.

When I was younger, I used to hear criticism about this, and it used to make me feel down. I used to feel I am not like everyone else. You have to experience it in order to understand it.

I feel very lonely in this condition. I feel emotional even saying it. When I went to the gym to use the pool, I watched all those active people on the machines, and I wondered what they would think when they saw me getting in the pool. I tried to work out a way of walking to the pool without them seeing me.

I am scared of the future. I am honestly scared of how the condition will progress, especially with my eyes. I recently had a relapse and temporarily lost my vision.

I would like to see my daughter start her own family. I know my eyesight will deteriorate, but I don’t know when. That’s why I enjoy the moments when I feel good and I make the most of it. That’s why I want to keep working even just for a few hours – at least I am good for something, otherwise I feel worthless.

I was one of the first people to join the MS Society when it started, and even though I am not active, I would urge anyone who has this condition to seek help and support. Even if you just sit down at a meeting and do not say anything, it would still help you. You will realise that you are not alone.

”

COLD HARD FACTS • MS is a progressive disease of the central nervous system [brain and spinal cord] • There is no cure • It is not contagious or infectious • It is not hereditary • Symptoms vary but fatigue is one of the most common • Many of the symptoms can be successfully managed and treated

Visit www.msmalta.org.mt for the bank details to make a donation to support MS patients.

A donation of €6.99 can also be made via SMS to 50618941, or by sending a cheque to the MS Society of Malta, PO Box 63, B’Kara. Follow on Facebook @MultipleSclerosisSocietyofMalta and Instagram msmalta1997. For more information, send an e-mail to info@msmalta.org.mt; or call on 2780 6127; www.msif.org; www.emsp.org

Simone Spiteri, Franica Pulis and Magdalena van Kuilenburg.

ARTYFACTS

WHAT THEY DÙ BEST The all-female Dù theatre group marks 15 years since its first performance. VERONICA STIVALA speaks to some of its members to find out why they started out and still remain all women, and why there is still a lot that needs to change in terms of female representation in theatre.

S

ince their two-hander performance entitled Pollen back in 2004, Dù theatre group have come a long way. This year is their 15th anniversary, which they are marking with a performance, Repubblika Immakulata, written and directed by founding member Simone Spiteri.

Since their first performance, they explored the search for equality and have grow not just in terms of quality, but also in terms of group members – now five women.

Interestingly, it was founded as an all-female group, the first of its kind in Malta, simply because of a lack of male actors, although their performances, including this one, have included men. Asked why the decision to start off all female, Simone explains that it was really quite simply because those were the people she found to work with.

“I was fresh out of university and drama school – three intensive years of theatre theory and practice – and I just didn’t want to sit at home waiting for the phone to ring to be cast in something. I wanted to, naively perhaps, keep on experimenting and exploring what we had started during our training.

“I had started writing a few things, had a lot of ideas and a couple of course mates, who happened to be girls, wanted to take the same risk and trusted my raw and green vision. We just wanted to do theatre,” she reminisces.

And that’s where Dù started.

The group went on to make a name for itself, being particularly known for devising original work, placing a strong focus on its native language and presenting projects in a fresh and innovative way. Actress Magdalena Van Kuilenburg admits how the challenge to find all-female scripts that sparked their interest was the reason why the majority of their all-female performances were written

by Simone.

While the women in this group ultimately remain the decision makers, their performances evolved to include men. “The male counterparts complement the vision of the projects we create, highlighting the complementary and contrasting male-female relationships,” she says.

That the women in the group are the decision makers was not intentional, notes Franica Pulis, the production manager. “We certainly didn’t plan on having the core Pink March 2019 ∫ 21

Rehearsing with Ryan Cutajar and Pierre Stafrace.

ARTYFACTS

group exclusively female, or to keep on adding female members, but somehow, we keep on attracting women to dedicate a piece of their life to our projects.”

Franica reflects on how they work well together: “All five of us are multi-skilled and have excellent time-management skills – something the production and creative process demand. But most of all, we have fun working together, which is what keeps us dù-ing it.”

Their latest creation, Repubblika Immakulata, coproduced with Spazju Kreattiv, is a satirical comedy that tells the story of four siblings who live under one roof. Everything unfolds within 24 hours: a snap general election, the village feast and Petra’s wedding. David is running for office for the first time; Franklin, a fireworks enthusiast, leaves the house for the traditional festive march and is accompanied back home by the police; and Petra, who’s been planning her wedding for three years, will have to navigate the winning political party’s carcades on her way to church.

“BUT MOST OF ALL, WE HAVE FUN WORKING TOGETHER, WHICH IS WHAT KEEPS US DÙ-ING IT” While at face value, the play does not seem to address any topics specifically related to women, Franica reveals otherwise: “There are three strong female characters, who are very different from each other and portray three women with three different stories. The play doesn’t tackle a specific female issue; it’s a mirror of Maltese life and all that comes with it. However, it sheds light on the hardships women in our society have to face on a daily basis, which men might not.”

The group’s strong female presence lies not just on, but also behind the stage: its members have managed successfully to be artistic creators, directors and producers in a world where men are usually the decision makers.

But is the group actually feminist? “Feminism has different facets. Being women, performing plays written by 22 ∫ Pink March 2019

a woman most of the time, and leading our vision through a collective of female perspectives is automatically feminist.

It is driven by our experiences as women,” replies Simone.

But they do not close their doors to men, or to issues that transcend womanhood. They are interested in telling stories about what makes us tick as humans; as Maltese.

“And we can’t oust men from that journey. Our female leadership within the company gives us a different edge, yes, but is it exclusive to women? Definitely not! And our work is richer for it,” says Simone.

She is well aware, however, that while the theatre world is certainly not wanting when it comes to female actors, this is sadly often where the buck stops. And she asks: “How many plays have you watched that were either written or directed [or both] by a woman recently? In the past decade?”

This is a universal challenge, she notes, adding that the theatre world is still very male-dominated when it comes to these roles… And it is not just the issues tackled on stage that need to lend a stronger ear to the plight and lives of women in general.

Simone adds that certain perceptions in this regard need to change behind the scenes too: “A female director who asks for things to be a certain way is often labelled as demanding and difficult. A male director asking for the same thing is confident and knows what he wants. It’s not a blanket statement, of course; there are many teams and systems that do not subscribe to this type of behaviour. But it exists and it’s something I’ve experienced once or twice in my career when I was at the helm of a project.”

In sum, Simone believes it’s the diversity we need: “The theatre world can only stand to gain from projects being led or conceived by women because they will bring something to the table that men never can. It’s a bit of an obvious thing to say, but the stark simplicity of the concept is what we sometimes forget. It’s not a better or worse thing, and it’s not one that comes at the expense or instead of the other.

We need both. And the diversity can only make the collective experience of going to the theatre a richer one.”

Repubblika Immakulata plays at Spazju Kreattiv, St James Cavalier, Valletta, on March 29, 30, 31 and April 5, 6, 7 at 8pm. For tickets visit: https://www.kreattivita.org/en/event/repubblika-immakulata/ and https://www.facebook.com/dutheatremalta/

WOMENSWORLD

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#women inSTEM

Last month, Malta joined the rest of the world in celebrating the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science. ADRIANA BISHOP talks to three women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics [STEM] and ICT-related fields who are making their mark in an area that is still dominated by men.

y nine-year-old daughter’s Christmas wish list last year included a remote-controlled Lego Technic tractor, which she insisted on building herself, doggedly refusing any offers of help.

As she sat on her bedroom floor working her way through the instructions, a couple of Barbie dolls, relics of birthdays passed, remained stashed away under her bed, gathering dust, untouched and unopened with no hope of ever being played with.

My daughter’s ‘un-girly’ choice is by no means unique, but it is certainly rather ‘modern’, reflecting the wave of change in gender perceptions and attitudes that has been rolling in over recent decades.

She is part of a new generation who will grow up with the highest ever awareness of gender equality in a world defined by technology and social media. I, on the other hand, am part of the last generation to be brought up without computers in our bedroom until early adulthood, without a mobile phone [I was in my early 20s when I got my first brick-sized Nokia] and with more traditional [read: conservative] views of career options for men and women.

In the meantime, what my daughter will probably never realise is that generations of women had to struggle against countless odds to make Lego tractors for girls seem like a ‘normal’ choice. Women today have never had it this good. In terms of career options and opportunities, not even the sky is the limit.

It seems we are achieving more in almost all fields.

I say ‘almost’ because there is one area where women continue to be greatly underrepresented, and if my daughter wants to have any hope of turning her ability to build Lego tractors into a career in engineering, or her aptitude for computer games into a job in ICT, then that wave of change needs to gather more momentum now.

Science remains the one area where the discrepancy between males and females is still most pronounced in almost every related field and at every career stage, with the exception of medicine.

There was a total of 6,628 women graduating from the University of Malta in 2017/2018 compared to 4,695 men, but in certain faculties, the numbers were strongly skewed in favour of men.

Engineering graduates remain predominantly male [334 to 98 women]; the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology had 308 male graduates but only 70 women; while the Faculty of Science saw 217 men graduating compared to 196 women. The Institute of Aerospace Technologies only had 19 graduates, all male. The Institute of Digital Games had a total of 28 graduates, but only six of them were women.

The Malta College of Arts Science and Technology [Mcast] is making every effort to redress this imbalance and was singled out during last year’s EU Code Week as the country with the highest number of events per Pink March 2019 ∫ 25

Dr Marija Demicoli

WOMENSWORLD

capita organised to inspire people of all ages to learn to “bring ideas to life with code”. The Directorate for Learning & Assessment Programmes has introduced a raft of initiatives in schools to instil an interest in STEM-related subjects at an early age with the hope that this would develop into a career choice.

While the future may be bright for my daughter and her peers, 20- and 30something women today are still finding themselves in the minority in these fields.

#thisgirlcan Mechanical engineer Dr Marija Demicoli summed up the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated environment in her graduation speech: “As a Gozitan female engineer with seemingly all the odds against me to break through the glass ceiling, I hope I will serve as a role model to show that you should never let anyone diminish your dreams.”

Marija was the first Maltese woman to do a PhD at the world-famous European Organisation for Nuclear Research [CERN] 26 ∫ Pink March 2019

in Geneva, but the journey to success was not an easy one.

“I would be lying if I said that my study and work journey so far was not challenging,” Marija confesses. “At times, it was overwhelming and tiring, with some disheartening moments, but looking back, I am very satisfied and proud of what I have managed to achieve with the support of my loved ones.”

Thirty-year-old Marija hails from the small village of San Lawrenz in Gozo and, apart from her brother, who has a PhD in neuroscience and functional genetics, the rest of the family are not into science or engineering.

“I think my interest in Mathematics and Physics from a very young age, together with my fascination for how things work, were the factors that played a major role in my decision to pursue a career in mechanical engineering.”

But Marija soon realised there were not that many other women who shared her interests. “I admit that, at first, it was a shock when during our first lecture at university I realised how much in the minority we female students were. I

remember the Dean at the time telling us during our first introductory lecture that, in his time as an engineering student, there had only been one female student in the engineering course. There were certainly more of us than that in the class, but we were still a minority.”

However, while men dominated the classroom in terms of numbers, female students never felt underrated. “I personally do not think that at university any of us female students felt we were at any time at a disadvantage just because we were women,” Marija adds.

The situation proved somewhat different, however, in the environment.

“I believe that the real challenge for female engineers becomes evident when they start their career within industries that are still male dominated,” Marija points out.

“Although the situation has improved compared to what it used to be, female engineers might still find it slightly intimidating to work in such maledominated work environments.”

Gender stereotypes are slow to change.

“I think that the discrepancy between

WOMENSWORLD male and female students in this field stems from the fact that in the world out there, the profession of a mechanical engineer still evokes images of a sturdylooking man in an oil-stained boiler suit with a spanner in his hand trying to fix a car’s engine,” Marija remarks.

“Sadly, this is still one of the misconceptions of what it is like to be an engineer. Breaking stereotypes is never easy. In reality, engineering is a lot more than just that… Above all, it is proven to help students develop necessary skills that are transferable to most work environments such as critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, innovation, project management, teamworking and communication.”

Marija had to rely on this full set of skills and then some when she embarked on her doctoral studies at CERN. “My placement with this renowned research laboratory was for three years. Without any doubt, working at CERN has been one of the most wonderful achievements of my life. This certainly does not mean that it was a walk in the park. Honestly, far from it!

“Just finishing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and having a limited background in accelerator physics, I first had to work extremely hard to familiarise myself with the project background before I could apply my engineering skills to such a multidisciplinary project.

On top of all this, I was far away from the people dearest to my heart.

experience, today, I have friends and collaborators from every continent.”

Back home, Marija is nearing the end of a three-year post-doctoral research project. And as she prepares to embark on the most challenging ‘project’ of her life so far, motherhood, she reflects on her 2015 graduation speech and her message to women and young girls who dare to dream of a future in sciences.

“I wanted to encourage female students to pursue a career in engineering and to tell them that they must not let anyone or the fact that they are in a minority dishearten them or get in their way.

“It is maybe easier to get demotivated or disheartened when you realise that you are in the minority, but this should not be the way of thinking. I believe everyone, be it male or female, has an equal ability and should have an equal right and opportunity to pursue what they wish for and to succeed in doing what they strive for.”

Being Gozitan added an extra layer of challenge for Marija. “Of course, I want to make it clear that no student is at any disadvantage during any course at the University of Malta simply because they are Gozitan or female. However, being Gozitan, I found it slightly hard to struggle with everyday needs in addition to coping with demanding studies, and this feeling was shared with my fellow Gozitan classmates.

“THE PROFESSION OF A MECHANICAL ENGINEER STILL EVOKES IMAGES OF A STURDY-LOOKING MAN IN AN OIL-STAINED BOILER SUIT WITH A SPANNER IN HIS HAND TRYING TO FIX A CAR’S ENGINE” “My PhD research at CERN involved working on the collimators of the Large Hadron Collider [LHC]… One of my most nerve-wracking experiments involved crash testing a real collimator. I knew that I had better get my first and only attempt right as I would not have had the chance to do another such experiment during my PhD, given that the cost of each collimator is around a €250,000.

“Looking back, my experience at CERN was enriching on both scientific and personal levels. The fact that I was among thousands of engineers, physicists and computer scientists from all over the world speaks for itself. Thanks to this

“At the end of the day, I think everyone appreciates finding a warm meal and clean clothes when they go home after a day of lectures or studying. Gozitans have to do all this by themselves, or else ‘waste’ several hours travelling to be at home.”

Marija has a heartfelt message of encouragement for girls thinking of studying sciences: “It is OK to have disheartening moments and to feel overwhelmed because, yes, sciences in general can be difficult. The important thing is to stay focused, to be determined to achieve what you wish for and to never let anyone diminish your dreams. I want to assure all young girls out there that, in

the end, a career in science or engineering will be very rewarding and satisfying.”

While she is grateful for the support she received from the University of Malta, Marija appeals for more information to be made available to students about courses in STEM-related fields. “I believe there is still a lot of misperception on what benefits and skills students will achieve and on what careers and opportunities they will be able to pursue after they graduate from STEM-related courses.

“My studies have not only enhanced my knowledge and presented me with new research opportunities, but they have also helped me grow on a personal level,” Marija says. “I encourage prospective students not to be afraid of challenges and to explore any available opportunities that will give them the chance to contribute something to society.

“Instead of trying to make our life perfect, we should be encouraged to give ourselves the freedom to make it an adventure. In the words of Albert Einstein: ‘Life is like riding a bicycle.

To keep your balance, you must keep moving.’ Let’s always give our best, aim high and keep pushing forward!”

#girlswhocode Another STEM-related field that is still overwhelmingly male dominated is Information and Communication Technology. In the US, the Girls Who Code movement, which started only six years ago to encourage girls to foster an interest and continue studying computer science, is now “on track to achieve gender parity in computer science by 2027”.

The gender gap in computing jobs in North America has worsened over the past 20 years despite the fact that job opportunities are increasing rapidly.

Research indicated that girls aged 13-17 are most likely to lose interest in the subject at that point in their studies.

The ICT industry has seen substantial growth over the past decade and now amounts to around five per cent of Malta’s GDP, and that’s before taking into account the iGaming sector. It employs between three and four per cent of the working population, with a further 10,000 [and counting] working in iGaming.

However, the National Digital Strategy 2014-2020 highlighted the shortfall of Pink March 2019 ∫ 27

the female participation rate as well as the “misalignment” between the ICT educational curriculum and industry needs as a “serious weakness”.

Daria Abela knows this first hand.

As the European Development Manager for Blexr, a performance marketing company working in iGaming, she oversees a team that is mostly male.

“I rarely see a CV from a woman.

That’s a pity,” Daria comments. At the last count, this fast-growing company employed more men than women, although it’s an imbalance it is working to address. This discrepancy between male and female staff is not unique to Blexr, but a universal issue across the board in the ICT industry.

When Daria chose computer studies at 12, it was only the second year that such a course was being offered in her school. Now 28 and leading a team of people who are often older than her, Daria believes that “we have come a long way and things have definitely improved [in the industry] and are still improving”.

Daria has learnt to stand her ground and command respect from her staff, peers, or students who tend to be overwhelmingly male.

“I have to contend with two ‘issues’: I am young and I am a woman. I believe that the fact that I am a woman is a double achievement in this industry. I may be young, but I have to be responsible and accountable. It all depends on maturity and life experiences,” Daria explains.

“I got used to being in a male environment. I have never felt intimidated, neither at school nor at the workplace. I make sure I present myself in a professional manner. I believe this is important, irrespective of gender or age.

My door is always open to both men and women, and what I’m actually looking for is talent and hard work from whoever joins my team.”

Daria grew up playing with both Barbie dolls and Meccano, although she admits to being “always a bit geeky”.

Her mother, who is a pharmacist, hoped she would become a doctor, but Daria had other plans.

There were four girls in a class of 20 in her computer sciences course at Mcast.

“Lecturers thought I was just a pretty face until they saw my work,” Daria says.

Later, she would return to the institution as a lecturer. By then, the 28 ∫ Pink March 2019

Daria Abela

WOMENSWORLD

“THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF FEMALE SCIENTISTS WHOSE NAMES HAVE BEEN LOST TO HISTORY – OR WERE LOST UNTIL ONE YOUNG BRITISH FEMALE SCIENTIST TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO RECLAIM THEM AND GIVE THEM THEIR DUE CREDIT ON WIKIPEDIA” number of female students had increased, but she still taught some classes that consisted of only male students.

“When I lectured at Mcast, I loved having a variety of girls and boys in my classes. I think my gender was irrelevant to my students as they could see that I loved what I did and I was good at it,” Daria points out.

After finishing her course, Daria got a job with a small start-up company, an experience she highly recommends to anyone starting in the industry. “In a large company, they already have legacy systems in place, which you cannot change. As I worked in a very small company, I was exposed to many different opportunities. We worked on

mobile apps for Nigerian Airlines and for Times of Malta among others.

“It wasn’t an eight-hour job. I worked very long hours. I wouldn’t imagine being in my current position if I hadn’t worked at a start-up, or if I hadn’t lectured at Mcast. Now I know how I can help people to grow.”

Daria insists students should continue studying, even reading for a master’s degree if possible. “I used to tell my students: to do my job properly, I should be making you thirst [for more information]; to satisfy your thirst, you must continue researching and experimenting after the lecture is over.

That is when 90 per cent of the learning is done,” says Daria.

“It’s true that STEM educational courses attract fewer women than men, so I would urge girls to consider studying in these fields if they’re passionate about IT. And apart from studying, they will need leadership, time management, problem solving, organisational skills, communication skills, especially how to give negative feedback and learning to say no. They should not be scared of breaking stereotypes. Do and study what you find interesting.”

As she counts down to her wedding day in a few months’ time, Daria is conscious of the pressures of women having to juggle ambition, career and family. “It should not be a case of either/or. Any parent can decide to progress in their career and also have children with the employer’s full support,” Daria comments.

She also points out that Blexr offers a flexible working policy to enable employees to care for their children or elderly relatives with fluid working hours.

The company also gives staff more than the statutory leave amount for marriage, parental, birthday and bereavement.

#Inferior Women like Marija and Daria stand out because they are rare on many levels.

They have excelled in an exceptional way and never once stopped to question whether they could or couldn’t achieve their goals because of their gender.

There have been countless women who have made significant contributions in the fields of science, technology, mathematics and engineering, but can you name any, except for Marie Curie?

Remember her? Rosalind Franklin, anyone? What was the remarkable contribution of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson?

You would know if you have watched the film Hidden Figures [hint: they worked for Nasa and they also happened to be African-American]. I only know about Franklin because I watched the brilliant Nicole Kidman perform Photograph 51 on the West End in which she played Franklin the scientist who discovered the double helix structure of DNA – a discovery that was credited to two male scientists instead and awarded them the Nobel Prize.

Dr Jess Wade campaigns for diversity in science.

WOMENSWORLD

There are literally thousands of female scientists whose names have been lost to history – or were lost until one young British female scientist took it upon herself to reclaim them and give them their due credit on Wikipedia.

Dr Jess Wade, a physics researcher working at Imperial College London, has so far created over 450 entries in Wikipedia on scientists or engineers who are female, persons of colour, or LGBT in a bid to highlight diversity in science and engineering.

“I spend all of my time outside of my academic research campaigning for diversity in science,” Jess says. “For a long time, I’ve answered ‘why’ with ‘we need diversity in science and engineering because it’s the right thing to do – it’s fair’.

“In 2017, I was asked to review Angela Saini’s book Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong – and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story for Physics World and it changed my life. I realised that it’s not only important to counter the ridiculous stereotypes that impact how people see themselves because it’s the right thing to do, but also because for too long, the systematic bias in society has stopped women, people of colour and LGBTQ+ from contributing to science.”

On top of these stereotypes, there was also the issue of documenting science itself. Jess pointed out that Wikipedia, while being a “sensational resource”, was inherently biased, with 90 per cent of the editors being male. “Only 17 per cent of biographies are about women. The more we rely on biased online sources for our information, the more we’re erasing scientists from underrepresented groups from our history. I don’t want young people growing up with such a one-track view of the world. I want all young people to grow up knowing they can do anything.”

Jess successfully led a crowdfunding campaign to buy a copy of Inferior for every state school in the UK and hopes that, together with her Wikipedia pages, she will inspire more girls to continue studying science.

She believes there are two main reasons why girls don’t pursue a career in science in the UK, and the reasons are valid for Malta too. “One is that we have a shortage of skills-specialist teachers and the other is that there are ingrained stereotypes in society that tell boys and girls that they are different. I think we all owe it to young people to work on the second: to tackle bias and challenge Pink March 2019 ∫ 29

WOMENSWORLD dated ideas about what children are and aren’t interested in. We need government and schools to invest in science teachers, so that when physics students graduate from university, they think of teaching as a rewarding and useful career.”

Initiatives to encourage STEM studies are not enough, according to Jess, if stereotypes continue to be reinforced outside school. “It doesn’t matter how hard the science department tries, how many lunchtime talks they have from role models, or how many STEM trips they go on, if gender stereotypes are enforced elsewhere in young people’s lives.”

An established scientist herself, whose research work involves creating organic light-emitting diodes from carbon-based semiconductors, 30-year-old Jess was brought up in a science family. Both her parents are medical doctors and her brother is now also a doctor so “dinnertime talk was always science related”. However before doing a physics degree, she studied art.

She credits her parents’ “phenomenal work ethic” and her “sensational” physics and chemistry teachers for inspiring her to follow a science career. “Alongside trying to make solar power more efficient and cheaper, I can help society through teaching and advocacy for equality. I know I won’t save as many lives, but I hope to one day have the same positive impact my parents and brother have had on the world.”

She has some useful suggestions on how to encourage more girls to pursue science careers and to further their studies. “It’s important to start early,” insists Jess. “First of all, stop sexist or gendered language. Whether it’s ‘we need a couple of strong boys’ or ‘art is a girly subject’, these sentences stick around in young people’s consciousness.

“Try to stop saying subjects are ‘hard’.

Some people find art impossible and some people can’t add up the tab at a bar, and that’s OK,” she adds. “Teachers are incredibly influential, and their biases can have a profound impact on young people’s perceptions. Instead of talking about natural talent, talk about working to the best of your ability. Teachers need to be made aware how they might inadvertently send gendered views to their students.”

Follow Jess Wade on Twitter @jesswade

30 ∫ Pink March 2019

has also started regressing with a widening of the gender gap in science.

Reversing this trend and recognising the rightful role of women, both as change agents and recipients of support in science, will be indispensable in order to achieve the 2030 Development Agenda.”

Meanwhile on a local level, a Teen Science Café [TSC] offers students in middle schools the opportunity to have informal meetings with STEM professionals from different fields. The initiative is currently in its fourth year and has also spawned a TSC Girls initiative involving female STEM professionals meeting female students.

The Tiny TSC is aimed at Year 4 students and their parents. This is just

“WE NEED GOVERNMENT AND SCHOOLS TO INVEST IN SCIENCE TEACHERS, SO THAT WHEN PHYSICS STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM UNIVERSITY, THEY THINK OF TEACHING AS A REWARDING AND USEFUL CAREER”

#STEMatters Malta was instrumental in establishing the United Nations International Day for Women and Girls in Science, which is celebrated on February 11. This year’s commemoration at the UN headquarters in New York was spread over two days and produced an Outcome Declaration for UN Member States to approve and adopt.

“It is an honour for Malta to be part of the initiating players of this process,” says Carmelo Inguanez, Malta’s Permanent Representative to the UN. “The idea was generated during the first High Level World Women’s Health and Development Forum, organised by the Royal Academy of Science International Trust, and Malta led the process in motion for the UN General Assembly to declare February 11 the International Day for Women and Girls in Science.

“Over the past 25 years, the UN and its agencies have drawn the attention of the international community to the serious gender gap that affects science. The role that women should play in science at all levels has thus become a priority on the agendas of many national and international political institutions,” explains Ambassador Inguanez.

“Yet the advancement of women and girls in science has not only stalled, but it

part of a series of STEM “popularisation” initiatives the Directorate for Learning & Assessment Programmes within the Education Ministry is organising during the academic year.

“The aim of this broad range of initiatives is to nurture learners’ scientific and digital literacies and to foster students’ interest and engagement in STEM subjects and careers through hands-on problem solving, critical thinking tasks and activities,” explains Desiree Scicluna Bugeja, assistant director of the Science Centre in Pembroke.

Teachers are also being addressed with the Go4Industry internship programme, organised in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and eSkills Foundation. The internship gives STEM teachers the chance to work in the industry to facilitate links between class teaching and industry applications and research.

Mcast has also restarted the boot camps for Form 2 girls to give them a first taster in ICT. This initiative started last year in the Church schools and is now being extended to government schools.

Mcast is also in “early discussions” with the Education Ministry to organise day boot camps on a regular basis in an effort to entice more students to choose ICT as a career path. A Code Week is also held in October, providing a free programme of coding events for all ages.

WOMANKIND

THE INTELLECTUAL ACTRESS MARY GALEA DEBONO sums up the genius of Eleonora Duse, one of the greatest actresses of all times.

E

leonora Duse’s last stage appearance was in Marco Praga’s play La Porta Chiusa in Pittsburgh in April 1924, a few weeks before her American tour, which had started in October of the previous year, was scheduled to come to an end.

This had been a very successful tour, which had included cities like New York, Washington, Boston and San Francisco. In spite of her chronic bad health she had managed to fulfill her obligations and her performances had almost always guaranteed full houses; all of which must have satisfied the impresarios.

Theatre critics had been enthusiastic too, as were the leading stars of the moment – people like Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson – who had all made it a point to go and watch her.

Charlie Chaplin, who had earlier seen her in Praga’s play in Los Angeles, had

this to say about her interpretation of the climax in Act II: “… so great is her dramatic power, so tremendous is her knowledge of dramatic technique, that this scene fairly wrung your heart. I confess it drew tears from me… When she turned at last, both hands flung out in one gesture of utter despair, resignation – surrender – it was the finest thing I have ever seen on the stage.

Through all her grief, her self-abasement, her contrition, ran terrible irony. It was all in that one gesture...” It is a judgement that fairly sums up her genius.

In spite of this success, however, what Eleonora was yearning for most when she arrived at Pittsburgh on April 1 was to return to her house in Asolo in North Italy. Travelling by train from one city to another across the US had sapped her energy and the long winter had not only weakened her physically, it had also deadened her spirit. Pittsburgh

had offered no relief; it was, according to her, “the most hideous city in the world”.

Eleonora’s hotel was close to the theatre where she was to give her performance. On April 5, the opening night, she persuaded her companion, the faithful Désirée, not to take a taxi but to walk to the theatre. Unfortunately, they were caught in a heavy downpour and, to complicate matters, when they arrived at the theatre, they found all the doors closed. It took Désirée 10 minutes to find the doorman, to open for them, by which time, Eleonora, although wrapped in a fur coat, was drenched to the skin. After the play – and 10 curtain calls – she returned shivering and exhausted to the hotel and took to her bed with a high fever. She never left it; she had caught pneumonia.

“I do not want to die here,” she kept insisting with her faithful friends in her delirium, and they tried to keep her calm by pretending that they were busy packing for the return trip home.

But in the early morning of April 21, she suddenly sat up in her bed and, supporting her body on her fists, she urged them to do something. Then she Pink March 2019 ∫ 35

WOMANKIND began trembling violently, and 10 minutes later, she was dead.

Within an hour, her body was removed to a mortuary where the rest of the dramatic company filed past to pay their last respects. For Eleonora, the last and biggest spectacle was about to begin.

When the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, her former lover, learnt of her death, he informed Mussolini, who, in turn, ordered the Italian ambassador to go to Pittsburgh to attend the service and lay a wreath on the coffin. Three days later, the body was taken by train to New York, escorted by actors and officials, and then to the Church of St Vincent Ferrer, where it was met by a crowd of more than 3,000 people, who had been waiting for its arrival in silence for hours. A band of fascists in black shirts held vigil.

A formal service, for which the demand to attend was so great that tickets had to be issued, took place four days later. Afterwards, the coffin was taken to the pier, where an Italian liner was waiting to take her to her final resting place. The coffin was not placed in the hold, but in a compartment that was transformed into a sort of shrine, and when it arrived in Naples, an immense crowd was waiting to receive it.

Eleonora’s first appearance on stage was at the age of four when she played the part of Cosette in an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables. Such an early start was normal for a child born into a family of actors. It was a life of hardship not only because there was little money in acting, but also because the constant moving from one town to another made it impossible for a family to have a settled life.

Eleonora got a taste of this suffering when, in 1875, her mother fell ill and had to be hospitalised. As the company needed to move on, she had to be abandoned in a poor people’s home where she died. Eleonora was distraught.

It was obvious right from the start that for her, acting was more than a means of making a living; it was a passion. Although physically frail, she had immense inner vitality and a voice that carried. Engaged by the impresario Cesare Rossi, she started playing leading roles in the major Italian cities, conquering every audience. One drama critic noted that the company gave two kinds of performances: “those with Duse and those without Duse.”

Eleonora acquired international fame when Rossi’s company embarked on a tour to South America. But the experience

“IT WAS A LIFE OF HARDSHIP NOT ONLY BECAUSE THERE WAS LITTLE MONEY IN ACTING, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THE CONSTANT MOVING FROM ONE TOWN TO ANOTHER MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A FAMILY TO HAVE A SETTLED LIFE” From there, it was taken first to Rome and then to Asolo, passing through several major cities, where huge crowds were gathered at every train station to pay their last tribute.

Such an elaborate ritual jarred with Eleonora’s personality; in spite of her very public life, she had remained a very private person who appreciated solitude above everything. She had always shunned big social gatherings and was considered rather stand-offish with the public. As an actress, she had avoided prying journalists and rarely gave interviews. On stage, she opted for simplicity rather than ostentation; she wore very little make-up and, where possible, avoided elaborate costumes and props.

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served also to convince her that the company itself lacked proper direction. Its repertory was too restricted. She, on the other hand, had another vision of where she wanted to go. She reshaped her career by forming her own new company, La Compagnia della Città di Roma, of which she was manager and director.

One of her first steps was to give space to new dramatists; Henrik Ibsen was one of these. In her new role as actress/director, she took her company to Egypt, and from then on, she spent less and less time in Italy and more and more on tour abroad. Moscow, New York and London were some of the cities where she performed.

William Weaver, one of her biographers, describes Eleonora as an

“intellectual actress”. She was a selftaught woman, who studied French on her own and became as fluent in it as in her native tongue. Although as one critic put it: “she had only one school: life… she has formed herself through observation of life…” She loved reading and had a passion for new ideas.

Among her many friends and admirers were some of the greatest intellectuals of the moment; authors, dramatists and thinkers such as George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov and James Joyce.

In 1911, during a period of inactivity, she embarked on a project aimed at creating a place of refuge, where young itinerant actresses, as she had once been, could come and improve their education. She called it La Libreria delle Attrici, but this enterprise never took off.

In spite of the public success, Eleonora’s private life was often tormented. Her first love affair with Martino Caffiero, editor of the Corriere del Mattino, ended in disaster. Learning that she was pregnant, he abandoned her, and she never saw him again. The baby did not survive.

In 1880, she married Tebaldo Checchi, a respected actor who was in love with her and dedicated all his efforts to fostering her career. They had one daughter, Enrichetta, but the marriage did not last. In a letter to a friend he wrote: “What can humanly be done to make a woman happy, I did; and I did it with love.” Enrichetta was parked in various educational establishments and Tebaldo never saw them again, but he left them both a considerable fortune when he died.

In 1887, during a banquet after a performance of La Dame aux Camélias, she met the 42-year-old Arrigo Boito, Verdi’s librettist, then at the height of his career. This meeting developed into a love affair that was discreetly carried out mostly by correspondence, partly because of their many work commitments and partly because Boito was a married man. With “il santo”, as she called him, she remained friends even when the affair cooled.

But the most illustrious of Eleonora’s lovers was undoubtedly D’Annunzio. The first time they met was in Venice in 1894; D’Annunzio was then 31. Although physically, he was an unprepossessing man, he was charming and appealing to women. He was a libertine and a womaniser and many of Eleonora’s friends, including her own daughter and Boito, were wary of the negative influence such a relationship would have on her.

This love affair, which dominated both her life and her art, lasted 10 years. They were 10 years of passion and betrayals. Eleonora, who was older than D’Annunzio, soon found out that he was having affairs with younger women.

“You know that to graft one love on to another means to risk the life and the death of both,” she warned him.

There were other painful betrayals. Although he had promised Eleonora the leading role in his play La Città Morta, he proceeded to give it to her greatest rival, Sarah Bernhardt, and again, when he wrote his pastoral tragedy La Figlia di Iorio, inspired by Eleonora herself, assuming that the part of the heroine Mila was for her, she studied the lines and had her costume prepared. D’Annunzio again gave it to a younger actress, excluding Eleonora from sharing in his success to which she had so wholeheartedly contributed.

The publication of his novel Il Fuoco, which was based entirely on their own love story, caused her immense anguish. As one critic put it, she had been “paraded… on the bookstalls as the licentious heroine of an obscene novel”.

After D’Annunzio, Eleonora’s friends were mainly women. It is not clear what the exact relationship with these was, but although not a feminist, she started taking more interest in women’s movements.

Unfortunately, the only recording of Eleonora’s voice was lost in a fire. What remains to remind us of one of the greatest actresses of all times is her only silent film, Cenere, based on Grazia Deledda’s novel. But for Eleonora, a perfectionist in her art, it fell short of own expectations of what she could achieve in this new medium.

Eleonora Duse in Cenere, 1916.

THE

PINK

Tea Garden

Where wellness Where wellness takes takes root ro o t Join P Join Pink ink aand nd T Tettiera ettiera iin n tthe he h heart ear t o off nature nature ffor or a ttaste a s te o off tthe he w wholesome, holesome, healthy, n healthy, natural, atural, p pure ure aand nd o organi organic rg a n i …

DATE April 5, 2019

AN EVENT ORGANISED BY MALTA’S MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN

TIME 11am to 3pm PLACE Skorba Gardens at Vincent Eco Estate, Triq il-Qanfud, Żebbiegћ, Mġarr PRICE €30 Tickets can be bought from

@pinkmagazine

ticketline.com.mt

@pinkmagazine_tom

, farmer s deli HEALTH FOOD AND ORGANICS

SHOWSTOPPER

Down to earth FIND YOURSELF… AND LOSE YOURSELF… IN NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. BE AT ONE WITH NATURE…

Photography Matthew B. Spiteri Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] Hair Dominic Bartolo from Dreads Hairdressing Make-up Jean Zammit Model Giulia @ Supernova MM Location Skorba Gardens on Vincent Eco Estate, Mgarr, the venue for The Pink Tea Garden Watch the making of the photo shoot on timesofmalta.com and Facebook @pinkmagazine

Ralph Lauren dress, €50.99, Kwaddro ∫ shoes, €75; cap, €19.99, both Aldo.

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SHOWSTOPPER Jacket, €89; top, €69; trousers, €79, all Oltre ∫ Roberto Cavalli sunglasses, €242, O’hea Opticians.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 41

SHOWSTOPPER

T-shirt, €45; dress, €195; bag, €110, all Armani Exchange ∫ earrings, €19, Aldo.

Top, €35.99; skirt, €29.99; bumbag, €15.99, all Mango.

42 ∫ Pink March 2019

SHOWSTOPPER

Top, €69; jeans, €65, both Punt Roma ∫ bag, €49; earrings, €15, both Aldo.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 43

SHOWSTOPPER

Jumpsuit, €69.99; scarf, €12.99, both Mango.

44 ∫ Pink March 2019

SHOWSTOPPER Blazer, €39.99; trousers, €29.99, both Orsay ∫ bag, €49, Aldo ∫ Loewe sunglasses, €310, O’hea Opticians ∫ crop top, model’s own.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 45

SHOWSTOPPER

Top, €29.99; shorts, €25.99; bag, €29.99, all Noos ∫ shoes, €45; earrings, €15, both Aldo.

46 ∫ Pink March 2019

Suffering at sea: Christine Aquilina and Rebecca Busuttil.

FASHIONSTORY

Photographer, concept and wardrobe Amanda Hsu Make-up artist Rebecca Busuttil Models Christine Aquilina and Rebecca Busuttil Prop design Tijn Roozen

TRAPPED IN PLASTIC

FASHION WITH A CAUSE

If you were trapped in plastic, how would you feel? Photographer Amanda Hsu and her team have created a series of creative fashion images to raise awareness on plastic pollution and how it damages animals and the environment. Trapped in Plastic styles models in a way that highlights the suffering of the creatures of the sea. The images say it all.

“I find tackling a sensitive subject like this quite brave. It’s a topic that actually affects and reaches everybody; it doesn’t just target the big companies that harm the environment irresponsibly on a daily basis.

Everyone contributes in one way or another, consciously or unconsciously, to harming the planet with the massive use of plastic in daily life.

“But then it’s up to us to realise our mistakes and make sure to protect the environment by at least throwing away things we don’t want responsibly and

keeping in mind the creatures that suffer because of irresponsible actions. Every small action counts.

Doing this photo shoot was my contribution to the cause – to deliver the message to others. Imagery can make a powerful statement – even more than words sometimes.

The sea was a bit cold in the shade and we channelled this sensation of being uncomfortable into projecting the suffering and pain of the sea creatures whose habitat is destroyed by us humans.”

CHRISTINE AQUILINA

Pink March 2019 ∫ 51

FASHIONSTORY

“When first presented with the idea, I was instantly interested.

Plastic pollution is a global concern, and I felt the urge to address its disastrous effects.

Using plastic clothing and scattering items in the shallow sea helped to set the scene of the environmental hazard we, as a society, are causing, and promote the need for proper disposal.

But plastic pollution also affects the life of other organisms, and during the photo shoot, I realised all the more how these animals must be feeling due to this pollution.”

REBECCA BUSUTTIL

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FASHIONSTORY

“On a one-week internship in Malta at Amanda’s Cranberry Photography Studio, I was surprised when she asked me to help her with an important photo shoot. She explained that she wanted to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the ocean. We talked about the environmental damage, what it did to animals and that things really need to change. I could not agree more!

“Nowadays, you see plastic everywhere and we as humans are to blame. I was asked to make some props or an outfit for the shoot, which I was extremely excited about.

“Everything was to be made from plastic, which Amanda had collected…

I was intrigued by pictures of animals trapped in plastic bags and nets, which inspired me to trap the models in rope and bags.

“I hope that after seeing the pictures, people will realise that the use of plastic has enormous effects on our planet.”

TIJN ROOZEN

Pink March 2019 ∫ 53

INTHEPINK arrived in Malta in 2004 with my husband and young daughter, and at the beginning, we were only meant to stay a year. However, 15 have passed since then and I’m still around.

“I helped open a QSI International School in 2007, and when my daughter left Malta to study in the US five years ago, I went on to study functional medicine at the New York Institute for Integrative Nutrition and became a health coach.

“Unlike the more conventional medical approach, which people are generally used to, functional medicine helps people tackle disease by adjusting their lifestyles and becoming healthier. It’s basically the future of conventional medicine in the here and now,” Laura explains.

“FIRMLY AGAINST THE APPROACH THAT ONE PILL FITS ALL, LAURA USED ALL THAT SHE HAD LEARNT TO MAKE THE LIVES OF THE WOMEN WHO OPENED UP TO HER MORE COMFORTABLE”

THE CHANGE Holistic menopause specialist Laura Peischl speaks to ANNA MARIE GALEA about how a few lifestyle changes can make menopause – the ride of a lifetime – a lot less bumpy.

M

any women rightfully feel daunted by the menopausal phase of their life. But holistic menopause specialist Laura Peischl, who is also a certified integrative nutrition health coach, assists women locally and internationally to successfully navigate “the change”.

Through her consulting practice and Facebook page [www.facebook.com/feelgoodmenopause], as well as support group Feel Good Menopause, Laura provides information on nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices and offers practical advice to her clients to help them make the transition a lot less stressful.

“I have worn many hats in my life,” Laura starts.

“Originally, I had graduated in German Studies and Psychology from the University of Vienna, Austria. I

She began to take much more interest in menopause when female patients would visit her at her clinic at Hilltop Gardens in Naxxar, citing issues such as insomnia, weight gain, or anxiety and depression.

“The more I spoke to different women, the more I realised there was a need for a platform for them to be able to access more information about menopause and to be able to speak to other women who were going through similar experiences,” Laura continues.

Firmly against the approach that one pill fits all, Laura used all that she had learnt to make the lives of the women who opened up to her more comfortable.

“The hormones you have when you are 30 are not the hormones you have when you are 50; women would approach me and say they were gaining weight when they had made no significant diet changes,” she points out.

So, she went back to the New York Institute for Integrative Nutrition and spent another year-and-a-half studying hormone health, followed by one year studying holistic menopause at Burrell Academy in London.

“It’s all a question of adjusting your lifestyle to your new reality in a natural and organic way,” she explains.

“You can’t expect to exercise the same way that you did at 30 and get the same results; or eat and drink in exactly the same way. Your body is changing and there are actually ways to make the process easier for yourself.

But each person is different, which means that each approach must be somewhat different.

“I had women who had never suffered from insomnia in their lives waking up at 3am; their sleeping patterns Pink March 2019 ∫ 55

INTHEPINK went completely back to normal once they took some magnesium. There are so many natural remedies that work wonders and don’t wreak havoc on your body.”

Although many may automatically assume that this period in a woman’s life offers her more freedom, Laura is quick to dismiss this reasoning: “I think it’s always harder for a woman to get older. There is a latent fear of being replaced both at work as well as in relationships.

In addition, at this age, you usually have to contend with teenage children, who are at the height of their adolescence.

Many women also suffer from empty-nest syndrome because they have been needed their whole lives in a certain way and then, all of a sudden, they are not. This causes a lot of stress and that is the worst thing for our bodies.”

Instead of focusing on the negatives, however, Laura invites women to use this time to put themselves first: “In order to feel less stressed, you have to make the necessary changes to your life. I tell all the women who

“I THINK IT’S ALWAYS HARDER FOR A WOMAN TO GET OLDER. THERE IS A LATENT FEAR OF BEING REPLACED BOTH AT WORK AS WELL AS IN RELATIONSHIPS” have trouble sleeping to take up meditation; or listen to calming music. Go for 30- to 40-minute walks and just breathe.

“That said, it’s also important to manage one’s diet better. Coffee dehydrates and contributes to hot flushes, so why not replace it with water? A lack of water can cause so many side effects.”

Laura’s belief in natural remedies that complement the body’s natural workings is what ultimately leads her to recommend Femarelle: “Increasing regular soy in order to combat the symptoms of menopause is something of a myth. Yes, it can reduce symptoms by attaching itself to oestrogen receptors, but it also has side effects as it can produce digestive problems as well as blood clotting and thyroid issues.

“People always talk about the soy intake of the Japanese, but when studies were carried out, it was found that while they take an average of two teaspoons of fermented – not regular – soy a day, Americans take an average of 10 teaspoons of the unfermented version in the same time frame. Women should always look to take fermented soy – one of the main ingredients in Femarelle – as it makes all the difference.”

Organic fermented soy does not clot the blood and is a rich source of vitamin K2, which is excellent for bone health, Laura explains. In fact, the majority of women see a reduction in hot flushes and night sweats after the first month of use.

“What I want to tell women is that there are alternatives out there; you don’t have to automatically take HRT because you’re going through menopause.

“This is a natural part of life, which we can treat naturally. I don’t know why a woman would want to keep her hormones at exactly the same level they were when she was 30; it makes no sense.”

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For Laura, it boils down to having an “integrated and holistic approach to yourself as a person”. Applying small changes to your routine and lifestyle and supplementing this with natural ingredients will not only leave you feeling good, but you’ll also be able to better embrace this wonderful next step in your life.

MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE

OTHER SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE

• • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •

Vaginal dryness Irregular periods Chills Sleep problems Mood changes/swings Weight gain and slowed metabolism Thinning hair and dry skin Night sweats Heart palpitations Hot flushes Dry/itchy skin Stiff/sore joints Dizziness Depression Back pain

Electric shocks Digestive problems Gum problems Muscle tension Tingling extremities Osteoporosis Burning tongue Changes in odour Anxiety Irritability Panic disorder Breast pain Headaches

LAURA PEISCHL WILL BE GIVING A TALK ON THE SUBJECT OF MENOPAUSE AT THE PINK TEA GARDEN ON APRIL 5 AT VINCENT ECO ESTATE IN MGARR – AN EVENT FOCUSED ON WELLNESS AND WELL-BEING, NATURAL, PURE, WHOLESOME AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS FOR A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE [WWW.TICKETLINE.COM].

MINT HEALTH, THE OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTORS OF FEMARELLE AND OTHER NATURAL AND ORGANIC BRANDS, WILL ALSO BE PRESENT WITH A TEAM OF PHARMACISTS TO DISCUSS MENOPAUSE.

PINKPROMO

Home help Paul Vella talks about the usefulness of medical devices.

M

onitoring blood pressure at home is very crucial in giving both the patient and the caregiver adequate data needed for effective management of diseases such as hypertension.

According to Shimbo et al. [2015], home blood pressure measuring is of great significance in instances where the patient under consideration depicts poorly controlled hypertension, as it allows the caregiver to initiate appropriate control by regulating the required dose of medicine.

Furthermore, home-based blood pressure readings are very important as better interpreters of critical medical issues such as target organ damages and the potential risk of cardiovascular ailments.

AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS [AED] AEDs are lightweight, portable tools that measure or analyse the heartbeat by delivering an electric shock to the heart via the chest.

According to Hoss, Gauglitz and Norman [2017], the shock produced

by AEDs is capable of stopping irregular heartbeats and allowing a normal pulse to flow.

Due to its ease of applicability, there is a need for the use of AEDs in public places, home settings and organisations with more than 10 employees as part of the emergency response units.

Additionally, AEDs are safe and may be used by anyone with minimal training in local institutions.

“DUE TO ITS EASE OF APPLICABILITY, THERE IS A NEED FOR THE USE OF AEDS IN PUBLIC PLACES, HOME SETTINGS AND ORGANISATIONS WITH MORE THAN 10 EMPLOYEES AS PART OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE UNITS” Apart from its operational benefits, patients who monitor their blood pressure at home are also motivated towards managing physical conditions that depict asymptotic effects. In the same way as healthcare institutions insist on using a digital thermometer at home, patients who show symptoms of cardiovascular ailments should be advised to have in their possession a home blood pressure device to manage their conditions with ease.

Home blood pressure devices are easy to use, but the patient should remember to use the right tool, proper timing, maintain correct posture and uphold high levels of accuracy while keeping records.

PULSE OXIMETERS Pulse oximeters are described

by Pimentel et al. [2017] as a painless and non-invasive device used for detecting the levels of oxygen saturation in the blood. The oximeter is capable of detecting even very small variations in the blood oxygen that is transported to the parts that are far away from the heart.

Pulse oximeters are clipshaped devices that are small in size and function by being

attached to body parts like toes, fingertips and earlobes. They can be useful in the processes of monitoring the health status of individuals suffering from diseases like asthma, anaemia, lung cancer, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congenital heart conditions due to which the levels of blood oxygen can be affected.

HANDHELD PORTABLE ECG The handheld portable ECG is described

by Boege et al. [2016] as a piece of homebased equipment used for checking the electrical activity of a patient’s heart by recording systemic issues such as rhythm and levels of cardiovascular exercise.

The readings of an ECG device can be applied as points of reference for further medical treatment and diagnostic processes by a physician.

Despite being very easy to use, playing an essential role in early prevention of cardiovascular ailments and minimising the risks associated with it, there is a tendency for the person taking the ECG readings to strain the patient in instances where the user is in pain or facing irregularities. So, it is advisable to seek the attention of a physician, even if the inconsistencies may subside.

The handheld portable ECG has a feature that can download a reading, which plays an important role in enhancing the communication processes between the patient and the physician.

For more information, call Medsytec Engineering Ltd managing director Daniel Camilleri on 2149 3097/8, 7930 6510; or send an e-mail to info@medsytec.com; www.medsytec.com Medsytec Engineering Ltd is in Megaline Building, Triq l-Gharghar 1979, Qormi, QRM 1790.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 57

TABLETALK

FIVE-STAR FRESHNESS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS You don't necessarily have to be a seasoned chef to try out this Radisson Blu Resort & Spa recipe and indulge in a vanilla and fresh strawberry layered log, all the way from the Golden Sands.

Head pâtissier Jimmy Aquilina spells it out, step by delicate step.

INGREDIENTS Serves 8

For the vanilla bavarois: 225ml milk 1 egg yolk 200g sugar 8g gelatin leaves 20g vanilla paste 200ml whipped cream

For the strawberry jelly: 200g strawberries, blended 125g sugar syrup 4 sheets gelatin For the strawberry mousse: 250g strawberry purée 40g sugar 2 egg yolks 5g gelatin leaves 150g whipped cream

For the almond base: 200g marzipan 115g unsalted butter 60g whole eggs 30g flour

METHOD In a sauce pan, put the milk with the sugar and vanilla. Bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and add to the beaten egg yolks and the gelatin leaves [already soaked in water]. Leave to set and then add the whipped cream. Pour into half the desired mould. Leave to set in the fridge.

In a sauce pan, put the purée with the sugar and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and add to the beaten egg yolks and the gelatin leaves [already soaked in water]. Leave to set and then add the whipped cream. Pour into the desired

mould and leave to set in the freezer.

When set, cut the mousse lengthwise and put it on the ready vanilla bavarois.

Continue pouring the vanilla on top.

Leave to set in the freezer.

For the almond base: In a bowl, mix the butter and the marzipan until soft.

Then gradually add the eggs and continue to whisk until fluffy. Finally, incorporate the flour and mix it by hand. Spread on a baking tray already lined with a baking sheet and bake at a temperature of 170°C for approximately 10 minutes.

Pink March 2019 ∫ 59

PINKPROMO

CALL TO ACTION NOT MORE FLOWERS In the wake of Women’s Day this month, MEP candidate Dr Peter Agius has a lot to say about gender equality.

D

o Maltese women want to work for free as from November every year?

We don’t think so! And yet, that is the situation with the gender pay gap in Malta today – the pay difference between men and women widening to 16 per cent this year when compared to seven per cent in 2012.

The situation is not much better when it comes to women in management. Only five per cent of Malta’s top managers in public companies are women.

Dr Peter Agius thinks this is outrageous and that it should make Women’s Day a day of collective action rather than another day for flowers and chocolates.

The MEP candidate recently shared his own personal experiences in the EU institutions in Brussels, where he has been working for the last 16 years, and where, by his own admission, he has been overtaken in his career more than once by valid women, also as part of a drive for positive discrimination in the EU institutions.

According to Dr Agius, the glass ceiling is alive and kicking. Above all, he affirms that “gender barriers are, in most cases, of our own construction, with still too many in our workplaces promoting a culture of long hours, late-night meetings and the expectation of always being available, including weekends”.

He insists that “notwithstanding the lip service, few organisations actually integrate family-friendly measures for top management posts.

We think of family friendly only for entry grades and middle management.

Those positive measures quickly vanish once your ambition is to reach the top”.

Dr Agius is father to three boys, aged seven, nine and 10, and he opens up on gender balance also from a dad’s perspective. “The greatest blessing I had was to spend the few weeks after the birth of my kids with my spouse.

Then, I learned to change nappies and feed my babies. Those early days were critical for me to bond with my kids and learn fatherhood. We tend to

“GENDER BARRIERS ARE, IN MOST CASES, OF OUR OWN CONSTRUCTION, WITH STILL TOO MANY IN OUR WORKPLACES PROMOTING A CULTURE OF LONG HOURS, LATE-NIGHT MEETINGS AND THE EXPECTATION OF ALWAYS BEING AVAILABLE, INCLUDING WEEKENDS” “I missed an important management post once on the grounds that the unit in question needed a wider gender balance. It was not nice back then, but in hindsight, I believe that positive discrimination is necessary to kick-start the change and eliminate gender discrimination once and for all.’’

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speak about gender balance as something we need for the women, but in reality, it is fundamental also for men to have a better balance of family responsibilities.”

The EU is another platform where politics can help a wider gender balance and wider equality, he says.

The recent EU directive on paternity

and family leave is one example, but much more can be done. ‘’I am running for an MEP seat with the ambition of pushing also an equality agenda. We must fight for our rights on all fronts, be it as consumers, as workers and as Maltese. Europe has brought with it a wave of prosperity for Malta, and yet we can achieve much more if we work together across political boundaries, and most of all, across all gender limitations” Dr Peter Agius is the PN candidate for the European elections, former head of the European Parliament Office and cabinet member of the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani.

SNAPSHOT Miriam Gauci in Madama Butterfly in 2017.

Photography Shaun Sultana

A SINGING SENSATION IGGY FENECH chats to soprano Miriam Gauci about her career and her reprisal of the lead role in Giacomo Puccini’s iconic opera Manon Lescaut at Teatru Aurora this April.

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meet Miriam at a coffee shop in Santa Venera, and even though the place is full of the hustle and bustle of business meetings and friendly catchups, I immediately spot her near the bar.

She’s wearing a bright red top with red lips to match, and by the time we take a seat at a nearby table, she’s already talking vividly and candidly about Malta, life and opera, punctuating her sentences with gesticulations and the odd Italian word here and there.

This, undoubtedly, is part of the legacy Miriam has inherited from spending several years living in Milan and building up an international portfolio that is enviable.

Indeed, Miriam is one of Malta’s most accomplished sopranos, having performed at La Scala in Milan, San Carlo in Naples, The Metropolitan in New York, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, and the Vienna State Opera, to mention but a few.

“I had to catch two flights the first time I flew to Milan, and I was absolutely petrified. But I knew that this was what I wanted to do. Getting a scholarship to study at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan was too good an opportunity to miss. My time there was unimaginably

happy as I used to spend many of my days at La Scala.

It’s also where I met my husband, Michael [Laus], who was studying the piano there.

“There were hard times and beautiful times – as a young opera singer, you never know when you’ll get your next job, or where the road will take you, but you have to work for beauty, not for money. That is why I never let anyone steer my musical life and was always very cautious about where I sang, who I sang with, and which roles I accepted.”

“YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR BEAUTY, NOT FOR MONEY” As I come to discover, this was done to ensure that her vocal chords were never too strained. In fact, after a 40-year career in opera, her vocals remain as vibrant as ever. And now, we will once again get to experience her voice in all its glory during the Gaulitanus Choir’s new production of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Teatru Aurora in Gozo.

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SNAPSHOT What can you tell us about the story in Manon Lescaut?

It’s a wonderous opera, full of drama and intrigue. In it, we follow the story of Manon, a French girl, whose background is full of depravity and want. She is destined to become a nun, but elopes to Paris with Chevalier des Grieux, whom she falls madly in love with. In turn, des Grieux gives up everything for her, including his inheritance. But Manon cannot stand the thought of leading a penniless existence and leaves des Grieux for a richer man.

This turns out to be her biggest mistake and an unfortunate series of events leads her and des Grieux to be exiled to Louisiana, where she dies from exhaustion. It’s a great story!

PINK@THEPARTY Just a taste of what to expect from The Pink Tea Garden on April 5 at Vincent Eco Estate, Mgarr, where the healthiest, most natural, pure and organic brands have united for an event that encapsulates wellness.

1 TANTALISING TEA-TASTING SESSIONS

“IN A WAY, WE COULD SAY THAT IT’S GOING TO BE A FEAST FOR THE EYES, AS WELL AS THE EARS” And what about Puccini’s music for this opera? I have performed this role many times in my career and I can tell you that, vocally, it’s a very taxing opera, but that’s what makes its music so stupendous. The opera itself is like a tapestry of styles, and its arias are its most famous contribution. Des Grieux gets two such arias, Donna non vidi mai and Pazzo son… Guardate com’io piango ed imploro. Manon, meanwhile, gets In quelle trine morbide and the chilling, desperate and heartbreaking Sola, perduta, abbandonata at the end.

The most famous of them all, however, is the love duet between the two main characters. This comes at the most important moment in the opera and, to my mind, Puccini created something unique here: the chemistry required to perform it properly is electrifying. Conducting the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra at the Teatru Aurora will be Mro Colin Attard, while the stage director will be Enrico Castiglione.

What can people expect to see in terms of staging? There’s a sense of theatricality in this opera, which comes out in the music and, of course, the staging! It’s truly a sum of its parts, and every element is being done properly to ensure this adaptation of Puccini’s work is as fabulous as it’s meant to be. Of course, Manon is a very modern woman; one thing I think audiences will notice is how ‘contemporary’ her view of life and love can be. Having said that, the staging will be traditional, with the lavish costumes being brought in from Rome… In a way, we could say that it’s going to be a feast for the eyes, as well as the ears!

Some people may be ‘scared’ to attend an opera. What’s your advice on enjoying it? Operas are full of emotion, drama and theatricality, all of which come together through the story.

So, in other words, I think the only way to properly enjoy an opera is to read up about it beforehand. Anything from the storyline to the time it was written or set in can help you understand the crippling turmoil and the wonderous joy the characters reach at different points in the story. Once that is done, all you have to do is sit down and listen to the story unfold.

Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini is on at Teatru Aurora on April 6. For more information, visit www.teatruaurora.com

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Tettiera aims to revive the tea ritual that empowers us in so many ways. It is a moment of self-reflection; a time to pause from the speedy schedules of our day; to connect with our surroundings and regain balance. So, what better way to experience all this than at The Pink Tea Garden. It’s an experience that must be felt rather than described.

Tettiera will be sampling its vast collection of artisan wholeleaf teas, ranging from black, green, oolong, white, tisane, chai, rooibos, and sourced from different plantations and remote tea gardens across the globe. With over 26 different blends, including two Maltese, it’s no wonder that the wellness event, co-hosted by Tettiera, will be serving free-flowing teas during its tea-tasting sessions. Come and discover the beautiful world of whole-leaf teas and fall in love again with the tea ritual at The Pink Tea Garden, where health and well-being take root. www.tettiera.com

2 GIFTS FROM NATURE INTO OUR BOTTLES Ellie & Carl Skin Botanicals is a brand that focuses on natural skincare, made with cold-pressed ingredients, and always aiming at organic. And so, it fits perfectly into the ethos of The Pink Garden Party. Its philosophy is to help the skin with nutrient-rich products that can be absorbed for the support it needs. Ellie & Carl always want to inspire people with knowledge about how they can have a long-term healthy relationship with their skin and body, and they will be doing this at The Pink Tea Garden. Follow Ellie & Carl Skin Botanicals on www.elliecarl.com; Instagram: elliecarl1; Facebook: Ellie & Carl. And come to The Pink Tea Garden for a first-hand encounter and to find out more.

3 FOR A COMPLETE DIET Nupo is about a life in balance, so it’s only natural that the clinically-proven weight-loss brand should find its place at The Pink Tea Garden. Anyone after fast, safe and effective weight loss should stop by the Nupo stand on the day and try their great-tasting cold shakes, hot soups and oatmeal…

The Nupo One Meal is an easy and nutritious meal on the go. It’s a complete diet that guarantees all the essential daily nutritional requirements of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fibres in the correct composition. And it’s waiting to be tried and tested by you at The Pink Tea Garden – where all things healthy, wholesome, natural and pure are taking root. Find out more… www.nupo.com; www.ejbusuttil.com

4 THE FINEST OF FOOD From Dical House, a leading source of the finest and healthiest foods and beverages on the island, prepare to tickle your taste buds with an array of amazing products on display. And remember, a strict selection process ensures that only those brands leading in quality – not in marketing – are represented and distributed by Dical House.

Get tatsting!

1 5 FIND YOUR NON-TOXIC FRAGRANCE Do you know what you are breathing? Get yourself to The Pink Tea Garden to find out. My Melts/My Remedy can teach you how your surroundings can be scented in a non-toxic, eco-friendly manner. It’s also your chance to discuss an allnatural aromatherapy remedy for your long-term ailments.

Yes, this is fragrance at its finest and its waiting to be discovered at The Pink Tea Garden.

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6 FANCY A REFRESHING BOOST? From Thalgo, at The Pink Tea Garden, get to know a special Light Legs routine to remedy that sense of heaviness. Thalgo Coach Light Legs is based on red vine, known for helping blood vessels to function properly, while Thalgo Feather-Light Leg Gel can be massaged all over the legs, working in an upward direction, and Thalgo Frigimince Spray is a travel-friendly solution to take with you wherever you go for a refreshing boost at any time! And of course, don't hesitate to get moving to encourage blood circulation: walking, cycling and swimming are all excellent. Beat the heat - and heavy legs – at The Pink Tea Garden, with this and much more from Thalgo.

7 TIME FOR A DELIGHTFUL VEGAN DESSERT

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As a qualified raw vegan chef and patissier, Jo’anna Vella has mastered this art – and will be presenting her delights for dessert at The Pink Tea Garden. Jo's Delights was set up in her home kitchen and she has never looked back. On April 5, she will be at the idyllic gardens of Vincent Eco Estate in Mgarr to offer a delightful vegan dessert menu [watch this space for more details] to complement the healthy food on offer at the wellness event. Fuelled by intense passion and sheer dedication, Jo’anna’s creative soul is committed to sharing the beauty of raw veganism. She currently supplies over 20 catering establishments and numerous individual clients from her online shop. Her ethos is to produce healthy raw vegan desserts and savouries that are as fresh, clean, honest and sincere as possible, made from scratch, using only whole, natural, unaltered, possibly organic ingredients. What’s not to love! www.josdelights.com

8 GET YOUR CERTIFIED ORGANIC Farmer’s Deli is a supplier of certified-organic fresh produce and other artisan delicatessen and products. Since its inception as an online store [farmersdelimalta.com], it has become synonymous with quality food families can trust and a convenient homedelivery service. Products available are carefully curated and can be traced to their producer in Malta and in any other country of origin. Farmer’s Deli is now also at Villa Bologna Shop & Pottery in Attard. And it will be present at The Pink Tea Garden, also with interesting talks on how consumers can ensure products are organic and their right to ask; as well as why organic is more expensive and what the price of food should be.

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www.ticketline.com Pink March 2019 ∫ 65

WOMENONWHEELS

‘LIKE SITTING IN A CHURCH’

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t only took a couple of minutes for me to feel comfortable and confident while on the road in the New Toyota Corolla.

However, when Chris Sant Fournier, the photographer of the day, told me that he knew of a shortcut to our destination and led me through a couple of narrow roads to get there, I swear I could feel that morning’s breakfast about to make a dramatic appearance.

I was driving a 1.8-litre top-of-therange Hybrid Corolla in Scarlet Shimmer, with partial leather sports seats. It is also available in Hatchback and Touring Sport.

read seconds later. This feature registers the road signs on the dashboard as soon as you drive past them, which, in my opinion, would come in super handy when you’re driving through that particularly sneaky speedometer in Attard. I seriously think it is one of the coolest features this car has.

When I saw that the Corolla is a hybrid, I immediately commented that it was just like the Auris and was told it is actually its replacement; to be more accurate, the Auris replaced the old Corolla and the New Corolla replaced the Auris.

“THE ONE THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME IS ROAD SIGN ASSIST. I’M SURE I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO SOMETIMES READS ROAD SIGNS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES INDICATING THE SPEED LIMIT, ONLY TO FORGET WHAT I’VE JUST READ SECONDS LATER”

THINKPINK

The Corolla has many safety features, namely Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Alert and Pre-Collision Brake Assist, but the one that really impressed me is Road Sign Assist. I’m sure I’m not the only one who sometimes reads road signs, especially the ones indicating the speed limit, only to forget what I’ve just

When I test drove the Auris, I joked that it was so silent it was like being in a library, so I’m going to compare the Corolla to sitting in a church. Being a hybrid naturally makes it one of the quietest cars available. I found myself trying to listen to the gears changing, and admittedly, I could only really hear

Tezara is wearing Monsoon Ladies.

TV personality TEZARA CAMILLERI test drives the New Toyota Corolla and finds herself whispering to see if the hybrid is really that noiseless. She asks herself: could it be every loud person’s partner’s dream?

the transition from standstill to first gear. I was listening so intently to the minor sounds the car was making that I was almost whispering when chitchatting to Chris.

Could this car be every loud person’s partner’s dream? Who knows; maybe sometime in the near future, my boyfriend will show up with the keys to a shiny New Toyota Corolla as a gift!

Realistically, though, the question would be: is it a gift for me, or a gift for him?

FOR AN AUTHENTIC DINING EXPERIENCE… Ta’ Marija restaurant in Mosta is a place with personality, but it’s not all show – these guys can really cook, and their dishes are a triumph of careful composition and texture. Savour the creative Maltese and Mediterranean cuisine that inspires even the most discerning palate. With more than 50 years of experience, the family-run restaurant is a signature experience, offering an elegant, warm and informal ambience and a quality, yet 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 nights and Sunday lunches for only €30, with regular live shows and entertainment. For bookings, call on 2143 4444. Find out more at www.tamarija.com

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