Pink (September 2019)

ISSUE178∫SEPTEMBER2019

INSPIRED BY ASSASSINATED JOURNALIST’S LIFE, WORK & PASSIONS A COOKBOOK DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF A MULTIFACETED WOMAN

Blending into the natural world FASHION GOES FERAL

@thepinkteagarden

I beat obesity through my mindset

AND NOW I’M MOTIVATING OTHERS

MEET THE SCHOOL LUNCHBOX SUPER MUM FROM BLAND FOOD TO WELL-BALANCED MEALS IN A NURTURING BLOG

TAMING THE BINGE-EATING BEAST INSIDE HOW I BATTLED UNCONTROLLABLE CRAVINGS AND FOUND COMPASSION ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

INSIDE

September 2019

21

14

33

FEATURES 14 PrivateEye my binge eating recovery story Curbing the food cravings and finding compassion 21 FoodForThought pretty much ‘vanilla’ The guru of kids’ school lunches 27 TableTalk something worth fighting for Cookbook dedicated to memory of courageous journalist 33 LifeStyle how to beat it!

From obese to health motivator

60

FASHION 44 ShowStopper like wildlife Animal print galore

HEALTH & BEAUTY 53 InThePink ‘tomorrow is promised to no one’ Early detection of breast cancer 57 BeautyParlour A temple to make-up Celebrating cosmetics

REGULARS 11 EditorsNote 12 MailShot 39 WomanKind The pianist Clara Schumann 60 ArtyFacts the rocking Tezara as Oz Starring in a smash-hit musical 65 SnapShot 20 together Maxine Pace

COVER Photography Carlton Agius ∫ Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] ∫ Hair Neville Roman Zammit ∫ Make-up Jean Agius ∫ Model Julia @ Supernova MM, wearing dress, €65; cardigan €47.50, both Marks & Spencer ∫ chain, from €19.99; earrings, €19.99; charm bracelet, €29.99, all Mvintage ∫ Location Farmer’s Deli at Villa Bologna.

8 ∫ Pink September 2019

EDITORSNOTE

I’m always intrigued by how tiny boxes of unimportant information buried in the depths of one’s brain open up now and again. Why would they have been stored in the first place, without any hindsight, and how does the mind trigger them to resurface so lucidly one fine day? At the time, these situations would have left barely any impact, so it’s even more astonishing that they bubble up when the context calls.

For example, the other day, I relived in detail one of the conversations I had had with investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. As was often the case, it had nothing to do with her hard-hitting breaking-news stories.

It was quite simply about food. In that characteristic soft-spoken manner, she seemed keenly interested in what I ‘cooked’, and I explained to her that I was always on the lookout for what I called “readymade/homemade food”.

We talked about the older generation’s idea of good fare, and she quietly explained how, to women of a certain age, the advent of frozen food had opened up the doors to freedom from their kitchens and so they continued to think this easy-way-out pile of preservatives was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

It was actually an article in this issue of Pink that jogged my memory of what was, back then, just small talk at some uneventful work do that would have remained in the abyss of my mind had

Daphne not been brutally murdered two years ago. You start to try and remember everything to salvage the memory of the human being as a whole.

Because yes, as emphasised in TableTalk on page 27, Daphne was also a woman, a wife, a mother… and even a cook. The article breathes life into a figure few really knew, but many maligned. Based on a cookery book that is about to be launched and is dedicated to her memory, it sheds light on Daphne the foodie, on her culinary interests and skills, on her love for the exquisite and the passion she poured into everything that absorbed her – which went way beyond politics…

The article also takes the opportunity to raise the issue of justice for Daphne – two whole years after her assassination; a quest that has been put on the backburner not only by the socalled authorities but also by a lethargic nation that has yet to understand the impact of her murder on their lives and freedoms, and on those of their children.

They have failed to understand that justice for Daphne is justice for all.

As the article’s heading suggests, this is: Something worth fighting for. ***** Food. It is, in fact, the focus of almost the entire magazine as the second edition of The Pink Tea Garden takes root and inspires some incredible stories that I stumbled upon along the way.

The wellness picnic party, a Times of Malta event in the gardens around Farmer’s Deli in Villa Bologna, gathers some of the finest, healthiest, tastiest – and sinless – treats around, feeding the wave of well-being that more and more of us want to ride.

Organic, wholesome, natural, pure, traditional, nutritious, artisanal, ecofriendly and clean are the buzzwords

we have been bandying about for the last couple of months, and the interest in going down the good food route is strongly felt.

But maybe this is most compelling in the first-hand, honest accounts of two women in their mid-30s, who have individually managed to turn their lives – and their bodies – around, arming themselves with the willpower to beat the odds, change their relationship with food and learn to love themselves.

Read the stories behind Road to Belle in PrivateEye on page 14 and Beat It in LifeStyle on page 33 to get inspired by the way a lifetime of binge eating and obesity can be turned into mentoring and motivating others to travel the healthy route.

And then we have the Vanilla Mummy, who, from barely eating anything but bland food, has become the guru of kids’ school lunches and is planting the seeds to grow her ideas beyond her blog. Read Food For Thought on page 21 for some useful and fun tips.

Food is a pleasure. But for some, it can rule their life, causing immense suffering in the battle against this beast.

Food is also a unifying factor as seen in the creation of The Pink Tea Garden: one of its most amazing aspects is the sourcing, finding and gathering of like-minded people from all walks of life, who come together to share their experiences, build on them and grow bigger and better.

The Pink Tea Garden is about networking in nature; it’s also about briefly shutting our eyes and ears to the concrete jungle outside; about forgetting that roads are being widened as trees continue to be chopped; about farmers’ livelihoods, their prized produce and idyllic rural life.

It’s about our own brand of chic eco-living.

September 29, 2019 ∫ Pink is a monthly magazine ∫ Issue 178 ∫ Executive editor Fiona Galea Debono ∫ Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Printing Progress Press Ltd ∫ Production Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Contributors Jean Agius, Laura Bonnici, Marisabelle Bonnici, Iggy Fenech, Anna Marie Galea, Mary Galea Debono, Marisa Grima, Diandra Muscat, Antoinette Sinnas, Neville Roman Zammit ∫ Design Manuel Schembri ∫ Photography Carlton Agius, Amanda Hsu, Chris Sant Fournier, Mark Zammit Cordina ∫ Advertising sales Veronica Grech Sant [2276 4333; veronica.grechsant@timesofmalta.com].

THIS PUBLICATION IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF:

@pinkmagazine

@pinkmagazine_tom

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

Pink September 2019 ∫ 11

MAILSHOT

THE LETTER THAT TICKLED PINK A MALE READER Pink is a beautiful, soft colour, with many different shades. Anything painted pink suddenly becomes an object you want to cuddle. It does have one tiny little drawback though: it is strongly associated with females. Nothing wrong about that, but if I were to use this colour, it would have to be indoors. Yes, I am a male reading Pink magazine. Actually, I have been reading it for a very long time and I strongly suggest to the ladies to encourage their spouses to start indulging in this fantastic production. “Fashion is free, and originality is key,” says the EditorsNote [June 2019], and that says it all in just seven words. I love it! A quick scan of Iggy Fenech’s wardrobe in FashionStory [A love letter to style, June 2019] and I realise that as an outdoorsy person, who likes to get muddy, it is going to be a bit difficult for me to follow his fashion. But this is not about me; it is about Mr Fenech, who, without a doubt, has proven that “fashion is free, and originality is key”. I quote him: “I was petrified before I put it on in public.” This reflects the usual fear all of us experience when faced by the unknown. Then his mother says: “You look great!” And suddenly, the world looked so bright and pink [as in cuddly].

It costs us nothing to acknowledge someone’s efforts. Finally, he tells us: “We all take inspiration from each other.” Thank you for reminding us that we all need each other in many different ways. “We’re going to the races,” writes Caroline Paris in TheUniform [June 2019].

“The tendency was to go for something fresh and pretty…” Fresh and pretty makes us feel good and makes us forget less pleasing moments. Let us men try harder to look fresh and handsome, and thus contribute to the feel-good factor around us. The first person to take note should definitely be me! I had to read PrivateEye [The other side of the spectrum, June 2019] three times. Graziella Bezzina is such an inspiration and so charismatic. I quote Adriana Bishop, who talks about the important lesson she learns from this remarkable young woman.

Adriana, you are not the only person learning from Graziella! We all should be taking heed of what this young lady is saying and doing. “The jigsaw puzzle of my life started fitting. Every person with autism manifests his or her own unique strengths and challenges. Some are extremely intelligent and high functioning. I was afraid that people wouldn’t employ me so I decided I wouldn’t tell anyone. I do well at work.” Kindly allow me to repeat those most important words: “I do well at work.” Should Graziella encounter some difficulties with her employers because of this genuine approach of hers, we should all go and calmly explain to the boss that he/she is making a mistake and should try to reconsider. Count me in!

MARTIN GATT, FROM SWIEQI

The writer of the letter of the month wins two Korres Basil Lemon Shower Gels and a Basil Lemon Body Milk, courtesy of A.M. Mangion Ltd.

WRITE IN AND WIN

EMPOWERING YOUNG GIRLS Dear Editor, Pink is all about empowering women. Being a handball coach for young ladies aged 16 to 18, and also involved in sport in general, I always check into Pink to see whether there are articles that might empower young girls, especially in the field of sports. I feel that Pink can offer a niche, where it can cultivate a difference in the traditional way female sports is viewed. In view of the upcoming Olympics in 2020, I look forward to seeing more articles on women in sport, especially those who are prospective athletes for the games. I also think that Pink can help in bringing such young athletes closer to businesses that target a female audience in particular. I am certain that female athletes can prove themselves to be worthy ambassadors for women.

DANIEL TANTI FARRUGIA, VIA E-MAIL

AN ALL-ROUNDER I love Pink for being an all-rounder, hitting almost any topic you feel like reading through that day, week, or month. It’s a one-off magazine I tend to hold onto, and refer back to, until the next issue’s out. I particularly love reading about health and beauty. In the June issue, the topic of autism caught my eye. Pink brings out the holistic beauty of a person, and works at getting people together through their original yearly events. Pink offers everything you need, from the little tips to the lengthy reads. It’s always fun to have. Keep up the great work!

MICHELA CATANIA, FROM NAXXAR

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12 ∫ Pink September 2019

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PRIVATEEYE

Marisabelle Bonnici, 35, has learnt how to improve her relationship with her body and food; how to accept herself.

Photography: Amanda Hsu

14 âˆŤ Pink September 2019

PRIVATEEYE

MY BINGE EATING RECOVERY STORY

MARISABELLE BONNICI had been battling an eating disorder throughout her life, which became a vicious cycle of work, bingeing, dieting and bingeing again. It’s been a long journey of self-hatred, self-doubt, anxiety, self-love, suffering and compassion. But she has gone from 139kg to 87kg since she embarked on the ‘road to Belle’.

“Why don’t you diet?”

“Don’t eat carbs!”

“Just start exercising!”

“You don’t look like you have an eating disorder.”

“What you eat is a choice…”

These comments are often passed by others who don’t understand eating disorders. But what is it really like to live with binge eating?

For many years, when people used to comment about my weight, I used to say I will not be defined by a number on a scale. I told everyone I was happy the way I was even though, deep down, the pain over my relationship with myself and food was very real.

Eating disorders also come with their share of self-esteem issues. To feel that you are never good enough; to be unhappy in your own skin; to want to be loved but unable to accept it; and worst of all, to allow food to rule your life… these things were an everyday reality for me.

But I can tell you binge eating is certainly not a choice! I had no control over the feelings I had and what I did and did not eat. There were so many times that I woke up with the resolve to change my life that day! I would make it to lunchtime, maybe sometimes even to 4pm, and then something inside me would snap, and this beast that lived within took over, and it would eat everything it could find.

There is only so much abuse a body can take! I have been bingeing, restricting and yo-yo dieting for over 20 years. I even went through a phase, while I was at

university, where I had lost over 30kg in a couple of months by literally refusing to eat anything.

MY TEENAGE YEARS Looking back, I know my disordered eating started at a very young age. My mother was always conscious that we did not put on weight as she was always heavy and did not want us to struggle with weight loss for all our lives like she did. So, she limited our access to junk food and sweets. But despite this, I was still a bigger girl.

Today, I realise I was not fat; I just had a different build from the other girls in school – I was taller and had a bigger frame. I was not naturally skinny.

I used to love studying and reading, and this made me an easy target. I was continuously taunted, and various names were made up for me. Some girls would encourage me to smoke to lose weight; others used to show me how they threw up everything they ate and encouraged me to do the same.

I never managed to smoke or throw up. However, food was my refuge for a very long time… whether it was eating

“OVER THE YEARS, I MUST HAVE LOST CLOSE TO 300KG THROUGH ALL THE DIETS I HAVE DONE THAT ALL ENDED UP WITH ME PUTTING ON WEIGHT AGAIN” an extra portion after everyone went to bed or buying sweets with my pocket money. It was always the one thing that made me feel good.

And the years rolled by… always characterised by one diet after the other and my relentless belief that if I could find that one diet, one programme, or one trainer to help me lose weight, then all my problems would magically disappear.

Over the years, I must have lost close to 300kg through all the diets I have done that all ended up with me putting on weight again.

However, one thing remained the same; I always resorted to food as my crutch.

Pink September 2019 ∫ 15

PRIVATEEYE Marisabelle has no photos at her heaviest, but recalls being bullied from eight years old for being ‘bigger’.

THE WORST YEARS OF MY EATING DISORDER Six years ago, I decided to focus my life on my work. I bought a pharmacy and it was my pride and joy. Taking care of my patients was something I enjoyed, and I believed that was my purpose. I completely ignored all aspects of my health. I stopped taking photos and playing music and travelling. I just allowed myself to focus on this life of a business owner.

Despite loving my profession, dealing with patients and owning a business brought on its fair share of stress and anxiety as anyone in the healthcare profession can attest to. And after a long

“I WAS EXPERIENCING UNCONTROLLABLE FOOD CRAVINGS – THE KIND OF DESIRE THAT WOULD CONSUME YOU SO MUCH THAT YOU WOULD GET OUT OF BED AND OUT OF THE HOUSE IN PYJAMAS TO FIND FOOD” day at work, my kitchen was my solace.

My life had become a vicious cycle of work, bingeing, dieting and bingeing again.

Three years down the line and binge eating disorder took over my life. I was 16 ∫ Pink September 2019

experiencing uncontrollable food cravings – the kind of desire that would consume you so much that you would get out of bed and out of the house in pyjamas to find food. It felt like I was

on autopilot, and I could not stop myself. I was a smart, well-educated woman, so why did I have no willpower around food?

There were days when I would swear never to eat that way again, and the next minute, I’d find myself stuffing food into my mouth. If someone had sat and watched me from afar, they would have seen me gulping down one thing after another.

PRIVATEEYE During a binge, I didn’t even I got a lot of support from take the time to taste the food; many people, and it took over I did not even enjoy the food at two years for me to be able to that point. I would then lay in talk about my condition openly. bed and be consumed with In the meantime, I have guilt and shame. Binge eating is studied a lot. I have done a a disorder that takes over your diploma in nutrition, another whole life and thrives on one in intuitive eating isolation and shame. coaching, and I am currently For a long time, I felt like I furthering my education in had no control. Now, you are eating disorders. all probably thinking: Why I have to admit that being couldn’t you stop eating when addicted to food is extremely you were full? But this was not hard. I cannot abstain from a choice for me. It was like my eating. You need food to hands were not attached to my survive, so avoiding food is not mind, and I could not control an option. The battle still brews myself even if I were so full that inside me whenever I have a I would feel nauseous. During a tough day and I sit with a plate binge, I did not think. of food in front of me.

A binge would generally last But now I have learnt around 90 minutes, and then compassion for myself. I have afterwards, I would be learnt to dissociate the feelings consumed by guilt. Today, I am of guilt from food. Studying amazed at how much food my eating disorders, nutrition and stomach could fit. intuitive eating has brought me Unfortunately, binge eating a lot of comfort. is not spoken about or It has been quite some time recognised much. Most people now since I had a massive would normally say that an binge. I have learnt to let my overweight person has no inner critic go. I have learnt willpower, or is lazy, and very alternative methods of dealing few would acknowledge that with my anxiety. Working out they might have a condition. has been an enormous support The worst part of it all was for me, as well as making use of “BINGE EATING IS A DISORDER THAT that I was beginning to lose calming scents in my house, hope – hope that I would ever and more importantly, talking TAKES OVER YOUR WHOLE LIFE AND get better and improve my openly about this condition on THRIVES ON ISOLATION AND SHAME” relationship with food and my my healthy lifestyle blog, Road to Belle, which is dedicated to body, and live a happy and intuitive eating and offers weight-loss support. I told them I was about to start healthy life. tips, recipes and feel-good stories… a diet and needed them not to eat in For a long time, it felt like food Allowing myself the freedom to eat front of me. I began using the services of consumed my life. Every food advert, whatever I want has put me in touch Plan H for a while. I am ever so grateful to new restaurant opening, online recipes, with my body. I now appreciate how them for getting me on the right track Instagram food photo would trigger particular food makes me feel and and helping me start off my journey. They the need for a binge and uncontrollable understand better my cravings and helped me believe in my body again and food cravings. reactions to food. the fact that I could enjoy healthy food It’s been a long journey of self-hatred, and reasonable portion sizes.

RECOVERY self-doubt, anxiety, self-love, suffering and Unfortunately, on bad days, however, On February 9, 2017, a man walked into compassion. And I know the journey is far I still had binges. But I could no longer my pharmacy and asked to have his blood from over. Every day, I still learn. I learn use the excuse that I didn’t have time to pressure and blood sugar tested. Both how to love myself, how to accept myself, cook healthy food as I had nutritious were above the norm, so I proceeded to and how to improve my relationship ready-made food every day. It was at advise him on how a healthy diet is with my body and food. Right now, that point that I realised I could have a essential and exercising is important.

I feel stronger than ever, and I know that problem. Was I addicted to food? Did I In that moment, I felt like a fraud. through my journey, I can offer hope have a disorder?

That was when I decided to start and support to anyone going through a From then on, my journey took a turn. a diet. I asked all my friends for their wellness journey of their own.

I finally realised what my problem was.

Pink September 2019 ∫ 17

FOODFORTHOUGHT Giselle Muscat and her daughter Sabine get busy in the kitchen.

PRETTY MUCH ‘VANILLA’ Giselle Muscat was never big on food, so the thought of ever sharing her knowledge on nutrition, let alone her recipes, was furthest from her mind. But the school lunchbox supermum tells ANTOINETTE SINNAS she has become so passionate about helping mothers understand the importance of well-balanced meals that she has even stepped outside her comfort zone and continues to share more food for thought.

B

eing a modern-day mother makes me feel like I am being pulled in a million directions. Hectic daily schedules, a never-ending to-do list, work and school events, a number of after-school activities, not to mention homework! All this is a mounting struggle when it comes to the process of thinking about what to cook and getting down to cooking it.

Caught up in the gnarl between my children’s hunger pangs and the race against time, I embark on convenient habits to make life less stressful, like boiling a packet of pasta and pouring sauce out of a can over it, or turning to an amalgam of processed food such as frozen, canned, packed, or sometimes even ready-to-eat meals – straight from the freezer to the fryer, et voilà! It couldn’t get any easier.

However, this pre-packaged food is notoriously high in preservatives, colours, stabilisers, fats, salts, sugar and corn syrup, making a whole meal out of synthetic-filled food. That’s

right! I forfeit my family’s health with these regrettable choices.

Fresh food in our diet is negligible, if not non-existent.

Switching to a healthy diet is no piece of cake as it is more of an effort to chop up veggies instead of just emptying them out of a packet or a can. But in the long run, that extra effort will have a great effect on my children’s health. It would help in increasing their energy levels, stabilising their emotions, take care of their dental caries, support their mental wellbeing and sharpen their minds.

My interest in the subject grew a great deal and I took up a course in nutrition with Stanford University. While doing my research, I stumbled upon a health blog called Vanilla Mummy.

Steadily gaining popularity on Instagram, it is run by pharmacist Giselle Muscat. Her intriguing photography and vibrant creations would lure anyone to jump onto the healthy food bandwagon, especially when it comes to whipping up delightful and wellbalanced school lunches.

Pink September 2019 ∫ 21

FOODFORTHOUGHT Going back in time, Giselle says she was never a healthy eater. As a child she was very picky. “Due to the inadequate variety of food at home, I always ate the same bland meals,” she says. Giselle grew up with the same notion and continued to cook simple, insipid meals too.

“EVERYTHING CHANGED ONCE I HAD MY DAUGHTER, SABINE. I DIDN’T WANT HER TO HAVE THE SAME RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AS I DID” “This was partly due to the fact that I had a catalogue of food I didn’t like. Cooking was never my cup of tea and I thought it was an utter waste of time. The most I would put together were stir-fries and pasta,” admits the medic.

“Everything changed once I had my daughter, Sabine.

I didn’t want her to have the same relationship with food as I did,” she confesses. “I wanted to expose her to as much of a variety as possible and started experimenting with cooking. I fed her fresh homemade vegetable and meat purées and later started her on semi-solid soups.”

Until Sabine was two years old, she never ate any sweets. She had no idea what a Happy Meal was. I guess Giselle was one of the few mums whose car never smelt like a McDonald’s joint.

As much as possible, she always tried to provide healthy homecooked food for her daughter. Thanks to cooking for Sabine, Giselle and her husband changed their eating habits too. She began to cook more healthy, well-balanced meals for the family.

As Sabine grew older, Giselle explored her creative gene and made her cooking more attractive and easier to eat. She had to come up with nutritious packed lunches for school, which we all know can be both physically and mentally challenging for our children. Good nutrition helps provide them with the strength and vitality required to function efficiently in the classroom and in the playground. School lunches contain one-third of a child’s daily intake, and the introduction of the Yumbox into the market has given lunchboxes a modern-day revival, while being a quirky way to instil healthy eating habits.

Sabine gets excited about her school lunches. Every morning, she asks Giselle: “What do I have in my lunchbox today?”

And once she sees what her mummy has whipped up for her, she gleams. A sandwich cut into squares can be boring, no matter what you put between the slices. Crafting it into shapes with cookie cutters and adding different coloured fruit and veg can certainly add vibrancy to a midday meal and lure children into healthy eating.

22 ∫ Pink September 2019

Sabine does, however, let Giselle know if she does not intend eating something and asks for what she would like instead. “I loved this growing sense of self-reliance I saw in her, and I think it is important to let kids have a say and some degree of control,” Giselle points out.

“When she has something for dinner that she likes, she asks me to include it in her school lunch too. She has recently started reading, so I began adding lunchbox notes with little messages for her,” says Giselle. These are such an excellent way to brighten your child’s day, to remind them of your love, or to cheer them up with a funny child-appropriate riddle or joke.

Giselle finds it extremely rewarding when parents compliment her for inspiring them with her lunchbox ideas and her parenting tips. Her favourite comment yet is: “You make me want to be a better mummy!” And she is further encouraged when mothers share their parenting experiences too, which, in turn help her.

Of course, there are always a few sour grapes in the bunch, and, at times, she is judged based on the content of Sabine’s lunchbox. “This can be quite upsetting. But I guess when you put yourself on social media, it is bound to happen. I don’t dwell much on it and navigate the tide of any discouragement by delving deeper into child nutrition, especially since there is a

FOODFORTHOUGHT growing awareness about healthy eating in children and strict guidelines by the education department on what to include in their lunches,” she says.

“When Sabine turned three, she started becoming very picky with her food. She stopped eating vegetables, meat and almost everything. She would grimace at the very sight of food. I could not understand why? She was doing so well! I really began to struggle when dealing with toddlerhood. But I avoided the two main pitfalls to encourage her eating – force and bribe. These are a categorical no-no!”

For many toddlers, faddy eating is just a phase, and they eventually grow out of it. Just keep offering them healthy meals, Giselle advises. Offering an alternative meal or their favourite food instead is a big mistake and would just teach them that, with a little bit of fuss, they can get whatever they want.

Giselle hadn’t mastered motherhood yet, but she wanted to share her experiences with other mothers and started an Instagram blog and Facebook page. At first, it was a platform

“WHATEVER GOES INTO OUR CHILDREN’S BELLIES, FUELS THEIR BODY AND BRAINS AS WELL” for expressing herself on parenting issues and how she dealt with Sabine’s dining dilemmas. Then, it gradually developed into nutrition and well-balanced school lunches.

Giselle says coming up with the name Vanilla Mummy was pretty straightforward. “I consider myself an average person, with an average life, where nothing extraordinary happens. Thus, you can say, my life is pretty much ‘vanilla’, and I like it that way.

“Even as a mum, I’m not really into anything fancy. I’m your regular down-to-earth mother, who just wants the best for her daughter. So yes, I’m a Vanilla Mummy, and my blog is dedicated to all those mums, who, just like me, feel like they can’t always cope and can’t always be a supermum and end up judging themselves. In reality, being a parent is enough of an accomplishment in itself, so I want these parents to know they are not alone, and they are doing just fine,” says Giselle.

She tries to stick to fresh and homemade food rather than anything pre-packed, and she makes her own sauces and snacks

as much as she can. Even if it is muffins or potato chips, the fact that she makes them from scratch, using fresh products, puts her mind at rest, knowing nothing adulterated is going into her daughter’s stomach. After all, whatever goes into our children’s bellies, fuels their body and brains as well.

Giselle tries to involve Sabine in helping her cook. And the tot makes a great sous-chef. The whole idea of a sensory experience helps her get more comfortable with the idea of eating her food.

Children are naturally curious, and a great way to make them love food is by creating opportunities for them to participate in the kitchen. There are things for them to do at every age. The older they are, the more they can do, but even toddlers can take part, especially when you’re teaching them the basic cooking techniques. This can also be a great way to create memories and keep them busy within eyesight.

“I would love to switch completely to organic food, but realistically speaking, it’s hard both from a financial aspect and because, in Malta, it is still not easily accessible. I try and keep our overall eating habits healthy by opting for cheaper alternatives, like free-range eggs, free-range chicken and organic products from supermarkets, such as yoghurts, pasta, nuts and seeds. After comparing prices with regular products, the difference is minimal.

“I buy some organic fruit and vegetables, but I wish to increase the amount. Regardless of whether the produce is organic or not, I make sure I peel fruit and vegetables, or soak them in bicarbonate water to reduce pesticide consumption.

I have heard that it is quite hard to grow 100 per cent organic produce in Malta since the soil is already so contaminated, so I rely on foreign imports for most of this.

“My daughter’s dream is to have a farm full of animals, and if her wish comes true, I will definitely grow my very own fruit and vegetables there,” Giselle states.

From a medical perspective, Giselle explains how the human body is designed to assimilate all the vitamins, minerals, macroand micro-nutrients through the food we eat. Unfortunately, when we look at the quality of produce we get, sometimes, it is questionable how rich in nutrients it actually is. Some vegetables look like they are on steroids, colossally large and vibrant; others with perfectly polished surfaces. They belong in a museum and not in our stomachs. But we can only do what we can and to the best of our ability.

“Our diet may lack the necessary nutrients and we can always compensate by taking supplements, however, I don’t recommend loading yourself with them. The main role of vitamins and supplements arises for patients who are immunocompromised, the elderly, people exposed to those who are sick, such as healthcare workers, teachers and people who have dietary restrictions,” Giselle explains.

“If Sabine passes through a phase of not wanting to eat anything healthy or a bout of sickness, I do give her a course of certain vitamins, such as Omega-3 and probiotics, to bring her immunity up to the mark.

“The truth is, I never thought that I would be sharing my knowledge on nutrition one day, let alone my recipes with anyone. But I have become so passionate about helping mothers understand the importance of well-balanced meals that I have actually stepped outside my comfort zone and will continue to share some food for thought.”

Pink September 2019 ∫ 23

TABLETALK Peter and Matthew Caruana Galizia with Meike Peters.

Photography: Jim Hickey Location: Hotel Phoenicia

SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR On October 16, 2017, journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally assassinated outside her home in Bidnija. Two years on, many people around the world continue to find inspiration in her work and life, including James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Meike Peters, whose second book, 365: A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking, is dedicated to Daphne’s memory. Here, IGGY FENECH meets the Berlin-based author, as well as Daphne’s husband and son, Peter and Matthew Caruana Galizia, to talk about one of the late journalist’s many passions: food.

D

aphne Caruana Galizia is like Marmite: some adore her and venerate her like a martyr; others hate her and believe every word she ever wrote was poisonous. Yet, unlike Marmite, many of the people who loathe Daphne, and who to this day clear her memorial outside the Law Courts in Valletta, have never really ‘tried’ her: they had never met her, had a conversation with her, or, indeed, even read anything she ever wrote.

Propaganda, coupled with a pen that could cut better than a freshly-sharpened knife, made Daphne so ‘monstrous’ to so many that her reputation, often dictated by others, eclipsed the fact that she was, first and foremost, a human being; one who fought hard for the rights of those who were cheated and subjugated; one who always sought the highest ideals in honour and aesthetics.

So, when Meike – whom I’ve known since before her first book, Eat in My Kitchen: To Cook, to Bake, to Eat, and to Treat, was even launched in 2017 – called me to tell me she was dedicating her second book to her late friend’s memory, I was overjoyed. This new book, entitled 365: A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking, wouldn’t have just appealed to Daphne, but is also garnering international attention. Just a few weeks ago, it was listed as one of the 13 cookbooks to look forward to this autumn by The New York Times.

And Daphne deserves to be remembered with beautiful things because she – as great and courageous a journalist as she was; as defining as her investigative work still is – was a multi-faceted woman who left us a legacy of exquisite magazine work, namely through Flair, Taste and, later, Taste&Flair, all of which she edited. They set the bar high for editors old and new, and imported a Pink September 2019 ∫ 27

TABLETALK Daphne, the woman, the wife, the mother… the cook.

high-end aesthetic that she moulded to make Maltese and Mediterranean in essence.

Meike and Daphne met through Taste&Flair when a friend of Meike’s Maltese-American boyfriend, Jim Hickey, set up a meeting between them. “We clicked immediately,” Meike admits. “Though, I have to say, I was nervous before I met her as her reputation preceded her. But it turned out we were both into the same things when it comes to grub: wellcooked comfort food made from simple, good and seasonal ingredients, as well as beautifully-composed photography that makes food appetising without looking inaccessible.”

The more Meike got to know Daphne – the latter attended the former’s book launch at the Malta High Commission in London – the more she realised how Daphne’s reputation left out some of the most important things about her: “Daphne always spoke her mind and her truth, and she was as passionate about how things looked in her magazines as she was about politics in her blog and articles,” Meike continues.

This is mirrored in something Daphne’s husband tells me when I ask him if he thinks her work in magazines and her love for ‘the beautiful things in life’ were a way for her to escape the mundane and, oftentimes, scary reality of the stories she used to unearth: “I think food was as much an outlet for her as her political work,” Peter answers.

“She had a force within that pushed her to write and she couldn’t stop that, no matter what else she might have had going on. In all honesty, I don’t think food 28 ∫ Pink September 2019

could have substituted or made up for what she felt when she was writing, but it was a passion of hers and it gave her tremendous joy.”

Peter says ‘food’, not ‘cooking’, because Daphne, it turns out, was never too happy to cook. When her three boys, Matthew, Andrew and Paul, were young, cooking was a chore; when they grew up, cooking was something that kept her away from her work. Yet food in itself was a joy, and she even bought a camera to experiment with food photography – “something she had a good sense of balance for, even though she never really reached a professional level in,” her husband continues.

“Yet, whenever she travelled, she always looked for props that would make the dishes in her magazines stand out,” Matthew interjects. “She’d buy plates in an assortment of colours, ceramics by the boxful, books because they had beautiful spines… She looked for beauty everywhere she went and aspired to create the perfect setting for each of the recipes by the well-known and up-start cooks and chefs that graced her pages.”

Although Daphne saw cooking as something that took a lot of time, especially considering it was consumed so quickly, she still experimented a lot and tried out most of the recipes that appeared in her magazines before they were published.

Moreover, holidays were a time when Daphne rolled up her sleeves and gladly cooked, as they were important celebrations that brought her family together.

TABLETALK

“DAPHNE LET HER BELIEFS SHINE THROUGH IN EVERYTHING SHE DID; BOTH IN HER HARD-HITTING JOB AS AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST AND IN HER LIGHTER SIDE THAT SOUGHT BEAUTY, LUXURY, PLEASURE AND ENJOYMENT. SHE NEVER COMPROMISED” Mekie with Daphne.

“She hated cooking turkey, though! That was definitely done reluctantly… Beef wellington and Bolognese, on the other hand, were her specialties; she was ace at making them,” Matthew reminisces.

Taking a trip down memory lane, Matthew speaks about how, when the first fast-food restaurants opened in Malta, his mother would still insist that her children should eat proper food, and would often drive them up to Gozo to a little nook called Jesther, where she’d entice them to try the most bizarre item on the menu, be it roasted pigeon or spaghetti with octopus.

This, to Meike’s mind, is an incredible component in the pursuit of understanding Daphne’s relationship with food: “While many of us may not have time to cook on a daily basis, Daphne always kept in mind that quality comes before quantity, and that home-cooking is a way of creating memories. That is why she always insisted on cooking on special occasions even though she didn’t particularly enjoy it. Daphne also understood that dishes are a big part of the cultures that create, cook and eat them. They are part of our heritage.”

To this Matthew’s replies: “Yes, every time she went away on holiday, she’d write about the food culture of the place and about all the dishes she would have tried; usually, the more unusual things, like when she went to Modica in Sicily and wrote about the rabbit meat pies with cocoa as the main spice. She thought the food of a place said as much about the people as their architecture, their mannerisms and their politics.”

In a way, it is both fitting and ironic that the symbol of resistance used in the fight for justice for Daphne is the bay leaf: on the one hand, in Greek mythology, ‘Daphne’ is the name of a nymph who was turned into a laurel bush when she was being unwillingly pursued by Apollo, making the plant a symbol of victory; on the other, the laurel and the bay leaf are part of the same family, making her name that of a herb, too.

But that was always Daphne. Daphne was never a one-sided person who wrote political pieces. She was a woman who dabbled in many pursuits and who pushed herself to cook for her children, husband and extended family if it meant having them all around the same table.

She was a woman who surrounded herself with beautiful things – both natural and human-made – to remind herself that there was something worth fighting for.

“Daphne let her beliefs shine through in everything she did,” Meike continues, “both in her hard-hitting job as an investigative journalist and in her lighter side that sought beauty, luxury, pleasure and enjoyment. She never compromised.”

The impact Daphne left on many of the people who knew her is still tangible. Meike, who only met her a few times but who corresponded with her about their culinary work on a regular basis, was completely distraught by her assassination.

“She was one of the strongest people I had ever met, and her murder completely threw me off: never had anyone in my environment been killed off, and so brutally at that.”

But Daphne lives on in the beauty she created for her family at their home in Bidnija; in the small framed photograph Meike and her boyfriend have of her in their living room; in her beautiful magazines and well-curated Pinterest boards; in her blog, that so many of us continue to use as reference; in the many people who continue to remember her by dedicating their art to her, who turn up at her vigils, and who write about her demise and about why justice still needs to be served. And, of course, in her family, who still mourns her loss as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister and an aunt.

And that is the saddest part of the whole story: justice doesn’t just mean finding and arraigning the people who orchestrated and carried out her assassination – only a small part of which has actually been done so far. Justice means remembering that Daphne had likes and dislikes like the rest of us; justice means remembering that this woman touched the lives of many in a positive and unequivocal way.

Justice means that we remember that Daphne was, above all else, human.

Pink September 2019 ∫ 29

TABLETALK Daphne Caruana Galizia was a fan of Maltese ravjul with ricotta so, in her honour, here is a recipe from Meike Peter’s upcoming book, 365: A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking, which she would have loved.

ARTICHOKE, RICOTTA AND ORANGE RAVIOLI “Once you make your own ravioli, you’ll never be able to buy them from a store again,” Meike writes in her book. “You do need a pasta machine and it’s a rather labour-intensive project, yet it’s one that will make everybody at the dinner table happy.

Meanwhile, the preserved artichokes, ricotta and orange constitute a light Mediterranean filling, making them perfect as a starter. To keep dinner stress-free, you can cook the ravioli a day ahead and then warm them in butter just before serving.”

Serves 2 to 4

INGREDIENTS For the pasta dough 160g all-purpose flour 150g fine durum wheat flour, plus more for the baking sheet ¼ tsp fine sea salt 3 medium eggs, plus 1 medium egg yolk 1 tbsp olive oil For the filling 170g artichoke hearts, preserved in olive oil, drained and squeezed 140g fresh ricotta, drained 30g Parmesan, finely grated 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp freshly-grated orange zest Fine sea salt Finely ground pepper For serving 60g unsalted butter 2 large artichoke hearts, preserved in olive oil, drained and each cut into six wedges Finely grated Parmesan Freshly grated orange zest Coarsely ground pepper

30 ∫ Pink September 2019

METHOD To make the pasta dough, combine the all-purpose flour, durum wheat flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.

Add the eggs, egg yolk and olive oil, and mix with the hook for about five minutes or until well combined. If the mixture is too dry, add a tablespoon of water. Transfer to a work surface and knead with your hands for about 15 minutes, or until well combined and firm but smooth. Fashion the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for an hour.

For the filling, purée the artichoke hearts, ricotta, Parmesan, olive oil and orange zest until smooth in a food processor or blender before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the dough into four to eight portions [depending on the width and power of your pasta machine] and cover with cling film. On a work surface, use a rolling pin to roll out each portion until thin enough to fit through the pasta machine.

Using the thickest setting, pull the dough through the pasta machine twice, then fold in the middle. Rotate the dough by 90° and pull through the pasta machine another two or three times. Repeat on the thinner setting and pull the dough through the machine for another three times before taking the setting down again.

Continue this process until you can see your hand through the dough. If the dough is sticky, add a little durum wheat flour [never use all-purpose flour]. Sprinkle the pasta sheets with durum wheat flour, fold loosely and cover with cling film.

Sprinkle a baking sheet with durum wheat flour. Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer.

Using a 7.5cm round cutter, cut discs out of the pasta sheets. Place

one teaspoon of filling in the middle of half of the pasta discs, then wet the borders with a little cold water. Cover each of these with the remaining half of the pasta discs, pressing the edges together to seal the filling inside. With the prongs of a fork, press the edges again, then transfer the filled ravioli to the prepared baking sheet. This should make 20 to 24 ravioli.

Working in batches, simmer the ravioli for two to three minutes or until al dente — mind that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Use a slotted ladle or spoon to scoop the ravioli out of the water, drain and transfer to a large baking dish. Spread them, side by side, and then finish cooking the remaining ravioli.

Before serving, heat the butter over high heat until golden brown in a large, heavy pan. Add the artichoke hearts and sauté for one minute, turning them over halfway through.

Add the ravioli and toss gently, then divide among the plates. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan, orange zest and coarsely ground pepper. Serve immediately.

365: A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking

by Meike Peters is published by Prestel.

It will be available in all leading bookshops from October 1.

LIFESTYLE my apartment and bought a one-way ticket to Vietnam.

I spent three months there, but it didn’t feel like a place I could call home. Somehow, I still felt lost and unhappy – with myself mostly.

I decided to go on a four-day holiday to Thailand. While in Koh Samui, on my last day, I went on Tinder… Yes, Tinder! I met a guy, who was in Thailand for a month to train and explore and we spoke all night and all day and I got more and more interested in the idea of meeting this person and training with him.

On arrival in Vietnam…

I went back to Saigon the next day and decided to move to Thailand. I asked him if it would be OK to move to Koh Samui and train with him and he said: ‘Pack your bags girl and just come over!’

I tend to live in a dream world most Diandra Muscat of the time and think way more than I need to. But this time, I simply took the plunge. I went to Koh Samui with all my belongings, stayed in a hotel in Lami close to the centre, and as soon as I DIANDRA MUSCAT weighed 140kg in July 2018. Now, she’s down to 76! Back then, settled in, I messaged the she used to feel like she was existing – and not living! Now, in a candid story about her Tinder guy. He picked me journey through over 60kg of weight loss, she explains how changing the mindset is up on his bike and we what it is all about – and how she’s all set to get others to change theirs. went to the market, and right then and there, I was always hoping that someone else; that we need someone knew I had made the right choice. somehow, someone, to save us, when, in reality, all the This isn’t a love story, and no, Tinder somewhere would step power lies in you. Happiness is a guy and I aren’t married, but we are into my life and save me. homemade job after all! very close friends. We trained together till the day he left… which was a really It’s OK to want and need help, but it’s Until, finally, you wake up one day sad day for me as I felt alone yet again. not quite the same to expect others to and say that you are going to decide to But I decided to push through this and take over for us all the time. That’s be happy no matter what! keep training and eating healthy! where people get lost. They never get Well, that’s exactly what I did. I was I used to train several times a day, the happiness and joy that comes the director of a Swiss hedge fund in and slowly, it became my passion. from within.

Malta, and even though I really liked It was difficult when I didn’t see We are programmed to think that what I did, I was just not loving life. I results after so much hard work. all our joy and happiness comes from needed a change. I resigned, rented out

How to beat it!

“I

Pink September 2019 ∫ 33

LIFESTYLE and now.

Then…

“I LOST 21KG DURING MY TRAVELS IN ASIA AND MANAGED TO RUN MY FIRST 10KM IN SEPTEMBER 2018 WITH ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS, WHO I HAD MET ALONG THE WAY. I HAD NEVER EVEN IMAGINED RUNNING, LET ALONE TAKING PART IN A RACE” It took a month before I saw a shift on the scales. Determination is key and this saying helped me push through: the chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want right now.

Believe me when I tell you that all I wanted right then was a burger to help me drown my sorrows, given that I wasn’t losing weight. But I decided to believe in the process and fight through it. I met some awesome friends there, who helped me along the way and who are my extended family. This is something I believe in a lot – we are always stronger together.

I spent four months in Thailand, training, sunbathing and having an amazing time. The journey wasn’t easy and there were a lot of bumps along the road, but thankfully, I always found people to help me up when I felt lost or demotivated.

I lost 21kg during my travels in Asia and managed to run my first 10km in September 2018 with one of my closest friends, who I had met along the way.

I had never even imagined running, let alone taking part in a race. I was always the one who cheered for my sister while she ran her marathons and admired her 34 ∫ Pink September 2019

as I couldn’t believe or understand how this could be done.

My pace was mediocre, but that didn’t bother me. The fact that I ran and didn’t stop and heard people cheering and calling my name across the finish line was unbelievable. So for me, running is a major achievement and I wear it like a badge of honour.

I returned to Malta in November 2018 as my mother couldn’t accept the fact that I would be away for Christmas.

I was scared to come back as I wasn’t sure how I would adjust to ‘real life’ again. Would I gain all the weight back?

Would I continue to train? To my surprise, I kept running, training, and I lost a further 20kg in the following few months.

I started getting a lot of messages on Instagram and Facebook from people who wanted me to train them. My reply was always that I was not qualified.

Then, I said to myself: why not get qualified and train people who want to change their life or simply train and get stronger?

So that’s exactly what I did! I started studying in January, and by June, I was a qualified Level 4 Master Personal Trainer. Then I decided to start Beat It! I want to change people’s mindset by making working out fun and helping them sustain a good nutrition base. My aim is to help people achieve their goals and help them change their lifestyle.

I am 34 years old now, and I also suffer from hypothyroidism, which means I have a slow metabolism etc…

But when you train and eat well, you can still lose weight.

Everyone keeps saying there are only two factors to losing weight, right? A good workout regimen and appropriate nutrition? Well, that’s what the prevailing opinion is and that’s what

Then…

and now.

A DAY IN DIANDRA’S LIFE

the masses preach! They preach it because, to a certain extent, it is true. But only to a certain extent...The most critical factor, by a long margin in fact, is the third one – mindset. You need to change your mindset.

It’s easy to just train people and offer a diet.

However, Beat It’s mission is to help you change your mindset and keep you motivated month after month. Visible results take time, however, once visible, they are beyond our own expectations.

Mindset is what keeps you pushing through; always keeping your eyes on the prize – the prize being your end goal. That was my daily struggle at the beginning of my journey, but I learnt how to control it at first, and then, how to beat it!

I am overwhelmed with the response to this initiative. I have amazing clients, and seeing them go through their own journey and the happiness on their faces with every target they hit is just inspiring. My clients have lost more than 50kg so far and that’s not mentioning the muscle most have gained.

I wake up really early and go to meet my first clients at 6am. I have a coffee and breakfast in between clients.

I usually bake some sort of an oat cake, which is easy to cut into small pieces to take with me.

I have clients till 12pm. I then train for an hour or so. My training is mostly strength based, which is the same style I use for my clients. Increasing and maintaining adequate muscle mass is one of the best ways to keep body fat at bay and to improve overall fitness, particularly as you age. Resistance exercise, such as lifting weights, is the best way to build muscle mass.

In winter, I usually include a 5km run as well. I have my protein shake after an hour, and then, I’ll eat my lunch, which is usually protein, carbs and veggies. Next, I go to my clients from the afternoon till the evening. I tend to take nuts with me and an apple to have in between.

This is not my exact day as I do tend to shift up my meals given that I am not following a strict regime. At weekends, I am more relaxed with my food and I do tend to indulge, but cautiously.

We must remember that each bite of food we eat contains energy in the form of calories. We need to consume calories for the body to function properly.

But most of us consume more calories than we need each day. This creates a calorie surplus. These extra calories are stored as fat.

”

Pink September 2019 ∫ 35

WOMANKIND

THE PIANIST MARY GALEA DEBONO records the life and talent of Clara Schumann – one of the greatest pianists of the 19th century.

O

n September 13, the music world celebrated the bicentenary of the birth of the renowned concert pianist and composer Clara Wieck, better known as Clara Schumann. She was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1819.

Unfortunately, today, we cannot enjoy and appreciate the talents of this virtuoso. In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, a crude forerunner of the gramophone, but no recordings of Clara’s recitals were ever made.

However, from contemporary music critics we know that she was widely acclaimed as one of the greatest pianists of the 19th century. Even the composers of her time had a high regard for her talent. Chopin, for example, stated that she was the only female pianist in Germany who knew how to play his music.

Clara’s father, Friedrich Wieck, was an established piano teacher and ran a piano business; her mother, Marianne, was a gifted soprano. Unfortunately, the father was also abusive, domineering and quick to anger. When his wife left him, Clara, then just five years old, felt the void that the absence of a mother leaves on a young girl and her childhood was tinged with sadness.

It did not take long for Friedrich to recognise that in Clara he had a child prodigy with the potential not only of earning him money but also of introducing him to the intellectual elite. He took charge of her education to the exclusion of his other children and dedicated all his energy to nurturing her musical talents, focusing his attention on planning her career. A disciplinarian by nature, he devised for his daughter a timetable of daily exercises that covered every aspect of a

sound music education but neglected proper schooling.

His efforts yielded the desired results. By the age of nine, Clara had performed not only in private houses but also at the Leipzig Gewandhaus [concert hall], and two years later, she made her official debut.

Friedrich had another pupil destined to leave his mark on 19thcentury music. This was Robert Schumann. On the insistence of his mother, Robert had begun studying law, but his passion had always been for music and literature. One day, Friedrich visited the house of a doctor and his wife, who were living in Leipzig.

Robert, who had a crush on the doctor’s wife, happened to be there and was introduced to him. He explained his predicament to the piano teacher, who assured the aspiring musician that he would make a pianist out of him.

Robert promptly abandoned his law studies and the wine taverns that he had assiduously frequented and became a resident student at Friedrich’s house. But a permanent injury and paralysis of his hand soon put an end to his aspirations as a pianist and he concentrated on composition. In 1834, he became the editor of a musical newspaper and established himself as a music critic.

In the summer of 1834, the 24-yearold Robert planned to get engaged to Ernestine von Fricken, another of Friedrich’s students, whom he believed to be the daughter of a baron, but the relationship came to an end when he discovered that she was illegitimate.

Soon after this breakup, Robert bade farewell to Friedrich and his daughter, who were about to leave on a year-long tour that would take them to Vienna and Prague.

Robert, nine years older than Clara, remembered her from the time he was a student in her father’s house, but then, she was just a child; he had played with her and her younger brothers, read them bedtime stories and taken them to the zoo. Clara was now 16, a beautiful girl with the prospects of a great career ahead of her. Robert was a romantic in every sense of the word; he immediately fell in love with her. The attraction was mutual; they kissed on the stairs.

Pink September 2019 ∫ 39

WOMANKIND Robert decided to accompany them on the first part of the tour as far as their first destination, which happened to be Zwickau, where he was born.

There they kissed, this time “deeply, passionately and memorably”.

When Friedrich realised what was happening, he was incensed. He forbade his daughter from meeting and corresponding with the “miserable wretch” and he hurriedly left with her for Dresden. But before proceeding to Vienna, the next city on their tour, with the help of the nanny, they managed to exchange rings and she also devised ways of facilitating their correspondence.

The tour was a great success – in Vienna, the concert was described as “epoch-making”. Not only did it establish Clara as a great pianist, but it also reinforced the father’s opposition to the marriage.

Friedrich continued to put pressure by every means possible, even psychologically. He may have known of the womanising, debauchery and drunkenness of Robert’s early youth; he may also have feared that he did not have the means to support his daughter adequately; but above all, he knew that if Clara got married, he himself would be deprived of a good source of income.

In spite of the opposition, Clara and Robert were determined not to give up.

With his mental health already weak, Robert was miserable; the only remaining alternative was to apply to the High Court to obtain permission to marry without the father’s consent.

When this was granted, Friedrich lodged no appeal against the decision.

The couple got married in Schönefeld on September 12, 1840. The father did not attend the wedding and it was not before three years that the rift between him and the Schumanns began to heal.

Clara and Robert kept a diary together, and on the wedding day, the bride wrote: “It was a day without a jar, and I may thus enter it in this book as the fairest and most momentous of my life.” On a domestic level, life was happy; they studied together and had common interests. Three months after the wedding, she could still write: “they have been the happiest three months of my life. Every day I fall more deeply in love with my Robert.”

40 ∫ Pink September 2019

Clara Schumann and her children, 1853.

makes an interesting observation: Before the marriage, Robert presented his bride-to-be with a velvet bound book of songs inscribed with a dedication ‘To my beloved Clara’; after the marriage, he gave her a cookery book with the inscription ‘Meiner Hausfrau’.

Although Robert admired his wife’s talents, he was ambivalent about her artistic career and considered the care of the children and the management of the house as her chief priorities.

He expected her to subordinate her creativity to his, forbidding her to practise while he was composing.

“ALTHOUGH ROBERT ADMIRED HIS WIFE’S TALENTS, HE WAS AMBIVALENT ABOUT HER ARTISTIC CAREER AND CONSIDERED THE CARE OF THE CHILDREN AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HOUSE AS HER CHIEF PRIORITIES. HE EXPECTED HER TO SUBORDINATE HER CREATIVITY TO HIS, FORBIDDING HER TO PRACTISE WHILE HE WAS COMPOSING” Clara and Robert Schumann.

A year after, their first daughter Marie was born. In almost 14 years of marriage, Clara was pregnant nine times and gave birth to eight children, one of whom died in early infancy.

After the birth of the first ones, she started dreading the idea of another pregnancy, but Robert loved children and was happy with his big family.

The Schumanns’ marriage has often been described as an artistic partnership, and as in all partnerships, the investment that each partner puts in for its success is not always equal.

Michael Steen, in his book The Lives and Times of the Great Composers,

This inevitably put pressure on her, especially since she was the main bread winner and much of their income depended on her recitals – a situation that he also resented.

If she had an engagement he was not invited to, he felt left out and he was sometimes jealous of her success and the applause. Organising her recital tours without her father’s help was hard, but although he knew a chaperone was always necessary on such occasions, he sometimes refused to accompany her.

Although there were spells when, because of his depression, he could be very cold towards her, her support never wavered; she remained constantly ambitious for him and she sought to promote his compositions by including them always in her repertoire.

Her loyalty to him was unshakeable.

Once when Franz Liszt was invited to dinner at their house and, on top of arriving late, proceeded to criticise Robert’s work, Robert stormed out.

He realised his behaviour had been incorrect and tried to make it up, but Clara never forgave him and refused to appear with him on stage.

Already in 1846, Robert started showing signs of mental ill health, which gave Clara grave reason for

concern. He slept badly, suffered from headaches, heard “angelic” noises, which turned into the noises of “tigers and hyenas”, and was physically weak and depressed.

When he was offered the position of municipal music director in Düsseldorf, Clara encouraged him to accept, hoping this would lift him out of his depression, but it was not long before his erratic behaviour started irritating both choir and orchestra. When he was substituted by his assistant, Clara took it very badly. She could not accept the fact that anyone dared to criticise her husband.

As his mental health worsened, in his lucid moments he himself begged to be put in an asylum, a step Clara opposed until one day when, left for a brief moment on his own, he tried to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge into the river.

During the two-and-a-half years that he spent in the asylum, Clara was not allowed to visit or write to him and she was desolate. In her diary on her 36th birthday, she wrote: “Nothing was lacking that birthday celebrations should have, but yet, without Him everything was lacking.”

Nevertheless, her seven children had to be supported, and having refused financial help from anyone, she had no option but to work hard, teaching music and performing. She last saw Robert for a few days before he died. On this occasion, Brahms, their devoted friend, who witnessed their last moments together, stated: “Surely I will never experience anything more moving as the reunion of Robert and Clara.”

“A COMPOSER IN HER OWN RIGHT, SHE GAVE UP COMPOSITION AFTER HIS DEATH, BUT DEDICATED TIME TO EDITING HER HUSBAND’S COLLECTIVE WORKS” Clara outlived Robert by 40 years. A composer in her own right, she gave up composition after his death, but dedicated time to editing her husband’s collective works.

She continued to teach and give recitals – in her lifetime she gave over 1,000, playing from memory. Her performances, which required a great deal of organisation and hard work, took her to all the major European cities.

It was Brahms, 14 years younger than Clara, who continued to help her for the rest of her life. He took care of the children while she was travelling, was in charge of the correspondence and dealt with her accounts. There has been a lot of speculation about the nature of their relationship. For two years, she lived with him, together with two of her children and a chaperone in Lucerne.

By nature, a possessive person, she was often jealous of his loves. But few would contest that the relationship was a platonic one. He was the ‘son’ on whom she depended.

Clara died in 1896 and is buried with Robert just outside Bonn. A film about her life, Song of Love, starring Catherine Hepburn, was made in 1947 and her face has featured on both postage stamps and currency.

SHOWSTOPPER Dress, €60; bag, €32, both Oasis ∫ chains, from €19.99; pendants, from €19.99, all Mvintage.

Like wildlife ENTER AND INHABIT A NATURAL WORLD… Photography Carlton Agius Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] Hair Neville Roman Zammit Make-up Jean Agius Model Julia @ Supernova MM Location Farmer’s Deli at Villa Bologna Watch the behind-the-scenes footage on timesofmalta.com

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SHOWSTOPPER

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Pink September 2019 ∫ 47

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48 ∫ Pink September 2019

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Pink September 2019 ∫ 49

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Pink September 2019 ∫ 51

INTHEPINK

‘TOMORROW IS PROMISED TO NO ONE’ Although there is no accurate way of predicting whether you will get cancer, there are ways to help you catch the disease as early as possible and treat it accordingly. ANNA MARIE GALEA speaks to a cancer survivor about her experience and how her life has changed seven years after her diagnosis, as well as a breast surgeon on the importance of listening to our bodies and taking action.

D

espite the great advances in medicine, breast cancer remains one of the most common causes of death on the island for the female population. In 2017, the most common cancer deaths in males were caused by lung cancer, followed by colorectal cancer, whereas most female cancer-related deaths were caused by colorectal cancer followed by breast cancer.

One breast cancer survivor, who was diagnosed in November 2012, says she had always done routine mammograms and ultrasounds, but when it came to discovering she had cancer, it took a painful pulling sensation under her arm to get her to a doctor.

“The thing is that since I had always had water cysts in my breasts, I didn’t notice a new lump. I only knew something was up when the pulling feeling under my arm was consistent for two whole weeks. After that, I went through the paces: mammogram, biopsy, and finally, a lumpectomy,” says 55-year-old Pamela Camilleri.

During this time, I felt like I was in a haze. I wasn’t living; I was just existing.”

Describing this period as one where she felt in limbo, Pamela speaks further about the inner numbness she experienced and how she felt like she was going around in a bubble: “Of course, each person is different and reacts to things in different ways. At first, I couldn’t understand what was going on and why this was happening to me. However, that soon gave way to thinking that now that it was here, I would have to deal with it.

“IT WASN’T DEATH THAT I WAS AFRAID OF; IT WAS THE FACT THAT I WAS SCARED I WOULDN’T SEE MY NEPHEWS AND NIECES GROW UP” “When the results of the lumpectomy came back, I was told the cancer had moved to the lymph nodes, so I had chemo and radiotherapy.

“It wasn’t death that I was afraid of; it was the fact that I was scared I wouldn’t see my nephews and nieces grow up. When I had chemo, I felt Pink September 2019 ∫ 53

INTHEPINK OK for the first two days and then less so. In my case, it was the radiotherapy that made me feel really down,” Pamela explains.

Unfortunately, the ripple effect of the disease did not stop there: “I cannot stress enough how your life changes. It’s not just the hair loss and the fact that my nails fell off, but I also started suffering from mood swings and my character changed. I consider myself extremely lucky that I had my sister helping me through this difficult time.

life. Now, the minute I feel something out of the ordinary, I instantly make an appointment. No one knows your body better than you do.”

Pamela’s words are echoed by Mr John Agius, consultant general and breast surgeon, who also weighs in with ways in which cancer can, at the very least, be caught in its early stages: “If there are any changes in your body such as breast, neck and armpit lumps, abnormal nipple discharge or bleeding, breast or nipple redness, itchiness, scaling, or a new

“THE AIM IS TO DETECT CANCER EARLY BEFORE IT BECOMES SYMPTOMATIC. THE EARLIER WE CATCH IT, THE LESS CHANCE OF HAVING TO HAVE DISFIGURING SURGERY, OR HAVING TO UNDERGO CHEMO” “Life changes and it will never, ever be the same; you simply learn to live with it always at the back of your mind. That said, there have been some good lessons I have taken from this experience too. You learn to appreciate life more; I no longer wait till tomorrow to do what I want because I now know first-hand that tomorrow is promised to no one.

“I also have learnt to trust my body more: I waited a few days to get checked – till I couldn’t lift my arm at all – because I was just busy living my 54 ∫ Pink September 2019

nipple inversion, you should visit a breast specialist, who will usually investigate further.

“In 90 per cent of cases, it is not cancer. However, in the 10 per cent of cases that it does turn out to be cancer, it is important that patients have the support of those closest to them and get the right treatment.

A lot of people get information through their friends and other people, and this can be very misleading and damaging because each case is unique.”

Discussing the process, Mr Agius gives a clear outline of what needs to be done should something out of the ordinary appear on one’s body: “While every single case is dissimilar and a different set of steps may be followed for each and every person, what will usually happen if you feel something is that you will have an ultrasound and a mammogram [depending on the age of the patient]. This will sometimes be followed by a biopsy, where the lump will be examined for cancerous cells.

“Depending on whether or not the lump is cancerous, a combination of treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, will be administered. Your treatment is administered according to the cancer you have and is based on the findings and what is agreed by the breast multi-disciplinary team.

“Once the treatment is complete, there is a follow-up with regular clinical visits, where we discuss the physical as well as the psychological aspects. We also offer other advice as necessary. Many of our patients see psychologists and counsellors to help them deal with the trauma.

There are also local breast cancer voluntary associations where people can get patient-to-patient support.

“Groups like Europa Donna Malta and the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation are doing sterling work.

They not only help the patient, but their families are supported too.

“Of course, the sooner you get diagnosed, the better,” Mr Agius stresses. As for the right age to start breast screening, he offers guidelines for those who are not sure how to go about getting screened: “We advise people over 40 to start getting regular breast screening every year and possibly a mammogram and ultrasound depending on the specialist’s advice.

“The aim is to detect cancer early before it becomes symptomatic.

The earlier we catch it, the less chance of having to have disfiguring surgery, or having to undergo chemo.

As Pamela said, it’s important that we learn to listen to our bodies and take action.”

BEAUTYPARLOUR

A TEMPLE TO MAKE-UP

ANNA MARIE GALEA catches up with Claire Abela ahead of her make-up festival next month to learn about her plans for her store, Lucy, to spread its wings, and how, meanwhile, she’s happy to have given so many a place where they can be themselves.

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ith her bright eyes and a ready smile, Claire Abela has the ability to make you feel like you’ve known her for years. Indeed, once she starts talking about the projects she has poured so much of herself into, you don’t only feel like she’s an old friend, but you also can’t help but share in her zesty enthusiasm.

Starting out as a small corner for make-up enthusiasts at The Plaza Shopping Centre two years ago, the first Lucy outlet is not only stocking more make-up brands than ever before, but Claire also opened another outlet in Bay Street a year ago and is opening her biggest yet, which she has described as “a temple to make-up”, in the Centre Parc Retail Complex in the coming month or so.

On top of all this, she is the brains behind the make-up festival that was held for the first time last year and will be organised again next month.

“I can’t believe what amazing feedback Lucy has gotten from day one,” she gushes over coffee. “My next shop in Qormi is

going to be even bigger and I want people to be able to go in there, express themselves and just be free. I want this to be a space where people can come in and just relax and experiment at make-up stations. I want us to have a fun make-up weekend: that’s why I created the fair.”

Claire is greatly looking forward to the make-up festival, set to take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on October 12 and 13: “Last year, we just had a single day, but this year, I’ve doubled the

perfectly. Part of the proceeds collected from ticket sales will go to the Marigold Foundation in aid of Pink October, and because I know that the weekend is also family time, children get to come in for free.

“I’ve really tried to think of everything, so we are even offering a shuttle service from the Floriana Park and Ride to the MCC every 15 minutes, as well as food and drink stands and spot prizes. Each brand will also be giving away goodie bags, so that’s definitely something else for people to look forward to.”

Although Claire is more than a little excited about what she refers to as “her babies”, she reveals somewhat ironically that she is not a great make-up user herself: “It’s funny because people assume that I’m a big make-up person myself, but the truth is it’s not the make-up itself that I find endlessly fascinating, but the nature of the make-up industry. I love how so many girls – and boys – feel so confident and happy in make-up and I love the way they are transformed when they wear it.

“Make-up is a tool that builds up so many people, and even though it doesn’t have the same effect on me, I love the way it is able to build others. It’s such a creative industry. Each and every single day, something new is being pushed out.”

Poised to take on the next challenge, Claire is reflective on how far she has come and how far she would like to go in the future: “I have really put my heart and soul into Lucy and I’m also extremely lucky to have a supportive team who love and understand make-up so well.

“Lucy is in many ways a reflection of me because it is loud, fun, colourful and obsessed with newness. I want this spirit to be transmitted to everyone who comes into contact with the brand.

“I’ve been in this business for 15 years now and I’ve seen how Maltese style has evolved and how much talent there is out

“LUCY IS IN MANY WAYS A REFLECTION OF ME BECAUSE IT IS LOUD, FUN, COLOURFUL AND OBSESSED WITH NEWNESS” amount of time. I want this event to not only be make-up enthusiasts’ ultimate dream, where they can get amazing make-up for less, but I also want to give them a memorable experience.

“We are going to have Malta’s top make-up artists giving masterclasses and teaching people how to apply make-up

there. Many people are self-taught but have so much potential and drive, and that, in turn, drives me to work even harder.

“My dream is for the brand to be franchised and conquer both Malta and abroad, but till then, I’m happy that I’ve been able to give so many a place where they can be themselves.”

Pink September 2019 ∫ 57

PINKPROMO

A TAILOR -MADE SERVICE If there is one thing that BEN ESTATES excels at, it is giving clients a stellar service that is tailor-made to their needs. Speaking to two of their most recent clients, it’s easy to see why people keep going back to one of Malta’s best-loved real estate agencies.

A

Janice Briffa loved the serious, professional and personal touch when buying her home.

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fter putting up a post on social media about her search for a property with specific characteristics, Janice Briffa was contacted by BEN ESTATES agent Karen Azzopardi, who was able to source her dream home in a matter of months.

“Karen and I clicked immediately.

Not only was she serious and professional, but she really knows how to deal with her clients and their requirements,” says Janice.

Due to the fact that she has a toddler, she was not only looking for a space that would fit her needs, but also those of a young child: “After we spoke over social media, Karen came over to my former house and we had a cup of coffee together while we discussed what I was looking for. She knew that I didn’t want to waste time viewing hundreds of properties, so she literally took everything that I had told her and then showed me just two homes, one of which I ended up buying.”

PINKPROMO Nigel Grima Sarjantson found his dream home.

Explaining what she feels her generation of buyers is after, Janice speaks about how important time is: “My friends and I don’t want to waste time in traffic or looking at houses that don’t fit our requirements to begin with.

In fact, I don’t mind paying a bit more just so that I can avoid that.

“I think the experience of buying a property has to be personalised because, at the end of the day, this is going to be your home. What I really appreciated about Karen is how much effort she put in to suit my needs. Even something as simple as following up my social media post: while other real estate agents sent messages and didn’t follow up on them, Karen did.”

Janice’s positive sentiments are echoed by fellow client Nigel Grima Sarjantson, who found his dream home through BEN ESTATES agent

Daniel Cassar: “I’ve known Daniel for around 11 years, so when I felt the time was right for me to invest, I spoke to him straight away and told him my budget. We had a meeting to go over my requirements, and within two months, I had signed the contract on a place!”

behind it. Whereas other estate agents wanted to push things onto me whether I wanted them or not, Daniel just gave me options and didn’t pressure me.

“That said, I think what has struck me most about my BEN ESTATES experience is the fact that, although we have signed the contract, I’m still in

“I THINK THE EXPERIENCE OF BUYING A PROPERTY HAS TO BE PERSONALISED BECAUSE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR HOME” Speaking about what it was that made his experience with BEN ESTATES so great, Nigel cites ease as one of the main reasons: “Daniel really made me feel comfortable because he was friendly, willing to help and he really went out of his way to make sure I got what I wanted. Everything he did had thought

touch with Daniel and not only does he help me, but he doesn’t keep me waiting for answers to my questions. I really couldn’t have asked for a better service.”

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

Pink September 2019 ∫ 59

ARTYFACTS

THE ROCKING TEZARA AS OZ

As FM Theatre’s next smash-hit musical We Will Rock You prepares for its Malta debut, LAURA BONNICI catches up with actor and DJ Tezara Saliba to find out how she feels to be rocking the local stage once again, this time to the legendary songs of Queen.

Tezara Saliba

A

fter playing the ultimate bad girl Maleficent in FM Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty panto last Christmas, actor Tezara Saliba jumped at the chance to work with the company again – although her role in the upcoming Queen mega-hit musical We Will Rock You couldn’t be more removed from the fairy-tale villain.

“Since playing Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, I wasn’t really looking to take on anything else as I got married last May and then went on a long honeymoon…

But then FM Theatre offered me the chance to audition for Oz, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to work with them again if I could.”

Following the recent sell-out successes of My Fair Lady and Mamma

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Mia!, FM Theatre Productions acquired the highly-sought-after rights to stage We Will Rock You for the first time in Malta.

Based around the greatest hits of legendary British rock back Queen, and with a book by Blackadder writer Ben Elton, We Will Rock You is one of the longest-running musicals in West End history and has been adored by audiences across six of the world’s continents.

For its Malta debut, We Will Rock You will feature a stellar cast of both West End stars and renowned local performers, including Michela Agius, Edward Mercieca, David Ellul, Francesco Nicodemo, and Tezara herself.

“We’re very lucky as actors to be given this opportunity to work with one of the most professional companies in

Malta – which is always top notch in terms of costume, lights, sound, training and rehearsal space – and to work alongside people such as Jordan Carr and Katie Paine, who have experienced the West End stage and trained abroad,” Tezara explains.

“I always aim to learn, grow and be as professional as I can be as a performer, so it’s fantastic to have the chance to observe these more experienced actors and emulate their methods.”

Supported by an equally talented and energetic chorus, the highly experienced company will take on the popular musical’s famous story. Set in a distant future, where Earth is named Planet Mall, everyone in this dystopian world [where musical instruments are

ARTYFACTS

“SHE’S GOT SPUNK, SHE’S CYNICAL, AND SHE IS REALLY FEISTY, SO NATURALLY, SHE’S A LOT OF FUN” forbidden] must dress, think and act the same. Against the framework of Queen’s classic songs, such as Radio Gaga, Somebody to Love, Bohemian Rhapsody and – of course – We Will Rock You, a small group of bohemians rebel against the system and fight to restore free thought, fashion and most of all music.

“I’m playing the super cool Oz,” says Tezara, adding that, as the main female bohemian, the character of Oz is named after another famous British rockstar, Ozzy Osbourne.

“I think what I love most about her is the solo she was given – No One But You [Only the Good Die Young] – because it’s such a powerful and moving song and I feel so honoured to be the one to tell

this part of the story. She’s got spunk, she’s cynical, and she is really feisty, so naturally, she’s a lot of fun. Plus, I personally love rock music, particularly Queen, so to say that I’m feeling lucky and glad to be part of this show is an understatement!”

Such a ‘cool’ role nevertheless also brings with it some challenges for Tezara as a performer. “One of the challenges I came across has been working on the relationship between Oz and Brit; David, who plays Brit, and I had never met each other or worked together before, so we had to break the ice before our rather physical scenes.

“Also, it’s tricky to focus on singing harmonies when everyone else’s voices

are singing the main tune at the same time – and especially when these iconic songs just make you want to sing and dance. Sometimes, in rehearsals, we can’t help but start singing the main melody instead of our harmony!”

Leading the cast throughout these fun-but-focused rehearsals is top local director Chris Gatt, alongside vocal coach Analise Cassar, choreographer Warren Bonello and musical director Kris Spiteri.

“This is the theatre dream team and one of the highest quality and most professional companies in Malta, which I have worked with before in Sleeping Beauty and in Mamma Mia!,” continues Tezara. “We get on so well, and it’s a formula that works – although I’m sure that when they see me constantly showing up at their auditions, they say to themselves: ‘Oh no, not this one again!’”

Nevertheless, following her marriage earlier this year, and with her job as a popular Radio DJ with local station XFM, Tezara is happy to slow things down theatrically following her performance in We Will Rock You. “I’ve changed my name from Camilleri to Saliba, and I’m ready to become a little pickier about what I do as I settle into my new life. I love being on stage, and the feeling of the lights and the sound of the instruments being tuned is so rewarding. I just wish I had time to be involved in more productions.

I feel so blessed every time I’m given a chance to audition, let alone get cast. But it takes a lot of time and energy between the rehearsals and performances, so it’s got to be something I really feel passionately about taking part in, like We Will Rock You.” Tezara, meanwhile, has no doubt that local audiences are going to have as much fun watching the show as she and the cast are having performing in it – especially if they love the songs of Queen and rock music!

“What’s not to love? It’s going to be a fun, rocking, all-singing, all-dancing night out, so get ready to rock!”

We Will Rock You is produced by FM Theatre Productions, with performances at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta, on October 18 at 8pm, and October 19 and 20 at 2.30pm and 8pm. Tickets are available from www.mcc.com.mt www.fmtheatre.com

Pink September 2019 ∫ 61

SNAPSHOT

20 TOGETHER T

As singer Maxine Pace and O’hea Opticians enter their third decade of existence, their new era begins with a highly anticipated collaboration. Here, IGGY FENECH chats to the starlet to find out more.

wenty is young for a person and an eon for a business. Yet, as both the singer and the opticians hit the mark this year, a collaboration to celebrate their personal and professional milestones made perfect sense.

For Maxine Pace in particular, 20 comes with many changes – including a new album and this major collab.

This past year has been a big one for you and your career. Tell us about what’s been going down? Yes, this year has, in fact, been hectic but rewarding! I’ve finally got to release some tracks from my new album, which I’ve been working hard on for quite a number of months. I’ve also got to work with a great team to help me with the

production, songwriting, music videos and creative content. And all this has helped me grow as an artist, I must say.

Apart from that, I have now also had the opportunity to work with some amazing brands, one of which is O’hea Opticians.

who passed away a few years ago, so it was obviously a sensitive topic for me to address. Nevertheless, it was still the best way I could express myself and it turned into my proudest moment yet.

“THE SONG IS ABOUT MY MOTHER, WHO PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO, SO IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A SENSITIVE TOPIC FOR ME TO ADDRESS” You’ve still got a lot to look forward to, but what have been your proudest moment so far? I think my proudest moment would be when, last December, I released the music video for Thunder. Muxu and I wrote the song and it was the most honest I had ever been in my music. The song is about my mother,

Your new album is about to drop!

What inspired it? My album addresses various situations I’ve found myself in over these past two years, which have been an absolute roller coaster for me personally. When my mum passed away, I was totally lost on what to do next as she was my guide through everything.

Pink September 2019 ∫ 65

SNAPSHOT James Dimech, Maxine Pace and Celia Melillo.

Even so, my team encouraged me to keep on following my dream and use that experience to speak to others with my first album. Together, we started writing the songs relating to the various emotions I felt, including sadness, anger, love, regret, and everything in between.

We’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re working on a special video. What can you tell us about it?

I’ve been working with [artistic director] Steven Levi Vella for over a year now and this will be our third video together.

Steven and I seem to always share the same vision and that’s why we get along so well. This new one speaks about trying to challenge yourself to be the person others want you to be even though that is rarely worth it.

You’ll be turning 20 this December.

If you had to look back, what has been the most important life lesson you’ve learnt so far? To take care of myself more and to focus on the things that matter most to me. We lose so much of ourselves along the way; it’s important to remember that we should be our own main focus.

O’hea Opticians has also just turned 20 and you’re their new face!

What can you tell us about this collaboration? I’m so happy about it!

Celia [Melillo, the owner of O’hea Opticians] is such a beautiful person inside and out. She’s always supported me, and this opportunity is an honour. I truly believe O’hea Opticians and I are the perfect match. O’hea is like family to me and I cannot thank Celia enough for this!

MAXINE’S STYLE TIPS • Always go against the shape of your face to balance things out.

I have a round face, so I usually opt for cat-eye or aviators.

• Big sunglasses can completely change an outfit and they can be super fun to experiment with!

• Always ask the experts for their professional opinion. They’re there to help!