Senior Times (June 2017) by Times of Malta

SENIOR TIMES June 2017

Malta’s monthly newspaper for the elderly

REMEMBERING VALLETTA The capital’s vintage beauty explored SEE PAGES 6 & 7

QLuB MAQsuMA SEE PAGE 10

COMMEMORATING D-DAy On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to free Nazi-occupied Europe. SEE PAGES 16 & 17

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

EDITOR’S WELCOME

IN THIS ISSUE

The man in your life

or years, popular culture has lined up a gallery of hero and villain fathers. There are those who are strong and have moral fibre like Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, silent yet stoic Baba in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables who, despite not being Cosette’s biological father, still acts in a noble manner and his heroic actions are those of a loving father. In more recent literature, Tony Parsons in Man and Boy created Harry Silver, who has to adjust to life as a single parent and, in the process, becomes an inspiration to thousands of readers. Then there are the villainous fathers. Harry Wormwood in Roald Dahl’s Matilda is a terrible bully: in his own words: “I’m right and you’re wrong, I’m big and you’re small, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” He will, of course, be proven otherwise. The worst father in fiction, however, is probably Jack Torrance in Stephen King’s The Shining – in one of the most chilling scenes in fiction, he tries to kill his son Danny with an axe. But these are just fictional characters – life, as they say, is elsewhere and our memories and impressions of our own father are made of little incidents – not worthy of being included in a novel but which still can change lives. Like his embarrassing taste in music or the youthful shirts he bought, as a barrier against his increasingly white hair and ageing joints. Or the way he still treats you as a child, especially in front of friends and family – even though you’re over 40. And when you point this out to him, he will brush it off with a joke – the same joke that he has been telling for the past three decades. But that is what makes your father unique. Despite his attempts to live up to the stereotypical image of a father hero, and despite his one thousand and one embarrassing moments, you still love him. On Father’s Day, look back and remember your dad’s favourite brown sweater, his mispronounced names and his dance of shame at a cousin’s wedding. And smile.

Stanley

SENIOR TIMES JUNE 2017 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stanley Borg E-mail: seniortimes @timesofmalta.com

3. Bint Li jkollok teżor tgħajjatlek ‘papa’ hija esperjenza u sensazzjoni unika, jgħid Tonio Bonello.

4. Living in the moment At 83, Amy Salinos uses social media, is still involved in the family business, and finds the time to further her education. Charlotte Stafrace is impressed.

CONTRIBUTORS Carmel Baldacchino Giovanni Bonello Tonio Bonello Joe Busuttil Anton B. Dougall Dun Jonathan Farrugia Marvin Formosa Christine Galea Charlotte Stafrace PUBLISHERS Allied Newspapers Limited Strickland House, 341, St Paul Street, Valletta VLT 1211. www.timesofmalta.com DESIGN Krista Aquilina SALES Marion Muscat Tel: 2559 4208 E-mail: marion.muscat @timesofmalta.com © 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited.

6. Valletta - Lost City Memories of the capital in black and white.

8. Addressing the needs of an ageing population Marvin Formosa explains how a master of gerontology and geriatrics programme contributes to a trained workforce for active ageing.

9. From ‘doing’ human to ‘being’ human Leading. a virtuous life is for all those people who want to be true to themselves, says Christine Galea from the Cana Movement.

10. Qlub maqsuma Nagħrfu kemm inħobbu lil xulxin mhux meta kollox ikun sejjer tajjeb, imma meta xi ħaġa tmur żmerċ, jgħid Dun Jonathan Farrugia.

11. Mill-baħar għall-art Anton B. Dougall jipprepara ħuta fil-forn.

12. Pictures of the world This month’s news highlights captured in show-stopping pictures.

16. Remembering D-Day On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Today, 73 years later, we remember those who paid the price for a liberated Europe.

18. The medicine man and his machines Old cars are the best medicine for Louis Deguara, Joe Busuttil from the Old Motors Club says.

19. All in the family Turu, Louis, Eddie and Ronnie Theobald formed one of the greatest football families ever seen in Malta, says Carmel Baldacchino.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

OPINJONI

Bint

Il-ħajja bit-tfal illum saret sfida aktar minn qatt qabel.

Li jkollok teżor tgħajjatlek ‘papa’ hija esperjenza u sensazzjoni unika, jgħid Tonio Bonello.

ollox għandu prezz. Anke li trabbi bint. Mhux laktar f ’kuntest monetarju. F’kull sens. Fil-veru sens tal-kelma. It-tfal huma teżor imprezzabbli. It-tfal huma d-dinja. It-tfal huma liskop għalfejn aħna għandna għax ngħixu. Ma jfissirx li min m’għandux tfal qed jgħix bla skop. Bil-kontra. Min m’għandux tfal għandu bir bla qiegħ ta’ opportunitajiet oħra miftuħin quddiemu li fihom jista’ jwettaq missjoni. Forsi qed tistaqsi: “Kif kont qed titkellem dwar ittfal u issa dwar missjoni?” L-esperjenza tal-ħajja tgħallmek li jekk ma tkun lest taqdi, tagħmel dak kollu possibbli b’sens ta’ missjoni, ta’ mħabba, ta’ sagrifiċċju, allura

tagħmel x’tagħmel probabbli qed tagħmlu għax ma tistax tagħmel mod ieħor. Qed tagħmlu għax sitwazzjoni ġiet fuqek. Għax bil-fors. Dan it-tip ta’ argument ma jwassal imkien. Dan il-mod ta’ kif inħarsu lejn il-ħajja ma jreġiex. Jekk ma nagħrfux irresponsabbilta’ li dmir tali jitlob minna, li nkunu hemm dejjem, il-ħin kollu, mela allura xi ħaġa sejra ħażin. Għalhekk is-sinifikat daqstant importanti ta’ Jum ilMissier. Daqs kemm hu qawwi s-sinifikat ta’ Jum l-Omm. Daqs kemm, bl-istess qies hu relevanti, ta’ importanza massima, Jum it-Tfal. Ħafna llum jieħdu qata’ jsiru jafu li se jsiru omm jew missier. Għaliex? L-istil tal-ħajja nbidel. It-tendenzi nbiddlu. Il-valuri

iżda, dawn ma jinbidlu qatt. Ftit huma dawk li jifhmu u japprezzaw li trobbija tajba biex twassal għall-irġiel u n-nisa veri t’għada mhix xi ħaġa awtomatika. M’hawn xejn fid-dinja li tiegħu ma tridx tħallas prezz! Meta ma jkollokx tfal tħossok qed tgħix f ’ħajja ta’ mewġ kontinwu, tissielet miegħu, sakemm m’intix parti millmerħla u tmur eżatt, bla problemi ta’ xejn kull fejn jieħdok il-kurrent! Meta jkollok it-tfal ma tibqax tikkumbatti aktar ma’ mewġ, iżda ma’ maltempati, bosta drabi kbar. Għaliex int, mhux biss issa qed tiġġieled biex tibqa’ malprinċipji u valuri int innifsek, iżda trid tara li wliedek, teżori li

Alla għoġbu jtik, dawn ma jaħarbux minn idejk, ma jmorrux mal-ilma jgelgel tal-kurrent. Ma jeħdux xi majnata li, sfortunatament, ħafna llum qed jibqgħu taħtha! Iva, ħajja bit-tfal illum saret sfida aktar minn qatt qabel. Linfluwenza tal-media, linfluwenza ta’ dak li jistgħu qed jipproġġettaw l-istess sħabhom jew ħbieb tagħhom, dawn xi drabi saru akbar minna stess il-ġenituri. Ħajja bit-tfal, iva hija ħajja ta’ tbatija, forsi aktar tal-qalb u rruħ milli dik fiżika. Iżda hija ħajja wkoll mill-isbaħ li qatt tista’ tgħix. L-esperjenza talulied, li jkollok teżor tgħajjatlek ‘papa’, anke jekk kważi l-ħin

kollu tal-ġurnata, din biss hi esperjenza, sensazzjoni unika. Li tara proċess qed iseħħ quddiemek ta’ wlied jikbru, minn tarbija tal-idejn għal tifla, tfajla, mara, iħallik biss tifhem u temmen kemm il-bniedem, mit-twelid sa mewtu hu xejn għajr miraklu ħaj li qed jestendi ruħu kuljum, kull siegħa, kull sekonda. Nieħu din l-okkażjoni biex nawgura il-jum il-Missier it-tajjeb lil missirijiet kollha ta’ Malta u Għawdex. Insellem lil għażiż missieri li, nitlob għalih kuljum u li naf li hu, mis-sema qiegħed hemm iħarisna u jitlob għalina wkoll. Fuq kollox pero’ rrid ngħid grazzi lil binti Kristina. Binti, huwa permezz tiegħek li stajt nifhem aktar kemm hu tassew kbir Alla. Kemm għandna għax ngħidu grazzi ta’ kull mument li aħna ninsabu hawn. Grazzi binti. Il-paċi miegħek... ● Tonio Bonello huwa l-editur ta’ Veterani, pubblikazzjoni ta’ kull xahar maħruġa mitTaqsima Informazzjoni u Komunikazzjoni tad-Direttorat għall-Anzjanità Attiva u Kura fil-Komunità.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

INTERVIEW

Living in the moment At 83, Amy Salinos uses social media, is still involved in the family business, and finds the time to further her education. Charlotte Stafrace is impressed.

met Amy Salinos at one of the active ageing sessions I run. I was immediately taken in by her energy and positive spirit. When she told me she would soon turn 83, I nearly fell off my chair. How does someone maintain such a joie-de-vivre into the later years? Amy was recovering from an operation – it was her third in the last few years, but she quickly told me that she has been blessed with relatively good health most of her life, and when she commenced firing anecdotes from her life, I thought that they would make a great book. In fact, I found out that Amy is compiling her life story into one. I’ve read a lot about the therapeutic and cathartic effect that documenting one’s life can have. Apart from being life-affirming, it can be great fun! If you look online, there are plenty of ideas and tools to get you fired into writing and documenting – from simple scrapbook ideas to fully-fledged word documents and printed covers. I didn’t ask which way Amy would go with her life story, but I’m pretty certain it will involve technology. On the days we met, she was perfectly comfortable filming bits of the session on her tablet. And when once when we were talking about a song we wanted to sing, she got to it on YouTube faster than I did. Recently widowed, Amy maintains that the way to ‘sanity’, even at this age, is keeping busy and filling the day with a routine – any routine, “as long as you’re happy with it”. Her routine includes getting up at six in the morning and usually going to mass, in Mosta.

Amy Salinos

“I cook my own meals, freeze stuff and label it all,” she added. I come across quite a few elderly who lose the will to cook for one after a lifetime of cooking for family and friends. But eating out every day is not an option for some – others know what they like and are not willing to live on take-aways. Amy admitted she struggles with making the time for cooking but was quick to tell me how she loves soups in winter and salads in summer.

Her days are very full – what with running errands as well as doing stuff at home, including home décor, and then turning up at the family business to meet up with various members of the family. “But I always leave time for lunch and watching my favourite Italian soap opera on television,” she said with a smile. And if there’s time she will potter about the house doing some gardening or sewing. “Every day – I want it to be different,” she said. So, was Amy always busy? She told me it’s her background to work that has moulded her. She was left fatherless at a young age – she was 16 and her mother was pregnant. But as we read in many stories of survival, the mother turned to be the all-round provider for Amy, her three other sisters and a brother by carving a livelihood out of sewing. We joked about being blessed with good genes. Amy went on to relate a war-time story of an aunt, who, one Sunday during the war, was hit by a Stuka bomb blast and left for dead – until “a certain Dr Lapira” picked her up and took her to the Blue Sisters Hospital, where she says her face was “patched up”.

This same aunt was hospitalised till after the war ended in 1945, and, even though she went on to have some 25 operations, she lived to the ripe age of 93! Another life interest that Amy holds dear is her love for further education. I guess that’s partly why she has embraced technology so easily and made it part of her life. But that wasn’t all. At 69, she went into crafts and she developed a passion for macramé. That same year, she did her Spanish O-level. This was followed by a BA Hons in Theology at age 70.

Every day – I want it to be different Why theology? It was a time when questions about the after-life started haunting her and she knew that was the only subject that she wanted to do at that stage. “Theology questions a lot, so I interrogated the poor priests incessantly over those three years,” she laughed. I asked why she thinks education is still important and what she gets out

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

of it at this stage? She looked me in the eye and quickly fired, “Well, you don’t sit in a corner waiting to die.” When we stopped laughing, she mellowed it to “I have to keep my mind alive”. So, that was another reason why technology was obviously embraced – but she quickly added that that was the way she could communicate with her grandchildren. “If that’s their language today, I want to learn it.” She uses Facetime and e-mail to keep the conversations going with the younger members of her family. Amy went on to tell me of her reallife heroes – her mother, who kept on going in the face of sheer adversity, and her departed husband, who built a business single-handedly. She spoke fondly of the way she met her husband, and of their courtship, which included saying the rosary daily on the way to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, holding hands; and of her youth, with friends at the Phoenicia, Overseas Club and Civil Service; about her childhood in Valletta, and being evacuated to Qormi and Siggiewi during World War II. “I’m still around because of my supportive family,” she said, adding with a smile that her four children want her to slow down. She rather bemusedly wondered if the recent bout of ill health could be attributed to “God put-

ting a leash around my neck”. I’m sure there are more stories to tell – I guess I will just have to read her book when it’s published. Talking about life mottos, I was sure she has collected quite a few during such a full life. I asked for her favourite.

“Don’t stay in a corner – live in the moment, do something for yourself and humanity. Don’t let the devil put you down.” ●

Amy as a little girl.

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hISTory

The Valletta that no longer exists In his book, ‘Valletta - Lost City’ Volume 1, author Giovanni Bonello traces back the steps that led to the birth of Malta’s Capital City.

here is a lost Valletta, and an eternal Valletta. Our capital was never annihilated, the way Carthage or Pompeii were, but the city of today is not at all the city built. Just after the Great Siege of 1565, Valletta first rose from virgin fields, possibly vineyards, almost overnight, like leavened bread, and has since then lived, ailed, grown, staggered, fallen, rebounded. When created, it followed a plan, rationally and swiftly executed. There was nothing before, maybe a chapel and a watchtower. And suddenly it was a city. Born after the Great Siege, but conceived before. The Council of the Order of St John knew that the harbours of Malta were secure from the whims of nature, but not from the violence of man, so long as the Sceberras peninsula dominating them remained unfortified. An enemy that marched unhindered onto Sceberras would control the harbours and, with its artillery, overlook all the inhabited zones and the other forts of the harbour towns. Grand Master de Valette wanted his new city built before the Ottomans attacked, but the enemy pre-empted and came prior to his being able to put his plans into execution. Today we say that Valletta was built as a result of the Great Siege. And, in temporal sequence, that is correct. But the Great Siege happened because Suleyman’s strategists knew that once the new city was built, the Order of St John would become virtually unconquerable. In the race as to who would control Sceberras first, the Ottomans won. Valletta and its bastions were frantically constructed just after the siege was lifted, to prevent a recurrence. And, once built, Malta

The third City Gate built in 1853.

became a far less vulnerable and appetising morsel for the Muslim forces. In fact, they never seriously attacked Malta again. Valletta was not born as a town – a place where people live in society with others. Valletta was conceived with a totally different agenda. It was meant to be a fortress – a living military engine which had two concurrent aims to achieve: to deny the enemy the dominance of that location, and to appropriate that dominance to its own use. These two finalities

Visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II, May 10, 1909, upper Kingsway. (S.L. CaSSar)

needed living persons to man them, and therefore people were encouraged to live inside the war machine. But that was only incidental. What was primary were the bastions, the forts – the people were there to serve and service them, not the other way round. In fact the top priority was always building the walls, enlarging them, strengthening them. It was only when the bastions had reached maturity that money and resources were dedicated to the edifices inside. First things first meant that the inhabitants were last. The new city came about when a great debate about urban planning occupied the minds of late renaissance men. The first human settlements mostly grew spontaneously, with little method or design, with roads following the contours of private property, or better still, the traced trampled earth where beasts of burden found the easiest foothold. Those random tracks impressed on the ground by the hoofs of donkeys probably designed the first roads. But then the pride of man took over – his urge to be in control of the environment, to leave the imprint of his order and of his genius, started a process of ordered town planning. Valletta was one of the early instances where the planners designed everything beforehand – nothing left to

the idiosyncrasies of nature and nothing to that of individual landowners: everything ‘statalised’ by a central authority. This was quite revolutionary – private property subjected to overall state control and directives. Private property, not exclusively to serve private interests, but also to promote a common good. Valletta was built to a master plan on virgin land. It started as tabula rasa. As far as we know, it did not have to respect any pre-existing constraints. The engineers on the envelope bastions and the architects on the new buildings inside the walled town had carte blanche with nothing to hamper them, save the geographical limitations of the lie of the land. These constrictions existed – the hilly nature of the promontory was hardly ideal for the laid-back comforts of a post-renaissance town. In fact there are indications that the first concept proposed to slice off the tops of the hills and fill up the lower troughs of the terrain with the material removed until a flat surface was achieved. Sadly, this Pharaonic scheme had to be abandoned early on, as there were ‘not enough donkeys’ in Malta to see the job through. And we are left with the joys of the steep climbs and descents of Valletta’s streets. Many cooks took over in the kitchen. De Valette had the advice of half a dozen

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The lift before World War II.

D.G. Anastasi & Sons, 281, Kingsway. (Richard Ellis Photography)

architects and military engineers. But, apart from the obvious ones like Genga, Fratino, Laparelli and Girolamo Cassar, there is evidence of serious input in the planning of the new city by the three biggest Italian military condottieri of the time, Andrea Doria, Ascanio della Corgna and Gabrio Serbelloni – the three had their say how the new town had to be built and fortified, and furnished de Valette with actual plans. It could be the only city in Europe nursed into existence by so many historical stars concurrently. One major debate revolved round whether the street pattern was to be sinuous and serpentine, or whether it should adhere strictly to a rectangular grid. Arguments aplenty for both solutions, but eventually the rectangle asserted itself. Another controversy ensued as to where the land-front was to reach. Would the city extend to where it does today, was it to include what is now Floriana, or even stretch halfway to Marsa? The minimalist concept won the day – only to where the present city gate extends. A third major debating point regarded the collacchio – was the new city to include the closed ghetto in which the religious brothers were to be segregated – or be an open city, with no special boundaries reserved exclusively for knights? After much soul-searching, the ‘free’ knights won the day and the collacchio remained a historicist concept on paper, with knights left free to fix their residence anywhere they chose. Valletta would have been so different had the traditional knights had their way – part of the city would have been like a huge ‘walled’ and segregated convent for the knights, while the rest would have been purely lay civilian territory. Valletta had its strict town-planning regulations from day one. The Grand Master set up the Ufficio delle Case to direct how the city should be built – aesthetics, hygiene, comfort and security dictated the rules. All roads to be perpendicular to each other, every street corner to be ornamented,

War damage of the Palace and the Casino Maltese.

every house to have its own cistern fed by the roof and a receptacle for human waste, building had to start ten months from contract of purchase of the land, no steps or obstacles to jut onto the public road, no gardens allowed – space was limited and gardens used up a lot of water anyway. Later regulations allowed dogs and goats to roam the streets, but drew the line at pigs. The Ufficio enforced these strictly, and many other restrictions, except for the ban on gardens where some owners seem to have greased the palms of building inspectors. This marriage between bureaucratic straight-laced pedantry and design genius produced Valletta, unique and unrepeatable. ● ‘Valletta – Lost City’ Volume 1 is published by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.

Scenes of war damage in Valletta. (Courtesy of Bay Retro, Eden Leisure Group)

The Royal Opera House after bombing.

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AGEING

Good quality service care can only be ensured through professionally trained staff.

he training of policy makers, and social and health care professionals in the various aspects of active ageing in both community and longterm settings are major prerequisites in meeting the recommendations of the National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing which targets both older persons living independently and other peers residing in care homes. Unfortunately, there is evidence that, even among healthcare professionals working in specialist gerontological and geriatric services, the proportion of staff receiving training in active ageing is low. Since good quality service care can only be ensured through professionally trained staff, who meet the individual service user with respect and dignity, and who use their knowledge to provide the best possible care, there is an urgent need to deliver high quality training on active ageing through interdisciplinary and innovative techniques. The presence of a trained workforce is fundamental to accomplish the aims of the National Strategic Policy for Active Ageing. Indeed, this shift from ‘passive’ to ‘active’ policies that encourage older persons to remain in the workforce will only happen in conjunction with expert welfare policies that may range from far-reaching reforms to remove incentives for early

exit from the labour market to more specific employment policies that create job opportunities for older workers. Similarly, it is well known that individual aspirations are not enough to encourage and sustain participative lifestyles, since the determination of older adults for optimal levels of social engagement will always encounter a range of structural barriers.

ness and disability, while enabling them to ensure high physical and mental functioning that fosters independent living. Taken together, the above three educational and training measures will transform Malta into an agefriendly nation, with accessible housing and local communities that are sensitive to the needs and services sought by older individuals, to enable

Gerontology addresses the social issues, problems, policies, and programmes that affect the quality of life for our rapidly ageing population This warrants strong public policies, designed by expert gerontologists, which not only safeguard existing patterns of social participation, but also seek to facilitate improved levels of social engagement in later life. Finally, a trained workforce is necessary to stress that our society must not be solely contented with increasing life expectancy, but must strive to extend healthy life years. Strengthening measures of health promotion, care and protection, as well as disease and injury prevention at all ages enables older persons to lower their probability of ill-

participation in activities of independent living. The University of Malta is without doubt a centre of excellence for the study of active ageing. The Department of Gerontology was set up in 1989 to develop inter-disciplinary teaching, education and research in a wide range of areas in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics. The Department serves as an international and interdisciplinary research centre that investigates key issues concerning older persons, later life and ageing. Suffice to state that the years 1990-2017, the Department included 281 stu-

dents from 51 different countries ranging from the US to the Netherlands to the Philippines. The Department of Gerontology offers four academic programmes, namely, Higher Diploma in Gerontology and Geriatrics, Master of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Master of Arts in Ageing and Dementia Studies, and Doctorate. The Higher Diploma programme in Gerontology and Geriatrics caters for students who wish to expand their knowledge of gerontology and geriatrics through a recognised university programme. The Master of Arts in Ageing and Dementia Studies is unique by the fact that it focuses on that interface between ageing and dementia care, whilst all other available degrees in foreign universities generally concentrate on one of these two dimensions at the expense of the other. The need for more graduates reading for a Master of Gerontology and Geriatrics can never be overstated considering the ageing of populations and increases in life expectancy. The Master Degree caters for postgraduate students interested in working with older persons in a variety of settings. Indeed, the field of gerontology addresses the social issues, problems, policies, and programmes that affect the quality of life for our rapidly ageing population. This programme of study provides a broadly based, multi-disciplinary perspective on ageing, later life,

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Addressing the needs of an ageing population

Marvin Formosa explains how a master of gerontology and geriatrics programme contributes to a trained workforce for active ageing.

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and older persons, whilst also disseminating knowledge and skills related to clinical and practical interventions with older persons. It also sensitises the students to the application of gerontological and geriatric research findings to practice. The programme includes modules on sociology of ageing and later life; social policies, programmes and services in the field of ageing; biological, physiological and medical issues in old age; clinical conditions and health care services in geriatric medicine - as well as a practice placement schedule where each candidate will be placed in welfare settings for older persons that range from care homes to domiciliary nursing services to day centres. The Master of Gerontology and Geriatrics opens every October, and applications for the October 2017 entry have already been received. I trust that readers of Senior Times who work in the field of ageing, and who wish to improve their knowledge and skills in active ageing, should do their utmost to take advantage of these local courses for their own professional benefit a as well as for the benefit of older Maltese citizens under their care. ● Dr Marvin Formosa PhD (Gerontology) is the Head of the Department of Gerontology, Faculty for Social Wellbeing, University of Malta.

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OPINION

From ‘doing’ human to ‘being’ human Leading a virtuous life is for all those people who want to be true to themselves, says Christine Galea from the Cana Movement.

Good humour is a virtue.

“Being NE human GA LEA does not mean just doing things: it means looking to be who we really are, who we were created to be” CH

ecently I came across a very interesting book by American author John Bradshaw. One of the quotes which really grabbed my attention was: “We are human BEings and not human DOings”. This led me to reflect upon how important it is to keep our priorities in order and on the value of slowing down every so often, to evaluate whatever it is we are doing, and where our way of living is leading us. Most of us would tend to argue that it’s one thing to try and keep our priorities right when it comes to juggling every aspect of our lives, and another to actually do so. It’s easier said than done. Indeed, for many people, life is one huge balancing act between personal and professional life, which can be very stressful. Sure, it’s not easy, but it’s definitely essential, to sit down once in a while and take stock – emotionally, physically and spiritually – to see where we are going, and as Bradshaw states, “to be grounded in our ‘why’”. This is one of the biggest factors in changing from a human DOing to a human BEing. This weighing-in is a deep and important consideration because it renders us accountable for our own decisions and consequently, our actions. In reality, it’s quite a simple process – an addition and subtraction – of including what we want and deleting anything which is superfluous in our lives. Whatever it is we add, or whatever we subtract, can make all the difference to finding personal happiness and discovering our life’s purpose. But what exactly does it mean to be happy? Many people live under the assumption that they are happy if they are fulfilled, that is to say that, if their desires and needs are met, and they are not wanting of anything. Some years back, when I was reading for a degree in theology, one of the obligatory study units was ‘Ancient Philosophy’. That’s when I discovered Aristotle. In his Nicomachean Ethics, he speaks of “eudaimonia”, which is a Greek work commonly translated as “happiness” or “welfare”. The term “human flourishing” has been proposed as a more accurate translation. According to Aristotle, everyone agrees that “eudaimonia” is the highest ‘good’

for human beings, but in order to answer the question on how to achieve it, it’s necessary to bring in another important concept in ancient philosophy: “areté”, usually translated from the

Greek into The sense “areté” any

English as “virtue”. of virtue which connotes is that activity which one performs must be done properly (right). In the case of the ancient philosophers, the concept of virtue was not understood in the moral sense, as we are inclined to understand it today. Yet, Greek philosophy does speak of cardinal virtues, such as temperance, prudence, courage and justice, which were repackaged by Church heavyweights such as St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas, and are consequently connected to the Christian faith. Living these virtues helps us to be more aware of the people around us and to reach out to them when we can. Living these virtues helps us to see the beauty of nature and the world around us; to care for ourselves and for others as the precious gifts that we were created to be. But there other are different virtues, as well. In fact, there is quite a range to

choose from, for example, being trustworthy, friendly, kind. Why, even good humour is a virtue! Leading a virtuous life is for all those people who want to be true to themselves. I certainly agree with the ancients that whatever is worth doing, is worth doing right, but only if this adds meaning and value to one’s life. ‘Doing’ for the sake of doing is not conducive to ‘being’. Being human does not mean just doing things: it means looking to be who we really are, who we were created to be. And this includes taking charge of all of our specific and general thoughts, plans, goals, desires, to improve and change for the better. The choices we make create our destiny and direction in life. The difference between ‘doing’ human and ‘being’ human starts with setting the right priorities and the only way to that is to slow down, evaluate, create new habits and keep focused on the ‘why’, grounding oneself in the things that really matter. Are you ready to take the challenge? ●

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

FIDI

Qlub maqsuma Nagħrfu kemm inħobbu lil xulxin mhux meta kollox ikun sejjer tajjeb, imma meta xi ħaġa tmur żmerċ, jgħid Dun Jonathan Farrugia.

i snin ilu kienu moda l-broken hearts: tfajla li tkun qed toħroġ ma’ ġuvni kienet tixtri pendent forma ta’ qalb maqsum fi tnejn; fuq kull nofs kienet tnaqqax isimha u isem ilmaħbub tagħha, u kienet iżżomm il-biċċa b’ismu hi waqt li tagħti n-nofs b’isimha lilu. Imbagħad dawn kienu jilbsuhom ma’ xi ġiżirana. Qalb maqsuma li turi lil kulħadd li qalb dik il-persuna hija talmaħbub jew maħbuba. Nistgħu ngħidu li Alla għamel magħna aktar minn hekk. Hu ma taniex biss xbieha ta’ nofs qalbu, imma tana qalbu stess u tahielna sħiħa. Peress illi ninsabu fix-xahar ta’ Ġunju u qbadna d-diskors tagħna proprju fuq il-qlub, ma nistgħux naħarbu milli niftakru li tul dan ix-xahar filknejjes tagħna nfakkru l-Qalb ta’ Ġesù.

Tajjeb ngħidu li din d-devozzjoni tant qawwija li nsibu fost l-insara tal-Punent bdiet lejn isseklu tnax, meta l-kruċjati kienu qed jirritornaw fl-Ewropa u ġabu magħhom devozzjoni qawwija lejn il-passjoni ta’ Kristu u lejn il-pjagi. Kien proprju mill-pjaga talkustat ta’ Ġesù illi nibtet illqima lejn il-qalb tiegħu, għax kien meta nfetaħ ġenbu li qalbu ġiet minfuda u minn hemm toħroġ ix-xbiha li tant imdorrijin naraw tal-qalb ta’ Ġesù b’qasma fiha u bid-demm ħiereġ minnha. Wara dan kien hemm diversi qaddisin mistiċi nisa bħal Santa Ludgarda, Santa Mechtilde, Santa Ġertrude u Santa Margerita Marija Alacoque li bil-kitbiet fuq ilviżjonijiet tagħhom taw struttura u tifsira aktar profonda lil din id-devozzjoni. Fl-istampi tradizzjoni talqalb ta’ Ġesù spiss naraw il-

qalb imdawwra b’kuruna taxxewk, bi fjamma taqbad fuqha u b’salib ħiereġ min-nar. Ixxewk juri li l-imħabba hija vera biss meta tgħaddi mill-prova tat-tbatija – aħna nagħrfu kemm inħobbu lil xulxin mhux meta kollox ikun sejjer tajjeb, imma meta xi ħaġa tmur żmerċ, meta tidħol xi weġgħa jew meta jidħol il-mard. Huwa hemm li l-bniedem jagħmel għażla li JRID iħobb. Hekk l-imħabba ma tibqax sempliċement sentiment li ġie waħdu u li wara qasir żmien jista’ jispiċċa fix-xejn. Limħabba tiegħi ssir verament eterna meta din tkun marbuta ma’ deċiżjoni li jiġri x’jiġri, jien se nibqa’ nħobb. Il-fjamma turi l-qawwa li biha din il-qalb kapaċi tħobb – hija qawwa li ħadd ma għandu kontroll fuqha, bħal ħuġġieġa li taqbad u mhux lakemm tintefa’. Is-salib f’nofs in-nar ifakkarna fil-mod li bih Ġesù wera din l-

imħabba tiegħu għalina: permezz tat-tbatija u l-mewt. Però ma rridux wisq għerf biex nifhmu li l-kobor tal-festa tal-qalb ta’ Ġesù jmur ħafna aktar lil hinn minn dak li tista’ turi stampa. Veru, l-immaġni ta’ Kristu bjond b’qalbu f ’idu bir-raġġi ħerġin minn kullimkien tista’ tqanqal limmaġinazzjoni tagħna. Imma se nieqfu f ’li ngħidu “kemm hu sabiħ, jaħasra!” u daqshekk? Dak li għandha tfakkarna din il-festa huwa li Kristu ħabbna u għadu jħobbna bis-saħħa, bla kompromessi, bla kundizzjonijiet, u bil-fedeltà! Forsi spiss, speċjalment meta ngħaddu minn esperjenzi qarsa fil-ħajja ta’ tradimenti, ta’ abbandun jew sempliċement ta’ nuqqas ta’ qbil li jtebbgħu ir-rapporti ta’ mħabba ta’ kull livell, faċli ħafna ninsew li minkejja kollox, hu jibqa’ fidil fl-imħabba tiegħu għalina. Festa bħal din għandna tfakkarna għalfejn aħna nissejħu nsara – aħna nsara għax nafu li aħna maħbubin b’imħabba matura, bla rikatti, bla rimors u bil-libertà. Ħadd ma jibqa membru ta’ għaqda jekk

iħossu b’xi mod rikattat jew jekk ma jħossux f ’postu. Għalhekk nistgħu nifhmu xi ftit aħjar li jekk għadna parti mill-familja ta’ Alla dan hu għax għadna nħossuna maħbubin minnu. U dan tfakkarna l-festa tal-qalb ta’ Ġesù: mill-imħabba tal-Iben għarafna l-imħabba tal-Missier... permezz tal-imgħallem tagħna wasalna biex naraw il-wiċċ u lqalb ta’ Alla. U bħal kull ħaġa oħra, dan lgħarfien iġib miegħu sfida għalina, sfida li hi dejjem miftuħa, hi liema hi l-età tagħna u hu xinhu l-istat tagħna. La aħna maħbuba, mela allura nistgħu nħobbu! Lesti nħobbu? Nistħajjel lil dawk fostna li huma aktar maturi u li għexu aktar esperjenzi fil-ħajja jitbissmu meta jaqraw din, u jgħiduli “wara tant snin għad hemm lok għall-imħabba?” U għal din kieku nwieġeb: Jiddependi x’tip ta’ mħabba rrid nagħtu. Jekk hija mħabba tal-broken hearts forsi għaddha żmienha, bħala għaddiet ilmoda! Jekk hija mħabba aktar umana, aktar serja, aktar sħiħa, mela allura dik jibqalha lok dejjem! ●

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

tisjir

Mill-baħar għall-art Anton B. Dougall jipprepara ħuta fil-forn. Ħut u Ħaxix imsajrin fil-fojl Għandek bżonn: 2 fletti spnott • 150g kurrat • 100g tadam imqatta’ • 100g patata • 100g faqqiegħ • Bżaru aħmar • Bżaru aħdar • 2 mgħaref taħlita tal-ħwawar • Mgħarfa żejt taż-żebbuġa • Tursin • Bżar u melħ Kif issajjar: Saħħan il-forn 200°C jew gass numru sitta. • Laħlaħ il-fletti tal-ħut u xxuttahom tajjeb b’sarvetta tal-karti. • Aqta’ biċċtejn fojl kbar u poġġihom fuq ilqiegħ ta’ pjanċa tal-forn. B’pinzell tal-kċina, idlek kull biċċa fojl bi ftit żejt. • Qiegħed ħuta fuq kull biċċa fojl u roxx ftit bżar u melħ fuqha. • Qaxxar il-patata, qattagħha f ’biċċiet kwadri żgħar u poġġihom ġo skutella. • Naddaf il-faqqiegħ, qattgħu fi slajsis irqaq u żidhom mal-patata. • Naddaf tajjeb il-kurrat u ż-żewġ bżariet u qattagħhom f ’biċċiet żgħar. Itfa’ mal-patata u l-faqqiegħ u ħawwad tajjeb. Żid ftit żejt u l-ħwawar u ħawwad. • Aqsam it-taħlita bejn iż-żewġ ħutiet u agħlaq il-fojl bla ma tissikkah madwar il-ħut. • Sajjar fil-forn għal madwar 20-25 minuta. • Meta tneħħi il-ħut millforn, ħalli ftit minuti jgħaddu qabel tiftaħ il-fojl. Agħmel dan b’attenzjoni għax il-fwar maqbud fil-fojl ikun jaħraq. ●

Din ir-riċetta meħuda mill-ktieb Fil-Kċina m’Anton: Ikel Bnin Għall-Kontroll tal-Kolesterol (BDL Publishing).

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

NEWS

The Soyuz MS-03 capsule carrying the International Space Station crew of Oleg Novitskiy of Russia and Thomas Pesquet of France lands in a remote area outside the town of Dzhezkazgan. PHOTO: SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/REUTERS.

Labour Party leader Joseph Muscat walks with Malta’s President MarieLouise Coleiro Preca before being sworn in as Prime Minister after winning a second term in office in Malta’s snap general elections, at the Presidential Palace in Valletta. PHOTO: DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI/REUTERS.

Pictures of This month’s news highlights captured

Vehicles piled on top of each other are seen at the site of fighting between the Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants in Mosul’s al-Zanjili’s district, Iraq. PHOTO: ERIK DE CASTRO/REUTERS.

Real Madrid’s captain Sergio Ramos celebrates the Champions League title at Cibeles Fountain in Madrid. The Spanish giants won against Juventus with a 4-1 score. PHOTO: SERGIO PEREZ/REUTERS.

Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau during a private audience at the Vatican. PHOTO: ETTORE FERRARI/REUTERS.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

A woman looks at flowers left at the south end of London Bridge, near Borough market following an attack which left eight people dead and dozens of injured in central London. PHOTO: PETER NICHOLLS/REUTERS.

the world in show-stopping photos.

US President Trump pauses as he announces his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement at the White House in Washington. PHOTO: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS.

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May waits for the result of the vote in her constituency at the count centre for the general election in Maidenhead. British voters dealt Prime Minister May a devastating blow, wiping out her parliamentary majority and throwing the UK into political turmoil. PHOTO: TOBY MELVILLE/REUTERS.

Russian President Putin attends a session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. PHOTO: VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/REUTERS.

Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in prior to testifying before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington. PHOTO: JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 1

EASY CROSSWORD 1

26. Loose (5) 27. River-dwelling mammal (5) 28. Greek author (5) 29. Without purpose (7) 30. Desire (5) 31. Sacred song (5)

9 10

11 12

12 13

2. Bird (6) 3. Eskimo houses (6) 4. Golf peg (3) 5. Test (5) 6. Stillness (7) 7. Tense (4) 8. Amphibious rodent (6) 12. Abstains from eating (5) 13. Appeal (5) 14. Snake poison (5) 15. Excellent (5) 16. Wheel surrounds (5) 18. Creep (5) 19. Cut of beef (7) 21. Godlike (6) 22. Coercion (6) 23. Spring back (6) 25. Chide (5) 26. Practice boxing (4) 28. Snake (3)

25 26

28 29

28 30

29 30

DOWN

18 19

ACROSS 1. Marriage with a redhead? (5) 6. Piles of old cars? (5) 9. The DA, for instance, has been known to reduce one’s overheads (7) 10. In port, the authority I had for tartan (5) 11. This way, possibly true love comes into it (5) 12. A state registered nurse holds the firm in contempt (5) 13. The beast can show zeal in setting a broken leg! (7) 15. An old hand at the surgery? (3) 17. They’re of one accord (4) 18. Longing to push teacher into the river (6) 19. Result of putting one’s foot down? (5) 20. Turning one way, perhaps (6) 22. Being religious, has little time for starting trouble (4) 24. Verily, each comes to a sticky end! (3) 25. Past being educational? (7) 26. For me to back a lad is an honour (5) 27. Spare weapon? (5) 28. A drop one can get in a bar (5) 29. Wanted a chap to be on time (7) 30. Remained stationary, or maybe ran (5) 31. A negative point, invariably (5)

ACROSS 17. Sediment (4) 18. Move hurriedly (6) 19. Rock (5) 20. Handsome young man (6) 22. Challenge (4) 24. Dark (3) 25. Greets (7)

1. Scope (5) 6. Injures with a knife (5) 9. US state (7) 10. Nimble (5) 11. Of the moon (5) 12. Aspect (5) 13. Crucial (7) 15. Obtain (3)

MAY ISSUE SOLUTIONS: ACROSS: 1. Trivia 7. Champion 8. Scar 10. Canapé 11. Robust 14. Ate 16. Rupee 17. Page 19.

Today 21. Bevel 22. Sinew 23. Plea 26. Craig 28. Duo 29. Hector 30. Napalm 31. Amid 32. Attorney 33. Sister. DOWN: 1. Teacup 2. Vacate 3. Acre 4. Immoral 5. Mix-up 6. Unite 8. Snag 9. Ape 12. Buy 13. Serve 15. Hovel 18. Aware 19. Ten 20. Dew 21. Bigotry 22. Sit 23. Pupils 24. Load 25. Armour 26. Cheat 27. Acute 28. Dam 30. Nays.

WORD SEARCH Q

DOWN

2. Twenty-four hours? Not a bit of it! (3,3) 3. See to an apiarist’s needs in the garden (6) 4. Caught in a shady deal (3) 5. The cost in pence for a cereal (5) 6. Hasty when pushed (7) 7. It’s opposed to both Windsor and Harrow (4) 8. Just the club for a teetotaller in wildest Peru (6) 12. Had the rest wrongly spelt (5) 13. Happy about the hissing when a drink’s carbonated (5) 14. Animal easily crossed with a dog (5) 15. Such recordings can be capital at Monte! (5) 16. Snappy in quite stylish fashion (5) 18. Lived up to a bad name (5) 19. Eve’s upset and visibly angry when cut (7) 21. Vessel used in brewing (6) 22. Disburdened, maybe set out to walk (6) 23. A nice sea trip with Tom (6) 25. Companion of Tom and Dick (5) 26. In Ireland, a girl to love (4) 28. They’re adult in many ways (3)

MAY ISSUE SOLUTIONS: ACROSS: 1. Saddle 7. You-ngish 8. Luge 10. Pro-bed 11. Twelve 14. Ale 16.

Ale-rt 17. Pan-E 19. SN-ark 21. Rosie (rosy) 22. Peter 23. He-MP 26. Sides 28. N-it 29. Teapot 30. Pilots 31. Alan 32. Friendly 33. Scythe. DOWN: 1. Snap up 2. Double 3. Eyed 4. Una-Ware 5. Bible 6. She-E.T. 8. Loan (shark) 9. Gee 12. Elk 13. V-room 15. In-set 18. Alfie 19. So-T 20. AIR 21. Resound 22. P-E-p 23. Hi-L-ary 24. E-ton 25. Post-i.e. 26. Stiff 27. Davit 28. Ni-L 30. Pays.

Aired Ascend Bowler Boxers Champion Clack Clasp Counterbalances Detain Dollar

Edgier Elite Fauna Female Glasses Gulch Heaping Individualists Inform Itself

Lapse Lingo Markedly Minor Neigh Parka Peeps Pulsate Respectability Retreat

Revue Rider Riser Smoke Swift Tissues Topaz Torrent Truancy Tunas

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

COMPETITION

Richard Ellis Archive and Book Distributors Limited (BDL).

Ngħidu kelma QWIEL MALTIN U XI JFISSRU Il-borża tal-beżżiegħ la timtela u lanqas tifriegħ. The wallet of the timid man gets neither fatter nor thinner. Baqra tajba tinbiegħ f ’pajjiżha. A good cow is sold in its own country.

Presenting the past This month, we are once again giving away a set of 12 replica prints by Richard Ellis. To win, identify the locations (street and city) of the photograph on this page and send your answers via e-mail to seniortimes@timesofmalta.com or by post to ‘Senior Times Competition’, Allied Newspapers Limited, Strickland House, 341, St Paul Street, Valletta VLT 1211. The first correct answer that we receive will win a set of 12 replica prints by Richard Ellis. The second and third runner-up win one of the above-mentioned books, courtesy of Book Distributors Limited (BDL).

SUDOKU 5 6 3 4 7 9 2 8 1

7 9 1 5 8 2 4 3 6

2 7 8 9 3 1 6 5 4

6 3 5 8 2 4 7 1 9

Bewsa mingħajr tgħanniqa donnha warda mingħajr fwieħa. A kiss without a hug is like a rose without fragrance.

L-Għama ta’ Lourdes by Emilio Lombardi.

Kull tajra tifraħ b’rixha. Every bird is proud of its own feathers.

The winners of the May Senior Times Richard Ellis competition are Josephine Mary Muscat (wins a set of 12 replica prints by Richard Ellis), Anna Saliba (wins a copy of L-Għamja jew Bin l-Assassin ta’ l-Imdina by Emilio Lombardi) and Marlene Lautier, (wins a copy of Il-Pesta tal-1676 by Joseph Micallef.).

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9

8 4 2 3 1 6 9 7 5

Wild Plants of Malta by Hans Christian Weber.

9 1 4 6 5 7 8 2 3

4 8 7 1 9 3 5 6 2

1 5 9 2 6 8 3 4 7

3 2 6 7 4 5 1 9 8

3 7 9 6 6 1 4 4 7 2 3 9 8 9 9 4 7 2 3

1 9

Il-flus għandhom il-ġwienah. Money has wings.

Kampanja kliem Skond il-paġna tal-Facebook ‘Kelma Kelma’, li jieħu ħsieb Michael Spagnol, għalliem flUniversità ta’ Malta, dawn ilfrażijiet kienu l-iżjed popolari waqt il-kampanji elettorali ta’ dawn l-aħħar snin, inkluż dik li għadha kif għaddiet. • Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox • Nissikkaw iċ-ċinturin • Iċ-ċittadin l-ewwel

4 3 2 8

• Malta tagħna lkoll • Dritt għal ġol ħajt • Tista’ ma taqbilx magħna imma tista’ taħdem magħna • Il-ħuta minn rasha tinten • Vapur b’żewġ kaptani ma jimxix • Għandu mażżra m’għonqu • L-aqwa żmien • Jien nagħżel Malta

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

WORLD WAR II Omaha Beach after D-Day. Protected by barrage balloons, ships delivered trucks loaded with supplies.

Remembering D-Day On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Today, 73 years later, we remember those who paid the price for a liberated Europe.

n June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, in France. The aim was clear. In the words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, “We will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion. By the time the sun had set, the Allies gained a foothold in Continental Europe. The cost of lives was high, with some 10,000 Allied soldiers killed or wounded. Their sacrifice allowed some 100,000 soldiers to start their march across Europe, liberating towns and villages from Nazi occupation and eventually contributing to the Allied victory on the Western Front. Planning for D-Day had begun a year earlier, in 1943. In the months leading up to the Normandy invasion, the Allies had conducted Operation Bodyguard, a military deception intended to mislead the

When the Allied troops landed, they were met with heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches Germans as to the date and location of the Allied landings. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel commanded the German forces and developed fortifications along the Atlantic Wall, in anticipation of an Allied invasion. The amphibious landings on June 6 were preceded by aerial and naval bombardment. Also, 24,000 American, British and Canadian troops were parachuted in. For the landing on the French coast, the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The shore was mined and covered with obstacles. And when the Allied troops landed, they were met with heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches. The casualties were heaviest at Omaha while at Gold, Juno and Sword, fighting proceeded in house-to-house manner. On the first day, only two of the beaches, Juno and Gold, were linked. All the five beachheads weren’t connected until June 12. On D-Day, German casualties have been estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

Official US Coast Guard photograph of American soldiers leaving an LCT to invade Omaha Beach on D-Day.

The road To d-day The dieppe disasTer The Dieppe Raid, on August 19, 1942, brought heavy losses – however, it allowed the Allied intelligence forces to gather a lot of information, in view of D-Day. UTah beach At dawn, ships occupied the stretch from the mouth of the Seine to the Cherbourg Peninsula.

omaha beach The Allied’s first assaults were brutally cut down.

Gold beach After landing at Gold Beach, the British 50th Infantry Division was soon at the gates of Bayeux and took control of the town on the morning of June 7.

JUno beach Canadian forces suffered half of their losses in the first hour of the assault. Eventually the Third Division liberated the coastal sector and encircled the radar station.

sword beach On June 5, a little before 11pm, British gliders were launched towards Bénouville bridge. In the space of a few minutes, the men under Major Howard attained their objective and Bénouville bridge became Pegasus Bridge.

FirsT French Town liberaTed On the afternoon of June 6, General de Gaulle said: “The supreme battle is underway. It is, of course, the Battle of France and the Battle for France.”

The porT In February 1944, Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery decided that the landings would take place in an area 80km long – rather than 40km – extending from Colleville to Varreville and including the Cherbourg Peninsula, so that the port of Cherbourg could be captured as quickly as possible.

a capiTal in rUins The battle of Saint-Lô was one of the most significant episodes, just before Operation Cobra. In the centre of the Cherbourg Peninsula, the war of the hedgerows turned into a real trench warfare.

six weeks oF FiGhTinG At dawn on June 6, the bombing of towns in Normandy began. The entire centre of Caen was destroyed. The Allies’ objective was to destroy the towns so as to obliterate all communications and to slow German reinforcements. On the morning of June 7, the towns of Caen, Lisieux, Coutances, Saint-Lo and Vire had been completely destroyed.

normandy’s scars

A-20 G Havoc light bomber with D-Day invasion stripes painted on its wings. Plumes of smoke rise from the forest Cerisy, where a German machine gun position blocked the US advance.

During the summer of 1944, the people of Lower Normandy found themselves caught in the midst of a gigantic battle. During the month of July, when the fighting was at its worst, over two million soldiers were in the fray. Civilian victims were numerous and to escape the bombs, people took refuge in cellars, quarries and trenches.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

CARS

UT TI L

The medicine man and his machines

J OE B

Old cars are the best medicine for Louis Deguara, Joe Busuttil from the Old Motors Club says.

edicine is a predominant feature surrounding Louis Deguara and his family: he has been practising as a family doctor for more than 40 years, his wife Maria Fatima is also a general practitioner, while his two children Christopher and Christine have followed their parents as doctors too. Yet, with the exception of his father, who was a pharmacist, the Deguara clan in Naxxar was renowned for its woodwork skills. “All my uncles were carpenters”, he recalls. “One of them, uncle Arthur, had the first Chevrolet bus in Naxxar in the 1930s. In line with the standard practice of the time, he imported the Chevrolet engine and chassis, and then built the body framework. As a young boy, it used to be my pride and joy to roam around in it, and that vehicle instilled in me a lifelong passion for old cars”. Dr Deguara confesses to an addictive attraction for vehicles that dominated the roads in the 1960s. “For me, the Ford Anglias, Mini Coopers, Alfa Romeos, Triumph Spitfires, Consuls and Zephyrs that were in fashion with a passion in those halcyon days, bring waves of nostalgia, especially of the period when I was in my late teens and early adulthood. “In a way, I feel part of their history. It was always on the cards that once I settled down, old motors would feature prominently in my life.” Despite his yearning for so many marques, he managed in his purchases to limit himself to two classy classic car brands – Lotus and Jaguar – with various models from each. As a young man, Dr Deguara watched enthralled as two Lotus vehicles owned by Naxxar residents used to shatter the sleepy serenity of the then small village as they winded their way through its narrow streets. Eventually, years later, they came into his possession. “The 1975 British racing green Lotus Elan 2 +2 belonged to Victor Camilleri. When I bought it, it had long been abandoned on a farm, providing accommodation to chickens and preying rats.

Malta boasts a strong concentration of many skilled craftsmen, like mechanics, panel beaters and sprayers, who not only work from the head but also from the heart

“Having been idle for more than three decades, it obviously required a nut and bolt restoration project urgently, involving the procurement of many parts from overseas. Among other things, a new engine – which was subsequently tuned by the Lotus company in the UK – had to be acquired, as the original had been replaced by a Ford one.” Produced between 1967 and 1975, the Elan was the first Lotus car which used a steel backbone chassis with a fiberglass body.

Dr Deguara also has a 1977 Lotus Éclat Series 1 fastback version that he bought from Carmelo Schembri. “It also needed dismantling and restoration, but unlike the Elan, we used its own parts again. The only major change was in its colour, which from the original white became mustard.” The Éclat Series 1 was manufactured from 1975 to 1982, and was considered to be the British Ferrari at the time. This UK brand of fast, agile sports and racing cars, with their light weight and fine handling characteristics, gave the Italian iconic firm a good run for its

money, vying with it neck to neck in mortal combat. In fact, it went on to win several Grand Prix championships in its heyday. While lingering at leisure around his two Lotus vehicles, Dr Deguara has more than a soft spot for Jaguars, of which six large models straddle his stables. There is a 1965 white 3.8 Mark 11; a 1966 grey 3.8 Mark 11; a 1967 grey 3.4; a 1969 twine tone midnight blue with clear blue 4.2 Mark 10; a 1985 white 4.2 XJ6 Series D; and the latest addition, a 2002 metallic grey X Type 220. He opines that the Jaguar is a vehicle of beauty, strength, comfort and per-

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

formance. He thinks that when the company was taken over by Ford in the 1990s, there was a drop in standards, but the latest owners, Tata Motors, who took over in 2008, have restored the original quality. With a still ongoing busy medical career, as well as 40 years of active political life as a member of parliament, including lengthy stints as minister of health, Dr Deguara admits that he has had very little time to be involved in the restoration of his classic cars.

“Besides the time factor, I also lack the technical skills, for apart from the regular routine maintenance, I leave everything into the hands of my very able mechanic friend, Charles Sant.” Dr Deguara has a very high regard for the quality of old motors in Malta, which he deems better than their counterparts in the UK and Italy. He attributes this to the fact that these sturdy vehicles suffer very little wear and tear locally, there is no salt spread on the roads like abroad, and Malta boasts a

strong concentration of many skilled craftsmen, like mechanics, panel beaters and sprayers, who not only work from the head but also from the heart. He thinks that likewise, unless one really loves classic cars, there is no point in getting an old vehicle, because today’s cars have all sorts of comforts that are lacking in the old timers. “For this reason, although I try to rotate my classic cars for regular outings, I tend to fall back often on the XJ6, which has air conditioning.”

He also makes it a strong point to take them out only when it is not raining. Asked whether he would like to add to his collection, Dr Deguara shakes his head. He says that today, the cost of restoration is prohibitive. Also, he laments that his two children and his wife are not very keen on old motors. Moreover, his wife urges him to sell them – but that would be too much of a hassle for him. So he continues to do what he loves to do best – enjoying his classic cars while he still owns them. ●

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

SPORT

All in the family Turu, Louis, Eddie and Ronnie Theobald formed one of the greatest football families ever seen in Malta, says Carmel Baldacchino. TURU THEOBALD Football seems to run in the blood of some families. In the history of Maltese football, names like Friggieri, Miller, Samuel and Cauchi have carved a niche in the game’s hall of fame. The same could certainly be said of the Theobalds. Turu Theobald’s father was a Welshman who before World War I may have played some football for the Navy. Turu was very proud of his elder brother who played for Vittoriosa Rovers and was picked for the Rest of the League XI in 1917. Turu was also the proud father of three sons, Louis and Eddie, Hibs’ international stars of the 1960s and Ronnie who played for Vittoriosa Stars. Turu started his career with the Constitutionals in the 1920s in the old Amateur League. A natural inside forward, he delighted the crowds with his ball artistry. Before the war, football was still very much an individualist’s game. Without any real tactics, success still relied on the skills of individual players. Passing, dribbling and shooting were the order of the day and a player was ranked according to his ability in one or more of these skills. There has never been a greater dribbler of the ball than Turu Theobald, except perhaps, his son Eddie. He could score goals too, as can be seen from his record. In 1935 he scored four goals for Hibs in the 7-0 victory over Hamrun Spartans. His professional career lasted only six seasons but during that period he never missed a game for Hibernians. Always loyal to the Paolities he refused many tempting offers from other clubs, thus losing his chance of winning any major honours. Turu reached his peak in 1933-34 when he formed part of Hibernians’ great team, which beat HMS Sovereign in the Cassar Cup semi-final. That encounter has since been entered with letters of gold in

LOUIS THEOBALD Turu had three sons which continued the family tradition and took the Theobald name up to the highest spheres of Maltese football. His eldest son Louis was born in Paola on July 20, 1938. He was only 11 years old when he started kicking the ball around at the Paola Government Primary School. Later, he continued his football education at De La Salle College and the Dockyard School. With his football pedigree, it was inevitable that Louis would join Hibernians. He graduated through the various junior teams of the club until he made his league debut on May 6, 1955 against Sliema Wanderers. Hibs lost 5-3 but he played a good game and his future seemed secure. The next season however, he was injured in the fourth game of the season against Hamrun Spartans and as a result lost the rest of the season. Louis Theobald’s competitive career League

Turu Theobald, the old man of the Theobald family. Turu was one of the greatest ball artists ever produced by Maltese football.

League SEASON

TEAM

1929-31

Cottonera U

1932-37

Hiberians

1937-38

St George’s

Total

PLAYED League XI

MFA XI

TOTAL

the myths of Maltese football. In 1937, Hibs were disbanded by the MFA because of debts incurred during the season. The club could not take part in competitive matches and other clubs signed all their players. Turu joined St George’s, but his stay at Cospicua was short and uneventful. From St George’s he crossed the

Cup M

Cassar Cup

SEASON

TEAM

1954-68

Hiberians

137

Honours Won

Cassar Cup G

Cup

1 10

harbour and joined Vittoriosa Stars in the Second Division. The war paused any competitive football and when the game was restarted at the end of hostilities, Turu’s career was over, although he still turned out occasionally for Hibs’ second and third teams of the 1940s. He was picked to play for the MFA XI only once and that as a substitute against SK Pilzen in 1937. It was a poor reward for one of the most exciting players to come out of the ‘golden’ 1930s.

Footballer of the Year

Hiberians

1959-60

Championship

Hiberians

1960-61

Cup

Hiberians

1961-62

Cassar Cup

Hiberians

1961-62

Independance Cup

Hiberians

1967-68

His talent however, could not be suppressed and the following season he was back with a bang. Taking over the team’s captaincy he lost only two matches in seven glorious seasons in which he led the team to its first-ever league championship, an FA Trophy and two Cassar Cup victories. Lean and elegant, he cut a fine figure with his film star’s good looks. A classic halfback, he was one of the pioneers of the new style that was introduced during the 1960s. Louis preferred to play himself out of trouble rather than boot the ball aimlessly up field. Keeping tackling to a minimum, he antici-

1966-67

1962-63

pated his opponent’s move, and positioned himself in a perfect position to cut off the inevitable pass. He did this so elegantly that he made it all look so easy. Theobald was a member of the Malta Youth team that played in the San Remo Tournament in the late Fifties playing a memorable game in the halfback line against the Vienna Boys. His best season was 1959-60 when, despite losing the league championship to Valletta in the last game of the season, he was crowned with the Footballer of the Year award. He was the first Hibs’ player to win this distinctive honour.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

Louis Theobald with the Footballer of the Year trophy which he won in 1959-60. Louis was an elegant defender who preferred to play his way out of trouble rather than kick the ball up-field.

Louis and Eddie Theobald with contemporary Hibs favourites, Johnnie Privitera, Freddie Mizzi and Leli Attard in Madrid before the Cup of Cup Winners game against Atletico Madrid in 1962.

National Team Career 1961-1971 (Hiberians) PLAYED Malta A

Malta B

MFA XI

League XI

MFA U19 XI

Total

The next season, after 30 years of heartbreaks and disappointments, the Paolites finally managed to win the championship. Hibernians’ task was not an easy one, and they had to expend every ounce of their energy to finally realize their ambition. Hibs had the best defence on the island, in which Theobald, together with Freddie Mizzi, and Sunny Anastasi shone above all others. The next season the Paolites were determined to write another golden page in their history by winning the FA Trophy. Louis Theobald’s commanding presence in the heart of the defence and his brother’s grafting

and scheming in midfield lifted the team’s morale. The Paolites struck a winning patch, which took them to the final of the Cassar Cup and the FA Trophy. Hibs met Sliema Wanderers on February 2, 1962 in the Cassar Cup final. It was a poor game. The play was ragged and the commitment poor but, leading the team with his example, Theobald coxed the team on to a 1-0 victory. The FA Trophy final against Valletta was a thriller. It could have gone either way. However, inspired by their captain’s fivestar performance, the Hibs players produced that little bit extra which at the end gave them the FA Trophy for the first time in their history. The sky seemed to be the limit for Louis Then, like a bolt out of the blue, the injury bug hit him again. An injury against Floriana mid-way through the 1963-64 season plagued him for the rest of his career. He made bold efforts to regain his fitness but his best days were over and during the summer of 1968 he was transferred to Birzebbuga St Peter’s in the Third Division. He stayed for only two seasons with the sea-siders but during this period he helped the club to win the Third Division Cup. In 1970 he retired from the game completely.

EDDIE THEOBALD Eddie Theobald’s competitive career Turu’s second son, Eddie was born in Paola on September 28, League Cup Others 1940. One of the all-time greats SEASON TEAM M G M G M G of Maltese football, as a midfield player, he had no equal. 1958-74 Hiberians 176 38 35 9 32 9 His skills, accurate passes and 1974-77 Żebbuġ R 49 7 6 2 intelligent play made him an automatic choice both for 1977-78 Msida SJ 8 1 1 his club Hibernians and the Honours Won 233 46 42 11 32 9 National Team with whom he was capped 17 times. He joined Hibernians’ Honours Won Minors team in March 1956 Championship Hibs 1960-61 / 1968-69 1966-67 and made his league debut in season 1958-59 against FloriCup Hibs 1961-62 / 1970-71 1969-70 ana. Hibs won that match 2-0 and from then on, he never lost Cassar Cup Hibs 1961-62 1962-63 his place in the team, helping Independence Cup Hibs 1967-68 1970-71 the club to win its first three championships. He was voted Sons of Malta Hibs 1969-70 / 1971-72 1970-71 Footballer of the Year twice in Footballer of the Year Hibs 1966-67 1970-71 seasons 1966-67 and 1970-71. Eddie soon became the darling of the Hibs National Team Career He hardly every lost a match crowd. His frail frame, 1961-1971 (Hiberians) through injury. He was rarely elegant style, and the PLAYED SCORED substituted and was never susway he fluttered his pended. These facts say a lot way through opposing Malta A 18 2 about his skills and character. defences earned him the Malta B 2 Veteran of many great nickname of ‘l-għasfur’ encounters against foreign (the bird). One could not Malta Amateurs 3 teams both for Hibs and for possibly think of a better MFA XI 2 Malta, his contribution to the nickname for this elegant game cannot be measured. His footballer. His intelligent League XI 4 3 greatest moment however, midfield play made him MFA Amateur XI 1 came in season 1962-63. That unique in the annals of winter the weather made Maltese football and his MFA Veterans 2 havoc of British soccer. Around dribbling rivalled that of Christmas, the British Isles his father Turu. His conTotal 32 5 were frozen over with ice and temporaries considered snow. Week after week, the the elder Theobald as the greatest dribbler in the history Eddie played nearly 200 football programme was postof the Maltese game. league games for Hibernians. poned. ▷

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

SPORT

At one time the situation was so bad that the leading clubs were forced to take their teams abroad for training camps. Towards the end of January 1963 Chelsea FC who, at the time were running away with the English Second Division League, paid a short visit to Malta. Chelsea played two matches in Malta. In midweek, they played against Hibernians and on Sunday they beat an MFA XI 4-1. The match against Hibernians was a different proposition. The Pensioners were clearly the better side but they were well held by the Paolites. In addition, their winning goal should never have been allowed. Jimmy Mulholland had clearly handled the ball before scoring but referee Paul Bonnet did not see the infringement. This match could be described as ‘Eddie Theobald’s match’. Hibs’ soccer magician weaved, feinted, and danced his way through the Chelsea defence as if his very life depended on it. One of the real all-time greats of Maltese football, he always seemed to reserve his best for the big occasion. This, however, was his best game in a long and glorious career. He was so good that day that after the game Chelsea’s manager Tommy Docherty offered him a contract there and then. Eddie went to London that summer to train with the Pensioners but his father Turu kept urging him to return home. Chelsea’s loss turned out to be Hibs’ gain as Eddie led the club through one of the greatest eras in its history. In 1973-74 Hibs narrowly lost the Championship to Valletta. The Paola club’s committee decided to take drastic action. In a bold bid to build a new

Ronnie Theobald

NEWS

Leaders in compassionate care

Eddie Theobald, known as ‘l-għasfur’. Eddie won the coveted Footballer of the Year award twice, in 1966-67 and 1970-71. Eddie would be in any short list of the greatest-ever Maltese footballers.

team for the future they decided to scrap the old team and introduce instead their minor team en-bloc into the First Division. It was a move, which was to pay rich dividends in the future. However, no one expected Eddie Theobald to be transferred. In a controversial transfer deal, which many Hibs’ fans still talk about to this day, he was transferred to Zebbug Rangers for the ridiculous sum of 200 pounds! Eddie stayed for three seasons with Zebbug Rangers. Much of his old magic was still there to the delight of the Zebbug fans and to the dismay of the Hibs supporters. Zebbug Rangers’ team however was not of the same standard as Hibernians. In 1977 Zebbug

were relegated and rather than playing in the Second Division, Eddie Theobald retired. Thus, was closed the chapter on one of the greatest players ever produced by Maltese Football. For a time, he took up coaching but after a while he retired from all competitive football. His love of the game however, has never wavered and until he retired from service in the year 2000 he was a physical education instructor with the Department of Education. On Saturday March 27, 2010, a black cloud settled over Paola. ‘King’ Eddie Theobald one of the greatest Maltese footballers of all time passed away leaving a void which will be very hard to fill in the hearts of the loyal Hibs supporters.

RONNIE THEOBALD Ronnie Theobald is the baby of the family. Ronnie has been forced to live his whole life in the shadows of his famous father and brothers. However, he was also a good footballer in his own right. Although he spent his whole career in the lower divisions of Maltese football with one of his father’s old clubs, Vittoriosa Stars. It is unfortunate, but a known fact that the football bug seems to hit a family and then after a glorious period, it dies a natural death. The same thing seems to be happening to the Theobald family. Louis and Ronnie have daughters but no sons to carry the family name. Eddie has a son who never played football. The son however, has a boy to carry the family name. There is therefore, still a chance that in the future the famous Theobald name may once again appear again in the annals of Maltese football. ●

To care for a person through the expression of individualised care nurtures the idea of compassionate care. This is a fundamental aspect in the holistic dimension of healthcare. The main idea behind compassion is to literally share an experience and understand the position of a person through the possibility of physical and psychological accompaniment. People often suffer in different ways and this highlights the importance of why we should be compassionate. Metaphorically ‘walking’ with a person, can reflect the attribution to healing. However, healing is strongly associated with the meaning of life. This very important notion can articulate the concept that individualisation can be a developmental task in the process of living and ageing. People need support and care – the delivery of both can result in a better experience in life. CareMalta operates nine homes across Malta: Casa Arkati (Mosta), Villa Messina (Rabat), Roseville (Attard), Casa San Paolo (St Paul’s Bay), Prince of Wales (Sliema) as well as Żejtun Home, Cospicua Home, Mellieħa Home and Zammit Clapp Hospital Residential Home (St Julian’s).

Added mobility Thanks to its 17 years of valuable experience in the provision of an extensive range of accessibility products, Apex Lifts Limited is recognised as a market leader in this sector. Apex Lifts offers a wide range of products and services designed to help people move easily about their home. Products include stair climbers, chair lifts, platform lifts, step lifts, pool lifts and passenger lifts. Apex Lifts also supplies good and industrial lifts. All installations done by Apex Lifts Limited are C.E. certified. Platform lifts or inclined platform lifts are ideal solutions for wheelchair bound users as they allow mobility and freedom of access to buildings of all types, thus ensuring more independent personal mobility. These lifts can be installed next to both straight stairs or curved stairs. They can also be installed indoors and outdoors. These platform lifts are battery operated and therefore, present no issues regarding power failure. These lifts are compact and platform lifts are foldable with retractable arms. Maximum capacity for platform lifts is up to 300 kilos. For more information contact Apex Lifts Limited on 2145 5051.

SENIOR TIMES â&#x20AC;&#x2019; juNE 2017

SENIOR TIMES ‒ juNE 2017

DENTAL CARE

The patient’s choice! P

orcelain veneers are thin slivers of porcelain used to recreate the natural look of teeth, while also providing strength and resilience comparable to natural tooth enamel. Your dentist will most likely begin by consulting you on your smile and requests, determining what steps are necessary to achieve the smile you desire. In addition, your dentist may create a diagnostic mock-up that will allow you to “try on” veneers and other procedures to see if the final result is actually what you’re looking for. A computer-generated image or a provisional fitting of veneers may also allow you to view your new smile prior to commencement.

uses of veneers Straighten teeth: often due to age or timeframe patients do not wish to go down the road of braces. As a result veneers offer patients an immediate quick fix straightening misaligned teeth. Tooth colour: Patients might not respond well to tooth whitening procedures. Veneering teeth gives an immediate permanent colour to your teeth. Close gaps in between teeth: In some cases even when teeth are A CASE already aligned, with time spaces appear. This is often due to the small size of the teeth or large size of the jaw. In either of these cases veneers fix this very elegantly. Angulation: Rotated or inclined teeth may be aligned with veneers Irregularly shaped and sized teeth: Some patients have micro-teeth or so-called micro-donts, often irregularly shaped and sized. Bonded veneers restore them back to normality. Bruxism: Bruxists, or patients who grind their teeth often display unaesthetic wear facets with reduced tooth height. Veneers may restore these teeth to their natural dimensions and prevent further tooth-wear.

SCENARIO A young woman in her late 20s who refuses to undergo orthodontic (brace) treatment due to timeframes opts for a quick fix and a simultaneous laser whitening of her teeth. The photos show before and after images following the placement of 4 porcelain veneers and whitening Extra-Oral pre-operative

aDvantages of veneers Custom-made veneers are almost impossible to tell from your natural teeth.Veneers resist coffee, wine, tea and cigarette stains thanks to the high caliber materials used and are the only permanent method of tooth whitening.Veneers are very conservative of the tooth structure as a minimal tooth preparation is requiredFor teeth that resist whitening, veneers can make even the darkest teeth appear bright white.

Dis-aDvantages of veneers Removal of tooth tissue is irreversibleCost: veneers may be quite costly.Some initial sensitivity to hot and cold. This typically disappears within a few days. Although they’re very strong, veneers are also brittle. De-bonding of veneers: If you have a habit of grinding or clenching your teeth, your dentist may fit you with a night time bite guard so you do not damage your veneers. Veneers offer great results to those patients who wish to have a perfectly symmetrical set of teeth, but also to those patients who wish a more natural even look, not necessarily polar white but graded according to the natural aesthetics of their adjacent teeth. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Ask your dentist! ●

Dr Jean Paul DemaJo is a Dental anD imPlant surgeon. He Has traineD in lonDon anD works in Private Practice in malta.

Intra-oral pre-operative

Extra-oral post-operative