Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta

I have been enjoying this drink ever since I was a child. Way back then I also appreciated its angular shaped bottle, so distinct from other soft drink bottles and even more so when compared to the bland PET containers of today. I remember the pleasure and sense of pride I felt when I discovered it in a supermarket on the outskirts of Nicosia, Cyprus, in the 80s.  At the time I was attending an international youth camp organised by the Leo Club and I couldn’t help but point it out to the fellow participants who were shopping with me; it goes without saying that I bought a few Kinnies to share with them too. Thirty years on and I’m still recommending the product, this time to my classes of mixed nationality students who come here for a few weeks, even months, to improve their English language skills. I don’t do it because I have a lucrative promotional contract with the bottlers, Farsons, but primarily because it satisfies my taste buds. Secondly, it’s a local product which I believe deserves more international recognition.

One of the ingredients which goes into the making of Kinnie is bitter oranges, although the label simply states “oranges”. Now I don’t know about you but I got thinking – just how many bitter oranges are actually used in a 1.5 litre bottle? Hence my email enquiry to the company yesterday, asking them exactly that. Once their reply comes in, I’ll attach the information to this post.

The photo above depicts what one sees today upon reaching the car park of Gnejna Bay – three aluminium container-like structures housing two kiosks and a water sports centre, all partitioning the beach from the parking area. In the eyes of some, the sight of silver aluminium shining in the sun is more satisfying than tanned sand, shimmering sea and crumbling cliffs. In the pockets of others, it is more rewarding to allow businesses to appropriate what, until recently, belonged, at no charge, to all those who frequented the bay. Where once upon-a-stormy-day it was possible to sit in the relative comfort of one’s car while watching nature unleash its fury, today one can still sit in the relative comfort of one’s car but, watch what exactly? Aesthetic idiocy unleashed.

This post appeared in The Times of 04 January 2011

Further to the editorial of December 28, Testing Times For New MFA Administration, I would like to voice my own hopes for a new dawn regarding ticket pricing for international matches.

Two topics which have been dominating talk about local football over the years are the generally poor performances by our national team and falling stadium attendance, even when Malta is hosting a foreign team. No one likes to see their favourite team lose but what truly gets the supporters’ goat is subpar level of play.

It has happened before, albeit too infrequently, that the team in red leaves the Ta’ Qali turf with heads held high and to a standing ovation. Why? Because they would have fought for every ball and delighted the crowd with some intelligent manoeuvres. While always hoping for a miracle, we still show our appreciation when true effort is displayed, irrespective of the final result. What those inhabiting the terraces have not been accepting for quite a while now is the MFA’s expectation that we actually fork out money for mediocrity. Are we honestly expected to throw good money after bad plays?

Bearing this in mind, I make the following recommendation: the stadium ticket price for national team matches should reflect the points obtained. The first group game (World Cup or Euro qualifiers) should be free to the public. Then for every point gained, the admission price for the following games goes up by €1 or €2. In the event that Malta plays well enough to obtain a win and a couple of draws, it is guaranteed that people will be prepared to pay more to watch real, competitive action. On the other hand, if we remain rooted to the bottom of the table with a meagre tally, then the only way of getting people through the turnstiles is by selling tickets at slashed prices.

At the end of the day, it boils down to demand and supply. Supply quality games and demand goes up, which in turn inflates ticket prices. Supply poor results and demand plummets, dragging down the cost of a ticket.