Archive for the ‘ Malta ’ Category

Hailstorm – 17 October 2010

The enormous hailstones that were smashing down on Malta exactly a year ago today: Hailstone pic. Guess many of you had already forgotten about it.

2011
10/17
CATEGORY
Environment
Events
Malta
Nature
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15th October: 2 – August: 0

My swimming season had a rather belated start this year. The liquid that drenched me during July and August was the sweat of my early afternoon runs and the showers fed by tepid water flowing from the roof top tank. Had it been like previous years, the jellyfish invasion would have served as a reasonable defence for not dipping my toe into the Mediterranean. However I have no such excuse this year.

It was only towards the end of September that I really took to the sea and for this I have a partial tear of the left calf muscle to thank – it tore me away from my running but dragged me down to the beach. Most times it has been sunset swims once or twice-a-week but today I broke my swimming record for the whole of August. In the morning I jumped in at Ghadira Bay after 20 minutes of sand running (part of my rehabilitation exercises) and in the afternoon it was off to Ramla tal-Mixquqa. Two beach visits in one day makes for a personal best!

2011
10/15
CATEGORY
Malta
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I mean no disrespect

BoneDead 300x214 I mean no disrespect

Is eating an “ghadam tal-mejtin” (aka “ossa dei morti” or “bones of the dead” – a bone-shaped pastry filled with almond paste and covered in icing) in early October, nearly a full month before All Saints Day and All Souls Day, disrespectful?

Is eating an “ghadam tal-mejtin” in a confectionery across the road from where a light mahogany-coloured coffin is being carried on heavy shoulders down the town’s thoroughfare, disrespectful?

Is eating an “ghadam tal-mejtin” while watching a gaggle of giggling schoolchildren visit the church where, only half-an-hour earlier, sorrow was being shed in tears during a funerary mass, disrespectful?

2011
10/12
CATEGORY
Events
Malta
Religion
Society
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Raising the dead to praise the living

2011 10 10 12.02.381 e1318271855613 225x300 Raising the dead to praise the living

(Hamrun Local Council / Mayor Peter Attard / unveiled this plaque / in remembrance of the Hamrun townsfolk who died / through enemy action / during the Second World War)

 

The above is a plaque that can be found on the Hamrun parish church’s facade. Ostensibly it was unveiled to commemorate and honour all the townsfolk who died during the Second World War. A worthy act, is it not?

Not.

Highlighting the plaque, both by position and larger-sized lettering, is the name of the local council and it’s (then) mayor. Lower down and in a smaller typeface is the reason for its affixing.

This, therefore, is not a matter of “who is commemorating what” but “what is commemorating who”.

2011
10/10
CATEGORY
Events
Malta
People
Places
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Belittling the smallness: Latvia vs Malta

Quotes from the Latvia – Malta match commentary on Eurosport.com

Pre-match comment:

  • Latvia and Malta are the bottom two sides in Group E so as with the Austria game, this match – kicking off at 6pm – means very little indeed.

Match comments:

  • KICK OFF! We have started in Riga. Remember, this game is meaningless in Group F as neither side can qualify.
  • Aleksejs Visnakovs lashes a firm effort wide of the far post for Latvia. Remember, this game has nothing riding on it as neither team can qualify.
  • GOAL! 1-0 Latvia! He had a decent chance earlier and now Visnakovs opens the scoring in Riga. However, this game is largely inconsequential.
  • GOAL! Latvia 2-0 Malta! Artjoms Rudnevs gets on the scoresheet in this pointless game.
  • FULL TIME. Latvia win 2-0. This game doesn’t matter one bit though.

This island is small but these comments, factual as they may be, make me feel even smaller.

2011
10/07
CATEGORY
Events
Football
Malta
Sports
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