Malta lost a great man

The Times of Malta reported that Sir Anthony Mamo, the first President of Malta, died aged 99 this morning.The same newspaper gave a short biographical note on Sir Anthony Mamo. He was a former Chief Justice and was the only Governor-General of Malta before he served as President between 1974-76.
Anthony Mamo was born in Birkirkara and educated at the Archbishop’s seminary and the University of Malta where he graduated BA in 1931 and LLD in 1934. He was in private practice for a year before joining the civil service. He served as Crown Counsel from 1942 and became attorney general. He was appointed chief justice in 1957 and Governor-General in 1971 before becoming President in 1974.
Sir Anthony was a professor of criminal law at the University.
He was awarded the OBE in 1955 and knighted two years later. He was made Sieheb il-Gieh within the National Order of Merit in 1993.

The Department of Information said the Prime Minister had phoned Sir Anthony's family to convey his condolences. Sir Anthony is to be given a state funeral. Details will be announced shortly. The last state funeral was that of President Agatha Barbara in 2002.

Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party issued a press statement expressing the party's condolences, praising Sir Anthony for his intellect, integrity and professionalism, saying that his passing away was a major loss for the country.

May he Rest in Peace.

No sensitivity to our history and heritage

Here I am posting two photos for you to spot the difference. I think that you can clik on the photo to enlarge it.

Something is missing/stolen or what?


'They' took it away and cement it instead!


Is the Gharb Mayor aware?


No sensitivity to our cultural heritage indeed or one of the seher il-punent happenings?

Minn Sqallija spiccaw Ghawdex

Le, mhux ghall-immigranti rregolari qed nghid....imma kwazi. Wahda minnhom is-Sewda nghidulha fil-fatt.

Kellu jaghtiha sorpriza ghal birthday. Xtara l-biljetti biex hu u l-mara tieghu Alice jiehdu lil Joan Debattista gurnata Sqallija bl-ajrupjan. Joan donna kienet qed tistenna xi tip ta' sorpriza kif jaf jaghmel Grezzju ghal b'day taghha. Meta wasal il-Gimgha 25 ta' April f'xi l-5 ta' fil-ghodu cempel lil Joan u qallha biex tipprepara l-passaport. Dik hekk ghamlet. Miskina.

Grezzju saq bil-lajma lejn l-ajruport. Mar jizzattat quddiem biex min ghalih jaghmel ic-check-in u jirkeb l-ajruplan.

"L-ajruplan diga qabbad il-magni u c-check-in ilu maghluq. Sorry."

"Mela mhux fis-7.00am jitlaq?"

"Le. Fis-7.00am jasal Catania."

Tistghu timmaginaw wicc il-mara ta' Grezzju kif sar!
Joan tipprova tikkalma is-sitwazzjoni.
Grezzju bla kliem....soltu wara li jfattar xi haga.

F'xi l-11.00 nirceivi telefonata m'ghand Joan. Qaltli li qieghda tiehu kafe' ghand Bellusa.

"Bellusa ir-Rabat voldieri?"

"Iwa qieghda Ghawdex"

Gidtilha: "Orrajt, stennieni nitfa ha nghid lil Miriam nigu niehdu drink hemmhekk." U morna.

X'hin naslu naraw lil Joan flimkien ma' Grezzju u martu Alice. Alice kien qisha l-Alice in wonderland. Grezzju wicc l-askri (bejnietna, dak ghandu hafna tipi ta' wcuh) u Joan tikxef snienha.

Mank ilhaqna poggejna bil-qieghda li ma qalulniex bil-frattarija ta' Sqallija. Alice kellha ghajnejha miksurin. Thassartha. L-iehor le imma. Beda jipprova jikxef snienu biex ghat-taparsi ma gara xejn ta' barra minn hawn. U mur!

Qalu li marru shopping u ser jerghu jmorru shopping u fthemna li niltaqghu aktar tard. dawn l-Imlaten ukoll!

Hekk ghamilna.

Iltqajna ghand wiehed mir-rahhala li jahdmu mieghi fl-agri-turizmu.
Joan ghoxiet.

Thobb hafna l-baqar. Gibtilha l-ghogol. Tghidx kemm ferhet bih.

Grezzju iddeffes u tista' tarah fir-ritratt jipprova juri li ma jibzax mill-ghogol. Hemm arah jippoppa sormu.

Riedet tkun taf liema hu l-muntun. Ovvjament riedet tkun taf liema hu l-wott wkoll peress li fuq ix-xoghol ghandhom wott iehor imma b'zewgt saqajn.

Hawnhekk Joan u Grezzju mall-muntun. Araw naqra dak il-bully fuq wara.

Anke it-tigieg riedet tmiss. Refghet tigiega hamra u mbaghad refghet tigiega bajda.



U s'intendi riedet tigbor il-bajd.

Iddawar idha 'l hawn u ddawwar idha 'l hemm, gabret battejn.


Mur ghidilha li l-bajda tat-tigiega l-hamra kellha tispicca fuq rasha.

Viva l-birthday!





U wara morna nieklu Turkish fir-restaurant gdid li fetah fir-Rabat.

Intant it-tfal ta' Joan ma jafu b'xejn. Minghalihom qieghdin Sqallija!

Maria Helga-Zammit tibghat l-SMSes biex tara kif il-kunjata sejra ma' l-Isqallin. Ippruvajt naghtiha hjiel. Ghidt lil Joan tiktbilha SMS hekk:

'Bhalissa qieghdin Birbuba - villagg semitiku in-naha tal-punet'

Imma Helga Zammit ghandha xorti taf li l-Gharb qieghed fil-punent t'Ghawdex ahseb-u-ara fejn hi Birbuba jew San Dimitri.

Hawn qieghdin nieklu ghand tal-Lajku. Mill-lemin ghax-xellug jew mix-xellug ghal lemin: Grezzju ta' wiccu u **** xorta wahda, Joan is-Sewda, Jien u Miriam u Alice in Wonderland.
[Dan ir-rakkont inkiteb bil-kunsens tal-protagonisti ewlenin ta' l-istorja]

Agro and Eco Holidays in Gozo

Reading the Sunday newspapers today I was so pleased to read a contribution as a letter to the Sunday Independent Editor under the name of Not. J. L. Attard (Read HERE).Not sure if Attard is the one I know.

Although the first part of his letter was focused on statistical figures of unemployment written in quite a partisan way and thus bashing the PN government, the rest of his letter was positive. I am so pleased that finally another Gozitan can see a solution to create more jobs in Gozo by investing in the agri-tourism sector.


Two summers ago, an SBS Radio representative visited Gozo. She and her family participated in one of the experiences offered by the Ager Foundation. She interviewed me (in Maltese) and some of the service providers - farmers. I downloaded the sound clip from the Sydney Radio and created the video clip below and added it to the new Ager Foundation Youtube page.