FIRST August 2017

AUGUST 2017

WILD WEST

THE MODERN COWGIRL A LAND OF REVELATIONS ENTERTAINING THE CHILDREN OUT OF THE HEAT

The most comfortable heels you will ever wear!

The battle that shaped an entire Maltese generation

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Photograph by Alan Carville

“One large Tropical Paradise, please.”

That was the request I heard coming from behind me at a juice bar. I was having a pretty rough day and this young man’s sprightly order, on one of the hottest days of the year, made me turn to look at who had asked for this splendid-sounding drink. He was wearing an unbranded black t-shirt and black trousers – totally unassuming. “I’ll try one of those next time” I thought, as I was waiting for my comforting, large, peanut-butter and chocolate (among some super food ingredients, I promise) smoothie.

Lesson learnt – not much, it wasn’t much of an event – it’s just that we are all looking for happiness and you have to go out and find it – and on this particular day, it was with a simple pleasure such as this. It made me smile for the first time that day – and it also prompted me to shake off the negativity of my week: aren’t we all just grown-up babies?

One thing that is also sure to make me happy is to go abroad. Leaving home can put life’s questions into perspective, whilst opening up to the world and its ways. Photographer and travel writer Victor Paul Borg is a happy victim of travel, exploring different continents and indigenous people whilst building an endless supply of memories, and an understanding for an otherwise different landscape and its people. In this issue he reminisces about some moments he had in Tibet (page 29) – some tender, some gruesome, all eventful.

Tony Cassar Darien’s ever inquisitive mind is fascinated by the art of Maltese artists inspired in China on the Silk Road (page 33); Line Young Peteri discovers three more emerging Maltese fashion designers (page 22); Julian Cardona questions the limits of free speech in Malta and the vilification of religion laws (page 36); we meet the Danish designer, Federikke Antonie Schmidt, behind ‘the most comfortable heel you will ever wear’ (page 26); the creator of the clothing outlet Fly the Fly Vintage, Maria Möller (page 8) and national swimming champion, Matthew Galea (page 54) so – until the next issue, out on 10 September – keep inspired!

EDITOR LILY AGIUS LAGIUS@INDEPENDENT.COM.MT ADVERTISING & ADVERT PLACEMENTS CLAIRE BONDIN GAFA CGAFA@INDEPENDENT.COM.MT DESIGNER CONRAD BONDIN CBONDIN@INDEPENDENT.COM.MT PRODUCTION MANAGER ANDRE CAMILLERI ACAMILLERI@INDEPENDENT.COM.MT ARTWORK COORDINATOR CHRISTINE SPITERI CMIFSUD@INDEPENDENT.COM.MT CONTRIBUTORS ANGELA MALLIA, ARABELLA HOGG, DINI MARTINEZ, DUSHA LIA, FREDERIKKE ANTOINE SCHMIDT, JULIAN CARDONA, LINE YOUNG PETERI, MAJDA TOUMI, MARIA MOLLER, MARIA TIRONE, MARLENE VASSALLO, MATTHEW B SPITERI, MATTHEW GALEA, ROBERT AGIUS, TONY CASSAR DARIEN, VICTOR BORG. PUBLISHER STANDARD PUBLICATIONS, STANDARD HOUSE, BIRKIKARA HILL, ST JULIAN’S. TEL: 00356-2134-5888 PRINTER PRINT IT E-MAIL FIRST@INDEPENDENT.COM.MT ONLINE WWW.INDEPENDENT.COM.MT FACEBOOK FIRSTMAGAZINE COVER DETAILS WHITE MAXI DRESS, ¤75, FROM M&S. PORSCHE DESIGN SUNGLASSES, ¤365, FROM O’HEA OPTICIANS. GREEN STONE RING, ¤29, GREEN STONE RING, ¤29, WOVEN CHAIN NECKLACE, ¤154, ALL FROM PORTO. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW B SPITERI. FIRST IS PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH AS A COMPLIMENTARY MAGAZINE WITH THE MALTA INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY AND IS NOT TO BE SOLD SEPARATELY.

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Insidethisissue 8 FIRST WORD

48 Pregnant?

10 Wild West

49 Fast to make and scrumptious

This issue’s fashion shoot styled by Arabella Hogg

Hazelnut and Cinnamon Loaf by Dusha Lia

21 The Modern Cowgirl

54 Last word

Westerns-inspired fashion advice

With swimming champion Matthew Galea

With Maria Möller from Fly the Fly Vintage

22 Maltese designers We should all know about

28 Travel to Tibet

Victor Paul Borg reminisces about his experiences in Tibet over the years

Nutritionist Angela Mallia tells us what we should – and shouldn’t – eat

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33 The Silk Road

Tony Cassar Darien reviews a travelling Chinese-inspired Maltese art exhibition

44 Entertaining the children

Dini Martinez finds ways of keeping the kids amused while escaping the heat

26 36 FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Julian Cardona explores the limits of free speech in Malta and vilification of religion laws

50 BEAUTIFUL SKIN 10 ways to get glowing skin

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26 ROCCAMORE

Interview with the Danish designer of “the comfiest heels you will ever own!”

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first word

Photo by Michael Camilleri

The creator and owner of Fly the Fly Vintage, 44-year-old Maria Möller, describes herself as ‘goal-oriented, stubborn and curious’. She lives with her boyfriend, Lahcene, and a collection of lizards in the garden.

I would define my sense of style as... a mix between authentic vintage, contemporary and quirky.

You will never find me... patting a big hairy spider.

The best invention is... electricity. Österlen, Sweden

One thing that makes me happy is... being with my family.

The last song I listened to was...

My favourite space in my house is... the

garden, because it is so quiet there. I can lie in our little splash pool, look up at our palm tree and just relax. It feels so exotic – especially when you are from Sweden and only see spruce trees.

Malala Yousafzai, Rosa Parks, Josephine Baker, and my daughter Athena.

The most inspirational people in my life are...

Higher Ground Wonder.

by

I would like to learn how to... dance the Flamenco.

Malala Yousafzai

My most recent find is... Dar il Bniet

in Mgarr.

The most spectacular city in the world is... New York – a city that offers so much in terms of fashion, culture, funky architecture and amazing food!

The most unforgettable place I have visited is... Österlen in The objects I would never part with are... my vinyls!

Sweden

The last place I visited is... Moraria in Spain.

The last thing I added to my wardrobe is... a 1960s Emilio Pucci silk dress.

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Moraira, Spain

Stevie

An indulgence I would never give up is... cheese of every sort.

If I could get away for the day it would have to be to... Yasuragi

– a Japanese spa in Sweden – for relaxation, massage, fantastic sushi and down time.

If had no choice but to change my line of work I would love to... open a music and art hotel.

My most luxurious habit is... need for facials.

probably my superficial

My greatest achievement so far is... to create Fly the Fly Vintage.

My most recent collaboration is... with Fanny Castelius who I met at SHE Malta’s last networking event. She is a designer and producer of her own beautiful sleep-wear line that will be sold at Fly the Fly Vintage from October. I look forward to hosting the next SHE Malta workshop in September!

You will find Fly the Fly Vintage at 6A Manuel Dimech Street, Sliema.

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WILD WEST STYLED BY ARABELLA HOGG HAIR BY ROBERT AGIUS FROM STRANJÉ HAIRDRESSING MAKE-UP BY MARLENE VASSALLO PHOTOGRAPHY AND EDITING BY MATTHEW B SPITERI MODELLED BY MARIA TIRONE FROM MODELS M

Black faux leather jacket, now ¤52.50, Ankle-grazer jeans, now ¤27.50, Black Push-Up bra, now ¤12.50, all from M&S. Studded belt, now ¤3, from F&F. Copper spiral rings, ¤10 each, Chunky ring, ¤20, from PORTO.

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White maxi dress, ¤75, from M&S. Porsche Design sunglasses, ¤365, from O’HEA OPTICIANS. Green stone ring, ¤29, Green stone ring, ¤29, Woven chain necklace, ¤154, all from PORTO.

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Thelma Tosca Blu bag with turquoise, ¤240, from PORTO.

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Light denim jacket, ¤36, Gingham trousers, now ¤14, both from F&F. Red balcony lace bra, now ¤12.50, from M&S. Etina Barcelona black cat eye sunglasses, ¤179, from O’Hea Opticians.

Gold clip earrings, ¤60, from Porto. Gingham scarf, stylist’s own.

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High-waist denim jeans, now ¤49.50, from 1-2-3 PARIS. Silver chain necklace, ¤236, Silver cuff with magnetic clasp, ¤36, Silver bangles set of 2, ¤30, all from PORTO. Hat stylist’s own.

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High-waist denim jeans, now ¤49.50, Black shirt, now ¤44.50, both from 1-2-3 PARIS. Silver chain necklace, ¤236, Silver cuff with magnetic clasp, ¤36, Silver bangles set of 2, ¤30, all from PORTO. Hat stylist’s own.

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Black push-up bra, now ¤12.50, High waist denim skirt, now ¤15, Black heel boots, now ¤20, all from M&S. Tan backpack with Turquoise studs, ¤265, Turquoise necklace, ¤35, Turquoise earrings, ¤16, Snake bracelet, ¤50, Silver bangle set, ¤30, Drawstring bracelet, ¤62, all from PORTO. Hat stylist’s own.

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Khaki Jumpsuit, now ¤82.50, from 1-2-3 PARIS. Marc Jacobs chain aviators, ¤194, from O’Hea Optician’s.

Silver chain bracelet, ¤126, Snake bracelet, ¤50, Amber ring, ¤29, Copper coil ring, ¤10, all from PORTO. 19

Black push-up bra, now ¤12.50, High waist denim skirt, now ¤15, both from M&S. Tan backpack with Turquoise studs, ¤265, Turquoise earrings, ¤16, Snake bracelet, ¤50, all from PORTO. Hat stylist’s own.

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THE MODERN COWGIRL

BY ARABELLA HOGG

s the sartorial wheel of fortune turns, Westerns-inspired everything has been chosen by the fashion gods for the current look of choice.

The last time cowboy boots appeared on the runways, iPods and flip phones were the coolest accessories to own, Britney Spears was pre-

meltdown and MySpace was the social media outlet of choice…hello, early 2000s – it’s been a while! Yes, the Wild West trend is being recycled (as so often happens with fashion) but the difference this time around is that it’s a lot less literal. Distant memories of Madonna strutting around in full costume-party style cowgirl outfit in her music video Don’t tell me should be left alone, deep in the fashion archives.

Gingham, denim, cowboy boots and white smock dresses are the key players of this trend and very readily available on the high street: updating your wardrobe has never been so easy! Even the relentless choker trend has had a cowgirl makeover, with Bolo Tie-styles and bandanas replacing the over-used velvet versions.

If you don’t want to splash out on buying new pieces for your wardrobe, accessorising is the way forward: turquoise jewellery gives instant Wild West vibes but the ultimate pop to a ‘meh’ outfit is a cool hat. If you are feeling unsure about how bold you want to go with your headwear, you can start by dipping your toes into the fashion pond with a simple Panama hat before taking the plunge with a statement Stetson.

I was pretty excited when I noticed the trend might be popping back into our wardrobes, as some of my favourite movies stylistically are based around this theme – No Country for Old Men, for example, but actually almost everything by the Cohen Brothers. The ultimate movie wardrobe has got to be Tarantino’s True Romance: if you want to be inspired to have some

fun with your outfits, watch Patricia Arquette strut around the Californian desert in ensembles that can only be described as ‘so kitsch they’re cool’. Look out for a sea of animal print, faded denim and cobalt cowboy boots.

At the Autumn/Winter 2018 haute couture shows in Paris, calf-high metallic cowboy boots were one of the biggest stand-out items, with Maison Margiela and Alexandre Vauthier flaunting the current breed of celeb-slash-models-slash-robots, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid wearing their newest (and shiniest) must-have masterpieces.

Dior’s 2018 Resort Collection was nothing short of the wardrobe of a spaghetti western. Maria Grazia Chiuri, the current Creative Director at Dior, must have been getting some serious Clint Eastwood inspiration for the collection. The rodeo-ready collection was awash with wide-brimmed hats, suede/tasselled ponchos and an enormous amount of turquoise embellishment.

Unlike the early-noughties version of the Wild West trend, this time around there is a much more mature approach to the look – just a suggestion of it. Regardless of how much time you actually spent deciding on the perfect outfit to wear for your friend’s summer BBQ, it should look as if you have carelessly thrown together something that is effortlessly cool. The golden rule of removing one accessory before you leave the house most definitely applies. The key elements of this look are quite simple: just adapt the look to suit your individual style. If you are more of a girly-girl, opt for a floaty white summer dress, chunky jewellery and some boots to give an edge. If you prefer a more relaxed style, go for some torn, relaxed-fit shorts and basically anything gingham. Let your inner cowgirl out this summer – you know you want to.

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Photo by Bernard Polidano

Photo by Bernard Polidano

Photo of Ritienne Zmmit by Kurt Paris

These young women share a passion for Malta and patterns and they are all daring, creative and very interesting

By Line Young Peteri

Photo of Carla Grima by Ryan Galea

Photo by Majda Toumi.

Make-up from M.A.C.

3 MALTESE FASHION DESIGNERS

Carla Grima, 28, Iklin – the Maltese Resort Princess I missed seeing Carla Grima at the Malta Fashion Week, but we were invited to her show at Broadside Terrace at Corinthia Palace. It was wonderful, with a very vibrant and sophisticated mix of colours, using light and airy materials. The collection was delicate and sophisticated, yet playful and fun – just like Carla herself!

A word from Carla: “I grew up surrounded by ceramic artists at my father’s ceramic factory. I always loved watching them painting and playing with clay. I was lucky enough to spend my summers working there, learning how to paint Mediterranean designs onto ceramics. I studied 3D design for three years at MCAST, experimenting with textiles and researching fashion designers and photographers. This inspired me to move to England and further my career in fashion – which all grew quite organically.”

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Ritienne Zammit, 29, Valletta – The Pattern Queen of Valletta Ritienne is one of the best designers in Malta; her clothes are exceptional, wonderful and perfectly crafted. Where for some designers it is just about seasonal creations, Ritienne creates timeless pieces. She is a true child of Valletta and I think – after living in Malta for eight years – that there is something very loyal and passionate about the people from Valletta. The love and pride they have for Malta’s ‘little-big’ capital is wonderful.

A word from Ritienne: “From a very young age, I always enjoyed being creative.

Drawing dresses on pieces of paper was one of my greatest pleasures and my passion for design prompted me to study it at college. I developed my own style, learned different techniques and also pursued my love of Fine Arts and the history of art and design. When I left college I continued developing my design skills by founding and developing my own brand.”

Kids shoes personalised with swarovski crystals and designs

Photo of Désirée Azzopardi

Ankle Boots

Désirée Azzopardi, 28, San Pawl Tat-Targa – The Fashion Artist I liked Désirée from the moment I met her: she has a kind and very beautiful soul that shines through her eyes. She has a softness about her and is one of those people you find hard to imagine being angry or upset – and even if it she was – I bet she would look sweet! Her sensitivity also shines in her work – through her beautiful hand-painted shoes and bags: making ordinary things wonderful and unique.

A word from Désirée: “I've been a full-time interior designer since 2011 and designing and personalising shoes and bags for the past two-and-a-half years. From a young age I was always painting anything I could get my hands on, ranging from furniture to walls and all sorts of materials. I took up art immediately at school and studied it up to advanced Level. Then I became involved in design – studying it locally, as well as abroad, to degree level. In 2011 I opened my own business in interior design and that has been my full-time job ever since. And then there was a moment when I was staring down at my feet, clad in a pair of plain Nike running shoes, and I got the idea of painting them. I immediately began experimenting! When I checked online, I discovered that this is quite common particularly – particularly in the USA, where they even have sneaker-design competitions! However, being me, I didn’t want to do something that everyone was doing, so I took my idea of hand-painting on to stilettos, all sorts of heels and occasion shoes. I began experimenting further with leather and synthetic materials and techniques and from there I developed my work on handbags and produced my own collection of leather bags. I took part in Malta Fashion Week last year and again this year – and I’ve never looked back!”

Line Young Peteri is the co-owner of roccamore.com and an ambassador for Dove Malta. Follow her on www.lineyoung.com and www.instagram.com/lineyoung

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Pleated colour-block maxi dress / Karen Millen (¤319)

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Ruffle and lace-up dress / Karen Millen (¤189)

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roccamore

Dubbed “the most comfortable heels you will ever wear” – the Roccamore team is clearly on to something. Say ‘good-bye’ to sore feet and ‘hello’ to the brainchild behind the brand, Copenhagen-based designer Frederikke Antonie Schmidt. She took some precious time out to talk to Lily Agius about making a dream a reality. best shoemakers in Italy, alongside brands like Valentino, Escada and Tabitha Simmons.

It took me a year to get everything into place with the new factory. In September 2016 we had the first collection hand-made in Italy and it was such a satisfying feeling to see those pretty boxes with my logo on.

Since then I have done two new collections and several new models. All the designs are developed along with my customers and Roccamore’s online friends. I follow their feedback closely, listen to criticism and develop new models based on the needs they express. Finally, I put all my designs to an online vote. I only produce the best ones and I always name them after inspiring customers and women I admire.

hat’s the main concept behind the brand?

To create comfortable high-heels. All Roccamore shoes are made with built-in orthopaedic insoles that shape your foot to walk as anatomically correctly as possible in high-heels. I spent two years developing the insole along with an orthopaedic shoemaker who has 15 years of experience correcting feet, and just recently they were tested by CORH [Clinical Orthopaedic Research Hvidovre – a research unit in the field of orthopaedic surgery] to classify my shoes as up to 44 per cent more comfortable than other high-heels.

When did you get the idea to create the brand?

I think a comfortable high-heel is something many women dream about. When I was working as a shoe designer in Florence, I used to walk around in heels all day long. I had so many pretty shoes, but walking around the city – at fairs and out to dinners for 10-12 hours straight – would just kill my feet. My Italian colleagues managed their pain with freeze-spray – you know, the kind that football players use for injuries. I was never a fan of these, so I began to think of the inside of the shoe and how to develop an insole that could correct my feet and make it easier to walk without the pain. And Roccamore was born!

How does the insole technology work?

of making shoes. All the insoles are made from breathable, shock-absorbent latex.

Where did you train, practice design?

I had my design education at the famous Italian design school Polimoda, in Florence, where I stayed for six years working as a shoe designer for, amongst others, Ferragamo, Prada, Elisabetta Franchi and Mermaid Shoes, before returning to Copenhagen to start my own label.

Are you inspired by any other designers?

Oh, god, yes! There are so many talented designers in the world, it’s impossible to keep up with them all. I really enjoy the designs of Charlotte Olympia: she is incredibly talented and I love the humour in her designs. I’m also a big fan of the atmosphere around Casadei, Aquazzura and Gianvito Rossi. All three designers use amazing details in their designs and are incredible at creating small stories, almost pieces of art, more than actual footwear. Very inspiring!

How has the company developed up to now and what’s on the agenda now?

It’s actually very simple; think of the insoles of your running shoes and then imagine them inside a pair of high-heels. That’s basically Roccamore. However, the insoles in your Roccamores are a bit better than those in your running shoes; they are orthopaedically designed to respect the shape of your foot and gently correct it into walking as anatomically correctly as possible in highheels.

Roccamore started as a passion project, like a baby, but I feel that – slowly – we are growing, learning how to stand on our own feet and becoming a more established brand. It’s a wonderful adventure and I have many dreams about where we are going next. Eventually I want a pair of Roccamores on the feet of every modern woman!

What are the essential materials used?

How can we get a pair?

All my shoes are hand-made from some of the finest Italian leathers. I only use calfskin, suede and nappa, which come in all colours and so many different textures that you can always find what you need. It’s the perfect material and the best part is that it’s a bi-product of the meat industry, so no animals are killed just for the sake

If you live in Copenhagen, you can always drop in to our showroom and try on a pair; if you don’t, we are happy to ship a pair to you. You can find us at roccamore.com; on Facebook: Roccamoreshoes and on Instagram: Roccamore shoes. In addition, we are always ready to help you by email at contact@roccamore.com

And how has the experience been?

In the beginning, it was just for me: I didn’t understand that other women would consider it a good idea, but then friends started contacting me, wanting the insole and when friends of friends also started calling, I knew I was on to something.

I never really meant to become an entrepreneur, it just sort of happened – one step at a time. Suddenly we had a Kickstarter campaign going on; in 30 days we raised €45,000 and suddenly everything happened very quickly.

I went to Spain to produce the first collection, which was shipped in August 2015 to all the backers of the campaign, plus people who had bought through the preorder webshop we had set up in the meantime.

The first production was good but, having worked only with luxury goods, I felt that the quality could be better.

So I decided to change factory and moved everything to Tuscany, where I then produced the next collection in a small, family-owned factory that only worked with highend brands. Today, my shoes are made by some of the 27

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TIBET A Land of Revelations

Words & photos by Victor Paul Borg

T

ibet is a series of stories stitched together by moments that are so ethereal that they feel like epiphanies.

That’s how I picture things when I close my eyes, as a kaleidoscope of revelations and sights – gleaned from a dozen journeys in Tibet over the span of a decade – pass before them.

I close my eyes now, as I write this, and find myself on the grasslands among the nomads one golden sunset in the height of summer. I see the women rounding up the calves for the night and hear them chanting Buddhist mantras and sutras in high-pitched desirous voices that carry far in the emptiness of the grasslands. I see the young men racing the horses across the encampment in prankish bravado and, on the ridges, the silhouettes of herders and yaks approaching camp; and I remember gazing in grateful wonderment at the grasslands at 4,000 metres, undulating timelessly towards every horizon, the flat folds punctuated only by the summit of the holy mountain, a cone of granite and ice.

I close my eyes again and find myself, on another occasion, in the courtyard in front of a significant temple among two dozen monks ceremoniously banishing Mara (symbol of mental impurities); there were no other spectators except us.

Earlier, I had stood alongside the dead lama that had been preserved in an opulent golden stupa: his body had been sealed with gold paint after dying, and he had been propped in a sitting position in the stupa, an eternal figure staring out over his flock even after death.

When I close my eyes the third time I see, at another temple, the vultures gliding overhead and the dead man’s body being chopped with an axe as the man hitting out with the axe grimly recites the mantras, and then the vulture circling down to the body, tearing off bits of flesh and eating voraciously.

And if I close my eyes once more I am transported to the high grassland again: I walk out of the tent of the clan leader one evening, it’s pitch dark, the wind is howling and the Tibetan mastiffs are barking and yanking at their chains, and in that menacing scene the sky is vivaciously alive – laden with bright stars, with shooting stars whooshing through the air overhead.

There is so much else I remember when I close my eyes, so many memories and sights and moments. The moments are ethereal, the memories tender, the sights rendered in frozen haziness. I remember the week I spent with the nomads most vividly; never had I had such an eventful journey. I can see the dozens of temples I saw, all of them different and special, the temples and massive monasteries that stand as constant reminders of the pervasive religiosity in Tibet. I remember my companion once, an 18-year-old Tibetan who had hoped to study at a university in Beijing, who got up at six o’clock every morning to recite the mantras (we shared a room, and every morning I was woken up by her incantations, uttered with urgent passion.) » 29

«But the romance of travel in Tibet – the sense of freedom and connection with nature among the endless grasslands, among the mountains that can be broody or spectacular, the lakes that can be morose or luxurious – that romance is tempered with the hardship and treacherousness. To start with, the environment in Tibet is incredibly harsh: striking sun, fierce squalls, dry oxygen-starved air – highaltitude headaches are common, the skin becomes wrinkly, you feel worn down constantly. In summer it’s cold at night, hot during the day and in winter, the blockage of roads with snow can maroon you for weeks on end; consequently, few people travel in winter in Tibet.

And the endearing farmhouses with their geometric decorative motifs, some of them with depictions of Buddhist scenes painted on wooden panels, and the charm of the pastoral life in villages – that also has a flipside measured in squalor and uncleanliness. The people are stoic, toughened by their environment and their condition, and that makes them rather rough or uncouth. Roughest are the nomads or herders on the eastern half of the Tibetan plateau, a region that was once the Kingdom of Kham, an erstwhile region of warriors.

The men can be thuggish, thieving and much given to bravado. Banditry is still relatively common in the grasslands; thievery is also common. The herders are macho – the size of their herds of yaks is proportional to their status – and neighbours or distant relatives can come to mortal blows, fighting with the daggers they carry under their robes, over something as slight as encroachment on historical grazing grounds. But these same men, despite their propensity to violence and thuggery, do not eat meat because they believe in the equality and egalitarianism of all sentient beings. “Yaks are just like us humans,” my host Sherub told me once.

“Only they cannot speak.” (The herders raise yaks to make butter and cheese from their milk. It’s only after they have died naturally that they will eat the meat, using the hide to make tents and blankets.)

It’s these juxtapositions of sharp contrasts that have made all my Tibetan travels a series of revelations. In the popular imagination, the mere mention of Tibet evokes enigma, remoteness, outlandishness. The Tibetan plateau is one of the tracts of vast wilderness left on earth; it is larger in landmass than Europe and it has only a few million inhabitants. I have been on road-trips in Tibet on which I only saw a handful of other cars on journeys of six hours or more. It’s an incredibly empty and rugged place.

Tibet is also one of the most inaccessible places on earth – partly because of geography (much of the plateau is snowed-in over the long winters, distances are huge and places of interest far apart) and partly because of bureaucratic restrictions: untrammelled travel in Tibet for non-Chinese is not possible. The Chinese government stipulates that foreigners travel on package tours and package tours generally only take in well-beaten routes that are mostly clustered around Lhasa, the capital.

I averted these restrictions by skirting around Tibet as a political entity: the borders of Tibet as a province of China are much smaller than the true spread of the Tibetan plateau. I never went to Lhasa, never set foot in Tibet province, but I travelled all around Tibet in the borderlands. In Tibetan history, some of those so-called hinterlands (in Tibet everywhere is hinterland) were centres of power and trade and cultural expression. Some of the largest and most eminent Tibetan monasteries are outside the province of Tibet; ditto the mountains ranges and lakes and grasslands. There is a larger density of nomads on the eastern fringes of Tibet, in the old Kingdom of Kham, than anywhere else in Tibet province.

It is still not easy to travel in these regions, despite the chance to do so unrestrictedly (the relatively easiest place to get to is Ladakh in northwest India), because of the remoteness, the scant infrastructure and the absence of travel intelligence. As for me, I have been lucky that, in the course of my work as a writer and photographer for geographical magazines, I travelled with fellow explorers and photographers from China. They had the contacts and the info, I was just a companion.

And in this way, every trip to the Tibetan hinterlands and heartlands (another contradiction in terms, that’s Tibet for you) was a story, and the experiences and revelations I accumulated on every trip would never be had again. Every trip was inimitable.

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CHINESE RURAL LANDSCAPE by Alex Attard

INSPIRED IN CHINA – MADE IN MALTA An exhibition reminiscent of the trade exchanges that took place along the Silk Road in the second century AD, with works of art replacing spices Written by Tony Cassar Darien

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g INSPIRED BY A MEGALITHIC FOSSIL by Antoine Farrugia 34

azing thoughtfully at the exhibits making up Inspired in China – Fine Art Exhibition by Maltese Artists, I could not help thinking of these works of art travelling up and down the Silk Road - an ancient route which for centuries signified the economic and cultural interaction between China and the Mediterranean. For this, the fifth exhibition of its kind, also marked the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Malta.

As explained in the exhibition’s brochure – produced by H.E. Mr Jiang Jiang, China’s Ambassador to Malta – on 31 January 1972, the leaders of that older generation ‘with their extraordinary political wisdom and strategic vision, decided to establish diplomatic ties between the two countries, thus opening a new chapter in the annals of their bilateral relations.’

When the then Prime Minister Dom Mintoff visited China, that important political act was deemed to be the first ever official visit by a head of government from a Western-European

ECHO Painting by Darren Tanti

country to the People’s Republic of China. It was the time when this large Asian nation was gradually emerging from its self-imposed isolation and fate decreed that this tiny Mediterranean country gave its fullest support throughout the process leading up to China being accepted as a member of the United Nations.

In July-August of 2016, acting on an invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Cultural Centre, in conjunction with the Arts Council, Spazju Kreattiv, the Art Discussion Group and the Mediterranean Conference Centre, invited local artists Catherine Cavallo, Alex Attard, Antoine Farrugia, Darren Tanti and Simon Barthet to visit China’s thriving cosmopolitan capital Beijing and the prime heritage site that is the Province of Henan.

I viewed the exhibition at the fourth stop of its quite extensive tour at the Parliament of Malta in Valletta between 12 and 14 May. Curated by E.V. Borg from the Art Discussion Group, it will next be exhibited at the Ministry of Gozo in Victoria, where it will run from 4 August to 24 September.

The exhibition, with its 27 pieces, was initially on view at the Chinese Cultural Centre last December. From there it moved to SkyParks at the airport (from January to April), the Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian’s (from April to May) before being transferred to Renzo Piano’s oeuvre in Valletta.

Having made a point of talking to the participating artists, I was struck by their enthusiasm – which still bubbled, even some six months after the exhibition’s first showing. They are all as pleased as Punch that their work, in various genres and styles, has succeeded in capturing some of the fascinating aspects that comprise China’s unique confluence of multiple ethnic and regional cultures.

Describing Making Merry and the Great Wall of China, Catherine Cavallo told me: “Sharing an experience such as this very special trip to China brings you very close to the people you find yourself with. This trip was made all the more perfect by the company I was privileged to keep, and my travelling companions have now become very dear friends. They were a lively and spirited lot, with boundless energy and good humour; and great conversationalists too.”

Catherine confided that, from very early on in the trip, such a unique ensemble had to be represented and documented in a painting. So Catherine drew endless sketches and took many photographs from which she produced a most challenging painting that pleasantly surprised all and sundry when first exhibited.

Other works by Catherine included Lunchtime in Beijing – focusing on the fantastic food culture of China, The Grand National Theatre – (‘a shimmering pearl rising out of a crystalclear lake’) and Opera House of Beijing. An emotional day shared with the Shaolin Monks resulted in Shaolin Kungfu (“I know there are more to come” the artist predicts). The vast lotus plantations in Haotang village gave rise to a study detailing the nature of leaves and flowers but, here again, Catherine senses the need to revisit the experience in a much larger and unruly future painting.

Noted photographer Alex Attard has made a name discovering and connecting the beautiful and the sublime, particularly in the unexpected and the overlooked. And his Chinese sojourn was clearly no exception. “If I had to put a name to this body of work, it would be: The Spirit of the Moment,” he told me. Today, the Great Wall – designed to keep people out – welcomes thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Alex’s camera zones in on a designated graffiti zone in Mutianyu, where the name Trump crops up amongst the other scribbles.

Other highlights depict the Bird’s Nest – the Olympic Stadium: a testament to modern China and one of the world’s architectural wonders. Shot in-camera multiple-exposure series, which takes its cue from the building’s Piranesi-like space and geometric structure, this intellectual approach bestows sensuous, tangible and physical wonder to these images.

The sculptor Antoine Farrugia has produced five interesting works. Inspired by Bird’s Egg in Beijing and Inspired by a Megalithic Fossil, both in patinated globigerina limestone (franka) and mounted on hard stone and lava, demonstrate a rare delicacy and unique elegance, while Red Rock Mountain, Taihu Stones and The Great Wall of China exhibit a profound harmony that produces a musical and lyrical rhythm and are influenced by a mood that is essentially Chinese and both ancient and modern in expression.

The young Darren Tanti creates comparisons and contrasts: a modern Chinese woman standing next to a peasant woman from the Romantic period in The Young Shepherdess (originally by William Bouguereau). In Child, Darren fuses colour and monochrome in the digital merging of a boy by Rubens and an image of a Chinese boy who caught the artist’s fancy. Again in another collage, Velasquez’s famous painting La Meninas sits comfortably next to a mother and child separated by a laughing dwarf borrowed from Yue Minjun’s famous painting.

The artist’s objective lies in the bonding of east and west, contemporary and past masters while searching for a unification that defies time and space. By transposing European Art in a Chinese context, he could feel the two realities simultaneously, thus pointing to a universality in which he seems to be very comfortable indeed.

In Street Vendors, self-confessed food lover Simon Barthet creates a different world – with food stalls selling a vast array of curious and exotic foods. At the Shaolin School of Kungfu, when the headmaster displayed his skills in calligraphy, he was there to capture the moment in his effective Shaolin Master’s Brushes and the Buddhist temples’ remarkable culture features in Temple to Heaven.

And a brief interlude at the tranquil Haotang Village resulted in two more of Simon’s landscapes: a fitting finale to this talented group’s visual narrative of the Celestial Empire, so called due to the belief that the Divine has generously gifted the Asian giant with a rich and abundant culture that is second to none.

LUNCHTIME IN BEIJING by Catherine Cavallo

STREET VENDORS by Simon Barthet

DEVELOPMENT by Darren Tanti

MAKING MERRY AND THE WALL OF CHINA by Catherine Cavallo

MOTHER AND CHILD WITH LUTE PLAYERS by Darren Tanti

TEMPLE OF HEAVEN by Simon Barthet 35

M O H D C E E E E P R F FS O The

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d e p a sh t a h le t t t a B

ese t l a M e r i t n an E

... n o i t a eg ner

a n o rd a C an i l u

By J

H

F

reedom of speech is the privilege of the dead. At least according to Mark Twain who in his acidic 1905 essay, ‘The Privilege of the Grave’, concluded bitterly that “murder is sometimes punished, free speech always.”

More than two hundred years have passed and our chests inflate with the assurance that things have changed. We climb atop our rooftops and openly declare our childless marriages, state-only weddings and Eurovision hatred, knowing well that we’ll meet neither derision nor dismissal.

Down from the rooftops and onto the land of Malta, reality hits and you start wondering whether Twain was onto something. Malta is a country that holds dearly to its perceived definition- drift away and you’ll be marked with a scarlet letter. With the abolition of the law criminalizing the vilification of religion, Malta has entered unchartered territories.

The divide between the seculars and those who believe that the Roman Catholic religion should guide our constitution is more evident than ever, proving that the bandwagon of time is leaving many behind. The imaginary ethical line is being moved, stretched, erased by some and widened by others.

Newspapers, Tv and radio stations are all pregnant with such debates that range from the logical to the evangelical. And so, it begs the question: why is it that in a country in which now everyone can make fun of everyone both on and above the land, many still feel that freedom of speech is still a mirage?

Comparisons always help. Starting with the press, the Reporters Without Borders rank Malta 47th in their World Press Freedom index. Just to get an idea, countries like Romania, Burkina Faso, Ghana and others whom many Maltese might call Third World have fared better than us. Some might console

themselves with the fact that we have been ranked above Italy and Japan. But why so low? First of all, the index was compiled by first developing a questionnaire and sending it to media professionals all over the world and then measure country performance based on important criteria such as pluralism, transparency, media independence etc. Malta lost marks due to the ease with which politicians sue journalists and also the fact that a well-known blogger had her account frozen after publishing compromising information.

What about Art? Maltese Artists are also known to slam into walls. Who can forget the Stitching Saga, a play unfairly banned from our theatres, or the now infamous short story “Li Tkisser Sewwi” that appeared on the student newspaper Ir- Realta and ended up dragging both author and editor to the court on accounts of inciting pornography. Speaking of Pornography, or its proxies, Playboy entered Malta only in 2001. To be fair, censorship laws have been relaxed by the present administration but the general feeling still remains that the important link between freedom of artistic expression and democracy are not fully grasped in Malta, Art being mostly relegated to a benign entertainment vehicle. Thus, according to the avantgarde judges that presided the Stitching ruling, Art “cannot be used to cover blasphemy and hurt the sensitivities of the silent citizen.” If you believe these times are behind us, just ask the guys at New York Best who recently had their Last Supper Advert destroyed by unpatriotic vandals.

NEWSPAPERS, TV AND RADIO STATIONS ARE ALL PREGNANT WITH SUCH DEBATES THAT RANGE FROM THE LOGICAL TO THE EVANGELICAL. AND SO, IT BEGS THE QUESTION: WHY IS IT THAT IN A COUNTRY IN WHICH NOW EVERYONE CAN MAKE FUN OF EVERYONE BOTH ON AND ABOVE THE LAND, MANY STILL FEEL THAT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS STILL A MIRAGE? The court’s statement that outlawed Stitching is a good representation of the views of a significant portion of the population. Basically, they feel that freedom should have an alarm system: God and human body parts being the shrillest. Thou shalt say what thou wilt as long as Jesus, genitalia and the whole entourage are left out of it. One can imagine what happens when the two are combined: just ask those who tried to promote Scorcese’s banned movie The Last Temptation of Christ, which mischievously asked the shameful question of whether Jesus had actually fallen in love and raised a family. Such outrage. The irony is that Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, a movie known for its disturbing, gory violence, was classified as fit for all by the Maltese board of Censorship.

It is clear that something other than logic is at the helm. In a country where God is first and Nation second, false patriots are marching with their stained flags, clinging tightly to prejudices that keep their majorities intact. They do this by claiming that too much freedom is the prologue of downfalls.

Human dignity is at stake, they claim: we are better than animals. But I do get the feeling that a limit to freedom usually never coincides with their freedoms.

Of course, no topic is outside the domain of argumentation, including a capping on freedom.

The rational would draw the line at messages that incite violence, racism, and abuse of any kind. It sounds simple enough but human nature has a way of creating mazes out of open space. What if we discuss limits to immigration? Is that racism? What if we write lyrics to a song that openly denounce God, or even mock him (her?). Is that abuse of Catholics? The distinction, in my opinion, should be made between the person and the idea. Religion is an idea, beloved by many, but an idea nonetheless.

It should be analysed, criticised, dissected and improved just like any other notion that does not have strict proofs as its forte. Limits to Immigration is another idea which has to be discussed seriously and dispassionately. No Catholics or Immigrants should be harmed in the process.

What about opinions? Can I be of the opinion that blacks are a lesser ethnicity? It pains me to write it but it is a question that needs to be addressed. It is my belief that an opinion risks losing its title when it teeters at the brink of neutrality. I prefer blondes to brunettes is neutral; I prefer Whites to Blacks borders on discrimination. When opinions veer so strongly away from impartiality then the person who harbours them might become a weapon if trusted with a top position. He will always be free to opine of course, but a country must be free to remove him from influence.

Which leads me to journalists. Their influence being second to none, Press freedom is as important as their responsibilities. Indexes such as the one cited above are to be made public because a Government that harshens the consequences of speech is a Government that has something to hide.

At the same time, Fake News is a crime against a nation. Simple as that. It is thus fundamental that the public raise their expectations and sharpen their filters. Governments and journalists have their own agendas often leading to results that are sub optimal for the general public. The best defence against their indulgences is not a law but a demand for higher standards.

Ultimately, we must remember that freedom is not simply a political philosophy or a cause fought by dreadlocked, pot-smokers: it is the very essence of humanity. Freedom of expression has given birth to art, literature, songs and science that have defined generations. To be human is to be free and those who deny this freedom are usually afraid of what their instincts might reveal. Religion and artistic interpretation should not be mutually exclusive, nor should media and truth. Done well, they can reveal subtleties of the human condition that are unreachable by books and scholars. I look forward to living in a Malta that is defined by this freedom: we have achieved so much whilst bound, just imagine what places we could reach if set free.

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Majda Toumi is a well-travelled Greek Libyan who was born in Tripoli. She now lives in Malta with her Italian/Australian husband and their daughter – who thinks she is Maltese. Majda has recently taken up photography at a professional level, and shares her experiences with us.

Tell us a little about yourself

How did you first get into photography?

I have a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Architecture and Urban Planning and have a passion for painting, drawing and the arts in general. I have also studied graphics and photo editing, gaining experience working for construction companies and in the oil industry. At the same time, I helped with our family business. However, motherhood has given me the opportunity to grow my passion for photography, perhaps to a professional level.

I began experimenting with photography, especially macro and abandoned buildings, at a very early age. My parents bought me my first camera when I started school, but I didn’t discover my passion for portraits until my late teens, when my mother hired me as a portrait photographer in our family business.

I like challenging myself in many ways, covering corporate and other events as well as family portraits. Capturing the best moments, especially the right emotions, is the key to a successful photo-shoot. It’s very satisfying to look at my photos and get all those wonderful emotions back again and again: how could I not fall in love with photography, with such a great reward as that?

What’s it been like adapting to Maltese culture?

The Maltese are among the nicest and kindest people I’ve ever met, especially in smaller towns and villages. People are always ready to go out of their way to help you in any way they can, which makes me feel very welcome. And the fact that English is one of the official languages of Malta makes it much easier to communicate.

The fact that Malta is a small island makes it very different from larger countries, not only in terms of the physical environment but also in terms of the social, economic and cultural context which, together, make up a particular micro environment. These conditions positively influence entrepreneurship and start-up success.

Me hiking, discovering new places in Alberta, Canada 38

Is there an artist or photographer who inspires your work?

The beautiful people and the beautiful locations that I see in daily life in Malta or on my travels inspire me. Also, great photography by others – such as Sue Bryce, who created a powerful brand for herself – inspires me, as does great cinematography in films too. Even looking back at my own work and previous accomplishments can be helpful.

CAPTURING THE BEST MOMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE RIGHT EMOTIONS, IS THE KEY... IT’S VERY SATISFYING TO LOOK AT MY PHOTOS AND GET ALL THOSE WONDERFUL EMOTIONS BACK AGAIN...

Portrait of Line Young Peteri for Malta Fashion Week, day 4. Line told me on a private message that this was her favourite photoshoot so far, since she feels her best when she’s around her family

What was your most memorable photo-shoot experience?

I’ve had some very memorable shoots. Just recently – in June – more than a dozen mums got together to show support for a neighbour and friend, Fanny Castelius, who lost her only brother last year.

Fanny Castelius, who is a mother of two, has a company that produces elegant and timeless loungewear for women. She decided to give all the profits from her business to a foundation which she and her parents created in memory of her brother to help those struggling with depression and mental illness. We – her friends and neighbours – decided to show our support by dressing in clothes from her company at a surprise photo-shoot. It was a photo-shoot full of emotion, tears, laughter and lots of love.

Are you part of any local community or communities here in Malta?

A photo of a father and child from a Father’s Day photo-shoot at Three Little Pigs

I consider myself very lucky to have a very supportive

mother and husband, as well as a wonderful neighbourhood with many successful mums in business, so really I consider this my primary community! Having said that, I am proud to be part of a women’s networking movement in Malta called SHE (Social Hub Entrepreneurs) after I was approached by the cofounders Julia Perry (managing director of You & Media) and Sass Woods (of Fit Malta Mums) to photograph their launch event at Sanya Spa in May and, following that, another event at The Lily Agius Gallery in June.

How was your experience, working with SHE? Amazing! From behind the camera, I have had the opportunity to witness and capture events that empower women, bringing talented, strong women together. Being a woman, wife and mother – trying to establish a small business and looking for motivation to keep me going and meet like-minded people with whom I can collaborate, SHE is the perfect way to start or widen your network with the right people. Together, we are stronger. Together, we can build each other up. I love the saying: ‘When women support each other, incredible things happen’. I’m not sure who said it, but I stand behind it!

What advice do you have for women wanting to start up their own business?

Find your passion; be yourself and believe in yourself; don’t be afraid, as failure is just the beginning of your success; form genuine connections; join a women’s business association such as SHE and don’t give up on your dreams. I am a strong believer in the saying that everything happens for a good reason.

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THE GREEN HOUSE EFFECT Here are some decorating ideas for bringing the outdoors indoors

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Lisa Diederich. Photography Apartment The rapy Home Tour

Original glasshouse tropical botanical print wallpaper

Copenhagen table tray by Norm architects

T

ropical leaf prints are everywhere we look – clothing outlets, interior design shops, cafés... it’s no wonder that we are ready to include some elements of this at home. But before spreading out that tablecloth or bedspread, see what else that appeals to you to bring the outdoors in and give new life to a room.

Adding indoor plants or tropical decorations to any area brings instant change, but there are lots of ways in which you can do this that don’t involve typical vases and pots.

Indoor plants are an easy and ‘real’ way to go. They bring comfort and decoration, and make a home more homely. The right choice depends on the space you have, the look you want and the time you want spend on it (your garden centre will advise you accordingly).

Don’t be afraid to choose lusciously – plants can be moved to another location – or even another home – if you change your mind later.

Apart from the plant option, there are infinite ways of giving life to your home using decorating ideas. You

could introduce some earth and nature colours to your bathroom with a green bath and a parquet floor, or dark green velvet curtains in your bedroom.

However, we’re promoting the exotic here, so since tropical wallpaper is back in fashion, we suggest you use it somewhere too – behind a bed or sofa or dining table perhaps. And it doesn’t have to be green! You can also have some fun with wallpaper featuring tropical fruit such as pineapples – or go deep into the wilderness with a scene out of Jungle Book, alive with parrots and butterflies...

If all this seems a bit too much to take on board, then a painting or photograph will also do the trick. Get in touch with a gallery near you or go online for some inspiration and information on what is available in your price range. Most places will deliver, frame and hang your new artwork to make things ultra easy too.

So while the fashion and interior designers remain inspired, join them by taking a walk on the wild side and release the natural you!

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Entertaining the children out of the scorching sun Lots of ideas for inside and outside your home by mum-of-three, Dini Martinez

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Cooking Cooking can be a necessary chore, but it is also easily turned into fun for children. Get them involved in choosing and then making dinner; recycling leftovers into new dishes and maybe coming up with a healthier twist on their old favourites. Blogs are a great source for helping with ideas. If it’s too hot to even turn on the oven, experiment with raw treats such as bliss balls, light crunchy finger food, home-made lemonade and delicious smoothies. Beyond the cooking, I remember loving to decorate the dinner table as a child before my dad came home and sometimes even writing artsy menus to ‘play restaurant’.

Arts and crafts Tap into your children’s inner artist while rediscovering yours. Some plain paper and a few crayons or paints can make for such a variety of fun such as simple drawing and painting, finger-print art, imaginative doodling, folding patterned butterflies or making paper aeroplanes followed by a flying race.

Let your creativity wander further and experience with things to make and paint with clay, plaster of Paris, play-dough, cups and hand-puppets made of old socks and buttons.

Movie stars One of the things my one, four and six-year-old can have endless fun with – and I’m suspecting this applies older age-groups too – is an old camera. They take pictures and little movies of each other. When girls come over for a play-date, this usually also involves dressing-up and with older children sometimes more elaborate film-making. For mum it can be interesting to watch the end-product on screen later for a glimpse into the world from a child’s perspective. »

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Board games They might be old fashioned, but they are still lots more fun than hours of screen time. So dust off those old board games and see where they take you. The other day, 20 minutes of Jenga turned into two hours of entertainment: after our third round, my boys first started building their own towers, houses and structures with the simple wooden blocks and then one decided to draw the whole city they had created while the other one took close-up pictures with the above-mentioned old camera. And then, when the one-year old woke up from her siesta, she had plenty of fun destroying it all!

Then I wanted to show them Mikado, and as we didn’t have one, we decided to make our own, first painting the leftover wooden skewers from the last BBQ, and then playing the game. On another day we made up our own bowling game in the hall-way with recycled cans, bottles and pots.

Music Whether you are a sophisticated family of musicians, or just enjoy a catchy tune, music speaks to all of us in some way or another from birth. If you have some musical instruments gathering dust in the corner, get them out. If you aren’t able to teach your children, tap into YouTube.

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And if there are enough of you, start a little band. And if there are no instruments around, make up your own with your voice, pots and pans and funky rhythms.

If dancing is more your thing, friends of ours have a family disco every Friday afternoon where everyone takes turns in choosing a song and the whole family dances through the house, letting go of any stress that might have accumulated throughout the week.

Massage Calming it down, put on some relaxing background music and give each other a massage. There has been a great deal of research proving the benefits of massage to all ages, and any oil from your kitchen will be totally ok on your skin too. If you have coconut oil, it is said to have a cooling effect – great for summer. For a more elaborate version, you could mix a few drops of essential oil with it. And while you are at it, make a bit more and wrap it nicely in an empty glass jar as a gift.

Read and write All massage-relaxed, everyone might just enjoy delving into a book in the refreshing breeze near an open window with a glass of home-made lemonade

IF YOU HAVE SOME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS GATHERING DUST IN THE CORNER, GET THEM OUT. IF YOU AREN’T ABLE TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN, TAP INTO YOUTUBE.

close by. For bi-lingual households in particular, reading to and with your children is a great way to expand their vocabulary in their second language and install a life-long joy love of reading and learning. Older children could write their own little book over the course of the holidays or attempt a short story.

Why not check the internet for some online competitions with ideas and the potential to get their story published, or win a prize, as an extra writing incentive?

Outings When the above ideas begin to lose their appeal, there is still plenty of fun to be had outside the house, yet away from Malta’s scorching summer sun. The National Aquarium in Qawra is a beautifully fresh place in which to spend half a day walking through underwater tunnels, learning about captivating species, engaging in educational talks with fascinating insights and more. Do you know, for example, how an octopus eats? Or have you ever looked through a magnifying glass in the baby shark lab, which is actively involved in conservation, rescue and release?

For younger children there is also the Happy Toddlers Club (Facebook: Oscar Malta Ludi) and the Playmobil Fun-Park, an indoor as well as outdoor play area in a safe, friendly and stimulating environment, where differently themed areas allow for play with all the classic Playmobil toys such as City Life, Rescue, Aquarium, Pirates, Police, Knights, and Fairy Tale. Older children might find the factory tour more enjoyable.

Last but not least, why not visit a cooling church, gallery or museum. The choice is plentiful, including Spazju Kreattiv, the Roman Villa and St Paul’s Catacombs; the prehistoric Għar Dalam; Malta’s many museums on war, natural history, aviation and all things maritime or, the new interactive science centre Esplora with fun exhibits and hands-on workshops and shows to name but a few.

DIET DURING PREGNANCY

ot more food, but more quality

What is now quite clear is that when it comes to calories, pregnant women do not have to eat twice as much as they normally eat. The result would be an overweight mother and certainly not a healthier child.

What is more important is that everything that is eaten is of the highest quality and as natural as possible.

This applies to all food groups – whether they are oils and fats, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, bakery products or animal products. Ideally, they should be organic and prepared while they are as fresh as possible. When carbohydrates are consumed, they should be wholegrain products.

It would also be beneficial to generally restrict wheat products and replace the usual side dishes or pastry products made from wheat flour with gluten-free grains or pseudo-grains such as millet, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, etc.

Simple carbohydrates – products containing white flour and/or household sugar, as well as soft drinks – are at the top of the list of foods that are not part of a healthy diet, especially during pregnancy, and can have a negative impact on the baby’s health. Drinks 48

containing caffeine, such as coffee, should be reduced to an absolute minimum and ideally not drunk at all.

Caffeine enters directly into the bloodstream of the baby and can only be removed slowly due to the limited detoxification ability of the embryo.

An important note about folic acid

Folic acid (a synthetic form of vitamin B9) is generally recommended by medical practitioners and can be taken in tablet form. However, it is much more sensible to increase your intake of folate (the natural form of vitamin B9) by eating broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, avocado pears, citrus fruits, legumes, nuts, eggs and whole-wheat products. You will provide yourself and your baby with not only the naturallyoccurring form of vitamin B but also with the many other important nutrients that are usually missing in folic acid pills.

If you do decide to take folic acid tablets, make sure that they do not contain dyes (‘E’ numbers). It is always advisable to speak to your doctor about taking the most natural supplement and ask how you can increase your folate intake instead of taking a synthetic supplement. Doing your own research is always best so that you can have educated discussions with your doctor.

Foods to avoid

During your pregnancy you can indulge in most foods, but a few should be avoided to minimise your chances of ingesting harmful bacteria or heavy metals: • Cold, raw or under-cooked meat • Raw fish and shellfish • Fish high in mercury such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Tuna should be eaten in moderation • Raw eggs • Soft cheese that has not been pasteurised • Unwashed vegetables • Alcohol Nature provides us with so many fantastic foods that will help avoid common pregnancy complaints and enrich your pregnancy experience. Sensible, balanced meals combined with regular physical fitness are still the best recipe for good health during your pregnancy.

Angela Mallia is a certified health coach and detox specialist. www.angelamallia.com

Ingredients • • • • • • • •

500g strong wholewheat bread flour 300ml warm water 75g roasted hazelnuts 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp honey 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast 1 tsp salt

Super Fast Hazelnut and Cinnamon Loaf Dusha Lia, private chef and food consultant www.baltazar.com.mt

Method Place the flour, cinnamon, hazelnuts, yeast and salt into a large bowl and mix together with your hands. Stir together the warm water, oil and honey, then add to the dry ingredients, stirring to make a soft dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes until the dough no longer feels sticky, sprinkling with a little more flour if necessary.

Oil the loaf tin and put the dough in the tin, pressing it in evenly. Put in a large plastic food bag and leave to rise for an hour, until the dough has risen to fill the tin and no longer

springs back when you press it with your finger.

Heat the oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan). Make several slashes across the top of the loaf with a sharp knife and then bake for 30-35 minutes until the loaf is risen and golden. Tip it out on to a cooling rack and tap the base of the bread to check that it is cooked: it should sound hollow. Leave to cool.

For a glorious Sunday breakfast, serve the homemade bread with fig jam, apricot conserve and unsalted butter. It doesn’t get better than this!

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10 ways to get

GLOWING SKIN

Anything in this heat can feel like an impossible task, but in the summer it is important to take care of your skin. The heat, sun and hot winds can severely damage your skin, while fluctuations in weather can cause havoc – making your skin rough and dull – and sweat, grime and dust can clog your pores.

Special attention and a seasonally adapted skin routine is needed – so here it is.

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WATER THERAPY

You’ve heard all this before but – really – water is the best thing for your skin. It not only hydrates you, it also flushes out toxins and waste from the system. Cool down and quench your thirst with a variety of drinks such as coconut water, green and herbal teas and fruit juices.

Green tea is high in antioxidants, which help eliminate dead skin cells, and the antiinflammatory, anti-carcinogenic properties in green tea protect against a variety of skin disorders. Fluids also help to detoxify the skin and keep it soft, dewy and clear.

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FOOD CHOICES

Unhealthy food can cause bad skin. Try to avoid processed snacks and too many salty products, because salt can have a dehydrating effect on the body. Include high water content fruits such as watermelon, cucumber, oranges and lettuce in your diet – they will provide you with nutrients and antioxidants – and eat green vegetables as they help to improve the immune system and reduce stress levels in the body. Also, try to also reduce your consumption of meat – which is difficult for the body to digest and also raises body temperature which can result in pimples.

3

APPLY SUNSCREEN

If the sun is out, use sunscreen. It is recommended that you use a high SPF product 30 minutes before you go outside. It will protect your skin from harsh UVA rays but not from skin darkening and damage, so limit your time in the sun if you can – and find a nice hat!

Reapply sunscreen every two hours and try stay indoors between 10am and 4pm to avoid the harshest sun rays.

4

EXFOLIATE

Moisturiser alone cannot give a glowing skin unless it is exfoliated regularly: it is necessary to remove the dead skin that accumulates. Use an exfoliating sponge or a massager to scrub off the dead skin from the body. You can make a homemade scrub by preparing a paste of oatmeal, milk and besan (gram flour). Using circular movements, gently rub this scrub on the entire body for three minutes and then rinse off. Repeat this procedure two to three times a week.

5

CLEANSE

Thoroughly clean your skin twice a day with a good quality cleanser. You can make a natural and effective one at home with plain yoghurt mixed with honey. Leave it on your face for 10 minutes and then rinse it off with water; this will also moisturise your skin.

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6

MOISTURISE

No matter what – you should always moisturise your face and body. Avoid an oilbased moisturiser and opt for one that is waterbased, massaging it in gently for smooth and soft skin. The best time of day to moisturise your skin is when you are straight out of the shower and your body is still damp. Always moisturise your skin at night as this will make your skin glow and protect it while you are asleep.

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STEAM

A once-a-week steam will unclog your pores and remove all the dirt that builds up in the skin.

It also helps to make your skin clearer and softer and works well for all skin types.

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TONE

Toner moisturises the skin well, balances the pH level, removes dirt, toxins and make-up and leaves it clear and refreshed – what more could you ask for? You can make a natural toner yourself by mixing equal quantities of glycerine and rose-water. Apply this every night and you will notice a reduction in pimples, blackheads and other skin blemishes.

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SUN TAN REMOVAL

You can prepare a home-made mask for tan removal from a paste of two to three almonds, 1 teaspoon of lime juice and 2 teaspoons of milk.

Leave it on the face overnight and wash it off with lukewarm water in the morning. This will not only remove tan but will also give you a healthy glowing skin. Or you can also apply a mixture of honey and lemon juice in equal quantities, apply it on the face and leave it for 20 minutes. This is one of the most effective and simple remedies for tan removal. You can also apply cucumber juice on the face as it will neutralise and soothe the skin and will reduce the effect of harsh sun rays. Or make a paste using a teaspoon of gram flour, teaspoon of milk and a few drops of lime juice. Mix all the ingredients, thoroughly apply on the face and leave for 30 minutes for a glowing and radiant complexion.

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EXERCISE

Simple workouts can make you feel good and stay fresh, and can also help you get rid of toxins and give you glowing skin. If you are not ready for a personal trainer or a class, a walk will help you get in the mood, get your blood flowing and give you a natural glow.

With all this said – and read – let’s get going to face the world in confidence this summer!

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Italian-grown sundried tomatoes bring an intense blast of flavour to salads, pasta sauces or focaccia Sundried Tomatoes, €3.95 (280g)

Serve this fruity spritzer chilled over ice Blood Orange and Red Grape Sangria Spritzer, €3.95 (750ml)

SUNSHINE FLAVOURS

Crisp and light, these are perfect for dipping Italian Torinesi Breadsticks, €2.95 (125g)

A lightly sparkling blend with sweet peach juice and crisp Spanish white wine

Enjoy authentic Italian antipasti with breads, cheese or cured meats

These flatbreads are known in Italy as ciappe – meaning slate or tile. Ours are made to a traditional recipe by a small producer in Liguria. Top with feta and olives

Peach Frizzante, €5.95 (750ml)

Mixed Antipasti, €5.95 (280g)

Italian Flatbreads, €3.95 (150g)

NEW WAYS WITH RASPBERRY JAM What’s the secret to great-tasting jam?

First-class fruit, of course

O

ur delicious raspberry jam is made with Glen Ample raspberries from Scotland, which are celebrated for their rich, tart flavour. Don’t just keep the jam for your toast. Use it to add a twist to a cheeseboard by serving it instead of traditional chutney; whisk it into vinaigrette for a fruity salad dressing; or stir it through your porridge or yogurt for a brighter start to the day.

British Raspberry Jam, €4.95 (295g)

VALLETTA • SLIEMA • TIGNE • DANIELS • BAY STREET

w nedrop. com

MAKING SCENTS

Nanogen’s Thickening Hair Fibres gives hair an instant thickness that lasts all day for both men and women. With 10 natural shades to match your hair colour, it is the perfect way to add volume and thickness to your hair in just 30 seconds and it is 100 per cent natural keratin. Ait is available from all leading hair salons. For trade enquiries contact Hair Professionals Malta on 2144 0424, 27440424 or 79210578, email sales@nanogenmalta.com or www.nanogenmalta.com.

Valentino introduces Valentino Uomo and Donna Acqua.

One does not define the other but together they represent an iconic and fearless new hierarchy of desire, charged with raw authenticity and a nonchalant attitude. Valentino Uomo Acqua opens with the aromatic green of an Italian garden laced with mandarin, citron and green tomato. Iridescent white leather with iris absolute brings a disenchanted charm while blending clary sage essence and patchouli heart. Valentino Donna Acqua is a collision of tender green almond and frosted pear. The warmth of a frangipani rose accord meets a suggestion of sandalwood and hawthorn. Exclusively distributed by Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery Ltd. Tel: 21331553.

3INA opens its fourth store in Valletta 3INA (pronounced ‘MINA’), a beauty brand, has opened its 4th store in Republic Street, Valletta. 3INA landed on the beauty scene just over a year ago with the aim of shaking up the ‘one size fits all’ approach to the cosmetics industry. Represented locally by Hudson, 3INA opened its first store in Malta in June 2016. Stores are located at The Point, Pama and Qormi.

The brand has expanded into eight countries, with outlets in the UK, Greece, Italy, Malta, South Africa, Australia, Belarus, Sweden and India. 3INA has also recently opened at Selfridges, one of the biggest high-end departments stores in London. It is anticipated that there will be 25 stores open globally before the end of the year. Products are also available on ASOS, an online fashion and beauty store.

3INA now carries a whopping 600 products, but The Longwear Lipstick has been a hero product from the start and now accounts for 8 per cent of sales.

3INA encourages creative expression through high quality products with a vast array of colours and an honest price point. All the products are cruelty free and manufactured in Europe. The 3INA girl is bold, brave and celebrates individual beauty, craving newness to fuel her creativity.

For more information visit Facebook: 3INAMalta

Dove Antiperspirant deodorants: Antiperspirant deodorants should not just protect you: they should care for your underarm skin, too. We put so much care into the rest of our bodies, should we not do the same for our underarms? This is why Dove antiperspirant deodorants are one-quarter moisturising cream, to care for your underarm skin, leaving it soft and smooth. And there’s one to suit every situation.

Because you want more from an antiperspirant deodorant than just protection, with Dove you get care, too: the perfect combination. www.facebook.com/DoveMalta

WE ARE GIVING AWAY one bottle of The Secret Temptation Antonio Banderas Eau de Toilette (50ml) for men, and one bottle of Her Secret Temptation Antonio Banderas Eau de Toilette (50ml) courtesy of Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery.

For a chance to win, answer the following question: In one sentence, what was your favourite article or feature inside this issue and why?

Like First magazine on Facebook and send your answer the good, old-fashioned way, by post, to: FIRST COMPETITION, The Malta Independent on Sunday, Birkirkara Hill, St Julian’s, by 28 August.

WINNER from the JULY ISSUE

Renato Zerafa from Mosta has won a bottle of Prada Luna Rossa Carbon worth ¤62, courtesy of Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery.

Simonds Farsons Cisk plc has recently launched Cisk Chill Ginger & Lime, a flavoured beer that strikes the right balance between the spice of ginger and the zest of lime, making this brew an ideal thirstquencher to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Cisk Chill Ginger & Lime is the latest addition to the Cisk Chill range of flavoured beers that also includes Lemon and Berry flavours. Following on from the launch of its first new flavour, Cisk Chill Lemon, in 2011, the range has gone from strength to strength, becoming a huge hit with local consumers. The refreshing flavours of Cisk Chill Ginger & Lime make it a perfect complement to light salads and meals.

Owing to its easy drinking characteristics, it is also the perfect aperitif to enjoy before a meal.

Cisk Chill Ginger & Lime is packaged in clear 25cl returnable bottles and is available nationwide in local stores, supermarkets, bars, pubs, beach clubs and restaurants. It can also be purchased online at www.farsonsdirect.com.

The award-winning Cisk range of beers includes Cisk Lager, Cisk Export Premium Lager, Cisk Excel Low Carbohydrate Lager and Cisk Extra Strong Lager, as well as the Cisk Chill Lager Beer range in Lemon, Berry and now Ginger & Lime flavours.

All Cisk beers are brewed to the highest standards by the Farsons Brewery using only the choicest raw materials. For more information visit www.cisk.com or follow Cisk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cisk.

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WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU’VE PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO SOMETHING, THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING THAN ACHIEVING THE RESULTS YOU’VE WORKED FOR.

H

ow did you get into swimming — and at a professional level?

My father (Andrew Galea) was brought up in Sliema and use to spend his summers – both as a little boy and as he got older – at Sliema Pitch where he also briefly did swimming and water polo as a sport. Just like him, I was also brought up at Sliema Pitch where I used to spend all my summers. When I was five, my father booked me in for swimming lessons; one thing led to another and eventually I was chosen to swim with the Sliema first team.

At this point I knew I really loved swimming but hadn’t yet started taking it seriously. I used to juggle different sports – mostly swimming and water polo but also tennis and football – and it was only at the age of 15, when I was chosen for the Malta national team, that I decided to cut out all other sports and focus completely on swimming. I can say with pride that it is thanks to my father that I started this sport and I wouldn’t change for the world.

Describe your typical work out when you’re preparing for a race Swimming is a very complex sport and I can’t really describe a typical work-out. We average five kilometres a session – twice a day, throughout our hard training blocks.

Once we get near to a competition we start reducing the distance and for up to a week before race day, we won’t swim more than one-and-a-half to two kilometres a day in order to focus more on speed work and to keep our bodies strong.

And do you have a strict diet?

We are on a fairly strict diet throughout the year. When you train 10 times a week, it is impossible not to have a controlled diet because otherwise you would not get the nutrients needed to survive the whole week. But the diet does get stricter when there is a competition coming up: we have to balance the need to keep our energy levels high with making sure that we are in good condition for the race. Most swimmers try to reduce their weight as they approach a race.

How does it feel to win a race?

It is probably the best feeling I have ever had in my life so far. When you know that you’ve put your heart and soul into something, there is no better feeling than achieving the results you’ve worked for. I just know that all the hours, day in, day out, that I spend swimming up and down a pool actually do pay off!

Tell us some of your greatest achievements?

Winning bronze medals at the Small Nations Games twice in a row in the 4x100 Freestyle relay, qualifying to represent Malta in the Swimming World Championships – where I also broke the national record in my main event (200m Freestyle) and holding national records in all three freestyle relays – 4x50m, 4x100m and 4x200m.

What’s next on the agenda?

Matthew Galea: record-breaking swimmer

I am going in to my third year of university in the B.Com. course, majoring in Accounts, so the next years are going to be challenging because I need to achieve a balance between my training and my studies. After all that I have achieved so far, I am still hungry to take my own swimming further as well as the level of swimming and sport in general for our little country. So even as my studies get harder, I will keep challenging myself to make my swimming harder as well and become the best possible swimmer I can be. As is the wish of any sportsman, my biggest dream is to take part in the Olympics.

Matthew Galea is an ambassador for O’Hea Opticians.

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