Pink (March 2017)

issue149∫ march2017

REAL-LIFE RESILIENCE Remembering women imprisoned, tortured and pushed to the limits STORIES OF HUMAN SUFFERING THE HISTORIANS MAY MISS

Ira, the artist, is back on the battlefield SHARING HER STAGE WITH MODERN-DAY SOLDIERS

What the feminists did for us Looking back and moving forward Women prorammed from childhood for prostitution

What kind of man pays for sex?

INSIDE

March 2017

63

22

35

FEATURES

50

16 PrivateEye no bed of roses Should paying for sex be a crime?

22 ArtyFacts they are the soldiers Ira Losco draws inspiration from physical challenges 31 InFocus that dirty word Remembering the feminists

FASHION

REGULARS

40 ShowStopper frills & flounce Cause a stir 50 TheUniform style of the times From the Fashion Weeks

9 EditorsNote 10 MailShot 35 WomanKind resolution against revolution Nien Cheng 54 ThinkPink fashion, food & things 63 ThinkPink health & beauty 70 GirlTalk are there enough hours in the day?

Getting to the bottom of housework 77 WomenOnWheels fuelling a big Mini obsession Mini Countryman 79 StarGazer the future is pink Horoscopes 81 SnapShot a mother-daughter classic Charlene Farrugia

HEALTH 57 InThePink a bolt from the blue Don't damage your eyes 58 HealthBites 60 OnForm work out the solutions to bad resolutions How to avoid fitness failure 67 PinkShrink who pays for sex?

The type of man who seeks the pro 69 ParentingTips growing a healthy body image Mothers can set a 'model' example

77

COVER Photography Karl Sciberras ∫ Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] ∫ Hair Marlene Vassallo ∫ Make-up Jennifer Dimech ∫ Model Claire @ Supernova MNGMT, wearing Just Cavalli zip-up, €159; joggers, €131, both Rebelli ∫ dress [worn underneath], €35.99, Mango ∫ shoes, €65, Aldo ∫ Location Cafe Riche, Vittoriosa.

6 ∫ Pink March 2017

EDITORSNOTE

Much has been said of late about the ins and outs of brothels.

Conversations hovered halfway between the scandals and the jokes, but they never quite landed on the women caught up in prostitution, or the type of men that pay for sex. These were mere side issues; literally, a bit on the side.

In truth, do we ever really consider the loitering and lapdancing ladies? Surely, it takes a certain type of woman to earn a living in that way. You’ve made your bed, now lie in it, they say.

But PrivateEye on page 16 looks at the raw reality through the role of Dar Hosea, a drop-in centre for ‘women caught up in prostitution’ – as I was instructed to refer to them and reluctantly agreed until I was convinced it was probably rightly so.

This is no lucrative trade for loose women. Let’s face it, what job includes sexually transmitted diseases, as well as beatings and abuse by family members, when considering occupational health and safety. These are the ‘perks’,

while the pimps, usually their partners, pocket the money.

Dar Hosea offers a place to rest, have a shower, grab a bite, or even a bus fare – the simple bare necessities these women are lacking. In fact, they are so ‘caught up’ in a vicious circle that presenting them with a way out is not even an option.

It is clear that prostitution is inherently violent and damages those in it; that getting out of it is much harder than getting into it; and that a criminal record makes getting out even harder.

Hence the proposal to adopt the Nordic Model [also known as the Sex Buyer Law], which decriminalises all those who are prostituted, provides support services to help them exit, and makes buying people for sex a criminal offence in order to reduce the demand that drives sex trafficking.

The model, tried and tested in Sweden, stems from despair about the women’s pain and the punters’ lack of understanding of the consequences of their actions.

The one-sided criminalisation of the client would send the message that buying people for sex is wrong.

As things stand, we barely consider that side of the story…

Which brings me to the point of equality.

Beyond these cases and many others, where the scales are

seriously tipped, women’s rights have advanced in leaps and bounds over the years. Many of us don’t know the meaning of being disadvantaged for being female and have never experienced gender imbalance.

But that is not only because equality was handed to us on a silver platter. The truth is we didn’t just wake up, discover we had rights and start being too loud about them a bit too late in life; we were born convinced of what is our due, never really saw any difference between us and them, never needed to go down that isolating, alienating victimisation route, just got on with it on a level playing field… and let the best man win! [That’s right, I said ‘man’ and I don’t feel the need to change it.]

So, if we don’t attend a march for International Women’s Day, it’s probably because we’ve been stomping subconsciously, routinely and intuitively throughout our lives. We’ve probably been ‘protesting’ in the day-to-day since day one, without much ado, as a matter of course.

The March issue of Pink may look back and acknowledge what the feminists did for us in InFocus on page 31 – but the ideal is to keep with the times, move forward and always look ahead.

Taking their achievements for granted is actually the top tribute we can pay them.

March 19, 2017 ∫ Pink is a monthly magazine ∫ Issue 149 ∫ Executive editor Fiona Galea Debono ∫ Publisher Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Printing Progress Press Ltd ∫ Production Allied Newspapers Ltd ∫ Contributors Edward Curmi, Claire Diacono, Jennifer Dimech, Mary Galea Debono, Marisa Grima, Ariadne Massa, Celia Melillo, Jeffrey Muscat, Caroline Paris, Donatello Pisani, Helen Raine, Stephanie Satariano, Marlene Vassallo, Virginia, Shelley Von Strunckel ∫ Design Manuel Schembri ∫ Photography Matthew Mirabelli, Kurt Paris, Karl Sciberras ∫ Advertising sales Veronica Grech Sant [2559 4706; veronica.grechsant@timesofmalta.com].

THIS PUBLICATION IS BEING DISTRIBUTED AS PART OF:

@pinkmagazine

@pinkmagazine_tom

© 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole, or in part, without written permission of the publishers, is prohibited.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 9

MAILSHOT

THE LETTER THAT TICKLED PINK A LESSON IN LIFE Dear editor, yesterday I was helping my granddaughter revise her religion notes for her upcoming examination. She discussed how important it is to accept others even if they are different from us in terms of race, religion, disability and language. I intervened and narrated Andrea Calascione’s story to her because it is a perfect example of acceptance. The Beauty of Fragility [PrivateEye, January 2017] is a really beautiful and inspirational piece of writing. Andrea learnt that her disability was not a problem for others. She was fully accepted by everybody, but her perception of herself was making it hard for her to accept it. It’s the way we look at situations and circumstances that counts. If a disability hinders me from moving forward, I will not reach my full potential. If a disability is acknowledged and accepted, a positive attitude towards life is adopted, despite all the possible struggles it brings along. Andrea is a strong, young lady, a role model to many, especially to those who complain about, for example, a cancelled outing due to a rainy day. She is a role model to an upset girlfriend because she did not receive a bunch of flowers on Valentine’s Day; to an angry mother because her child did not reach her expectations in an exam; or to a frustrated employee because he had a 20-minute break instead of half an hour. Let’s all make an effort to make the most of what we have, appreciate it and accept others with all their differences.

Thank you, Andrea, for teaching my granddaughter a lesson for life.

HELEN PORTELLI, FROM MOSTA

The writer of the letter of the month wins an Ariana Grande Sweet Like Candy eau de parfum, courtesy of Chemimart; PLUS a selection of Deborah Milano make-up products from A.M.Mangion Ltd.

WRITE IN AND WIN

ON THE DEPARTING END Dear editor, I have just read the article Puppy Love [GirlTalk, February 2017] over a cup of tea after having washed my dear old dog. She has already had her medicine, and after doing her morning job, she slipped as she couldn’t hold firmly on her hind legs. I couldn’t hold back my tears when reading the article as it reminded me of the time when we got her. It has been over 17 years now since she made our home complete. Sadly, now she’s on the departing end. A couple of years ago, she was my companion when I was on my own during the day throughout my treatment. She just couldn’t let me out of her sight! I’m writing this in tears. I don’t think she will be with us by the time you publish this e-mail, if you may wish to do so. Thanks for the work you and your team put together.

MARIA CASSAR, VIA E-MAIL

UPLIFTING AND ENCOURAGING Dear editor, apart from the realistic and true descriptive words of your editorial [EditorsNote, January 2017], which really hit crude and honest notes, the story that struck me most was Andrea Calascione’s on The Beauty in Fragility [PrivateEye, January 2017]. To say it touched me is an understatement. It bears the core thoughts and experiences of the heart that jolt you, especially if you are experiencing a downhill, or difficult time in your life. It is uplifting and so encouraging, with so many great actions to adopt: gratitude, the expression through writing, the benefit of exercise and a healthy diet; and most importantly, the belief in oneself: “There’s a lot more about you than you think…” That will stick in my mind and emblazon my heart. Thank you, Andrea, and thank you, Pink.

MARIANNE PORTELLI, FROM BIRZEBBUGA

GET MORE OF PINK ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

We want to hear from you. Send us your feedback on Pink and any stories that may have touched you in some way, and you stand a chance of winning a Modern Princess Lanvin Paris eau de parfum, courtesy of Chemimart; PLUS a selection of Deborah Milano make-up products from A.M.Mangion Ltd. Write to Pink, with your contact details, at Allied Newspapers Ltd, 341, Strickland House, St Paul Street, Valletta VLT 1211, or send an e-mail to pink@timesofmalta.com Correspondence may be edited for length and clarity. If prizes are not claimed within two months, they will no longer be available.

10 ∫ Pink March 2017

INSTAGRAM @pinkmagazine_tom

READ PINK ONLINE ON

FACEBOOK @pinkmagazine

PRIVATEEYE

NO BED OF ROSES

The Dar Hosea walk-in centre, which offers a safe place for ‘women involved in street prostitution’ and the bare necessities that they are lacking, is the winner of the first edition of the Social Impact Awards. Every day, it opens a door to those who have always had them shut in their faces. We may start off by frowning upon politically correct restrictions on how to refer to them – let’s call a spade a spade and just use the ‘p’ word. But this is, in fact, the reality: we’re talking about vulnerable women, with poor choices, ‘caught up in prostitution’, with practically no way out.

16 ∫ Pink March 2017

PRIVATEEYE

T

he next time you drive along a red-light district, don’t just crack a joke about the looks of the women loitering on the street; don’t slow down to get a closer look as though they were some freak show; and don’t drive off under the illusion that having sex for a living is a lucrative job; don’t necessarily think these are loose women, with no morals, taking the easy way out.

Think, on the other hand, of a job where the ‘perks’ are sexually transmitted diseases and other daily health hazards. Think that the majority of the women involved in prostitution have zero control over their lives; generally, they are introduced and forced into it by their own partners, fathers even, whether they are sick, injured, on their period and even pregnant – some men would actually pay more for that ‘bonus’, as well as if they are underage!

Yes, many of those women, spread eagle on their doorstep, would have started while still children. Think that incest and sexual abuse in childhood feature prominently in their past and have paved the way for their present. Domestic violence, too, often characterises the lives of these victims of forced prostitution.

It’s no wonder, therefore, that substance abuse is also part and parcel of the ‘job’, feeding into these women’s entrapment. They take drugs and alcohol to help them get through the trauma of prostitution… until, of course, they get hooked and have to continue to make money to feed their habit, unable to leave the streets.

And the vicious circle continues to spiral out of control.

Loitering is a criminal offence, so they end up with a criminal record, which doesn’t allow them to find another job.

their difficult journey to gain a measure of independence, dignity and self-determination.

Of course, Dar Hosea’s location is not divulged for security reasons – both of the service users and the staff. Let’s not forget we are dealing with their pimps here – men who often beat these women, who are likely to be their partners, and take all their earnings at the end of the day.

Dar Hosea is run by a social worker, a part-time nurse and 15 volunteer social support workers, who welcome an average of eight women a day and some of their children on Saturdays. They cook with them, talk and listen to them, run crafts and arts sessions, discuss needs and plans, and phone others to keep in touch.

MISCONCEPTIONS Perhaps the biggest misconception is the idea that prostitution is a willing exchange of money for consensual sex between two [or more] adults of equal power. Also, that it is lucrative and fun for the person whose body is being bought and that they can simply exit a life of prostitution when they get bored, says Elaine.

“Many think of the romanticised Hollywood portrayals of glamourous high-end, highly paid escorts. But for the vast majority of women who are bought and sold, this is as far as it gets from the truth. Nothing is glamourous about being in a position so powerless and so vulnerable to the use of violence that your life hangs in the balance.

“Many fail to see the exploitation that is inherent in prostitution globally and in our own backyard. Do we see the two million children around the world who go missing

“MANY THINK OF THE ROMANTICISED HOLLYWOOD PORTRAYALS OF GLAMOUROUS HIGH-END, HIGHLY PAID ESCORTS. BUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF WOMEN WHO ARE BOUGHT AND SOLD, THIS IS AS FAR AS IT GETS FROM THE TRUTH. NOTHING IS GLAMOUROUS ABOUT BEING IN A POSITION SO POWERLESS AND SO VULNERABLE TO THE USE OF VIOLENCE THAT YOUR LIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE” These are the inalienable facts about their situation; the common denominators that characterise them and the reason why they have ended up as they have, according to Elaine Compagno, service coordinator at SOAR [Surviving Abuse with Resilience].

She is speaking on behalf of the St Jeanne Antide Foundation that runs the Dar Hosea service, where “women trapped in street-based prostitution are welcomed and treated with respect and unconditional kindness”.

These women are so caught up in a vicious cycle that the best one can do to help them is start from the very basics – offering food, a place to shower and take a rest. And that is the role of Dar Hosea, a service that started three years ago and recently won the Social Impact Awards – a grant of €44,000 that will allow it to provide this lifeline for yet another year.

The project considers these women to be victims of gender-based violence, offering them access to support that includes guidance on self-care and self-development, sexual health education and harm reduction screening, as well as non-formal education. It accompanies them in

to be sold into the sex trade? Do we see the Maltese children and teenagers groomed by family into the trade? Do the buyers in Malta see that they are contributing to the exploitation by creating a demand for prostitution?”

So, how damaging to their already dire situation is the way they are portrayed? “Women’s sexualised portrayal in mainstream media, where they become objects of the male gaze, is already damaging to us all. If women in prostitution are believed to have free choice, then the buyer feels absolved of any responsibility towards her vulnerability and exploitation,” Elaine continues.

“Women have pointed out that when they are bought, used, abused and violated, it is, in fact, a continuation of the lifelong violence and exploitation they have experienced since childhood. We notice a formed inability to see that they could be, and deserve to be, treated in a much better way, with respect, dignity and kindness.

“In the absence of this in their lives, exploitation and the violence used against them become normalised, tolerated, expected and accepted. Hence, the rationalisation of many prostituted women that prostitution is their choice.”

Pink March 2017 ∫ 17

PRIVATEEYE SOME CHOICE! Free will doesn’t come into it. Almost all the women who drop in at Dar Hosea are victims of childhood sexual abuse, with many having been introduced to prostitution from a young age through grooming from family members, boyfriends, partners and friends, says Elaine.

Some women are victims of their pimp’s violence and have no choice but to work the streets even if they are sick, pregnant, or menstruating. Some of the most vulnerable women are homeless and continue to engage in prostitution simply to have a place to sleep for the night.

“It becomes easy to see how, most times, women engage in prostitution as a means of survival. If it can be called a choice, it is a choice from a list of very poor choices, set against a backdrop of poverty and desperation.”

NO CONTROL When your job involves ‘selling’ your own body, how seriously can you expect to be taken if you go to the police to file a report? And on what exactly?

In prostitution, Elaine explains, the lines between rape and theft blur because the sex trade renders a woman’s body a piece of merchandise to be marketed, bought and sold for the profit of the self-designated ‘owner’ of that body – the pimp.

“When the buyer has parted with his money, he assumes a position of power. What is to stop him from beating, strangling, or raping the woman whose body he has bought access to? And would anyone recognise it as assault, or rape? Or would such a sexual assault be seen as theft?

“For any woman who becomes a victim of sexual assault, reporting this crime is very difficult; let alone for a woman involved in prostitution. Imagine the risk a woman trapped in prostitution lives with daily, when the buyers and the pimps know that she’s highly unlikely to report any violence.”

THE SWEDISH MODEL The laws in Malta do not criminalise prostitution per se. But loitering for prostitution is a criminal offence. A criminal record often leaves women trapped even deeper in prostitution since it becomes much harder to find alternative sources of income.

It becomes easier to see how the cycle of victimisation forms and why it’s not easy to stay off the streets, Elaine explains.

“There have been women who have managed to withdraw from the streets, have overcome addictions and made progress only to end up in prison again for sentences that had been pending,” she adds.

Elaine maintains that a change in the law, putting the criminal responsibility on the buyer and the pimp instead of on the woman, is a good start to recognising that prostitution is another form of violence on women and linked to the much larger global human-trafficking sex trade.

The Nordic Model approach to prostitution – or Swedish Model as it is sometimes referred to – puts criminal liability on the buyer and the pimp and removes it from the seller.

This model binds the state to finance NGOs that provide support services to women in prostitution.

18 ∫ Pink March 2017

PRIVATEEYE A number of countries have reformed their laws and are now in line with the Nordic Model, which has been recommended by the EU as an effective policy on prostitution, where buyers could be fined up to €3,000 for repeat offences.

It is the client – the person creating the demand – who is punished and fined on the spot.

NOT ABOUT STOPPING It’s not about pulling these women off the streets and out of prostitution, explains Elaine. That is not Dar Hosea’s aim – even though 12 out of the 80 that have used its services over the last three years have stopped.

Dar Hosea has to start from scratch because these women don’t even have the basic needs. “What we care about is that they are supported. The reality is that they don’t have any choices. To be able to move on, they first need to have the basics. Without these, they simply can’t go anywhere,” says Elaine.

What Dar Hosea offers goes to show what dire straits these women are in. At the drop-in centre, they can have lunch, do their laundry, shower, rest… Its three-tiered service starts with things as basic as money for a bus fare and goes on to accompanying them to court and helping them reconnect to their families.

“This first step is very important. Moving out of prostitution would be a side effect. For example, if they didn’t use protection and now they do, this is already a move in the right direction. “Some would be getting their first ever STI screening, or a Pap smear,” says Elaine “When you are down at rock bottom, you see prostitution as your only form of survival – which further strengthens the notion that you have no choice. You can’t take that away from them.”

“IF IT CAN BE CALLED A CHOICE, IT IS A CHOICE FROM A LIST OF VERY POOR CHOICES, SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF POVERTY AND DESPERATION” Dar Hosea has already yielded encouraging results.

Through the service, the women eventually start looking after their bodies and learning about STIs; they become interested in learning new and different things and thinking about courses they could follow and jobs they can find with the social workers’ support.

“Ultimately, they begin to understand why we care for them and they start to trust and respect us back. They learn that they are worthy of being treated with dignity and loving kindness,” Elaine points out.

“Respect and trust are big issues, so when they allow themselves to trust us, it is a big jump in their mindset. They begin to hope for a better life and the possibility of reconnecting with their children.”

Among the testimonials is: “I have found a second family that cares for me, listens to me, feeds me and provides me with a place to shower… things that not even my own mother does with me.”

Pink March 2017 ∫ 19

PRIVATEEYE WORD OF MOUTH To date, Dar Hosea has reached around 80 women. While some have come through word of mouth, a significant number have been referred by other service providers, practitioners and NGOs. “We have often discussed other methods of outreach, but word of mouth among service users is becoming the best approach. It is promising to know that women are encouraging others they know on the street to seek our services,” Elaine says.

But what about those who would never knock on its doors? What is holding them back and how could more women caught up in prostitution be ‘invited’ to Dar Hosea?

Elaine maintains that fear and a lack of trust in anything that resembles the ‘system’ are perhaps the more common factors that hold them back.

“Imagine how many times such a woman has been used for another person’s gain. Imagine how many times she has been made to feel worthless. Imagine how many times she has been beaten down by the system itself.”

CONTINUING TO BRIDGE THE GAP Dar Hosea was set up to bridge the gap in existing services: while the drug problem associated with prostitution was being treated, as were issues concerning child protection and the legal aspects of loitering, there was no support service that directly addressed the women themselves, who have been slipping through the safety net all this time.

Prior to Dar Hosea, issues that generally accompany prostitution, including mental health problems, homelessness, isolation and child custody, were treated by separate, specialised services, but there was no service specific to prostitution itself that could meet the basic needs of these vulnerable women.

St Jeanne Antide Foundation identified this long-felt gap in social solidarity service provision in Malta and sought to fill it.

“Without Dar Hosea, vulnerable women in street prostitution would lose the lifeline they have found through this service. The Foundation is very grateful to the organisers of the Social Impact Awards for believing in this invaluable venture. The challenges for us keep coming, and funding to keep the project going is always on our minds,” Elaine says.

ON THE AWARDS The Social Impact Awards, a joint venture between Inspirasia Foundation and The Gasan Foundation, aims to bring the private and non-profit sectors together to offer opportunities for financial and non-financial support to develop a project that would have a positive social impact on Malta.

Following an overwhelming number of applications, the shortlisted five finalists each gave a presentation of their proposed project to a panel of judges and audience in a bid to raise the funds they need to implement their projects.

20 ∫ Pink March 2017

HORROR STORIES Elaine finds it difficult to pinpoint the most harrowing story the foundation has come across since Dar Hosea opened its doors. They are, indeed, the stuff of nightmares.

“What’s worse? Being beaten by the client, escaping and then being beaten by your pimp for losing the client? Or being raped as a child by your father, fed drugs, groomed, forced into prostitution and then jailed for it?” *Although names have been changed, these case profiles are all the lived realities of fellow Maltese women.

Roseanne* was pushed into prostitution by her brother and his friend. Her pimp is always on site and confiscates 100 per cent of her earnings. He has beaten her with a car jack and forced her to work the streets even if sick.

In case that were not enough, she has been stabbed by a punter with a pointed object and was later beaten by her pimp for losing the ‘client’.

At age four, Maria* was sexually abused by her father, brother and uncle, then drawn into the family network.

She says she views herself as ‘dirty’, but that’s not simply because she has nowhere to sleep, shower, or wash clothes.

Maria has been beaten up by punters, who have then gone on to rob her. It’s not surprising that she lives with fear of violence every day. This is hardly a lucrative career choice for her.

Gina* was raped repeatedly by her father at age 13. He then became her pimp and gave her drugs, which helped her cope. She has served three prison terms. Is Gina a criminal, a willing sex worker, or a victim? The answer seems clear.

From preventing self-harm and suicide to helping vulnerable women on the street to dance classes for those suffering from Parkinson’s, these projects all aim to improve Maltese society and standards of living.

Apart from Dar Hosea, the Neighbourhood Watch project, submitted

by Victim Support Malta, which will launch schemes to create safer communities, was also awarded.

“With these awards, we have striven to recognise non-profit organisations and individuals who submit innovative, social projects that can solve some social

issues for Malta,” said Inspirasia founder Mark Weingard.

The first edition proved to be successful and applications for new projects for the next Social Impact Awards are now open, with the submission deadline for the expressions of interest being April 28 and for the full application on May 29.

Any innovative ideas to positively impact Malta and any social project that needs funding and support, as well as any businesses and individuals wishing to support and partner the event, are encouraged to apply by contacting Louisa Attard on louisa@inspirasia.org

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/socialimpactawardsmalta

ARTYFACTS

THEY ARE THE SOLDIERS Photography Allen Venables

In her latest music video, Ira Losco shares the stage with modern-day ‘soldiers’, including cancer and meningitis survivors. “I am simply the narrator in a real-life story,” she tells Pink in her first full-blown interview after giving birth to her son. The video’s message of dealing with and accepting struggles is a “good reminder not to fall victim to trivial matters”. It’s no pity party either.

F

irst of all, how is to be back in action after an eight-month hiatus; back on stage, back in front of the camera… and back behind the lens as you worked on the making of the music video to accompany the third single of your upcoming album? Did you miss this sort of action?

Yes, I most definitely did. I had been at it for nearly 15 years non-stop, so it took some adjusting from my side. I find it fuels my soul to do more than one thing in a day, especially when it’s all related to music and creating. I hadn’t realised how long my hiatus was until someone pointed it out. Well, in reality, last May, I went straight into the studio and recorded till two weeks prior to Harry’s birth. So I was never really that far away from the action. It felt great to be in

22 ∫ Pink March 2017

front of a big audience when I launched my single though, and being back on the airwaves!

It’s a case of back with a bang – yet you choose to share the limelight, so to speak, with four other protagonists – in this video. Didn’t you want this to be all about you and your ‘grand entrance’ back on the scene?

My vision for We Are the Soldiers was immediately drawn towards including other protagonists. The song speaks about struggle and survival and that this is a reality everyone faces. How we deal with our struggles is more important than outlining the hardship.

I believe every single one of us has our own struggles, and every situation is unique and personal. The best way I thought of relaying that message was by

running four parallel stories and the positive message of accepting our challenge and moving forward in life nonetheless. I thought of Amy Zahra, Charlene Mercieca [coincidentally, I later got to know she was presenting this year’s Eurovision final where I was also a guest debuting the new single], Karl Abela, a visually impaired athlete I met recently, and Julian Bajada, a Para-athlete whose story I recently discovered. I knew they all had to feature in the music video some way or another. All four protagonists had inspired me with their touching stories.

So, this song was the perfect fit for the message I wanted to convey.

Your first performance at the Malta Eurovision national final after your brief absence due to the birth of your child saw you projecting a

Amy Zahra

ARTYFACTS

Charlene Mercieca

Photography behind the scenes Roos Jansen

“THE FACT THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO A SONG THEY LISTEN TO AND MAKE THE STORY THEIR OWN IS, ULTIMATELY, THE BEAUTY OF MUSIC” stronger-than-ever image, very much in keeping with the title of your track, We Are the Soldiers. Did you want that image to be carried through in the video, or are the soldiers someone else here?

I try to see myself in a different way with every release because, ultimately, I feel the song is in control and it is the song that decides what is the best fit for it both sonically and visually. I also love that the dynamic of the live performance can be replicated in a music video. The real soldiers are Amy, Charlene, Julian and Karl in this case though. I am simply the narrator in a real-life story.

The song speaks of rising out of struggles and the determination to bounce back, harder and stronger.

Do you feel any struggles of your own pale in comparison to those of the personalities you chose to feature in the video? Is it a way of putting things into perspective?

I could never compare my own struggles to the ones of the four protagonists, but I am positive they will argue the opposite, in the sense that their message is that we are all equal. We all have struggles.

Accept what life throws at you. Don’t let anything bring you down, or any impairment hold you back. Of course, the fact that everyone can relate to a

song they listen to and make the story their own is, ultimately, the beauty of music. Not everything turns out as we plan. But what defines us is not the actual challenge; it’s how we chose to deal with it. To some extent, I feel I can deal with a lot of challenges, and to some extent, the more they stand in my way, the more I am ready to overcome them.

How did you go about choosing these people? Was it hard to find the right candidates to fit the bill, or did you know exactly who you wanted, based on their experiences and approach?

It wasn’t difficult at all. I met Amy years ago when she contracted meningitis.

Immediately, her smile and her incessant zest for life drew me towards her. The same can be said about Charlene. I was blown away by her enormous courage and her candid way of saying things as they were during her treatment. I can say the same thing about Karl, whose strength and positivity truly inspired me, as did Julian’s perseverance and athletic achievements.

What do their stories mean to you on a personal level?

Their stories are a manifestation of courage and determination, but above Pink March 2017 ∫ 23

ARTYFACTS Do you think this music video could serve to bolster others going through tough times? Do you intend it to be an anthem of sorts for those who are struggling, or are we reading too much into it and it is just the images to accompany the words?

Music and visual work hand in hand.

Every video tells a different story. If this video inspires people going through rough times, if it allows us to take a moment and think about others, or simply makes us aware that we are equal and able to achieve, then I think it has served its purpose.

all, they are a reality. They put my perception in check.

Many a time, I’ll moan and groan about the stupidest things. This video will be a good reminder not to fall victim to trivial matters.

Was it easy for you to convince them to feature, or did you have to talk them into it?

They were all happy to share their story, as long as it did not portray them as victims and we were of the same opinion. Amy asked to see the lyrics so, of course, I sent them to her. I received a smiley face and the words: “I like the lyrics!”

You could have created a fictitious story to send across the idea of soldiering on. What has been the impact of using real people and real issues? And how important do you think it is for artists to really connect with real causes?

I wanted to celebrate the protagonists.

They are real-life soldiers. I think artists have the power to touch people twofold – through music and lyrical content – and when both are coupled with genuine visuals, it really can’t get more honest than that. I get that the entertainment industry is a stage, where many of us play different roles and we rely on emotions. We make use of artistic licence to play into surreal and real-life scenarios.

You were after achieving a poignant visual in your music video. But your chosen protagonists are more a symbol of strength than of sadness and heartbreak. How did you ensure that it would be moving and tug at

“THEY WERE ALL HAPPY TO SHARE THEIR STORY, AS LONG AS IT DID NOT PORTRAY THEM AS VICTIMS”

Has being away from the scene and having a baby in any way played a part in your way of thinking, the inspiration for and the message behind this music video? Are you feeling deeper and more into the meaning of life?

I think I have learnt to appreciate everything more. The little simpler things mean the world; time and how valuable it is. It has also made me appreciate my art more. I also love the people closest to me more.

24 ∫ Pink March 2017

Photography Gianfranco Stellini

ARTYFACTS heartstrings, without simply giving rise to pity instead?

My pitch to all the protagonists was based on the video not being a pity party. I was adamant and so were the director and my management that the message comes across poignantly, but with great positivity.

Who else out there inspires you in this same way? And if you had the chance to choose absolutely anyone to feature in an upcoming video, who would it be?

Anyone who fights for his or her rights and lives life with immense positivity is inspirational. I don’t want to give away too much and what we have in the pipeline, so I’ll keep mum about that.

The result is exactly how I imagined it, but the feeling created is more than I anticipated.

THE REAL PROTAGONISTS

How was it on set and actually working with them?

It was lovely as they are all fantastic.

They are very down-to-earth and were great to work with. There was a particular moment where the director was shooting Karl, who is visually impaired, and where the irony of being in a music video he can’t actually see dawned on me. I’m sure all protagonists had a moment of reflection and I am happy some special ones were genuinely captured. That’s the beauty of working with real-life stories and protagonists.

Meningitis survivor and amputee Amy Zahra and cancer survivor Charlene Mercieca.

“THE NEXT BALLAD WILL BE VERY MOVING ON A PERSONAL LEVEL AS IT’S BASED ON SOMEONE VERY DEAR TO ME WHO’S NO LONGER WITH US, UNFORTUNATELY. I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD AFFECT ME SO MUCH. THANKFULLY, MUSIC HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY CURE TO MY DEMONS AND I AM SIMPLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS WONDERFUL GIFT” The video was shot by Matthew Muscat Drago, but how much of a say do you have in the end result and are you totally happy with the outcome?

My manager, Howard, and I have a very strong and focused vision and most decisions are based on gut.

When the gut feelings align, there’s no turning back. While we are very open to different ideas, we thrive on the chemistry and energy created with the people we work with. We challenge everything put forward regardless of where it comes from, but we try not to derail as it’s very easy to lose focus on the road ahead. A wrong side road can take you in a wrong direction very fast and, more often than not, it’s not easy to get back on track. People who work with us tell us that we ping-pong ideas very fast.

You have long wanted to collaborate with these women.

Did you ever envisage it would be in this way, or did you have no idea how it could materialise?

In what way do you feel this music video differs mostly from your others – even in terms of your input and message – and what does it say about your artistic development with time?

My aim is to continuously raise my personal bar higher. This album is actually going to have two ballads and this is one of them. It is my first power ballad after quite a while. The last ones were I Don’t Wanna Talk About It from the Accident Prone album in 2005 and Idle Motion from Fortune Teller in 2008, so that’s nearly 10 years ago. The last single with a message as strong as this one was The Person I Am from The Fire. This single touches a more sensitive issue though. The next ballad will be very moving on a personal level as it’s based on someone very dear to me who’s no longer with us, unfortunately. I never thought it would affect me so much. Thankfully, music has always been my cure to my demons and I am simply grateful for this wonderful gift.

How did Ira Losco approach you to take part in her video and did you have to think about it?

Amy: Ira and I go back a long way. When I got sick with meningitis 11 years ago, she had come to visit me with a common friend.

From then on, we remained in touch. Ira gave me a call a few weeks before shooting the video, told me about her vision for it and asked me if I wanted to take part. My issue was time, more than anything else, because I work and I’m also studying and I’m involved in a number of organisations as a disability rights and women’s rights activist.

However, once we worked out our schedules, it was fine. I also knew the kind of image Ira wanted to portray and that is why I agreed to take part. I’m not a fan of either the tragedy image, or the superhero image, and both the song and the video don’t portray either, but rather, the rawness and reality of our everyday lives.

Charlene: I had a call from Ira. There wasn’t much to think about really. I just went for it!

Did her idea resonate immediately with your own personal experiences and circumstances, or did you have to tweak the concept? Did you identify immediately with the song and her aim?

Amy: Apart from knowing what kind of idea Ira wanted to put forward, she also understood my background and principles.

I think the song is about many people’s reality, that is, that sometimes life throws things at us which we have no control over and for which our only way out is to be resilient. Once I heard the song, I identified immediately with the words and with the idea that we are all human and that we all have our good days and bad days.

Charlene: I don’t see myself as a soldier as such as I don’t believe that such life circumstances are to be battled, or fought; it’s more about accepting them. But I know that for many people, it is important that they feel they are warriors. I didn’t have to tweak anything from the filming since I believe I still passed on the message of hope and love for oneself.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 25

ARTYFACTS In your circumstances, what do you think may be your most trying moment yet and how do you rate your resilience?

Amy: I’ve had to battle two major wars in my life, fighting meningitis and kidney failure. I would not have been able to overcome both had it not been for the support of my family and husband. In a way, I think our whole life is a test. Those two instances were my trying moments, as was losing my father, who donated one of his kidneys to me. My resilience was only possible due to the support of my family and husband. I would surely not have done it had it not been for their tireless support. The fact that I’m rather hardheaded might have helped a little too.

Charlene: After my experience, I realised there are no good or bad experiences. Life just is... We can only accept what life gives us with grace and do the utmost to learn from each experience, being grateful and counting our blessings each day. When we allow such situations to teach us, we can become the greater versions of ourselves each day.

What does this song mean to you personally, and what do you think it could mean to others?

Amy: I believe the song portrays the reality that life is not always nice and cheery, as we may tend to portray it, but that it has its highs and lows. I think everyone has some experience or other that can resonate with the words of the song.

Charlene: For me, it means that each circumstance has a silver lining, and from the other stories I saw, I think many people are going to grasp the positivity of these individuals.

Do you think music can really help and inspire people who have hit rock bottom and are going through a terrible time, or is it the last thing on their minds when at war?

Amy: Music can be very helpful. It has certainly helped me. When I was in hospital for more than three months, fighting for my life after meningitis, I used to feel that music was my way of 26 ∫ Pink March 2017

video. To be surrounded by all those old books was certainly inspiring.

Charlene: For me, it was a new, fun experience.

“WHEN I WAS IN HOSPITAL FOR OVER THREE MONTHS, FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE AFTER MENINGITIS, I USED TO FEEL THAT MUSIC WAS MY WAY OF CONNECTING WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD” connecting with the outside world. It can be a source of inspiration, a way of putting our emotions on paper, or in this case, in music.

Charlene: The right music can put you in the right state of mind. There are many studies showing how certain frequencies can actually be healing.

How was the actual experience of shooting the video? Was it another trying moment that pushed you out of your comfort zone, has it served to strengthen you even more, or was it just a matter of fun and games?

Amy: I very much enjoyed the shooting of the video. All the people involved were great fun to work with. I loved visiting the National Library, which was a good perk of taking part in this

You’ve had your fair share in the spotlight, pushing forward your own messages of beating the odds and being brave. Does your participation in Ira’s video add another dimension to these goals and in what way?

Amy: It certainly adds another means of bringing my message forward. Taking part in a music video was a first for me and goes beyond the usual newspaper or television interview.

Charlene: Many people look up to Ira as a role model, and a person who achieved a lot of success. The participation of all of us brings out a stronger message. Some people can inspire through music; others through their actions and gestures.

We all have our strengths and we can all do something to improve the human race.

What is your own message, which you are sending out through this video, beyond the underlying idea of rising from struggles and bouncing back?

Amy: That people with impairment can lead normal lives. We need to see more people with impairments as our doctors, our teachers, our beauticians – it is only then that we would have reached equality.

Charlene: My message was and still is to embrace each situation, learn from it and have faith that things will work out.

And what do you think of Ira Losco for having wanted to share the stage with you? What does it say about her?

Amy: Ira has always used her platform to bring important issues such as bullying to the fore. I believe this song puts forward a strong message about the reality that many of us go through. I thank her for using her talents to share with us the rawness of our realities.

Charlene: It was a privilege to have shared the stage with her.

That dirty word

In the wake of International Women’s Day, HELEN RAINE reminds us what the feminists ever did for us and where we would be without them.

F

rom humourless hippies in comfy shoes to strident go-getters in spike heels, the idea of a feminist comes in many guises, but barely half of women today would call themselves one.

The women’s movement is suffering from an image crisis, out of favour with the generations who have benefitted from it most and despite the fact that feminism has completely revolutionised life for us women.

While some are vying to see who can shout “I’m a feminist” the loudest, it’s become something of a dirty word.

The 1960s feminists are depicted as bra-burning fanatics, or ball-busting’extremists, who hate men. Maybe that’s why modern women are some-

times reluctant to identify themselves as feminists – they don’t want to be defined by their gender, they don’t feel like victims and they take the equal rights that they have for granted.

On the other hand, the women of the 1960s had to fight hard because the odds were stacked against them in such a mighty tower that they needed a wrecking ball to reverse the natural, male-dominated order. We have them to thank for the raft of legal rights that women now enjoy.

You, Before the Revolution Let’s hop back to the early 1960s for a moment. Pink magazine would be a rather different read. Forget about

INFOCUS interviews with female MEPs, CEOs, or entrepreneurs; women’s options were generally limited to getting married young, having children and becoming a homemaker [or, if you were especially religious, joining a convent]. The magazine would have been filled with tips on how to keep your husband happy and nutritious recipes for your brood, which would be growing apace without access to reliable birth control.

Women in the US and the UK had achieved national suffrage in the 1920s, but in Malta, they only got the right to vote in 1947. As Malta entered the 1960s, there was still a heck of a way to go in terms of equal rights.

Degrees were generally a pipe dream – it was a rare woman, indeed, who graduated from the University of Malta unless it was with a diploma in teaching, nursing or another ‘suitable’ female profession. Those who did make it through a law or medical degree would not have had an easy ride – the establishment tended to keep women out. When they did find a job, women were usually paid less than men.

Most likely, even a highly-educated woman would have been sidelined and shunted off into marriage and child raising. Formal childcare was pretty much non-existent, further limiting women’s options, and women also had few legal rights within marriage – prior to 1993, the man was legally the ‘head of the household’, with control over the income of both spouses as well as parental authority. If you wanted to throw off those marital shackles, then hard luck – divorce didn’t exist [and it hasn’t exactly been around for long].

Enter the ‘bra burners’. Depicting those 1960s campaigners in that way has helped to diminish their achievements in the collective consciousness – feminists have been turned into ‘feminazis’. But bra-burning was one small stunt in a long and painful campaign that was fought for us to have the right to work, to be educated, to be treated equally and to read a magazine that celebrates women’s achievements instead of perpetuating the myth that we are all happy being domestic goddesses.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 31

INFOCUS Equal in Law While Malta was somewhat behind the curve compared to the US and much of Europe, ultimately, the feminist revolution here did succeed in obtaining women’s rights through the constitution and laws such as the Gender Equality Act. The National Council of Women, set up in 1964, helped with many of these advancements, although up to 1981, female public servants were still supposed to leave work when they got married.

Along the way, women have battled for the right to be protected from sexual harassment, to have rape properly investigated and to be guaranteed maternity leave.

Gradually, the ‘de-sexing’ of language is also trickling down. The use of words like ‘chairperson’ instead of ‘chairman’, ‘police officer’ instead of ‘policeman’ or ‘sales person’ instead of ‘salesgirl’ is becoming common. Yes, this may be considered splitting hairs, but to some, it really matters – language reflects bias in society and makes it harder for people to see women in a ‘male-dominated’ role [or vice versa]. We can choose to be ‘Ms’ instead of ‘Mrs’ or ‘Miss’, and I do, because my marital status at work is no one else’s darn business.

Without those hard-won achievements, where would most of us be? Probably in the kitchen, that’s where. Nonetheless, a recent YouGov poll in the US found that 47 per cent of women who chose not to identify themselves as feminists did so because they were “too extreme”.

More Girl Power Needed Perhaps the fight is over? But consider this: we’ve come a long way from the first

female graduate in Malta [Tessie Camilleri in 1922]; the number of women graduating surpassed men in 1991 and girls continue to outperform boys in school and university here, yet we still aren’t making it into the upper echelons of power and influence in either politics or business in equal numbers – far from it!

ient times; longer maternity leave and the option to extend unpaid leave; and perhaps most importantly of all, the kind of paternity leave that Nordic countries offer.

If, when women went back to work, men could take some paid time off [and by that, I mean several months, not 24

“UP TO 1981, FEMALE PUBLIC SERVANTS WERE STILL SUPPOSED TO LEAVE WORK WHEN THEY GOT MARRIED” Our legal rights might be enshrined in law, but despite our now superior qualifications, we’re being overtaken by men in the professional world. In the light of that, fighting the feminist fight may not seem like such an extreme thing.

One of the reasons why Malta has a dramatically falling birth rate is that we ladies do fabulously at work until we have children and then things get challenging. We’ve tried “having it all” and found it wanting; that’s because even when both partners work full time, women still [today! in 2017!] put in more hours on average than men when it comes to looking after children and doing household chores.

For many women, the solution has, therefore, been not to have kids. It’s hard to think about taking on extra responsibility at work when you’re already doing a second job at home.

But we don’t have to remain childless; there’s another way. Society could recognise that just like men, women are needed in every aspect of professional life, with their hard-won qualifications, their drive and their sometimes different way of doing business successfully. What can keep them in work? Childcare at conven-

measly hours], fathers would be able to fully participate in carrying the burden of the household and children without having to farm a tiny infant off to a childminder. And when those men went back to work, they’d be better equipped to understand exactly what needs to be done at home and how to do it. Our boys and girls will see mummy and daddy sharing the housework and the professional world equally, setting the next generation of women up for success instead of burn out.

Hold the Flame Thrower Fighting for women’s rights doesn’t have to mean anarchy and it’s not about being ‘anti-men’. Our Victoria’s Secrets undies, mascara and high heels are safe from the flames too. But we do need to work on solving the problems that women still face [a good start is to vote for politicians who will make a genuine change – actions speak louder than words when it comes to the number of women in the Cabinet]. And we may need to reclaim that dirty word – it means someone who fights for equal rights, and for some, that fight is far from over.

WOMANKIND

RESOLUTION AGAINST REVOLUTION Nien Cheng’s story is a monument to courage; a celebration of integrity; a vindication that truth will ultimately triumph; an indictment of mindless brutality and political persecution. For MARY GALEA DEBONO, it’s a reminder of the plight of the individual, the human suffering, which is often beyond the scope of the historian.

O

ne balmy August evening in 1966, Nien Cheng was sitting in her study reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. The fragrant smell from the magnolia tree in her garden wafted in through the open window. Complete silence reigned in the house; her cook and her maid had both retired to their rooms and her daughter was at the film studio where she worked.

The stillness was suddenly broken by the noise of a heavy vehicle lumbering down the road. It stopped by her house and, within seconds, a persistent ringing of the doorbell echoed through the house, soon to be followed by a furious pounding of several fists on the wooden gate, accompanied by shouting, swearing and kicking.

Nien kept her calm and opened the door. A group of 30 odd high-school students, aged 15 to 20, accompanied by three senior teachers, all wearing armbands, menacingly entered the house. They were Red Guards – men and women whose mission was to put into action Mao Tze-tung’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. “We have come to take revolutionary action against you,” one of them yelled at her.

After an initial verbal exchange, Nien, realising that physical resistance was futile in these circumstances, placed her bunch of house keys on a chest of drawers. One of the girls pushed her into the dining room and locked her in, while the rest dispersed round the house on their mission of destruction.

Nien had half expected this assault on her house. For weeks since the start of the Cultural Revolution, gangs of students, beating drums and gongs and shouting slogans from Mao’s Little Red Book, had been on the rampage all over China. They roamed the streets harassing anyone who showed any signs of non-conformity with the leader’s teaching. They looted houses, dismantled Buddhist temples and destroyed anything that was perceived as ‘foreign’, or belonging to the precommunist era.

Up to that moment, it had been possible for Nien to preserve her lifestyle and it took her some time before she discovered and understood the true reason for this sudden persecution. It only became clear during the interrogations to which she was later subjected while she was in prison.

Nien, whose real name was Yao Nien-Yuan, was born in Peking [Beijing] in 1915; she belonged to a rich land-owning family. In 1935, she went to study at the London School of Economics, and there, she met Kang-chi Cheng, who was working on his PhD. They got married, and in 1939, he became a diplomatic officer in the Kuomintang Government and was posted in Canberra, Australia, where their only daughter, Meiping, was born.

In 1949, when Mao came to power, he was made director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but left a year later to accept an offer from Shell Petroleum Company to become general manager of its Shanghai office. When he died of cancer in 1957, he was replaced by a British general manager, who asked Nien to become his assistant, acting as go-between for the general manager and the Shell labour union. Whenever the British manager went home on leave or to Peking for meetings, Nien acted as general manager.

For the Red Guards, this prestigious position was no achievement to be proud of; rather the opposite. In their jargon, Nien was “a capitalist roader”; “a running dog of the Anglo-American imperialists”; a spy for the British.

On that fateful August evening of 1966, while she was locked in her own dining room, Nien could hear people running up and down the stairs, glass Pink March 2017 ∫ 35

WOMANKIND breaking and the furniture being moved.

She looked around her; at her beautiful polished dining table; the white lacquered screen with its inlaid ivory figures; the antique porcelain plates and vases; the jade statues; the rose quartz incense burner and the paintings. She felt certain that she would never see these things again and that a new chapter in her life was about to begin.

When she emerged from the room where she had been locked, she found the floors were littered with pieces of glass – fragments of her antique Chinese porcelain and glass collections that had been carefully preserved in their glass cabinets. The maid had to clear a path in the middle of the room and sweep the debris to the side for them to be able to walk.

When everything that the Red Guards had looted was packed up, loaded on trucks and carted away, Nien was put under house arrest. The box-spring of her own bed was placed on the floor in one of the rooms, together with a change of clothes, while a suitcase containing her winter clothes, a quilt and blankets was left in

a corner. Two guards sat outside her room. Her daughter was allowed to live in her own bedroom, but was not permitted to speak to her.

During her house arrest, Nien was summoned to attend “struggle meetings” where she was urged to make confessions, admit mistakes, make denunciations – even of relatives and friends if necessary – and accept the need for rehabilitation. These were humiliating sessions during which she was roughly treated, yelled at and spat at, aimed not only to intimidate her, but to destroy her dignity.

Nien was convinced that she had done nothing wrong and was not cowed into submission: “… my mood was not one of fear and defeat but one of resolution,” she wrote. When her interrogators gave up every hope of breaking her resolve, she was sent to

“NIEN SPENT SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN THIS PRISON, LOCKED UP IN A TINY, DARK AND DIRTY CELL, COMPLETELY CUT OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. WITH NOTHING TO DO, DAYS BECAME ENDLESS. BUT WHAT SADDENED HER MOST WAS THE FACT THAT SHE WAS TOTALLY DEPRIVED OF ANY NEWS ABOUT HER DAUGHTER. THIS BECAME A CONSTANT WORRY. LIFE BECAME MEANINGLESS”

Nien Cheng and her daughter Meiping, who died at the hands of the Red Guards while her mother was in prison.

36 ∫ Pink March 2017

No 1 Detention House, which was a political prison. She later discovered that the reason why she had spent a long time under house arrest before being sent to prison was because her interrogators had hoped that her daughter, under duress, would denounce her mother, which she refused to do.

Nien spent six-and-a-half years in this prison, locked up in a tiny, dark and dirty cell, completely cut off from the outside world. With nothing to do, days became endless. But what saddened her most was the fact that she was totally deprived of any news about her daughter. This became a constant worry. Life became meaningless.

During her incarceration, she was subjected to regular interrogations. The aim of these sessions was to induce her to give her interrogators enough details

that they could then twist and use against her. She soon understood that she was just a tool in the power struggle taking place at the top of the party leadership. The hope was that an admission of guilt from her could be used to incriminate Zhou Enlai, the Chinese Premier, by accusing him of permitting foreign firms to operate in China, thus facilitating the infiltration of spies. But instead of manipulating her psychologically, these gruelling sessions merely served to make Nien more determined to resist.

In an attempt to make her confess, she was transferred to a small, windowless cell in an eerily quiet part of the building, where she was the sole occupier, her hands tied at the back, making it very difficult for her to sleep and to perform even the simplest needs. When it rained, water seeped in through the walls and left puddles.

A stench of mustiness pervaded the cell and her clothes became mouldy.

Her health began to deteriorate seriously; she drifted in and out of consciousness and she had to be repeatedly hospitalised.

Nien Cheng in her new homeland, the US, in 1988.

“HER WILL TO SURVIVE WAS REINFORCED WHEN SHE RECEIVED A PARCEL THAT CONTAINED HER DAUGHTER’S CLOTHES. SHE KNEW THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO HER. LIFE BECAME A STRUGGLE FOR ENDURANCE – SHE DID NOT WANT TO DIE BEFORE SHE DISCOVERED THE WHOLE TRUTH”

Her will to survive was reinforced when she received a parcel that contained her daughter’s clothes. She knew that something had happened to her. Life became a struggle for endurance – she did not want to die before she discovered the whole truth.

It was her faith in God that gave her the courage to fight on. “My faith had sustained me in these the darkest hours of my life and brought me safely through privation, sickness and torture.”

Nien was released from prison on March 27, 1973, after the death of Mao. She knew that Meiping was dead when, on her release, she was not there to meet her. She was later informed that her daughter had committed suicide in 1967 by jumping from the ninth-floor window of the Shanghai Athletics Association building. Nien did not believe this and decided to find out for herself what had really happened to her. What she learnt shocked her; Meiping had been abducted from the house by a group of revolutionaries and beaten to death.

Nien was assigned a house she shared with a family, who was planted there to spy on her. This was only one of the factors that convinced her she had to leave her country. In 1980, she applied for a visa to visit her sisters and went first to Canada and then to the US. In 1988, she became a US citizen and died in Washington on November 2, 2009.

Nien recounted her experiences in her book Life and Death in Shanghai. The wealth of details that only a firstperson account can supply is of utmost importance. When historians write about the great upheavals that have shaped the story of mankind – such as wars and revolutions – they usually focus on the bigger picture. They narrate the chronology of events; discuss the causes that led to them and analyse their economic and social effects. The plight of the individual; the human suffering, be it physical or mental, is beyond the scope of the historian.

Nien’s book breathes life into a historical event; makes one understand the reality behind slogans; places the individual at the centre of history.

Her interrogators had ironically often urged her to write her autobiography, hoping to trap her by making compromising statements. They failed. Her story is a monument to courage; a hymn celebrating integrity; a vindication that truth will ultimately triumph; an indictment of mindless brutality and political persecution – a reminder lest we forget.

SHOWSTOPPER

Frills & flounce DECORATE YOUR DRESS CODE. TIME TO RUFFLE SOME FEATHERS… Photography Karl Sciberras Styling Marisa Grima [marisagrima.com] Hair Marlene Vassallo Make-up Jennifer Dimech Model Claire @ Supernova MNGMT Location Cafe Riche, Vittoriosa

Top, €129; skirt, €299, both Mangano ∫ shoes, €85, Aldo.

40 ∫ Pink March 2017

SHOWSTOPPER Dress, €215; trousers, €145, both Karen Millen ∫ bag, €49, Aldo.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 41

SHOWSTOPPER Dress, €70; trousers, €56, both Oasis ∫ MCQ bag, €262, Rebelli ∫ shoes, €55, Aldo ∫ Urbanista Seattle wireless headphones, €99, iCentre.

42 ∫ Pink March 2017

SHOWSTOPPER Jacket, €279.99; blouse, €119.99; trousers, €159.99, all Pedro del Hierro @ Cortefiel.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 43

SHOWSTOPPER Jacket, €35.99; top, €25.99; skirt, €19.99; choker [set of two], €15.99, all Mango ∫ Victoria Beckham sunglasses, €395, Rebelli.

44 ∫ Pink March 2017

SHOWSTOPPER Dress, €175; bag, €105, both Karen Millen.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 45

SHOWSTOPPER Dress, €29.99; necklace, €15.99; bag, €39.99, all Mango.

46 ∫ Pink March 2017

SHOWSTOPPER Blouse, €39.95; dungaree dress, €89.95; scarf, €24.95, all Benetton ∫ shoes, €65, Aldo.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 47

THEUNIFORM

STYLE OF THE TIMES Historically, designers have used their art to convey their feelings and beliefs about what is going on in the world, but fashion blogger and stylist CAROLINE PARIS finds that many went for complete escapism this time round. Fresh from the fashion weeks, she thinks the current climate of uncertainty and political unrest may have served to confuse them. But one message rings true: fashion has forgotten the frail and delicate woman and is dressing the strong and powerful.

H

eld in February, the clothing seasons of the Fall/Winter fashion weeks are the same both on and off the catwalk, except that, of course, they are actually a year apart. This makes for interesting play.

As the fashion week schedule progresses from one city to another, trends from the catwalk start getting adopted into what people are currently wearing.

50 ∫ Pink March 2017

Many influencers even start wearing the new pieces that are technically meant for next season.

This can become quite confusing – I don’t think anyone quite knows anymore whether we are in a ‘see now, buy now’ phase, or ‘see now, buy later, but see on certain people before’. It sometimes feels as if something new is already old by the time the actual season rolls around.

THEUNIFORM

“I DON’T THINK ANYONE QUITE KNOWS ANYMORE WHETHER WE ARE IN A ‘SEE NOW, BUY NOW’ PHASE, OR ‘SEE NOW, BUY LATER, BUT SEE ON CERTAIN PEOPLE BEFORE’. IT SOMETIMES FEELS AS IF SOMETHING NEW IS ALREADY OLD BY THE TIME THE ACTUAL SEASON ROLLS AROUND” TRENDING NOW, THEN AND LATER While winter trends are the main focus, the approaching summer also had an obvious effect on the street looks.

The long trench coat, for instance, is a major trend this spring, spotted many times, mainly worn loose and relaxed in slouchy fabrics, over skirts, dresses, trousers.

Mustard-yellow is a prominent shade on the colour palette as are the many shades of pink, with the light version seeming to be the favourite, although there’s lots of hot pink too.

Bell-bottoms and embroidered denim are big, big trends – the 1970s influence in general is a heavy one, and as a result, block heels also have a very

strong presence. Fishnet tights and socks are another street-style favourite especially worn under ripped denim, or paired with over-the-knee boots.

COLOUR ON THE CATWALK On the catwalk, colour and maximalist fashion dominated. Faux fur – and even real fur – were very popular.

Even off the catwalk, big, colourful, fluffy, fur coats walked the streets, paired with bright skirts and dresses.

There’s an obvious demand for a great big fun coat.

Some of the top catwalk fur looks were by Simonetta Ravizza and MSGM, while in London, Alice Archer used specialist embroidery techniques to

create beautiful, rich robes that were super eye-catching.

The cut-out and open-shoulder details retain their status as a street-style favourite, and some winter-appropriate styling, with tops worn under, were also spotted to stop the freezing effect.

If you think the 1980s were the worst thing that ever happened to fashion, you might get a bit upset at what you’re about to hear: power shoulders, coloured mascara, power dressing, and even big hair are all coming to a street near you very soon.

Punk fashion is another winner, with lace-up platform boots, band T-shirts, grunge effect and sex slogans as seen at Cristiano Burani.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 51

THEUNIFORM

BIG ON BEAUTY In terms of beauty, while the current trend, which is also around for the summer, is very minimal, this is all set to change in winter, with big eyeliner flicks and lots of colour on both eyes and lips used on the catwalk.

Michele Magnani, global senior artist, Mac Cosmetics, the official sponsor brand of Milan Fashion Week, described coloured mascara as the next big thing in make-up. While it has been done before, it has never been truly or widely adopted into the fashion scene, but at Blugirl, the models walked out wearing orange, blue, purple or green mascara.

“FEMININITY IS PRESENT, BUT STRENGTH IS ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT” Metallic finishes are also trending, as is super highlighting along the cheekbones, but heavy foundation remains blacklisted, so do continue to invest in good skincare.

52 ∫ Pink March 2017

THE MOOD The main thing we need to keep in mind about next winter – and even the approaching summer seasons – is that glamour and fun are both back, even though, in the current climate of uncertainty and political unrest, designers could have gone a different way.

Historically, they have used their art to convey their feelings and beliefs about what is going on in the world, but many designers went for complete escapism. It may be that today’s current world is too confusing for artists to even know what they believe in and what messages they wish to convey.

There was fun and colour on the catwalk everywhere, along with glamour and embellishment, and also an interesting introduction of different cartoon characters. Gucci has even introduced Donald Duck in its collections.

It seems as though the message they wanted to convey was of a fashion party, of throwing caution to the wind

and remembering to have a laugh.

Nowhere was this more apparent than at Moschino.

In truth, it has become standard practice for Jeremy Scott to poke fun at real world issues in an ironic manner.

This season, he mocked the idea of the fashion-obsessed consumer, who surrounds herself with anything in any way related to the world of fashion and dresses herself in clothes made out of packages.

The two messages that did ring out loud and clear, especially in Milan, are those of unity and of power and strength. Clothes have been empowering women since the days that Chanel introduced the trouser suit, and designers continue to convey this belief.

Femininity is present, but strength is always at the forefront. Forget that frail, delicate woman of the past. Today, designers dress strong women.

Photography Kurt Paris

THINKPINK

FASHION, FOOD & THINGS

F&F WOMENSWEAR

TRUE DESIGNER HERITAGE PEDIGREE

International Fashion Ltd recently launched Spanish brand Pedro del Hierro, which has been incorporated into the Cortefiel outlet at Baystreet Shopping Complex, St Julian’s. Having a true designer heritage pedigree, Pedro del Hierro was originally set up as a couture house by the famous designer Pedro del Hierro himself in 1974. In recent years, the company was sold to Cortefiel Group, but it retains the designer’s sense of style and vision.

The Pedro del Hierro name continues to be renowned across Europe for creating luxurious prêt-à-porter collections that exude Spanish and European culture. The brand is proud of its Spanish heritage and incorporates a sense of Spanish tradition, art and culture in each collection, while also looking towards modern trends and ideas across the world. The brand houses womenswear, menswear, footwear and accessories. Elegance and sophistication are the hallmarks of the Spring/Summer 2017 collections, which take us into a world of exclusive experiences through the coastal landscapes of Southern Europe.

ATTRACTIVE, AFFORDABLE, AVANT-GARDE

Striking contours, dynamically sweeping surfaces and coupélike window lines characterise the exterior of the A-Class.

With a new, more arrowshaped front bumper, new LED High Performance headlamps and modified tail lights, the new generation emphasises the sportiness and dynamism of the successful compact-class model series. Countless possibilities are available to make the A-Class your own: from small details that add special touches, to comfort features that, until recently, were only reserved for the luxury segment. In fact, the A-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to be available with comprehensive smartphone integration – the Apple® CarPlay® [for iPhone® owners] and MirrorLink® infotainment systems [optional extras]. It is now available at €29,700, including a free five-year service plan. For more information, or for a test drive, contact the Kind’s showroom in Mosta Road, Lija, on 2331 1138/2331 1142, or the Gozo showroom on 2155 0962.

The bohemian traveller is brought to life through vintage styling, pleated and midilength skirts and Bardot tops, which are key this season at F&F. Embroidery and ditsy prints also play a large role, accentuating the Cuban style, as well as appearing in casual collections. A serene and exciting palette of whitewashed neutrals, mellow reds, summer sky blues and sun-bleached peach runs throughout the collections.

SEEING TED

Ted has always had a fondness for exploring the outdoors – be it on foot, or on his bicycle. His Spring/Sumer 2017 sunglasses collection is, in part, an ode to the walking exploration of glamorous Art Deco architecture, with its marbled floors and the interplay between curved and straight lines. The collection is also a tribute to exploration on two wheels, with the design traits seen on vintage bicycles providing the inspiration. Look for bicycle tube construction and leather detailing for nods to pedal-power. From aviator frames to oval-shaped sunnies, Ted’s impressive array of eyewear will keep your eyes protected and pretty. The Ted Baker range consists of a ladies’ selection of beautiful and trendy sunglasses. They are available from Sunlab at The Point, Plaza and Baystreet.

GRAND PRIZES

The latest promotion from Kinnie offers consumers the chance to win great prizes from Scan Malta, such as Magic NutriBullet Blenders, Samsonite Spinner Luggages, Canon lxus 162 Digital Cameras and many others. In addition, all participants will also be entered into a draw to win one of the following grand prizes: an Apple MacBook Air, an Apple iPhone 6s, or a 40” Samsung Full HD LED TV. Information on how to participate in this promotion can be found on www.kinnie.com/scan.

Consumers must purchase Kinnie, Diet Kinnie, Kinnie Vita, or Kinnie Zest featuring promotional labels in order to participate. Kinnie is produced, marketed and distributed by Simonds Farsons Cisk plc.

A PERSONALITY

Starting from €20,900, the new Mokka X boasts stylish looks, a lively engine line-up, along with the adventurous personality and unrivalled connectivity, offering an array of state-of-the-art technologies. The Opel Mokka X’s new exterior design displays a bold attitude.

New vibrant colours such as Amber Orange, or Absolute Red add further emphasis to the sporty and exclusive appearance. For more information, or to test drive the Opel Mokka X, visit the Opel showroom at Motors Inc. Ltd in Mdina Road, Qormi, send an e-mail to opelsales@motorsinc.com.mt, call on 2269 2122, visit www.opel.com.mt and follow the Facebook page Opel Malta.

54 ∫ Pink March 2017

NEW MENU

Among the scrumptious new additions to the revamped Rickshaw menu at the Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa are the Singapore-style frog porridge; silken tofu with creamed century egg; pork, cabbage and water chestnut gyoza; the Nihari, slow-cooked mutton marinated in a garam masala mix; the Dum ka Keema, an aromatic beef stew, simmered with papaya, coriander, chili and ginger, topped with crisp fried onions; and the scallop clay pot. Just reading about these dishes is enough to whet your appetite.

INTHEPINK

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE Dispensing optician CELIA MELILLO focuses on the eye damage caused by the blue light emitted from digital devices, zooming in on how it can be reduced.

B

lue light is a natural phenomenon that is present in sunlight. It helps us keep awake, but overexposure can lead to eye strain, eye fatigue and sleeplessness due to its high intensity.

Most of us get the bulk of our exposure to blue light from being outdoors, since sunlight is a main source. But for those who are indoors on a normal working day, many digital sources, including flat-screen TVs, computer screens, tablets, smartphones, and fluorescent and LED lighting also emit blue light.

Anterior structures of the adult human eye are very effective at blocking UV rays from reaching the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eyeball. In fact, less than one per cent of UV radiation from the sun actually reaches the retina.

But the human eye is not very good at blocking blue light, which can penetrate all the way to the retina [the inner lining of the back of the eye].

Studies have confirmed that too much exposure to blue light can damage the light-sensitive cells in the retina. This may eventually cause macular degeneration and, worse still, vision loss.

Although research is still ongoing as to how much blue light is far too much for the retina, many eye care providers are concerned that added blue light exposure from all the modern digital devices we use might increase the risk of macular degeneration later on in life.

On a daily basis, extensive users of digital media can experience several complaints of discomfort, each with different causes. These include red and irritated eyes, dry eyes, eye fatigue, blurred vision, back, neck and shoulder pain, sleeplessness and headaches.

It is important to know how to prevent these complaints.

For example, make sure to keep enough distance between your eyes and the screen; adjust the brightness of the screen;

try and blink more often; and consider special eyewear.

A normal pair of glasses is usually designed to correct vision mainly at far and near distances, but is not effective for computer use, which is not usually within this range. But special indoor lenses, created strictly for office and computer use, are also available on the market.

“MANY EYE CARE PROVIDERS ARE CONCERNED THAT ADDED BLUE LIGHT EXPOSURE FROM ALL THE MODERN DIGITAL DEVICES WE USE MIGHT INCREASE THE RISK OF MACULAR DEGENERATION LATER ON IN LIFE” In addition, a special lens coating for both prescription and non- prescription glasses that neutralises the blue light emitted by the digital screens is also available. This coating reduces glare and enhances contrast, providing a more comfortable and relaxed vision and a better colour experience.

In light of the fact that we work, learn and relax with digital devices from morning until late night – research shows that over a third of adults spend four to six hours a day with digital devices, while 14 per cent can even spend between 10 and 12 hours a day – it is welcome news that protection from the blue light they emit is available.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 57

HEALTHBITES

Herb Garden

A LITTLE WONDER ON THE ISLAND By medical herbalist Doru Prodan, member of the British Herbal Medicine Association

Borage, Borago officinalis, is that beautiful blue flower, wrapped in hairy leaves and growing randomly in our fields. Once associated with courage, it used to flavour the wine for soldiers before battle. In fact, the name itself seems to be derived all the way from the Celtic borrach, meaning ‘a person of courage’. It was even thought to dispel melancholy and soothe sadness and grief. Borage is a cooling, cleansing and refreshing herb, with adaptogenic, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant and antiinflammatory properties. The leaves, flowers and seeds, best harvested on a dry day, have nutritive and medicinal properties. Used as a poultice, it can be soothing and healing to skin inflammations, while combined with hawthorn berries, it is a good heart tonic. Borage tea stimulates lactation, relieves fevers and promotes sweating. It is also beneficial for dry coughs and throat irritation, as well as a good remedy to use with such digestive disturbances as gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Borage tea is also helpful in clearing up boils and rashes and can be used as an eyewash.

Borage oil, extracted from the seeds by cold pressing, rebalances premenstrual syndrome and helps soothe menopause symptoms. It reduces the adherence of plaque to artery walls, thus lowering the risk of coronary heart disease.

Its anti-inflammatory effects make it efficient in treating rheumatoid arthritis, atopic eczema, infantile seborrheic dermatitis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It prevents the formation of blood clots, helps to keep cell membranes flexible and supports the body’s immune function. Borage is your perfect ally as a nutrient and medicine. However, always seek advice from a professional practitioner.

ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE: A THREAT TO OUR FUTURE!

By Jessica Dowling from the Malta Medical Students Association

Antibiotics are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. They either kill, or inhibit these microorganisms. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria becomes unreceptive to certain drugs, giving rise to the need for a more costly and aggressive treatment. This phenomenon is often the result of irresponsible antibiotic use, such as taking antibiotics without medical prescriptions, or taking only part of the full prescribed course for viral infections.

Antibiotics work by targeting specific parts of the bacteria’s cellular machinery.

However, as time passes and the intake of antibiotics increases, a number of factors come into play, increasing resistance to one particular drug. Populations of bacteria are large in number, so a mutation in one organism causes significant genetic changes in a great portion of the population. Furthermore, replication is quite fast, allowing easy spread of the mutated gene. Along the years, a number of antibiotic-resistant organisms have developed and increased the burden on public health. Some strains of Staphylococcus aureus, for example, are resistant to penicillin and methicillin and, lately, even to vancomycin, which has been the most effective drug in the past few years. Mycobacterium tubercolosis and

Klebsiella pneumoniae are other examples of multi-drugresistant bacteria. Faced with such a problem, it is our responsibility to limit the use of antibiotics unnecessarily to prevent further development of resistant organisms. Limiting use of antibiotics to prescribed drugs and finishing the full course are two effective measures.

Besides, hygiene is also essential to limit the problem as much as possible. Hand hygiene is a simple yet vital procedure in reducing bacterial spread. Vaccination also helps in prevention of disease and, ultimately, the use of antibiotics. It is today that we can act to fight this major threat to public health and aim to have a better future for our descendants.

The further reduction of added sugars by the European soft drinks industry in its products by 2020. The commitment will be rolled out across Europe. This initiative responds to changing consumer preferences regarding sugar intake and calls from member states and the European Commission for a coordinated approach to reformulation and sugar reduction. The combined reductions and this new commitment will achieve 20 per cent less sugars on average compared to 2000. The Europe-wide approach could impact over 500 million consumers. The industry aims to achieve its target through using low and no-calorie sweeteners, and increasing the availability of smaller pack sizes to allow portion control and moderation.

In addition, soft drinks producers will invest in the promotion of beverages with reduced or no sugar to actively encourage consumer choice towards low- and no-calorie products. The 10 per cent sugar reduction commitment represents a tripling of the pace of efforts to date.

10%

MONTHLY MUSE “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the US [1706-1790]

58 ∫ Pink March 2017

ONFORM

WORK OUT THE SOLUTIONS TO BAD RESOLUTIONS Your New Year’s fitness resolutions are likely to have long fizzled out by now and you may be tasting bitter failure as we speak. But DONATELLO PISANI from The BodyForge in Gozo is here to talk us out of what he terms the worst ‘dissolutions’ and train us to fix them with four tweaks to common resolutions that are set to bring about hardcore changes in life.

L

adies, please do not set yourselves up for fitness failure this year. I see it happen time and again and it’s pretty distressing. I see ladies starting out with all the goodwill in the world, fired up with the best of intentions, only to have their plans shot down in flames in a few days – yes, days – simply because of the way they structured the whole ‘resolution’ thing.

It’s bad enough that something like that happens. It’s even worse when you think that failure makes each subsequent effort less likely to succeed… because many women start off knowing they failed last time they were at it, which makes their new effort even more halfhearted – and even more likely to fail.

So, in an attempt to clear out confusion and problems, and possibly help as much of you hit their fitness targets this year, here are the four most common ways women plan their fitness goals and why the strategy is intrinsically structured to fail. And, of course, I have added a few suggestions of how to tweak these resolutions, turning them into ones you can stick to more easily and with a much higher chance of success.

“I WILL LOSE WEIGHT!” Ah, indeed! This is the mother of all New Year’s resolutions. How many times have we said that to ourselves, with the midnight bells of each January still ringing in our heads?

60 ∫ Pink March 2017

The problem with saying something like this is that it is, in reality, more of a vague statement and a lofty goal than something tangible we can work on.

Saying we will “lose weight” is like drawing a goal on morning mist. There is nothing to aim for. There are no steps to work with, no material goal to give us a benchmark from which to gauge our progress. And thus, we won’t really know if we are moving towards our goal, or away from it.

And having no progress map will derail us in a few short weeks.

Because no one can keep on moving forward unless there is a way with which we can measure our progress.

How else would we know if we are keeping up with our goal, or if we are failing?

First, set a sensible, long-term goal like: “I want to lose five kilos in 10 weeks!” Then, break it down into more rewarding goals, say: “I will lose half a kilo a week.”

This will allow you to gauge your progress [or lack thereof] on a weekly basis and will show you whether you are on track, or if you are slowly spiralling down into lassitude again.

By knowing where you are going, you can be more aware of your direction, you can make quicker adjustments and fix problems before they become unmanageable.

“I WILL EXERCISE DAILY!” Now, really ladies! I applaud your vigour and your newfound resolve.

Exercise is definitely something you

“WHILE THIS IS A GREAT THING TO SAY IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT, IT IS, AT BEST, JUST A BATTLE CRY; THE SCREAM TO PUMP YOURSELF UP FOR THE CHARGE. AFTER THAT, IT TENDS TO PETER OUT INTO SILENCE, AND DIE A PRETTY QUICK AND QUIET DEATH” SOLUTION

Be specific! We need weekly – or even daily – benchmarks to reward ourselves with; real numbers that will give us a trail to walk on. So, instead of the old favourites – “I will lose weight” or “I will get in shape” – we need to aim for a practical figure. And here is how it would work:

should be engaging in on a regular basis. However, while this is a great thing to say in the heat of the moment, it is, at best, just a battle cry; the scream to pump yourself up for the charge. After that, it tends to peter out into silence, and die a pretty quick and quiet death.

Seriously, think about it for a moment. You have been sedentary for

ONFORM

a little while [or maybe, a good long while might be closer to the truth].

Do you really think you can wake up one day and turn into an exercise demon, with daily workouts becoming a fixed part of your routine overnight?

The truth is that working out every day not only requires major commitment, but also requires major planning and major lifestyle changes. It is not something that can be done at the flick of a switch.

Plus, your body [and your diet] is not yet ready for such drastic changes. If you actually do this, chances are that you will get injured… if you don’t get mentally overtaxed before that.

You are simply asking too much, too fast, of yourself.

SOLUTION

Let’s approach this in a more sensible fashion. I love starting my female clients off with a three-day-week exercise routine, then working them up from there, according to what their body says. It’s a great way to avoid overwhelm, as well as injury.

You see, your body recovers in between workouts. What you are doing at the gym is actually breaking it down and giving it a reason to repair and get stronger and leaner.

The rest periods between the workouts will actually better prepare you for harder and more intense training as you adapt to each successive routine. This means you will grow into your training and your new habits, instead of forcing them upon yourself.

And you can also incorporate micro-changes into your life to reflect

your new goals. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Park a little bit further away from where you need to stop and walk to your destination. Carry shopping bags home instead of waiting for a ride.

You’d be surprised at the changes little tweaks to your life can accomplish.

This strategy has a much better chance of success than your original plan.

“I WANT GREAT LEGS!” Yes, yes, I know, I know. Just about every single, red-blooded lady client wants sexier, more curvaceous legs.

And hey, guess what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I am more than happy to help any woman get curvier, tighter legs and butt any day of the week. It’s also a great way of empowering them.

The problems arise when this turns into a one-sided obsession, meaning that a lot of women come in just wanting to train legs and the upper body gets neglected. The entire focus is on the legs and nothing else.

This means that major areas like the arms [especially the triceps], the back and the chest are relegated to the back of the drawer. In reality, a misaligned approach will, out of necessity, give misaligned results.

Complete focus on just one body part is never a good idea.

SOLUTION

The whole point is overall consideration and a well-planned and well-designed training programme.

Each body part should get its own individual attention. No part is more important than the other.

Fair enough, feel free to focus a little extra on some problematic area, but do not do it at the expense of other body parts. Balance in life is important, and that includes your fitness.

Plus, targeting all body parts equally will give your body a better chance to recover, as well as giving you much quicker results in your quest for better health and a tighter, more toned body.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 61

ONFORM So, design a workout that hits everywhere equally. It will work out better in the long run. Don’t aggravate an imbalance that is already there by adding an imbalance to the solution.

“I WILL WING IT ALONE!” This is probably the biggest mistake I see being made by the vast majority of trainees. For some reason, a staggering amount of people seem to think that going to the gym and working out should be something that comes to them as naturally as breathing.

You will magically know how to construct the optimal training programme for yourself. You will wave an enchanted fairy wand and imbue yourself with the perfect techniques involved in the various lifts. Abracadabra!

Or, far worse, I hear that lie that just won’t die: “I just need to do 15 minutes on a treadmill, 15 minutes on a stationary bike and 20 minutes on the elliptical and voilà! Hello Hollywood body!”

Accountability? And who needs accountability? That’s only for those other, undisciplined people out there, right? Not

“DON’T AGGRAVATE AN IMBALANCE THAT IS ALREADY THERE

BY ADDING AN IMBALANCE TO THE SOLUTION” us. Well, I am sorry to say that it will never work this way. No, not ever! The truth is that the overwhelming majority of people who start training out on their own will just give up after a very few short weeks.

SOLUTION

Switching over to an active, healthier lifestyle is not something you can do on your own. Just as you would not expect to hoppity-skip into the cockpit of an aircraft, put the headphones on, make the perfect take-off, pull off a few daredevil aerobatics and execute the perfect landing, then, in the same way, you can never expect to learn something as complicated as working out correctly by yourself.

So, by all means, join a class. It is a well-known fact that women who are a part of a close-knit group tend to attend more lessons, train harder and enjoy the sessions more. The peer accountability in these groups is a great way to get ladies to commit more to working out without just giving up.

Even better, find a mentor and coach [not just a personal trainer]. They will put you on the right track, show you how to do things properly, save you from mistakes, injury, failure and heartache, and support you when you need it most.

The money spent on an outstanding mentor is never wasted. It’s an investment.

They will not only cut your learning curve to a fraction of what it would otherwise be, but prevent you from running into the dreaded wall, the place where most people just shrug it all off and quietly pack it in.

And the resolutions for a better body and better health will be shelved till the midnight bells ring in another year.

So, if you are truly serious about getting results, find a mentor with a good track record. Keep in mind that this will take time, effort and commitment – nothing good in life happens without serious application.

Donatello Pisani is founder and CEO of The BodyForge, international bodybuilding competitor, master trainer, fitness specialist, fat loss consultant, nutritional advisor, pharmacist, blogger and motivational speaker.

THINKPINK

HEALTH & BEAUTY

PREVENTION, PROTECTION AND CORRECTION

A FLAWLESS FINISH

Which one is right for you? Dermablend Fluid Foundation, or Dermablend [3D Correction]?

Recommended by dermatologists, and used by make-up artists, Dermablend is Vichy’s expert and award-winning camouflage foundation range that helps cover and conceal minor to severe skin imperfections for a flawless finish with no mask-like effect. Combining a high concentration of pigments and a blendable texture, Dermablend Fluid Foundation achieves an incredibly smooth finish while respecting sensitive skin. This highcoverage foundation corrects an uneven skin tone, vitiligo, rosacea, redness, dark circles and age spots, providing excellent coverage for up to 16 hours. Its texture is so light that it easily blends into the skin for a comfortable, natural-looking finish. It also contains SPF 35 for added sun protection. If you’re looking for an oil-free foundation that covers, smoothes and improves the look of oily, acne-prone skin in just one layer and is suitable for sensitive skin, then Dermablend [3D Correction] is the right choice. It goes one step further in the subtle art of camouflage; its lightweight formula reduces the appearance of acne marks and scars while treating 3D imperfections with every use.

3D Correction leaves skin looking smooth and matte for up to 16 hours and has SPF 25. Dermablend can be used by anyone, whether you want to cover up any imperfections, or you simply want a good hold and a natural-looking finish. Exclusively available in pharmacies, for more information, send an e-mail to vichy@prohealth.com.mt

BLEMISH PRONE SKIN

Skin blemishes are not only a matter of fluctuating hormones during puberty. Impure skin can still come back later in life. Eating habits, stress, skin conditions and the type of skin itself are contributing factors of blemished skin in adults. Skin impurities and the need to take care of our skin are not merely age dependent. Impure skin is not just ‘impure skin’. When it comes to caring for impure skin, it is all about getting into a skincare routine with the right products that work for you. Dry impure skin and oily impure skin need two completely different treatments to achieve a quick and lasting improvement. The Dr Grandel Puriface Series offers two paths for a clear skin – Sebocontrol light, or Dermabalance – both of which provide 24-hour skincare. Depending on the current state of the skin and skin type, the special formulations in the Puriface series either prevent excess sebum production, reducing spots and pimples, or optimise the moisture balance of the skin, strengthening its own protection. Dr Grandal is available in beauty salons and spas.

For trade enquiries, contact Carewell by Reactilab by sending an e-mail to sales@reactilab.com; or calling on 9982 8498, 9945 7245.

To maintain healthy-looking skin, an effective skincare regimen must include three fundamental elements: prevention, protection and correction. The SkinCeuticals product philosophy is built around these principles. Designed to help protect against future damage through their suncare range, protect healthy skin, and help correct existing damage, SkinCeuticals is committed to advanced skincare products that are backed by science. To experience the benefits of a 360-degree skincare regimen for yourself, Persona Med-Aesthetic Centre is giving a discount of up to 15 per cent on SkinCeuticals products this month. Call Persona in Ta’ Xbiex on 2134 0366 for more information.

BALMY AND GLOSS

Step away from the gloss, put down the balm, and pick up the Lip Oil Balm by 3INA, which combines the nourishing properties of a lip balm with the highimpact shine of a lip gloss. Infused with Shea butter, rich essential oils and available in six lightly-tinted flavours, the Lip Oil Balm by 3INA imparts all-day, long-lasting hydration, with subtle colour and glossy shine. Squeeze the tube and swipe the cushion applicator across the lips for a smoother and fuller feel, shine and instant moisturisation. The Lip Oil Balm also works as an amazing ‘top coat’. It is paraben free, cruelty free and not tested on animals. 3INA is represented by Hudson. For further details, call on 2345 9181; https://www.facebook.com/3INAMalta

ACTIVE CONCENTRATE

The Professional Collection series of Ampoules by Dr Grandel Kosmetik offers active care in a concentrated form. It provides maximum flexibility and effect, depending on the needs of the skin at the time. The secret of the active ingredient ampoules lies in their effectiveness. These concentrated formulations are soaked up by the skin, with visible improvements from the first application. Dr Grandel is available in beauty salons and spas. For trade enquiries, contact Carewell by Reactilab by sending an e-mail to sales@reactilab.com; or calling on 9982 8498, 9945 7245.

PORE-FECT

Experience a matte and flawless complexion with Clarins Pore Perfecting Matifying Foundation. An ultra-light, naturally covering foundation, it helps to ‘blur’ out unevenness and reduces fine lines and wrinkles while boosting the skin with hydration for supple and flexible make-up that lasts all day. Clarins Pores & Matité Kit is another new product designed to help you keep your skin beautiful and shine-free under all circumstances.

Clarins products are exclusively distributed by von Brockdorff Imports Ltd and are available from Clarins authorised outlets.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 63

THINKPINK

HEALTH & BEAUTY

A UNIQUE INSPIRATION

Blue zones, true sources of inspiration, are characterised by populations with exceptional longevity and replete with plants recognised for their power and effectiveness. Chanel Research, therefore, focused its attention on nutritious plants endemic to these zones, selecting a combination of three ingredients: green coffee of Costa Rica, the olive of Sardinia and the lentisk of Greece. In keeping with its expertise, it combined the power of nature with avant-garde technologies to create pure and powerful active ingredients, which improve cutaneous longevity and activate the skin’s youthfulness. With Blue Serum, it’s not about combating ageing, but about wellness with a new approach to skin youthfulness. Chanel is distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd.

AN AROMATIC WOODY FRAGRANCE

Quatre Intense cologne for Men by Boucheron was introduced in 2016 and is classified as an aromatic woody fragrance. Scent notes of Quatre Intense Boucheron include top notes of citrus bergamia, violet, pepper, middle notes of leather, geranium, sage and base notes of tonkin beans, vanilla, patchouli and vetiver. It is housed in the familiar bottle, now resembling a white gold molten column, contrasted by a matte black shadow and adding a masculine touch to the presentation. Boucheron fragrances are exclusively distributed by Chemimart [2149 2212].

SPA GOODNESS

Give your skin the things it wants most with the Dove DermaSpa Goodness range, which offers a luxurious lotion, a pampering body cream, a silky oil and a rich hand cream, all enriched with the latest advancement in dermatological care – Cell Moisturisers® – and blended with omega oil to create indulgent, spa-like formulas that leave dry skin feeling full of moisture. Dove DermaSpa Goodness transforms dry skin in beautiful ways and leaves even-looking, luminous skin that feels velvety soft. www.facebook.com/Dove

POTS OF COLOUR

Mavala Minis are the perfect little pots of colour that won’t dry out before you reach the bottom. The long-lasting quality paint produces a professional finish that's even, smooth and glossy, yet comes off easily with one sweep of a remover. The small pots are perfect for travel, or for a handbag, plus the iconic 5ml pots of colour are an affordable way to buy into key trends. Unlike traditional nail colour, Mavala’s unique formula delivers microscopic air pockets to allow nails to breath, ensuring your natural nails are cared for. All Mavala’s colours are free from parabens, formaldehydes, toluene, camphore, cellophane, animal ingredients and heavy metal. They are exclusively represented by C+M Marketing Ltd on 2142 4080/79.

64 ∫ Pink March 2017

CHANGE THE FUTURE OF YOUR HAIR

Dercos, founded in the 1960s, was the first dermatological laboratory dedicated to hair beauty. Today, it is Vichy’s testament to its DERmatological and COSmetic expertise for the health of scalp and hair, evident in its number of targeted treatments with clinicallytested efficacy. The discovery of the Aminexil molecule, used today in Dercos Aminexil Clinical 5 for men and women, put Dercos at the forefront of innovation for hair loss treatments. This molecule helps rebalance and recreate a healthier scalp, as well as slow down hair loss whatever its cause. Dercos Neogenic, the hair rebirth treatment for both men and women, contains five per cent Stemoxydine, a patented molecule and another revolutionary discovery for Dercos, which promotes the good functioning of the follicle stem cells. Dercos Anti-Dandruff shampoo contains a microbiome technology with Selenium Disulfide, a powerful natural agent that attacks and eliminates even the most persistent dandruff, while Dercos Ultra Soothing sulfate-free shampoo is the latest addition, helping the scalp in resisting stress factors for long-lasting comfort, thanks to its unique Sensirine complex. Dercos Nutri-Repair shampoo and conditioner target dry and damaged hair that is dull, tangled and rough to the touch. Nutri-Repair transforms even the driest hair thanks to its Keratin complex + 3 plant-derived oils, helping to repair and fortify the hair fibre. Dercos Oil Control is the first shampoo created by Dercos – an anti-sebum complex that purifies the scalp and limits the production of oil. It is exclusively in pharmacies.

For more information, send an e-mail to vichy@prohealth.com.mt

CLEAR YOUR MENTAL COBWEBS

The new Dove Go Fresh Grapefruit & Lemongrass Antiperspirant Deodorant packs a super-charged citrus burst with the sweet scent of lemongrass to help get those mental cobwebs cleared right at the start of your day. A quarter is moisturising cream to help the delicate underarm skin to recover from the irritation shaving can cause, giving soft and smooth underarms in just three days. The formula contains no alcohol too, so it’s kinder on your underarm skin. www.facebook.com/Dove

A LUMINOUS WAVE

Nina Ricci’s Rose Extase Eau de Toilette Sensuelle is a luminous wave, paced by a rose’s vibration, drawing out a magnetic journey. It’s a velvety sensuality of the skin, quivering beneath a petal’s breath, staring deeply into the exquisite light. For further details, contact Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery Ltd on 2133 1553.

PINKSHRINK

WHO PAYS FOR SEX? We often talk about prostitutes, but it takes two to tango. Do we ever consider the other side of the story?

What sort of a man seeks out prostitution and why?

Dott. EDWARD CURMI profiles the ‘client’.

P

eople often question why men visit prostitutes.

According to the Scientific American Mind journal [2009], between 16 and 39 per cent of men across most countries do so, although in places like Thailand, studies have identified an astounding 90 per cent. These men come from all walks of life and a wide range of economic social class backgrounds.

Over the years, a number of international studies have tried to understand what motivates men to seek the services of a prostitute.

Although the reason may seem pretty obvious, it is not as straightforward as one would like to think. Here are a few answers: • When men who are willing to pay for sex were interviewed, the most common motivator seemed to be pleasure. People are willing to pay for an enjoyable activity and sex gives instant gratification.

• For some men, prostitution is nothing but a chance to let their fantasies come true. These men are hedonists, trying to explore their erotic fantasies with what they perceive to be their perfect sexual stereotype of a woman. Through prostitution, they hope to

channel their sexual appetite and remote desires to feel more wanted and special.

• A good 20 per cent of men seek prostitution because they are unhappy and lonely in their current relationships. These men often feel sexually frustrated and have a strong sense of void in their lives. Most of the time, they will seek the services of the same prostitute with the hope of developing a stronger attachment to reduce their loneliness.

extremely insecure around women and paid sex is often perceived as a safe way of avoiding rejection.

Through the sexual experience, they hope to gain confidence and, hopefully, understand better what women want from a relationship.

• A small percentage of men who choose to pay for sex are seeking a compulsion for their obsession. They have a very high sex drive and are not able to remain monogamous.

They constantly have thoughts about sex and will resort to anything to satisfy and relieve their needs. In such cases, prostitution just becomes a way of sustaining their obsession, or addiction.

• There is also a small percentage of men who resort to prostitution to belittle women and seek revenge.

These types of men often feel threatened by women and have a strong need to overpower them.

By making them more submissive, they hope to feel more in control of the situation. Unfortunately, these men can be sadistic in nature and resort to extremely abusive behaviour towards prostitutes.

These are just a few of the possible reasons why men could resort to pay for sex. At first glance, such a mentality and behaviour may come across as extremely toxic and distorted.

However, when one delves deeper into the subject, one is able to understand

“NUMBER OF MEN SEEK PROSTITUTION BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN INCREDIBLY LOW SELF-ESTEEM. THEY ARE EXTREMELY INSECURE AROUND WOMEN AND PAID SEX IS OFTEN PERCEIVED AS A SAFE WAY OF AVOIDING REJECTION” • On the other hand, men may also visit prostitutes to avoid intimacy.

Some are not at all eager to committing towards a serious relationship.

Paid sex with a stranger becomes the vehicle to their sexual needs, without needing emotional attachment. In their eyes, prostitution sets them free from seeking romantic love, while still giving them the chance to gain sexual gratification.

• Ironically, a number of men seek prostitution because they have an incredibly low self-esteem. They are

better where these attitudes stem from. Having said that, one definitely needs to listen to the other side of the story as, more often than not, these experiences are devastating and traumatic for the women caught up in prostitution.

Dott. Edward Curmi is a registered clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and author of the book Common Sense: a Better Understanding of Emotional Well-being, and its sequel More Common Sense: a Better Understanding of Emotional Well-being, available from Agenda Bookshops.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 67

PARENTINGTIPS

GROWING A HEALTHY BODY IMAGE Feeling overwhelmed because you don’t know how to help your child develop a positive body image when you’ve never quite mastered it yourself?

Educational and child psychologist Dr STEPHANIE SATARIANO shows us how to help our children feel great about their bodies, take pride in their appearance and enjoy a healthy self-esteem in a society that makes us doubt ourselves at every point.

A

recent British report calculated that women spend an average of 31 years of their lifetime on diets, and men 28 years.

Statistics also indicate that poor body image starts shockingly young in the US – 46 per cent of nine- to 11-year-olds report they’re sometimes/often on a diet, and 78 per cent of 17-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies.

Furthermore, there is an ongoing rise in eating disorders and an increasing awareness of the long-term damage this does to our bodies.

So, what should you do when teenage hits and your children’s dietary habits are less in control as they start making poor choices? You may even be concerned they are putting on weight; in fact, they may be concerned too. But how do you handle this in a constructive, rather than destructive manner? How do you ensure that you build a healthy self-esteem?

First, let’s understand what a healthy self-esteem is: it is when a person knows that they are worthy simply because they exist. You are worthy of love, respect, appreciation and joy. Your worth as a human being is not defined by others, or by externals, such as money, status, etc…

It is not conditioned by what you do, how you treat others, or what you look like.

Healthy self-esteem is unconditional.

WHAT TO DO • Build your self-worth – and if that’s still a long way off, fake it till you believe it!

You are your child’s best and most powerful role model. Do things like not

wearing make-up and embrace it.

Ignore the fact that you don’t feel as confident as you’d like to.

• Watch your words: we can all look back at our childhood and still hear some powerful words that either knocked or built our self-concept. Sadly, negative and critical words often leave the greatest and most long-lasting impact.

Conversely, positive words can have a powerful impact; but make them meaningful and real – most people can see right through compliments and praise that isn’t genuine.

and socialise, and enjoy many foods in moderation.

• Teach moderation: experts warn we should try not to label foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’, but instead, teach children about ‘sometimes’ and ‘always’ foods.

We can also teach that ‘always’ foods will give them buckets of energy.

Children eat healthier foods more enthusiastically when they are told they will give them “more energy to zoom” in the school race.

• Admire individuality. Humans are incredibly diverse. We’re all made to be different shapes, shades and sizes.

We can help children feel confident

“YOU ARE YOUR CHILD’S BEST AND MOST POWERFUL ROLE MODEL. DO THINGS LIKE NOT WEARING MAKE-UP AND EMBRACE IT” • Help your children see that their body is more than just something that needs to look good in accordance with societal standards. Honour what your body does for you and for them, from sports to exercise and daily living. And teach them how they need to look after it so that it can continue to do these things for us. If we abuse it for the sake of aesthetics, then it may not be there when we need it.

• Emulate self-care: being healthy is about so much more than body weight and size, and it is important that children understand the multiple elements that combine to create health. Show your children how to take care of their bodies by making time to take care of your whole self.

• Make your own well-being a priority – honour the value of a good night’s sleep, take time out to exercise, relax

about their individual appearance by admiring the variety of beauty around us.

Most importantly, compliment behaviour; not solely aesthetics. Take opportunities to compliment children on positive behaviour and character traits, focusing on whether they are thoughtful, generous, kind and polite, rather than on how pretty they look. Done regularly, this will provide great big boosts to their self-esteem.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for negative body image. Mainstream notions of beauty are not going anywhere in a hurry. Whether it’s helping ourselves, or our children, boosting body image will be a lifelong, uphill process. But start today on the path to becoming the teacher and role model of positive body image you have the power to be.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 69

GIRLTALK

THE VIRGINIA MONOLOGUES

ARE THERE ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY?

T

here’s a big bag full of random socks, which I have yet to pair, that’s been sitting on my sofa for about two months, possibly even longer. Every day, I postpone the agony and tell myself that I have better things to do, which, I suppose, is true.

In the grand scheme of domestic chores, sock-pairing isn’t all that compelling and urgent. There is always something that feels more important and imminent… like unloading the dishwasher, or loading it, for that matter.

Because, as most of us know, much of life is taken up by these mindless and mundane chores: if you’re not loading the dishwasher, you’re unloading it; stacking plates, cups and saucers and trying to figure out how you suddenly have no more cupboard space for glasses or Pyrex bowls when you did before. [I confess to not being a stickler for storing things in the same place. I have no qualms shifting the plates and bowls around, although I do try and make sure they all fit inside each other nicely.]

Then there’s that other machine that always seems to be on the go – the one that washes clothes. Washing them is the easy part of course; the hard part – or at least the part I hate – is having to hang them out to dry [and peg them] and then bring them back

70 ∫ Pink March 2017

in and, worst of all, iron them. There’s also the business of putting them away in their respective drawers, cupboards and cubbyholes, which is equally timeconsuming and mind-numbing.

Even if you have someone else do these tasks for you, I have come to the conclusion that your work at home is never done. Even just keeping the kitchen clean, wiping the counters

“EVEN IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE ELSE DO THESE TASKS FOR YOU, I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOUR WORK AT HOME IS NEVER DONE” Welcome to my – and most everyone’s – world; a world of unpaired socks, unpegged sheets [which invariably fall into the neighbour’s garden] and an ever-increasing ironing pile. And of course, add to that all the other stuff that has to be done every single day: an endless list of domestic duties, which could keep you at it all day long, from dusting to sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning windows and floors, changing bed sheets, getting on top of wardrobes and bookcases to wipe all the dust and grime away.

down, seeing to garbage and the dishwasher is guaranteed to take up an hour of your morning.

And I haven’t even considered the shopping here. Shopping for the day-to-day essentials and stocking up on water and other food provisions is not for the fainthearted. I always feel slightly sorry for myself when I catch a glimpse of myself lugging two shopping bags full of stuff that, once again, needs to be put away – and this usually after battling traffic and searching for parking spaces.

Even carparks need to be carefully navigated and sometimes necessitate going round in circles for several minutes on end. It may seem exaggerated, but when you consider how stressful life has become and that this is yet another cog in the domestic wheel, you start to wonder how it gets done at all.

In fact, I don’t really know how it does. I never quite understood how people who have full-time jobs and spend eight- to12-hour days doing whatever it is they do for a living also manage to keep house: laundry, shopping, cleaning, clearing and keeping on top of things generally – whether it’s replacing a gas cylinder, a faulty bulb or a water heater.

“I NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD HOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE FULL-TIME JOBS AND SPEND EIGHT- TO12-HOUR DAYS DOING WHATEVER IT IS THEY DO FOR A LIVING ALSO MANAGE TO KEEP HOUSE” I don’t believe they really can, actually. I know that I can’t. I don’t work a full-time job and I make sure to keep one day during the week completely free, and I still feel overwhelmed most of the time.

There are days when I do feel completely on top of things. They’re few and far between, and on those days, I’m usually on a complete high and feel strangely invincible. My home smells clean [floors are washed and carpets are primped], the ironing pile is at an all-time low and there’s a whiff of clean laundry in the air, the dishwasher’s empty, my plants are watered, the fridge is full, my sheets have just been changed and life is good.

But it’s short-lived, and very soon, chaos returns and my son’s clothes are strewn all over the place, I’ve missed the garbage collection and it’s so overcast that I don’t dare wash any clothes, so the heap keeps piling.

I once read somewhere that if you commit to waking up 30 minutes earlier every day and you do this for a year, you will add one-and-a-half days to your waking world. I think that waking up an hour earlier is even better, because it gives you half an hour to just enjoy a cup of tea and organise your day.

When you oversleep and wake up in a frenzy, your day unfolds in much the same way. So yes, I do think that waking up earlier does help because it’s amazing what a lot you can get down to between 6 and 8am. Think of all those socks you can pair in two hours. Truth be told, I could spend an entire weekend looking for those matching socks and still it wouldn’t be enough. ginantonic@live.com

PINKPROMO

A TOAST IN MILAN FOR

CAMPARI BARMAN MALTA WINNER

Malta’s 2016 Campari Barman of the Year competition winner, Zdravko Mitev, probably hadn’t bargained on an evening in Milan’s famous Camparino in Galleria Bar when he entered the competition last November. But that’s been just one of the highlights that Zdravko has been able to enjoy since his twist on the Boulevardier earned him victory.

B

orn in Bulgaria, Zdravko Mitev is one of the bartenders at the Quarterdeck Bar at Hilton Malta. He has been a bartender for six years, the last three in Malta.

“I’m passionate about experimenting and creating new twists to classic cocktails. I like being creative with cocktails and Campari’s unique taste and colour is a perfect base,” says Zdravko.

Named Malta’s first ever Campari Barman of the Year against competition from 18 other bartenders, Zdravko’s visit to Milan not only included the visit to the Camparino

72 ∫ Pink March 2017

in Galleria Bar, historically known as the bar of the Campari brand, but also the opportunity to attend a masterclass at the Campari Academy, themed on the Americano.

“On the first evening, I was invited to the Aperol Terrazza, which overlooks Milan’s cathedral. It was so inspiring to be in such a cool place and watch the bartenders preparing an assortment of aperitifs and cocktails.

“I was overwhelmed with the artistic collection at the museum Galleria Campari. The Campari story is a celebration of past and present history, taking the visitor through the famous artworks and typical bar objects, such

as cocktail shakers, glasses and bottles.

The interactive displays, together with presentations of the then avant-garde brand sketches and posters, were all a reflection of Davide Campari’s dedication to the arts.

“At the Camparino in Galleria, I attended an information session and a masterclass. Situated in Vittorio Emanuele II Gallery in Piazza del Duomo, the Camparino in Galleria is a unique venue in the heart of this great city that reminds the world of Milan’s values and the ritual of the Italian aperitif.”

The theme of the masterclass was the Americano. Ahead of the Italian

PINKPROMO Bartenders across the globe are starting to reach to the past for inspiration in a contemporary world.

New-style classic cocktails are being refashioned to please a new generation of drinkers with particularly refined tastes.

The competition gave Zdravko the opportunity to experience a challenge at a truly international level. “I wanted to test my mixology capabilities of the classic Campari cocktails. I called my entry cocktail Back Alley, based on a twist on the Boulevardier,” Zdravko explains.

The Classic Campari Boulevardier is made up of bourbon whisky, Campari and sweet red Vermouth. Zdravko’s winning cocktail, Back Alley, is composed of seven ingredients: a blend of single malt whisky, Campari, Ruby Port, dry sherry, cinnamon and chilli honey syrup, chocolate bitters, and topped with homemade grape fruit foam.

The list of Classic Campari cocktails includes Americano, Negroni, Negroni Sbagliato, Old Pal, Campari Shakerato and Campari & Seltz. All these have been inspired by famous bartenders from all around the world.

“We are very privileged today to enjoy the versatility of these cocktails.

Clients appreciate when we explain the way their cocktail is being prepared.

Campari Barman Competition, whereby the three finalists were asked to prepare a twist of this cocktail, each member of the judging panel gave fascinating presentations, followed by a demo on the Americano.

“Among the distinguished guests from the international bartendering trade, I met with the famous cocktail historian and writer David Wandrich, and the great mixology researcher Fluvio Piccinino. Fluvio spoke about Fortunato Depero, who originally designed the iconic Camparisoda bottle, as well as the story of the Americano and its relation to art,” continues Zdravko.

Other members of the judging panel were international bartender Leonardo Leuci, owner of Jerry Thomas Speakeasy Bar in Rome; Tristan Stephenson, barman and renowned writer; Fabio Raffaelli, a bartender in New York; and Salvatore Calabrese, known as “The

“BARTENDERS ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE STARTING TO REACH TO THE PAST FOR INSPIRATION IN A CONTEMPORARY WORLD. NEW-STYLE CLASSIC COCKTAILS ARE BEING REFASHIONED TO PLEASE A NEW GENERATION OF DRINKERS WITH PARTICULARLY REFINED TASTES” Maestro”, who is considered an icon for the young generation of bartenders. He is well-known for creating the world’s oldest Negroni.

The Campari Barman Competition was held for the first time in Malta last November. Zdravko was awarded a limited-edition Venini Shaker, a bartender deluxe kit, and he has also taken on the role of Campari Ambassador for 2017. This, at a time when the cocktail industry is experiencing an exploding trend that is seeing the rise of contemporary classic cocktails. Drinks such as the Negroni and Americano are regaining their popularity.

A Campari cocktail is a story and an art in itself,” Zdravko maintains.

The trend for Campari cocktails is experiencing a revival across many countries and Malta is certainly not last in picking innovative ways of re-creating these classics.

The Malta Campari Barman of the Year competition was organised by the Farsons Beverage Imports Company and Campari brand executive Claudia Attard in collaboration with the Campari Academy and Malta Bartenders Guild. The judging panel was led by Davide Fornasiero, Campari brand ambassador for the EU. Campari is imported, marketed and distributed by FBIC Ltd, a member of the Farsons Group. For trade enquiries, call on 2381 4400.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 73

Ariadne Massa takes the new Mini Countryman for a spin and the two feel right at home.

Photography Matthew Mirabelli

FUELLING A BIG MINI OBSESSION Ariadne Massa – PR communications strategist at Media Insiders, former Times of Malta head of news and former co-editor of Pink – toys with the idea of trading in her Mini One after taking the new Mini Countryman from Muscats Motors for a spin.

I

have been coveting a Mini Countryman for the past year, secretly letting my gaze linger as it passes me by and hoping my trusty Mini One does not realise and get jealous.

So when my dear friend Fiona messaged asking if I was interested in taking the new Mini Countryman for a spin, it was an impossible request to turn down. You’ve been forewarned – this was never going to be an unbiased review, but I will try to park the blinkers.

Outside the showroom of Muscats Motors, I felt a sudden thrill; it felt like Christmas all over again, except I had to keep reminding myself that, this time, the ‘present’ would have to be returned by close of business.

The company representative looked on bemused as I blitzed him with questions, too excited to let him finish his replies, and leaving him wondering how he’d ended up with me test driving the new car instead of a local Jeremy-Clarksontype expert reviewer.

I wasn’t going to ponder on that for long.

I was in the driving seat and ready to go.

With any modern car these days, technology is king. So you don’t need a key to start the engine, the handbrake has all but disappeared, you can enjoy overly-sensitive

parking sensors, lights that switch on automatically when you go through a tunnel, and Bluetooth phone connectivity… which enabled me to easily make my business calls while stuck in traffic.

The Mini Countryman also sent me a reminder on my mobile phone with the satellite location of where I had parked my car… just in case. They haven’t yet trained it to read the driver’s psyche to understand that I’m always trying to park right outside the door of my destination and the chances of forgetting where my car is are slim. But hey, it was a cool thing to have.

WOMENONWHEELS marathon, were relieved not to be changing gears in the traffic.

I’ve always referred to the Countryman as ‘the Mini on steroids’ and it really is a cross between a go-kart and an SUV – it still has the sporty feel of the traditional Mini, yet it’s slightly elevated, making it better positioned to handle the rough terrain of country roads.

This car comes equipped with three driving modes to match the road conditions: Mid and Green to soften the suspension and be more eco-friendly in terms of fuel consumption; and Sport if you’re seeking to tear up the tarmac in a go-kart.

What I love about my Mini is that it reminds me of a stocky bulldog that possesses incredible roadholding, making me feel safe turning corners at speed.

I didn’t feel as confident pushing the Countryman in the few hours I had it.

Although it is an automatic, the gearbox allows you to shift to M/S and change gears manually. It is also a more grown-up version with plenty of space that my Mini lacks – from a spacious luggage boot to ample legroom and comfort for four passengers.

My claustrophobic mum, who normally refuses to ride in the back of my car, loved the space afforded by the Countryman.

All in all, I’d happily trade in my Mini One for the new Mini Countryman, except at €35,000 – depending on the ‘toys’ you want to reduce or add to personalise your car – its price is a tad prohibitive.

“I’VE ALWAYS REFERRED TO THE COUNTRYMAN AS ‘THE MINI ON STEROIDS’ AND IT REALLY IS A CROSS BETWEEN A GO-KART AND AN SUV ” Minis tend to put a strong focus on style, and not necessarily always with an equal focus on functionality, but I’ve always been a sucker for beautiful packaging. And the Countryman has a huge range of quirky extras to personalise your car.

I hadn’t bargained for an automatic nor a diesel, but it was a turbocharged engine that turned out to have a surprisingly powerful acceleration, and my leg muscles, sore after the weekend’s Vodafone half-

This is one of the more expensive models the brand has produced, but if sales of the previous Countryman are anything to go by, there will not be any languishing in Muscats Motors’ showroom for long.

The new Countryman, the biggest model so far, is also a long way from the snug 1960s original, but although it may have grown up, this super-sized model remains a Mini at heart.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 77

STARGAZER

THE FUTURE IS

PINK ARIES MARCH 20-APRIL 18 During March, you think some existing arrangements and eliminate others. These bold acts required courage. Happily, during April’s first half, a combination of events and others’ ideas, offers and support confirm how wise this was. However, with the foundation for plans shifting well into May, whatever you do should be regarded as an experiment. This prepares you for unexpected changes. However busy you are, take time for those you love. They remind you what’s most important in life.

CANCER JUNE 21-JULY 21 Since early in the year, you’ve been wrestling with questions about your priorities and, in particular, what’s worth keeping in your life versus what should go. You’ve overcome your sentimental attachment to various arrangements and are now examining what’s practical or worth the effort. Obviously, you’re eager to settle into new arrangements. But during this period of exploration, be patient. The insights you gain from what doesn’t work will prove invaluable when you make those final decisions in a few months’ time.

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 22-OCTOBER 22 Obviously, you’d prefer to discuss and resolve differences about the issues you’re facing, some minor, others more complex, without triggering dramas. Yet by April 11, when the Libra Full Moon brings matters to a head, you realise both your feelings and those of others are as important as straightforward facts. Despite pressure – your own or from those who are in a hurry – explore every option and discuss ideas until everybody is ready to commit. This slows the pace, but results in decisions that last.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 21-JANUARY 18 You’ve no objection to investing time into weighing up your options before making decisions. However, because you’ve organised everything in detail, you expect to move on to other matters. But during April, those circumstances shift. While this is annoying, these unexpected changes link to shifts in your work or lifestyle, and soon merge into joint discussions. This then leads to excitement involving loved ones, romance, or family. Unsettling as events are, you’re thrilled, because they’re exactly what’s needed.

According to astrologer SHELLEY VON STRUNCKEL… TAURUS

APRIL 19-MAY 19 As you begin April, you’re facing several potential changes. However, these seem pointless, so you battle them. Gradually, events, discussions and your own reflection on them make it clear they aren’t just wise, they’re also necessary.

These insights are helped by unexpected and often unsettling events. While jarring at the time, each leads to support or possibly a breakthrough in your perspective. Whether it’s an encounter, discussion, or unexpected experience, within days, you’re exploring those changes, and with enthusiasm.

LEO JULY 22-AUGUST 21 Having been forced by circumstances to substantially alter, if not completely change, elements of your domestic or working life, you need a break. During early April, you get it. However, you’re soon drawn into exploring ideas, studies, or activities that would broaden your horizons. While these are thrilling, it’s clear they’d involve yet more changes. However, because it’s ages since you’ve felt so excited, or inspired, you’re enthusiastic.

Better yet, in late April, you’re exploring options you’d once have refused without a thought.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21 As a cautious, thorough Scorpio, you avoid making decisions when short of facts, or when events require a compromise. Yet after an unsettling period, things need to be organised. So do something out of character and make tentative decisions. These matters dealt with, you are then free to explore certain new ideas or alliances, personal, romantic or business, that climax with the Scorpio Full Moon in early May. Be bold.

What initially seems least appealing could bring completely unexpected joy, success, or both.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 19-FEBRUARY 17 The issues at home or at work you’re struggling with seem simple, but they’re more complex than you realise. Sidestep these temporarily, instead focusing on your own pressing, if complex, decisions. While your objectives are clear, the actual foundation on which plans would be based is shifting. You can’t put off decisions, but can ensure what you organise is flexible enough that you and others can rethink things, as will be necessary, possibly several times, before anything’s settled, probably in early May.

Visit www.shelleyvonstrunckel.com to learn more and order your own chart.

GEMINI MAY 20-JUNE 20 You don’t think of yourself as impatient. Still, having struggled for weeks to find a new approach to unworkable plans, you’re frustrated. For now, focus on spotting existing arrangements, personal or professional, that devour your time but return little. Then eliminate those you can’t remedy. That way, when decisive Mars moves into Gemini on April 21 for a sixweek stay, you’ll be free of past burdens or restrictive commitments and, even more important, be clear about and ready to pursue your objectives.

VIRGO AUGUST 22-SEPTEMBER 21 Actually, April’s major turning point is the Virgo Full Moon on March 12. Both events and the resulting decisions you experience then will shape the following several months. These are timely, if not overdue. Your challenge is to take action before plans are finalised. While, initially, this seems risky, you soon realise that these, too, are shifting, so all arrangements, small and large, should be regarded as tentative. Strange as this seems initially, you soon recognise how much freedom this approach gives you.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 20 Few things annoy you more than unfair restrictions or dealing with those who are lacking imagination. Yet as you begin April, that’s what you’ve been contending with. Ironically, what you learn in the process of wrestling with these doesn’t just help resolve the dilemmas you’re facing; those facts and insights prepare you to make decisions amid unsettled situations. Ordinarily, this would seem a compromise. But, instead, you find a way to organise things, while ensuring you have the freedom to further explore your options.

PISCES FEBRUARY 18-MARCH 19 The period since late February’s Pisces eclipsed Full Moon has been as unsettling as it’s been exciting. You’ve not only heard about all sorts of new ideas, but you’ve also met interesting people. Now, as April begins, you’re ready to incorporate some of these into your life. In many cases, that’s easy; in others, you fear changes would cause upset. Instead of worrying, discuss your plans openly with those involved. You’ll be amazed and relieved how happy they are to get involved with these.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 79

SNAPSho A detail from the dress Charlene Farrugia will be wearing during her upcoming concert.

Photography Mario Mintoff

A MOTHERDAUGHTER CLASSIC

Pianist Charlene Farrugia was born with a love for music, but it was her mother who understood this from an early age and got her gift going. A talented dressmaker in her own right, her involvement in her daughter’s career has also helped her marry her passion with her signature fashion style. All Charlene’s performance dresses are intricately handmade by her mother. As she prepares to perform at the National Museum of Archaeology, she tells Pink about their creative relationship, the concert outfits the mother-daughter duo design, and how she has started to believe that, just like music, even clothes convey emotions, identity and strength. hat inspired you to take up the piano? Music has been important to me ever since I can remember. My mother often recalls how I stopped in my tracks every time I heard the sound of the piano, or whenever I saw an orchestra live on TV… and this was when I was still a toddler! I pestered my mother relentlessly for piano lessons, but I was told I needed to wait until my sixth birthday. Since my very first lesson at that age, I have been on a continuous journey of learning, exploration and discovery.

W

What do you love most about playing the piano? Through the piano, I have discovered composers with whom I have connected; the ones that enter my soul and fill my heart with joy, including Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Bach and Beethoven, among many others.

Moreover, I love the thrill of learning new repertoire, feeling the audience’s response to a performance and meeting great musicians from around the world.

What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far? I always believe that my debut with Malta’s

National Orchestra – when I was just 13 years old – was my biggest highlight, because after that successful debut, my career really took off.

Music and fashion often go hand in hand. How would you describe this relationship in your career/life?

I think having one’s own personal style in both music and fashion is of utmost importance.

How would you describe your everyday style? It’s a mix of casual and practical. Still, I always put a stylish twist on what I wear because I love to play around with fashion.

Pink March 2017 ∫ 81

Photography Droorizz

SNAPSHOT

How would you describe your relationship with your mother?

I feel lucky to have such a special mother.

She was the one who understood my love of music from an early age and sent me to piano lessons. We enjoy each other’s company up to this day, and we love attending concerts together, going to dinners, as well as the odd visit to the Sunday morning market in Valletta.

Your mother often creates the dresses for your concert. How did this collaboration come to be?

We both share a love for fashion. My mother is a great dressmaker and all my performance dresses are handmade by her. We design them together, and the end result is great! She has designed and created innumerable outfits for me, making each dress by hand, sewing hundreds of beads and crystals one by one, and putting all her passion and love into every single detail. When I wear these clothes on stage, I feel like I am the luckiest girl on earth. Mum always insists that style is much more important than the clothes themselves, though clothes do empower us to accept our bodily flaws and style them into beauty. She also designed my wedding dress. I love her designs because of their elegance, but at the same time, they are also extremely comfortable to wear. Over the years, I have started to believe that just like music, even clothes convey emotions, identity and strength.

What can you tell us about your mother’s passion for sewing? My mother’s love for sewing clothes started before I took up piano, with my grandmother, who passed on her talent, 82 ∫ Pink March 2017

violinist Edward Zienkowski on May 5, and the Schwingungen Piano Trio on May 6. Works to be performed range from Mozart to Debussy, Franck to Glinka, Beethoven to Arensky and much more. It’s a treat for every music lover!

“MUM ALWAYS INSISTS THAT STYLE IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE CLOTHES THEMSELVES, THOUGH CLOTHES DO EMPOWER US TO ACCEPT OUR BODILY FLAWS AND STYLE THEM INTO BEAUTY” teaching her how to sew. Like her, my mother too used her talent and creativity to fulfill her children’s dreams.

Where do you and your mum get your inspiration from? I think we are both feminists, in the real sense of the word. In fact, it’s women who are doing great things in this world that inspire us. We follow the work of tonnes of designers, painters, photographers, travellers, editors. Everything and anything can be an inspiration to us.

What is the process behind the creation of a dress? We start off with sketches of our ideas, but by the end of the process, the dress almost always look different. The real creation happens when my mother starts cutting and shaping the fabric.

During this year’s International Spring Orchestra Festival you will be performing twice at the National Museum of Archaeology. What can audiences expect? I feel honoured to be collaborating this year with world-renowned Polish-Viennese

You’re part of the Schwingungen Piano Trio Vienna. What can you tell us about this? I love performing chamber music. Be it in rehearsal or concert, we, as members of Schwingungen Piano Trio Vienna, try to inspire one another with our individual musical passions and thoughts. It is great fun discussing ideas and shaping musical concepts together, seeing how they evolve in the course of rehearsals, and eventually, getting into a fun and cohesive performance. It is all about maintaining your own integrity while still being adaptable and able to incorporate the musical ideas of your colleagues.

What are you up to once the festival is done and dusted? Quite a bit! Future engagements include an orchestral performance in Prague’s massive Smetana Hall, as well as solo performances in the Balkans, Far East and the US. For more information about the International Spring Orchestra Festival, visit www.iso-festival.com