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Għal dawk kollha li tinteressahom l-Istorja ta’ Malta, din is-sena hija waħda sinifikattiva ħafna, peress li qed jiġi kkommemorat l-450 anniversarju mill-Assedju l-Kbir li seħħ fil-gżejjer tagħna fl-1565. Diversi kotba, lekċers, blogs, u attivitajiet relatati ma’ din it-tema, qegħdin ikomplu jqanqlu l-entużjażmu sabiex wieħed isir jaf aktar dwar din il-battalja qalila, fosthom għaliex seħħet, kif żvolġiet, min ħa sehem, x’kienu l-istrateġiji użati, u kif finalment il-Kavallieri ta’ San Ġwann u l-Maltin ħarġu rebbieħa akkost id-diffikultajiet kollha.

Sabiex jirrakkuntaw dawn il-fatti, nibtu wkoll numru ta’ paġni fuq Facebook u permezz tagħhom, wieħed jista’ jara biċ-ċar li mhumiex il-Maltin biss li qed jinvolvu ruħhom f’din il-kommemorazzjoni, imma anki għadd ta’ individwi minn madwar id-dinja kollha. B’hekk, din il-ġrajja tal-Assedju, qed isservi wkoll biex tiġbed l-attenzjoni tal-barranin lejn il-gżejjer tagħna u possibbilment, uħud minnhom jafu jitħajru jżuruna.

Mudell li juri l-attakk fuq l-isperun tal-Isla

Waħda minn dawn il-paġni tal-Facebook hija ‘The assault on the Spur, Isla, 15th July 1565’ li permezz ta’ bosta ritratti, qed turi u tispjega pass pass, it-tnissil u l-kostruzzjoni ta’ diorama, jew mudell, tal-isperun tal-Isla. Għall-ewwel, segwejt dan il-grupp permezz tar-ritratti li kien qed itella’. Iżda eventwalment, tant sibt ix-xogħol li kien qed jitwettaq intriganti, li deherli li kien jixraq li mmur nagħtih titwila ħalli narah b’għajnejja.

“Huma ħafna dawk li qed juru x-xewqa li jiġu jaraw dan il-mudell,” stqarr Alex Schembri, President ta’ Society for Scale Modellers – IPMS Malta. “Napprezzaw ferm li l-pubbliku qiegħed isegwi x-xogħol tagħna b’tant ħeġġa u qed nagħmlu minn kollox biex sal-15 ta’ Lulju, inkunu nistgħu nvarawh ftit billi nippreżentaw diversi ritratti tiegħu.”

Society for Scale Modellers – IPMS Malta

Society for Scale Modellers ġiet imwaqqfa f’Jannar tal-1981. L-għan prinċipali ta’ dan il-klabb dejjem kien li jgħolli l-livell tal-iscale modelling f’pajjiżna sabiex jikkompara ma’ dak internazzjonali. Infatti l-klabb huwa affiljat mal-International Plastic Modellers Society li għandha rappreżentanti tagħha f’diversi pajjiżi madwar id-dinja.

L-iscale modelling jieħdok sa fejn trid

“Għalkemm dan il-qasam ġeneralment jitqies bħala passatemp, aħna xorta waħda nagħtuh attenzjoni kbira billi naraw li x-xogħol isir bi professjonalità. Imma fir-realtà, l-iscale modelling jieħdok sa fejn trid u infatti fost il-membri, għandna numru minnhom li huma esperti tassew, tant li rebħu diversi kompetizzjonijiet barra minn Malta. Oħrajn saru jipproduċu l-prodotti tagħhom u jbigħuhom.”

Kull sena, din is-Soċjetà torganiżża esebizzjoni bix-xogħlijiet li jkunu saru mill-membri tagħha u f’dak iż-żmien, ikun hemm numru ta’ nies li jitħajru jingħaqdu magħha.

“Idealment l-età tal-membri tagħna tibda minn 17-il sena sabiex wieħed jilħaq jitrawwem f’dan il-qasam. Niltaqgħu darba f’ġimgħa ħalli nuru x-xogħlijiet li qed nagħmlu u flimkien niddiskutu x’jista’ jsir aħjar. Hawnhekk kulħadd ikollu l-preferenzi tiegħu: min jaħdem il-mudelli tal-ajruplani, min il-figuri, min il-karozzi, oħrajn inġenji tal-baħar eċċ. U għalhekk, wieħed jgħin u jgħallem lill-ieħor sabiex il-mudell tiegħu jkun aktar perfett u komplet.”

Proġett li ġabar flimkien lill-membri kollha

Fil-fatt, matul dawn l-aħħar xahrejn, prattikament il-membri kollha qegħdin jagħtu daqqa t’id biex jissawwar dan il-mudell imdaqqas tal-isperun tal-Isla.

L-għażla ta’ din it-tema oriġinat minn Ivan Cocker, wieħed mill-membri.

“Dehrilna li peress li dis-sena qed nikkommemoraw l-450 anniversarju mill-Assedju l-Kbir, kien jixraq li niddedikaw xi biċċa xogħol għalih. Wara li ddiskutejt din l-idea ma’ sħabi u mal-Kuraturi ta’ Heritage Malta, Emmanuel Magro Conti u Liam Gauci, l-għażla tagħna waqgħet fuq l-isperun tal-Isla minħabba li fuq dan il-post ta’ Don Francisco de Sanoguera kien hemm il-konċentrament tal-attakk u anki peress li dan il-lwog kien l-uniku wieħed waqt dan l-assedju li ġie attakkat kemm mill-art u kif ukoll mill-baħar,” spjegali Ivan.

Ir-riċerka involuta biex isir dan il-mudell

Hekk kif intgħażel il-lwog li kienu se joħolqu l-mudell tiegħu, bdiet riċerka sfiqa ħalli tinkiseb kemm jista’ jkun informazzjoni, l-aktar minħabba li llum ftit li xejn fadal minn dan l-isperun.

“Irreferejna ma’ għadd ta’ kotba, mapep, mużewijiet, u pitturi sabiex inkunu nistgħu noħolqu mudell kemm jista’ jkun viċin għal dak li kien jeżisti tassew f’dak il-perjodu. Ngħidu aħna biex bdejna nibnu l-isperun, imxejna mal-ktieb ta’ Balbi, li kien suldat li ħa sehem f’dan l-assedju. Rajna wkoll pjanti ta’ llum tal-Isla peress li sirna nafu li l-pedament tal-isperun għadu hemm. Fittixna wkoll kotba tal-istorja u tal-fortifikazzjonijiet li jsegwu dak li seħħ wara l-assedju ħalli b’hekk nagħrfu x’kienu dawk ix-xogħlijiet li saru wara, kemm mill-Kavallieri nfushom u kif ukoll mill-Imperu Ingliż.”

Mudell maħdum fuq skala 1:72

Huma użaw ukoll il-pjanti biex jiffurmaw l-iskala tal-mudell 1:72 ħalli b’hekk janalizzaw ukoll sa fejn se jkopri.

“Ma stajniex nagħmlu l-Isla kollha, naturalment. Għalhekk iffukajna fuq l-isperun, u permezz tal-pjanti, ħriġna bl-iskala. Ħdimna b’reqqa kbira imma mbagħad kien hemm mument fejn kellna nagħlqu għajnejna. Dan seħħ pereżempju fil-każ tal-mitħna li fir-realtà kienet tinsab aktar lura minn fejn tidher fil-mudell. Madanakollu, peress li l-imtieħen lagħbu parti importanti f’din il-battalja, anki peress li biswithom, l-Ordni kellha l-kanuni, ma kienx jagħmel sens li nħalluha barra,” infurmani Oliver Mifsud hekk kif beda jurini kif qed jinħadem dan il-mudell.

Sabiex il-mudell ma jkunx tqil wisq, il-pedamenti tiegħu tfasslu mill-ġablo u mbagħad fuqu beda l-kisi ta’ materjal ieħor ħalli jiġu ffurmati l-art u l-fortifikazzjoni. Imbagħad, biex il-lewn ta’ dawn jiġi jixbah lill-ġebla tal-franka Maltija, ġie xkatlat il-ġebel fil-wiċċ, megħjun ukoll miż-żebgħa ħalli joqrob aktar lejn ir-realtà.

Kull parti tal-mudell għandha l-istorja tagħha

Dawruni ftit mal-mudell biex inkun nista’ nifli d-dettalji li fih. Intbaħt li skont minn fejn tħares lejn dan il-mudell, tkun tista’ ssegwi parti mill-ġrajja ta’ dak li seħħ f’dan il-post waqt l-assedju.

“Biex inkunu aktar preċiżi, segwejna wkoll mill-qrib kif saru l-attakki fuq dan l-isperun, ħalli b’hekk nagħrfu aħjar fejn saru l-ħsarat u t-tifrik, fejn tpoġġa ċertu lqugħ għad-difiża, fejn kien hemm il-katina biex iżżomm ix-xwieni tal-għadu milli jidħlu, u fejn il-Gran Mastru Jean de la Valette ordna biex isir l-ostaklu fil-baħar li kellu jtellef lit-Torok milli jersqu bid-dgħajjes tagħhom,” qalli Ivan.

Minkejja t-tiftix u r-riċerka, xorta jibqgħu numru ta’ mistoqsijiet dwar uħud minn dawn li semmejt peress li issa għadda ħafna żmien u wieħed ikollu joqgħod biss fuq dak li jirnexxilu jsib.

Skoperti fatti kurjużi waqt il-ħidma ta’ dan il-mudell

“L-ostaklu fil-baħar huwa eżempju minnhom,” fissirli Ivan. “Biex fassalnieh, qgħadna ħafna fuq id-dettalji ta’ Balbi. Imma aħna u naħdmuh, ma stajniex nifhmu l-għala dan l-ostaklu ma sarx biex ikopri t-tul kollu tal-art imma tħalliet parti mikxufa minn fejn wieħed seta’ jidħol.”

“Intant, meta bqajna niflu dan id-dettall, sibna li fejn inbena l-ostaklu, il-baħar kien aktar baxx, filwaqt li fil-parti l-miftuħa, il-baħar kien fond. Għalhekk, komplejna deħlin nistħarrġu l-istorja u ma domniex ma skoprejna li għall-attakk tal-15 ta’ Lulju 1565 fuq dan l-isperun tal-Isla, il-Kmandanti Ottomani kienu bagħtu suldati li ma jafux jgħumu ħalli b’hekk ma jkunux jistgħu jirtiraw billi jgħumu lura.”

Uħud mill-membri li nġabru ħdejna ammettew illi qabel bdew jaħdmu fuq dan il-mudell, ftit li xejn kienu jafu dwar din il-parti tal-istorja ta’ Malta. Imma issa kien xort’oħra hekk kif bdew jinteressaw ruħhom dejjem aktar u l-għatx għall-informazzjoni kulma jmur dejjem jikber.

Parti mill-mudell tal-mitħna maħdum minn disinjatur industrijali Amerikan

Biċċa xogħol oħra li qanqlet riċerka kienet il-mitħna.

“Ma stajniex noqogħdu biss fuq l-affreski ta’ D’Aleccio peress li fix-xogħlijiet tiegħu, dawn l-imtieħen ivarjaw. Jidher ċar li f’dan il-każ, l-artist uża l-immaġinazzjoni tiegħu u għalhekk aħna ridna nsibu x-xbieha reali tagħhom,” fissirli Alex.

“Inxtħetna nirriċerkaw dan is-suġġett u sibna li l-imtieħen tar-riħ ma kinux inbidlu wisq matul is-snin. Dorna anki diversi eżempji ta’ mtieħen li jinsabu hawn Malta kif ukoll f’xi pajjiżi tal-Mediterran, sakemm finalment, ħriġna b’disinn li jqarreb kemm jista’ lejn l-oriġinal.”

Fatt li ta’ min isemmi huwa illi meta dan il-grupp wasal biex jaħdem din il-mitħna, il-parti ta’ fuq, li hija l-aktar diffikultuża, spiċċat saret minn sors li ma kinux qed jistennew.

“Kif taf inti, huma ħafna dawk li qed isegwu x-xogħol tagħna permezz tal-Facebook. Fosthom hemm Pete Hamann, disinjatur industrijali Amerikan, li tant apprezza dan il-proġett, li offra li jagħtina daqqa t’id. Hekk kif ġietna x-xoqqa f’moxtha, issuġġerejna li jaħdmilna l-parti ta’ fuq ta’ din il-mitħna li kienet tinsab fuq l-għolja tal-Isla u fi ftit taż-żmien, hu pprovdiena bil-mudell 3D li ħadem apposta għalina.”

Numru kbir ta’ figuri jagħtu l-ħajja lill-mudell

Dettall ieħor li jien apprezzajt ferm kien in-numru kbir ta’ figuri li kienu qed ikomplu jagħtu l-ħajja lil dan il-mudell. Skoprejt li kien hemm madwar 400 figura mqassma bejn Kavallieri u Ottomani.

“Dawk xtrajniehom bħala kits u issa qed niżbgħuhom skont il-perjodu,” wrieni Alex hekk kif tani f’idejja numru minnhom.

Id-dettall li kien fihom kien straordinarju u bla dubju maħdum b’ħila u b’paċenzja kbira.

Mudell li jgħinek tara l-Istorja b’għajnejk

Bħala waħda minn dawk li qed insegwi ġurnata b’ġurnata l-ġrajja tal-Assedju l-Kbir, nistqarr li apprezzajt ferm il-possibbiltà li nara b’għajnejja dan il-mudell u nifli d-dettalji li fih, hekk kif permezz tiegħu, stajt nifhem aħjar dak li kont qed naqra dwaru.

“Meta jitlesta dan il-mudell, nixtiequ ħafna nagħtuh bħala donazzjoni lil Heritage Malta sabiex b’hekk huwa jkun jista’ jservi bħala għodda edukattiva kemm għall-istudenti kif ukoll għall-pubbliku li jżuru. Qed nittamaw li forsi dan il-mudell ikun jista’ jiġi nvolut ukoll fl-esebizzjoni internazzjonali li Heritage Malta se tkun qed torganizza fil-Palazz tal-Gran Mastru l-Belt bejn l-4 ta’ Settembru u s-6 ta’ Diċembru 2015.”

Infatti mill-ġimgħa d-dieħla, fil-blog tal-Assedju l-Kbir ta’ Heritage Malta, www.heritagemalta.org/1565, wieħed se jkun jista’ jibda jiskopri uħud mill-oġġetti li se jkunu qed jiġu esebiti f’din l-esebizzjoni, li hi maħsuba li se tkun waħda mill-avvenimenti l-aktar importanti ta’ din is-sena relatati mal-ġrajja tal-Assedju tal-1565.

Aktar tagħrif dwar Society for Scale Modellers – IPMS Malta jista’ jinkiseb minn SSM House, Sulphur Lane, Ħamrun, inkella permezz tas-sit www.ipmsmalta.com u l-email [email protected], jew permezz tal-Facebook.

(Dan l-artiklu ġie ppubblikat fis-sensiela MINN RITRATT (17 il-Parti) fit-Torċa tat-12 ta’ Lulju 2015)

The first time he had seen her she was standing outside the shop in the piazza. What a girl! An hour-glass figure, long golden hair and an inviting smile on her smooth face. 

Paul had gone to the piazza on several other occasions if only to feast his eyes on her. Unfortunately, she was not always there. When he saw her, he felt weak at the knees. It did not take long for him to realize that he wanted her to be his own.

He saw her again sometime later. She was again outside the shop watching the people pass by. He noticed that, on that particular occasion, she had a pigeon sitting on her head but her expression did not change. How beautiful she was! What a girl! 

At 25 years of age, he had not yet met the girl of his dreams. ‘Truth be told’, some colleagues had commented sarcastically – ‘the Lord must have been feeling particularly ungenerous on the day Paul entered this world’. 

However he did take one or two of his office girl colleagues out to dinner or to the picture or to a disco. But there it stopped. The necessary fatal attraction was not there. He was no longer interested. 

But now he was smitten. He felt to be in love at first sight. He had always thought that his girl, when he comes to make the choice, would look like her – the model girl of his dreams. 

His elderly mother used to chide him that it was about time he had a steady girl, got married and settled down. But he always replied that he was in no hurry to tie the knot, that there was still time for marriage and, with a smile on his face, that he’ll still make her a granny one day. 

When they were having tea together one day, she told him how she had met his father and other events from her early life. “You live too much in the past Mum. You can’t bear to leave it all behind,” he replied. 

His mother was hurt by these words. “When you get to my age son, you spend an awful lot of time sitting in a chair just thinking – thinking about the past, all the things you used to do and all the things you wished you could have done but never got round to doing”. 

But back to the girl in the piazza. He had decided at last to approach her and, if things got right, to bring her home to meet his mother. He had decided to make that girl his own. 

There’s no doubt that the neighbours, but more particularly the men, would be envious when they see her. That would suit him fine. 

His decision already made, he dressed properly, put the special after-shave on his face, combed his hair and with a stride that betrayed his eagerness, made for the piazza. He entered the flower and garden shop, sought the elderly owner and anxiously asked him. – “What is the price of that garden statue of the girl outside the shop please?”

Maha Al Musa, mara ta’ 51 sena, għadha tredda’ lil bintha ta’ ħames snin, għax temmen li r-rabta bejniethom tkun aktar sħiħa. Tkun fejn tkun; anki f’postijiet pubbliċi; jekk bintha tkun trid tixrob… treddagħha.

Hi qalet li ma tagħtix kas li ġisimha qed jitpaħpaħ. L-importanti li tissodisfa l-ħtieġa ta’ bintha.

Maha, li hi omm Awstraljana ta’ tlett itfal, kienet belly dancer  u bħalissa qed tipprattika t-treddigħ estiż biex tippermetti lil bintha tkompli terda’ sa ma jidhrilha li tkun trid taqta’ mill-ħalib t’ommha.

L-omm, qed timxi fl-istess passi ta’ Jamie Lynne Grumet, l-omm ta’ 26 sena minn Los Angeles li xxukkjat lid-dinja meta ppużat b’sidirha barra, tredda’ lil binha ta’ erba’ snin, għall-qoxra tal-magazin Time. Hi baqgħet għaddejja treddgħu sa ma għalaq ħames snin. Dan peress li skont ma nkiteb, Jamie nnifisha damet terda’ l-ħalib minnsider ommha sa ma kellha sitt snin.

F’intervista li kellha mal-magazin New, Maha, minn New South Wales,  qalet li bintha tagħlaq ħames snin dan ix-xahar, u madankollu, hi qajla tagħti kas x’jgħidu l-kritiċi għad-drawwa tagħha. Anzi lesta tippermetti lil bintha tibqa’ tieħu l-ħalib tas-sider sa ma tagħlaq għaxar snin…jekk tkun trid. “Dan għax nemmen li nsaħħilha s-sistema immuna tagħha. Sal-lum qajla mardet u t-temperament tagħha hu ferm aktar kwiet u rilassat minn ta’ tfal oħra tamparha.”

Liż-żewġt itfal ta’ qabel; Kailash ta’ 16-il sena u Tariq ta’ 13, Maha waqqfitilhom it-treddigħ meta kellhom sentejn.

Djamant abjad, daqs bajda ċkejkna, għadu kif inbiegħ għall-prezz ta’ €22m f’irkant li sar dan l-aħħar f’Hong Kong. Dan il-prezz sebaq dak meqjus bħala rekord għal sett djamanti oħra li nbiegħ sitt xhur ilu.

Kienu tnejn in-nies li f’sitt minuti kkompetew u għamlu l-offerta tagħhom għal dan il-mineral  Afrikan ta’ 118-il karat, permezz tat-telefon.

Għaċ-Ċiniżi, il-bejgħ bl-irkant ta’ minerali li jiswew konsiderevolment isir darbtejn fis-sena u sar jitqies bħala ritwal. Għalihom jattendu l-kolletturi għonja miċ-Ċina u mill-pajjiżi Ażjatiċi, tant li għamlu lil Hong Kong wieħed mill-aktar ċentri importanti u attivi għall-irkantijiet.

Id-djamant ovali, bla ebda difett, li kien imminat u maqtugħ sentejn ilu nbiegħ għal €22m, inkluża l-kummissjoni ta’ Sotheby. Din il-kumpanija qalet ukoll, li d-djamant instab fin-naħa t’isfel tal-Afrika, iżda ma semmietx f’liema pajjiż, peress li l-bejjiegħ xtaq jibqa’ anonimu.

Madankollu, ir-rekord dinji għall-prezz ta’ ġojjell, inkiseb fl-2010, meta l-ġojjellier Londiniż Laurence Graff, ħallas €34m għal djamant roża qawwi, li kien jiżen 24.8 karat.

Issa qed jingħad li dan ir-rekord jista’ jinqabeż meta x-xahar id-dieħel, Sotheby se tirkanta djamant roża ieħor ta’ 59.60 karat, li mistenni jġib aktar minn €44 m. L-irkant se jsir f’Ġinevra.

The tall elegant building in Merchants Street comprised the departmental offices of the ‘World Travel Agency’. The cruel scorching sun of a Maltese summer seemed to have spurned people to seek a shadier and a cooler spot for their holidays.

Indeed the efficient busy clerks of the agency were having a rather hectic time. One by one they booked their eager clients to spend their holiday in different Mediterranean countries. 

In the queue, a shy young girl was anxiously anticipating her first holiday abroad. “One sea ticket to Sicily please, on the first departure next week”. The tone of her voice gave away her eagerness and her anxiety. 

On that lovely day in June, the ‘Star of Malta’ cut through the waves like a sharp baker’s knife, forging ahead unobstructed by the calm and friendly Mediterranean sea.   With her hands resting on the cold railing of the good ship, Maria was thinking of home. 

She had just lost her job as a dentist’s nurse in Valletta. Maybe it would be for the best. She had hated her job, the patients, the sight of blood, the cries of the children afraid of the dentist; the whole clinical environment was not to her liking. On her return she would seek a different job, a salesgirl, a stationery assistant maybe, but certainly she did not want anything to do with dentists. 

Sicily was a beautiful island, her friends had told her, not far away from Malta. She would see the little towns, climb the slopes of Mount Etna, dip in the blue sea, enjoy her meals of Italian pasta, admire the beautiful architecture, buy some souvenirs for her family and friends.

When the ship berthed in Siracuse, Maria, tired and weary, sought refuge at the ‘Albergo Amigo d’Italia’. She had a lovely room there, overlooking the bright twinkling lights of the port. From here she could see the little passenger boats as well as the smaller fishing crafts, coming and going like a beehive of activity. 

The other window, nicely fitted with venetian blinds, overlooked the grand Via Umberto – a long wide road attractive with the colour of shop windows and the striped curtains squeezing out the hot sun.  

She met him on the next day while strolling down the ‘Corso Matteotti’. He came on her from nowhere. “You are a stranger” he said as if she had a notice pinned on her giving away that information.

“Allow me signorina to show you some of the lovelier spots of my island”. Even if he had not said ‘My island’ she would have guessed that he was a Sicilian.  

He was a typical Italian youth as Maria imagined Italian youths would be, different in character from the youths she normally met in Malta.

His black tousled hair matched perfectly with his dark Latin complexion and his manners were definitely local. What an imprudent young man he was, she thought at first. But she soon changed her mind as he engaged her in amiable conversation. He was, in fact, such a nice young man, with good manners.  

“My name is Antonio” he said “and I come from Ragusa, some few miles away from here”. Maria pursed her lips and did not know what to do, then she looked straight at him and snapped back “Thank you; please tell me from where I can get a taxi”.

He did not like these words, they did not show any compliment at all. “Forget about the taxi; there aren’t any for strangers” he said “but do you want a guide?” 

then she smiled at him. How could she help it? Antonio was not only a good looking young man but he never lost heart either, she thought.

“Very well” she replied “show me around”. “Wait a minute” he said “You have not yet told me your name”. “Maria” she said “Maria”. 

They crossed over from Corso Matteotti to Piazza Archimede in the centre of the old town. They found themselves before an imposing monument of great historical importance. 

“That is Guiseppe Garibaldi” said Antonio proudly. “He was instrumental in uniting Italy”. Maria went near to the monument and touched the cold hard marble. “What a grand monument, he must have been so loved by his people”. 

“He certainly was signorina, to this very day” replied Antonio with a proud smile on his face. He was pleased that Maria was taking interest in Italian history. “Please tell me more about him” she said.  

Both of them sat on the beautiful marble steps that form the pedestal of this great monument. They watched the people moving around the Piazza and Antonio was telling Maria all about Giuseppe Garibaldi and his adventures. 

He narrated how, with his one thousand red-shirted soldiers, he embarked from Sicily towards the Italian mainland, freeing different states, then meeting King Vittorio Emanuele in Rome. 

Garibaldi, along with Vittorio Emanuele and Cavour, are the architects and fathers of united Italy.  “But he was more than a soldier” said Antonio. “He was always willing to help oppressed people everywhere and was unaffected by the lure of wealth and power.”

Then he took her hand and showed her around the fine places of his island – the long sandy spiaggias, the indoor lidos, the big piazzas with statues in the centre on which white pigeons played on their heads. He showed her the old churches, all artistically decorated with marble monuments, paintings and tapestries. 

He also took her around the many lovely gardens that make this island so beautiful. She liked all these things and wanted to see more. Perhaps she wanted to see more of Antonio than these places; she did not know exactly what her heart actually wanted. 

Ten days of a lovely holiday passed so swiftly. She liked to have more time to stay with Antonio, wandering all around his island. But she couldn’t! Maria had to go back to Malta tonight. 

She met Antonio that evening and went to the beautiful ‘giardino’ just behind the hotel. That evening, passing through all the lovely scenery, Maria felt Antonio’s hand grasp her even tighter. If only he lived in Malta or if only she lived in Sicily, she thought. 

The fresh scent of fresh flowers filled her with delight.  “When will you come back?” said Antonio trying hard to hide the feelings of a man madly in love for the first time. Maria looked lovingly into Antonio’s eyes, piercing them through and reading their feelings. “Soon” she said “Very soon”. He took her in his arms and both lovers were engrossed in a passionate embrace. She felt the strong supporting arms of this friendly Italian and she remarked. “Tell me something Antonio, do you go up to all strangers and introduce yourself?” He looked at her questioningly and smiled. “No Maria, not to all strangers, but I could not help doing so to such a lovely Maltese girl as you!”

Maria returned home after a week of bliss. As she rummaged in her handbag, she saw the card Antonio had put in her bag before they parted and gasped – “Dott. Antonio Speranza –Dentista”

Charmaine Tanti M.A.

Id-dar tan-nanna Marija u n-nannu Ġużi kienet sempliċi għal kollox. Elise u Luca kien l-għasel tagħhom iduru mal-kmamar kollha u jilagħbu bil-ballun fil-bitħa. Kemm-il darba kienu jitilgħu fuq il-bejt man-nanna meta jkollha xi ħasla ħwejjeġ. Fir-rokna maġenb il-magna tal-ħasil kien hemm kaxxa mdaqqsa tal-injam li qatt ma rawha miftuħa.

Darba waħda, it-tfal fettlilhom jitilgħu sal-kamra tal-bejt sakemm in-nanna marret tixtri. Resqu qrib il-kaxxa tal-injam, iżda ma setgħux isibu l-muftieħ. Elise poġġiet subgħaha fuq is-serratura tal-kaxxa, li kienet kbira mhux ħażin, u sarilha kannella minħabba li kienet kollha sadid. Luca dlonk ftakar li l-muftieħ kien qiegħed fl-istudju tan-nannu għax kien lemħu fuq l-iskrivanija.

Elise u Luca marru b’ġirja s’isfel biex iġibu l-muftieħ. Qalbhom bdiet tħabbat sitta sitta bl-eċċitament. Elise, li kellha jdejha akbar minn ta’ ħuha, qabdet il-muftieħ, daħħlitu fis-serratura u bdiet iddawru ħalli tiftaħ il-kaxxa tal-injam. Il-muftieħ beda jeħel, u wara ftit, it-tifla bdiet taqta’ qalbha. Iżda f’daqqa waħda l-muftieħ dar u l-kaxxa nfetħet. Luca u Elise fetħu għajnejhom beraħ huma u jneħħulha l-għatu. Fil-wiċċ tal-kaxxa kien hemm bosta karti miġburin f’pakkett mimlijin bit-tbajja` sofor skuri. Fuqhom kien hemm bosta sinjali u kliem miktub bil-linka ħamra. It-tfal intebħu li dawn kienu karti tal-eżamijiet antiki, li kien ikkoreġa n-nannu meta kien għadu jgħallem. Huma qallbu aktar fil-fond tal-kaxxa u sabu għadd ta’ kotba ħoxnin, li kienu tqal wisq għalihom biex joħorġuhom mill-kaxxa. Luca u Elise baqgħu miblugħin għax qatt ma basru li din il-kaxxa tal-injam ma kienet xejn ħlief il-post fejn in-nannu kien jerfa’ l-affarijiet tiegħu.

Is-skiet, li kien hemm taqtgħu b’sikkina malajr inkiser hekk kif in-nanna Marija bdiet tgħajtilhom biex jgħinuha ddaħħal ix-xirja fil-kċina. It-tfal għalqu l-kaxxa tal-injam minnufih, poġġew il-muftieħ f’postu u niżlu bil-ħeffa fejn in-nanna. Meta staqsiethom fejn kienu, huma weġbuha b’leħen wieħed, li kienu ħarġu għal ftit arja fuq il-bejt. Ma ridux jgħidulha l-verita` ma jmurx tagħmlilhom xi waħda tinkiteb.

‘He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man’ declares a Chinese saying.

After being confronted by the challenging steps of this legenday wall, I must admit that I understand fully the meaning behind this expression.

Constructing the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall consists of a massive series of fortifications which extend over five thousand kilometres from east to west in north China. Since it outstretches over a number of provinces, one can visit its diverse sections from various locations. Its construction took around two thousand years and it involved the input of several dynasties which were ruling the country during different period.

Since for many years, various Chinese states were at war against each other, by the 7th century BC, the locals had already mastered an excellent skill in the building of protective walls with which to defend their villages. It was from this period that construction of the Great Wall commenced.

In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang succeeded to win over all his opponents. He unified China for the first time, established the Qin Dynasty, and became the first Emperor. To impose a centralization of authority, he ordered the destruction of various defensive walls which had been built around the country by different feudal lords. Instead, he constructed new walls which connected a number of fortifications that were situated in the northern side of his empire. These were intended to shield his people and his country from the opponent nomadic tribe Xiongnu which resided in this area (today known as Mongolia).

It was no easy feat to construct these walls in the chosen locations which winded throughout valleys or climbed across mountains. At the time, no machinery was available to facilitate this grueling work. Yet, the Chinese managed to erect these walls by utilizing the material that was available in each particular zone and by working according to the contours of the terrain.

No one knows how many people worked or died during the construction of this wall. Many insist that the total number could easily reach millions. Certainly, their effort led to the creation of a unique masterpiece which today is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In 1987, the Great Wall of China became also part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A popular legend

This wall is imbued with many narratives and legends. Yet the most popular is surely that of Meng Jiang Nü; a young woman who is believed to have lived during the 3rd century BC, in the Qin Dynasty.

Her story recounts that one day, Fan Qi Liang, a young man who had been engaged to work on the Great Wall, succeeded to escape from this strenuous job. He ran with all his might along the way until at one point, he was so exhausted that he stopped to hide in the garden of Meng’s father.

The two fell in love immediately as soon as their eyes met, and some time after, they got married. Yet unfortunately, their happinness did not last long as the man was located by soldiers and he was taken back to work on the wall.

The woman waited and waited for her husband’s return. But when winter was close and he still did not come back, she sewed some warm clothes for him in order to protect him from the cold. She went in search of him at his work place but after she looked out for him wherever she could and inquired about him, she was finally informed that her husband had died and that he had been buried within the wall itself.

This tragic news shattered the woman’s spirit and she was so griefed that she spent a whole day and a whole night weeping beneath the wall. Her desperation ran so deep that suddenly, the wall in front of her crumbled and a number of corpses slid out of it.

Shocked at this gruesome scene, Meng Jiang Nü cut her finger and she allowed her blood to trickle on the corpses. At one point, she noticed that all her blood ran to a particular corpse and it was then that she recognized her husband’s body. She gathered him lovingly and gave him a decent burial. Then, she walked to a river and ended her life within.

Juyongguan Pass – Beijing

I had read and heard so much about the greatness of this wall that when I arrived at one of its sections in Beijing, known as Juyongguan Pass, I simply stood in silence and in awe.

My eyes ran afar, up into the sky where a thick fog was hiding the highest part that was visible from the ground. Located at around fifty kilometres away from Beijing, this part of the wall is about 4000 metre long and is situated amongst the mountains of Changping District.

This pass has always been renowned for its strategic significance and its impenetrability. Notwithstanding this, in 1644, a group of rebellious farmers led by Li Zicheng, managed to enter into Beijing by overcoming this area. It is said that this happenned not because of any weakness in the wall but due the fact that the local people were too impoverished to resist.

Today, Juyongguan Pass is distinguished for its lovely scenic views of the surrounding forests, particularly since these change their colours according to season.

Experiencing the magic of the Great Wall

We arrived at nine in the morning in order to avoid the crowds but there were already many visitors climbing the wall. The weather was not very welcoming as it was drizzling and the fog made it difficult to take very good photos. Yet nothing could stop us from climbing that legendary wall which we had all dreamt so much about!

Up we went the first steps but soon we realized that it was not going to be that easy to climb too far. For the Great Wall’s steps were constructed in differing heights in order to make it difficult for the enemy to run up and make a surprise attack. Whilst some of the steps were low, others were quite high and after a short time, if you’re not the sporty kind, you’ll definitely find yourself out of breath.

Step after step, we arrived at the first tower which consisted of a number of small rooms. I decided to check out a set of narrow stairs which led to the tower’s roof and from there, the overview of the open landscape was even more splendid. I looked around in a blending state of rapture, wonder and disbelief as I imagined that this could have been the same view that the legendary soldiers watched over. For a moment, time seemed to stop and the present melted into the past as I simply stood there holding on to the ancient stones.

I could have stayed there to absorb within me all the history of the place but the group needed to move on and so, we climbed further. Over all, the set up of the wall repeats itself as its length is divided into steps and a number of towers. Yet I can say that I would have continued to climb all day if we did not have planned to visit other sites.

Going down the steps was relatively easy but by then, the place had become quite crowded with people of all nationalities who came to visit.

A love bound to eternity

As I stole a last glance at this architectural and historic marvel, I noticed a quantity of lovelocks that were fastened to chains running along the Great Wall. On a closer look, I found out that these were decorated with heart designs and the names of couples were engraved on each of them. Our guide told us that those lovelocks formed part of an old Chinese tradition which stated that if a couple wrote their names on a lock and closed it on this chain, their love would be eternal, just like the destiny of this mythical wall.

(This article was published in the Travel Supplement of the Sunday Times of Malta dated 21st June 2015)

The church was filling up fast.  I sat in the front pew, my lovely Mum in my thoughts, as I held tight to my fiancé’s hands beside me.  I felt very emotional and struggled to keep out the tears that were welling up inside me. My duty was to be right behind my mother today. But I had sprained my ankle yesterday and John had to help me to church. 

She was well-thought of by the people in our small village. Mum had a lovely character. Her face was always radiant like a sunny, summer day. She would stop and talk to people, ask about any sick member of the family, offer encouragement and, very often, help out where necessary.  

Now, as the gentle rustle in the pews grew and people shuffled and coughed as they waited patiently for the front door to open, an early memory of my mother flooded into my mind. I was a child of five, and she was accompanying me to my first day at school. I was crying, afraid to leave the safe haven of our house. She had hugged me tightly to her, kissed me softly and encouraged me to take this first important step in my life. “Trust your mother”, she said, “I will always be there for you.”

As the years went by and I grew into a young woman, facing the inevitable problems of the heart, she was always my tower of strength, my confidante, my trusted friend. What would I have done without her? I was the youngest of three sisters. Joan and Janet, following their marriages, had emigrated to Australia and settled there. Dad had died two years ago leaving Mum and all of us shattered and disconsolate.

Following my persistent encouragement, Mum had flown to see my sisters only six months ago. She had made friends there, as Mum can often do very easily wherever she goes. She was satisfied and glad that her elder daughters were happy Down Under.  And she was, moreover, ecstatic to see her two Aussie grandchildren for the first time. 

I noticed that the choir was now preparing its special hymns for this occasion. The soloist, a young lady in a long white dress, was busy conversing with the small-statured conductor and the old bald-headed organist was leafing impatiently through his scores. 

Again, my mind went a-roaming.  I remembered once when Mum had baked me a gingerbread man. “Eat it”, she had told me with a smile, “while it’s still warm.” I didn’t eat him. I didn’t have the heart to. He was such a lovely gingerbread man.  

I would now miss her terribly. I’d miss her knowing nod, her proud smile when I did something right and I’d miss her stern look when I did something wrong or not to her liking. As I looked in front of me at the tall white flickering candles and the six silver Apostles on the High Altar, I felt myself muttering a silent prayer.  I looked backward and, amid the solemn silence, saw anxious faces waiting for the door to open.

My mother, I recalled, was the voice of reason and when my head was in the clouds, she would bring me gently down to earth. But when I was feeling down and losing hope on something I wanted so badly but could not achieve, I remembered vividly her wise words to me – “Hope is what life is all about Mary. If you lose that, what’s left? When you are down, you need to cling to something. Hope is the last thing to save you.” How I shall miss her comforting soothing words. 

Suddenly there was a noise at the back of the church and the huge door opened. We all stood up. I straightened my back, the organist began to play and the choir intoned their first notes. 

Next moment there were signs of rupture as my Mum, framed in the huge doorway – her silk dress shimmering and the flowers in her hands glowing – walked slowly towards the altar where Jim – the handsome middle-aged man she met in Australia – was waiting in full morning suit to take her hand and start a new life together in the land of Waltzing Matilda.