February with its rain is lovely weather for snails. No need for him to hibernate.

Weather, whether hot or cold, is always a talking point in Malta. Who said it was only the British who were fixated about weather? This winter’s weather has generated a lot of hot air…

We’re two weeks into February, and while most years we’d have seen the blossom out and temperatures definitely rising, this year has been a cold blip par excellence! Our heating a house in Malta in winter post has been tops for the past couple of months, and for good reason.  Now, we’re clinging on to any good news and counting the days to March.  But in recent years, I am sure that the cold edge of winter has lingered on well into even April. Blue sunny days (if we get them) don’t mean warmth unless you’re in a sheltered spot. But hey, let’s see what our weatherman Tony Mucat of it-Temp has in store for those February weeks we still have to endure! Here’s his take on February…

“Both January and February are about as bad as it gets in Malta. Generally we should not see any night time temperatures lower than 9C. Day time temperatures are around 15C. However this can be deceptive. When the sun comes out on a windless day, then the temperature can rise to 19C and feel very nice.

“Sitting outside sipping a drink in a light top is very realistic. But equally, on a wet and windy day, one can see lows at night as much as 4C. Although to some of our Northern European holidaymakers, this seems quite good for the time of year, it can feel very cold as there is little to break the wind rushing in across the Mediterranean. Rainfall is somewhat less than that in January at 60mm and there will be around 6 hours of sunshine per day.”

From this point on, it only gets warmer!

Photos – main slider (rainbow over Gozo) and on this post: courtesy of Mario George Vella

I am beginning to chart my life with this event.  My son, although getting older now, still loves the whole idea of it. A chance to see reenactments, guns let off, taste some traditional seafaring food (him, not me!), and to have hands-on time with replica (and some real) weapons and canon balls guided safely by the knowledgeable museum staff and reenactment troupes.

The day is also a chance to remind ourselves of this gem of a museum which, over many ‘decks’, has an impressive and eclectic array of all things maritime. The mock-up of a NAAFI bar down by the docks and the intricate model boats showing maritime craft from Phoenician times onwards always delight. The day is a good excuse to get down to Birgu, itself a treat, and sniff some sea air close up after our wet winter closeted away.

Be warned, this is a popular calendar event now and sees the crowds. Families have precious little to do this time of year so everyone will be there. But even for duvet-hugging landlubbers, the effort is worth it.

More Info

The museum is open between 09.00hrs and 17.00hrs. Admission tickets cost €3, including admission to the Inquisitor’s Palace also located in Birgu that for the occasion will be hosting a temporary exhibition on the Cult of St Paul in Malta. Heritage Malta members and children 16 years and under enter for free. Refreshments on hand, including a chunky stew typical of seafaring meals and made from a recipe dating back to 1812!

For full information, guided tour times etc, download the press info here.

Here, Bryn Kennard of Body Works, a leading fitness and wellness centre in St Julian’s, gives a low-down in layman’s terms of the ‘science’, as it were, behind why so many of us fail in our resolve.  And how we can start afresh and on the right track now it’s February. 

So where are we doing wrong?

Are we all completely devoid of any motivation to improve ourselves in a positive manner beyond the initial New Year drive or is it simply that we don’t really take our resolutions seriously because each year we simply fail to fulfil them?  Why is it that so many of us give up on our fitness or slimming resolutions, especially, in light of the fact that there is so much information out there guiding us on how to do so?

For many who set out in the New Year to lead a healthier lifestyle or lose weight the approach that is generally adopted is centred on the premise of “eating less and exercising more”, a concept that has been around for a long time and the advice that seems to make perfect sense. What this concept basically states is that if we consume fewer calories (through eating) than we burn (through exercise) we will lose or be able to manage our weight.  However, there’s good reason to believe that this approach not only doesn’t work, but that it can’t work. What a lot of people might not know is that eating less and exercising more triggers changes in the body designed to resist change.

Experiments show that when people eat less, they tend to spontaneously move less too. One way, perhaps, to counter these effects is to step up one’s level of ‘aerobic’ activities such as walking or running. However, studies reveal that such measures are generally ineffective for the purposes of weight loss. Why? Well, as anyone who has ever exercised on a piece of gym equipment that counts calories will attest to, caloric ‘burn’ during aerobic activity is generally depressingly slow. Plus, we have the added complication that exercise can ‘work up an appetite’, and tends to drive us to want to eat more as a result.

And then there’s the food equation to factor in..

Another stumbling block associated with the application of the calorie principle is that it can shift our focus away from fat and towards carbohydrate, on the basis that a gram of fat contains about twice as many calories as carbohydrate. The issue here is that carbohydrate is the chief stimulator of insulin secretion, and it this hormone that, through several known biochemical mechanisms, drives the deposition of fat in our fat cells. And it gets worse: carbohydrate tends not to be as satisfying to the appetite as, say, protein, and can disrupt blood sugar levels in a way that stimulates hunger, particularly for sugar-charged foods such as chocolate and biscuits. For reasons that have nothing to do with discipline or self-control, eating a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet dooms most of us to failure and may be the main reason that resolutions do not go further than February.

How to resolve to get beyond February

So rather than resolve this year to eating less and exercising more revolutionise your approach instead. Eat a diet, which lowers insulin levels while also sating your appetite appropriately. When insulin levels fall, fat is released from the fat cells, which is precisely what we want. But the benefits of this go way beyond weight loss.  Fat released from the fat tissues goes first into the bloodstream and then tissues, including the muscles, and here, it can be burned as fuel to generate energy. As far as your body is concerned, fat liberated from fat cells is food, and that means it has less need to drive us to eat. Studies show that when individuals eat right, they automatically eat less, but without hunger. The research shows spontaneous reductions in intake in the order of several hundred calories a day. The fact is, addressing eating habits is not about eating less, it’s about eating right.

Failure is based on false expectations

The main reason people embark on an exercise regime in January is to lose weight. However, the benefits of exercise as a tool for weight loss has been widely overstated; research has shown us that for about 10 hours of moderate intensity exercise we can expect to lose 0.5 kg – ie. depressingly little. When the results do not match the energy or effort exhausted it is not surprising that motivation will drop accordingly. It is not merely a question of will power or discipline but a question of false expectations that are presented and in this case an expectation that is doomed to failure before it has even started. Exercise concepts generally promote volume and intensity as the main fulcrums to achieving results and while they are important they are not as important as sustainability whether you be exercising for aesthetic reasons or general health.

Focus on food first, then exercise for fun

Rather than focusing on exercise for weight loss, finding other reasons to exercise and managing the expectations accordingly may put you in a better place to go beyond February. Deciding on criteria that matter most to you i.e. ‘toning’, ‘convenient time’, ‘sociable”, ‘relaxing’ should be the focus and exploring the options that match this criteria may actually bring you closer to what is ‘best’ for your needs, and, provide a more fulfilling and less tiresome relationship with exercise. As with all forms of exercise when you start to explore them you will be presented with the benefits and it is important to remember that these are the benefits in an ideal world whereby you do not have the normal constraints or pressures of life. Balancing the ‘ideal’ presented with what is ‘manageable’ in terms of volume (time you have available) and intensity (level in which you feel comfortable working at) will put you in a better place to manage your expectations. The ever-elusive sustainability should be the primary goal of exercise as those who do benefit from exercise are normally those who are consistent in their exercise habits, not necessarily those that work the hardest.

In conclusion…

Resolve to revolutionise your approach to health this year by stepping off the diet and exercise wheel and realising that there is a much easier way to approach your health and weight than by ‘eating less and exercising more’.

For further details on fitness and exercise-diet programmes, contact Bryn Kennard of Body Works:
Email: bryn@bodyworks.com.mt,
Tel: (+ 356) 2138 4957 or (+ 356) 2010 2970.

See the Body Works website and on Facebook.

Photo: Rachel Baranow

More or less every 10 years, the government (of the day) takes a look at education and devises a ‘new approach’, full of promise, to the curriculum. But, we’ve seen some dissenting voices recently, even from erudite personalities at the heart of Malta’s educational establishment. One of the supposed shortcomings of the new curriculum many point to is its rigidity; its inability to allow schools room to experiment, innovate and inspire.  In fulfilling the curriculum requirements, schools may have little time left to offer experiences that differentiate them or are adapted to their particular student intake.

Increasingly, there are parents in Malta wondering how to breathe fresh air into their children’s education and opt for alternatives to the state-church school dominated sector, and the fairly limited choice of international and/or private schools which do make some attempt to do things differently.

Unsurprisingly, a good many parents seeking alternatives to the current educational offer are foreigners living in Malta. Their assessment of the local educational options is serving to highlight also to local parents though the limitations of Malta’s schooling.  Clearly, foreigner parents here, who have no Maltese roots or prior linkages to the Islands, are reluctant to have their children straitjacketed in an educational system serving predominantly a nation’s aims, as they  see it, rather than children’s needs, whatever their cultural background.

They are banding together, attracting interested Maltese parents, and trying to work out how to bring alternative educational approaches to the Islands, within whatever legal frameworks they are duty bound to operate. Alternatives they are looking at, like the Waldorf system, are well established elsewhere in Europe but have yet to find a place in Malta.

Julian Saez and his wife Deirdre – Spanish and Irish nationals respectively – are two such parents. They school their two young daughters at a Waldorf school in Spain for half the year, but spend the other half year in Malta.  While relatively happy with the schooling here in Malta, they can see how it falls short in delivering the enlightened schooling their daughters receive in Spain.  Julian is on a drive to see whether it’s feasible to set up a Waldorf or similar type of school in Malta. Here’s he explains why he and Deirdre are on a mission to find out.

How did you end up being interested in educational models and methods?

My wife, Deirdre, is a very experienced psychologist, with a long background in education.  I’m an engineer and one of my passions is learning and teaching. I’m also lecturer in Murcia University in Spain.  So I suppose we’re both more attuned to thinking about educational systems and aware of pedagogical methods than many parents.

What frustrates you about traditional national curricula?

Through my learning about education, I found that to have the potential to succeed in life, and in school, you need more than the traditional approach based in IQ.  The IQ-competitive model of education has been demonstrated to be obsolete (it started life in the ‘60s).

For decades, a lot of emphasis has been put on certain aspects of intelligence such as logical reasoning, math skills, spatial skills, understanding analogies, verbal skills and so on. Researchers were puzzled by the fact that while IQ could predict to a significant degree academic performance and, to some degree, professional and personal success, there was something missing in the equation. Some of those with fabulous IQ scores were doing poorly in life; one could say that they were wasting their potential by thinking, behaving and communicating in a way that hindered their chances of succeeding.

After researching which pedagogical models emphasise concepts of emotional intelligence, social intelligence, and multiple intelligence and take them into consideration in devising a learning programme, I discovered the Waldorf education as an optimal model.

Why did the Waldorf model strike you are a more enlightened educational option?

Julian & Deirdre's daughters with friends at their Waldorf School in Spain

We did some analysis of various European models of education, from personal interest, and discovered some illuminating facts. The EU’s Cost of School Failure report, 2007, places Malta at the top of the European Union league table in terms of school failure rates, at 41.6 per cent. That is, children who do not complete school leaving exams or fail to stay in education beyond the statutory minimum age. Finland ranks the best performer both in the ‘Cost of Failure’ report and in another study, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), looking at the proficiency of students in core subjects – maths, reading, sciences.

So, we asked ourselves what Finland was doing that could lead to it ranking number one. I looked at their educational model and saw similarities to Waldorf pedagogy. Finland has other special factors of course contributing to its overall educational success: the high professional standing of teachers; free pre-school places; a lack of emphasis on the competitiveness in education, and more.

We visited a Waldorf school in Spain and I liked very much what we found. Since placing our three-year-old girls in a Waldorf school in Spain, we have been amazed at the excellent education they are receiving and notice too how happy they are.

Now that we live half the year in Malta, we’d like to see our daughters having the possibility of receiving this model of education here too.  I also think that Maltese people and other foreigners living in Malta should have more options when it comes to choosing the type of education they would like to have for their children.

In brief, what is the Waldorf approach to education?

The key to Waldorf is its premise that success is not about achieving certain scores and working hard, but that real success is much more about feeling good about yourself, being happy and optimistic, being able to enjoy healthy relationships, being fulfilled in work and having the capacity to enjoy the adventure of this fabulous life.  It supports children to develop their full potential as human beings.

It recognises that childhood is for children not little adults. Waldorf therefore encourages children to be able to play, explore, discover and discern their way to knowledge and understanding rather than sit at a desk and be fed information that may or may not actually serve them in life.

Dance, theatre, creativity and music are the natural ways that children engage in life when given permission to do so. They are core in the Waldorf ‘curriculum’ for example.

What steps are you taking to see about bringing a Waldorf or similar style educational model to Malta?

Step 1: Contacting parents interested in having this type of education for their children

Step 2: Defining a shared vision

Step 3: Defining a scope for the project, plan and schedule

Step 4: Drafting a budget for it

Step 5: Going ahead with the project.

These steps are not necessary sequential, indeed, once we’ve got a group of parents interested, we would already start actively looking for teachers and thinking about a convenient place to start the school.

How can anyone interested get in touch and participate?

Email me, Julián Sáez, at waldorfmalta@gmail.com.

Photo: Lucidtech

If anything sails the seas, it can fall prey to natural disaster or be felled by human error, or a combination of the two. Costa Concordia was off its scheduled course by sailing far nearer to the isle of Giglio, just off the Tuscan coast.  But it transpires that similar unscheduled routes in these waters had been plied before by cruise ships of the same size and class and just months before. Did navigational equipment fail to detect the rocks; did the captain ignore any automated warnings; did systems fail? There’s a vast amount of technical detail that the enquiries will plough through, quite apart from eye witness accounts. Nothing is clear cut.

History is littered with such seafaring tales. Recently, there was news that the original H.M.S. Victory of the British Navy (the predecessor of Admiral Lord Nelson’s ‘Victory’) is to be salvaged from the seabed in the English Channel around 100km off where it was thought to have sunk in 1744.  For nearly three centuries, naval history had cast doubt on its commanding officer’s ability to navigate, saying that the ship was well off course when it sank in a storm near Alderney.  Found around two years ago by the Odyssey Marine Exploration team, the wreck lies where the course was set and some 300 years of rumour about the ability of its commanding officer, Admiral Sir John Balkin, are now laid to rest.

Who knows how history will judge this tragedy.  But there is one aspect of the affair that is understandable, particularly is you live on small islands yourself.  The Costa Concordia’s unscheduled, and this time allegedly unauthorised route close to Giglio, was apparently in order for the ship to ‘salute’ a former colleague who lived on the tiny island.  The folk of Giglio, an isle of some 700 houses, would probably all have felt a kinship with the Costa Crociere liners. One of their own had been a crew member.  How proud then to see a Costa liner in full glory, lights ablaze across the water, larger than life and nearer to home than usual.

Anyone who’s seen the giant cruise liners almost on eye level with the Barrakka Gardens in Valletta or seen them enter or leave Grand Harbour, deep sonorous siren sounding, will feel a frisson of excitement – however many times you’ve witnessed it as a resident here.  The feeling that the cruise ships ‘belong’ here, to us, and are part of the life blood of Malta runs deep.

Malta too often celebrates it locals who’ve made it out there, internationally; those who’ve hit the bigger time. We can understand, if not sanction, Captain Schettino’s deviation on the night of the 13th, that was intended to show that even in a cruise industry dominated by two megalithic international players, there’s still a local heart to the business.  No wonder then that some reports show Giglio residents deeply shocked – it’s not a tragedy that happened to play out on their island, it’s a tragedy in which they all feel they share, deeply.

Photo: courtesy of Robert G. Henderson

And looks like it tastes simply delicious too! Maltese bread at its best.

We came across this insight into an artisan bakery in Valletta with protagonist Nenu kneading the dough. One of those cameos of Malta life to be nostalgic about especially if you’re Maltese and living overseas I would think. A ‘no comment’ needed video.

Where to Find ‘Nenu’: it’s part of the Maypole group of bakeries. For its location in Valletta, click here.

Still, having said that, we will see an average of 5.5 hours per day of sunshine and 95 mm of rain. Compare all this to Manchester in the UK, having an average daytime temperature of 6C, night time of 1C, 89 mm of rain and 1 hour of sunshine.

What is good about Maltese weather is that if storms come, they generally will not last more than a few hours, so one should never have to wait long for a break in the weather. The storms can also make for some spectacular views of the coast as the waves of a stormy sea crash against the rocky coast.

Weather watch is brought to us by our regular weatherman Tony Muscat who runs his own monitoring station, it-Temp, in Mellieha in Malta’s north.

Photo: Courtesy of Leslie Vella.

What we’d like to see more and less of, over the next 365 days of living and working in Malta:

LESS

1. Dictat.  We had enough medieval discourse during the divorce referendum to last us a lifetime.  Now you know it doesn’t work.

2. Polarisation.  Indeed, wishful thinking, in a year which is likely to feature a general election.  We live in the hope that politicians understand that their power is dependent on a few thousand people who choose to exist outside entrenched blue / red camps and decide, every five years or so, who can best represent their interests, and those of the nation.  Those decisions are based on manifestos and track records, rather than favours and networks.  Underestimate us at your peril.

3. Fear.  Of retribution.  Of online and offline surveillance.  Of doing anything.  We thought that kind of fear had been consigned to the dustbin of history.  It hasn’t.

4.  Insularity.  If the most recent referendum was about the secular state, and ‘tradition vs the modern’, it’s about time we woke up to some facts.  We are small but part of a larger economic bloc, use the Euro and hence open to international economic disruption, lack the critical mass for revolutions or Eurovision wins, and are pretty much irrelevant on the global radar unless Libya erupts again.  And that doesn’t mean we want a nanny state either.

5.  Complacency.   In the virtues of our so-called fourth estate.  In believing our education system is world-class.  What used to work in the 20th century is not good enough to help our kids navigate the world we will bequeath them.  And truly participate as global citizens.

MORE

1. Music.  Just tune into Toni Sant’s Muzika Mod Iehor every week and you will wonder at the wall of beautiful sounds the kids are producing.

2. Digital literacy.  This is not some intellectual call to arms.  It’s about taking stock of how we interact with online information and how we need to organise ourselves as life-long co-learners.  And help our kids acquire some much-need critical thinking skills.  My recent TEDx talk is here.

3. Culture.  Yes, that sounds elitist and even misplaced in view of the over-zealous policing and pathetic attempts at censorship we’ve seen in recent years.  Yet there is much that we can celebrate, explore and nurture.  From a return to thinking theatre to the creation of spaces for artists – including those working in a garage or a box room somewhere.

4. Debate. We don’t care whether it happens in the living room, a blog, on Facebook or in the classroom.  You too have a voice.  You too count.  Don’t just rely on intermediaries.

5. Tolerance.  For the marginalised, the alternative, even for views that may initially rankle with yours.  If we truly wish to promote the notion of a modern society, we have to accept that we are not a homogenous society.  Diversity is something we should now start to celebrate, not ignore or stifle.

May you have a good new year.  And as always, good health to you and your loved ones.

Picture:  Leslie Vella

That does have its pros of course – firstly, the seafronts are almost deserted during the peak lunchtime hours on Christmas day. So you can enjoy a walk with great views and gulps of sea air while others feast. Your health will be all the better for it, having broken the rule of gluttony on the 25th.

But you may ask:”Isn’t Christmas day in Malta just a bit miserable when the islanders are all inside feasting with friends?” Here’s some reassurance that there is life still for people here as tourists on Christmas holiday.

Are things closed?
Christmas Day, 25th, is the only official public holiday day, along with New Year’s Day. The 26th, called Boxing Day in the UK, is not a public holiday in Malta.

A lot of cafes in major towns, resorts and the cities – Sliema, St Julian’s, Valletta, Mdina, Bugibba, Qawra and Gozo resorts – Marsalforn, Xlendi and so on – will be open. Of course, you’d need to book ahead at restaurants, many of which will be open, if you were intending to eat out on Christmas day. But you won’t be far from a light snack, hot chocolate (it can be cold on those seafront walks) and cappuccino. Hotel cafes will be open should you not find a quainter, trendier or more traditional one open on the high streets or promenades.

Shops will be closed (apart from the enterprising traders who predict that someone will be missing a Christmas present). So some stationers may be open, but it’s the only day in the year newspapers don’t print. Cafes doubling as confectioners or bakeries will be busy as guests buy delicacies to take to their Christmas day hosts. International chains of fast food restaurants will also be open.

What’s the weather like at Christmas?
Obviously it’s a lot warmer than in Northern Europe and even more so this year as northern neighbours endure the big freeze. December daytime temperatures can be a pleasant 16-22 or more if you’re in a sheltered sunny spot. Nights are chill, and wind can swirl around. It can be damp as it’s a maritime climate, but the real cold starts in January-February. Come with layers, and be prepared for stormy periods. See our hints here.

What can I do?
First, check out our What’s On guide for up-to-date info on events (New Year’s parties, exhibitions, clubbing and more).

If you’re wandering the streets, you can find plenty to amuse yourself looking at the various household Christmas decorations! From the traditional door wreaths to the entire plastic Santa village I once saw. The Christmas lights from dusk in Republic Street, Valletta, are magical. Crib viewing is a main Maltese occupation, so join the throngs. You’ll see cribs – Presepji – in all styles from the kitsch and mechnically-operated to the lovingly crafted and historic. Window shutters open to offer a peep of householders’ crib displays, while other residents turn their whole garage into a crib for public viewing. There are several crib displays – Auberge d’Italie, Valletta is one regular, but for sheer exuberance, visit the Bethlehem at Ghajnsielem, Gozo. A word you’ll need to know is’ Pasturi’, which means ‘crib figurines’. There’s a real art and craft to making them that’s carried on in Malta today.

Christmas Shopping hours
Valletta has late-night shopping until 9.00pm in the run-up to Christmas. Sliema shops stay open late too. Bay Street complex in St Julian’s is open until 10pm. Expect to join thick crowds ambling down Valletta’s main drag, Republic Street. It’s a ritual – shopping, supping a coffee, munching a cake, and enjoying the lights. Linger when the shops close and have a relaxed supper at one of the city’s many restaurants in historic piazzas and buildings. Wine bars tempt too!

What’s Happy Christmas in Maltese?
‘Merry Christmas’ in Maltese is ‘Il-Milied it-Tajjeb!’

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day masses
The cathedrals, as well as all parish churches, have their midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The usual parish midnight mass includes the tradition, dating back to 1883, of an altar boy (or girl these days) preaching the sermon, in Maltese, which is on this occasion called ‘Il-Priedka Tat-Tifel’. It will take the child a good few weeks to learn it all by heart! Another traditional sight worth catching, again in many parishes on Christmas Day morning, is the Procession of Baby Jesus. Children from the locality dress up as biblical figures, accompanied by a band.

What is a Maltese Christmas Day lunch?
Today, the same as the traditional British one – turkey with trimmings, Christmas pudding, mince pies or some Sicilian-style desserts from a fine confectioner. The Maltese love the Italian Christmas cake, Panettone, which is dry sponge with either a little candied peel and dried fruit, or chocolate filled. Hotels will offer the traditional lunch, usually as a buffet.

Does public transport run over Christmas?
In previous years, buses have run every day as usual in the Christmas period. But with the change to Arriva as the service provider, we’re not too sure what the timetable will be.  Check the Arriva website nearer the holiday days themselves. Our guess is it will be a public holiday-Sunday service.   Gozo Channel Ferry operates on Christmas Day, with a slightly reduced service.

Are museums open?
Yes, with business as usual apart from on Christmas Day itself. For state museum and sites’ opening hours, see Heritage Malta.

Photo: Leslie Vella