On the Dot...

A warden recently issued fines for parking in the centre of the yard at the end of the road above Barbara Bastions near the steps to Lascaris, in Valletta. Admittedly there are no parking lines in the centre, as there are on the sides, but these can easily be painted, to accommodate at least two or three cars. What wardens should watch out for is that no double parking is allowed.

Mind Your Language

"...You've tried speaking and phoning, but he or she won't respond. Write an e-mail to him/her, explaining what happened and that you should not take the blame..." this verbatim quote is part of a question carrying 10 points, as given in the Sec May 2003 session English language examination. To say the least, it was ambiguous, for the students would not have been able to tell whether the pronouns used referred to the head of school or to the peer who got them in the soup. One hopes that there is no "correct" answer to this question.

Baby Faces

The cool composure that health professionals keep when they come in touch with sickness is sometimes a help; but at other times, it puts people off. A case in point of the latter kind is the receptionist on duty at the accidents and emergency section of St Luke's Hospital, last Tuesday, at about 9 a.m. When told that a child was fainting again, she told the parent to wait while she went on fiddling with her hair during a phone call.

Gate Keepers

Ironically, the gates at San Anton Gardens were spruced up with a new coat of paint a few days after the horticultural show. This shows a dire lack of planning and liaison, as does the fact that those who wanted to see the fireworks festival but had no transport of their own, had either to leave early, or cadge a lift, because public transport was not available at the end of it.

Gift Tags

There is one more company that has decided to make use of a gift scheme that is both simple and actually cheaper than buying the same item(s) involved over the internet. A jar of coffee and an extra 50c entitle one to a red mug as pictured on the label of Nescafe products. One hopes, however, that the rest of the items featured in the campaign will be made available locally too.

Nit Wear (ii)

After an item appeared in this column to the effect that nits are making a comeback in many schools and that certain administrations appeared disinclined to take a stand because they assumed it was bad public relations, things have started moving. Many schools have issued footnotes in their circulars about the situation and some have even gone as far as to make it clear that unless a medical certificate is produced to the effect that the child has been disinfested the child will not be allowed into class.

Fully Booked

The area comprising that part of Old Theatre Street at the corner of Merchants' Street, in Valletta where there is a part of the flea market, and the part of Old Treasury Street in front of the National Library, are still in the shambles of these last months. It is not just that the latter is a national monument, or even that thousands of people, both locals and tourists, pass by every day. It is just that such a laissez-faire attitude from those who are responsible to see that this kind of thing does not happen is worrying.

Sharp Retort

The bougainvillea shrub at the end of Pietru Xuereb Street in Guardamangia, just a few metres away from the roundabout on the Mountbatten Street side, has grown very large. As a result, it spills over the railings and onto the pavement, obliging pedestrians to take to the busy road. Some pruning is called for.

Litter Bu(G)S

Sitting in his cabin, with a cigarette in one hand, a bus driver drank his fruit juice and then duly threw the empty carton out of the window. The container dropped right next to a tourist who impulsively glanced at the man at the wheel and then stared in utter disbelief. This happened last Thursday afternoon at the Valletta bus terminus.

Side Effect

Rats have been seen crossing the upper part of Main Street, Balzan, where works have been underway for several months on the road and pavements. A resident lamented that efforts to control the cat population was allowing rats to flourish.