Heard in the Hive

January 10 was a memorable day for George and Catherine Farrugia (centre, in the photograph below) who celebrated their golden anniversary with a fine dinner at a five-star hotel with their children, in-laws and their grandchildren.

The couple, who both hail from Mosta, were married 50 years ago at the Rotunda church.

Present were (from left) Paul and Melina Cassar, Paul and Jennifer Azzopardi and their children Warren Paul and Marie Claire, Horace, his daughter Ada Marie and his wife Marie Louise Gatt, and MP Angelo Farrugia, his daughter Caroline and his wife Carmen.

Missing from the photo are daughter Prisca, her husband John and her son Jon Junior, who live in San Pablo, California.

Also missing are their granddaughter Mandy, her husband Samuel and their two baby daughters Maya and Helen, who live in Aberdeen. Scotland. Maya and Helen are the only two great-granddaughters of George and Catherine.

L-Ghanja tal-Poplu song festival

Applications for the L-Ghanja tal-Poplu song festival, organised by the Youth Travel Circle (YTC), should be submitted on Thursday, February 12, and Friday, February 13, from 5.30 to 9 p.m.

Application forms can be obtained from YTC, 227, Merchants Street, Valletta, tel. 2123-3893.

This year's final night will be held on Saturday, April 24.

Nathalie Anastasi at Camilleri Paris Mode

A private viewing of Nathalie Anastasi's new watercolour and pen-and-ink pictures was recently held at Camilleri Paris Mode in Annunciation Square, Sliema.

Nathalie's fresh, colourful pictures all show details from nature: parrots, chameleons, geckos, birds, tulips, fish and fig leaves.

Delicious food was prepared by Jason Sultana, chef patron of Zucchini restaurant, and very good wines from the South African estate of Simonsig in Stellenbosch - pinotage and chenin blanc - were provided by Attard & Co Foodstuffs Ltd - wines and spirits division.

Ambassador discusses Malta's role on the map

John Lowell, Malta's Ambassador in Washington, DC, recently started meeting informally with ambassadors of five of the world's smallest nations, with the aim of boosting the profile of their respective nations.

The first gathering, which was featured in the January edition of The Washington Diplomat, was attended by the ambassadors of Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Iceland, Luxembourg and Slovenia.

The newspaper said that Ambassador Lowell's immediate challenge when he first assumed office was to increase public recognition of Malta in the United States.

Together with Liechtenstein's ambassador Claudia Fritsche, Mr Lowell discussed strategies for increasing recognition of their countries, leading them to create this informal meeting - so informal it does not even have a name - which is expected to be held every month or so to discuss tactics to get their messages across to American and worldwide audiences.

The six ambassadors have promised to be involved in whatever event they are hosting, hoping that their direct participation will attract people and distinguish their activities from various others sponsored by embassies in Washington.

Topics discussed included tentative plans to host a collective concert with musicians from each country, as well as organising a symposium at George Washington University, where each ambassador would give brief highlights of his or her nation, followed by a question-and-answer forum with their students.

The ambassadors, who conversed diplomatically yet constructively, discussed how to keep their platform fresh, settling on specific timetables and finalising other logistical questions that arise when organising an event.

Above all, the ambassadors focused on striking a careful balance between providing an informed, overall perspective of one's nation while keeping within the group's original theme of being a cultural organisation, not a political one. They also stressed the importance of co-operating together and pooling their resources, and of adopting a hands-on approach to reach their goals.

Despite the nations' small size, the ambassadors agreed that "the power is in the strength of our argument. Might is not always right."

The group has already held a poetry reading last summer at the Meridian International Centre that attracted several hundred visitors.

The ambassadors are now working to hold about four similar programmes throughout the year.

Floral artists' work featured in foreign magazine

The work of art of one of Malta's leading artists in flower arrangement, Glorian Micallef-Grimaud, was recently featured in the January issue of Flora International, a UK-published magazine on flower arranging, floristry and floral crafts.

The flower arrangement created by Glorian, daughter of well-known Mariuccia Micallef-Grimaud, is made of aloe placed on top of a home-made raffia container, decorated with a majestic Salandra with its mellow colour, and twirls of Montbretia, a very pliable and resistant plant.

The flower arrangement (right) features a simple yet striking design, and is made of plants symbolic of our climatic conditions.

HSBC staff support cancer patients

The Puttinu Cares - Children's Cancer Support Group has purchased specialised cleaning equipment, furniture, mattress covers and an examination couch and educational games for the Wonderland Ward at St Luke's Hospital.

This new equipment was purchased with money raised by HSBC staff members during a recent dress down day.

HSBC regularly organises dress down days in which staff members are asked to donate Lm1 in order to be able to come to work in casual clothes. HSBC Bank Malta, through its Lira for Lira scheme doubles the amount raised by staff and donates the total sum to the particular organisation for which that dress down day is organised, in this case the Puttinu Cares - Children's Cancer Support Group.

"HSBC has, over the last couple of years, organised eight dress down days during which some Lm30,000 has been raised for various initiatives. Puttinu Cares is an organisation which is very closely associated with the HSBC Cares for Children Fund.

"The fund gave this cancer support group the rights to the children's characters Puttinu u Toninu, featured in the stories by HSBC staff member Dr Philip Farrugia Randon and this dress down day reflects HSBC's continued interest and support for Puttinu Cares," said Doriette Camilleri, a member of the HSBC Cares for Children Fund committee.

HSBC Bank Malta will be organising its next dress down day on February 20. The HSBC Cares for Children Fund will use the money collected on that day to organise an carnival party for about 400 children resident in Church homes in Malta and Gozo.

A toast to Australia

Last Monday, Australian High Commissioner Richard John Palk and his charming wife Helen hosted their first Australia Day reception since they took up residence in Malta six months ago. Also present was their younger daughter Alexandra, here on holiday (their other daughter Susanna was on holiday in Italy).

As usual, a large number of guests turned up for the reception at Villa Risq, the High Commissioner's residence in San Pawl tat-Targa - a sign of the strong links between these two countries, so different in size and so far apart physically but so close culturally and socially.

They were led by President Guido de Marco and included the Prime Minister, Dr Fenech Adami, the Speaker, Mr Anton Tabone, Cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries, ambassadors and various members of the diplomatic corps, members of the Australian community in Malta, officials of the two Maltese-Australian organisations - the Maltese-Australian Association and the Friends of Australia - led by their respective presidents Nicholas Bonello and Tony C. Cutajar, Mgr Philip Calleja, senior civil servants, members of the business community, and other guests.

In a brief address, Mr Palk said that this occasion marked the 216th anniversary of European settlement in Australia, but in fact Australia had been inhabitant for tens of thousands of years before that by Aboriginals.

He said that although he had only been six months in Malta, much had been accompllished. For example, Australian pensions payable in Malta were now being credited directly to the beneficiaries' local bank accounts, and talks were under way regarding bilateral health arrangements.

A delegation from the Australian-Maltese Chamber of Commerce in Sydney, representing some 30 companies, visited Malta. It was interesting to learn that Australia was the second largest provider of cheese products to Malta, he said. And although Australia did not win the Rugby World Cup, an Australian managed to win the Middle Sea Race.

Also, the South Australian Minister of Justice and a parliamentary delegation visited Malta, and a Maltese-Australian Cultural Week at St James Cavalier, organised by the Maltese-Australian Chamber of Commerce, was inaugurated last Sunday by Youth and the Arts Minister Jesmond Mugliett.

(Activities included a collective art exhibition, musical and theatrical performances, screening of Australian films, talks and Australian wine-tasting).

Mr Palk said he wanted to congratulate Malta on its imminent membership of the European Union, and although the island would naturally be focused more on Europe, he was sure that Maltese-Australian links would continue to be as strong as ever.

The High Commissioner then proposed a toast to the President, Government and people of Malta and to strong bilateral relations.

Responding to the toast, President de Marco said that in his younger days Maltese emigration to Australia was in full swing, with ships leaving every month, and emigrants seen off at Grand Harbour with bands playing.

He said that Maltese bonds with Australia were strong, and the Maltese immigrants, especially the second and third generation, were loyal and dedicated to Australia, which he described as a "generous" country. It is a country, after all, where many Maltese found work and prosperity and which they rightly consider home.

Australia, the President continued, was also the land of the future. He was pleased to see that more and more Maltese in Australia were now going on to tertiary education - a sure sign of their full integration and confidence in that country.

President de Marco said that Malta in the EU will not be inward-looking, but will continue to cherish its membership of the Commonwealth, of which Australia was such an important part.

He then proposed a toast to the Queen of Australia, and to Australian-Maltese friendship.

The two national anthems were then played on the piano by Veronique Zammit.

EU Delegation's donation to Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija

Last Tuesday, Ronald Gallimore, Head of Delegation of the EU Commission to Malta, paid a visit to Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala. to present a donation of Lm1,628 collected during the seventh European Film Festival held between October 31 and November 18 last year. Some 1,700 had the opportunity to watch 20 films from various European countries.

This festival was organised by the EC Delegation in collaboration with EU member states' embassies and cultural institutes and some of the acceding countries. Every year the entrance fee to the film shows is collected in aid of a charitable institution.

Since 2003 was proclaimed European Year of People with Disabilities by the European Commission, Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija was chosen to benefit from this event. This non-profit charitable institution is a leading organisation in the disability services sector in Malta in particular leisure education and therapeutic services.

During his visit, Mr Gallimore was welcomed by Janatha Stubbs, founder of Ir-Razzett tal-Hbiberija, along with the general manager of the organisation, Nathan Farrugia.

Mr Gallimore was shown around the premises to have first-hand information on the several daily disability programmes offered by this NGO and was also presented with a small memento by one of the many children who regularly use the facilities free of charge.

Park Hotel sets another impressive record

The Park Hotel's annual staff party was recently held at The Palms, St Julian's.

General manager John N. Cutajar congratulated the hotel management and staff for achieving and maintaining an impressive record average of 90 per cent guest satisfaction and an average occupancy of 82 per cent for 2003.

Mr Cutajar also emphasised that the hotel's increasing popularity with its repeat custom and travel trade was a result of constant attention and focus on the client delivering the 'added value promise".

Managing director V. Camilleri complimented Mr Cutajar on having improved the hotel product during his three-year term as general manager of the Park Hotel.

President and Mrs de Marco's engagements - February 2-8

Tomorrow
10 a.m. The President receives a delegation from the Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic at the Palace, Valletta.
11 The President is presented with a copy of the book In the National Interest by John Pollacco.
Noon The President receives Dott. Pietro Fina, commissioner extraordinary of the commune of Villabate, Italy, accompanied by the mayor of Zabbar.

Tuesday
10 a.m. The President receives a delegation from the German-Maltese Chamber of Commerce accompanied by German Ambassador Georg Merten at the Palace, Valletta.
11 The President receives Dr Günther Weiss, former Head of the Delegation of the European Communities.
12.30 p.m. The President receives Mr Julian Hunte, president of the United Nations General Assembly.
5.30 p.m. The President attends an activity commemorating Jan Palach organised by the Czech consulate and the Maltese-Czech Society in collaboration with the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji at the University of Malta, Msida.
7.30 The President inaugurates an exhibition of paintings by Marchese di Nicola set up by Eurofram (Modern Exhibition Art) at St James Cavalier, Valletta.

Wednesday
9 a.m. The President presides over the inauguration of, and later chairs, the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Presidents of the UN General Assembly at the Palace, Valletta.
8 p.m. The President and Mrs de Marco host a dinner in honour of the former presidents of the UN General Assembly at San Anton Palace.

Thursday
9 a.m. The President chairs the meeting of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Presidents of the UNGA at the Palace, Valletta.
2 p.m. The President hosts the former presidents of the UNGA to a working luncheon at San Anton Palace.
4 The President chairs the final session of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Presidents of the UNGA at the Palace, Valletta.

Friday
11 a.m. The President receives the president and council members of the Maltese Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Rhodes and Jerusalem at the Palace, Valletta.
Noon The President receives Malta Community Chest Fund treasurer Tony Borg Cardona, accompanied by the auditors.
6.30 p.m. The President presides over a meeting of the Commission for the Administration of Justice.

Saturday
10.30 a.m. The President is accorded the national salute by the La Valette Band on the occasion of the feast of St Paul at St George's Square, Valletta.
11.15 The President receives the Hon. Nicola Bono, Under-Secretary at the Ministero per i Beni Culturali e le Attività Culturali of Italy at the Palace, Valletta.
Noon The President presides over the inauguration of projects at St John's Co-Cathedral financed by the Italian protocol in collaboration with the Valletta Rehabilitation Project.