Heard in the hive
Friends of Slovakia launched in Malta
Another edition of "Slovak Days" has been organised by the honorary consulate of the Slovak Republic in Malta, in collaboration with the Slovak Embassy in Rome and the Slovak Institute.
A very important item on the agenda of "Slovak Days" was the launching of an association called Friends of Slovakia. To this end, a meeting was held at the lnterContinental Hotel in St Julian's on April 14.
It was attended by members of the Slovak community in Malta, as well as by some Maltese nationals Among those present were the non-resident Slovak Ambassador to Malta, Stanislav Vallo, who came from Rome for the occasion, the honorary consul, Godwin E. Bencini, Dr Miroslav Musil from the Slovak Institute in Rome, and Dr Francis Cachia, Malta's Ambassador to Slovakia.
Mr Bencini, opening the meeting, explained the objectives of the proposed association. The meeting was also addressed by Ambassador Vallo, who stressed that membership of this association should not be limited to Slovak nationals, but should be open to anybody living in Malta who is interested in Slovakia. He said how pleased he was to meet Slovak nationals who are living in Malta.
A number of those present also spoke at the meeting, which ended with the election of the first committee, with Ray Bugeja as president and Damian Kovac as secretary.
Anybody wishing to obtain information about the Friends of Slovakia should visit www.slovakiamalta.com and leave their details on the message board.
In the evening, a Slovak film, It is Better to be Rich and Healthy than Poor and Ill - another one by the internationally renowned director Juraj Jakubisku - was shown to a numerous audience at St James Cavalier in Valletta.
The highlight of this edition of "Slovak Days" was a vocal recital held on Sunday, April 15, at Sala Isouard, Manoel Theatre, Valletta, by the highly talented soprano Adriana Kucerova, who was accompanied on the piano by Robert Pechanec. Both artists have been acclaimed internationally.
Addressing guests before the recital, Mr Bencini said that in line with the commitment made at the time of the official opening of the honorary consulate, a Maltese and Slovak audience was again being presented with extremely talented musical artists from Slovakia. He also thanked Herbert Skok, managing director of Volksbank Malta, for generously supporting this musical evening.
The audience which filled the Sala Isouard was entranced by the exceptional ability of both performers, however Adriana Kucerova certainly stole the show with her beautiful voice and impeccable singing. She has been the main solo performer at the Slovak National Opera since 2005.
The programme was a varied one ranging from Gypsy Melodies by Dvorak to arias by Handel, Mozart, Gounod and Donizetti. The musical evening was brought to a close with Norina's aria from Don Pasquale, which was warmly applauded by the audience.
Ambassador Vallo presented Ms Kucerova with a beautiful bouquet of flowers at the end of the performance, which was followed by a reception.
Among the numerous guests were Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, President Emeritus and Mrs Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Mr Skok and Ms Netty Farrugia from Volksbank.
Pope's second anniversary celebrated
THE Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr Felix del Blanco Prieto, on April 19 hosted a reception at Villa Corinthia, Attard, to mark the second anniversary of the election of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
The occasion was graced by the presence of the President of the Republic and Mrs Fenech Adami, Archbishop Paul Cremona, Auxiliary Bishop Mgr Annetto Depasquale, Church dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of religious congregations, representatives of lay religious organisations, and other distinguished guests.
The Apostolic Nuncio, in his address, said that this joyful occasion served to pay homage to the Holy Father on his second anniversary as head of the Church. The new Pope immediately showed that he intended to follow in the steps of Vatican II, calling for peace, justice and dignity of all human beings, to create a civilisation of love and charity, embracing all life, and all beings, including the poor and the needy.
The Nuncio said that everyone is created by God and Malta is fertile ground for the value of human dignity and of Christian virtues, and its respect for freedom.
In reply, President Fenech Adami said he was pleased to hear Mgr del Blanco Prieto refer to Malta's identity of spirituality. He referred to the fact that the second article of Malta's Constitution stated that the religion of Malta is the Catholic religion, and that the Catholic Church had the "right and duty" to teach what is right and what is wrong. This shows the characteristics of the Maltese identity.
Dr Fenech Adami expressed his pleasure in joining in the celebration of Pope Benedict's second anniversary, and said he looked forward to June 3, when His Holiness will declare Dun Gorg Preca the first Maltese saint - something the Maltese had waited for almost 2,000 years!
This made all Maltese very happy indeed, although it would have been great had His Holiness decided to canonise Dun Gorg in Malta. Nevertheless, thousands of Maltese will be present on St Peter's Square on that day.
The President said he was looking forward to reading Pope Benedict's latest book, Jesus of Nazareth. Having read another book of his, Il cammino verso Cristo, he could say that the Pope's Christology is a strong characteristic of his.
Dr Fenech Adami ended by wishing Pope Benedict good health to continue with his mission. In this toast he was joined by the Apostolic Nuncio, after which the anthems of the Holy See and of Malta were played.
UEFA tickets for Vodafone customer
Following an online competition for all Vodafone customers, Jonathan Spiteri was the lucky winner of two UEFA Champions League 2006-07 final tickets which will be held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. He also won flight tickets to Athens and accommodation in a prominent hotel in the centre of Athens.
All Vodafone customers who top up via one of Vodafone's electronic channels or pay post-paid bills via direct debit or through the Website were eligible to participate in this competition. Following the draw, Mr Spiteri replied correctly to a question put to him related to Vodafone's online services.
"I couldn't believe I won the tickets for the UEFA final. It was very simple for me to participate. All I did was top up my Vodafone pre-paid account through Vodafone's hassle-free 24/7 mobile top-up services. And now, thanks to Vodafone, I'm off to see the most-awaited match of the year," he said.
With Vodafone's Mobile Services top-up function, all customers need to do is send an SMS to one of four numbers depending on the amount of top-up they require. One's account with Vodafone will be automatically debited with the top-up amount.
"This is one of the many initiatives Vodafone is taking to promote its 24/7 hassle-free services. Vodafone offers its customers a wide range of options for both post-paid and pre-paid customers. Services for pre-paid customers include My Vodafone Web Top-Up, Easy Top Up, SMS Top Up, available to all HSBC and BoV customers and ATM Top-Up available to all BoV card holders. Post-paid customers, can pay their bills via Vodafone's Website or through HSBC and BoV Internet payments," said Romina Vassallo, Web services executive at Vodafone Malta.
Easy Top Up is the latest hassle-free top-up service Vodafone has launched which will ensure that its customers will never run out of credit. By choosing to top up their account through the Easy Top-Up service, customers will automatically be topped up by authorising Vodafone to charge their banking cards periodically and top up their accounts.
For further information, customers can access the Vodafone Website www.vodafone.com.mt or contact Vodafone Customer Service on 247 from their Vodafone or 9999-9247 from any other line.
Pantene's new image shines
Last week, Re-store at Valletta Waterfront was the glamorous location for a media launch where the new Pantene image was unveiled.
With its new image and philosophy, Pantene reminded all present about the importance of letting "the real you shine through".
After a welcome speech by Victor Galea Salomone, managing director for VJ Salomone, local distributors of P&G, Amaury Marchandise, P&G distributor operations manager for Libya, Malta and Tunisia, took the guests through a fabulous audio-visual experience to discover Pantene's new branding campaign, highlighting the technical innovations and breakthroughs Pantene has achieved.
"Each product formula has evolved over time according to consumer desires and needs. This means that Pantene follows what consumers have to say before exploring the scientific solutions," Mr Marchandise said.
Local television personality Andrea Cassar then launched the nationwide search for the Pantene Hair of the Year. She explained how local model experts Carina and Pierre Camille will front this search over the next six weeks by scouting the islands for Pantene potentials. The winner must have natural shiny hair.
With the help of the new Pantene Pro-V, every woman can express her inner shine and feel great on a regular day. This is because Pantene believes that shiny, healthy hair draws everyone's eyes, stirs admiration, gives one confidence, makes one feel good and therefore makes one shine.
Throughout the rest of the evening, the guests enjoyed a feast of finger food while admiring floor-to-wall images of beautiful Pantene women.
You can follow the search for the Pantene woman on Liquorish on TVM or by logging on to www.models.com.mt, where you can vote for Pantene Woman of the Year.
Calliope Kids now at Bay Street
Calliope Kids is the new addition at Bay Street. Together with Calliope, these brands fall under the same parent company - the Italian franchise, Terranova.
Calliope Kids, which is the third outlet in Malta following those at the Embassy Complex in Valletta and in St Venera, caters for boys and girls aged up to 12 years.
One of the convenient features at Calliope Kids is that children may watch television while their parents shop.
Calliope, Calliope Kids and Terranova are all represented in Malta by Dizz Ltd which is run by sisters Diane Izzo and Denise Buhagiar.
The company with a complement of 50 employees, has opened nine shops - five Terranova outlets, three Calliope Kids outlets and the Calliope outlet at Bay Street.
For your diary
In the series Rediscovering Valletta, the Malta Historical Society is organising a lecture entitled "Valletta and the Sea", by Joseph Muscat, at Pinto Chapel, Valletta Waterfront, tomorrow at 6 p.m. Parking is available.
A card party in aid of the Little Sisters of the Poor will be held at the Skyroom Preluna Hotel, Sliema, on Wednesday at 10 a.m. For bookings phone Blanche Martin on 2133-0387.
The Cana Movement through its branch Christian Families Movement is organising a marriage encounter on Saturday and Sunday. This encounter provides the right opportunity for married couples to find quality time together to enable them to renew their relationship in a Christian environment. Phone 2152-1669 or 9983-4654 for more information and booking.
The annual fair at the Seminary, Tal-Virtù, Rabat, is being held on Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be stalls with plants, books, toys, clothes and other items. A carwash service is provided. The Blood Mobile Unit will be available for anyone wishing to donate blood. Blood donors are reminded to present their ID cards.
The Maltese-Australian Assoc-iation is organising a buffet lunch at the Qawra Palace Hotel on Sunday at 12.30 p.m., to celebrate ANZAC Day and Mother's Day. For tickets, at a special price of Lm5.25 for members and Lm5.50 for non-members, phone Nick Bonello on 2148-6241, Paul Mamo on 2131-5191, Marlene Xerri on 2137-6276, Tammy Cilia on 2157-7545, Victor Borg on 2144-0807, Joseph Buttigieg on 2131-3718 or Joan Barbara on 2182-7948.
Ward u Zghar is organising a day to Gozo on Sunday. The group will meet at Cirkewwa at 8 a.m. For more information phone Antoine on 7953-9234, Peter on 7904-8745, Maris on 9947-9246 or Joan on 7905-3558.
The Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce is holding its sixth annual fund-raising dinner at Villa Arrigo, San Pawl tat-Targa, Naxxar on May 11 at 8 p.m. This annual event is held in aid of the Special Projects Programme, a project primarily intended to promote competition among the students of the society following courses in arts, crafts, music and traditional trades taught throughout the year at Palazzo De La Salle.
Tickets and more information on the event may be obtained from the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, at Palazzo De La Salle, 219 Republic Street, Valletta, tel: 2124-4339 or 2124-4400; e-mail: info@artsmalta.org or by visiting the society's Website www.artsmalta.org
The next event for Malta Floral Club members and their friends will take place on May 15. The event will be a day in Gozo. Early booking is advisable by phoning Lily de' Conti Manduca on 2135-4160 or Agnes Mellilo on 2137-8716. Closing date is May 8 during the club's monthly meeting.
The Malta branch of the International Al Jolson Society is holding a buffet to mark the anniversary of the birth of the legendary singer, at a Sliema hotel on May 20 at 12.15 p.m. For more information phone 2189-6936 or 9988-0489.
The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements - April 30-May 6
Tomorrow
• 7.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a reception hosted by The Netherlands Ambas-sador and Mrs Heidsma on the National Day of The Netherlands at their residence in Ta' Xbiex.
• 9 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a reception hosted by the Prime Minister and Mrs Gonzi on the third anniversary of Malta's EU membership, at the Upper Barracca Gardens, Valletta.
Wednesday
• 1 p.m. The President hosts lunch for trade union representatives on Workers' Day, at San Anton Palace, Attard.
Thursday
• 10.30 a.m. The President receives members of the Maltese Federation of Organisations for Disabled Persons at the Palace, Valletta.
• 7.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend a buffet dinner hosted by the Israeli Ambassador and Mrs Meir on the 59th anniversary of Israel's independence, at the Hilton, Portomaso, St Julian's.
Friday
• 10 a.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over an MCCF working committee at the Palace, Valletta.
• Noon The President attends the wreath-laying ceremony organised by the Royal Air Forces Association in Malta, at the Air Force Memorial in Floriana.
• 5.30 p.m. The President and Mrs Fenech Adami attend the conferment ceremony of an honoris causa degree on Spanish Foreign Minister Dr M.A. Moratinos, at the Jesuits' Church, Valletta.
• 8 p.m. The President, accompanied by Mrs Fenech Adami, presides over the annual concert of the Stella Maris Band Club at Deporres Hall, Sliema.
Saturday
• 7 p.m. The President, accompanied by Mrs Fenech Adami, presides over the annual concert of the St Helen Band Club at the University of Malta, Msida.
Sunday
• 11 a.m. The President takes the Salute at the Annual Scouts and Guides Parade, on St George's Square, Valletta.