Wednesday, 21st January 2009
Quaint happenings Malta style (1)
From time to time my fancy is struck by a number of topics which are either not strong enough to be treated on their own or I do not have the time or skills to do that. Alternatively I just say a couple of paras about them hoping that the comments would tickle somebody’s grey or other coloured matter enough to elicit a reaction.
Not a divorce Malta style
I’ve heard it said several times: annulment proceedings in our civil courts are a divorce Malta style.
A friend of mine was emotionally well bruised after stormy separation proceedings. Her partner then filed for an annulment. From what I read, the best that one could say about his grounds for annulment is that they were very flimsy. Her lawyer told her that he would succeed as “this is the way things happen in Malta.” The lawyer continued telling her that if she supports what her husband was saying then the odds would be 200% for an annulment.
I am very happy to note that this is not necessarily true. I read a newspaper report about a number of decisions taken by Mr Justice Azzopardi. It is very clear that if the allegation mentioned in the previous paragraph can be pinned somewhere they surely cannot be pinned to his court.
Mr Justice Azzopardi showed very clearly that even if something is serious enough to provide ground for divorce it does not mean that there are grounds for annulment because the latter is something totally different.
Annulment means that something that existed before the marriage took place made the marriage invalid though in the public eye it was an ok marriage. Divorce can be granted even – if not mainly – for reasons that happen after a valid marriage took place.
TUC Malta style
Ever since 20 or so unions strolled down Republic Street and up Merchants Street in a light drizzle to protest against a different kind of water use and its costs a new dawn has been forecast for trade unionism in Malta. Some were overtaken by the enthusiasm of that moment describing it as historical. Others, more mature, cautioned the enthusiastic. The MUT barged ahead. This led to a split in the CMTU. Following that, the MUT once more barged ahead. It tried to get around the same table Malta’s unions. It managed to garner 10 out of Malta’s 31 unions and formed another association called l-ghaqda tal-unions or something to that effect.
This is indeed a sorry state of affairs. It shows the same kind of immaturity as that shown by an adolescent who proposes marriage after the first peck on the cheeks given in the first twenty four hours of a relationship. That, is perhaps understandable, but when this behaviour comes from the union responsible for the education of our children it makes matters somewhat unacceptable.
Coalitions Malta style
It seems all set for a Red-Green coalition for the MEPs election and perhaps even beyond.
With which institutions should coalitions be compared? Should they be compared to marriages or shacked up couples or one night stand dyads? And should they be compared to heterosexual or homosexual unions? I don’t feel competent enough to provide a solution after pondering on these ponderables.
But let me give an example of how coalitions work to help you come up yourself with the type of relationship that a coalition can be all about.
On Saturday January 10, Dr Arnold Cassola, leader of the Greens, wrote in The Times about the choice of the next president. He said that Alternattiva had a name of someone particular of national standing and international repute. They externalised their prodigy by discussing him (or perhaps was it a she with Dr Muscat, the leader of the Reds. Cassola continued writing that another meeting was scheduled for January giving the impression that that meeting should lead to a deal heralding a rainbow candidate i.e. a Red-Green candidate supported by all the other colours.
There was only one slight snag to the argument of Dr Cassola and the strategy he was outlining. It was not to be. While the Green leader was announcing his January meeting to be with Dr Muscat the latter had already accepted the name proposed by the leader of the Blues, Dr Gonzi!
I repeat the question: What type of partnership is a coalition?
Becoming a personality Malta style
One of the words that irks me no end is the word “personalita”. They hatch with great rapidity though some of them shine on the rest of us only for a brief period of time leaving out poorer and feeling dejected.
What achievements should one have in his or her CV to become a personality? What qualifications? Don’t tell me that there are none because some there must be. The problem troubled me no end. Fortunately I now found the answer. And more fortunately still I did not do this discovering while having a bath. Thus I avoided making a fool of myself running round and about in my birthday suit shouting “Personalita! Personalita!”
There is a tried and tested recipe. Go on Deal or No Deal and make a fool of yourself. Then you will be invited to other sorts of programmes. If you manage to make a big enough fool of yourself you become a personalita.
Xenophobia Maltese style
I was viewing the news on one of the new TV stations. They referred to the discovery of methane on Mars which indicates that some kind of life existed or still exists. The person who wrote the story referred to human life and a type of alien creatures. Nothing is more alien to the truth than that! The kind of life that they will find – if find they will – will not be of the human kind nor anything similar to the light green aliens with large eyes and antennas for ears.
My point, though, is not to make a comment on the proficiency of our journalists. The point I want to make concerns the xenophobia of the Maltese. One of the people who was listening to the news said: Issa se nigu sew. Barra l-invazjoni tas-suwed issa se jkollna ta’ l-aljeni.
He said it half jokingly which means he said it half seriously. Knowing the person I think that he was more than half serious.
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Part 3
The last seemed to have really angered you, and you challenged me with a series of questions to which I have not as yet answered, though I mean to in due course.
Now I ask you, having seen the portraits I specifically wanted you to see, since they are of very poor quality (sorry but there is no other way to describe them. Call me what you want. I don’t mind,) and to top it all, which are meant to be portraits of distinctive personalities which are to be displayed in THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, how would you argue in their defence?
Jessica
Part 2
Franco, when I had read the above, I had assumed that you were an art teacher who had taken affront at my words which I had posted (on 23/1/09) @ Fr. Joe,
“Mediocrity seems to be the accepted norm and one can see it in art…. Sixth form students do not shirk from having their own art websites displaying works which can only be referred to as student’s work,”
In answer to your comment quoted above, I had also said, “We shouldn’t give students (and what’s more secondary school students who are only just beginning to understand the rudiments of art) the false impression that their works, are works of art. Let’s face it, rating art works by secondary students as “Extremely high” is rather extreme.”
Continued....
Part 1
“But again, 'jien ma nifhimx. Li kieku tajtni l-edukazzjoni, jew drittijiet socjali, (tal-ahhar li int m'intix tajba fihom - hudha la tridha, il-kontroversja, hehehe!!!) forsi hemm naghmlu xi haga ... imma arti, ma nifhimx. Kif ghedtlek ... pittura nghidilha sabieha jew ma toghgobnix. Mhux li nghid li hi kerha. (Franco Farrugia)
Dear Franco,
I feel I need to write openly since we have already broken the ice between us and we can be frank with each other without taking offence at whatever correspondence we exchange.
May I refer you to your post of the (24/1/09) where you wrote the following:
“The level of art work which I see coming from the hands and brushes of some of the secondary school students at my school is extremely high, and I can easily see such works of art hanging in people's sitting-rooms.”
continued....
I have taken a quick look at that 'gallery'.
I am not good at appreciating works of art: I can only say that I like this portrait or picture, and I don't like that work. I am in no position to say that the artists behind those pictures are good or bad.
However, I don't like what I saw. They are almost caricatures. In my humble and unformed artistic opinion, portraits should be just that - eternal portraits which transcend any particular style or fancy, whether belonging to the artist or to the period in which said portrait is being made.
But again, 'jien ma nifhimx. Li kieku tajtni l-edukazzjoni, jew drittijiet socjali, (tal-ahhar li int m'intix tajba fihom - hudha la tridha, il-kontroversja, hehehe!!!) forsi hemm naghmlu xi haga ... imma arti, ma nifhimx. Kif ghedtlek ... pittura nghidilha sabieha jew ma toghgobnix. Mhux li nghid li hi kerha.
So sorry!!!!
Gave you wrong website. Stupid me.
Here is the right one: www.npgmalta.com
XXX
Jessica
Sincere regards.
Dear Franco,
I don’t suppose you had seen my Letter to the Editor,
Mediocrity of 'national portrait gallery' (26th February) followed by another one ‘National Portrait Gallery - but with style’ on the 27th Feb.
I am really curious to have your comments about the portraits featured therein. In case you don’t want to bother looking them up, at least have a look at the website www.npg.com and have a look at the portraits therein. Please give me your opinion about them and let me know whether they would do justice to a NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.
XXX
Jessica
Changing partner after being divorced=MUT
I got the reaction I expected. After all that’s what blogs are for. They are outlets for some issues that need to be addressed.
But it’s quite a long list you gave me to trash out in just 200 words. Why don’t we do it in another way.
How about us calling up some friends and get together to discuss some of the above over a cup of coffee? This could be the start of a much needed discussion group.
If you are all for it, you can e-mail me or call me to discuss it. (for details you can look up my website)
XXX
Jessica
What is 'value'?
Do we quantify 'value' in terms of how old an artist is?
How acclaimed s/he is?
How much money s/he is claimed to be worth?
Or the academic letters after the name?
I doubt it.
And what do you understand by the term 'established artist'?
Many of the old masters were NEVER considered to be 'established'. Quite the contrary.
Yes, indeed. I have seen the work of many of our students at school - and I have no authority, nor do I wish to, name it - and I can see for myself, a non-art-critic may I repeat, that they have THE GIFT. Obviously, a seasoned artist is bound to judge differently. And I am sure that these secondary school students will require much, much more training, discipline and guidance. However, yes, they DO have it - already.
You can hang anything in people’s sitting-rooms. There is no accounting for tastes. But wouldn’t you rather hang something of value in your own sitting room if you have to pay for it. We shouldn’t give students (and what’s more secondary school students who are only just beginning to understand the rudiments of art) the false impression that their works, are works of art. Let’s face it, rating art works by secondary students as “Extremely high” is rather extreme.
How would you rate the works of established artists who have shown their mettle? I wonder if there is an adjective that can surpass your “extremely high”.
By all means students should be encouraged and their efforts praised, but please let’s exercise some caution.
By the way, I am no professional art-critic either. I believe after a lifetime dedication to art, as a practicing artist, and a sixth form art teacher, with a good track record of “A”s and “B”s from my students, I am entitled to an opinion based on my first hand experience.
But, of course, I am no professional art-critic.
I can understand your annoyance that on the local T.V. one only needs to have a certain amount of exposure before one is regarded as a ‘personality’, irrespective of whether one rates it or not.
Mediocrity seems to be the accepted norm and one can see it in art, and to a certain extent in education as well.
Just to shed some light, permit me to mention a couple of facts.
Sixth form students do not shirk from having their own art websites displaying works which can only be referred to as student’s work, and they even dare to put a price to these works. They also dare to call themselves ‘artists’.
A B.Ed graduate in art, answering a call for an art teacher at a certain institution, had to present a portfolio of her work which would indicate her level of proficiency. Sadly the works shown were so depressingly weak that the interviewer wondered whether the B.Ed course required the students to present an ‘A’ level certificate to make them eligible to follow the course.
Are these the prospective art teachers coming out of the University? I sincerely hope the above was only an isolated case.
Agreed
There are no tabulated criteria by which one can establish that somebody is a personality, however, one can single out individuals who are “potentially” personalities, even at a very young age. We have all seen kids at school who seem to have a natural charisma and they attract peers like bees to a honey pot. If, as they grow older, they develop other qualities and manage to distinguish themselves in their particular field, they would be likely candidates to be regarded as ‘personalities’.
A personality is not necessarily an individual you have to look up to. He/she can have qualities, beliefs, etc., which go against your grain but you still find him/her arrestingly interesting.
A flamboyant person, who projects an eccentric identity, and whose aim is to shock us out of our skin, can also be regarded as a personality.
Obviously the above mentioned are not the only models. There are other factors which can lead one to develop a personality (certainly not the tried and tested recipe you mention, of going on 'Deal or No Deal' and making a fool of yourself :)
Thank you
Annullment is NOT Divorce.
The only reason that one is confused for the other is because one is legally available to unhappily married couples and the other is not.
The true 'Divorce Malta style' should be Divorce itself.
Unfortunately, with Divorce unavailable - Annullment can seem like the next best thing in order for a couple to have a chance to start over.
OK! So let’s ponder.
Coalitions should be compared to heterosexual unions since one expects them to be fruitful.
Coalitions are temporary, therefore, rule out marriage, unless we bring in divorce.
Shacked up couples one would imagine are too caught up in each other to wander to other pastures, unless their ‘use by date’ has expired.
One night stands, for the scenario you presented, would be more apt.
Possibly, compared to one night stands when the wife/husband is away would be even more appropriate – titillating anticipation which fizzles out with the appearance of the ‘better’ half. Except that blues and reds were never wed so ??????