A Place in the Sun

Cannot wait to visit the Valletta Boat Show this weekend! Although I am currently not doing much in terms of yachting, I still have a passion for the yachting world, boats and the sea.  This event is being held between Friday and Sunday, at Dock 1 in Cospicua .  There should be a number of exhibitors and, I bet, a number of people I know from the world of boats and yachting.  It is nothing like the Monaco Yacht Show , at all, but it's a welcome event indeed. I couldn't attend this last one, so Valletta Boat Show will have to do ! (I can never stop gazing at the lovely Ulysse Nardin watches... I would prefer that to any other brand of expensive watch, I tell you ! ) In any case, I am glad there is something open-air to do this weekend, and I am hoping that the weather will be nice ... I think that this is where I will spend my Saturday evening! 

What a lovely concert! Joseph Calleja hit the crowds again yesterday with some of his legendary achievements, wowing the crowds with his wonderful voice. He had some of Malta's best performing alongside, including Winter Moods , Red Electrick and a large choir of children, setting the stage for crowds to cheer and sing. The aspiring tenors, Nico Darmanin and  Cliff Zammit Stevens joined him on stage, making this a stunning performance by three amazing talents.  The Maltese Philarmonic Orchestra with its most competent Maestro provided great backing, with the legendary Carmine Lauri heading the violins. The Maltese music scene has shown a huge upwards stint in the last few years, with ever-increasing professionalism and quality not seen before in this scenario - or at least, not enough to bring such prominence to this amazing talent. The much-loved Anastacia graced the stage a few times, her powerful voice echoing across the auditorium. Well done to NNG Promotions for sett...

It always amazes me how life changes from one year to the next.  Only a couple of years ago, I could not imagine myself without my boat.  Last September, I returned from Monaco Yacht Show only to find that she had sunk - possibly after receiving a hit during the night. This year, the summer kicked off with a trip to Istanbul with my friend and colleague, Geraldine Noel of Acumum Services Limited, where we spent time shopping for beautiful things as well as chatting about career developments. Her practice is doing really well - and I am sometimes unsure of whether I should continue to enjoy a rather laid back pace or go back into the rat race of life.  I know I could make more money, but this really isn't half bad.  I get plenty of time to play, since I leave work to go home at a decent hour most days.  I still have my office at Saga Juris , the law firm in Valletta, with whom I started off my career more than 15 years ago. I also visited THW, a German res...

It's been extremely windy over the last week and according to Windfinder it does not seem to be about to change until next Thursday. I found an interesting web page, for those who want to windsurf in Malta, complete with wind forecast and, if you're a foreigner, what to expect - click here . The sea was already very rough last Sunday - you could see the white horses from San Gwann, with no need of binoculars (and i'm myopic!!), let alone after a week of blowing!

Today I reminisced about my maritime law course, completed almost one year ago at the International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI), in Malta. This Institute is the brainchild of the International Maritime Organisation , an internationl organisation that brings states and other entities together in the interests of Safer Shipping on Cleaner Oceans. The motto of IMLI is 'Serving the Rule of International Maritime Law', which IMLI graduates vow to observe upon successfully recieving their LL.M. after one competitive year spent studying some of the major conventions and traditions in maritime law. Maritime Law has roots in ancient history, and has developed over time to become the very large and interesting subject it is today. The year spent at IMLI taught me cultural tolerance and has given me friends from all over the world. the Tuition is also vast and I think I've never enjoyed studying anything as much as this. We were also given the opportunity to network with people of ...