A Place in the Sun

October has set in well, and with it come the clouds and rain. As I look out of the window, the sky is not very dark but the pane is wet - it has started to rain. It rained very hard this morning, and the clouds have been looming all day. With winter come lovely thoughts of Christmas, or cuddling up befoer the TV... for those fortunate of course to have loved ones with whom to share this warmth. Others less fortunate may be lonely, even if well provided for, and may sorely resent this sudden greyness. I think that while fortunate, I also suffer from winter blues. I tend to hit a low when the sun goes away, and although I love the cuddly sensations, I strongly resent the early sunset, the late sunrise (even if I never watch it) and the grey skies. Of course, I do love the DVD nights, or reading under my quilt, but boy, is it winter yet?

Yesterday and today morning I woke up to see less of the sun shining than usual. August is almost over, and as we are heading into September, a kind of melancholy hits me. I am enjoying summer greatly, and a hard winter awaits me - plenty of work (thankfully) which will keep me busy through the colder months. I've been working on my new website, The Ballet Shop , which is entirely new in concept, as well as The Ballet Shop Blog , which runs alongside it, and which I use to market the site. These have taken up quite some time during the summer, as I want them to look great and be user-friendly. I have also taken plenty of time to swim, which is my favourite form of exercise. I love being in the water, preferably the sea, though the jellyfish have not allowed me to be as comfortable as I used to be in the water beforehand. Nowadays I always have a pair of goggles at hand, to keep an eye on the water around me. I still managed to get nabbed twice by the nasty things, but this did not...

Blissfully, the weather has turned warmer over the last couple of weeks, meaning that summer is right about here. Despite the jellyfish infestations, there are still days when it is all clear to swim - of course I shall be using goggles... I find the Maltese summer idyllic. Having a barbecue on a beach or - even better, a yacht - on some balmy evening tops it all. We are sometimes invited on friends yachts and, by the candlelight and the smell of citronella, dig into fresh salads and a little bit of fish (steak, mind! I cannot eat seafood for the life of me), and a cold glass of white wine .... delightful! Of course I love nothing better than the sea. We have not yet taken our boat down to the water as she still requires plenty of maintenance. However I am sure that we will do so soon - with a bit of effort and goodwill from all of us, I guess we'll get somewhere. Luckily for me, work slows down in summer so I can rest a little without appearing sloth. In Malta it is often too h...

Today I received an invite to go sailing since the weather was so lovely and there was some wind. We did set off sailing but the wind dropped drastically, and so we went into St George's bay to have a coffee, and the skipper, Ray, wanted to have a swim. Much to my disappointment - though it was not suprise at all - there were swarms of jellyfish. The awful thing about it was that they were mating, and on the heads of some of them I could see the little white eggs, ready to be released. There were a variety of the common purple jellyfish and some brown ones, and some seemed to be a combination of both. The worst thing about it was that these had tentacles at least 1 metre long, and very very invisible if you're swimming close by. I'm sincerely hoping that this summer is not going to be ruined by these pests. They say that jellyfish are food for turtles, which are close to being extinct. Let's hope they feast on this excessive supply of these noisome creatures ... They ...

February was a party month at home. We had a party to celebrate the birthdays of two of our friends, Alex and Mandi, on Friday the 13th March. It was a blast and everyone had a great time. The following week we threw a carnival party. The rule was that every man had to dress as a woman, and the females could dress as they pleased. Some of our friends brought their friends too and we had a great night.

Winter here is proving to be rather cold. With trying to keep warm, I tend to crouch in my sleep, and this is giving me frequent neck and back pains. I hear that a lot of people are suffering from the same thing, so I am not surprised. Perhaps having to walk about in the cold does not help, but at least this means some exercise for me. I am finding it increasingly hard to get out of the house and run or exercise. Perhaps my circulation is sluggish in this cold. I cannot wait for summer to start again, and I can swim, go for boat rides, snorkel, and do all that I enjoy without feeling like I am going to freeze. Malta has a very mild climate, so the temperatures are not supremely cold. However it is an island and as such the atmosphere is very humid, which makes the cold feel like it is in your bones. Spring is luckily round the corner.... hopefully it will warm up soon!

The Christmas holidays are way over!! I went back to work on the 5th and it's been way busy. Of course certain things have been pending from last December but additional work has come in. It's only Thursday - or alread? - and I am already feeling really, really tired. I still feel as I did before - that I need to spend a few quiet days. We've had many great parties over Christmas, and lots and lots of friends around us so in a way I managed to get over my work stress. Now I just need to calm down ...

Qormi murder compilation of evidence behind closed doors This story published in The Times of Malta today has seriously aroused my curiosity. For a trial to be fair, it should be a public hearing, which is one of democracy's ways of ensuring that justice is not only done, but that it is also seen to be done. However, sometimes there is a greater need for the protection of a citizen, so great that it overrides the requirement of publicity (e.g. the need to protect the privacy of minors i.e. those under 18 years of age), in which case the court may order that certain parts of the trial - or all of it - remain private except to the involved parties. In this case it is only the gathering of evidence that is taking place behind closed doors - though I am very curious as to know why. Another interesting issue about this case is this. A man had entered or trespassed on the property of another, and got killed in the process. The person who killed him was naturally acting in self defe...

This week I was involved in a court case which allowed me to witness a serious problem that led to justice not being served. I don't frequently practise before the criminal courts, but this was a case where I was appearing for the victim. The Maltese law now allows the criminal court to award damages to the victim, based on the actual damage suffered. In this case, I was dealing with a police inspector and we were working on the gathering of the evidence in order to charge the attacker in a street fight with grievous bodily harm. The parties had been involved in a scuffle after a near-miss vehicle incident, and the other party hit the victim who now stands to lose her front teeth. Last week the case was due to be heard, and we discovered that another police inspector had already filed the case, got a quick hearing, and the defendant was granted an acquittal based on the lack of evidence in the case. The charge in the other case was for a less serious offence. However since he had ...

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!

The wind has hit the islands quite badly this week, ever since last weekend. It does not seem to be giving up - I read on windfinder that it's due to remain this way at least until Saturday. It's also getting colder, of course - which is to be expected. Considering all, the start into the winter has been pretty slow. So now is the time to cuddle up in front of TV with a few good DVD's, or a good book. I'm currently reading Hannibal, after having read The Silence of the Lambs. I quite like Thomas Harris' way of writing. I've also discovered the joys of reading Stephen King, having started with Dreamcatcher. With much of these scary books, I don't think I can handle the film - I'm quite squeamish when it comes to bloodshed, so I often opt out. The start of winter, distressing as it is because I miss the summer sun, will mean the beginning of the party season, so watch this space for more photos.

A fault in a submarine cable between Malta and Italy has meant that users all over Malta have been unable to access the web, or have experienced heavy slowdowns in access to the Internet. The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) is working to ensure that a backup is available until the fault is remedied and is liaising with the Italian communications authority, AGCOM, to ensure reinstatement of communications. GO has said that it has available backup satellite and microwave links. The MCA is monitoring the situation.

Boy, 3, dies in road accident A very tragic accident took place yesterday. Besides my condolences to the immediate family, one should also take a moment to think of the uncle and grandfather, who were with him in the truck. They will bear guilt forever - whether it was deserved or not.

For several years there have been plans for Bisazza Street to be changed to a pedestrian area. Various unfruitful talks and discussions have taken place, including business concerns and other interested parties. It appears that now this project is about to take a step forward. GRTU has held various meetings with the Minister concerned, the business community and other affected parties during which the following issues were discussed; - clear plan of the proposed project - alternative parking - distribution of goods - traffic management - clear date for commencement of works GRTU reports that the business community is still in the dark as to how this project is to be implemented. The Minister, Hon George Pullicino, informed that this issue is being taken seriously and a study is underway so that a solution will be found for the benefit of all in the shortest possible time. He also informed that if the study would be a suc...

I was delighted to read recently that the European Commission has decided to push towards lower sms rates within the EU, so as to avoid the large differences in SMS charges between SMS's sent within the same Member States, and SMS's sent while 'roaming'. It appears also that the Commission will be striving to push down rates of bills that consumers receive for browsing internet on their mobiles. If technology becomes less costly, I think that mobility should be far better improved.

I read with some relief that the maritime rules concerning in particular navigation in local waters will be more heavily enforced this summer. Last Sunday, we visited Mellieha Bay with our boat, and we were shocked to see the number of jet skis and small dinghies being driven at very high speeds, not five metres away from anchored boats, where children and other persons were swimming. This was not even fifty metres distance from the coast, let alone the required two hundred! Such speeds are a hazard to life and limb, and have in the past resulted in various tragedies. We do not want a repeat. We hope that this will be a successful venture. To red the article, visit http://www.independent.com.mt /news.asp?newsitemid=71279

Malta to recognise EU judgments of trials in absentia Maltese courts will start recognising court judgments in trials held in absentia in other EU countries following an agreement reached by EU Justice Ministers. Malta took a favourable position on the proposal "after ensuring that certain safeguards were provided for in the final Framework Decision," a spokesman for the government told The Times. "Although Maltese criminal law does not provide for the notion of in absentia - since in terms of the law the presence of the accused must be assured throughout the proceedings - in absentia trials and judgements in foreign jurisdictions are recognised, subject to limitations, by Maltese courts," the spokesman said. According to the government, the limitations included in the text of the new rules ensure that the accused or convicted person must be summoned in person to appear for the trial and that a retrial or review is available to persons who have been judged in abse...

Officials clamp down on tables blocking pavements

We have finally launched our boat, christened Miss Fits, last Saturday afternoon. She is currently resting on a pontoon, until her mooring becomes available. Of course we have our good friends to thank, for assisting us with putting her into the water, and thus saving us plenty of extra work and expense. The boat builders are Cantieri Navali Solcio, and Italian maker that nowadays has subcontracted or assigned its construction of boats to third parties. She is 21 feet long, and has 2 x Volvo Penta engines and a small day cabin. Of course some works remain necessary, but we look forward to using her next weekend. Roll on summer !