Life was reasonably boring lately. You know the feeling I'm sure; work slowly permeates all areas until it takes over. Too busy to diet, too busy to exercise, too busy to relax. I had to put a stop to all this nonsense and claim back some time for myself in a radical way (that's me ;) )

So I said to myself  ... why not try Rock Climbing?

These guys worked their magic on me.  I really had a great time and strongly recommend this stress busting experience. I never visualised Malta from a rock climbing perspective and can now tell you that Malta is a paradise for climbers! I also made new friends who are definitely planning to come again next summer and just for climbing!

So if you're under the weather and caught in the rat race - get a grip and try it out.

It really helped me kick start my metabolism back into shape and I am now on healthier foods and jogging regularly. I can't wait for my next rock climbing adventure.

Thank you  http://www.mcadventure.com.mt     You Rock!

Today its general election day in Malta

Today its general election day in Malta.

May this beautiful country be inspired by its brand Ambassador, Malta's world renowned tenor Joseph Calleja. Humble, talented and filled with honest love and admiration for his Maltese roots; yet Joseph would not have achieved what he achieved had it not been for the social fabric that surrounded him. Joseph was discovered by his piano teacher while he was fooling around with his voice. The teacher encouraged him to nurture his voice/talent and also got him in touch with seasoned Maltese tenor Paul Asciak. In Paul's own words.

"It was eleven years ago that Joseph Calleja first walked into my studio. He had been introduced by his piano teacher, who had asked me to give him an audition. With all the over-enthusiasm of youth, he announced the pieces he wanted to sing. At the age of sixteen it was not surprising that he chose songs from Mario Lanza’s film repertoire and the taxing “Nessun dorma”. With all the experience and responsibility of my seventy-one years, I hesitated as to whether I should allow him to proceed with his choice … but it is difficult to curb youthful enthusiasm! After a few bars of the evergreen Be My Love, even if sung in pushed tones, it was evident that this was a voice of unique beauty, but obviously an instrument which needed careful and disciplined teaching over a long period. Calleja’s voice, even at this tender age, had a rich baritone quality in its middle register, with a rather white tone in its upper range. It was even difficult to ascertain whether he would eventually end up as a baritone or tenor. What on the other hand was obvious, was that with the right rigorous study this raw material could develop into an exceptional and outstanding voice.

It was here that I had to reach back to my own experience both as singer and teacher. Although my own voice was very much a heavyspinto, it was always a voice with a penchant for singing belcanto. This was part of the vocal technique which had been passed on to me in my youth by my first teacher, a local Maltese tenor who had the privilege of studying with Bavagnoli, who in turn had coached and tutored none other than the great Aureliano Pertile. This sound technique, based on parameters established by singers of the Golden Age, was further reinforced by a period of study under the tenor Dino Borgioli, himself a great exponent of lyrical and belcanto singing. All this knowledge was now to be passed over to the youthful Calleja. Initially my tutelage was very much devoted to what he was not to do, rather than to what he should do. Like any modern youth, the young Calleja wanted quick results. At such an early age it was better for him to sing less and listen more, and much of our time was therefore spent listening to the recordings of the great tenors of the past such as Anselmi, Bonci, Schipa, early Gigli and Tagliavini, with all their distinctive techniques and legato school of singing. This was of course supplemented by the normal technical exercises and some occasional seventeenth and eighteenth-century arias. This ensured that Joseph’s tuition developed on a sound technical basis, with an exact placing of the voice, correct breathing technique and a sustained elegance of line.

Over a period of three years Joseph’s voice assumed many of the qualities of this old school of singing, and developed beautifully into a light, flexible and mellow instrument with both a distinctive timbre and a promising ringing top. After an initial introduction in a series of private recitals, at the age of nineteen he was offered the role of Macduff in a local production of Verdi’s Macbeth. It was not, of course, the ideal role at this early period of his career, but this debut demonstrated an already remarkable stage presence, and his Ah! La paterna mano earned him much praise and merited applause. A year later Joseph appeared in concert performances in Reggio Calabria, Italy, and as our study sessions continued, his stage appearances further added to his confidence. His participation in numerous vocal competitions, in all of which he was amongst the winners, manifested his exceptional initial promise. In the Plácido Domingo Operalia in 1998 in Hamburg he had a successful start and was forecast a certain winner. Unfortunately he contracted a virus and we had to return to Malta. The great tenor, however, had obviously been impressed by what he had heard and a week later we received an invitation to be present at the final Gala Night. Back in Hamburg, Joseph was invited to participate in the Operalia in 1999 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As the youngest male participant there he was one of the winners, and Domingo invited him for performances of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia in Washington, which he undertook during the following year.

Gradually, this young tenor has established a firm international reputation. Performing in the world’s leading opera houses, always in roles appropriate to his vocal qualities, Calleja has proved to possess a voice which is today justly considered to be amongst the most exciting available. Essentially it is a medium-sized lyrical instrument, which however has the characteristic of cutting through the orchestra that the Italians refer to as “una voce che corre bene in teatro”. Perhaps essentially he is very much the ideal Donizetti tenor. As Riccardo Chailly commented in the notes accompanying Calleja’s first Decca recital release, the voice is earmarked by a Golden Age character, “a sound harking back to a quality I thought we had long lost”. It is a voice with a wonderful predisposition to sing legato, a voice which also boasts a rare quality in today’s tenor voices: the ability to spin out melting dreamlike diminuendos. During our lessons I would work with Calleja to sing every note of the tenor’s range and produce diminuendos on each and every note. Fortunately, it is also a voice which seems to have little difficulty with the passaggio, the tenor’s notorious transition from chest to head voice.

To end, may I express my sense of great satisfaction that I have somehow contributed to the development of Joseph’s God-given natural gift. In wishing him further success in his career, I join the proud people of my native island home, which has already produced other internationally recognized singers, in the hope of the fulfillment of the dream of one day having one of the world’s leading tenors hailing from our land. From the quality of Calleja’s singing in this recital it seems we are not far from achieving this.

Paul Asciak  11th Mar 2012"

Quoted from http://josephcalleja.com/2012/03/11/paul-asciak-on-joseph-calleja/

Let us therefore hope that today's as well as all future generations, all keep this important social fabric close to heart. May we firmly believe that no man is an island and that time-tested values like strong families, faith and culture really do make that difference to everybody's lives by producing that genuine interest and honest love for each other and for Malta. A social fabric that keep Malta alive and healthy. May God bless Malta and keep her shining.

The smart phone generation?

Local news has been informing us that tourism has never seen better days here in the sunny islands. But the type of tourism has seen drastic changes hasn't it? I am informed that now its all about last minute bookings with a very low percentage of tourists planning their holiday the traditional way.

Perhaps this new type of customer came about due to less liquidity and less stability. But it is more likely simply the result of a 'new' generation of tech savvy travelers. The ones with the smart phones who refer to social networks and who click their way to hotels and entertainment spots on the fly depending on what facebook suggests as nearby locations.

Smart phones are definitely making headway in Malta with Bank of Valletta, a major bank in Malta just launching its really cool Mobile Banking app for iPhone (from App store) and Android (from Google Play). Be sure to visit bov.com for the latest news about this really convenient product. A must-have if you're staying for a week.

So ... are you the smart phone kind of traveler? Here are two really useful sites that also work nicely on smart phones. For fun things happening in Malta visit manicmalta.com and for bargains and deals visit mcn.com.mt You might meet someone special while having the time of your life and who knows, you might even find yourself a bargain gift that looks like its worth a million!

Happy Holidays!

Malta. Third in the world for quality of life!

Hey this is an interesting bit of news!

Times of Malta - Wednesday, 12th January 2011

Malta is the place for a holiday every day - International index rates island third in the world for quality of life. Article by Fiona Galea Debono

If you are seeking the best quality of life in the world, you won’t be missing the mark if you head for Malta.

The island has nearly topped International Living magazine’s Quality of Life Index for 2011, ranking third in the world, hot on the heels of the US and New Zealand, particularly for its sizzling temperatures, but not only...

To come out ahead, a country must be an all-around good pick, not just a standout in a couple of areas, and that explains why the top finishers are developed nations.


An English-speaking population is an asset for the expats in Malta.“...warm, dry, Mediterranean climate, low crime rates, good medical facilities...” – 2011 Quality of Life Index of International Living magazine. Photo: Jason Borg
The index identifies places where people live well on the cheap, pay less tax, enjoy better weather and take advantage of emerging markets; where they can best escape, retire, start over or take off on a grand adventure…

Published annually, the league table rates 192 countries in nine categories, including cost of living, culture, economy, environment, freedom, health, infrastructure, safety and risk, and climate, to present overall ratings for their comparative qualities of life.

“And for the record,” says International Living editor Eoin Bassett, “we’re biased. Our sources, staff and contributing editors are all influenced by a Western bias. We have definite, preconceived ideas about what constitutes a high or low standard of living, what constitutes culture and entertainment, and what climate is the most enjoyable.”

The criteria for 2011’s Quality of Life Index, which is the only one of its kind and has been produced for the last 30 years, have been revised and updated, he said.

Official sources and statistics are scoured so it is not surprising that the US, with the world’s biggest economy, tops the index – on a strictly statistical basis, it is hard to beat.

But several satisfied expats are living proof that, in return for sacrificing some of the convenience of the US, a truly healthy, happy and more affordable life overseas is possible, the index finds.

“Our Quality of Life Index cannot tell you where to find a midnight steakhouse, a 24-hour convenience store or a mall with everything under one roof. What it can tell you is that with a warm, dry, Mediterranean climate, low crime rates, good medical facilities and English-speaking population, Malta is a good place to start looking for a life overseas,” Mr Bassett says.

The first-world retirement haven is New Zealand; Iceland, Switzerland and Costa Rica top the environment category; while Zimbabwe and Malta tie for first place in climate, although they are not considered cheap.

Malta also beats the US and New Zealand when it comes to leisure and culture, and the environment, the index shows.

Barbara Bode, who lived in Malta for several years and grew to love its lifestyle, food and quality of life, maintains that “every day is like a holiday” here.

Highlighting assets such as its “history, sunshine, serene sailing and crashing waves along rocky shores”, she adds that communication is easy.

Real estate may be pricey and upscale stores too, but she has found ways of saving money – and making new friends – by shopping at the green grocers and butchers early in the morning


http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110112/local/malta-is-the-place-for-a-holiday-every-day

Out and about...

Its not easy being a tourist. Well unless you're the adventurous kind I mean. But if you're the type who likes to plan it all out the last thing you'd want to face are surprises and setbacks.
This is particularly true when booking tours and excursions. Holiday accommodation, particularly hotels, enjoy considerable reviews from which one can be guided. But excursions differ from season to season.

My only advice in securing a good tour is to shy away from sites provided too much automation. You want to be able to exchange a few emails and, why not, even a few phone calls with your guide/s before parting with your money. Let them earn your confidence. An excursion is not (well should not) be an off-the-shelf product. The best ones are more often than not practically tailor made for what interests you most.

A good place to start off exploring the best tours currently on offer is this Malta Tours and Excursions website.

Happy exploring!

Figures are Down but Hopes are Up!

Lets face it. Europe-wide tourism was really not so good with the credit crunch and all. Unfortunately many establishments suffered poor business and some even down-sized considerably or even closed. Most travel and car hire websites also experienced the bitter taste of a very slow moving market.

But hey we're soon getting out of this and once its over only the best would have survived .. which is good news for travellers. So after all this gloom is over expect to be served by the best Hotels, Car Hire and transport companies!

Here are some movers and shakers that you kindly recommended to me:

Hotel Accommodation Direct Bookings
Malta Apartments and Villas
Excursions for Malta & Gozo
Gozo Lodgings & Holiday Accommodation
Fun e-cards from Malta
Things to do in Malta
Maltese Bargains
Hotels Malta
Malta Tourist Information
Map of Malta

Send in more useful sites any time!

DO VISIT US! MALTA & GOZO ARE GREAT HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS.

Check your change! Some coins may not be what they seem

Lately I paid EUR10 for a EUR1 coffee and rightly got my EUR 9 change in return ... or did I?? Well I'm sure I took a fleeting glance at my change and all was in order. I had a EUR 5 note and two Euro coins...

Later during the day I specifically needed to pick out a EUR 2 coin. The one I picked out looked exactly like a 2 Eur coin at a glance but I suspected foul play when I couldn't spot the number 2 on either side.

However believe it or not its NOT a fake. It just happens to be one of Thailand's official currency coins!

To learn more about coins that look like Euro coins you can visit this interesting forum

http://www.eurobilltrackerforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10008

So please be on the look out. Check your change COIN by COIN or you might get an unwanted surprise. The Thai coin is worth a fraction of a Euro roughly 25 euro cents!