Lapsus Calumni

Moving on ...

2010-07-05T02:51:00.003+02:00

You might have noticed that it's been a while since I last posted anything here ... or maybe you haven't.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I've moved over here. It's still quite new and there's no guarantee that it will work, but I'm hoping :)

I've decided to move elsewhere because I wanted to try something new (between me and you, I still believe that blogger is way more user-friendly than wordpress, but I wanted to give it a try), but I also wanted to completely shed the rants and focus more on lighter, prettier things.

I won't be closing down this blog, and I might still post some stuff in the future, but I'm planning on being more active on the new one.

So this is not really an adieu :)

Take care, and hope you'll join me on the other side :)

Feel good song :)

2010-01-11T23:48:00.003+01:00

I haven't blogged for a while, mainly because some time last year I had decided that I want to stop complaining about stuff, and give more space to nice things ... coz we already give too much importance to sad things in life. Anyway, each time I was about to post something, something sad or bad would crop up and I would eventually decide not to post it.

Anyway, today I was scheduled to work the evening shift. Management comes with perks, so I can leave early and continue working from home - no questions asked. Fortunately (or unfortunately) we have a TV in the office so the guys, most of which are football fanatics, can follow any ongoing leagues or tournaments when the work slows down. Unfortunately at times someone decides to switch the channel to MTV - which means the whole office has to listen to the endless crap that oozes out of MTV (and having the most cringe-worthy songs repeated ever 45mins or so, something which drives me up the wall) or to TVM!!!!! which means that the whole office has to bear some incredibly moronic program which TVM decides to air *shivers*

BUT!! there are those wonderful times when the TV is switched on to the Discovery Channel, so we get to work to the soothing voice of Bear Grylls or to the wacky voices of Mythbusters' duo while desperately trying to blow up something. But my favourite thing in the whole world are the ads on the Discovery Channel. I know that it might sound stupid to you, but they tend to use very nice music. For example about a month ago they had an ad which featured The Flower Duet from Delibes' Lakmé. Don't know about you but I simply love this melody.

As I said earlier on, I can leave early and continue working from home - no questions asked. Usually I leave anytime between 19:30 and 21:00, because round that time everything would have died down and we almost never receive any requests which need to be forwarded to me. So at that point I pack up and head back home from where I can monitor the situation while being comfy in my pygamas and possibly watching a movie. Today I had to stick around more than usual - I actually met the guy who works the night shifts (no, we're not being evil, he asked us to only work the night shifts so that he can have ample time to train basketball and football during the day) who I hadn't seen in quite a while!!! - and I got to listen to one of the best feel-good songs ever ... and without much further ado (coz frankly I guess the intro was far too long), here you go!!! Hope you'll like it as much as I do :)

Have a great day!!! :)

Happy new year! :)

2009-12-31T19:41:00.003+01:00

Just wanted to wish you all a very happy new year full of love & laughter :)

thank you for checking out my random and endless banter throughout 2009 :)

Have a good evening ... and be safe! Let the guys at the Emergency Dept at Mater Dei have a quiet and peaceful evening ;)

xoxoxoxoxo

i'm a hooker and i'm gonna do rapunzel

2009-10-05T15:04:00.010+02:00

I know I know, it's such a childish title, but I came up with it a while ago and I honestly didn't want to pass it up.

Each time I start a new project or buy some new yarn, I always say that this time round I will write a post about it. Well, as you can clearly see I have barely brushed on the fact that I crochet in my whole blog!

I've taught myself this craft over the internet ... thankfully there are a lot of generous souls out there who have posted a lot of tutorials :) I will compile a list of helpful websites in another post some other time.

So I've cleared the "hooker" bit (if you haven't got it yet, the main tool crocheters use is a hook). Now on to the Rapunzel bit.

Meet Rapunzel ...

no not the girl! the top!

It's been created by Aoibhe Ni Shuilleabhain (you can find her here and here) and it's suggested yarn is Sublime Kid Mohair. Now, I'm not a girl who spends a looot of money on yarn, but I decided that for once I was going to use the same yarn that is mentioned in the pattern because I was totally head over heels in love with the design and didn't want anything to go wrong, so I bought it from English Yarns ... taking little notice that there was a nice insert on the side which gave you 3 options - save, spend, splurge. Yes, you've guessed right, the Sublime is the "splurge" option, arrrrggghhh!! But, to be honest I'm not regretting my purchase, honestly!

Anyway, I was super excited when I received the yarn, but I had some other ongoing projects and I didn't want to have another thing going on. I've earmarked this project for quite a long time, but I postponed it a bit because I was super afraid of using this kind of yarn. It had to many bits flying about and looked quite fragile, and I absolutely didn't want to ruin it for 2 main reasons - it's price, and the limited amount of quantity there is for this colour, so I left it to the side for some time.

In the meantime I got more yarn, worked on other projects, until I discovered that Tal-Lira (the Maltese version of the dollar store) sold yarn (!!!!!). Nothing special and no variety, just one thing, but a few colour options. It's a 100% acrylic yarn, but it had a very similar feel to the Sublime one (no, I'm in no way trying to offend the kid mohair!) - feels fragile and it looks fray-ey. I've done a whole shawl with this yarn (will feature in another post), and it gave me enough confidence and insight to be able to use mohair without ruining it.

So earlier this month I finally starting working on it, but halfway through the front half I noticed that there was something wrong ... it was far too big. I actually did do a small swatch, but as usual I didn't care much of the results. (I know! I should be ashamed of myself!) I was reaaaaally frustrated, and couldn't even frog it (it gets tangled up) but my mum offered to do the frogging for me. After a lot of grumbling and refusal from my side I conceded and she did it ... what took me only a few hours to wip up (let say around 5), it took her over 8 hours to frog, such is the nature of mohair. I tried to swatch again but I still couldn't meet the gauge and at this point I was really frustrated and disappointed, so much so I barely crocheted anything else - just a headband and a monster pouch.

Anyway, yesterday I went to the yarn shop and got some yarn to get some other projects done (and in a way to motivate myself to start crocheting again) and today, while I was browsing some patterns on Ravelry, I stumbled on the Inside Crochet discussion board. I half-heartedly went through the topics to check if there was anything about Rapunzel, and in fact there was one! And amidst questions and discussions about yarn and hook sizes there was this question which has proved to be a gem:

I have a friend at the yarn shop that wants to make your design and we were wondering if the DC is a British DC or an American DC.

Suddenly everything made sense! How could I NOT have thought about that!!! This is a pattern taken from a British magazine, and I was thinking of it in American terms!! Aaaaaaaaa!!!! I couldn't believe that it didn't occur to me, and it was such a great aha moment that I felt almost euphoric!

I'm still a bit afraid of starting it all over, but this time I will swatch and I will make sure that it comes out right. So yes, I'm a hooker and I'm gonna do Rapunzel (take 2) ... I will keep you posted on the progress of it :)

As mentioned at the beginning of the post, I will also blog about the new yarn I've bought, and in the future I will post pictures of my finished objects ... slowly but surely :)

ps: this pattern is featured in the second issue of Inside Crochet :)
pps: if you want to buy a digital copy of any issues of this magazine, you can obtain it from Yudu :)

The Alchemist

2009-09-17T10:05:00.008+02:00

I just wanted to drop a quick note to celebrate the 21st anniversary of The Alchemist (a novel by the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho).

If you have never had the opportunity to read this book, go out there and get it ... do not pass up on this really beautiful piece of work. Not all of Coelho's novels appeal to the general public, and I understand that. But this one is different ... after all that's the reason for its huge success! It has been translated in about 67 languages and it has been on the tongue of the general public ever since.

I'm gonna leave you with the most famous sentence of this book:

"When you want something, the whole Universe conspires to help you realise your dream"

Villa Francia

2009-09-10T18:30:00.000+02:00

Just wanted to let you know, in case you have missed it, that on September 13th, Villa Francia in Hal Lija will be open for public.

I've never been there myself, but I did see bits of a program about the extensive restoration work that was done on it, and trust me, both the work and the place seemed pretty impressive.

For more information about this place, check out this article and this article.

If I were you, I would make sure to keep my day free ... that's what I'm planning to do :)

[photo by Matthew Mirabelli, taken from The Times of Malta Online

information via: The Times of Malta Online and Office of the Prime Minister]

Pangea expedition: expanding one's knowledge

2009-09-05T12:20:00.000+02:00

Last time I mentioned that I had the occasion to leaf through a magazine published by Mercedes-Benz.

One of the articles listed there was about a project sponsored by this same company - the Pangea Expedition. Basically there is this one guy, Mike Horn, who wants to share the beauty of the earth with youngsters. He plans to circumnavigate the world over 4 years with young people so that they really understand why they should appreciate earth, and work hard for protecting it.

When I read about it, I simply wanted to join in, but unfortunately I no longer appertain to the age range, which is between 13 and 20 years old. The participants have to go through training in Switzerland, as this is no easy task, but I bet that those that pass will be awarded the experience of a lifetme.

2 thumbs up for Horn ... and as for you, any reader, pass the word, who knows ... maybe it will one day fall on the ears of a young teen who might take this opportunity and expand his/her knowledge :)

social contribution ...

2009-09-03T09:48:00.003+02:00

Yesterday, just as I was about to walk into my office's building, I was accosted by an African guy who asked me whether we were in Gzira, and where he could find "business women" (yes you have guessed right, he was looking for sexual pleasure, and no, I am not jumping the gun, he later specified what kind of women he was looking for). I gave him the directions and continued on my way to the office.

While I was waiting for my incredibly slow laptop to fire up, I started going over the events in my brain. After reeling from the initial shock that this guy might have thought that I was a "business woman" too, after seeing me stepping out from my father's car (!!!!!!), I moved on to more serious reflections (yes, I know that being potentially confused with a hooker is not a nice thing and that maybe I should reflect on that, but 1. I honestly don't believe I look like a hooker as I'm always in trousers and non-revealing (not that there is much to reveal) tops, 2. he might have approached me because I was in a quiet street with no one around, and didn't want to ask where he could find what he was looking for amidst people enjoying a coffee on the sidewalk).

The first thing that cropped to mind was that judging from his clothes and looks, this guy probably didn't have a job and if he did, I don't think he earns much more than the minimum wage. Most probably this guy received a monthly social contribution and this time round he wanted to use those finds to find some relief.

I want to make myself clear a priori, I'm not trying to be prude or anything, and I'm not saying this because he's black or because he wants the company of a prostitute. He triggered my mind and made me think about other persons who might be receiving some form of social contribution and rather than using it for their wife, kids, food for themselves, etc, they would use it for alcohol, gambling, etc. I'm not against social contribution, but do you think it's fair that this kind of money which is given out to help the economic situation of the needy is used in such a manner? Why should someone receive this money and use it to buy alcohol, instead of that money being given out to the poor widow next door who has minimum levels of education and still needs to raise a couple of kids?

There is also another thing which cropped to mind - illness. This particular guy is risking of catching some kind of disease, and there is also the possibility that the reverse happens - he has some disease which will be transmitted to the woman he sleeps with, which in turn transmits it to the rest of the guys who want to enjoy her company, who in turn transmit it to all the other ladies they sleep with and to any potential kid they might have. In my opinion this is unfair and even selfish. It brings to mind alcohol and cigarette abuse, and yes, why not, even unhealthy eating. Why should the general public pay for the health care of a person who has never taken care of one's care and that of others, when those funds could be channeled towards those persons with genuine needs?

As I said earlier, my intention is not to be racist, I'm just quoting this event as it has triggered some (what I believe to be valid) points. It's not my intention to be prude either and I'm not going to go into the matter of whether sexual relief should be considered vital to a person's well-being or not.

My whole point is that maybe the structure isn't as good as it should be, or hasn't been refined enough to curb down abuses / waste of such funds. Maybe we should really take into consideration the idea of legalising prostitutes so that they could be regularised through a licensee, regular check up and tests for diseases and assurance of better, cleaner premises. Maybe we should do something in health care where persons who induce certain diseases on themselves are asked to pay. These are just a couple of ideas, and I'm sure that there are persons out there who might be able to come up with better ideas and solutions.

I know that I have touched some really hot points here, but I felt that I should share them with you. And I would love to hear your reflections about this too :)

"My Beautiful Backside"

2009-09-02T11:51:00.004+02:00

no worries ... this will not feature any nude pics and does NOT concern my own backside ... trust me!

So, today I had to take my car back to the dealer to get something sorted for me (not gonna delve into it, at least not today) and while I was waiting for the guys to weave their magic, I grabbed one of the magazines at hand to while away the time. It happened to be some magazine issued by Mercedes Benz, but it was not specifically about their cars; it had features about New Zealand, an artist, some projects the group finances and design in general.

While going through the latter pages, I stumbled on this photo:

It is a sofa by Moroso and it is called "My Beautiful Backside". Is it just me or do you also think that it simply looks lovely? (Follow this link and enlarge the photo ... it gives it more justice, trust me).

I would love to have something of the sort in my future house ... it's swanky and unconventional, but I'm afraid that I will never afford something of the sort (especially since I cannot find a price tag anywhere and it seems that it has been designed for the Salone di Milano expo of 2008) *sigh*

[via: (I'm afraid I do not know the name of the magazine)

Moroso - the designer label

Doshi Levien - the designer

Mocoloco - the source for the picture posted in this post]

summer roundup

2009-09-01T17:52:00.001+02:00

sooo ... after quite a long hiatus, i'm back :)

What have I been up to in the past few months? Well, quite a bit actually :)

I've spent most of the time since my last post till mid-July at work ... covering shifts, etc. But come July the fun starts :)

I've spent a weekend in Comino with my better half. The plan was to spend a couple of days away from the madness of Malta, the Maltese and the madness of work, and to work on our sun tan, BUT ... it didn't occur to me that on weekends, a lot of Maltese go to Comino, until I got there and could hear the music blaring from across the beach. But we still managed to enjoy our time, until Sunday evening came round and we were in pain due to the sun burns we got in a space of a couple of hours (on Sunday itself!).

But all in all it was great ... I enjoy the landscape and seascape of Comino, the beautiful beaches, and the idea that you can't be reached by anyone (especially if you simply switch off your phone :))

After such a nice break, and ... how shall I put it ... after making some time available for reflection, it was time to undertake quite a daunting task ... that of buying a car.

I've whined a bit about this decision on this blog (not half as much as I've done with my boyfriend, poor thing) so as you can imagine it was not an easy one ... especially when you consider how indecisive a person I am. Anyhooo ... I had seen this ad on the newspaper for a 2nd hand car, and I had gone to see it. It was in a good condition and the price was within budget ... so all that was left was for me to take the decision. Anyway to cut a long story short, I bought the car so finally I have my own ride, which I'm not really keen on driving (but that's another story, might write it down some other day).

And once that was covered it was my time to cross the pond and go to Canada, precisely to Prince Edward Island, where I've spent 3 blissful weeks away from work *zones out for a couple of minutes ....* It's a lovely little island, and by little I mean that it's 22 times larger than Malta, hehe. It's a wonderful place, each and every house has it's lawn, there are trees on the side of most roads, and if you drive a few minutes away from the suburbs you will be treated with wonderful views of vast meadows, trees, grazing cows, sheep and at times even llamas!! From a consumerist point of view it is close to heaven - you will find anything you need and most of the time it is dead cheap, plus good customer support.

It was a great holiday, and I'm really grateful towards J's family for welcoming me into their own home, and taking the time to show us round and spending as much time with us as possible :)

As i told you in my last post, I have some special news for you :) While I was in Canada I've received an sms from my sister-in-law breaking the great news that in February I'll become an aunt!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! I'm finally becoming an aunt!!!! The news still overly excites me :) (hence the post about the Kookles Nursing cover giveaway ;) )

Now that those three weeks are over, we're back to this dusty, over crowded, but beautiful rock. I'm sorry that I'm back to work, having to listed to all levels of stupidity being spewed out of some of my clients (not the mention 75% of the commentors on The Times of Malta), but I'm glad that the "refreshed feeling" hasn't worn off yet ... let's wait till I get a bunch of overtime shifts to work just coz everyone went on holiday, then the b*tch will come out again.

Hope that everyone had a nice summer, and managed to take a couple of days off to unwind and maybe enjoy a dip in the sea :)

Kookles Nursing Cover giveaway

2009-08-26T12:32:00.000+02:00

I know I know ... I need to update you about my summer ... but in the meantime I'm posting this link as I would like to win this for someone special ... details will follow in my next post ... PROMISE!! :)

So, what's this all about? Grosgrain is being generous enough and giving an opportunity to her readers to win a Kookles nursing cover. Basically this is a convenient cover which you can use so that you can still nurse your child in public without having people ogle at your breasts. I think it's a lovely idea :)

Check it out at: Grosgrain's - Kookles Nursing Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!! ... and keep your fingers crossed for me :) hihi

why I think Maltese politicians are full of sh*t

2009-05-29T13:46:00.000+02:00

See the image below?

These are all the election leaflets we've received in a single day.

What I hate about this is that ALL of candidates emphasise ad nauseum the importance they give to the environment in their agenda. Honestly, if the protection of the environment is your top priority on your agenda, why on earth do you feel the need to send out a whole magazine detailing your life (of which, frankly I do not give a damn, especially about your childhood, and when you got married, and why you married that girl, bla bla bla) to all households in this country which is not even printed on recycled paper, or not printed with soy inks.

I know that you need to market yourselves, but frankly, I'd rather receive your website address on a small piece of paper (and then I'll check out your views, recommendations, etc etc.) then receive a daily mass of junk, which more often then not ends up littering our streets because some people feel the need to pointedly rip the opposite party's papers and throw them out in the street to emphasise their hatred towards that party.

Ah, one other thing, I don't give a damn how and where you were brought up, I don't care to see huge photos of you with the party's leader, I don't care about your wedding pictures, and I don't care about seeing nice shiny photos of you with various other persons - there's facebook for that!

What I find increasingly irritating in this election is that the issues that are being discussed are more of a local (and even personal) level than an European level. What does Gonzi and the electricity bills have to do with the MEPs? I have to say that each and every day I feel even more disappointed by all parties who are more ready to take the whole country for a ride instead of working their ass off to safe guard the interests of our country.

cuteness: tableware

2009-05-20T20:54:00.000+02:00

OMG OMG OMG!! this Pepe and Friends tablewares collection by Camila Prada is sooooooo cute! If I had a house of my own I would seriously consider getting something of the sort!

[via: Apartment Therapy]

eyecandy for the bibliophile 6

2009-05-17T17:31:00.001+02:00

The Italian company Cassina came up with the above bookshelf, which when you place two together, they look like a giant opened book.

Now that's quite a nice idea, ain't it? :)

[via: Design Milk]

oh for heaven's sake!

2009-05-04T18:55:00.005+02:00

Today I've ran into a couple of articles which made me groan.

Times of Malta ran an article saying that a group of Muslims in Malta have said their prayers on the Sliema promenade after they have been turned out of an apartment which they were using to meet up and pray.

The journalist interviewed one of the onlookers who said:

"Malta is a Catholic country. They have no right to come here and pray in front of us. I don't care what they do in the privacy of their own home but not here," one Maltese woman said."

... spoken like a true Catholic!! Obviously other persons commented on this article and took this position. For heaven's sake!! If you believe that Malta is a Catholic country and you are a Catholic, then practice what the Catholic church preaches. Be tolerant!! Also, if the Maltese are allowed to have their festas (which I love!!) which are considerably noisy, and can have their processions and their Easter peagants (which I really hate) which border on the gory, why should we stop a group of persons from practising their religion if this is done in a quiet and respectful manner? As far as I know they were not doing anything indecent or creating havoc, etc. so why should we complain?!! Anyway, if you want to read this article and all of the comments you can go here: Muslims gather on Sliema waterfront.

On to the next show of stupidity of the day. The Mail Online states:

"State-funded organisations are being ordered to boost the proportion of female, black and gay staff to reflect the make-up of the UK population under plans unveiled by Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman."

It goes on to say that:

"Earlier this month a leading academic [Dr Louise Livesey of Oxford University]

said the BBC should employ more women to help make shows such as Top Gear 'female-friendly'."

So let's look at this from Top Gear's point of view. As Top Gear's executive producer Andy Wilman aptly replies:

"I also do believe that this sort of claptrap is very patronising to women, because it assumes women can’t enjoy a show’s presenters on merit, but can only appreciate a programme if spoken to by one of their own sex.
As I’m sure our regular viewers know, on account of them normally having more common sense than politicians or academics, Top Gear is a male show, in that it revolves around three males enjoying their love of cars.
That doesn’t make it macho, or exclusatory, it just means one of the show’s editorial pillars involves a journey into the male mind, in the same way that the excellent What Not To Wear veers more towards the female mind."

For Pete's sake! Stop this crap! We don't want to see women everywhere! I don't want anyone to change the format of their product just because someone has decided that we are not inclusive enough. In Malta we are already ruining the education of our children because someone has decided that we have to be inclusive. I had a chat with a couple of friends of mine a few weeks back who happen to work closely with kids and they have confirmed what I've always thought. This inclusivity thing does not work! Instead of helping a child who has learning disabilities to move forward, we are setting back the rest of the class because this child cannot keep up. Anyway, back on the original topic, the Mail Online has also stated that:

"Critics fear programmes will be forced to hire actors, presenters and producers on grounds of gender, ethnic background or sexuality, rather than suitability for the show. [...]
Mr Hunt [Now Tory culture spokesman] said: 'Allowing broadcasters creative and intellectual freedom over the content of their programmes is vital in a free society."

I hate how new shows have to include an Asian, Caucasian, Black, Indian, tall, short, disabled, with glasses, without glasses, with moles, without moles, hairy, non-hairy, bald, with hair ... characters. You can actually have a show without having to include everyone you know! And this selectivity actually gives a different product which can have it own appeal. Honestly, stop ruining everything!!!

on getting a car

2009-04-23T16:14:00.006+02:00

10 days ago I got my driving license yippiieeeeee!!! But now it's the turn of the frustrating bit ... choosing a car. There are far too many decisions that have to be made for my liking; new or 2nd hand? what's the budget? do you really need that feature? bla bla bla

At the moment I'm thinking about getting a new car straight away; less CO2 emissions, less consumption and the thing I like most of it all ... not having to deal with the 2nd hand car dealers. Most of my friends think that I should not go for a new car and I do agree with most of their points - you still don't have the 'real' experience of the road and the other drivers, you still have to get used to the size of your car, etc. But then I think of my brothers who started with a new car (because my mum never let them get a 2nd hand one, but I managed to make her realise that not all used cars are $hit :D) and realise that I should focus less on the denting and more on the reliability, warrenty, peace of mind, etc.

So we've been going round to some showrooms to get some quotes, get to see the cars, etc. and in a couple of days I managed to get material about 14 models. And there lies the problem ... which one shall I choose?!!!

I've made myself a nice little list ... comparing the price, CO2 emissions, consumption, etc. Here's a copy of what I've compiled so far:

Anyway, so far it seems that the C1 is the best buy (I still have to check about the features though as the sales rep was nowhere in sight when I went over to have a look at the car), and so you might say "so what's the problem? Go ahead and buy it!".

Well the problem is that for the past couple of years I've been obsessing about the Fiat 500, and now I can't shake off the influence this has left on me. I like it because it's got a retro design, it has a history and when it comes to styling it's amazing ... and when you see it upclose and actually touch it, it's breath taking! I've been always wondering why car manufacturers do not put any emphasis on designing a car whose interior is also beautiful instead of throwing a bunch of cheap plastics together with the hope that the customer will overlook it (especially the dashboard). And then Fiat came up with the New 500 which is stylish both on the outside and in the inside and it stole my wee little heart.

And even though everything shows that it's not worth it, I still want to keep it short listed.

I've been driving around in a Peugeot 107 (which is basically the same thing as the Citroen C1 and the Toyota Aygo, except for the body) for the past year or so and even though it seems to be a nice sturdy car, I don't really like it, especially it's interior. The plastics, the design, yuuhhkk! But that's not the main reason why I'm still hung up on the 500. After giving it much thought I realised that it's not just the influence of loving something with all my might for the past years, but it also had to do with the image it portrays. It's a case of keeping up appearances something very instrinsic with the Maltese character ... the idea of being better off than your neighbour.

Mind you, I wasn't brought up like this, and I'm not the kind of person which gives a lot of weight to image but I've realised that in this case deep down I do.

In the past few days someone (can't remember who) asked me to imagine myself in the car - first in the most reasonable one and then in the one I really want and that should help me in my decision. Today I was thinking about that advice and I've discovered this 'dark' characteristic.

I imagined myself meeting or even seeing all those persons who made my life hell, and those girls who back in school thought that they were too cool (back in school I wasn't popular for various reasons, mainly because I'd rather stick with a stinky nerd than with a bad-mouther). I would imagine myself walking past with a grin and thinking "while you were busy polishing the tonsils of every guy in sight and getting knocked up at 16, I got a degree, got myself a good job, landed a promotion and now I have enough money to get a nice swanky car" *even wider grin*

Once the "you rock girl" moment passed, this thought shocked me. I'm not a person who seeks validation from anyone (except for a couple of persons) and I surely don't give a rat's a$$ what these persons think. So why the heck was I factoring that in?!!! ... or maybe it's just another way to cling to the idea of still getting the car of my dreams?

*sigh* I don't know. There are still things that I have to take into consideration like features, warranty, insurance, etc. I just hope that whatever decision I take, I will not feel bitter afterwards.

PS: sorry for the very long post!

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T20:39:00.005+02:00

Just wanted to drop a quick note and wish you and all your loved ones a Happy Easter :)

hope that the Easter bunny will bound your way :)

Ravelry meet

2009-04-04T01:15:00.004+02:00

This is just a quick reminder about the "stitch and bitch" meeting for Maltese craftsers. We shall be meeting at 10:30/11:00 at the Wool Shop in Msida, and we'll move to Irrera from there :)

Below you can find a map showing you where The Wool Shop is and where Irrera is. If you know anyone who might be interested in meeting up then spread the word!!

View Larger Map

Nighty night ... looking forward to meeting y'all :)

cuteness: keyholder with message board

2009-04-01T11:17:00.000+02:00

Stumbled on this while browsing DaWanda. This is a site similar to Etsy but it seems to be more focused on the European market.

I love this idea, it's practical and sweet. You can hang your keys, it acts as a mail rack and it is also coated with blackboard paint so you can leave your notes on it. All this for €39 ... I think that's a sweet deal :)

[Loki Pinboard by anette72 via: DaWanda]

eyecandy for the bibliophile 5

2009-03-29T15:00:00.000+02:00

For those who feel that having piles upon piles of books is not enough :)

[via: Rare Bird Finds]

Sir Ken Robinson on Education

2009-03-27T18:23:00.002+01:00

The best way you can spend the coming 19minutes of your life ... trust me! He has expressed some of my thoughts perfectly.

[via: TED: ideas worth spreading]

craft: desk organiser

2009-03-25T13:07:00.001+01:00

I love this idea. Since I've hoarded incredible amounts of pencils and ballpoints over the years, and my desk if full of tins holding them, I think I'd have to skip this one ... or I can make it for my bedside table, hmmmmmmmmmmmm *hops off to find an extra/old directory or yellow pages*

Instructable by my bf!!!

2009-03-23T19:00:00.001+01:00

My sexy, geeky boyfriend has created this Instructable: Amiga Joystick - USB Camera Cable Release. He has received an incredible amount of hits and got featured on various blogs, so at this point I'm feeling slightly ashamed of myself that I didn't mention it in my space!!!!

So go ahead and enjoy your geeky selves :)

[image via: Instructables]

calling out to all Maltese crafters ...

2009-03-23T17:36:00.006+01:00

So far it has been decided that the meeting will be on April 4th ... I will give you further information once I get it ... or you can always send an email to knitmalta@gmail.com :)

Please spread the news ...

(the image doesn't show up entirely, so please click on it so that you will be able to read it)

wishing that there is a Ctrl+Z option in real life

2009-03-23T10:17:00.004+01:00

I don't want to dwell on what has happened today as it's still too raw. Just wanted to let you know that I've had my driving license test today ... I've managed to pass through Hamrun and B'Kara, I've managed to keep within the speed limit, I didn't do any stupid things especially round the roundabout, I managed to switch off the car when I was the lights and switch it on again without any problems and without missing any of the steps, and there I was ... sooooooooooooooooooooo close to the finishing line, less than 1 minute again, and viola'!!! A pedestrian choses to cross the road on the zebra cross just as I'm moving off and BAM!!! Test failed!!!!

So close and yet so far ... as the Maltese saying goes: "fl-ahhar tal-mazzita sibt iz-zbiba". Right now I'm really really really wishing that there is a Ctrl+Z option in real life!

I'm off to mull and continue with my sulking ... hope that you're having a better day than mine ...

eyecandy for the bibliophile 4

2009-03-22T20:07:00.001+01:00

Wonderful ... if all books look so good!

[via: I Suwannee]

the ultimate eyecandy for the bibliophile

2009-03-15T13:00:00.000+01:00

I have already made some posts entitled: "eyecandy for the bibliophile" but it never occurred to me to look up the phrase in Google ... et viola! I've stumbled on this blog which carries the same name!!

Go ahead, delve in and enjoy yourselves!! :)

[image from: Guidespot]

Maltese bus drivers and their antics ... meehhh

2009-03-12T20:47:00.007+01:00

Today I was rambling away on LaDelirante's blog about the pros and cons of the Maltese public transport system, and as they say "il (buon)giorno si vede dal mattino".

In the evening I went off to Valletta for a talk about "Subterranean Valletta", obviously by bus. When we reach Blata l-Bajda, my bus meets another bus, and you can immediately see the glint in the drivers' eyes as they hit the accelerator pedal to see who will outrun who. Who cares about the passengers (a couple of whom were elderly women, and another three were foreigners, leaving me and only another Maltese girl)?!! We are jostled around due to all the humps and bumps and then we go roooooooouuunnddd then beeeeeeeeend and *CLINK* [insert sound of glass breaking here][insert incredible amount of swear words here] [and multiply it by 5,000]. I turn around and see that one of the side windows on the rear is broken - one of the side mirrors of the other bus had hit the glass while they were in their mad dash and my driver decided that he should simply overtake the other guy so that he would stop him from "winning".

The three foreign ladies who were sitting in the back seat and the other Maltese girl you was seated a couple of seats in front of them didn't even realise what had happened, and they've only asked what was going on when the driver slammed his brakes and stormed out of the bus amidst a string of curses. I joined the old ladies in muttering and grumbling at how irresponsible bus drivers are. Thankfully no one was sitting on the right hand side of the bus, as otherwise they would have been hurt. Thankfully we stopped next to the MUSEUM church in Blata l-Bajda and the next bus passed by immediately so we weren't held up.

But I felt ashamed. Even if I wasn't late, and even if there weren't any foreigners on the bus I would have still felt disgusted by the sheer irresponsibility of both drivers. But I felt appalled and ashamed because of what those three lovely British ladies might have been thinking. Thankfully they actually laughed at the whole situation ... but what if there was a kid sitting there? Everyone knows how kids like to stick their faces to the windows of a bus. No one would have actually laughed or taken this lightly if someone got hurt.

There are many what ifs and I don't feel like dwelling on this incident but I have to say that I do feel sad by the whole situation. How does it make YOU feel?

/me is not really cheery at the moment

2009-03-09T07:45:00.004+01:00

Apart from the fact that when I look out of the window I can see that the clear blue skies are rapidly being replaced by gray ugly clouds, I just found out that on the 23rd of March there is the possibility of isolated showers, and in the previous day there is also the possibility of a thunderstorm!!! Aaaarrrrrrrghhhhhh!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! I really really reallyyyy need sunshine on the 23rd (at least in the morning) and on the day before :/

For the time being I'm not gonna say why per scaramanzia ... I will tell you on the 23rd in the afternoon ... if I'm in a good mood that is.

Oh bloomin' hell! It seems that I'm gonna start being a nervous wreck as of today. Oh the joy!

[weather forecast via: sdweather]

eyecandy for the bibliophile - ultimate love

2009-03-08T18:00:00.000+01:00

now this is true love!!

[via: The Bookworm's Hideout]

Happy International Women's Day!!

2009-03-08T11:25:00.003+01:00

Hope you have a nice one! :)

[image via: DryIcons.com]

humpfffff!!!!!

2009-03-07T22:33:00.004+01:00

I have been working on this hat for two days non-stop and now I have to frog half of it because it turned out too big. I know that I should have heeded the comments and made the adjustments straight away, but I decided to follow the instructions anyway, mehhh :/

The problem is that I still cannot figure how reducing 5 rows will help as the main problem is the width of the brim and not it's general size ... so I'll either frog it, or else decrease in the brim, but I think I'd better leave this decision for when I have a clearer head.

Ciao ciao for now ... and thank you for reading my rant xD

(I'll post some pictures of this project later on, promise!!)

new project

2009-03-04T21:54:00.001+01:00

Just wanted to tell you that I'm gonna start a new crochet project, yippieeeee :)

Wish me luck :)

[image via: Crochet and Lace ]

cuteness: nerdy baby

2009-03-04T13:51:00.000+01:00

This is something I imagine my boyfriend giving to his own kids (or any kid for that matter). To prove my point, he suggested that I get something from GEEKitty Gear for my cats! He actually wanted me to get the Rubik's cube for them but it seems that it has already been sold, so here's a NES controller for your kitties:

So all ye g33ks out there, rejoice!! :)

[Nerdy Baby poster via: electricboogaloo]

[NES controller via: GEEKitty Gear]

eyecandy for the bibliophile 3

2009-03-01T13:46:00.002+01:00

Is it just me or does it look really soothing?

[via: I suwannee]

here comes the sun .... :)

2009-02-27T12:21:00.002+01:00

It seems that the end of the cold spell in Malta is near!! Yippiieeeeee :)

I hate the type of cold we get in Malta, it manages to penetrate all layers of clothes and heads straight to your bones, and don't let me start on how much colder it feels inside the house!!

So yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaay for the sun and warm weather!!! *victory dance*

Times of Malta: Warmer temperatures on the way

cuteness: hair accessories organizer

2009-02-25T08:16:00.000+01:00

This is something I really really need. I've been trying to come up with ideas how I can organize my hair accessories, but I didn't come as close to these cute items. Mind you, I don't have much accessories, some headbands, heaps of elastic bands (I'm always losing them so I buy a batch of 100 at a time!!), and a couple of barrettes, but they're all over the place and it wouldn't be such a bad idea to keep them in the same spot, no? :)

[via: Rare Bird Finds]

eyecandy for the bibliophile 2

2009-02-22T11:52:00.002+01:00

stairway to heaven ...

I would build a new staircase just to have such a library!!

[via: Gizmodo]

cuteness: bird pouch

2009-02-18T08:06:00.001+01:00

Now isn't this cute? And I suggest that you take a look at the rest of the items over at The Wren's shop at Etsy ... if you like this, I'm sure you'll find something you or your loved one likes :)

[via: Rare Bird Finds]

belated Happy Valentine's to all :)

2009-02-15T12:35:00.004+01:00

What better way to show one's love if not through books? :)

[image via: Library Thing]

eyecandy for the bibliophile

2009-02-15T11:30:00.001+01:00

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

I <3 stop motion!

2009-02-12T18:34:00.003+01:00

I simply love stop motion. It's distinctive style has always intrigued me and I do have a couple of projects in mind I would like to do ... but in the meantime I want to share this mini-masterpiece by John Douglas Powers with you. Hope you'll like it as much as I did! :)

The Collector from john douglas powers on Vimeo.

[via: Make]

the secret life of bars :)

2009-01-16T11:16:00.000+01:00

Bars & Tones from André F. Chocron on Vimeo.">

[via Make]

cute desk calendars

2009-01-12T01:22:00.003+01:00

I know that we've almost reached mid-January, but I don't think it's too late to get either one of these:

[via: Craftzine: Papercraft Robot Calendar]

[via: Craftzine: 3-D Calendar Download from Blackpio]

Carrie Bradshaw actually knows that books exist?!! :o woooow!!!

2009-01-07T14:10:00.003+01:00

Carrie Bradshaw knows that library exist?!!! And has even heard about the likes of Keat and Voltaire?!! I'm impressed!!!

Sorry, this might sound daft, but I finally got to watch Sex and the City (the movie), and I could not contain my astonishment that the character of Carrie actually had some knowledge of literature!! Throughout all the series, I always thought that this character was quite crass but it seems that I was wrong ... or someone decided that in this final appearance of Carrie Bradshaw she had to improve herself (as far as I remember there never was an episode where Carrie went to the library, or is seen reading anything except for the fashion magazines!!) ... and that's why I always cringed when she would say that she is a writer!!

Anyway, I'll stop here with this pointless blog, and get back to work ... it seems that finally some emails did trickle in!

a little gem ...

2009-01-04T17:00:00.003+01:00

In general I hate the kind of "tear jerker" tv shows, or those shows which delve too deeply into the personal life of others ... they are personal, why the heck do you want a whole country to know all your dirty little secrets?! Anyhooo, a couple of days back I was watching tv and for want of better things to see, I watched a few minutes of this particular program on Italian tv. From what I gathered they were trying to find the "perfect" companion for a guy, and they would interview a girl (or maybe girls? dunno) and after the interview the guy would have 10 seconds to decide whether he is interested in having a relationship with the girl in question or not.

This particular girl stated that after a decade of failed relationships, she has finally put her finger on what the problem was. She didn't want yet another relationship where she has to change herself, her thoughts, her personality and her ways because of the guy she's in a relationship with. She wants to have someone who accepts her as she is (mind you, she wasn't a fat and ugly lass as those who say this usually are ... she was in her early 30s and very beautiful), while she won't pin any expectations on the guy or the relationship. She seemed very fond of an Arabic poem which puts this perfectly into words:

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

This is an excerpt from the poem "On Marriage" by Gibran Khalil Gibran. [via: Adab.com]

I suggest that you read it all, it's nicely put and good fodder for the brain.

belated welcome to 2009

2009-01-02T15:35:00.004+01:00

Oh my! I've started the new year with yet another rant ... but let's face it, I'm passionate about archaeology, hate the way people treat it (especially in Malta; it only has the value of a political pawn when time are right).

Round up of 2008? Nothing much has happened ...

- went to Sicily with my better half

- discovered Google Reader, and more specifically Craftzine and Makezine

- started crocheting and actually managed to finish one project in a single week! *gasp* Have to admit that I've stopped for now, but I do have some projects in mind ...I just need the right frame of mind

- I've been promoted to manager, something which I'm really proud of. On the day of my first anniversary at this job, I got called in for a meeting with the big honcho, and voila! I got the post :D I worked really hard for it, especially in the few months leading to it, so it's quite a big achievement for me :)

- discovered Twitter ... you may call it stupid or geeky, but I like it

- got a great birthday present: this super cool leatherman and built this Drawdio ... cool ain't it?

- acquaintances and friends my age [22] (or almost there) getting engaged, married, or even having babies ... quite shocking for me, but this deserves a post on it's own

I guess those are the highlights for 2008.

What are the plans for 2009?

Unlike last year I'm not gonna make any promises that I will post more often. As you can see I haven't honored the promise that much ... I've only posted 5 times in a whole year.

But I do have hopes, and I'm gonna do my best (or at least try) to:

- keep my room clean and organized ... I hate when everything in my room is in order, but last night and this morning I felt that my mind was more clear, and that's definitely NOT coz I had too many sweets yesterday. I guess my mum was always right, and I'm gonna try (remember: no promises, so don't hold this against me :p)

- keep giving my utmost at my job ... I've felt tired lately, but I don't won't to throw all those months of hard work (and nagging to my boyfriend), so I must find someways to relax and remain motivated

- exercise? I need it to wind down, relax and avoid the possibility of hitting someone (I'm not violent and I've never hit anyone, but that leads to big headaches and frustration). Still don't know what, I miss karate, but I'm not sure if that's the way to go ... still have to think about this

- reply to messages, especially SMSs immediately!!

- start going for walks/hike on Sunday afternoons (?) ... don't like going on my own, so this also depends on my better half

- start waking up before 11:00 ... ideally at around 07:30, 08:00 the latest!! I'm wasting far too much of my days and this has to stop!

- read more ... sadly I've abandoned reading, and this is reflected in my (shockingly) increasing spelling mistakes and (very) badly constructed sentences *blush*

- continue crocheting, and maybe even start sewing and embroidery *already thinking about a couple of nice skirts for spring :)*

- travel ... I do have some ideas and options in mind, just have to make them concrete

*- as my dear beta-j pointed out, in 2009 I have to get my driving license and a car!!! I've been going for lessons for far too long, and I've postponed scheduling the test for quite some time now, but a couple more (parking) lessons, and I should have enough balls to book a date ... hopefully I will feel confident enough with the parking, and I won't mess up my whole test *fingers crossed, touching wood* :D

I guess that's all I have in mind for 2009 for now.

So Happy New Year to any readers of this blog. Take care and enjoy your self safely :)

this takes the cake ...

2009-01-02T14:50:00.005+01:00

see: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081231/local/still-too-early-to-tell-fate-of-punic-tombs

It seems that Josie Muscat not only doesn't give a damn about human life (read: illegal immigrants' life), but he also doesn't "give a fig" about this country's heritage.

For crying out loud!! This guy set up a party to safeguard this country's heritage and culture from those barbarians from Africa who come to our shores packed up like sardines in rickety little boats, and now he doesn't care about this nation's heritage and he's furious that those Punics (who ironically also came from North Africa) decided to build their tombs bang in the middle of the site he has chosen to build his money-making machine (new hospital).

What is wrong with these people? I'm gonna be frank. I don't like the current state of affairs in Malta, and I honestly think that this constant influx of illegal immigrants (don't give me the irregular immigrants crap cause I don't like it, they come here illegally and this should be called so) is exponentially bringing problems to our tiny country and sooner or later we will reach the breaking point, and we might as well start kissing our small safe little island goodbye, and welcome the ghettos, crime and tension (I'm not wholly blaming the immigrants for crime and tension, the Maltese citizens have their fair share of it). But to lash out against persons who have crossed a continent as large as Africa in search of a better life under the pretense that you want to safeguard our heritage, and then you publicly state that you don't give a rat's ass about this same country's heritage makes you one of the biggest hypocrites of all.

Congratulations Dr. Muscat!! With this latest stunt you have managed to sink even lower. So you are xenophobic, believe that women have no place in society except for cleaning dishes and making babies (ideally via IVF in one of your hospitals), and you "don't give a fig" of this country's heritage. Way to go mate!!!

just a quick note to say ...

2008-12-25T20:30:00.001+01:00

Wishing everyone a happy christmas :)

2008-12-15T00:29:00.003+01:00

I hadn't bothered to post for almost a year, so you might wonder, why bother now at 00:20?

To be quite honest I don't know, maybe it's just because I need to share this.

Today, or better yesterday Sunday 14th December 2008, a friend of mine has died in a traffic accident. Well, he was more of an acquaintance rather than a friend. He dated a friend of mine for over 5 years, having broken it off about a year ago. He didn't say much, and even though we met very often, I didn't know him much. He had two loves, his motorbike and his girl.

I don't know what this blog is about; whether it's the shock of learning that a fatal accident is no longer one of the usual news items, or the realisation of the fact that the people you have around you and you cherish most may suddenly disappear out of your life, or the comfort of knowing that there are friends and loved ones on whose shoulder you can cry on at any time of the day or night.

Let's go through it step by step.

I read the news online. There wasn't much info except that a 24yo from B'Zebbuga died in a traffic accident in Ghar Dalam road. And this is was triggered the first bout of anxiety. He immediately came to my mind. (He had already had an accident a few years back, which left him with torn ligaments, several months of pain, and a couple of pins in his leg.) The age and hometown correspond. But this is not enough, there are many guys from that village of the same age who drive a motorcycle. And the second bang came through immediately. A friend of mine contacted me over chat confirming the name of the person who had died. Now we had more details; the name, age, locality, and the colour and brand of the bike. I cried, and yet for some reason I didn't want to believe. And then the same friend who had given me the new details told me that someone had already posted an RIP on his hi5 profile ... and yet I wanted to remain calm, and assume that it might have been someone else ... yes another news item that almost hit home.

And while waiting for confirmation, I wanted to curse bikes, and the state of our roads, but I knew it still wouldn't bring him back to life.

But then the 8 o'clock news came on and it seems that they have shown a picture of the victim. I missed that bit but I did manage to see the rest of the clip. There was something different; the news caster spoke with emotion as shots of parts of the bike strewn on the road were shown on the screen, or as a female (assuming she's a relative) was brought on the scene to identify the victim cried as she spoke to the police. I don't know if this is how it actually happened, or if it's because I knew the guy, but this was not the usual news item about yet another guy who died.

Obviously, throughout all this my mind went to my friend who used to date him (even though they broke it off, they remained in contact, and let's be honest, 5 years is quite a long time) ... does she know about this? shall I contact her? and what if she doesn't know yet?

And then she learnt. According to a common friend of ours who had called her, she was in tears. We decided to meet her at home, which we did. Once I saw her I immediately hugged her, which made me burst into tears, while she remained quite calm. She asked me what happened (she hadn't heard what had happened yet) and sobbingly I told her. She remained sullen, (which made me even more nervous). And while my friend tried to convince her to have something to eat or drink, I clammed up, not knowing what to say or what to do. My mind was racing, and I was hoping that she cried instead of continuing to poke her keychain. And after spending lots of time looking at the bottom of my glass, twirling the Sprite around, as if this would make more adept for such a situation, I told her to go get some rest, and if anything happens we are just a phone call away. Her father nudged her in approval, and then she started crying. As weird as this may seem, I felt relieved. It means that the news was sinking in. We hugged her, kissed her, and quietly left her in the care and comfort of her father and her sisters. We left, still shocked and speechless.

Ugly and depressing as such episodes are, they make you realise the importance of particular persons in one's life - being partners, or friends. But they also rattle me, not sure why ... maybe because I realise that I can suddenly be dead, and that I have missed a lot in life, and there are still many things I still want to do before I'm six feet under. As my dear boyfriend put down in my birthday card just a couple of days ago:

"it's not the years in your life, but the life in your years"

Maybe I should start increasing the life in my years, so that I'd stop worrying about the day I'll be the one lying on that cold metal table.

Rest in Peace Daniel. You have died as you wished - an immediate death on your beloved bike. May God give peace to your family and friends. See you on the other side.

*How do you want to Die: Daqqa u al gol kaxxa minajr ma nkun naf x'gara *
(taken from the victim's hi5 profile)

A Numismatic Exhibition Online

2008-01-30T13:45:00.000+01:00

Claudia Perassi and her students at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milan(l'Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore) have created this online numismatic (ancient coins) exhibition. It's a pity it's just in Italian, however it's still a really good idea and the site is beautifully made.

So, even if you can't read Italian, go ahead and check it out!!! :)

ahaaa ... it has resurfaced once again!!

2008-01-12T21:00:00.001+01:00

... remember my post (the mind is a beautiful, frustrating thing) saying that my mind decides to become creative when I have to study? Well this time it took quite a while before it decided which way it wanted to go. To be quite honest I thought that finally it has realised that it has to sustain this creative streak after exams or assignments are over if it wants anything concrete to happen. But it has waited till the very few hours before my exam tomorrow morning. Now it's the time for scrapbooking and card-making. I actually had considering starting such a hobby, but considering that I currently have no time whatsoever on my hands, I had put it on hold till June. But when creative ideas would have been welcome, barely anything would crop up. But now that I have to concentrate I keep on getting these bright ideas which keep distracting me from the already insufferably boring topic. As always I'm putting to paper all the ideas that surface. Hopefully one day I have the time needed to peruse my notebook, and actually give life to all my ideas.

Sorry I'm back on this topic, but it fascinates me, more than words can say. Anyway, I'm off to get some more studying done ... hope I'll manage to at least pass the damn exam tomorrow!!

PS: I know that one should not start sentences with 'But', so I apologise for that :)

yeah ... still alive ... kinda ...

2008-01-03T18:31:00.000+01:00

I honestly promise that I will write again!! I know it's been too long ... but if I'm not inspired, I cannot write a single sentence without editing it a million times and then finally deciding on deleting it, or leave it for some other time.

In a nutshell, right now I do not have a life ... the past couple of months I have been waking up at 05:30, leaving my house at around 06:30/07:00(hey!! I have to lounge a bit in my bed!!), to get to STC(hopefully making it by 08:55); spend 6 (mind-numbing) hours there, and then heading straight to work for the next 8hours. I finish around 23:00/23:30, and head home and straight to bed. So as you can see I have nooo life whatsoever at the moment.

Now that the holidays have come, I've caught a cold, so the hours I'm off work, I'm spending them lounging in bed, trying to sleep off the blocked/runny nose and forget about the upcoming exams and the assignment I have to hand in soon. arrrghhhhh bugger!!

Anyway, I don't want to start nagging all over again ... just wanted to say hi and that I'm still alive (sorta) and that I will be back in 2008 to nag :D

I also have to give you some updates about the year that has just passed us by aaaand so on. So this is a promise/resolution, that I'll try to be more faithful to this blog during this year :)

Have a nice one! and happy new year!!! (no this year I didn't have time/energy/inspiration to come up with a nice pic to say happy new year)

Excavations Photos

2007-07-23T18:57:00.000+02:00

I'm not in the mood for writing so for now I'm just embedding the photos of both Zejtun and Ghar ix-Xih excavations 2007. I hope you enjoy them :)

Zejtun Excavations 2007:

Ghar ix-Xih Excavations 2007:

updates ....

2007-06-30T17:06:00.000+02:00

Some time has passed since my last post. Since then I've finished my finals and already have four end of semester exam results out :) I got some unexpected marks, I thought I would barely pass both the Riverine Civilisations and Ancient Israel credits, but on the contrary, I did quite well :) I also got an A for my Documentation and Illustration Techniques credit :) I'm really proud of myself for that. Click below to check them out :)

Another section of the credit required that we take several photos to depict archaeological artifacts or sites. In due course I will upload some of the ones that were handed in.

Now I just have to wait for the results of my finals ... I really do hope that I've done well in those as well *fingers crossed*

Excavations have started, and the first week has already passed, another week to go and the second season of excavations at Zejtun will be over :/ But there is always the third season at Ghar ix-Xih awaiting :) I will be uploading the excavation photos shortly on esnips as well, so if you're interested keep an eye on this blog :) But for now you can check out last year's excavations at Zejtun:

I guess that's all for now :D
Take care and enjoy your summer

6hrs to go ....

2007-06-08T04:04:00.000+02:00

It's 04:04 in the morning, and I'm still up and about in this unsaintly hour!! In 6.30hrs I have my first final, and I feel as if I know nothing at all!! :( I'm not still awake because I'm panic stricken, I've passed that phase many hours ago, but I have heartburn (guess that meat pie wasn't such a good idea after all :/), and I feel that I should try to cram in as much information as possible once I can. I feel that I have to be reallyyyyy lucky to pass this exam. I can't remember any dates, or names. I only have a vague idea of things ... so much for spending all those days stuck to my desk studying. Well, I guess we'll have to see in a few hours time. I just hope that I'll at least garner 45marks, that way I won't have to worry about a resit ... at least for this exam!!!

Well I'm off to peruse the rest of the past papers and try to work out some of the answers. And then I'll surely be looking forward to 14:00 to have a good rest, maybe even give up the driving lesson.

(as for the picture below, I couldn't find anything close enough to how I feel right now, there are no pictures of people banging their heads against their desks or screaming their head off against a pillow ... or maybe they haven't reached the state I'm in!!)

almost 24hrs away from my first final .....

2007-06-07T10:34:00.000+02:00

Well, I have nothing in particular to say. It's just that I'm almost 24hrs away from my first final and I felt that I should write it here ... or maybe it's just escapism because I'm terrified of this exam and have no idea where to start :/

Well .... I'm off to cram my mind with stupid information which (hopefully) I will find useful tomorrow.

Cheerio!!!

the mind is a beautiful, frustrating thing

2007-05-31T12:44:00.001+02:00

Less than a week away from the exams, and I'm here wondering why my mind decides to block off all the facts and information from the books and the notes I've painstakingly taken over these past three years, and instead it suddenly decides to be artistic. It feels as if it overclocks, blocks, and consequently diverts all incoming power into the artistic sector of the brain. The mind sure is an amazing thing. I've noticed that in no examination period did my mind focus on something it did before. Once it was the turn of interior design, another of clothing, another of knitting, another of writing, photography, etc. It fascinates me and I can do nothing but stand in awe on how the space between my ears functions, and decides to become a rebel on the days I need it the most. It's just unbelievable!!

I'm off to try and study something now, let see what new spark of creativity awaits me now

how would you feel?

2007-05-28T19:28:00.000+02:00

If after 20years living in your house, you find out that our own house is actually standing on rubble and soil, how would you feel? Would you feel safe and sound?

These photos were taken May 28th 2007, at Cottoner Ave. Fgura

For someone really special and important in my life:

2007-03-26T21:17:00.000+02:00

My dear,
when you'll read this you will think that it's just bullshit. You are free to believe what you want, however I assure you that this is coming straight from my heart.
I am really sorry that I'm such a difficult person to be with. I've failed in everything and now I'm failing you, the only thing in my life which gives me hope. As the song says: 'words don't come easy', and right now I don't know what to say. I just want to give you my heartfelt apologies for all the wrong I have done to you during these months.

"Some words are like rays of sunshine
others like barbed arrows or the bite of a serpent."

Lately mine words were like the latter, but I sincerely promise you that I will do my utmost not to hurt you and to say only the words which are like the rays of the sun, rather than the bite of a serpent.
Believe it or not I do love you, even though I do not show it in the best of ways. I know that this is not enough, but I hope it is a good first step towards redemption.
I love you my dear, thank you for everything

impressive!!!!

2006-12-28T14:53:00.000+01:00

i simply couldn't not post it

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b5a79a516c

my first 10mins of photoshop ... ever :D

2006-12-18T20:12:00.000+01:00

i'm soooooo tired. I've spent the whole weekend plus today working non-stop on an assignment, and now I have to work on a presentation and I feel so burnt out. But each of these excruciating tasks lead you to a discovery.... this time round I have discovered Irish coffee .... mmmmmmm *yummy* Over the past months I have rediscovered my passion for coffee and chocolate-covered coffee beans *slobber slobber slobber* (makes a mind note to remind my beautiful cuddly guy ;D to bring some of the heavenly stuff). Moreover, a couple of weeks ago the family of my better half got back to the island, and his mother sent me this divine chocolate cookies .... aaa i cannot make them justice with my description. Now i've adopted her as my fairy godmother *childish grin*

neeeeway, while my brain was furiously protesting during these last couple of days, i've decided to use up the time and play a bit around with photoshop. it's been lying there on my pc for ages but i had never tried using it, and so to reduce my frustration i tried to create a couple of season's greetings to send to my friends. I have also done one appositely for this blog, and for anyone who decides to look at this space. hope you'll like it. well i guess that's all for now, take care my dear reader, have a wonderful festive season (even if you are a student with loads of assignments to write up, and forthcoming exams waiting on the doorstep, try to enjoy the most possible), and celebrate responsibly :o)

Luke and Menrick - forever in our memory

2006-09-18T10:54:00.000+02:00

2 years have already passed from the tragic death of Luke Cassar and Menrick Yeomens - but one thing is sure, they will always live in our hearts with their radiant personalities.

I hope that I will never have to cry as much as that day for the rest of my life!!

Rest in peace guys, we shall never forget

This is Luke and Menrick's tribute site

...a failed attempt to 'warm-up' me mind

2006-08-31T14:33:00.000+02:00

umm.... actually I don't know what to write, it's not that there isn't anything to rant on about, but I don't feel like it ...it's just the need to do something instead of writing assignments. I should be happy because I've managed to stay up all night (without dozing off) to go over the books and articles I will be using as references, and somehow I've managed to break past the barrier of the weirdly constructed sentences and paragraphs heavily laden with hidden meanings. Yep, you've read right ... I've managed to do that quite well (well, at least I'm convinced I have managed). Oh Lord, come to think of it, I have written far too many 'I've managed' in the above sentences :/ Well I guess I can call that my writers block, aka bullshit-your-way-to-get-good-grades-strategy.

weell, I guess I'm off to have a nap, and then maybe I'll have enough energy (otherwise I'll get it from the coffee) to make myself write something coherent from the anything-but-coherent sources.

ps: apologies for repeating the same words over and over again ..... guess my mind has decided to go on the summer shutdown, or it's just one of the may university side effects - constipated mind

as nella puts it: Can't wait for batman day!!!!!!

2006-08-11T12:56:00.001+02:00

Aaaaaaaarghhh!! How I hate the University of Malta!!! What's the use of having a secretary if she does not know how to do anything and asks the factotum, who in return asks fellow students to contact you? And what is the use of filling all those forms, and the CSC developing the esims, if the bloody secretary has to phone you up (by using the method above mentioned) just to obtain your freeaakin' email address?!?!?!!!! It's honestly getting on my nerves - I really would like to know how these bunch of dimwits get employed... then again maybe it's for a purpose - to train us students when dealing with government employees, such as the fellow at the ID Cards, I mentioned last time.

I was going through the pics from London, and found the one's of my brother's graduation. Even when I see the pictures my heart swells with pride :) So now I'm trying to think positive - within 15months I will be like him; as my friend puts it - parading around in batman's clothes. In between studing for the finals, practising some of my hobbies and spending my time with my buddies, time should pass relatively quickly. And then come June, I'll say farewell to all, pack my rucksack and go anywhere away from this island for at least a month - and try to detoxify my memory of the anything-but-professional secretaries, lost-in-space lecturers and highly irritating fellow students.

Ps: I'm not a grumpy person, even though some of the blogs render that idea. But I like to exercise my right of complaining about the stupid things that I meet in everyday life - too much pressure can crack the shell.
I apologize if I'm giving the wrong impression of myself and irritating the crap out of you

...man

2006-08-09T18:21:00.000+02:00

Today I didn't feel like working again after wasting a whole morning because some stupid employee at the ID Cards office doesn't know the correct procedure and sent us to the other side of the city uselessly. Anyway that's a long story. As I said I didn't feel like working and browsed some blogs and I found this one, which I reaallyyyy liked.

Hsejjes Innocenti: Plagerism or what?: "

'I don't need a man:
To survive
To cook for me
To take care of me
To show me what affection is
To change the electirc bulb for me (?)
To tell me how to dream
To globe trek with me
To help me find my way(literally and metaphorically speaking)

I need one:
To fall in love
To take me on bike rides
To shop with me for electronic stuff
To accompany me to the places where I don't have the courage to go alone
To enjoy a good book or film together
To tell me I am awesome (*grin*)
To laugh with me

If I fall in love with him, then he becomes my ideal mate.If he falls in love with me, as well.
Then probably you will find me on the top level of Maslow's pyramid or attained the bloody Nirvana.'"

.....however, even though it states that I don't need a man for those things, I really wouldn't mind if he cooks for me, takes care of me and treks the globe with me, hehe ;)

the eyes, the smiles, the glances ~ for the person who inspires such words

2006-08-08T23:53:00.000+02:00

I'm no poet, but I've written this on impulse and felt like posting this. I hope that the person for whom it's intended enjoys it. Love you sweet ;)

Do you remember the eyes, the smiles,
the glances?
The hours spent in each others company,
waiting,
trying to find an ounce of courage to slightly open the gateways behind which our emotions eagerly waited?

And then, when you said those words,
the dams broke,
flooding our souls with these sweet feelings.
And all the ifs and buts,
all the how and whys,
vanished in thin air.

And now the stolen glances became lingering,
and the shy smile became radiant,
making the eyes sparkle with such splendor as if there is a wild fire within.

Ours is a meeting of hearts,
a meeting of souls,
a slow beautiful waltz,
and as the gown turns around, fairy dust seems to escape from it
and it floats in the air around us,
like a wind blown scarf,
adding luster to our otherwise dull lives.

The above picture is "Le Champ de marguerites" (Field of Daisies) by Claude Theberge, one of my favourite artists

... my future? buuuuuuuuq!!

2006-08-08T17:58:00.000+02:00

Today is my real day at home after coming back from London. I am really missing the long days out in the parks, I'm definitely not missing the hectic centre, but I'm really missing Greenwich and the Cotswolds. I really miss the serenity imparted in those places.

Well, yesterday was Nella's birthday, so in the morning I went along with a friend to chose a birthday present for her on behalf of the group and in the afternoon I worked on my own personal gift. Being a terrible time manager, if it's wasn't for Andrea I would not have got there on time, so thanks alot mate. Frankly I was surprised by Nella's reception, she kept hugging and kissing me and telling me how much she missed me. Well maybe I'm not a thankful person, or there is something wrong with me, but I did not miss anyone while I was away, except for my better half, which was a different kind of story.

Anyway, today I decided that I should start working on the assignments I have for September and October... and as you might imagine, it did not hold up for more than an hour, so I got back to browsing the internet, doing stupid stuff, thinking about how much I hate this course. Mind you I adore the subject, however I hate the fact that I have to read tons of books that unashamedly break the basic rules of English. It seems that there is a championship of who comes up with the longest sentence in world history; which book requires a thesaurus most, which book has got words you would not even be able to find in a thesaurus; and which book comes up with the weirdest and most stupid interpretations in the whole world! And apart from having to stick up with these books I have to write assignments, trying to fool the lecturers that I have fully understood what these lunatic authors were ranting about in their books which were probably written in some remote desert under the effect of the torrid sun and some kind of exotic drug. I have decided that I would rather spend my life doing something that actually indicates progress in my work than writing papers that I don't even understand myself and spend a couple of weeks hopeful that thanks to some strange cosmic activity I would get a good mark. Thank God that within 11 months it will be over and done with!! Phew!

And after this whole debate taking place in my mind I've practiced a bit my favorite hobby - daydreaming about the years to come and then finally I took a nap... which I was awaken from by a phone call from a university in London that I had contacted the day before regarding the bachelors degree in Interior Design the institution offers. It was a nice chat, however it was quite a shock to discover that it would cost me about STG49,620 just to take up this course, let alone the accomodation for 3years, if not 4! Well obviously I have to continue my search, I'll see what I can find, but obviously I cannot take this decision on my own, apart from my family, I've got to have a long chat with my bank account hehehe, and more seriously with my better half. It's a choice which might affect him in the long run.

Well I guess that's all for today ... I won't promise anything but I hope I will write something about London and put some pictures of the model from the interior design course I took lately.

Cheerio for now, take care

PS: sorry for breaking the basic english rules by writing paragraph-long sentences

Blogthing

2006-08-08T17:53:00.000+02:00

ooohhhh gosh!!! almost 5months have passed since my last real blog.... how shameful of me. However during these months I've not been in the mood of writing anything... i guess doing assignments and studying for exams have taken the toll on me, and reduced my 'employing my mind limit' to zero.
today I was browsing the internet and I found this website ... and so just to pass some time and to forget about the shitty weather out there, I did some tests... below you can see a couple of results

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch.

Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes.

You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them.

You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

You Are 44% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman.

Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

You are 93% Sagittarius

How Sagittarius Are You?

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,

I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.

But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

Click here to get your own blogthing

crazy world!

2006-04-03T22:56:00.000+02:00

Housefly Gets Glasses Made With Lasers

Picture taken from the National Geographic website, please click on the link above

... the viscous circle

2006-03-28T10:28:00.000+02:00

I noticed that it's been a long while since I last wrote anything here. mainly because I was 'busy' planning my weekends and recuperating the lost hours of sleep. It's almost a month now since this viscous circle has started.

All this thanks to James!! ... if it wasn't for the great b'day bash he organised for Andrea I would still be glad to spend my weekends relaxed at home. Now my mobile credit is so volatile that I'm always hearing that irritating voice saying "your account balance is 0 liri and so-and-so cents", since we're always messaging to meet up, or having a follow-up of the weekend. And what about msn!!... i'm always up till 2am chatting with everyone, complaining that I won't manage to get up in the morning, but nevertheless i'm always the last one to leave!

Consequently my scoliosis is getting worse, i'm afraid i'll be getting a hunch on my back, and my knees and arms are killing me since they are always bent!

As you might already have guessed, the action plan hasn't quite succeeded. I have applied for those part-time courses but I haven't taken on exercising and those driving lessons yet. Come to think of it, it sounds like a contradiction ~ exercise and driving! However I need both... well, okay, the exercising is more crucial than the driving.

neway.... I would like to say thanks to all who made this month a memorable one... now that you're going to etna I'm gonna miss you (not kidding)... hopefully your absence will be an incentive for me to start studying... but knowing me, I sincerely doubt it!

the action plan

2006-03-16T13:24:00.000+01:00

well today after waking up at 11.30am after spending some 7hours non stop chatting on msn with my newfound and not so new group of friends, I've decided to device an action plan for my life.... coz at this rate i'm gonna end up a couch potato.

So I've decided that I'm gonna take up a new part time course. In fact right now I have the list of part-time courses offered by MCAST and I'm shortlisting them all according to day of venue, level of interest and cost. I have around 5 from which to chose... so as they say ho solo l'imbarazzo della scelta.

I have also decided to take driving lessons. After going to Hal Far at 4am last Friday.. or better Saturday, and suffering the frustration of not having any idea how to drive, I've asked Dori for the contact no of her learner and so today I'm gonna give her a call.

Another thing I'm gonna do is start exercising. All this talk about hiking is giving me frequent bouts of cold sweat coz I haven't moved from the room for months now.... and I'm also getting nostalgic about karate. So I'm gonna take that up as well coz, let's admit it, it's depressing to see a 60year old walking fast and still full of energy when I'm feeling my lungs bursting with the exercise!!

Aaaand I have to quit the computer!!! It's getting impossible. I'm spending days sitting here in front of my pc (in fact my bum has flattened :S) and strangely enough there is always something new to do. Well lately this got enhanced by the obsession of checking the mail box and for any new results. And that pirate game, I never thought anything could be so addictive!!! So i have to spend less time in front of this box!

And ...I have to get back to reading. I can't remember the title of the last book I read!! The bookmark in Anna Karenina has been waiting for me at the beginning of part 3 for ages! I have to finish that one by the end of the month. And start reading the Paolo Cohelo ones, and the one I got for my bday, and the other one I bought in November and the book my friend has lent me more than a year ago......

Quite a long list huh!...... Hopefully I'll keep at least one promise to myself!!

Election fever

2006-03-09T14:25:00.000+01:00

In 2 days time the local council elections will be held. Anyone who lives on the island is aware of it, even the street-rats, their parasites, and the parasites of their parasites!!!

For the last couple of months we had to endure the controversies created by both parties and the struggle for some limelight by the third party. Our homes and streets were inundated with fliers of the contestants, electoral programs and sample ballot papers instructing us why and how we should vote and whom we are to give our no. 1 with an endless list of (crappy) reasons.

And obviously the inevitable house visits ~ an election can never reach its potential vertigo without them. Abruptly the candidates start to take interest in grooming; they start combing their hair, use deodorants (and unfortunately sometimes even some perfume that should have remained forgotten at the back of the underwear drawer) and invest in decent clothing and suddenly remember the concept of actually washing their clothes and use fabric conditioners to kill the stench of mould and sweat. And off they go round the village, with a mate in tow, knocking on every door, feigning interest in your requests and concerns, coming up with phantasmagorical excuses that not even the prolific mind of an exuberant 5 year old could come up with, shake your hand and leave off for a remake of their masquerade to your neighbor and eventually the rest of the village.

Every time it's the same old story with different actors playing the characters. And somehow we like it. Yes, deep down we do. We turn on the radio 'incidentally' when the political slot is on, and tune in on TV when a debate is scheduled or when the party leaders are invited to a talk show. And if we see a billboard of the other party placed in a prominent junction we start getting itchy if 'our' party doesn't place one right next to it... Ideally even hiding it a bit. And we start yelling at our TV sets if the one representing the other party gets to talk for an extra second (for what seems to us an extra hour). And we like to sift through all that junk we receive daily in our letterboxes and throw out the fliers of the other party. Yeah, the majority tends to like this fever.

Frankly I don't really care; I don't watch TV, don't listen to the radio, avoid anything that has to do with politics, don't answer the door even if it's that funny Cupid with a 72karat diamond with platinum and full of other gemstones ring, and I leave it up to my parents to sift through the mail. However there is one thing that really irritates me. If the candidates want to waste their time going round the village to show their new hair cut, and their new-found discovery of blades and how to apply them to remove facial hair, it's fine by me. But what it's not fine by me is that for 3 whole years they don't do a single thing. If you send a letter they won't even acknowledge it, let alone reply. If a streetlight needs to have its bulb changed, you won't get it and if the moon's surface is 99.9% much smoother than the road you live in, it's not in their hands. Obviously all this changes the week prior to the cast of votes. Ahh!! then suddenly all the lights are working, all the streets get patched (that lasts only till Sunday, [the day after the elections] as if on contract) and they might even find some money left to pay a group of men to clean the streets and maybe even cut some weeds from the roundabouts.

This is exactly what happened this morning at Fgura. Unfortunately I did not manage to take pictures of the works being done but here you can see the fresh tarmac in my road (even though I managed to capture one of the workers while leaving with his tools).

A note to all the contestants: If you really care for your locality, cut the crap and do your job. If you're not capable of that then get out of the way and stop resorting to this last minute, hope-you're-satisfied kind of works. They suck, are a sheer waste of money, and sooo fake.

a piece of heaven

2006-02-25T12:11:00.000+01:00

well, after handing my surveying stuff, I decided that I had to go for a walk to remove the kinks in my joints. We were graced by a warm and sunny day since ages, so together with my parents, we left for il-Pwales ... and boy is that amazing!! the area is full of archaeology... but not just that, it is also beautiful in that even though you're a few metres away from the buzz of life, you feel as if you're very close to heaven. well ok, apart from the terrible stench of sewer when you get to the Limbordin area!!
As they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I'll let you judge the beauty of the area ... so I'm posting some pictures of the area, and I'll be posting some more soon on my space ... hope you'll like it

bliss.....

2006-02-20T17:05:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we celebrated Mark's birthday, and it was great. Great company, good service and food, and friendly waiters. But there was something more to it... no stress, no nagging from the voice in one's head about deadlines and word limits. I've posted the few decent pics takenon my space ... it's easier than from posting here

Finished with a bang

2006-02-19T11:33:00.000+01:00

aahhhhh finally the 1st semester is officially over....and what an ending!!! I haven't slept for 72hours, except for maybe a maximum of 2hrs of rest (lying on the stairs.. I've found out it's effective for back pain), standing on my legs... and as a result my calves are thicker than those of La Scala's ballet etoile... drawing!!! And no it's not because I had some divine inspiration, I just had a deadline to hand in my surveying drawing. Now thanks to it all I can see are dots, everywhere I look!

Neway, I've finished everything just in time, and guess what?!?!.... I fainted, was hauled over to the doctor by my parents and was told that I was suffering from stress and fatigue (wow!!! you need to be an MD to be able to diagnose that!!) apart from the usual stuff about low blood pressure. To top it off I was to spend the whole weekend on my back, in bed!! I had no intention of following this advise, however my mum, being the perfect product of her time and always faithful to the teachings of the strict nuns who used to supervise her at the hospital, did not allow me to fall out (pun intended) of this "agreement". So basically here I am, stuck in bed, with my drafts rolled up in a corner, as if they're trying to tease me and tell me that there was no need for me to stress myself so much in trying to get them finished on time, coz I was not able to hand them in just the same. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

But that's life ey... at times it does not follow its original course and takes some twisted route. Anyway, now that all my assignments are finally over, I'm feeling much lighter ... and no, they're not the vertigo symptoms coming back... it's the great feeling of not having to have something ready for the next week... and now that's what I call bliss.. the only pity is that I could not go out to some pub with my friends on Friday night. Tonight I'll get a taste to remember what life is (thank God Florence nightingale, aka my mum, is a bit lenient today) and then sometime next week I'll celebrate the real way :)Hehe

Take care guys

PS: I'm attaching a pic of the famous pitted stone... it's a killer to get together!!

Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome! Fremder, etranger, stranger....

2006-02-09T20:01:00.000+01:00

Hi all,

well lately I've been getting this impetus of writing down anything that passes through my mind. And so as a means of escapism and for the need of trying something new... a commitment sort of, I'm creating this blog, so....... welcome to the launch of my blog!! hehehe :)

Anyway, hope you'll enjoy it....when I start writing down stuff that is!..... and check it out every now and then = o)

Take care,
Ria
xxxxx