The festive season decorations are now all over the place.Homes and streets are decorated with a wide selection of twinkling, runninglights in a variety of colours, sizesand patterns. Some streets are professionally done.Others, though festooned, have no creativity and lack imagination and look rather shabby. Shop-owners in the latter streets should not expect new clients or higher sales.In cut-throat market competition there is no room for amateurism.
It is not enough to have courteous, well-trained workers and competitive prices in the retail sector it has to be professional all the way. During the past years there has been a significant improvement in the retail sectorand this clearly show. The tight profit margins and the fierce competition may put newly set-up retail outlets in jeopardy if attention is not paid to details. Market surveys remain an objective indicator of the shifts and consumers spending patterns.
The streets decorations complement the large illuminated window shops decorated with the traditional red large bow-ties, green wreaths, garlands and goldtrimmings.Christmas carols are played full-blast in most streets and to a more acceptable sound level in shopping arcades. Father Christmas with his loud Ho...Ho...Ho...in his red costume, strolls in front of the entrance of various shopping malls attracting the attention of the very young children who eagerly pull their parents in.Many children are photographed with Father Christmas and soon after most are uploaded on face-book.Othersplace the captured unique moment in a frame and place next to other loving captured moments at home.
In preparation for the coming festive season the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, with her team will be working round the clock to collect the highest amount of donations during the coming "Istrina". While this national event may be considered an expression of solidarity I strongly believe that funds collected should go to support research related to health conditions. Patients suffering from a particular condition of health should be supported in-cash, in-kind or with both as the patient may require from the national coffers and should not be subjected to the generosity of people. This is my frame of mind.
During the coming days the puppy-love which started in the hot summer months on the sandy beaches has either died or has sparked a flare of love. The song re-released in 1974 by Lobo "I'd love you to want me" reloads in the memory of manyaged 50 or thereabouts pleasant frames of love. All radio stations are preparing the Christmas classic play-list in an effort to instil in their listeners,young and old, the Christmas feel good factor.
In normal circumstances during this period of the year the political debate and food for thought are moved to the back-burner and more appetising foods and fine spirits flows are moved within arms-reach. During the festive season those with a craving for sweets will help themselves to larger portions. However, the escort to the Home Affairs Minister who fired shots at a car has marred the coming festive season. To make matters much worse, the situation is far from settled as new pieces of information are being revealed while deception and deceit are taking centre stage. What looked like a cover-up after the shooting incident which got well out of hand is now taking the shape of aframe-up. Frame-ups bring to the fore the 80's and the socialist regime. If indeed, this frame-up is set by members of the very old socialist political school of thought, the Prime Minister has to come clean for his own political credibility. He should not shy away from taking bold decision/s. In this case head/s should roll. The master-mind/s behind this frame-up should be kicked-out. The notion of a frame-up sends shivers to many, particularly to those who have lived the tragic moments when Raymond Caruana was in cold blood assassinated in Gudja and the Pietru Pawl Busuttilframe-up which followed. That was a political frame-up organised by those who had the duty to protect people.The Prime-Minister is expected to act swiftly.
[email protected]