Well hello there: this is your favourite interfering foreigner back with her unwanted opinions. This week I found it difficult to concentrate on just one particular story as the newspapers have, quite literally, been on fire with weird and wonderful tales. As a response, I thought I would treat you all to a little overview of just a few of the stories that caught my attention.

 

1.

Whilst perusing one of the many community groups on Facebook of which I am a member, I came across a post that quite honestly disgusted me. I live in Marsascala, and a woman had posted to highlight her concern about a local Maltese man who is living homeless on the streets. She tagged the Mayor in her comment and asked what had been done to help him. I then questioned the Mayor about what he had done by way of offering support or assistance, and he dodged the question as only a politician can, instead confirming that the police had been called and a legal letter had been sent to the gentleman because people were complaining about him. So, let me get this straight: a homeless, vulnerable member of the community has had the utter gall to upset a few people (who live in nice shiny apartments) with his misfortune and the head of the community has done his bit to help by threatening legal action? I am utterly gobsmacked by this! The level of privilege and lack of compassion for another human being really makes me sick. Surely, we should be reaching out to try to help this gentleman, rather sending legal letters. How exactly is he supposed to pay a fine – or the fees of a lawyer? I cannot help but think that the council only cares about members of the community who can vote, as opposed to those on its fringes, and as for those who complained about him – shame on you as well!

 

2.

Unless you have been hibernating this week, you will know that the Wasteserv Plant in Marsascala (that our dear PM desperately wants to close) has gone up in flames. Apart from the fact that the roads in the area were not closed at once, apparently the fire crews at the scene were not immediately provided with the correct breathing apparatus and it took five hours to release a public health warning. The poor residents of Marsascala and the surrounding areas are still suffering the consequences. From the time that the fire started, I have had multiple reports of residents suffering stinging eyes, sore throats, headaches and sinus issues – myself included. We have asked for information regarding the danger to our health, yet no one wants to tell us the effects of inhaling these fumes, or of any long-term effects on our environment. We have had such a wall of silence that I have had to contact a UK-based air quality consultant for his input, and we are awaiting further information from him. It is a shame that this information could not have come from the authorities here and I wonder why they do not want to be forthcoming about it. I can tell you that if I grow a tail or start having hallucinations, I will be demanding some answers!

3.

The name is Muscat, Joseph Muscat. A welcome break from the doom and gloom of this week has been the suggestion that Russia is interfering in our elections and that the Pilatus whistle-blower is a Kremlin spy, put here as part of an elaborate plot to bring down the government – or something like that. I know that Roger Moore has just died, but really? Of course, after looking up Malta on a map, the Russians responded through tears of laughter that they most definitely could not give two figs about the political scene here and they have most definitely not been interfering. As the date of the election draws nearer, I cannot wait to see what other conspiracy theories are dragged out of the woodwork. Perhaps aliens caused the fire at Wasteserv with their big, shiny, alien lasers, or maybe the homeless man in Marsascala is really a North Korean mole, placed here to steal the sacred and secretive recipe for pastizzi? Who knows.

4.

The most distressing news this week was in respect of the atrocity carried out in Manchester at the hands of an unhinged extremist. Twenty-two people, many of them children, lost their lives and scores more were injured when a nail bomb was detonated at an Ariana Grande concert. Let us also not forget that more than 30 migrants drowned not far from our shores this week, most of them children aged under the age of five. It is also worth noting that last month saw the highest number of civilian deaths in Syria (226, including women and children) at the hands of US and coalition-led forces during the ongoing civil war. We would do well to remember that when it comes to the lives of innocent people, it doesn’t matter where they are from or what god they worship, it is no less of a tragedy and they should be remembered and respected in the same way as our European counterparts.

 

Until next week, it is a ‘goodbye’ from me!