Without a doubt, Valetta 2018 was and will always be a big deal for us. It was a great privilege for our country to have Valletta as the capital city of Europe, mostly because Valletta is definitely an under-rated city in Europe. It deserves more appreciation from people around the world.

It was declared the capital culture of Europe for 2018 on 12 October 2012, so in theory, Malta had at least five years to prepare the city in the best way possible. Through the years, we witnessed massive improvements, particularly the entrance to the city and the parliament that was built with a more modern facade when compared to the other buildings within the city.

The more recently inaugurated Tritoni fountain served as a splendid entrance. Its reopening, if one were to call it that way, basically kicked off the Valetta 2018 cultural programme. In the process, there was also the slow-opening of the ''Suq Tal-belt'' that was restored from the old setting into a more modern place that blends in with the historic city itself.

Yet, despite all of these changes and innovations within the city, there are still a lot of issues that need to be seen to. What was done in the last five years is not enough for the city to return to its former glory.  

As previously stated, the city went through many changes and improvements, yet one can't say the same for every part of the city. If one were to visit the inner core of the city, away from the main streets and establishments, one would see that people in this day and age are still living in questionable circumstances.

I visit my grandmother on a weekly basis. She is a resident in Valletta living near the Mediterranean Conference centre. At least I try to visit her, seeing how I would have to spend too much time hoping that a white parking spot would appear from somewhere that isn't too far from my desired destination. The city is now congested with many small flats that are on top of each other due to the small amount of space for a large population density. If you turn on the radio at an average amount of volume, just enough for yourself to hear, the whole street and block will hear what you are listening to. Yes, it's that congested and compact.

It was also clear that there was trouble in paradise when it was pointed out that the city's former mayor, Alexiei Dingli, decided to skip out on the latest change within the city, the inauguration of the newly restored ''Suq Tal Belt''. His reasons could be justified, seeing how a once cultural and traditional part of the city has now become privately-owned and very commercial place.

Now this mayor is known to be a person who has a unique love for the city. If he decided to boycott a newly symbolic opening of the market, then this can be interpreted to mean that he is against the idea that the city becomes too commercial, where profit is the most important thing, even it means losing the city's traditional touch.

Maltese people, even tourists, will see the changes that are taking place and will probably say how beautiful and modern the city has and will continue to become. Yet, they might also deny the inevitable, that the city is losing its traditional touch, that the people that make the city, those who are living in questionable conditions, are being given no importance at all. We also saw the city lit up on from top to bottom this festive season, with every corner covered in bright festive lights. This was something all visitors enjoyed. Yet, has anyone thought about the people living on the other parts of the city, the people find themselves in such a poor state of life that have to fight to survive every day.

I think it's time we took everything into consideration, and realise that not everything is beautiful from the outside. We have to look further and peel the onion slowly, and hopefully by time, we can boast of our capital city not by its clear beauty portrayed through lights and statues, but by its people and residents that are happy to be living within it.