Seeing buskers and artisans at City Gate, Valletta, working and creating items which most of us can only dream of doing, cannot be compared to a third world country.

In most of the biggest and most famous cities around Europe, like Paris, Rome, the Ramblas in Barcelona and London, to mention a few, you can see these enthusiastic young people creating what most of us cannot.

Comparing these buskers at City Gate to a third world country does not mean that you are right. It only means that you are looking through your own eyes – no more, no less.

If you look through my eyes, you would see a different perspective.

I compare City Gate with a third world county, yes, but that is if I look at the sorry state of the gate itself and the whole surrounding area. The bus terminal, the buses and the fumes and spilt oil and the filth. It’s like being transported to Mumbai, Cairo or Cambodia.

It’s always the same in this sorry island of ours: we try to improve things by starting with the minor and simple matters.

Jeffrey Mallia

Tarxien