You have been thinking, eating and drinking budget 2010 throughout the week – so I will not be tackling the subject. I prefer not to annoy you any further. I will be writing about other matters, hoping that your first reaction to this will be: “Ahhh... finally... someone’s writing about something else...”

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I pitied Mgr Anton Gouder during last Friday week’s Xarabank when he was the target of so much hatred.

He was representing the Church in a programme aimed at discussing the document that has been issued on how village feasts should be “restored”.

I admired him for the way he kept his composure during the two-hour verbal lynching and the way he tried to explain that the idea behind the document is to eliminate abuse and to give a more religious feel to feasts.

This is a good thing because, after all, village feasts are meant to celebrate saints, and they should not be an occasion for foul language, bad behaviour, street fights, heavy drinking, drug-taking and overall decadence – which is what most feasts have become, especially during the notorious Sunday morning band marches.

Seeing how most people in the Xarabank programme behaved – they were a widespread representation of people involved in feasts – it is no wonder that the Church wants to change things.

If I had any say in Church matters, I would propose that the Church washes its hands of anything that is not connected to the religious ceremonies that take place during the locality’s feast. I would disassociate myself from all outdoor activities, would not take part in their organisation and would just hold the Sunday evening procession.

If the band clubs and the people associated with them want to celebrate in the pagan way they are doing, then let them organise a street party and swear, drink and fight as much as they like. It would then be up to the police to take offenders to court. But the Church should, however, make it known that it has no part in it.

I was mostly appalled by the behaviour of Joe Debono Grech and Marlene Pullicino who, as (Labour) MPs, should have set an example. An MP is always an MP, and their association with Labour cannot be put aside even if, as happened in this case, they were not representing their political party. They were the most arrogant, the most aggressive and the most verbally violent of the lot.

That Joe Debono Grech behaved like he did came as no surprise. He has been doing it all his (public) life. But I expected a more dignified performance from Marlene. It goes to prove an old saying, literally translated from Maltese: “tell me whom you stick with, and I will tell you who you are.”

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I am risking the wrath of Sina Bugeja and the like, but why is it that some women who barely know how to drive buy the bigger cars, which complicates life even further for them? One day recently, I was driving behind a woman who was finding it hard to manoeuvre her 4x4 when she had so much space to spare on both sides. And it’s not the first time it happened.

But it’s a known fact that cars are status symbols, so these women – who, like Hyacinth Bucket, want to keep up with the Joneses – prefer to have bigger ones to impress their neighbours and friends rather than being seen in a Mini Minor.

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A high fence to enclose the playground in Birkirkara Road, St Julian’s has been erected and it has become a safer place for children.

Yet it seems that St Julian’s local council has fallen asleep since then.

On 28 October, this newspaper’s sister daily published a photo showing that the old iron railings that used to surround the playground had been left lying on the ground for three or four weeks. There was a time when they were even blocking the pavement.

Well, more weeks have passed and the iron railings are still there.

Another thing: part of the area in question has been without streetlights for

several weeks as well, a No Entry sign has been missing for months and the trees in the parking area are too low, which means they scrape against the tops of cars.

Is St Julian’s local council accountable to anyone? Can the Local Government Department help? Is the Nationalist Party happy that a mayor elected on its behalf ignores his duties?

But then, I cannot expect much. The election is too far away for the council to listen to pleas from its residents. And, unfortunately, the local council reform means that the people of St Julian’s have to wait an extra year before they vote again.

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When the draws for the Champions League were made in summer, my heart missed a beat when my favourite team, Milan, was drawn against Real Madrid in the group stage.

What I was afraid of was that Kaka, the Brazilian star who moved from Milan to Madrid in summer, would have scored against his former team.

Kaka, for Milan supporters, is like their ideal woman who, for some reason, is now living with someone else.

It’s already heart-wrenching enough to see Kaka wearing the Real Madrid shirt – just as much as it is heart-wrenching to see that woman in somebody else’s company. Had he scored against Milan, it would have been too much to bear.

Thank God he didn’t.

***

I have never followed English football with the same passion that I have followed the Italian championship all my life.

But this year I have a much greater interest in the English premiership – and this is because I am supporting a team: Chelsea. The reason is obvious – their manager is former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. It would give me great pleasure if he had to lead Chelsea to win what they did not achieve under the supercilious Jose Mourinho – the Champions League.

I watched interviews with Ancelotti and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson last weekend, and I must say that Ancelotti, in spite of having lived in England for only five months, has grasped the English language well. In fact, I could understand him much better than his Man United counterpart.

On the field of play then, Ancelotti once again beat Sir Alex. Just like he had done in his Milan days.

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