Spur change

Student life

Anita Portelli

Whenever someone would ask young Anita Portelli what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would always have a prompt answer – a psychiatrist.

A chance conversation with a friend reminded Anita of her childhood dream of becoming a psychiatrist

However, after completing her post-secondary studies, Anita decided against going to university and started working as a secretary. Eventually, she joined a destination management company, organising conference and incentive travel to Malta.

“It’s demanding yet rewarding work and the job gave me a lot of satisfaction,” says Anita. “I enjoyed the challenge of winning a contract and then co-ordinating everything to ensure the final experience for all guests was a positive one. However, after 10 years, the job lost its sparkle. I started imagining myself spending my entire working life in the same office, doing the same work, and realised I was up for a new challenge.”

A chance conversation with a friend reminded Anita of her childhood dream of becoming a psychiatrist.

“A friend of mine had enrolled for a course in Gestalt therapy and I was intrigued. The next time we met, she invited me to a public lecture on Gestalt and I was hooked. I embarked on a five-year evening course, knowing that to practise Gestalt therapy professionally I would need a degree in psychology.”

Anita continued to work at the DMC for two more years before finally deciding to go to university as a mature student.

“I had been with the company for 12 years by then – I was a project manager and had a good salary. But I decided to take the plunge, start something completely new, and go back to being a student.”

There was another change in Anita’s life.

“Soon after handing in my resignation, my long-term relationship ended and I almost gave up on going to university. However, I moved back in with my mother and she was incredibly supportive throughout.”

Anita admits that life at university was at first completely alien to her.

“My first day on campus was a shock to my system. There I was, surrounded by teenagers for whom university was just a natural progression. On the other hand, I had to relearn the skills of writing assignments, doing research and studying for exams – however, I started working with another two mature students who soon became firm friends.

“I’ve just started my second year and have decided that for electives I will focus on children with disabilities. Although there is a great deal of material to cover and it can be quite tough sometimes, I find that I’m enjoying my studies.

“Somehow I think I’m benefitting more from this course now than I would have done had I continued studying when I was still 18. I have the experience to relate to the issues being discussed in class which I wouldn’t have had back then.”

If Anita thought she was going to have more time on her hands as a student, she was mistaken. Besides her studies, she has joined her long-time friend Moira Delia as part of the production team of Animal Diaries – Anita is responsible for updating the programme’s website and social media pages. Although Anita finds that being in front of the camera is “daunting”, she enjoys doing the research and news reports for the programme.

So what lies ahead?

“I’m hoping to work mainly with children, perhaps children with disabilities. After graduating next year I will be looking to accumulate enough practice hours to be able to read for a Masters in Play Therapy.”

Third time lucky

Donald Caligari

Donald Caligari is owner and cook patron at Tal-Petut restaurant. Donald is now on his third career having started out as a therapist in residential care.

I expected to be made redundant and had started planning for it, but when it came it was still a shock

“Back then, courses in residential care weren’t offered locally and so I studied abroad. Then I worked at Caritas, including at the San Blas therapeutic community. But after 10 years, I was burned out – I couldn’t switch off after work and this started taking its toll.”

Being headhunted by Reuters came as a complete shock to Donald who says that his knowledge of the financial markets extended to “the difference between current and savings accounts”.

The opportunity came at just the right time and Caligari threw himself into the challenge of setting up Reuters Malta Ltd. What followed was a decade of constant highs.

“We were part of the Middle East portfolio and I had to travel frequently. The position was very demanding. If there was a problem in the market or with one of the financial institutions, I would be back at work immediately.”

With little time to pursue his passion for Maltese food, wine and the countryside, Donald started toying with the idea of opening a specialist Maltese restaurant.

“I knew that advances in technology meant the company’s operations in Malta would eventually be disbanded. I expected to be made redundant and had started planning for it, but when it came it was still a shock.

“My wife’s family had leased a property in Vittoriosa for many years and we decided to buy it and operate our restaurant from here.”

Throughout the interview, Donald has been deftly rolling braġjoli. As they cook in the oven, he turns his attention to stuffing chicken legs.

“It took us eight years to open for business and we encountered obstacles at every stage. The most excruciating wait was for the licence. We had already bought the property and invested heavily in the conversion but the delay in getting the licence almost ruined us.”

In the meantime, Donald had decided against taking up another corporate role, choosing to work in the wine industry – this would give him valuable knowledge that he could eventually use at his restaurant. The licence finally came through and Tal-Petut has now been open for four years.

“This is a traditional, down to earth place and we offer traditional, down to earth service,” says Donald about his no frills attitude to dining. “My greatest satisfaction is spending time with the farmers, fishermen and butchers who supply us with fresh ingredients. Catering is all about long, unsociable hours but each time a customer enjoys a meal here, it’s worth it.”