Heard in the Hive

Egypt's National Day is celebrated on July 23, marking the anniversary of the overthrow of the monarchy and the proclamation of the republic on that day in 1952.

Last Friday week the Egyptian Ambassador, Fatma El Zahraa Etman, last Friday week hosted a reception at Villa Misr, her residence in Kappara, to celebrate the occasion.

The reception was held on the large terrace, around the swimming pool, and the numerous guests could enjoy the welcome breeze which mitigated the heat of the summer evening, while admiring the magnificent view of Marsamxett harbour and Valletta.

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami led the distinguished guests present, who included the Prime Minister and Mrs Gonzi, Mr Speaker Anton Tabone, Cabinet ministers, MPs, ambassadors, former Presidents Ugo Mifsud Bonnici and Guido de Marco and their wives, members of the business community and various others.

Jesuit priest celebrates diamond jubilee

Sixty years is a long time; a 60th anniversary, in fact, is known as a diamond jubilee. And very few of us live long enough to celebrate our diamond jubilee.

But Fr Joseph Orr, SJ, is one of those very few, for on July 17 the sprightly 88-year-old Jesuit priest celebrated the diamond jubilee of his priesthood.

He was ordained at the Jesuits' Gesù church in Rome by the Cardinal Vicar-General on July 22, 1944 - only a few weeks after the Italian capital was liberated by American troops. The war, however, would not be over for another nine months. (The other priests who were ordained with Fr Orr included two fellow Maltese Jesuits - Fr Alfred Pitrè and the late Fr Grezzju Magro - and a number of Italians.)

Fr Orr concelebrated a thanksgiving Mass at Sarria church, Floriana, where he is now serving, with Fr Paul Spiteri, SJ, rector of the church, and Fr Frank Grech, SJ.

The Mass was attended by Fr Orr's family and close friends, while Edward Tagliaferro led the choir and orchestra.

In his homily, Fr Spiteri said that a Jesuit's priestly life is modelled on that of the founder of the Society of Jesus, St Ignatius of Loyola. The Jesuits, as they came to be known, were put by their founder at the disposal of the Pope. They worked with people from all walks of life, and in various nations, opening schools, universities, hospitals and orphanages.

Fr Orr followed this example to the full. After receiving his priestly formation in Italy and England, he came to Malta after the war, teaching at St Aloysius College, and later was national moderator of the Young Christian Workers. From 1961 to 1964 he was put in charge of the building of Mount St Joseph, the Jesuit retreat house at Targa Gap, Mosta, where he served until 1966.

That year he moved to Italy, where he started various voluntary groups in Naples, Messina and Rome. In the latter city he also set up an Italo-Maltese friendship group which allowed many Maltese nationals in Italy to meet for spiritual, social and recreational activities.

Back in Malta, in 1973 Fr Orr set up the Friendship Groups, in which he is still active. These Friendship Groups bring together young people, adults and married couples.

Fr Spiteri said Fr Orr (who in 1995 won the Elderly Person of the Year award) had worked in practically every sector of the priestly apostolate, and had also served in a number of parishes - a full life indeed, besides the other work he carried out throughout his 60-year priesthood.

Fr Spiteri ended by wishing Fr Orr more years of activity as a Jesuit priest.

The Mass was followed a reception at the Scouts' headquarters, opposite Sarria church, where Fr Orr cut a 60th anniversary cake.

British surgeons attend surgery seminar in Malta

The 1921 Surgical Club of Great Britain and the University Department of Surgery recently held a joint meeting in Malta at the Medical School Conference Hall, Guardamangia.

The joint meeting was attended by eminent surgeons from Great Britain and all the staff of the Department of Surgery. The meeting was organised and co-ordinated by Professor Godfrey LaFerla, dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, and head of the University Department of Surgery.

Over the course of the two-day meeting, several papers, discussing a wide variety of medical subjects and research, were delivered by both visiting and local surgeons.

The event was sponsored by Associated Equipment Ltd, AstraZeneca, E.J. Busuttil on behalf of Olympus Italia, GlaxoSmithKline, Pharma-Cos Ltd, Servier and Technoline Ltd.

The guests accompanying the participants had a varied programme prepared for them. This included visits to the various historical sites around Malta as well as in Gozo.

The Surgical Club of Great Britain was founded in Leeds in July 1921 by Lord Moynihan and named The Surgical Union of Great Britain. In 1943, it became the Provincial Surgical Club of Great Britain. In 1969, it was renamed The 1921 Surgical Club of Great Britain.

The prime objective of the society is the advancement of surgery by surgeons who work outside London and are engaged in consulting surgical practice.

It has been the custom of the club, when circumstances permit, to visit a clinic abroad in spring and a surgical centre in Great Britain in autumn.

Inner Wheel Club barbecue

The beautiful grounds of Ras Rihana on the heights of Bidnija, kindly lent for the occasion by Chev. Maurice Mizzi, were the venue for a successful fund-raising evening organised by Inner Wheel Club.

Over 160 members and guest enjoyed an excellent barbecue in a truly romantic setting, which lasted till well past midnight. A number of generous sponsors donated prizes for a raffle, held during the evening. Popular music was provided gratis by Paul Tanti throughout the evening.

The main beneficiary of this year's fund-raising events is the Malta Hospice Movement. The Inner Wheel Club is part of International Inner Wheel, established in 1934 in Britain and Ireland, which links together members of clubs in Europe, Africa, India, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada.

Inner Wheel concentrates on friendship and personal service. One of the greatest features of Inner Wheel is the opportunity given to members the world over to get to know one another thus contributing to international friendship and understanding.

An unforgettable day in Norway

On May 17 Norway celebrates Constitution Day, its biggest day of national celebration, commemorating the signing of the country's first Constitution in 1814 and its independence from Denmark's 400-year rule.

Konrad Cassar Naudi, Malta's honorary consul in Sundsvall, Sweden, this year had the opportunity to experience this particular day when he was invited to Oslo by his parents' long-time Norwegian friends, Anne and Gisle Hollekim. Among their guests was none other than the Norwegian prime minister, Kjell Magnus Bondevik.

May 17 is marked by music, parades, speeches and the laying of wreaths on monuments and many Norwegians wear the traditional national costume. The royal family greet the procession of Oslo schoolchildren from the balcony of their palace. Church services are also held.

Constitution Day is above all a children's day, with the schools as natural assembly points. The flag is hoisted in the schoolyard and the children walk in the processions under their school's banner. In the afternoon games and entertainment are arranged in the schools for both the children and their families.

The pupils who have completed their 12 years of schooling start their celebration on May 1 but form a colourful contribution to the Constitution Day processions in their red or blue outfits.

This is the day to wear new clothes but the wearing of the bunad, or national dress, is becoming popular. Each region of the country has its own version of the bunad with which to mark both national and local affiliation.

There are a number of food traditions linked to May 17. Adults may start the day with various kinds of pickled herring washed down with akevitt, a strong distilled spirit. Many eat traditional dishes such as smoked salmon, sour cream porridge and cold cured meats. Large amounts of hot dogs, mineral water and ice cream are consumed, as well as egg-flip which has a long tradition as May 17 fare.

The traditions linked to Constitution Day are so strong that Norwegians living abroad as well as their descendants continue to celebrate it.

Melita Youth Nursery annual award presentation

The Melita Youth Nursery recently held their end of season award presentation barbecue at the InterContinental Hotel, St Julian's.

This event was attended by 500 people, including nursery boys, parents, coaches and both nursery and senior committee members. Various dignitaries also attended.

Awards were given to the most improved, most dedicated and most promising boys of each age-group, 33 in all. The awards were presented by Environment Minister George Pullicino, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit

All the 33 volunteer coaches of the nursery were presented with a memento by National Team coach Carmel Busuttil.

This year's Mark Naudi Most Exemplary Boy in the Nursery award was given to Michael Cachia.

Beer garden in the heart of Sliema

It would be exaggerated to say that there are quite a few places in Sliema and St Julian's where one can enjoy a drink in beautiful green and tranquil surroundings, with the sound of water bubbling in a fountain and a historical palatial backdrop, Actually, there aren't any, so the opening of Giardini Spinola Beer Garden certainly fills the void.

The new Beer Garden opened its doors recently with a party attended by over 60 guests, including Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

In 1688, Fra Rafael Spinola had entertainment in mind when he built Spinola Palace and the building still fulfils this role. In the winter months, the palace dungeons are home to the L-Ghonnella Restaurant, where patrons can enjoy first class Maltese cuisine in historic surroundings. In the summer, the restaurant moves al fresco onto the palace terrace.

Not everyone wants an à la carte menu, so the owners, the Gauci family, decided to expand their operation to include a beer garden where parents can enjoy cool drinks, light snacks and beer, of course, in an oasis of calm, not far from the madding crowd.

Those were the days!

Forty years on and the 1962-64 students' group at St Michael Training College, Ta' Giorni, held a reunion which evoked the good old days of their two-year study stint at the Teachers' Training College.

On the initiative of Tommy Vella and Joe Psaila, two ex-students, a good number of the 1962 intake of 60 teacher trainees met recently and marked their 'going down' two years later, with Mass at the Capuchins' church, Xemxija, followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. During the get-together a message from Br Emanuel Sciberras, one of their former lecturers who is now in Rome, was read to the group.

With the exception of one, all members of the group are now on retirement pension. But despite the aging countenance, the youthful exuberance was very much in evidence on this anniversary occasion.

Breezy evening at a décontractée dinner

Diplomatic dinners can be most enjoyable when they are held on an open terrace with a cool evening breeze blowing from the sea with guests wearing smart casual dress - known in French as being en tenue décontractée.

Malta's Ambassador to Tunisia and Mrs Ives De Barro recently held a dinner for their fellow diplomats on their lovely terrace overlooking the garden with a view on the sea in their residence in Gammarth - a northern suburb of Tunis - with a cool evening breeze to add to a pre-dinner aperitif.

In an after-dinner speech Ambassador De Barro said that diplomats coming from small countries could only afford to entertain people to dinners in small doses but nevertheless there was a Maltese saying that "the house may be small but the heart is big".

He said that Malta is a very small country and its diplomatic service has several constraints. Furthermore, he pointed out that diplomats are always on the move and therefore they were never have the chance to grow roots in their diplomatic posts.

He took the opportunity to bid farewell to the Ambassador of Poland and his spouse and the Ambassador of Indonesia, whom he had met five years ago soon after his arrival in Australia where he was Malta's High Commissioner.

Other diplomats attending the open-air dinner with their spouses were the Ambassadors of Belgium, Algeria, the United States, Switzerland, France, and the United Kingdom, whom Ambassador De Barro and his wife knew when they first started their diplomatic career in Libya way back in 1969.

Also present were former Tunisian Ambassador Ahmed Ouanies and Mrs Ouanies, both very good friends of Malta, the general manager of the Corinthia Hotel in Tunis, Moncef Guitouni, and journalist Dora Bouzeid of the Tunisian edition of Femme.

The evening went on into the late hours, a sign that not only was Mrs De Barro's cuisine very enjoyable but also that the guests were having an enjoyable time completely décontractée.

Maltapost Accession Album presented to President

A leather-bound copy of the recently issued Maltapost Accession Album has been presented to President Fenech Adami by Maltapost chairman Joe Grioli and chief executive Robert Lake. The presentation was made recently at the President's Palace in Valletta.

Dr Fenech Adami was presented with Album No. 1, the first album out of a total limited edition of just 500 copies containing, in addition to the album itself, all the mint stamps issued by successive postal administrations from Malta's independence in 1964 right up to and including Malta's accession to the European Union on May 1 this year.

President Fenech Adami praised Maltapost for their initiative, and remarked that Malta's stamps throughout the years have always been much sought after, both locally and by collectors in other countries. This album, Dr Fenech Adami added, would help considerably towards enhancing Malta's contribution to international philately.

Mr Grioli and Mr Lake both pointed out some of the album's unique features, including the fact that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for philatelists and collectors to acquire these rare stamps.

Great interest had been and is still being shown, even in international circles, in this exceptional publication. Nothing had been spared, Mr Grioli and Mr Lake added, to ensure that this publication was of the highest possible quality.

The Accession Album has been issued by the Philatelic Bureau of Maltapost to celebrate Malta's accession to the EU. The album itself contains rich annotations offering specific background on every issue. It also includes a foreword by President Fenech Adami, besides a detailed philatelic essay covering the history of stamps in Malta by Maltese philatelist Anthony Fenech.

The album also includes four professionally written essays covering diverse aspects of Maltese life - from the country's geography to arts and culture.

The production of this magnificent publication has been entrusted to Promotion Services Ltd, whose publishing division Miranda Publishers are well known for their lavish publications, including the 360° series.

Maltapost have also issued a similar collection, limited to a print run of just 4,500, with each album containing over 1,000 mint stamps from Malta's independence through to EU accession, including 50 of the country's rare stamps for this period.

This is the first time such a collection has been made available. The mint stamps have been hand collated from Maltapost's own vaults and from other sources, and include several sets that are almost impossible to find elsewhere.

The presentation was also attended by Promotion Services directors Tony and Eddie Aquilina and by Maltapost senior manager communications Tony Barbaro Sant.

Fortieth birthday party at Grabiel Gardens

The beautiful Ta' Grabiel Gardens at Marsascala were the enchanting venue for a lavish party given by Brian Tonna's family to celebrate his 40th birthday. The occasion also coincided with Brian's 12th year as a self-employed certified public accountant and auditor.

A large number of friends and colleagues spent a relaxing evening enjoying sumptuous food and flowing drinks accompanied by disco music.

During the celebration, a close friend and colleague of Brian recited a poem he had written, outlining Brian's life: from an altar boy up to his graduation from University, his love for sports, particularly tennis, football and keeping fit, and his passion for fishing.

Brian married Caroline Camilleri, who, together with their two lovely daughters, Kristie and Beverly, managed to crown a fruitful and happy life. The guests were later regaled with a personal appearance of popular singer Ira Losco who sang some of her popular songs to the delight of all present.

While cutting his birthday cake, Brian, a fervent supporter of Liverpool FC, was wished well with a loud and hearty rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, by all his relatives, friends and colleagues.

Malta Chamber of Pharmacists delegation in Vienna

A delegation of the Malta Chamber of Pharmacists consisting of the president, Mary Ann Sant Fournier, and secretary, Max Borg Millo, recently attended a roundtable meeting for new EU countries organised by the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists entitled, "Welcome to Europe: Lobbying pharmacists' interests in the enlarged EU - experiences and examples", which was held in Vienna.

The topics discussed in presentations by all participating countries, and including the one delivered by the Maltese delegation were:

Experiences of contact and collaboration with national competent authorities;

Involvement of national pharmacists' organisation in the making of the legal framework;

Influencing the national opinion-making regarding EC (de)regulation projects; and,

National pharmaceutical organisations acting as an authority on behalf of the state.

Presentations centred on the attitude of health ministries to pharmacists and their organisations with special emphasis on the necessity of consultation and collaboration before decision-taking and the adoption of (and amendments to) laws governing the profession.

The Maltese chamber and its EU colleagues presented experiences in influencing the ministers, ambassadors or ministry officials before relevant political discussion and decisions taken in Brussels with particular emphasis on the proactive participation of the Malta Chamber of Pharmacists in the proceedings of MEUSAC.

While all countries had particular experiences regarding this, it was of grave concern to note that in common there was an inconsistent level of recognition of the expertise of pharmacists and their national representatives by the health authorities.

The meeting came to an end with the approval of a common document that is to be released soon, highlighting the results of the meeting and calling for better co-operation between the establishment and the profession in the spirit of EU principles on dialogue and concertation between the social partners, in the best interest of European citizens.

Malta's initial National Communication to the UNFCCC

Dr Charles V. Sammut and Dr Alfred Micallef recently returned from Bonn where they attended the 20th session of Subsidiary Bodies (SB 20) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Their visit follows the formal submission of the initial National Communication of Malta to the UNFCCC, which Environment Minister George Pullicino made on behalf of the government.

In connection with this, Dr Micallef and Dr Sammut, the lead authors of the National Communication and respectively national expert and project manager, were invited to deliver a technical presentation about the National Communication at a special side event held on June 21.

The presentation was very well attended and very positive feedback was received from many experts present for the event. The side event was organised by the Secretariat of the UNFCCC, represented by Martha Perdomo, manager of the non-Annex I programme, and Festus Luboyera.

About 1,400 participants represented 162 states and 131 observer organisations. The subsidiary bodies are grouped under SBI (subsidiary bodies for implementation) and SBSTA (subsidiary bodies for scientific and technical advice) and meet twice yearly. These sessions are intended to review progress on implementation of UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and to enable information and experience sharing among interested parties.

Particular importance was given during these sessions to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to climate change.

This was achieved through a large number of panel sessions and side events.

Another important theme concerned the topics of energy, climate change and industrial development within the context of sustainable development.

Optic 2000 hosted in Malta

Malta has been chosen as the preferred destination for the annual general meeting of Optic 2000, the leading French company in the optical sector.

Over 670 participants from all over Europe met at the Hilton Conference Centre recently to discuss their financial year as well as new company policies and strategies.

During their stay the delegates were treated to an exclusive recital at St John's Co-Cathedral, followed by a gala dinner at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

Prior to the dinner, the delegates met at Mediterranean Road, which was closed to the public for the occasion, where Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi delivered a pre-dinner speech. Dinner followed soon after in the prestigious La Valette Hall, splendidly decorated for the occasion.

The directorate of Optic 2000 was greatly satisfied and impressed by the overall logistics involved in the event.

People

Physical Education teacher Kevin Azzopardi recently obtained a Diploma in Olympic Studies following his participation in the 12th International Seminar on Olympic Studies for Postgraduate Students at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece.

Organised between June 10 and July 10, the seminar attracted 37 students from 28 countries. The topics included the Ancient Games, modern Olympism, Olympic education as well as issues related to the sociology, philosophy, economics and politics of the Olympic Movement.

During his stay in Greece, Mr Azzopardi, who is a Class One football referee with the Malta FA, had the opportunity to visit a number of archaeological sites as well as some of the venues that will be used in this month's Olympic Games.

Each participant had to make a 15-minute presentation that reflected the research previously carried out through a long essay. Mr Azzopardi's topic was "Reaching Secondary School students in small island states through Olympic education". In this study he compared the Olympic education given to Maltese students with that offered in other island states with a population of less than one million.

Apart from witnessing the jubilant celebrations in Greece following their historic Euro 2004 success, Mr Azzopardi also succeeded with flying colours in his final examinations which were also linked to Loughborough University in the UK.

Following this achievement, Mr Azzopardi, who is also the general secretary of the Malta Handball Association, is now able to pursue his studies at Master's degree level at the same university.

Dr Paul Cuschieri, MD, Dip. Bact (Manch.), FMCPath, attended the graduation ceremony for conferment of the FRCPath degree by the Royal College of Pathologists, held on the College premises at Carlton House Terrace in London recently. He was accompanied by his wife Carmen.

This prestigious qualification was achieved by invitation on the part of the British College, after taking into consideration performance, achievements and the sterling service given to the Maltese Community, over the past three decades. At present, Dr Cuschieri occupies the post of senior consultant bacteriologist at St Luke's Hospital, and is also senior lecturer in Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy at the University of Malta.

When asked about the conferment, Dr Cuschieri said that credit should also go to his wife and children for their encouragement and support, as well as the professionalism of his dedicated and enthusiastic team of Laboratory Scientists. Despite the fact that microbiology is often considered as an unattractive speciality, especially when compared to other more enticing and financially remunerative disciplines, the Pathology Department can boast of a highly motivated and skilled team in microbiology.

Dr Cuschieri's uncompromising insistence on adopting the highest standards of laboratory practice, his expert guidance and direction, and his integrity, have proved to be a sound source of inspiration to a number of top-calibre people, who had decided to enter the world of Microbiology. The atmosphere of excellence that the scientific and medical members of this team have built over the years, despite many odds, is attested by conferment of this honour.

Dr and Mrs P. Cuschieri currently reside in Gzira. They have four daughters and a son, and are grandparents.

Dr Joseph Xuereb, B.Ch.D. (Hons), MFGDP (UK), recently returned from the UK where he successfully completed the examinations for the Diploma of Membership in General Dental Surgery of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, MGDS, RCS (Eng.)

Dr Xuereb graduated with honours from the University of Malta in 1985 and obtained the membership of the Faculty of General Dental Practitioners of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1999. He is engaged in full-time private practice.

Dr Xuereb is married to Elsie née Portelli, and they have two children, Alison and Giles.

The President and Mrs Fenech Adami's engagements - August 2-8

Tomorrow
7 p.m. Mrs Fenech Adami presides over a meeting of the Ball of the August Moon committee at Verdala Castle.

Wednesday
11 a.m. The President receives a group of Maltese emigrants accompanied by Mgr Philip Calleja, director of the Emigrants' Commission, at the Palace, Valletta.
11.45 The President receives Charles J. Vassallo, consul general of Malta in San Francisco.

Friday
7.30 p.m. The President inaugurates the Delicata Wine Festival at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta.

Saturday
8 The President and Mrs Fenech Adami host the Ball of the August Moon in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund at Verdala Castle.