This was a good weekend. A Chinese Wok buffet with Lars and Giovanni, nice London friends over for A's party and a Saturday jaunt to the thermal baths in Spa. Apart from the thermes, Spa offers a large Casino and the unremarkable Hotel Cardinal where a certain Georges Krins (1889-1912) lived for a while. The gold plaque, which informs you that he was Premier violon a bord du RMS Titanic, reminded me of Alessandro Baricco's Novecento and of my friend John Schranz's brilliant one-man show a few years back at actionbase in Naxxar. A fondue night at our place and a bit of clubbing at Bazaar on Rue des Capucins (I love that faintly religious name) rounded off the weekend.

But now for more serious news. Malta has been in the EU for almost one and a half years and a few news items or perceptions keep cropping up. For instance, don't you get the distinct impression that the word "tiny" to describe the country has become almost automatic whereas previously one was led to believe that Malta was the centre of the universe? This may be because we're now forced to compare, peer beyond the breakwater and occasionally check out what the other 24 are up to.

One statistic which comes up every couple of months is the obesity stat. We've won several gold and silver medals in this category (men, kids, teenagers). Here's the latest one:

Maltese women second in Europe for expanding waistlines
Malta has come second in a European league table for overweight women.

Yesterday I was listening to a delightfully politically incorrect song by Morcheeba on this theme. The first time I heard this gem was in the middle of a sweaty traffic-jam on the way to San Francisco. I've selected the best bits. (vocals by guest rapper Slick Rick). One wonders whether this song holds the elusive clue to that other phenomenon which seems to be on everybody's lips at the moment - rampant marriage breakdown in Catholic Malta? (see here and here to see what these sisters think and for a few laughs)

Women Lose Weight

What a surpriser

Open your eyes, a

Woman advisor

The name of this entertainement

is women lose weight

Our first years of mariage

everything was just great

But after two kids

And a weight gain factor

The fact isNow

she’s completely unattractive

Look fat chicks

I don’t mean to sound rude

I tell her nice hit the gym

And don’t eat so much food

But no. "You're shallow

You need to run the course of unconditionnal love and

so forth."

But how if desire’s not there

that’s just delayment

Divorce is, child support,

alimony payments

My happiness I doubt

discouraged

So hurry for an easier way out of this marriage

Meanwhile my secretary June

well groomed

"When you gonna leave

your wife?"

I tell her soon mommy soon I assume

Or my destiny is blue

InterestinglyThe only thing

left for me to do

is to kill her




Moral of the story is

Desire is important

So watch your weight

It’ll keep you mate smitten

it’s a given

Well there you have it

Keep thin trim

Keep your mariage healthy

Do you know what I mean?

Small message from morcheeba

and slick rick the ruler

Peace