Tag Archives: Switzerland

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Cross Rower – where does the name come from?

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It took me some time before I came up with the name Cross Rower for my Atlantic Ocean row, and in reality the reasons are very simple.

Both my native and adoptive countries (Malta and Switzerland) have a cross as their symbol. The Maltese eight-pointed cross is a world-famous symbol that is recognizable everywhere. I always had a certain liking for this cross, to be honest, so am very happy to be associated with it.

The Swiss flag, with a white cross on a red background, is also universally known. I also have a strong connection with this country and therefore I felt that I had to have something related to the country in the name I use for the crossing.

Apart from that, I’ll be rowing across the Atlantic Ocean – the connection can’t be more obvious than that.

I was asked about whether the cross is also a religious symbol, and the answer is no. Personally, I live by Christian values – generosity, respect, love, peace, charity – because I believe it’s the right thing to do not because there is any post-death reward (I don’t believe in heaven nor hell, nor any higher being). Just to clarify, I have no issue with people who have faith – it’s just that I don’t.

Finally, the Cross Rower emblem was created using the blade of an oar as a background. The blade is made to resemble a face with the eyes taking the form of a Rannoch 45 boat – the same which I’ll be on during my crossing.

For more information on the row, visit www.crossrower.ch

Sports

Let the Lions roar (and the Swiss yodle)

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We all know what’s going to happen because the same thing happens every four years. The footballing bigs progress to the latter stages and the rest are there just to make up the numbers. There will be, as usual, one or two teams that break the mould – it’s just a matter of seeing who it’ll be this time.

I guess Brazil start as favourites, but I don’t believe they will win it – the pressure to perform may result in a surprise or two. And anyway, as a relatively inferior Italy showed in 1982, you can beat Brazil if you use the right tactics.

With my unwavering support for England pretty much intact, despite many years of hurt, I am confident that we will progress to the quarters, maybe even semis. I’m not overly keen on Hodgson, but there have been worse. Actually, I think Hodgson is the best manager since Robson in 1990. The only problem is that we don’t have a real Gazza in the squad.

And maybe that’s a good thing – it’s potentially dangerous to pin your hopes on one player. And if you’re thinking of Rooney, he hasn’t impressed me much lately. England’s first game is against Italy – that’s tantamount the Final for us Maltese. I’m quietly confident will make it.

So who will win the World Cup 2014? I think there are four candidates who have a realistic chance – if Brazil manage to drag themselves to the final, they will win it. Otherwise, it’ll be either Germany, Argentina or Spain. The teams with an outside chance are Portugal, England, Uruguay, Italy, France and Holland. And note that three of these teams are in the same group…

If they stop being scared of their own shadow, Switzerland can also make some good headway. And the more difficult the team, the better. They beat the likes of Spain but then draw against Malta and lose to Luxembourg. Doesn’t make sense…

One thing is for sure – the Three Lions will be roaring in my house (with a couple of heart beats reserved for the Swiss). Go ENGLAND! Hop Schweiiiiz!

 

 

Thoughts

The long and winding road

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It’s been a staggering 10 years for multiple reasons, and they have seen such a dramatic change in life that it is hard to fathom that it’s all really happened. The ups have been very up, and the downs have been very down. There didn’t seem to be any comfortable middle ground.

The girls, pictured here on a visit to Malta, are what make everything worth it

Leaving your home country is hard in the best of situations. I left totally unprepared. Everything, and I mean everything, was different – language, habits, traditions, mannerisms, standards, feelings, emotions, the works.

I didn’t help myself much – I broke my leg barely three weeks into my new adventure here. This had enormous implications. For starters, I was in an environment where nobody spoke – or wanted to speak – English. Secondly, and more importantly, I had to put my search for a job on hold.

In hindsight, I should have probably found a job before I came, but I didn’t. This meant I was unemployed for nearly seven months. And no, it’s not the case that if you really want to find a job, you can. Sometimes, you can’t.

Eventually, I did find a job but only after pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del and restarting my entire existence from scratch. The job offer came in the same week my first child was born. It was an amazing week (I actually received two job offers that week, and that’s two more than the previous 20 plus something weeks). My two kids followed and each time was as good as the first.

I changed a few jobs and moved from teaching to public relations. That road wasn’t easy, but I got there eventually. What holds in the next few months is uncertain – I guess destiny will let me know sooner or later.

In the meantime, I need to get to grips with integrating into a society that is not always welcoming. Understandable in a way, as a number of foreigners take advantage of a system that puts a great deal of emphasis on trust.

It’s a case of throwing out the baby with the bath water, I suppose. This is why I get very angry when people want to impose their culture on the natives – it always backfires, and all foreigners end up on the losing end.

And now, I start the next 10 years – don’t know where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing. It’ll be hard to compete with the last 10 in which I built a family, stopped smoking, started triathlon, learned a language (sort of) and built a house. But, starting in two weeks time, I’m definitely going to try.

Thoughts

Knowing me, knowing you

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I find it incredible that after 10 years living in my little village, I know nearly nobody. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, really, but it still hit me like a ton of bricks just the other day.

We went to a village event and when I walked in the hall, I looked around and saw a sea of faces I didn’t recognise, save a handful who could easily be counted on one hand (with a few fingers to spare).

Admittedly, I haven’t made much of an effort over the past few years. One reason is that I found, in the first years here, it was very hard to really fit in with a group that has been slowly and patiently forming over many years and generations. It was like flogging a dead horse.

Integration is not that simple when people insist you speak their language (sic) but then laugh at your pronunciation, pretend they don’t understand or look at you as if you killed their cat. It’s the same folk who return your Grüezi (traditionally, in Swiss villages, you use this greeting in the street, even to people you don’t know) with blank stares or just ignore you outright, but then berate you (privately, of course, but it’s a village so word travels fast) when you don’t say Grüezi. Really, I’m not kidding.

It’s not like that everywhere in Switzerland, and to paint the entire population with the same brush would be unfair.

It would be tantamount to calling all Maltese xenophobes because of the few (but growing number of) people who object to the presence of immigrants on the Rock.

It would be good if these people – generally middle class white folk like me who are not normally targetted – are on the receiving end for once. They’d learn a hell of a lot from the experience.

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Health warning: religious and political posts on FB

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I guess everyone has a right to upload whatever they want onto social media platforms, say what they like and try to convert people to their thinking. I probably do the same. But we also have the right to not listen. My biggest qualms concern two main issues, religion and politics.

Take religious posts on Facebook. Honestly, it sometimes borders on the ridiculous. Quite frankly, I don’t think that if I ‘continue to scroll down’, it means that I ‘love the devil’ and by definition (and because I didn’t press ‘Like’, I don’t love God. Is that what people really believe makes a Christian?

There are some religious posts which made sense, like the one that said: ‘God love a kind atheist more than a nasty Christian’ or something to that effect. It says it all, really. Live your ‘real’ life as a Christian – pressing ‘Like’ on a social platform doesn’t get you brownie points to go to heaven – if you really believe heaven exists. I don’t, to be honest. If it does, it must be terribly overcrowded by now and I’m not even sure I want to go there (can you imagine the bathroom queues?).

It’s funny how people are kind and nice to others only to go to heaven – that’s probably the most egoistic thing one can do. But enough of that…

Politics now. Ah, the fun. I think political posts should only be allowed by politicians – it’s their job, what do you expect them to post? Others, especially people who would only change their political views if hell (does it really exist?) froze over, should be banned from anything remotely political. I mean, what’s the bloody point? Nobody is going to change their mind, so why do it?
Here’s what people (in Malta) should do – if you support the Nationalist Party, watch One News (the Labour Party TV station) and listen to what the other side is saying; if you support the Labour Party, watch Net News (the Nationalist Party TV station) and listen to what the other side is saying. Of course, people won’t do it as the neighbours may hear them and think they support the other ‘evil’ party. Oh, the shame.

This does not apply to Switzerland, of course. Ther’s no real opposition here. But politicians seem to be adverse to sticking their necks out in any way. You never know, people may soon vote in a referendum to decide on whether it’s ‘OK’ for politicians to grow a backbone and decide on things themselves – without the need for a referendum.

The bottom line is social media, such as Facebook and Twitter and whatever takes your fancy, should be kept social and fun – for me, that means cars, music, photos of silly things, sports, Stanley Cassar Darien (find him on FB, hilarious chap) writing things I don’t understand, saying ‘happy birthday’ to people who say ‘happy birthday’ to me, finding out what people ate, who is pregnant, married and/or separated, and the works – you get the drift.

Oh, and of course, if you don’t like the things on my list, disagree with me, then either agree to disagree, ignore me, un-subscribe from me or de-friend me. That’s fine. I’m be doing the same

Thoughts

Switzerland or Malta? The jury’s out, sort of

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It’s very easy – even fun sometimes – to criticise the place where you live. It’s probably natural. For example, I live in Switzerland, so silly things such as the fact that people tend not to smile very often is extremely annoying. But the constant nagging in Malta, my native home, doesn’t bother me a tiny bit as I do not have to put up with it any more.

This got me thinking – where is best to live, Malta or Switzerland? So I came up with what I believe is better in a number of categories and gave each country a score out of 10.

Food

Switzerland: It’s quite good, actually. You have fondue chinoise and cheese fondue, Rösti, and Raclette to name just a few favoured by tourists. Food could be a bit predictable.  7/10

Malta: Also good – just think of baked macaroni, ross fil-forn, pastizzi, bigilla, imqaret, lampuki, and many others, even rabbit (hate it, but apparently it’s good). Very healthy Mediterranean cuisine, but also artery-blocking cholesterol-filled fatty foods that nonetheless taste great. 8/10

Roads

Switzerland: Well, Swiss roads are great, well maintained, well marked and clean, cleared when snow falls and safe. The only drawback is the passion the Swiss have for roadworks, even when a road seems to be in top shape. These works generally tend to take a long time to finish, but results are superb.  9.5/10

Malta: Erm, where can I start? Maltese roads are similar to those of a war ravaged country – cr*p! They are so bad you may actually think you are off-roading most of the time. Potholes are everywhere, markings disappear after 10 seconds, street signs are incorrect, confusing or inexistent and traffic lights work randomly. It’s a no-go for me. 3/10

Motorists

Switzerland: If you think everyone follows the rules, you are right-ish, but not right. The thing is that when the Swiss don’t follow the rules, it’s just for minor issues, such as indicating. To be honest, some flexibility would really go a long way to making motoring in Switzerland more fun. For example, motorists will insist and take their right of way even if this slows them down. And letting you get out of a side road is unthinkable. They would benefit a lot by letting their hair down ever so slightly. 7/10

Malta: People generally follow the rules, but it’s often the rules of the road not the Highway Code, resulting in a free for all where the larger vehicle commands. However, things do move, eventually. 5/10

Friendship

Switzerland: The concept of friendship is one which is based on the very long term. You can’t meet somebody and instantly think of him or her as a friend – it doesn’t work. Friendship is cultivated over extended periods, through thick and thin, usually starting from early school years. Very often, they use the term Kollege, which loosely translates to acquaintance. This makes it very difficult to make friends in Switzerland, at least with the Swiss, but it also means that friendships are strong and true. And first name basis is a no-go for quite sometime, although this rule may be broken by non-Swiss. 5/10

Malta: The second you meet somebody in Malta, he or she is your friend. Maltese follow the Anglo-Saxon idea whereby you are on first names terms nearly instantly (with obvious exceptions). This makes it easy to make friends, but these friends often disappear quickly or are only around when the going is easy (or if they need something). 4/10

Public transport

Switzerland: The system here is quite efficient, but incredibly expensive. For a one-year ticket including around eight to 10 zones, you’d have to fork out around €2,000. Also, people seem to forget their manners on trains – and people never smile. Bah! 6/10

Malta: Ha ha ha. Hilarious! 1/10

Politics

Switzerland: Things are debated in a civil fashion, placards are affixed for elections and people can vote by internet – all in all it’s democracy at its best. We have out very own far right party that subtly associates foreigners with criminality. But that’s part of politics, so it’s fair game (ish). Many people do not change their political affiliation, irrespective of what happens – even because very little happens. We also have the slightly wobbly Magic Formula, which means there is no effective opposition. All a bit boring at the end of the day. Oh, and Swiss vote around six times a year in a multitude of referenda, so they are well practices in the practice of people democracy. 5/10

Malta: Politics is everything, and families are split down the middle because of it. The two main parties command 99% of the vote, making the third a political futility – for the time being. People and politicians get hot under the collar in debates, and matters can even turn violent. Diehards (that’s around 70% of the voters) never change their mind, even if their party committed the worst atrocities. The votes are fairly evenly divided down the middle. Apart from the hostility, it makes for interesting reading. 6/10

Religion

Switzerland: It’s relatively easy here – you are not judged by how many times you go to your church, temple or mosque. Nor whether you write Xmas or Christmas! 6/10

Malta: It seems that every facet of lfe is determined by the church. It’s a little bit too much, especially considering that people often act in – how can I put it? – anything but the way Christians should. Oh, by the way, I write Xmas – does that mean that I’m not a Christian anymore and God doesn’t love me anymore? Gimme a break! 3/10

Living space

Switzerland: Open spaces, cities, mountains, lakes – it’s postcard perfect in most places, making living a great experience. Again, sometimes too predictable and boring, and things don’t come cheap. 7/10

Malta: With a population density of 1,300 people per square kilometre, it’s hard to find space. And the incredible number of unoccupied dwellings makes it all the more dire. 4/10

Neighbours

Switzerland: We’re lucky as we have great neighbours. We live in the countryside and have a great deal of space. In the city, things are more crowded and neighbourly love can be hard to find. You could live in an apartment block for years and the only contact you have with people living above or below you would be a courteous hello or Gruezi. And the least infringement could be good enough reason to call the cops. But boundaries are generally respected. 7/10

Malta: In Malta, I have great neighbours (good old Mary, always complaining about her angina – I wonder if she’s still alive…) on one side and the neighbours from hell on the other. At a friends place, we could hear all their conversations as they seemed to constantly speak rather loudly. But living in a block or neighbourhood could also result in great parties and strong friendships. 6/10

Bottom line is that I don’t know what the bottom line is – the jury’s out, sort of. Nostalgia for Malta is ever present, despite the drawbacks, but Switzerland is home now. If only people here would chill out a bit…

Thoughts

All my ducks lined up

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I’ve been using Nivea’s DNAge for the past months. It started when I turned 40 and noticed that time has begun taking a serious toll. I’m not sure about the results on my face, but my hands don’t look a day older than 20!

Times change people, friends come and go, the way people think and their likes and dislikes are different. I always thought someone official would come to my door and tell me that now I should start acting in a certain way as I am now older and wiser. It didn’t happen!

What did happen was the realisation that I do not like the same things I liked when I was 20, I don’t think in the same way (for most things) and some friends went, others came. I don’t like Double Dip any longer (thought it was a life-love love), I still like Bovril and Marmite but don’t go out of my way to get them. I still make sure to watch all England international games, and listening to Vindaloo still gives me a kick (pun intended), but I don’t lose sleep over it any more (yeah, I actually did in the past!). My (ex?) best friend and I haven’t spoken for more than three years (big pity, but it does take two to tango). On the other hand, I have made a handful of good friends here in Switzerland.

On a recent trip to an adventure park, I decided that turning back was the more mature choice, and I wasn’t too disappointed at Europa Park when I missed out on nearly all the fast rides. I was happy enough to do the kiddie rides with my children.

The good thing is that I have all my ducks lined up: family, work, health, and sports. Sure, it’s not all perfect, but then again it wouldn’t be fun if it were, wouldn’t it?

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Home coming

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It’s been a very long time since I’ve been back home to Malta – more than three years actually. So the gathering of Maltese living in Switzerland was an occasion to reconnect with my roots.

It was a meeting of around 50 people. Many of whom had never met; people came from different backgrounds and lived entirely different lives. We possibly will never have met up in Malta.

But we had common ground. Our national identity, which at home is often forgotten or frowned upon, was the gel that brought us together.

And it was great. Being able to use your own language, especially the more colourful aspects of it, was simply great. I could say kollox sew? (loosely translated to ‘how are you?’) and mhux hekk (again loosely translated to ‘yes, that’s right’) and people understood what I was saying.

Despite the good vibes, the feeling I got from a lot of the people present was that Switzerland, with all its failings and a language (cum dialect) which is more like an affliction of the throat, is the place we now call home.

Our roots, our identity and our passion remain firmly Maltese, but our adopted land is here, Switzerland.

Photos on FB

Thoughts

Power play

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Fukushima should be included in dictionaries as a by-word for hysteric reaction. Now it seems as though the entire world wants to shut down nuclear power stations and revert to renewable energy.

In theory, the idea is great. But the same can be said for communism – a great idea which failed miserably, so much so that Francis Fukuyama (not to be confused with Fukushima) called the collapse of communism as the end of history.

Renewable energy is a great concept and eventually we may get to a point whereby renewable energy is what powers the world. But it won’t happen anytime soon.

Take solar panels – a great idea, but they are still relatively inefficient (although great advances have been made). Wind power is another great idea, but an astoundingly large number of people don’t want the giant wind turbines anywhere near their house because they are unsightly (apparently) and make a lot of noise.

Erm, now that doesn’t leave us with much, does it? Well, hydro-electric power I hear you shout. True, and Switzerland’s power grid is supplied predominantly (more than 50 per cent) through this source. We’re lucky, we have mountains with a lot of snow melting away and indirectly powering our houses.

But another 40 per cent of the power supply comes from nuclear stations and the government has now decided to gradually shut them all down. I hope they have a plan to replace the obvious shortfall that will result in the grid. And I’m sure they will, but we will be forced to bear the staggering costs (billions of francs, apparently).

Sure, nuclear stations are not ideal, as Fukushima has shown. But really, who in his (or her) right frame of mind would build a nuclear station on a natural fault line, and in a place at risk of Tsunamis? That was the problem not the technology.

And just in case you were wondering, I live within a 20km radius of two nuclear stations. It’s a price I’m willing to pay to be able to come home and switch on all my electric stuff. Otherwise we can adopt some other system, like that used in Malta and enjoy countless power shortages and the pollution that comes with it, especially for people in the south of the island. The last time we had a power cut in Switzerland was… erm …well, we’ve never had one since I came here eight years ago!

Thoughts

Women’s Day 2011 – don’t accept abuse!

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 I raised my hand to hit her in a blind rage, but then managed to see through my anger and notice that she was scared. My hand came slowly down as my heart sank to unimaginable, shameful depths. I begged for forgiveness, even though I didn’t actually strike her. Raising my hand was already a bad enough offence.

 I was in my early 20s then. She was a girlfriend at the time and we were having an argument over something or another. I was terribly angry and didn’t realise what I was doing. Luckily, I stopped myself on time. I say luckily from a purely selfish point of view – I would have felt horrible had hit her. I still feel bad now, 20 years later, for having raised my hand let alone hit her. That lesson was enough for me to understand that physical abuse on women is unacceptable.

Sadly, many men don’t see through the rage. Sometimes they don’t even need rage, just a passive human punching bag to vent their frustration on. Many women feel trapped in a Catch 22 situation – they don’t want the abuse but cant, for whatever reason, live without their abuser. They feel that they are better of living with the weekly or daily beatings. Others believe their religion says this abuse is acceptable.

 Well, it’s not! Even once is once too many.

 What women need to understand is that if a guy beats you up once and gets away with it, he will feel he can do it again, and again and again. And it gets easier for these cowards each time. That is why they should take action the first time it happens.

Physical abuse, be it beatings, rape or torture, may be the most visible, but abuse also extends to the psychological. This type of abuse is equally bad if not worse. How can you live a normal life if you are ignored, made an outcast in your own home, made to beg for money, kept as a slave under your own roof, shunned?

And, just in case you are in denial, these abuses happen in First World as in Third World countries. It happens in Switzerland or Malta as it does in Afghanistan or Somalia. Closing a blind eye to abuse is the same as participating in it.

Don’t accept it! No man is that important.

8 March, International Women’s Day

Abuse against Women
Signs of Abuse
Why abused women stay