HEATWAVE POWSTER MAHRUG MIL-KUMITAT TAL-HEATWAVE
Oh for crying out loud.....
The silly season gets siller: this is an actual letter circulated by the Ministry of Health, the Elderly and Community Care to those who run day centres for old people.
Golly, did you know that we have a KUMITAT TAL-HEATWAVE?
You’d think that somebody who has lived through 80 Maltese summers would be more than able to cope without some patronising POWSTER (both singular and plural, apparently).
And if powster, then why not HIJTWEJF? And if heatwave, then why not poster?
Oh, and I just love the bit at the end where the addressees are ‘mheggin biex jibdew iffittxu xi anzjan jew anzjana’. Maaaaaa.
HEATWAVE POWSTER
Qieghed nibaghtlek powster li jittrattaw is-shana u l-affetti negattivi li din jista’ikollha. Il-powster huwa parti minn kampanja informattiva mnedija mis-Segretarjat Parlamentari ghall-Anzjani u Kura fil-Komunita wara pariri moghtija mill-kumitat tal-Heatwaves.
Kif thabbar mis-Segretarju Parlamentari Hon Mario Galea waqt konferenza tal-Ahbarijiet nhar il-Gimgha 9 ta’ Lulju 2010, dan il-kumitat gie mwaqqaf sentejn ilu bl-iskop li jservi ta’ gwida ghad-djar tal-anzjani ghal matul il-perjodu tas-sajf.
Il-Kumitat, b’kollaborazzjoni mal-Ufficju Meteorologiku jinforma minnufih id-djar tal-anzjani hekk kif jigi nnutat li pajjizna se jintlaqat minn heatwave.
Il-Kumitat qieghed jestendi s-servizzi tieghu anke fil-komunita permezz ta’ kampanja ta’ informazzjoni.
Ghalhekk qieghed nitolbok biex gentilment twahhal dan il-powster f’post prominenti fid-Day Centre tieghek.
Filwaqt li nirringrazzjak ngharrfek ukoll li fi ftit jiem ohra se jigu mnedija il-formoli ta’ applikazzjonijiet ghall-premju anzjan tas-sena, inheggek sabiex tibda tfittex lil xi anzjan jew anzjana li tahseb li haqqhom li jircievu din l-onoreficenza.
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Tlaqt infittx. Be back soon.
Jien se naghmel bilbort ha jigu huma ffittxu lili.
Zgur mhux ha tkun bhal billboard ta’ ftit ilu, li kienet tghid “Bagit sod”. It had taken me a while to figure out that it was a reference to the upcoming budget.
Me too, Pat, se nibda mid-dar ta l-anzjani. Hemm ghandi cans kbir.
X poverta` waqghet fiha il lingwa Maltijja. Veru hasra.
Kemm tkiddni dil-moda li ndawwru kollox mill-Ingliz ghal Malti. Ghalfejn? Pacenzja li hafna kliem m’ ghandniex kelma adatta bil Malti, imma din tal-konsonanti miktuba kif jinhassu, veru tal biki. Minghalihom li qed jaghmluha iktar facli ghat-tfal biex jitghallmu u iktar qed ihawwduhom.
Miniex xi gharfa u lanqas xi lingwista, u nammetti, imma fi zmieni kollna nitghallmu il-Malti kif suppost, u ghalkemm hafna kienu jsibu il Malti tqil hafna, mexxejna altru sew.
U ghadna sa issa nafu niktbuh mhux hazin, ghalkemm xi zbalji naghmlu kultant. Imma nara tfal fil-familja jaghmlu il-homework bil-Malti u nitbellah.
Nkun nixtieq nikkoregihom imma naghlaq halqhi ghax naf li inutli, hekk qed jigu mghallma u hekk jridu jiktbu. Malti mghaffeg, imdawwar, imbazwar, bilkemm ghada tingharaf il-lingwa. Veru tal-biki.
@ Pat II – good comment, spelling errors notwithstanding.
If they’ve taken the trouble to change ‘skond’ into ‘skont’ – which for several reasons makes no sense at all – then the sky is the limit in their obsession with phonetic spelling.
One other thing: I preferred ‘Kakkademja tal-Malti’ to ‘Il-Kunsill Malti’, which is what our national parliament should be called following EU membership.
Oh, but it’s ‘Il-Kunsill TAL-Malti’ – as in ‘Il-Qubbajt taz-Zabbari’ – now I get it (can’t add a smiley as Diva would strike it off thinking it symbolises sarcasm, which she hates because she… never mind.)
You still around Kevvy? Just can’t stay away, eh? Thought you promised us a holiday. Your comment implies you are infatuated with Daphne.
Note the calque-esk use of “biex”.
If you were to re-translate into English, you’d find that the underlying structure did not change.
This is MANGLISH, patois… Malti tal-iskrapan.
U x’kien ma’ kitbux “hijtwejv”? Il-kunsill tal-Malti mhux qed jghidilna niktbu “loan words” fonetikament?
lempxejd (Presumably for a lamp, rather than a lampshade, which is a common mistake amongst many people)
erkondixiner (Maybe we should be thankful it’s not “erkondixin.)
pajnepil (Yes, for “pineapple”)
The “e”/”i” sounds in the so-called “words” above are a giveaway as to the origins of the people setting down the rules which the rest of us are supposed to abide by.
“And if powster, then why not HIJTWEJF?”
or ‘hijtwejv’ I guess. ‘htijwen’ in plural.
[Daphne – Because your typical Maltese person just can’t pronounce the final VVVVV sound and it comes out like an FFFFF instead. Hadn’t you noticed? HeatwayFFFFFF, cave – CayFFFFF, love – LuFFFFFF, save – sayFFFFF. Another spectacular difficulty with pronunciation: Arabic, which 90% of Maltese people pronounce as AraBBic.]
Never mind the heatwave. I’m worried about this outbreak of committees and action groups.
Rigward l-anzjan tas-sena, tridx ninnominaw kollha lil xi hadd antipatiku li jridha ta’ zghazugh?
HP, we will soon have a “Kommittiiii onn DivorsSSS end Mexers tu strengtiNNNN the MoltijJJJsss Femmmmiliiii.”
Tithajjar naghmluk Cermen?
Issa stess. Jien kapaci noqghod chairman ta’ kull kumitat imgiddem li hawn f’dil-gzira. Iktar u iktar meta rajt il-kwalità patetika tan-nies li jaqilghu 40 000 Euro u jgorru iphone u mazz cwievet f’idejhom biex juru kemm huma “busy”.
OK, HP. Se nippreparalek il-lettterrr offf eppojjjjnttttment.
Among Maltese CEOs, it’s all soft Maltese Rs and put-on accents. As if to distinguish themselves from the hamalli who slave away for a fraction of their salary. And it doesn’t help when you speak proper English. It needs to be the nasal Malto-accented type. The accent of CEOs.
Fascinating snapshot of society, isn’t it? The politicians who appointed them don’t share their accent.
“The politicians who appointed them don’t share their accent.”
Maybe the politicians come from the class of the “hamalli” then?
This is more embarrassing than slipping up and voting against your own party.
Ghallijistajkun m’hemmx xi Kumitat tal-Coldfronts (jew Kowldfrants) hux? Imagine a meeting of the two kumitati.
“Kif thabbar mis-Segretarja Parlamentari Hon Mario Galea waqt konferenza tal-Ahbarijiet nhar il-Gimgha 9 ta’ Lulju 2010, dan il-kumitat gie mwaqqaf sentejn ilu bl-iskop li jservi ta’ gwida ghad-djar tal-anzjani ghal matul il-perjodu tas-sajf.”
Is that correct?
It took the Minister some time to break the news…
The French government was caught with its proverbial pants down in the summer of 2003 when large numbers (media probably made it look worse than it was I guess) of the elderly perished in the heat.
The government needs to be seen to be doing something. In the grand scheme of things, a few posters is a cheap way of doing this.
We’ve had people dying of dehydration. In winter. At Boffa Hospital. And no one’s ever raised an eyebrow.
F**k committees and working groups and fancy graphic-designed posters. All we need is professionalism.
True, these PRECIOUS old-folks have faced many a sizzling summer in their 80 or so years on this planet. But they still need help because, here and elsewhere in the world, their knowledge and experience notwithstanding, THEY CONTINUE TO DIE.
The inability to see the fitness of things in choice of language and spelling, etc. is really a minor issue. The priority is saving lives. I am shocked and disgusted by the flippant, albeit typical and expected, Maltese attitude of Pat ll.
Yes, at 80 or so people tend to have a higher probability of dying. I am surprised you haven’t noticed that yet. I thought you would mention that perhaps in their 80 years or so the weather may have changed a wee bit and perhaps they need to be reminded constantly of that fact and that they are not the young strong chaps they once were.
Nothing wrong with Pat II’s attitude either. It’s an opinion, just like yours, and it also happens to be Maltese. I trust you too are Maltese and yours is also an attitude.
WTF is a POWSTER?
This is another of the long-winded names we have been saddled with for our sins: Segretarju Parlamentari ghall-Anzjani u Kura fil-Komunita. Acronym: SPAKK
One more thing. What do you have to do to win an ‘onoreficenza’ for being anzjan tas-sena? Short of keeping your temperature down in a heatwave that is.
I cannot see the connection between the two and why the ‘onoreficenza’ was bandied about on the heatwave powster. Unless of course we’re looking for a cool dude old boy with a six pack ready to hit the catwalk.
Rover, the connection: they want the Anzjan tas-Sena to be “cool”, as you say, or, indeed, “hot.”
Jafu xi tfisser “affetti negattivi”. Nahseb “effetti” riedu jiktbu.
Ahjar iqabbdu lil xi hadd li kapaci jikteb.
Had I not seen this article, and in light of the island’s bent for Manglish,control-freak Gadget-type personalities, kunsilli, kumitati u cucati, I would have thought that we were on the verge of some ‘outbrejk’ of a dangerous and abusive sewing fad.
Donnhu l-effett tal Levitra tant kien posittiv li nthass il-bzonn ta’ kumitat tal -Heatwaves.
Jien sibt wiehed. X’naghmel issa? Niz-zippjah u nibaghtu emejl, jew jippreferu pidief?
Mhux ahjar “pijdijeff”?
Ahjar minn “pedifajl.”
F’Malta hemm kumitat
Li jistudja l-mewġiet tas-sħanat
U jagħti parir
Dwar dak l’għandu jsir
Biex l-ebda xiħ ma jmut inkaljat.
Tal-iju ferm impressjonati
B’kemm kapaċi noħolqu ċuċati.
Bħal dal-powster tan-nejk,
Maaaaaa, giv as e brejk
U ħalluna minn dawn il-vavati.
Can things be more ridiculous?
On a more ‘serious’ note, this is the first sensible argument I have heard in eons regarding the dreaded D-word in Malta. From the Times, 15 July.
“The House Social Affairs Committee has been advised that a married or separated person should not qualify for the registration of a civil union with a third person under the cohabitation regime. The committee was being addressed by Philip Magri, who said that this problematic issue arose in the absence of divorce legislation in Malta.”
Duh. Now they realise ?
Cohabitation law for separated heterosexuals? My foot.
Allow divorce, and whoever chooses to, gets married again.
That simple. No half-measures. The choice should be married, or not married, with nothing in between.
Cohabitation law before divorce law: the cart before the horse !
Beyond parody.
Ah, and ‘affetti’ means emotions, not ‘effects’. Nouns, verbs, who cares … as long as we have the Heatwaves Committee (sitting no doubt in fully airconditioned offices).
Nenni Stejt.
[Daphne – Le, Mark, hi, dak NENI jigi bil-Malti.]
Against the grain… I find this letter to be actually a reason for hope, in the sense that we won’t be much worse off when we’re ruled by the Maltastar bunch.
Wow, I found one. Will seal, deliver and it’s yours, my dear.
@Marcus Flores
Li jien “typical Maltese”, ma ddejjaqni xejn. Anzi niehu gost ghax normalment jghiduli li m’ inhiex. Pero ma nafx x’ ridt tghid biha ezatt, ghax jien injoranta tipika ukoll, ma fhimtx.
Jekk minghalik li m’ ghandiex rispett ghall-anzjani sejjer imqarraq hafna. Ghaddejt esperjenza personali kerha HAFNA ma’ anzjan fil-familja u il-marda li kellhu ghal seba` snin shah.
Dak iz-zmien ma kienx hawn “air conditioners”, bil-fans biss, u kont xtrajt min jheddi erba u tfajthom St. Vincent de Paule.
Ikkritikajt biss din tal-Malti mghaffeg u hekk nibqa tal-fehma, ghax nemmen li il-mod kif qed idawwru u jiktbu il-kliem huwa, ehe, tad-dahq.
Dik opinjoni u kulhadd ghandhu dritt ghaliha. Jekk lilek taghgbok, affari tieghek, oqghod ifrah mela kemm il-Malti qed jaqa` ghar-ridikolu. Tista tahseb, nidhqu bil-lingua taghna stess.
Fejn tista` tasal iktar? Imma, bl-ebda mod ma nippermettilek tinsinwa li b’ dak li ktibt isni riddt inwaqqa` ghaz-zuffjett din l-inizjattiva. Il-mod kif poggewha, iva, nibqa nghidlek li tad-dahq, tghid xi tghid.
It-“typical Maltese” huwa Marcus Flores, li jiehu kollox letteralment, u dejjem lest bis-sentiment nazzjonali ta’ “shocked and disgusted”.
”timwerk”, dan…Chris Said, irahhasslek il-Levitra u Mario Galea jridek toqghod ghal frisk.
Pass l-quddiem u tlieta lura.
the alternative? mewga shuna
… not really an alternative is it.
…mewga ta’ shana, sa fejn naf jien.
Imma din tal-Malti hi vera gennata. L-ewwel trid toghqod attent kif kelma bl-ingliz tigi mfarrka bil-Malti biex imbaghad tista’ tiktibha bil-fonetika maltija.
Dawn jafu li l-vokali fl-ingliz ma ghandnix ekwivalenti taghhom bil-malti? Specjalment l-‘a’ li jdawwruha f”e’, per ezempju fil-kelma ‘band’ (‘bend’ bil-malti) jew handout (hendawt – ma xbiza’). Insihom il-vokali twal jew imkaxxkrin, l-errejiet silenzjuzi, id-diphthongs u triphthongs. Hallata ballata u kollox jghodd.
Mhux talli qed infarrku l-malti, imma qed nuru l-istat tal-biki li wasal fih l-ingliz hawn Malta.
@kev
Kev, how could they change `skond` to `skont`, when each has a different meaning? Like `skond jien` translates to `in my opinion` whereas `skont` is a` discount` le? Jew qed inhawwad jien?
PatII, you’re entirely right in bringing this up – imma qed thawwad, sorry. What you say was correct in early 2008 if I remember correctly.
The Kunsill ghall-Malti had changed “skond” (according to) to “skont” (according to). Skont also means discount – although skont (discount) is not the proper Maltese word, that’s a corruption from Italian (sconto). Discount in Maltese is Rohs.
while we’re at it, skond also comes from Italian (secondo me).
Remember the “skont iz-zokk il-fergha” PN bill board in February 2008? That’s the earliest instance where I’ve seen it written that way.
But never mind – it happens in all languages. Take ‘amichair’ for instance. What’s that? It comes from the French “amateur”.
That’s right, Pat. Moreover, ‘skond’ does not even sound like ‘skont’ – at least not in the Valletta area I was brought up. It comes out as a soft ‘d’ – nearly a ‘t’ but not quite.
Correct. Just bear in mind that nowadays most of the “offisers” in charge in several authorities are only there for their pay cheque, no more, no less. KNM, or Kunsill Nazzjonali Malti has lost any remaining respect by all decent Maltese. Whether you like Maltese or not, it is beyond comprehension of the normal homosapiens to change skond and skont! The latter suits them perfectly, because they are discounting our language! Shame on them and shame on who nominated them.
You silly lot! What will you comment when the next committee is announced? I heard it’s going to be “il-Kumitat tal-brejnwejvz”. Many volunteers are expected to come forward.
Kev, not ‘Kakkademja tal-Malti’. ‘Kakka-demja tal-Malti’ is more appropriate, because what the ghaqdiet tal-ilsien Malti are producing is nothing but a load of shit.
I would like to ask how much do the members of the HEATWAVE Committee get paid for such nonsense while I work in severe heat to pay taxes.
They had better set up a committee for discipline and accountability to monitor the civil servants. A few days ago I heard Dr. Grima, head of the Civil Service, on a radio programme and he defended the civil servants outright and stated that only few abuse the system, I couldn’t decide whether to cry or laugh.
He should publish a POWSTER as follows: Euro 1000 reward lil minn jaqbad xi haddiem tal-gvern jiskarta jew id-dar qabel 10 ta’ filghodu.
Jiena nammira hafna lil Mrs Caruana Galizia ghall-ingliz perfett taghha kif ukoll ghall-Malti li f’l-opinjoni tieghi huwa perfett ukoll. Daphne tidher li l-Malti tafu sew. Nammirha ghax ghalkemm hi minn tas-Sliema u hadet l-edukazzjoni taghha d-Dorotej il-Malti tafu u tafu sew. Jiena ghandi hbieb tal-familja minn tas-Sliema u marru skola St.Joseph u dawn jghidu li bil-Malti ma jafux jaqraw u jiktbu sew ghax marru St.Joseph u ghexu dejjem tas-Sliema. Jiena nahseb li min hu ntelligenti bhal Daphne kapaci jitghallem kull lingwa li tezisti f’wicc id-dinja ahseb u ara l-Malti jekk specjalment tkun twelidt u ghext dejjem f’Malta.
Skuzawni, naf li mort barra mis-suggett imma verament xtaqt nesprimi dak li nhoss.
@Pat ll
I agree 100% that the Maltese Language is being mangled. I did not mean to offend you, and I apologize if I did. It is NOT my style to try to hurt people, although, in the cut-and-thrust of debate, sometimes, we take sideswipes to which some take umbrage although they were only meant to take the mickey, and NEVER to hurt personally.
At least you were polite, unlike those who spout nonsense, then swirl abuse at their critics because they are unable to counter with cool logic, and so resort to insults and rudeness.
Writers, newspapers, native-speakers, television news-readers, etc, have been ruining our language for many years now. They’re even saying “bajD” for “bajt”; “Irringazzjah il-gentleman ghac-change, hi.”; “M’ghandnix hot-water fit-taps.”; you’re right: I could go on forever.
All well and good to laugh at the words and terms used but the idea behind it all is excellent.
My mother is in a home and unless you put a glass in her hands and tell her to drink she just wouldn’t be drinking anything.
The problem is that most homes don’t have enough staff to make sure the residents are actually drinking enough.
@Alan: Would it be in the interest of legislators with certain tendencies and having pogguti sisters to include separated and married persons, too?
What a way to spend money…..yet another committee. Isn’t this getting ridiculous?
Typical Maltese ‘gerger’.
It’s a wonder no one has yet complained about the sun rising so predictably each morning!
@Marika Mifsud
Hassejt li kellhi nurik kemm nifhem min xiex ghaddejja u nikkumpatik. Erba snin ilu, igifieri sa ma miet wiehed mil-familja, ghamilt seba snin bhalek.
Kont niehu qatgha malli jasal is-sajf. Ghax ix-xitwa ukoll iebsa ghal anzjan marid, imma is-sajf tal-biza`. Dort kemm hawn homes, dejjem l-istess problemi sibt imma.
Min ftit iktar u min inqas, imma l-ideali qatt, sfortunatament. Naccertak li mhux fil-homes tal-Gvern biss hemm il-problemi, u ghalija, il-qsim ta’ qalb. Dejjem nohrog nibki kont minn dawk il-postijiet.
Hafna drabi, u habba certu mard ikrah bhal Alzheimer`s jew dementia, dawn l-anzjani jirrepetu ghax jinsew. U habba f’ hekk ma jigux emmnuti.
Igifieri, jekk, esempju, rega` qabdek l-ghattx, mhux se jergghu igibulek l-ilma ta. Jew, ihalluhulek hdejk, u taf jew ma taffx tixrob, ikollok toqghod.
Jekk ma jkunux tal-familja, jew forsi tinzerta xi proxxmu li jghin mhux il-qarib tieghu biss imma anki lil min jara ghandhu bzonn, bil-ghattx tibqa ta,garanzijja.
Ahjar ma nkompliex ghax nikteb volum bli rajt f’ dawk il-postijiet ghal kwazi sentejn shah, u ma rriddtx indejjaq iktar nies.
Nifhmek Pat, ghax dawk il-bastardi ta’ nurses fl-Isptar Boffa hallew lin-nanna tmut b’dehydration wara li bellghulha kocc kalmanti. Imma jien ma kellix mezzi, l-familja tieghi qabda Maltin gwejda, u hadd ma ried itella’ lil hadd il-qorti.
Ghalhekk ghedtlek li mhux posters godda u kumitati tan-nejk (nuzaha bl-ikbar responsabiltà dil-kelma) ghandna bzonn, imma li kull nurse imbecilli li ma taghmilx xoghlha tigi mkeccija.
Nixtieq biss mewt twila u atroci ghal dawk in-nurses, possibilment marbuta f’nofs dezert bi ktajjen hoxnin, u bi flixkun ilma just out of reach.
@H.P Baxxter
Bl-ahhar paragrafu tieghek, ghalkemm bhalek ezatt nahsibha, fakkartni f’ ghafsa ohra ta’ qalb. My family member used to be TIED to the bed all night! And she was NOT in a mental hospital. Do you believe that? Can`t tell you more because it`s too heartbreaking.
U dawn bil-madoffi posters, taparsi qed jaghmlu xi bicca xoghol zul minn nofs. U halluna nghixu, please. Il-Bambin jghin lil min jigi taht certu nurses, ghax donnhom irabbu certu qoxra u jsiru aghar mill bhejjem.
U dawk l-imsejkna anzjani morda jkollhom joqghodu ghal kollox. Ahjar imutu minn banda ghax ibatu inqas. Bil-frisk go s-swali biss m’ ahniex se naghmlu xi passi ta’ gganti ta, trid l-ewwel tinbidel l-attitudni tal-hafna nurses (mhux kollha, nirrepeti), li ghalihom il-pazjent huwa NUMRU.
Wisq rajt hdura u kattiverji hemm gew u Allahares titkellem, ghax malli titlaq ipattuha lil min tkun mort tara, u jigik aghar. How very, very sad.
‘Filwaqt li nirringrazzjak ngharrfek ukoll li fi ftit jiem ohra se jigu mnedija il-formoli ta’ applikazzjonijiet ghall-premju ta’ l-ikbar qara, inheggek sabiex tibda tfittex il-qara hamra jew qara twila li tahseb li haqqhom li jircievu din l-onoreficenza.’
sounds like Lejla Mgarrija
It just annoys me that there are Maltese words available to using such stupid inglizati. Heatwave – mewga tas shana. Poster – karta tal-avviz? You see how better it sounds and much easier to relate to, especially when dealing with pure Maltese characters. Some English to Maltese words are absolutely pathetic ! Let us stop doing it.
Kummenti li verament jaqsmu l-qlub li ghadni kif rajt dwar il-homes u l-isptarijiet ghall-anzjani.
Xi haga ohra li tinkwetani hi li forsi issa minhabba z-zieda fil-kontijiet tad-dawl l-anzjani joqghodu lura milli jixgheli l-fans u l-airconditioners fid-dar taghhom.
Jiena naf nies li ghalkemm m’humiex anzjani qeghdin jaghmlu ekonomija pjuttost kbira minhabba l-kontijiet tad-dawl bhal jixwu t-toast fuq il-gradilja minflok juzaw it-toaster bhal zmien in-nanna.