“Going to the American International school gave me insight on how terrible things were in Malta”
Labour's star candidate Franco 'Jump The Gozo Ferry Queue' Mercieca with You Know Who
I have received this email message from somebody I have never met. Her name is Tania Saliba.
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Dear Ms. Caruana Galizia,
I felt I had to write and thank you for the posts you have written about Mintoff. I will turn 48 in two weeks’ time so I remember him well.
As a child I went to a state school as my parents could not afford to send me to a private school. However my grandparents were better off and had property which they rented to English people.
As a young girl I would play with their children as well as borrow their comics, books, and later, teen magazines, and so acquired a better grasp of the English language than other Maltese girls my age and from my background.
By the time I was in secondary school Mintoff had frightened the English away and I was left with no friends as I could not relate to girls in my class or from my neighbourhood.
While I was in class one day doing English, a girl came in to read out a circular about a scholarship to an American school. I did not take much notice, but our English teacher took me aside after the lesson and told me I should apply, as she thought I could pass and that it would be a very good opportunity for me if I got in.
I applied, passed the written tests and went for the interview. Inevitably, as these were the golden years we’re talking about, the scholarships were first for the loyal supporters’ children, but I must have made an impression on one of the interviewers as I remember her almost arguing with the others.
I do not know who she was but I can picture her to this day, I am sure she fought to squeeze me in.
Now, when I started going to Verdala American International School, which was in Cottonera at the time and is now in Pembroke, it was like leaving Malta every morning and returning to reality as soon as I left the school grounds. I could escape the drudgery for the best part of the day and it helped make those terrible years a little more bearable.
It also gave me insight on how terrible things were in Malta compared to the other countries which my friends would talk about, although I come from Nationalist stock and we were already aware of that anyway.
I would feel very ashamed of my country and would hate to have to admit I was Maltese when asked where I came from. Anyway, to come to the point, for thirty years I had no idea where any of my friends were until about two years ago when we re-connected through Facebook.
I am sharing your blog posts with my new-found friends, and it gives me immense pleasure to show them what we think, and indeed thought of at the time too, of Mintoff and his way of doing things.
One of our former teachers, who now lives back home in the United States, is in our Facebook group. She told me how the government authorities had sent for her one day because she had shown her pupils, who included a few Maltese, an article in The Economist, about Mintoff.
I have attached a picture of her comment, and she has given you permission to publish it.
Anyway, thanks again. I just wanted you to understand how much your writing is being appreciated.
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Facebook comment by Paula Fleming Harvey, who taught at Verdala International School in Malta in the 1970s:
Boy, do I remember how hot the topic was, firsthand. Escorted off the campus because I exposed my Maltese students to an article written in “The Economist” about Dom Mintoff and the political climate there (in Malta)…scary, scary at the time.
But, now, it was a great experience that I will never forget. At least I didn’t become a permanent “persona non grata” on the register at the airport or port thanks to some Reading and Bates folks and the American consul and of course, my hero, Mike Kelly.
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Greetings to Paula, who used to teach accounts, and to Mike Kelly, Headmaster, from an ex-student.
JPO like fellow primadonna FD is fast losing his “friends “and credibility here as well;
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=19566
@ Giovanni, unfortunately Mr. Kelly passed away about a year ago. We got a chance to connect with him again and shared memories and pictures before he passed away though. Look our group up if you are interested in joining. It is only open to ex Verdala students from the times I talked about here.
Maltastar today. ….
alec – 27 January 2012 19:38
MR JEFFREY , I KNOW THAT YOU AND SOME MPS YOURE NOT HAPPY WITH GONZIPN …..BUT WHAT FOR IS USE TO CRITICISE YOUR PARTY IN FACEBOOK OR MEDIA …AND THEN WHEN MOTION IS HELD UP ……U VOTE IN FAVOUR (PN)???NO SENSE REALLY ? SO IF YOU AND DEBONO , MUGLIETT,ARRIGO & FRIENDS ARE NOT HAPPY …DONT GO OUT WITH ATTACKS IN MEDIA …ON SUNDAY YOU (PN) HAVE THE GENERAL CONFERENCE AND TOLD THEM FACE TO FACE …THATS IT CLEAR LIKE CRISTAL !!! BE A GENTLEMAN AND TOLD THEM THAT WE NEED ELECTION …WHY UR AFFRAID MR JEFFREY ?
Istja, iggib ghajnejk wara widnejk x’kull bicca kapolavur tidher fil-mlatasrat. Izda sakemm hu mhux AFFRAID allura well and good. Tal-biki.
Is this guy for real, Daphne? Thank God I was taught English at St. Edward’s.
Alec, how about getting an education?
Free speech. She can criticize who she wants, unlike in the days of Führer Mintoff! That’s exactly what she’s talking about!
In the late fifties and early sixties, I was a student at The Lyceum in Hamrun.
We had excellent teachers but one who remained my favorite was a Mr. Mangion who later became Director of Education in the 1960s under PM George Borg Olivier.
He taught English and he suggested to us students that we buy quality English Sunday newspapers. My father started buying The Sunday Times (London) and we at home were overjoyed because it opened new horizons.
Suddenly we had Mintoff as PM. However, for a long period The Sunday Times was banned from Malta because of an article which was critical of this aberration in Maltese history.
Later, we started breaking the law by having the newspaper sent to us by post by some friends in the UK.
Does anyone remember history lessons at school? When we asked our teacher about what was happening at the time (this was March 1979), she answered reluctantly and then told us: “Now, I hope you aren’t going to go home and tell your parents what I have said.”
Ms Fleming Harvey, you are an ‘Indhil Barrani’ and a ‘Mhux fl-Interess ta’ Malta’.
You, The Economist, Verdala School and Prof Metwally were on the CIA payroll.
I hope you have a good dentist back in the States.
This was their finest hour. (WSC).
Wow, what a nutjob.
Franco is also known now as ‘jump the queue to board cruise liner’. He’s got a ‘Norman Hamilton get me on board quick card’.
Do not stop at customs and do not bother with security, ghax dan ta’ Norman hi.
Poor girl. She felt left out.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120128/letters/Upgrading-education.404190
“Exacerbating this grim state of affairs is our university, where there is no shortfall of arrogant lecturers unrestrained due to the absence of any competing educational institution.
Not a few among them are known for their inclination to abuse their positions to the further detriment of some very capable students.”
What a cheek. To whom was she referring? Arrogant lecturers, eh? Maybe she had Profs Edward Scicluna in mind. He is known to leave exactly on time without bothering to continue answering a couple more questions from his students “ghax ghandi appuntament iehor”. And this, on the eve of annual exams.
Nirrak mgħarrqa kemm int kerha
Alla ħares noħlom bik
Inqedek ġo kantuniera
Nibgħat kelb ibul għalik.
ghaziza Daphne wicc tal-lanzit
nispera ma hadtx ghalik
b’din il-poezija li jiena ktibt
imma qeghda ezatt ezatt ghalik
Mario – l-ghada poeti Maltin jed ifittxu xi hadd bhalek.
Itaghlem idhak ftit kemm tidher li ghandek dwejjaq miskin.
I had understood that the PL were giving free English language tuition at their clubs. Most probably due to poor attendance these are no longer being held? This is what really gets me, they do not even try to be better. They previous to be envious of others who are.
True, and those who quit part-way are all writing in this blog and on The Times.
Their spelling and bad grammar gives them away every single time.
For an insight of how Mintoff enjoyed the respect of the Americans, try the link below which is a transcript of a very brief, yet very telling telephone conversation between President Nixon and Henry Kissinger on January 1, 1972.
Bear in mind that this took place barely a year after Mintoff won the 1971 election and many years before his puppet (KMB) betrayed Reagan’s plan to raid Libya.
Malta, Mintoff? Only to the Mintoffjani. To the rest of the world – Malta, embarrassment!
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/…/1972-01-01_WHT17-125.pdf
[Daphne – There’s something wrong with the link.]
I will send you the doc as an attachment.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120127/local/jpo-agrees.404133
Sargu xih b’gamblu jinten jinqabad!
mark borg
Today, 10:00
Dan l-interess kollu ghal-ismijiet x’ghandek bzonnu?
Jien mghandi l-ebda interess sur jihn schembri …sempliciment qed insaqsi ghala tlett kwarti li jidefendu li gvern ghandhom nofs isimhom biss jidher !!!!!
Rigward il-hames ismejiet different issa kun ragel u semijomlna ha naraw ….QED NISTENNEWK
debbie voss,mary mifsud, cesco di luigi, lilly vella, dejjem jiktbu l-istess stil u nikkonkludi li huma l-istess persuna.
Il-hames isem se nzommu ghalija ghax hu il-veru isem ta’ min jikteb f’isimhom.
Insejt insemmi lil Kenneth Williams , mark borg.
Someone is collecting a hit list…again.
Mintoff must be a popular man. Your site is now ranking at 28th position, compared with Maltastar’s 23rd.
You are partly correct.
It is not that Dumink is a popular guy, it is that the dislike of the man has turned into a national pastime, at least for those who have a perfectly functioning brain.