“NINTEQAW WARA L-QUEENS.”

“Jigifieri wara c-cerimonja mar-Regina, hon?”

“LE WARA L-QUEENS HAMRUN!!!!!!!”

“Ir-Regina gejja l-Hamrun? Swt!”

“LE TAL-PASTIZZI!!!!!!!!”

“Mhux hekk qalu fuq it-TVM. Fenek moqli u hut frisk.”

“LE QUEENS TAL-PASTIZZI HAMRUN!!!!! ANDI SAHNA!!!!!!”

“Dawk mux kem tpogihom gol-micro?”

“MEET BEHIND QUEENS WARA L-QUEENS JIGIFIERI TAL-HAMRUN MELA MA TIFHIMX?”

“E ax metx ekk mill-ewwel. Is-soltu voldieri.”

“IJA. SEE U DAQT.”

I drove there one evening to pick up a guest who was staying at the hotel. Two security men were standing near the drive into the car park below, stopping cars from approaching the door to the hotel.

They stopped me, saying that I could not go through. I told them I was picking up guests in connection with the CHOGM. Apparently, that was the magic word. They allowed me in without any further question, checking or any verification. I could not believe it.

As I approached the main entrance and parked nearby, two lads in their late teens, both in black suits, approached my car and asked me what I required. I replied as I did to the other two guys. They nodded and walked off, continuing with their fun of being so important in their roles.

I went into the hotel and waited for more than 20 minutes for the guests until we drove off.

Do we need to say more?

Yet another question. Weren’t the employees briefed not to get caught in front of the camera? Evidently they needed to be told.

Then read this, and WEEP.

Certainly it was not intentional to disrespect Her Majesty.

The problem solely pertains to the serious lack of knowledge regarding basic etiquette, so prevalent in Maltese society, which sadly can be misinterpreted as disrespectful albeit inadvertent.

That is not a security. Mr Paul Galea must have been a part of the media entourage. The security came afterwards.

No no that’s not what I mean. There’s also separate codes of behaviour for young-ish vs old. You really shouldn’t let an octogenarian man carry a heavy load of books either should you?

What I mean is that the Maltese are so brutish that we don’t limit ourselves to just disrespecting women. Disrespect is even more deeply ingrained.

In yesterday’s Times of Malta, there is an interview with Joseph Camilleri, the former president of the National Commission for People with Disability.

Towards the end of the interview, in what almost seems like a throwaway comment, there is what may be one of the best endorsements of Lawrence Gonzi’s management style, which is so very different to the choreography and backroom deals we have now come to expect under Joseph Muscat.

“We were fortunate to report directly to Lawrence Gonzi. He never interfered with our decisions, even when we disagreed with the government.”