Tag: mark vella

Categories
Arts

Talking about us

Alex Vella Gera was the guest Maltese author for this year’s Festival des Immigrations. Vella Gera returned to Luxembourg (he has worked here in the past) wearing his new vestiges of notorious author and under the spotlight for his latest work “is-Sriep regġħu saru velenużi”. The Festival des Immigrations is now in its 30th year and is a celebration of all things “foreign” that exist in Luxembourg – an interesting experience for us Maltese to be counted as one of the “others”.

When the chat with Vella Gera ended a group of us gravitated towards the food stalls (sadly bereft of Maltese timpani, pastizi and kinnie) and opted for a Cameroonian mix of meats and fishes for a very tasty (and in some cases hot) bite. On our way out we passed the Amnesty International stand that was highlighting the plight of immigrant communities in the Med – what do you know Malta features as two-way protagonist!

Back to the chat. The interview was expertly conducted in a relaxed atmosphere by Mark Vella. Malta’s participation in the Festival was once again guaranteed thanks to the dedicated campaign of international passport poet Antoine Cassar. Attendance was purely from the Maltese community in Luxembourg (that officially numbers 225 according to the panels in the main Hall – but that does not count the numerous Maltese who opted to live across the border in Germany or Belgium) and this meant that the language of the discussion switched to the vernacular.

Language was an important protagonist in the surgical analysis that turned out to be a voyage of discovery for Vella Gera himself. By the author’s own admission criticism and public reaction to published works is hard to come by and so Vella Gera seemed to thrive and enjoy this moment of exploration and questioning into the reality behind his work. Hollywood gave us the concept of “behind the scenes”, this was “Sriep’s” behind the scenes moment as both Mark Vella and later those present (inevitably including yours truly) questioned motives, choices and narratives behind Vella Gera’s novel.

The whole sessions should have been recorded for YouTube prosperity but apparently the wrong button was pressed on the video cam so only an audio will eventually be available. This point of the YouTube video was a topic that cropped up in the discussion itself. Such moments of analysis could be of more benefit if advantage is taken of modern technology that allows for a wider vision and an expansion of the platform. This could be one way of filling the absence of the critical reaction.

What did happen in that room was a gradual build up of political, social and linguistic analysis of a book that – in my view – is an excellent documentary in the raw of a particular growing up phase of Maltese society. As was remarked by those present it is a pity that such a discussion does not reach a wider audience. Vella Gera’s Sriep does cut into much of the questions afflicting modern society. The use of Minglish or the special patois of code-switching pepe/malti for example is not simply a cultural curiosity but one that exposes the need of a socio-political understanding of whole swathes of Maltese society. Politically speaking the weight carried by social “castes” or classes can be queried – much as the Labour party did in the past campaign with the “Courage to Vote” video.

In other words it was a discussion about a book, it was a discussion about an author’s experience and dealings with his society and whether he was more of a chronicler of the real than an author of the imaginary. It was all that and more. What the meeting with Vella Gera produced though was a surprising realisation that this kind of analysis might be very much lacking in contemporary Maltese society. While we may often complain that the “intellectuals” and “artistic milieu” fail to engage politically we fail to notice that there are few bridges and platforms where their work is given the necessary attention or allowed to provoke the necessary discussions.

Sriep has sold around 1,500 copies. That apparently makes it a best-seller in Malta. Sadly the potential that such a tome has for provoking discussion on so many levels is about to die a quiet death. The main reason is that Vella Gera would not be invited to the the main media programmes and would not be a convenient selling point for papers if he were not embroiled in a Li Tkisser Sewwi style scandal. Ironically while the last campaign was characterised with empty vessel promises about “burying the differences” we have yet to see a conscious effort being made in understanding where they come from in the first place.

Meanwhile our new Minister for Culture is determined to invest in popular culture – investing in Carnival and investing in local festi because that is how we understand where our differences lie, isn’t it?

 


P.S. And after the talk I also bought two cd’s by those paradoxes of Maltese social commentary.

 

 

Categories
Festschrift 2012

mark vella – xifer: il-blogg mit-truf

Lunchtime. And time for Mark Vella, the man who made the mistake of egging me on to start blogging. It’s ages ago now but we quickly settled around the big arguments and little commonalities. Could we illude ourselves that it was a thesis and an antithesis? What about all that discourse about chips and class and political snobbism and liberal elite? We whispered them in our ivory boxes when blogging was still a matter between friends. Now we laugh as we see those arguments repeated on the mainstream media and third or fourth generation blogs – and all the while they think that they are saying something new.

Seba’ snin ilu. Qatt ma ktibt daqs kemm ktibt dak iż-żmien. Dan hu żmien il-banana, mela seba’ snin ilu, fejn kull nifs li tieħu kien ikebibislek moħħok ġamra u idejk jikwu jridu jiktbu. Dak li tħoss l-ewwel. Dak li taħseb, forsi wara. Il-banana, wara Ammaniti, dak li jinkiteb meta ma jkollokx x’tikteb, dak li jinkiteb meta l-kittieb tirmazzalu idu, bħal issa, bħal dal-ħin, fejn is-seba’ snin ta’ Jacques bilkemm naf humiex tfakkira kiefra tan-nixfa ta’ ktibieti jew dehxa ħafifa ġejja bla mistennija lejn is-swaba’ kull ma jmur dejjem iħaffu fuq it-tastiera. Eżatt bħal seba’ snin ilu, kemm ktibt dak iż-żmien, fl-ewwel appartament li krejt, il-kompjuter fuq armarju baxx metall aħmar Ikea, mhux skrivanija li titfa’ saqajk taħtha, imma b’irkobbtejja laġenba u dahri mħatteb għal fuq laptop imqiegħed fil-baxx wisq għat-tul ta’ ġismi, waqt li nliġġem in-nervi tal-elettriku tal-kitba b’sigarett irammad minn ħalqi jien u nżegleg fuq siġġu jdur.

Mhux bħal-lum, fejn l-appartament mod ieħor, għax tkun mingħalik li anki l-ħajja ġejja mod ieħor, u li biex tikteb trid fejn tikteb, post speċjali,  fejn tista’ taħseb tikkonċentra toħloq. Mhux bħal lum, fejn nerġa’ nixtieq, bħal ma darba xtaqt u kelli u arrali, imma xorta tibqa’ tixxennaq, għal kamra kollha tiegħi, u ħin kollu kollu kollu tiegħi, fejn nista’ nilgħab tal-kittieb (mhux inkun, fl-aħħar mill-aħħar, imma le, nilgħabha ta’…) u hemm żgur għad nikteb kull ma għandi f’moħħi u niktbu sew. Mhux bħal fiż-żmien tal-bloggs. Dak kien biss żmien ta’ taħriġ, tant li l-blogg għadu jeżisti fix-xibka imma b’indirizz ieħor u ħadd mhu se jsibu, donni qed nistħi minn dawk iż-żminijiet fejn kont ridt tikteb kull ma tara, tisma’ u tgħix, u tkun trid tgħidu lil kulħadd, kull min lest jisma’ , kull min lest jinzertak.

Qabel il-Facebook, l-ismart marketing fejn nitteggjak u nwaħħal link biex forsi xi ħadd li jafek jaqra dak li qed taqra u li jien ħajjartek biex taqrah, għax għandi pjan ta’ kif irrid ninqara u minn min, qabel dan, qabel dan kollu….konna niftħu blogg u niktbu, niktbu, niktbu u mingħalina li qed jaqrana kulħadd u anki li mhu qed jaqrana ħadd. U mbagħad konna ngħidu ‘l xulxin b’x’qed nagħmlu, u dak li jkun jitħajjar, u jħajjar, u f’kemm ili ngħidlek sirna komunità, naqraw lil xulxin u forsi xi ħadd ieħor jaqrana. Bosta minn dawk li qed jiċċelebraw illum forsi nixfu wkoll, tiftakru kważi kollha flimkien, x’kien ġara, kif kollox miet… Forsi għax kollox għandu tmiemu, forsi għax fgajna f’xi veleni pwerili ta’ xulxin – x’qawwa kellu biċċa blogg!- forsi għax għajjejna, forsi  wħud minna tgħarwinna wisq u darba stenbaħna mistħija…

Jacques biss, soldiered on. Ftit għadni niftħu l-blogg ta’ Jacques, nammetti. Bħal ma bilkemm naf min jibbloggja daż-żmien, u ma nagħtix wisq kashom. Seba’ snin wara, kull ma nista’ ngħid huwa kemm hu ikreh meta jmut is-seher, xi kruha toqtol ħolma, imma kemm hi kurjuża din is-sensazzjoni rqiqa rqiqa rqiqa rqiqa li qisha tgħidlek biex (istja, kemm kont inħobb ngħidha din fi żmien il-bloggs) tiddisinja arazzi ġodda….

Categories
Divorce Politics Zolabytes

Dars, Pogguti u Bghula

Mark Vella (formerly of Xifer… il-blogg mit-truf) was provoked into writing this post in reaction to the “Pogguti” billboard:

Jacques talabni nikteb, imma għidtlu li mhux interessat u li kull ma rrid nitfa’ l-vot u nitħalla bil-kwiet. Forsi dan kull ma jrid min biħsiebu jivvota IVA, wara kollox: jitħalla jgħix ħajtu kif irid hu, fil-limiti tar-responsabbiltà adulta u l-legalità.

Imma l-kartellun tal-bgħula u l-poġġuti laqatni wisq. L-ewwelnett, lingwistikament. Hija kampanja kuraġġuża, forsi anki inġenwa, dik li toħroġ għonqha bi kliem iebes bħal dak. Lili darrsitni, ikolli ngħid, għax mill-ewwel laqtitni bħala kontroproduċenti, u eku ta’ dan ġa qrajnih f’diversi interventi ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia. Ħsibt ukoll li l-kampanja forsi clever wisq għax-xena politika Maltija, bil-ħbit tal-LE u l-IVA fl-istess stampa, u fil-kuntest ta’ pubbliku elettorali li ftit jew wisq iħobb kampanji pożittivi b’kartelluni ta’ tfal u familji hienja jiġru fuq il-ħaxix tar-rebbiegħa.

Argumentajt ukoll ma’ sħabi li l-kliem goffi għaliex m’għadhomx jintużaw, u dan kien ukoll argument tal-kamp tal-LE. Xi ħadd qalli, iżda, li jista’ jkun is-soltu preġudizzju lingwistiku u n-nuqqas ta’ kunfidenza f’ilsienna u fil-mod kif nesprimu rwieħna, għax tgħid ma jkunx effettiv kartellun Londra b’mara msawta fuqha u bil-kliem ‘She is not your bitch’, nagħtu każ? Minnu, imma għalija poġġuti u bgħula jibgħatuni lura għal dinja agħar, dinja ta’ kattiverja u preġudizzji li bdejna noħorġu minna milux. Illum, kważi kważi, il-kunċett ta’ poġġut bilkemm jiftiehem, u ftit jafu li oriġinarjament kien aktar jintuża għan-nisa appoġġati jew mantnuti mill-maħbub tagħhom, speċi ta’ sugar daddy. Anki bgħula ħadd m’għadu jgħidha, ħlief fid-dagħdigħat privati ta’ xi familji meta jinqala’ għawġ bħal dan. Trabbejna slavaġ, imma mxejna ‘l quddiem, u għalhekk dawn iż-żewġ kelmiet idarrsu u jissugraw, forsi mhux itellfu l-voti, imma jdallmu xi ftit il-kredibbiltà ta’ moviment progressiv u magħmul minn nies ta’ rieda tajba.

Imma ġieni f’moħħi wkoll li dan il-messaġġ qawwi huwa s-sintomu ta’ kemm din il-ġlieda saret waħda emozzjonali, u kemm xi elementi tal-Knisja u tal-kamp tal-LE ppreċipitaw din is-sitwazzjoni, mhux bil-fehma leġittima tagħhom imma bl-istrataġemmi offensivi li jużaw u billi jżeffnu, fl-istil tal-interdettijiet, lil Alla fi ħwejjeġ Ċesri. Din saret ġlieda storika daqs il-kwistjoni politiko-reliġjuża tas-Sittinijiet, u għal daż-żmien essenzjalment ġlieda mhux partitika imma bejn il-konservattiżmu fanatiku u progressiżmu li jrid joqgħod attent milli jittappan u jitlef triqtu.

Ġieni wkoll f’moħħi li wara kollox, u wara kemm wieħed jipprova jistħarreġ u jirraġuna, forsi l-IVA kellhom raġun jagħtu xokk bħal dan. Għax l-ipokrezija li rajna mill-kamp tal-LE wieħed jista’ jaraha wkoll fit-tessut tas-soċjetà Maltija, għaliex anki jekk tgħallimna nkunu nies, mhux bilfors li aħna. Ma nafx jekk hux każ ta’ ħmar il-magħkus li jdur għalih id-dubbien, iżda bħal xi ħadd li għadda minn żwieġ li falla, kien hemm waqtiet fejn qlajt kummenti bla ħniena, għax hemm il-fatt li mhux biss hemm min ma jridx id-divorzju, imma hemm min jitkaża wkoll b’min tkissirlu ż-żwieġ. Ma tirbaħ qatt. Snin wara u ħajja ġdida, kien hemm ukoll min sejjaħli poġġut. Wieħed biex jitkessaħ, u qala’ xebgħa lsien bi kliem wisq eħrex minn tal-kartellun. Ieħor ħafna akbar minni, imrawwem professjonalment fil-PN (seta’ kien partit ieħor: dan biss bħal sfond), Kattoliku devot, omofobu u konservattiv tradizzjonalist. Għal darb’ oħra, deskrizzjoni ta’ sfond għax kulħadd ifassal lilu nnifsu kif irid. Madankollu, bejn b’nofs ċajta jew forsi għax beżaqhielu l-inkonxju, qalli poġġut, għax waqt li qed niċċajtaw dwar it-tfajliet sbieħ u ħelwin, għidltu li issa ma tantx nista’ nħares għax m’għadnix single. U billi għadni fil-limbu tar-relazzjonijiet skont kif jarahom hu, waħħalli t-tikketta.

X’tagħmel? Tieħu għalik? Le. Anki jien, ta’ sensittiv u bużżieqa li jien, ma tantx tatni ġewwa. Anzi, rikbitni mewġa ta’ maħfra Nisranija għax ma kienx jaf x’inhu jagħmel, u anki ta’ ħasra għal moħħ li baqa’ ċkejken. U kull m’għidtlu ‘iva, u wliedi bgħula. Rajtha qalbek’, u ħallejtu jiħmar u jistħi u jigdem ilsien li kien ħallih jaħrablu.

Mela fors l-IVA kellhom raġun, sew għax nies li ġarrbu u sew għax nies li jifhmu s-sitwazzjoni. Forsi huma wkoll, bħali, raw tassew qalb in-nies li qed jikkumbattu kontrihom. U għalhekk raw li għal kull min jippuntalek sejf, sejf daqstant jaqta’ jrid ikun biex joqtlu.

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Zolabytes is a rubrique on J’accuse – the name is a nod to the original J’accuser (Emile Zola) and a building block of the digital age (byte). Zolabytes is intended to be a collection of guest contributions in the spirit of discussion that has been promoted by J’accuse on the online Maltese political scene for 5 years.
Opinions expressed in zolabyte contributions are those of the author in question. Opinions appearing on zolabytes do not necessarily reflect the editorial line of J’accuse the blog.
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