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The Memory Of A Face : Chapter Thirty One
Written By Ansh Das
[Editor's Note : Every week we will be publishing one chapter from Ansh Das's book, The Memory Of A Face. Needless to say, we are super excited! Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29 & Chapter 30]
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Enter the cat
A week later, there was a change in their lives. After many hours of browsing cute kitten photos on the local cat adoption websites, they'd failed to choose one. Then Diano had come across an advertisement posted by a western lady on the asiaxpat website. She was leaving Hong Kong forever and wanted someone to take a litter of healthy kittens in. The three of them went over to the lady's flat to take a look at the kitten. Cute had another reason — the lady lived in Pok Fu Lam.
They were impressed by the location of the apartment, which had a fantastic view of the sea. Diano pressed the flat number on the security intercom, which was responded to by a buzz and a "you may now enter" sign. They went in and took a lift to the fifth floor where Mrs. Matthew lived. On arrival, they were welcomed into a spacious living room by the rather plump Mrs. Matthew. The place was in disarray. Stuff was strewn all over the floor in various stages of packing. She gestured for them to sit down on a huge sofa.
"Sorry. The whole place is a mess. We're busy packing. We fly in four days time."
"That's okay. We're here for the kitten." Summer said.
"Oops, my bad. I thought you're here for the computer. Let me get them." She left them sitting on the sofa.
"Computer?" Cute asked. "Giveaway or sell?"
"Sell." Diano said. "They're giving away a lot of books, plants and clothes."
"Clothes?" Summer said. "Who'd want to wear their clothes? They look pretty big." She gestured at a photo of Mrs. Matthew and a guy hanging on the wall behind them.
"If that's Mr. Matthew, he's huge," Cute said.
Mrs. Matthew turned up at the door with a cardboard box in her hands. She walked up to them and placed it on the floor next to the sofa.
The three kittens were trying to jump out of the box but the walls were too high for them.
"How old are they exactly?" Diano asked.
"They're cute," said Summer.
"They're two months old." Mrs. Matthew replied. "They've been administered two vaccines already. The third one's due in four weeks. I've got their medical cards too." She fished out three cards from her jacket pocket.
Diano took the cards and glanced through them.
"So why aren't you taking them with you?" asked Cute.
"They are too young to travel. Plus, we're having a baby in a few months time."
"Oh, congratulations," said Summer.
"Thank you, my dear. Do you like them? Can you keep all three?"
Summer looked at Diano.
"We can't afford three kittens right now. We'd like to take the brown one."
"His name is Boris," said Mrs. Matthew.
"Hello, Boris!" said Cute, as Diano picked up the kitten.
It stared back at them and then meowed.
"He likes us," Summer said.
"He's the naughtiest of the three, always full of energy and running around. It's sad that I've to restrict them to the box. Don't want any accidents." Mrs. Matthew looked lovingly at Boris.
"How much for him?" Diano asked.
"They're all free. I don't want to sell them."
"Thank you!" Diano felt relieved.
"You can have his toys and some kitten food."
"Thanks," Summer said.
"What else are you having to give away?" Cute asked.
"Well, most of the furniture would go with us. We do have a tall revolving office chair that wouldn't match the study at the new place. So that has to go. I'm giving away the DVD collection and some kitchen appliances. I haven't cooked for a week. We just order delivery." She laughed.
"May I look at the kitchen appliances?" Summer asked.
"Sure. Follow me."
Cute and Diano looked at Boris, who was curled up in Diano's lap and licking his front paws.
"He looks comfortable," Cute said.
"I don't like the name Boris. It sounds strange."
"It sounds like a bad guy."
"He's young. We can rename him."
"Jai Jai." Cute said and stroked Boris under the chin. The kitten closed its eyes and raised its head to give Cute full access to its neck.
"He likes that." Cute laughed.
"All cats like that," said Diano.
"I meant the name. Jai Jai," Cute called out to the kitten.
"Jai Jai," said Diano. The kitten opened its eyes and looked at them.
"See! I told you he likes that," Cute said.
"Okay, okay. Just call him Jai jai. Ha-ha."
Jai Jai's coat had a distinct pattern. The other two did not have any defined pattern yet. All three had green eyes.
Summer returned carrying a small oven and a knife set. Mrs. Matthew was holding a set of wine glasses. They put the stuff down on the coffee table.
"You're welcome to take as much as you can. That'll reduce my headache." The hostess smiled at them. "Do you want to look around?" she asked Cute and Diano.
"Sure," Cute said.
Diano wasn't sure if he'd pick anything at all. But it was free anyway. No harm in checking out.
"Follow me, gentlemen."
They spent the next half hour going through the DVD collection and picking a few of them.
"I want that chair," Cute whispered to Diano when the lady was out of earshot.
"I know. Your eyes lit up the second you saw it." Diano laughed. "But we don't have any means of transporting it back. A mini van costs money. Even if we hired a cab and persuaded the driver to let us take it, there's no way we can carry it seven floors up lah. It's too heavy."
"True." Cute sighed.
"That's it then. Let's go."
Mrs. Matthew gave them a small basket with a tiny blanket inside it. She also gave them a plastic bag containing cat toys. With their help, Summer managed to put her treasures into a strong shopping bag.
They thanked the lady.
"Thank you. Please take good care of Boris." She turned towards Diano. "You've got my email. Please send me photos."
"Sure." Diano scooped up Jai Jai from the floor and put it in the basket.
"Wait. He'll be scared. Let me give you something to cover the basket with." She ran back inside and came out with a small towel and covered the basket. They said goodbye and walked out. Diano carried Jai Jai. Cute carried the oven and knives. Summer carried the DVD and glasses. They were all excited. While waiting for a cab, Diano peeked under the towel. Jai Jai was nestled up cozily. He looked up at Diano and let out a tiny meow.
Ansh Das (better known as AD) is an IT nerd in the morning, an author by noon, an activist in the evening and a healer by night. That sequence may change a few times in any direction during the course of the day. He is from India and lives in Hong Kong.
Ansh Das
Trans Man Getting Certificates Re-Issued Marks A Win For LGBTQIA+ People
Apphia Ruth D'souza
The Space To Be.
Tejaswi Subramanian
How Neurodivergent Folx Might Not Align With Traditional Dating Expectations
Riju Banerjee
Dealing With Being A Fetish – The Trans Take
Coming OutPersonal Stories
Rayyan Monkey
How The Lockdown Brought Back Memories Of Dysphoria Before Leading Me To A Breakthrough
whatnowanna
Keeping the Conversation Going For Rainbow Young People – Wear It Purple Day 2021
Krupa Joseph
What Is Trans Joy?
Why The Transgender Children Inclusion Guide By NCERT Was Pulled Down
Kal Penn Has Come Out. Is It Time To Rejoice Or Reflect?
Will India Get Its First Openly Gay Judge?


Rain seemed to be in Sunday's destiny but the paddle occurred as scheduled. Tracie wisely shortened the trip to end at Webster access instead of Rogers. We had a beautiful float under gray skies. It was a bit cool, but comfortable. The deluge waited until we were packed up with boats on the cars and ready to go. Thanks, Tracie and Jackie.


Leonard Strickland was beaten to death; in jail, by prison guards. Those who did so, and those who supervised them, were secure in the knowledge that very little would be, and could be, done to bring them to justice. History and the law is on their side.
Thomas, in his dissent, claimed that "a use of force that causes only insignificant harm to a prisoner may be immoral, it may be tortious, it may be criminal, and it may even be remediable under other provisions of the Federal Constitution, but it is not 'cruel and unusual punishment'….The Eighth Amendment is not, and should not be turned into, a National Code of Prison Regulation." Thomas based his decision on: the culture and values of the eighteenth century, the history of the cruel and unusual punishment clause, the Constitutional Convention and state ratifying convention debates, and of course, the text of the Constitution. He noted the Supreme Court had, for a very long period in American history, rejected all "conditions of complaint " claims and not held the cruel and unusual punishment clause relevant to prison conditions. He concluded that "Today's expansion of the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause beyond all bounds of history and precedent is…yet another manifestation of the pervasive view that the Federal Constitution must address all ills in our society….[including] any hardship that might befall a prisoner during incarceration." Thomas went on to suggest that older cases affirming prisoners' claims of beatings and torture should be overturned.
Scalia and Thomas lost, but they set the stage for what followed.
The immorality and brutality of our prison system is scaffolded by our nation's laws.
Note: This post is cribbed from Martin Garbus' Courting Disaster: The Supreme Court and the Unmaking of American Law, Henry Holt, New York, 2002, pp. 74-75.
This entry was posted in Law and Legal Theory, Philosophy, Politics and tagged Angola Prison, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Cruel and Unusual Punishment clause, Eighth Amendment, Hudson v. McMillian, Leonard Strickland, Martin Grabus, new york times, prison-industrial complex, prisons, Sandra Day O'Connor, torture, William Rehnquist.
It is a challenge, for me, everyday to remain optimistic about my fellow human-beings whenever I read about such monstrous acts being committed. It seems, to me, to be so unreal as to defy any reasoning whatsoever.
For all of us, I think. It boggles the mind. Thanks for your comment.


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» 2021 (Page 2)
How can wrongful death protections help family members?
On Behalf of Law Offices of Fred D. Crawford, IV | Aug 3, 2021 | Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents
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How to drive safely around pedestrians
On Behalf of Law Offices of Fred D. Crawford, IV | Jul 20, 2021 | Auto-Pedestrian Accidents
When people are driving on the roads in California they are usually sharing them with many other drivers. This means all drivers need to follow the various traffic laws and pay attention to the road. This means that they need stay off their phones and avoid other...
Who is liable for my motor vehicle accident?
On Behalf of Law Offices of Fred D. Crawford, IV | Jul 6, 2021 | Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents
All motorists in California owe a duty to other drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other people on the roadways. When a fatal motor vehicle accident occurs, it is likely that at least one person breached this duty by driving irresponsibly. This breach of duty can...
We help motorcycle accident victims
On Behalf of Law Offices of Fred D. Crawford, IV | Jun 21, 2021 | Motorcycle Accidents
In our area of the country, we are blessed with some of the most scene roadways in the country, perhaps, the world. This is a huge reason why motorcycles are so common on our roads. But, for motorcyclists, they cannot afford to be too distracted by our area's natural...
The deadly force of a truck
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Traffic accidents involving a truck are some of the most serious, causing not only catastrophic injury and death but also millions of dollars in property damage. The force of impact from the massive size and weight of a fully loaded commercial truck can be deadly when...
How truck drivers cause semi truck accidents
On Behalf of Law Offices of Fred D. Crawford, IV | May 27, 2021 | Car Accidents
There are many different vehicles on the roads every day in southern California. People drive sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, motorcycles and other types of vehicles. One of these other types of vehicles are semi trucks. All of these vehicles need to share the roads,...
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Independent medical examination for your personal injury case
Most Redondo Beach area residents will be in at least one car accident during their driving career. Fortunately, most of these accidents are just minor fender benders but occasionally a more serious accident occurs that results in devastating injuries or even death....
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It seems we are living more in the future than ever, as numerous companies have successfully developed self-driving cars. Many of these companies are based in California. One of these is the Silicon Valley based company Waymo, which has accumulated more than 20...
Other driver fault a major factor in many motorcycle accidents
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Perhaps due in part to the weather, motorcycling is a fairly popular means of transportation in the State of California. As of 2017, there were 1,465,322 licensed motorcycle drivers in the state. Unfortunately, more motorcyclists also correlate with more motorcycle...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Otto Rudolf Paul Baecker (* 7. Januar 1898 in Berlin; † 22. Mai 1970 ebenda) war ein deutscher Kameramann.

Leben
Er ließ sich 1912 bis 1914 bei der Continental Kunstfilm zum Kameramann ausbilden und arbeitete anschließend als Kameraoperateur und Kameraassistent bei der Produktionsfirma Decla. Seine ersten Filme als Chefkameramann drehte er 1923. Im selben Jahr beteiligte er sich an einer Expedition nach Südafrika und Brasilien, mit der er erst 1928 nach Deutschland zurückkehrte.

Seit 1929 stand Baecker erneut bei der Inszenierung von Spielfilmen hinter der Kamera, anfangs wiederholt als 2. Kameramann neben Günther Rittau. Ab 1936 war er alleiniger Kameramann bei relativ wenig bekannten Produktionen. Nach Kriegsende konnte er seine Tätigkeit beim bundesdeutschen Film fortsetzen.

Filmografie

Literatur
 Kay Weniger: Das große Personenlexikon des Films. Erster Band A – C. Erik Aaes – Jack Carson, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf Verlag, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3, S. 217 f.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

Kameramann
Person (Stummfilm)
Deutscher
Geboren 1898
Gestorben 1970
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Learn about the academic strategies that can increase your odds of being admitted, as well as the little-known financial strategies available to help pay for college. Discover the latest changes being implemented by top tier universities and how you can benefit from them. Parents and students welcome.


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India's COVID cases are spiking. Years of healthcare cuts and privatization aren't helping
Views from on the ground in Western India
Sanket Jain
It took 137 days for India to record the first million COVID cases, a mere 21 days to register the next million, and only 16 more days to reach three million. Starting with a rampant spread in the metropolises, the epicenters are now moving to rural districts and towns.
As of August 22nd, India crossed 3 million cases, resulting in over 55,000 deaths. The immediate impact is an overburdened healthcare system that remains massively under-resourced. For every 10,926 people, there is one public allopathic doctor in India, as per the 2019 National Health Profile.
Over the years, this has become a hotbed for quacks that dominate the rural and semi-urban Indian healthcare, as access to an affordable hospital remains miles away.
The pandemic brutally exposed the ramifications of India's neoliberal reforms.
A 2019 World Health Organization (WHO) report puts the average global spending on healthcare at 6.6%. However, India spends far less than other countries on it. India spent 1.03% of its GDP on healthcare in 1990-91. That came down to 0.94% in 2001-02, and two decades later has only gone up partly to 1.29%.
A government's 2014 report highlights that 86% of the rural and 82% of the urban population were not covered under any healthcare support expenditure.
The result has been a burgeoning private health care system. How do people pay for healthcare? Twenty-five percent of rural households depended on borrowing. And 68% of rural households depend on their savings or household income for hospitalisation expenditures.
Workers on the frontlines against COVID
To contain the community transmission of the virus, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare designed a plan designating 970,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA, or community health workers), the role of contact tracing COVID cases across more than 600,000 villages. They survey door-to-door, find suspect cases, trace people who came in contact with them, inform senior medical officers, and spread community awareness regarding COVID. This is in addition to a multitude of tasks like ensuring safer pregnancies, vaccinations, providing medicines for common cold and cough, spreading awareness about government schemes, and much more.
The ASHA community health workers began surveying the communities from the third week of March with the training of a day or two. Reports swamped in about the lack of adequate healthcare gear given to the ASHA workers. In May, The Media Co-op reported on how healthcare workers were risking their lives every day to ensure their community remains safe.
As of August 16, Sunetra Kamble* (name changed to protect identity), surveyed more than 15,000 households across 150 days in her village of Kolhapur district, all without a personal protective equipment (PPE) kit and hand gloves. An ASHA worker for more than a decade, this is the longest she has worked without a break. She has a warning: "Villages are sitting on a mine of cases that are going to explode anytime soon."
Her warning is turning out to be true as India registered over 50 percent of cases in July and August from the rural districts that only had one-fourth of the caseload from April through June.
Why are cases increasing rapidly in the villages? Sunetra explains it through her recent
When her village reported the first COVID case in July, she knew it wouldn't go well. The reasons include fear, stigma, the economic cost of quarantine, circulation of fake news and pseudoscience, and loss of livelihood. Ten members of a family she surveyed — all asymptomatic — tested positive for Coronavirus. "We were quarantined in a college hostel with 300 other people for 10 days," one of them tells The Media Co-op on a call. The parents were not tested and were not quarantined. "Not even once were we given any medicines. [The doctors] would just monitor the temperature and oxygen levels." Neither were they handed any report stating they tested positive. "We checked our names in a PDF file," he said.
When ASHA worker Sunetra suggested to this person getting his parents tested, he brutally denied. "No one even treats the younger people there. If our parents go there, they will fall sick and die." All the ten family members were discharged from institutional quarantine without even a swab test to check if they had recovered.
Sunetra and seven other ASHA workers couldn't do much about it as the man was a pillar of the community. "What can we do? We've informed the senior medical officers and even the village governing body," she says. Today, her remote village has crossed over 50 cases, spreading massive fear in the community.
She is now used to the abuse. "The least people and government can do is treat us with respect." With mounting fear and stigmatization because of the Coronavirus, several ASHA workers reported how they are made a pariah in their own communities. "When I survey, a few people tell me what if we contract the virus from you?"
In August, more than half a million ASHA workers went on a two-day strike demanding better pay and adequate safety gear for their job. During this time, the Delhi police filed a First Information Report against more than 100 of them, stating they violated safety norms and didn't have prior permission for the demonstration.
The ASHA workers in Maharashtra and several other states get a monthly honorarium of as little as Rs 3000-5000 ($52 to $88 CAD). Their work that initially spanned over four to five hours every day has now increased to ten hours, yet the pay remains miserable.
Since March, several ward boys, nurses, frontline doctors, sanitation workers, lab technicians, and others have been working long shifts with insufficient protection. In many states, the hospital authorities have decreased staff, delayed payments, and even cut salaries. The health workers have also complained of a lack of isolation and quarantine facilities for them.
One hundred ninety six doctors succumbed to the virus, of which 40 percent were general practitioners, and this prompted the Indian Medical Association to write to Prime Minister asking for adequate care for doctors and their families.
Funding flows, but in favour of private healthcare
The rapid increase in privatisation paints a grimmer picture as India has 25,778 public hospitals with 713,986 beds. The ratio comes down to a mere 0.55 beds per 1000 patients. In the hinterlands, where 69 percent of the population stays, 265,275 beds are available (37% of the total).
On 8th April, the Supreme Court decided to make COVID testing free. After, the decision was challenged by private hospitals and labs, and the court modified its order stating that the private labs can charge fees decided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The testing in government facilities, however, remains free.
In an attempt to help the economy recover, the Finance Ministry announced a 20 lakh crore ($350 billion CAD) relief package. However, many of the benefits in the health sector were directed towards private healthcare that is handling much less burden as compared to the government facilities. Oxfam India mentioned that the hospitalization cost of a single day for treating COVID at a private hospital was equivalent to five months' salary of an average Indian. "The package disappoints since it subsidises the private sector and doubles down on strategies that have not worked for India's poor," said Oxfam India's CEO, Amitabh Behar.
As per Oxfam's calculation, a mere 1% of the 20 lakh crore package would've helped in setting up 48,000 Primary Health Centres (PHC). India has 30,045 PHCs, 5,684 Community Health Centres, and a mere 756 District Hospitals for a population of 833 million.
For the last two weeks, India has been reporting more cases than the USA and Brazil, sometimes touching as high as 69,000 a day. The first case was reported on 30th January in Kerala — the south Indian communist state that was hailed for its efforts on flattening the curve and containing the virus. India has tested more than 30 million samples as of August 16. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) in August said that India's testing was lower as compared to Germany, South Korea, USA, Japan.
For speedy detection, rapid antigen tests (RAT) were initiated in late June that make up to 25-30 percent of tests. Experts suggest that rapid tests have low sensitivity and can miss as many as 50 percent of the time. Hence the Indian Council of Medical Research issued a guideline to retest the people who tested negative and the ones who develop symptoms. Experts warn that if antigen negatives aren't retested then there might be a risk of asymptomatic transmission of the virus that can go undetected. This raises several questions on India's caseload which experts suggest are underreported.
Rapid privatization, massive wealth inequality, poor healthcare, and ill-framed policies have shown the world the problem with 'old normal,' including in India.
The pandemic has triggered a humanitarian crisis in India making the new normal a world safe only for the privileged, ruled by the privileged, for the privileged.


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Edeze Bags Fellowship Award from NIEPA-NIGERIA…Dedicates the Award to Students of Abakaliki Prison Schools
All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain in Ebonyi State and Chairman Governing Council, Federal Polytechnic Ado, Ekiti State, Chief Austin Igwe Edeze on Tuesday received a fellowship award from the National Institute For Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA)-NIGERIA, Ondo, Ondo state.
At the Pa Adesanya Civic Centre, Ondo City, Ondo State venue for the award ceremony, Chief Edeze was awarded alongside other eminent Nigerians including Hon. Biodun Omeleye, Chief of staff, Ekiti State Government, Dr. Peter Abiola Makinde, Justice Sunday Olorundahunsi, Sen. Suleman Makanjuola Ajayi, Prof. Peter Okebukola, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe , AIG Zone II, Oshogbo, Osun state, and Prof. Sen. Ajayi Boroffice.
Citizens' Advocate gathered that the fellowship award came a week after the Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON) of St. Luke Chaplaincy, Abakaliki honored him with an Award of Excellence for Youth Empowerment across the country.
Edeze who was described as an educational administrator, strategist, planner and philanthropist, also in October received an award of Best Governing Council Chairman in Nigeria by SSANIP in Nigeria's Merit House, Maitama, Abuja which was also published by Citizens' Advocate, to mention but a few.
Established in 1992 by the Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with UNESCO/IIEP Paris, NIEPA-Nigeria, Ondo is the only sub-regional staff college for West Africa, with the vision to empower the education sector workers with appropriate skills and techniques for effective and efficient operation.
Represented by the Deputy Rector, Fed Poly Ado-Ekiti, Mr. G. S. Olorunoje, Chief Edeze commended NIEPA which is the only educational research institute in the country and West Africa sub-region for their contributions to research development and urged them not to relent as no society can develop without quality and functional education.
"I believe that no society develops without a sound foundation in functional education. I am very grateful for the fellowship award bestowed on me by NIEPA- Nigeria Ondo. I will dedicate the award to students of Abakaliki Prison Schools – primary and secondary sections. I established these unique schools when I was the Executive Chairman of the Ebonyi State Universal Education Board. Till today, I still believe in the philosophy behind the establishment of those schools inside Abakaliki Prison. I thank the State Government for keeping that flag flying."
In a remark, the Director-General, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, Prof. Lilian Imuetinyam Salami who was represented by Ademola Agbaje commended the awardees for their positive contribution to research and development in education especially in universities and private sector.
FOLLOWED POST
Commissioner Collaborates With Catholic Schools' Managers
Ebonyi State Govt Embarks On Census Of Indigenes In Diaspora
Court Remands Man, 8 Others for Alleged Kidnap
As Kogi Decides Who the Crown Fits
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Filson's Logger Mesh Cap shields your eyes from the sun while offering ventilation in hot weather. We love the embroidered Filson patch on the front with a fly on it. It has a great leather adjustable strap in the rear. Made with 100% cotton oxford canvas and breathable polyester mesh.


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Restorations & Renovations
Extreme Restoration
The 1871 Second Empire style home in Brookline had been vacant for several years, and some people in town felt it should be condemned. But Charlie & Peggy, who'd called this neighborhood home for over 30 years, wouldn't hear of it.
"Few houses require such extensive work," says Mark Landry, "But it felt good to help the owners save and update this great home for the 21st century." This project required a systematic approach:
Landmark found that the rubble stone foundation had settled some 6 inches toward the back. Not only that, but the building had literally spread in all four directions to such an extent that the house was unstable.
The homeowners and Landmark agreed that the best course of action was to raise the house temporarily, remove the old foundation, and replace it with new concrete footings and walls. To maintain the historic look, the beautiful and highly prized puddingstones were reused to face the new walls so that — from the outside — it's impossible to tell that the foundation is new.
During exterior restoration, the crew salvaged the large decorative brackets and restored the fascia and soffits in accordance with the home's original details and dimensions. Window sash were removed and restored on site, then weather-stripped and re-installed. The siding — mostly original — was thoroughly prepped and repainted.
The owners were especially keen to see the home's original porches (which had mostly been removed) faithfully rebuilt.
"This is where you go into detective mode," says Dennis Landry of Landmark. "Luckily, previous owners had stashed away some of the original posts, balusters, and railings, which we used to replicate new ones. Paint lines on the corner boards indicated where railings had once been attached. And an old fire insurance map delineated the footprint of the original porches."
Armed with this information, the Landmark team was able to rebuild the front porches to look almost exactly as they did in 1871.
The Landmark Team believes old houses should be as efficient as possible for their owners to operate.
"Since most of the plaster had to be removed to make the house structurally sound," Mark Landry says, "We naturally took advantage of the opportunity to add spray foam insulation to make it as energy efficient as a home of this age can be."
The plumbing and wiring systems were replaced in their entirety, even so far as bringing in new underground electrical and new water and sewer lines from the street. The owners also elected to go with a geothermal system, so wells were drilled and a four-season geothermal heat pump installed to serve both the main house and the newly renovated carriage house.
The inside of the main house features some beautiful examples of early Victorian architecture and craftsmanship. The curved main stair is a work of art. Mahogany doors, casings, and fireplace mantels survived intact, although all had been painted.
The general approach was to restore all of the original rooms to their original appearance — or at least as close as was practical. Missing or damaged millwork was replaced or repaired. Plaster cornice moldings were repaired throughout and ceiling medallions re-installed. Much of the mahogany woodwork was stripped and refinished.
Bathrooms and closets were created and fitted out with millwork and plasterwork to match the original. The third floor — formerly servants' quarters — was renovated with a future au pair suite in mind.
House awaiting new foundation
During construction
New foundation receiving stone veneer
Let's work together.
Have a project on your mind? We would love to discuss it with you.
Please reach out!
Landmark Services
326 Washington Street Annex
Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
office@landmarkservices.com


This data is collected as part of the Victorian Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (VSHWS), also known as 'About you' by DET. About You was collected for the first time in 2014, in Victorian schools from all sectors, and across 17 DHS local areas. Sexual health data were collected in Government and independent schools only. Height and weight related data were collected from a subsample of schools and are available at metropolitan and regional levels.
About You included a sample of approximately 6,000 students from 264 Victorian schools, in Years 5, 8 and 11. It also collected direct height and weight measurements for a subsample of around 1,500 students from 80 schools.


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Masco's One-Stop Shopping for Audits, Retrofits
The building products company launches WellHome, a program that offers everything from energy efficiency assessments to upgrade services in one package
By Richard Defendorf
Areas of focus. Masco Home Services says its new WellHome program includes retrofits based on audits of energy use and building performance.
Image Credit: Masco Home Services / Masco Corporation
More Green Building News
Bill to Cut New York City Carbon Emissions: $20 Billion
Finally, the Fine Homebuilding Summit!
Tech Company Promises a Village of Printed Houses
New Group Promotes "Climate-Smart" Wood
For a lot of homeowners, the complexities of energy efficiency upgrades can be as daunting as their cost, so it's no surprise many builders and remodelers long ago became adept at demystifying and managing the entire process for their clients, from audit to final finish work and testing.
Now, that full-service strategy is being embraced by building-products giant Masco Corporation, whose Masco Home Services division this week launched an energy efficiency home-improvement program, called WellHome, in Austin, Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, Tucson, and Ann Arbor, and in Nashua, New Hampshire.
"Our approach to home performance is to conduct a thorough assessment and diagnose the issues, but to also fix them, and then guarantee the energy savings," WellHome's president, Larry Laseter, said in a press release. "This full-service approach to comfort and home energy efficiency is unique to WellHome and will be the model as we grow nationally."
Homestar compatibility
High up in the press release, Masco makes a point of noting that WellHome would mesh well with the ambitions of Homestar, a White House legislative proposal designed to create weatherization jobs and offer rebates for energy efficiency improvements for homeowners at any income level.
WellHome is an offshoot of Masco's Environments For Living program, which offers an array of services – from plan reviews, training, and field testing to certification and marketing – aimed at helping residential builders add green construction and energy efficient performance to their projects.
As a consumer-oriented service, WellHome relies on Masco's building-science expertise to analyze audit data and help homeowners use it to prioritize possible improvements based on the client's budget and available tax credits, rebates, and other incentives. WellHome also offers financing and what it calls a Whole Home Energy Savings Limited Guarantee on energy savings generated by the improvements. Call 877-721-5907 for details. The WellHome website (which was not fully launched when we checked late Friday) is at http://www.wellhome.com
Program Details of the One Knob Proposal
Has your experience working with an energy-efficiency program felt like the scene depicted in the photo at right? Did you feel that the correct and smart path departed from the…
Designing a 'One Knob' Incentive Program
Author's note: This series is aimed at the home performance industry. My company values transparency, so we put it in the public sphere for homeowners to see and understand our…
A Good Time for Energy Audits and Weatherization
Wait a second. Spring has barely sprung, and you're saying we need to start thinking about energy audits already? What's up with that? There are several reasons why now is…
DOE Targets Innovation in Its Weatherization Program
After a sputtering start, the delivery of services under the expanded Weatherization Assistance Program has in most communities finally gotten up to speed. Now the Department of Energy, which runs…


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Catherine Zeta-Jones's ex and former UK kid's TV presenter charged over sexual assault allegations
By Karishma Sarkari| 6 days ago
John Leslie, a former UK children's TV presenter, has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman.
The allegation relates to an incident in Westminster in December 2008, when the victim was aged 30, Scotland Yard have said.
The 54-year-old, originally from Edinburgh, was charged on June 5 with sexual touching of a woman aged 16 or over, contrary to the sexual offences act, reports Sky News UK.
Former UK kids TV presenter John Leslie has been charged over a 2008 sexual assault allegation (Getty)
Detectives are continuing to investigate the claims against the former Blue Peter presenter.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 25 and according to the Evening Standard, he is yet to enter a plea to the charge and is not on bail.
In a statement to a number of UK media outlets, Leslie said: "I am totally innocent of the historic allegation and will be contesting the trial".
Leslie, who dated Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 90s before her big break in Hollywood, faced a similar allegation last year but was acquitted in an Edinburgh court of the alleged nightclub incident.
The TV presenter dated Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 90s (Getty)
The TV presenter was best known for his five years as host of the popular kids' TV show Blue Peter, before a three-year stint as the host of ITV's This Morning. He also made appearances on Wheel of Fortune.
In the early 2000s Leslie made the move back to Scotland and has been a radio presenter there.


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Robert Mondavi. I've had the pleasure of waiting on him and his wife and they were frequent visitors to the restaurant where I worked. By the time I waited on them he was in a wheelchair, and I never heard him speak. He was still an impressive man.
His wife, Margrit, was adorable! So friendly and charming and gracious! She reminded me a lot of Carol Channing with her wide smile and silver bob.
When the Mondavi's came in for dinner Robert was wheeled in by a younger man and woman, who left after he was comfortable. Margrit took care of ordering and would attentively feed Robert and give him sips of champagne and wine.
A funny thing was they would usually bring their little white dog in it's carrier. Dog's aren't allowed in restaurants unless they are seeing eye dogs, but what could we say? They are the Mondavi's. Our Napa Valley royalty! Generally the darling little dog was good and quiet, but occasionally it would bark! All of the staff's eyes would get big as we hoped that none of the guests complained. Sometimes Margrit would let the dog out and feed it under the table. One night as they were leaving and the younger couple had come to take them home, the man was pushing the wheelchair and the woman was holding the door and the little dog started running around through the center of the restaurant! Finally we shooed it out the door and the Mondavi's were wisked away in their limosine.
We had a large event where the Mondavi's were guests. I had to talk with the organizer and let him know that Robert was in a wheelchair as they had made no provisions for that and were unaware. They were under the impression that he was going to be giving a speech as well. I had to let them know that was doubtful unless his condition had changed since last I saw him. Margrit Mondavi had sat at Bouchon Bakery hand painting touches on all the menus as souvenirs for all the guests. They were such a lovely elegant touch. I am pleased to say I snagged one of the leftover menus at the end of the night!
Robert Mondavi died peacefully Friday morning, May 16, 2008 at his family home in Yountville, California at the age of 94. We were getting ready to celebrate his 95 birthday in June at Copia with a big event that included many of the world's top chefs. The hope was that this event would continue in his memory. And what a memory he left.
Cheers to your memory, Robert Mondavi!
Tags: "Bouchon Bakery", "Carol Channing", "May 16, "Napa Valley", "Robert Mondavi", 2008", California, celebrities, celebrity, champagne, Copia, entertainment, life, Margrit, Mondavi, royalty, wine, World, Yountville
Laura Enjoys the 2008 MTV Movie Awards
Laura arrived for the night in the chic new Honda Civic mini limosine! As she exited the car the paparazzi bulbs flashed and fans cheered! Entertainment Tonight hosts begged for an interview as she strutted down the RED (ish) carpet (looked a bit like a kitchen rug)! Laura signed a few autographs for her fans and gave a quick interview to ET, saying, "I'm so excited to be here, it's going to be a fabulous night! Has anyone seen Jane Porricelli yet?" and then was wisked inside by her entourage to watch the show. During the show she enjoyed some expensive French bubbly champagne (or was it Ocean Spray White Cran Peach?) as she sat and chatted with the other celebrities (or maybe she was home alone).
Laura was thrilled to see little tiny Ellen Page win for best actress for her perfomance in Juno and was shocked to see Iron Man win best summer movie? "What were they thinking? I've never even heard of Iron Man? Naturally it should have been Sex in the City!" she exclaimed. Laura thought SJP and Jennifer Hudson were smashing as they announced Will Smith as the Best Actor for I Am Legend. Their outfits, their shoes! Oh YES! And Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Page must be about the same height, little tiny!!!
For best comedic performance Anne Hathaway announced the winner, "YEEEAH! JOHNNY DEPP!", as he walked out from behind the stage casually chewing gum, the crowd was almost in shock! Laura wondered if he had been backstage and people didn't realize he was in the theater? He wore jeans with a striped cap tucked in the back pocket and a brown leather belt buckled on the side, a black short sleeved button up shirt with rolled up sleeves, Charlie Chaplin type hair, looking very clean cut and handsome and hot! He looked so young, just like he did back in his 21 Jump Street days. The crowd erupted! Laura Iriarte and Lindsey Lohan were the only two celebrities to give him a standing ovation! Diablo Cody seemed ready to swoon as she touched her heart! Chris Brown and Rhianna oddly seemed unimpressed? Jonah Hill from Superbad, another nominee, gave him a joking two thumbs down. Johnny won once again in the Best Villian category for his performance in Sweeney Todd. Tila Tequila was thrilled! Johnny said, "wow, this is nutty, two times in one night!" and proceeded to thank one and all. He ended by pointing at Laura and saying, "Hey Laura, I must say you look amazing darling!" (or maybe he SHOULD have dammit!).
Tom Cruise, in a very preppy look, black slacks, white button down shirt with a black v-neck sweater over it and very shiny black shoes, presented the MTV Generation Award, an award presented to someone who has given us significant cinematic achievement. The award this year was presented to Adam Sandler! Tom Cruise calls him The Sandman and reminds us of all the films Adam has been in, then a montage of clips follows, including some Saturday Night Live clips. Finally as Adam is announced he slowly rises up through the floor of the stage and sings, "Nobody Does It Better", his own version, as women in gold bikinis pose (a tribute to James Bond's Goldfinger). After Adam acknowledges that his song was the most arrogant thing he's ever done, he then gives a heartfelt acceptance speech.
Best Breakthrough Performance went to Zach Efron for Hairspray. Best Kiss went to Brianna Evigan and Robert Hoffman from Step Up to the Streets. Laura didn't see the movie, but after their steamy re-creation on stage Laura could see why they won! The evening concluded with Transformers winning best picture. Laura saw Transformers and agreed it was a very good movie, much better than expected. But having seen both, Laura would have picked Juno. She thought it was much more original.
The standout performances throughout the night were Coldplay, The Pussycat Dolls, and Wayne's World. Coldplay and their new song were amazing, but there were just too many rose petals or big confetti thingys fluttering around and getting on the lead singer and even on Laura in the audience. The Pussycat Dolls did a sexy, energetic, choreographed performance, and host Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey recreated their Waynes World skit! Party On Dudes! Excellent!
Laura's posse snuck(?) her out of the auditorium through a secret back door, dodging the paparazzi, then the Honda Civic Mini-Limo took her off into a night of celebrity parties (or maybe she went to bed). What a life!
P.S. I LOVE comments!
Tags: "21 Jump Street", "Adam Sandler", "Anne Hathaway", "best actress", "best summer movie", "celebrity parties", "Charlie Chaplin", "Chris Brown", "Dana Carvey", "Diablo Cody", "Ellen Page", "Entertainment Tonight", "Honda Civic", "I Am Legend", "Iron Man", "James Bond", "Jane Porricelli", "Jennifer Hudson", "Johnny Depp", "Laura Iriarte", "Lindsey Lohan", "Mike Meyers", "MTV Generation Award", "MTV Movie Awards", "Nobody Does It Better", "Ocean Spray", "Pirates of the Carribean", "red carpet", "Rhianna", "Sarah Jessica Parker", "Sex in the City", "Sweeney Todd", "The Pussycat Dolls", "The Sandman", "Tila Tequila", "Tom Cruise", "Wayne's World", "Will Smith", +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++, celebrities, champagne, Coldplay, comedy, entertainment, entourage, ET, fans, French, Goldfinger, humor, interview, Juno, limo, limosine, MTV, paparazi, paparazzi, posse, SJP


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"Weddings and Funerals" is a nursery rhyme or folksong and playground game.

A wedding song we played for you,
The dance you did but scorn.
A woeful dirge we chanted, too,
But then you would not mourn.

Origin
The verse is based on the verses Matthew 11:17 and  in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.

The exact words of this English nursery rhyme were incorporated as the translation of these verses in the International Standard Version (2008).

In context, the verse was spoken by Jesus as a reproach to those people who rejected both the austere lifestyle and preaching of John the Baptist and his own more accessible ministry.

References

Songs about marriage
Songs about death
English nursery rhymes
English children's songs
English folk songs
Traditional children's songs
Cultural depictions of John the Baptist
New Testament words and phrases
Sayings of Jesus
Gospel of Matthew
Year of song unknown
Matthew 11
Songwriter unknown


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Fiona Vella
Posts Tagged 'Second World War'
FROM STORIES TO HISTORY
For hundreds of years, the recording of the past focused on public records, statistical data and the lives of prominent people. Yet in recent decades, the spotlight turned onto the general public and its memories in order to provide a more accurate picture of the historic narrative.
"People who have lived through particular events can contribute different viewpoints and perspectives that fill in the gaps of documented history, at times correcting or even contradicting the written record. The project MEMORJA aims to give a voice to those who have been unheard," explained James Baldacchino, the administrator of the MEMORJA Project.
MEMORJA is an oral, sound and visual archive. Its main objective is to employ cutting edge research, methodologies, theoretical and archival approaches and techniques to collect, record, transcribe, preserve and make available and retrievable all the deposited material detailing the islands' history.
"Work on this project has begun in January 2017. This is a new platform which is giving an additional dimension to the National Archives since this time, it is not only collecting records but reaching out to create them."
At the early stages of the project, four themes were selected, namely the Second World War, British expatriates in Malta, public administration and the Lampedusa-Malta connection.
"The theme related to experiences during the Second World War aims to document and record a past which is slowly disappearing from public memory especially with the passing away of the older generation. Oral testimonies and photographs serve to recollect the terrible years of war and what the people have lived through in those times. Stories of the outbreak of hostilities and the first bombings on June 11, 1940, the mass evacuations and refugee experiences, fear and uncertainty, hunger and the Victory Kitchens, shelters and sanitation, soldiers and sirens, and tragedies of bombings are part of the significant remembrance which needs to be collected and preserved for future generations before it is lost for good."
The history of the relationship between the UK and Malta is another central theme which has not been documented through the eyes of the British and Maltese individuals.
"This section includes interviews with British and British-Maltese people who were either in the British forces during the 1960's (or their spouses) and remained in Malta, or civilians who married a Maltese person and relocated to Malta. Such recordings open a window on everyday life in Malta during the 1950s – 1970s. Much of the narratives relate to military bases, post-war experiences, political issues, relationships and cultural differences. This theme was further expanded when the experience of service families' children was included as well. These children had attended the Naval Childrens' School and HM Dockyard Children's School which had occupied sites at Ta' Xbiex, Cottonera, Senglea and the Dockyard before moving to Tal-Ħandaq."
Civil servants are often regarded as those who are implementing the Goverment's policies. However, through their memories we can get a glimpse of what happenned 'behind the scenes' during the most important political, social and economic decisions undertaken by Maltese political leaders.
"These include background revelations of what was taking place during the granting of Independence in 1964, the dismantling of the British military base in 1979 and how the Maltese prepared for such an event, membership in the EU and how it affected the civil service, the migration of the hospital from St Lukes to Mater Dei and many other memorable challenges."
Lampedusa and Malta are two islands with different political histories. Yet to some extent they share similar economic, trade and socio-cultural interest.
"We have an interest in Lampedusa since in the early 1800s, there were a number of Maltese settlers on this island. Until now, no one had attempted to record these people's history in order to understand the link between the two islands. The MEMORJA Project is focusing on two time frames to investigate the islands' shared history. The first one relates to the period from 1800 – 1843 when Lampedusa was colonised by Maltese settlers working in agriculture and animal husbandry. The second covers the period between the 1950s and the 1980s when Lampedusani fishermen visited Malta regularly for the maintenance of ships, the sale of blue fish and the provision of supplies."
As the team of the MEMORJA Project reached out to people, they were soon welcomed by the different communities who were eager to share their recollections.
"We found a huge amount of data which existed only in the minds of people and in their photos. Many individuals were enthusiastic to make their voice heard in order to help out with the shaping of the public's narrative which up to now was not formally recorded for posterity. Even though we have four selected themes, it does not exclude us from recording other memories as well which we deem to be of importance to form part of the community memory."
The search for the stories which make the history is still going on. The final goal of the MEMORJA Project which will be officially launched later on this year will be to make this information accessible online for educational and research purposes.
"Oral history allows people to express the personal consequences of change, from the simplest things in life to the more complex. It enables people to share their experiences in their own words, with their own voices, through their own understanding of what happened and why. Eventually, such documentation will offer depth to the understanding of the past to present and future generations."
If you are interested to contribute to the MEMORJA Project, you are invited to contact James Baldacchino on james.baldacchino@gov.mt or call 21459863.
The National Archives is located at 'Santo Spirito', Hospital Street, Rabat, Malta.
(This article was published in SENIOR TIMES – MAY 2018 issued with The Times of Malta dated 24 May 2018)
2018.05.24 / no responses / Category: Times of Malta
" 'They have hit our church!' cried a man as he stumbled down in the tunnel which was located under the Mall Garden. We were huddling in there for shelter together with many other people as the bombs came down over Floriana," reminisced Pawlu Piscopo who was eight at the time.
"At this horrible news, my father grabbed me and my brother by the hand and took us out of the tunnel and over to the granaries where a very sad spectacle awaited us. St Publius' Church had suffered a direct hit. Its dome was gone and the area was surrounded in rubble. Thirteen people who were taking cover in the church's crypt were killed and eleven more were injured. That was the blackest moment in the history of the parish church of Floriana: April 28, 1942 at 7:50am."
After their house had been bombed, Pawlu's family were allowed to take some respite in a large residence which today houses the Floriana Local Council. Yet for four years, they lived mostly underground in this tunnel which probably saved their lives. They took with them only a few belongings and the most cherished items, including a statue of St Publius which dated back to 1928 and used to adorn the model altar that his father had constructed at home.
"Most families in Malta had a model of an altar or a miniature church at home at the time. Unfortunately, many of these had to be abandoned during the war and a good number of them were destroyed when the houses were bombed."
The craft of church model-making had been introduced to our islands by the Knights of St John back in the 16th century, and therefore its knowledge was a distinct tradition. However the adversity of war ravaged even this precious memory until eventually this craft was almost completely forgotten.
"After the war, people tried to get on with their lives as best as they could. Shops started to open again but those that used to sell miniature items with which to decorate our religious models, dwindled down to almost none. Nevertheless, the passion for model-making was much engrained in our family and when I bought a miniature structure made of four columns and a dome from a man who was leaving Malta to go to live in Australia, my father Carmelo was inspired to use it as the foundation for a model of St Publius' church," explained Pawlu.
Carmelo was a very skilled carpenter. He would go from time to time to have a look at the church and then go back to his model and construct an exact copy of the section that he had seen.
"He used the material which was handy at the time, mostly cardboard, wood and gypsum. I helped him out too in order to build the whole church which included ten altars. Eventually, this model reached a huge size of three by four metres and we could walk in it and look above at the beautiful dome," Pawlu said proudly.
Once his father grew old, Pawlu continued with the work on this church which they had started back in the early 1960s. As he embellished this model, the wish to set up a group for model-makers in order to share this passion with them, burnt within him.
"On February 26, 1986 which happenned to be the tenth anniversary of my father's demise, I discussed this idea with two of my friends, Raphael Micallef and Tony Terribile, who were very interested in this sector. We all agreed to do something in order to revive this craft and we sent out adverts in the newspapers to announce the set up of this group which we called Għaqda Dilettanti Mudelli ta' Knejjes (Church Modelling Society). We were very happy when we received a great response from enthusiastic individuals all over Malta. Soon, a commitee was formed and on March 1986, we organized the first exhibition during the first two weeks of Lent wherein the members displayed the works that they had."
It was certainly a great satisfaction to see this society thrive and grow along the years, always adding up new members of various ages. Today, around 400 members form part of this group which operates from its premises at 37, East Street, Valletta.
"This year we are delighted to celebrate the 30th anniversary from the establishment of this society," Pawlu said. "The annual exhibition has been taking place each year. Besides offering the opportunity to showcase our members' works, this event has served to help our members and the public which visits it, to meditate during the Lent period and to prepare for the Easter celebrations."
A bi-monthly magazine, Il-Knisja Tiegħi (My Church), which was also initiated by Pawlu, is marking its 30th anniversary too. Members have been writing features in it related to different aspects of religious folklore, thereby kindling even further interest in model-making.
Once again this year, the society has organized this exhibition which saw the participation of several of its members. Exhibits varied and included small to large statues of the passion of Christ and Easter, statues of Blessed Mary and several saints, models of altars, church facades and whole churches made of different materials.
"I hope that I'll have enough strength to exhibit my large model of St Publius' church," revealed Pawlu at one point. "It takes me four weeks to set it up on a large platform and to connect the miniature chandeliers and light fittings to electricity. I am getting old now and such work is very tiring."
Pawlu has been exhibiting this model in a building besides the Floriana Cathecism Museum for many years now, during the feast of St Publius which takes place two weeks after Easter.
"Many people come to visit my model and they are fascinated with it. Tourists take photos besides it and they ask me how I managed to construct it section by section and yet making it look as a whole. I tell them that there are lifetimes of passion invested within it and that it is imbued with a blend of religious meaning and local traditional skills and creativity."
At 82 years, Pawlu is serene and thankful to see the society which he has founded together with his friends strengthen itself and adding members to it.
"I just wish that it will continue to flourish for very long," smiled Pawlu as he looked contentedly around him in order to appreciate the beautiful displayed works of the society's members.
(This article was published in the Easter Supplement which was issued with The Times of Malta dated 21st March 2016)
450 years ago, the Maltese Islands were in the spotlight of several European sovereigns after they had succeeded to come out victorious from the massive siege that was laid upon them by the powerful Ottoman Empire. Fort St Elmo lay in ruins and the other fortifications and houses which had been targeted by the enemy were in no better shape. The land still seeped in the blood of the thousands who had lost their lives during the fighting, whilst many others remained maimed.
Amid this devastation, the eminence of the surviving Knights of the Order of St John surged, and their fame reached legendary proportions. Letters of congratulations which they received from all over Europe, uplifted their spirits, whilst generous donations eventually helped them to build the new city of Valletta.
The Knights of St John continued to rule the Maltese Islands until 1798, when they were ousted by French Military General, Napoleon Bonaparte. Although, some might believe that at this time, the Order was obliterated, in reality, these mythical Hospitallers are still present amongst us, and are as real as ever.
The Russian Grand Priory of Malta
Since the early years of the Hospitallers' foundation by Blessed Gerard, the Order protected the faithful and provided aid to the sick and poor. These elements have always remained deeply rooted in the mission of the knights who followed throughout the centuries.
"Even today, as Knights and Dames of the Russian Grand Priory of Malta who form part of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitallers, under the constitution of the late King Peter II of Yugoslavia, we strive to continue to live up to our motto "Pro Fide, Pro Utilitate Hominum," declared Chev. Saviour Garcia as we stood in front of a large painting of Blessed Gerard at Palazzino Sapienti in Valletta.
"Today, the Order's mission still incorporates the duty to profess the Christian faith. However, its present members are not fighters but humanitarians who swear to act for the common good of all people without distinction of race or religion."
Garcia outlined a number of philantropic projects which the Russian Grand Priory of Malta have been taking care of without much pomposity. Amongst these he mentioned St Joseph's Residential Home for children in Żabbar, Dar Nazareth's Residential Home for people with disability in Żejtun, and the construction of a hospital and a hostel in Thailand which caters for the needs of dying children with AIDS.
"The first investiture and the official institution of The Malta Priory took place on March 8, 1964. A few days after, His Majesty King Peter II of Yugoslavia legitimized the Order by giving it a new Constitution to meet 20th century demands. Within the first decades of its existence, The Malta Priory made several notable achievements which ultimately led it to be elevated to Grand Priory by Royal Warrant from King Peter II on Feb 22, 1970. This Royal Warrant gave our Grand Priory the name of Russian Grand Priory of Malta."
Palazzino Sapienti, Valletta
Interestingly, it was the same king who donated the sum of 1000 dollars in order to open a fund for the purchase of a large house which was expected to serve as the World Head Quarters of this Order. The choice fell on the prestigious Palazzino Sapienti which today is located at 223, St Paul Street, Valletta, right opposite to the University of Malta Valletta Campus.
An original letter held at the archives of Palazzino Sapienti that was sent to Czar Paul I by Grand Master Hompesch in 1797, indicates that at the time, the Russians had an interest to involve themselves in the Order. That is why, after the Knights of St John were expelled from Malta, some of them opted to find refuge in St Petersburg, where they elected the Russian Emperor, Paul I, as their Grand Master, thereby replacing Ferdinand von Hompesch who was then held in disgrace and had to abdicate in 1799.
Prior to its present distinguished function, Palazzino Sapienti had its fair share of interesting history.
"Whilst researching about the origins of this building, I discovered that its construction was commissioned in the late 16th century by the English Grand Prior of the Order of St. John, Sir Richard Shelley. However, he did not have the opportunity to enjoy his residence for long, since he got into disagreement with the Inquisitor after he failed to present to him his correspondence to the Protestant Queen Elizabeth for censorship, as was the regulation at the time. Soon, matters got worse when Shelley had also a dispute with Grand Master Peter del Monte, and in a diplomatic way, this building was taken away from him after he was offered another property. Instead, Palazzino Sapienti became the residence of Fra Nicolo Sollima, the Collegium Melitense Rector," revealed Garcia.
"Stone used for the building of the house was quarried on site. Once the building was complete, the resultant small quarry was used as a water cistern and basement. This process of cutting stones directly from Monte Sciberras hurried the process of the building of the new city."
"The facade of the palazzino was imposing, having a main door flanked by two others. The main entrance was decorated by a barrel vaulted ceiling, typical of the 16th century. Traces of a blocked arch located under the staircase which leads up to the piano nobile points out that originally, the level of the street was lower than it is today."
"On 12th September 1634, a gunpowder magazine located in the whereabouts of the palazzino, blew up, killing 33 persons. The devastated site was left abandoned for thirty years until Grand Master Nicholas Cotoner established the Fondazione Cotoner in order to rebuild the houses in Strada San Paolo. The palazzino had suffered some cracks in the walls and its glass windows were shattered. Some structural changes were done to it, however, this structure was never intended to be built higher than two floors, since it would have been higher than the opposite building and would have cast a shadow on the University's sundial."
"Traces of red paint on the walls show that this building was painted in this colour. Meanwhile, the limestone balcony supports, the internal courtyard and the main staircase were adorned with seashell carvings that represented St John the Baptist, the patron saint of the Order of St. John. The seashell is also representative of the water element, in this case creativity and knowledge, as befits the University Rector's house."
It was a pleasure to explore this palazzino which I had never visited before. In the meantime, Garcia recounted some curiosities about the notable tenents who lived there.
"In 1919, the tenant of Palazzino Sapienti was the lawyer Luigi Camilleri. On 7th June, 1919, Prince Lobanov-Rostovsky and Count Andrey Bobrinsky, both Russian Imperial refugees, were visiting Camilleri at his residence when suddenly the 'Sette Guigno' riots broke out. A large crowd made its way to the Royal Malta University and started to attack it, tearing down the English Imperial flag. These two Russian nobles who were witnessing this from the opposite palazzino were scared stiff since the remembrance of the Bolshevik revolution still haunted them. They stayed at the premises till the 12th June when they were escorted back to San Anton Palace in Balzan by Police Superintendent James Frendo Cumbo."
"During the Second World War, the premises were used by the British Royal Air Force for the decoding of enemy aerial operations. Palazzino Sapienti survived two enemy bombs which were dropped in the vicinity. Yet tragedy still struck this place when two children, who were attending school in this building after the Valletta school was hit, found their way down a spiral staircase which led to the city's undergrounds and got lost there. No one ever found them and these stairs have been blocked ever since."
Today, this building is also proud to possess three saint reliquaries: a first degree bone fragment from the Order's Patron Saint St. John the Baptist, and two third degree relics in the form of a throne chair on which St. John Paul II sat during one of his Papal visits to Italy, and a hand signed dedication by Sister Mother Theresa of Calcutta who was also a member of the Order.
"Besides housing the Seat of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knight Hospitaller, Palazzino Sapienti has now opened its doors to the public who might be interested to visit it. Moreover lectures regarding various subjects are organized inside one of its rooms wherein we are also giving the opportunity to university students who would like to present talks about their studies or thesis."
Certainly, an invitation to such a prestigious, architectural, and historical gem, should not be missed.
(This article was published in 'Focus Valletta' Suppliment issued with The Times of Malta dated 30 September 2015)
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