Language Courses 2005-2006

Saturday, 1^st  October –    First day German language classes for schoolchildren
Tuesday, 4^th October –      First day German language classes for adults
Wednesday, 5^th October – First day Maltese language for foreigners & Conversation Classes

Regular attendance is essential for success in these courses.  Students are informed that no one will be allowed to sit for end-of-course examinations should his/her attendance during the year be less than 60%.  The recommended textbooks are available from the Circle’s Library.  Scholarships consisting of 4-week German language courses at a Goethe Institute in Germany will be awarded to the best students in the adult courses.

Biking the  Berlin Wall - A photographic exhibition by Peter Trzeciok with an introduction by Michael Cramer – Member of the European Parliament 

The Berlin Wall may well be one of the most emotion-charged structures built in the 20th century. Not only did it cleave one of Europe's great capitals in two – the Wall stood as a concrete symbol of the world's division into two opposing blocs. Today its remnants remain a memorial against violence, tyranny and the abuse of power, and as a warning to future generations never to forget the price Europe paid for its Cold War division. The photo-exhibiton of Peter Trzeciok presented by Michael Cramer (MEP) shows sights and places of interest along the entire length of the Wall that encircled West Berlin. The result allows a trip along one of the frontlines of 20th century European history in one of modern Europe's most exciting cities. 

This event will be organised by Ceratonia Foundation and the opening will be held at the German-Maltese Circle, Messina Palace, St. Christopher Street, Valletta, on Friday 7^th October 2005 at 6.30pm.  The exhibition will be inaugurated by H.E. Ambassador Georg Merten and by Dr Harry Vassallo.  The exhibition will be on till the end of October. 

Dr John Paul Grech has become Malta’s new Ambassador to Germany.  Dr Grech is a high-ranking diplomatic officer serving in the grade of First Counsellor within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Prior to this appointment, he served as Malta’s Deputy Permanent Representative in Vienna.

MALTA VERSUS GERMANY – RUGBY WORLD CUP 2007 – THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND

On Saturday 29^th October, the Malta National Rugby Team face their sternest test yet when they take on the might of Germany at Hibernians Stadium in Corradino, after successfully battling through the first two rounds of the World Cup Qualifiers.  Malta currently rank 54^th in the world rankings out of the hundred or so ranked nations and Germany are 27^th. To reach this far Malta have overcome teams some twenty or so places above them, notably Switzerland and Denmark, but this match will challenge them to rise to a new high level, to beat a team 27 places above them. 

Despite a lack of size in the Maltese team, there is spirit, skill and determination, that although they must start as underdogs, they could cause a shock. On the other hand Germany have a far bigger organization, many more players and clubs.  The last two international matches in Malta have been well attended by an enthusiastic and friendly crowd who have arrived early and really enjoyed themselves.  

The Malta Rugby Association is expecting yet another spectacular and crowd pleasing event attended by some 3,000 to 4,000 fans. The tradition at Rugby matches is that, probably because the game is very tough, the spectators are noisy but friendly. It is always a good social occasion.  Therefore we are expecting a good atmosphere and hope that many of the German-Maltese Circle’s members will attend and possibly even contribute to the happy exchange of cultures as well as the sporting spectacle.  

Contact has been made with German Travel organizations to promote the event and we hope to attract several hundred fans from Germany.  The event kicks off at 13.15 hours at the Hibernians Ground in Kordin on Saturday 29^th October. Tickets can be obtained at the door at Lm3.50 or before the game at Lm3.  Tickets are available at all Exotique outlets, Dubliners Pub, Ryans Pub and at Elite Valletta.

Before the curd – which is previously formed into small “Käseröllchen”  known as “Klitschen” can be seasoned, it has to follow a rigidily controlled drying period on wooden planks and then at a certain point in time, which only a very experienced producer knows, it is placed into a box with living mites. Yes mites – no typing mistakes!! Timing is the essence. If the cheese is too wet it will become cloggy, if it is too dry it will become as hard as stone.  

Milbenkäse is a soft cheese with around 1% fat and needs approximately 3 months to mature. This cheese is very healthy.  It is very tasty, digestive and filling. The cheese along with its crawling mites have a high protein content!!  Any volunteers?  

“Journalism is a very rewarding career, a most exciting one indeed, but people who choose it should have a very strong heart, because you are a close witness to what is happening.” Those were in fact the final words of Laurence Grech when I interviewed him. I wanted to begin with them, as they show the sincerity with which he pursues his profession. As most people have an aim in life, something they are really proud of, so one of the biggest joys – if not the greatest pride - for Laurence Grech is the fact that The Sunday Times, and its sister daily, The Times, have never missed a single issue since the Times of Malta was first published seventy years ago – on August 7, 1935 (and that includes the war years). 

For the last 14 of those 70 years, The Sunday Times has been his responsibility. His personal career is closely interwoven with that of the paper, his interests concern local and world politics to be journalistically presented, discussed – or perhaps only merely just mentioned – depending on the prevailing circumstances. 

Laurence Grech is well known in Malta, has many friends and acquaintances, but only a few know him as a student at the German-Maltese Circle. He was a member already from 1969 to 1977 when he gained basic knowledge of the German language and, as he put it: “I wanted to immerse myself in German”. Then he rejoined last year and attended conversation classes, and jokes that his linguistic knowledge keeps on improving by leaps and bounds.  

Last year he also studied German for one month at the EF International School in Munich while living with a Bavarian family, where none of the family members spoke English. And he excitedly tells of concerts and operas, plays and art museums he visited in Munich during this period. By today, he modestly says, he gets the drift of a normal conversation and even follows the German quiz programme “Wir testen die Besten” (We test the best) conducted by Denis Wilms on the German WDR TV channel, which, he adds, is actually a programme for schoolchildren – and, of course, he knows most of the answers! 

Laurence Grech was born at home in Msida; his father an assistant headteacher originally in Gozo, had lost his first wife and four of their children when a solitary bomb was dropped on Ghajnsielem – one of the very few enemy air raids on Gozo  during World War II. His second wife was also a teacher, and so Laurence and his younger sister grew up in an “educational” environment. He attended St Monica School in Birkirkara, run by the Augustinian Sisters, and St Aloysius College, also in Birkirkara, which he entered at the age of nine and finished at fourteen. In January 1963, barely six months after finishing school, Laurence joined the Times of Malta (as it then was), as a cub reporter. He was two months short of this 15^th birthday, which probably makes him one of the youngest reporters ever! 

However, he continued to study after work. He obtained his A-Level in History, and later in Economics and Economic History after he joined the Business Studies course at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, also known as the Polytechnic, in Msida.  In the meantime he had been transferred from The Times to The Sunday Times and was eagerly climbing the career ladder, step by step: after serving as sub-editor, he became assistant editor and, at the age of 22, deputy editor. He became editor, the position he holds to date, on his 43^rd birthday, March 11, 1991. In addition he was the chief parliamentary correspondent of The Times during the rough years from 1976 to 1988.  

Although this parliamentary activity suited his political interests, he gave it up in order to be able to spend more quality time with his children. He had married Lilian Azzopardi, a teacher, in 1975, and they were blessed with three sons born in 1976, 1979 and 1982. And as a young father he wanted to be able to see his sons grow up and to be available to them as a father figure. The family lived in Balzan then moved to Birkirkara in 1994. 

Laurence Grech witnessed and commented on the very turbulent times Malta went through, before and after it gained independence from Britain in 1964. At that time up to 11,000 Maltese were employed with the British Services, however they kept their jobs since Britain and Malta had signed a defence treaty. But the Maltese government realised that the island’s future could no longer be tied to military spending, but had to diversify into manufacturing industry, tourism and agriculture. The first big hotels were being built in the Sixties - the beginning of the tourist industry. Political upheavals and confrontations marked these years and were reflected in the newspapers. 

However, his literally and mentally blackest day was created by billowing smoke over Valletta: Political “hotheads” had gone berserk and set the building housing The Times and The Sunday Times on fire on a not so fine day in October 1979. Large fierce flames licked out of the windows, gutting the building. He went home in total despair and told his wife that with the future looking bleak, they should start thinking about emigrating to Australia. However, Providence intended otherwise: late that night his colleague telephoned and asked him to write his report from Parliament – the newspaper was being published after all, at another printing press. The paper came out at 7 a.m., but the amazed citizens of Malta could buy “their” Times as usual, if only an eight-pager. After those bleak days, The Times and The Sunday Times not only recovered, but have gone from strength to strength, despite tough competition. 

Among other things Laurence Grech is the Malta correspondent for ANSA, the leading Italian news agency, as well as for dpa – Deutsche Presse-Agentur – in Hamburg. He is a Fellow of the Salzburg Seminar of American Studies, and was recently decorated with the Oscar del Mediterraneo, awarded by the Institute known as ISLAS in Palermo, Sicily.  

He covered important events like the visit of the Maltese Foreign Minister Censu Tabone to Cairo in 1987, Prime Minister Fenech Adami’s visit to the USA in 1988, the signing of the Charter of Paris in November 1990, the EU Summit in Florence in June 1996, the German election of 1998, when Gerhard Schröder came to power, the 50^th anniversary of the Council of Europe in Budapest 1999, and the EXPO in Hanover in 2000.  

Laurence and Lilian Grech also like to travel privately, have seen many countries, usually with an emphasis on special musical or theatre delights which they both have a deep love for. It could be a music cruise in the Baltic, a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic in Germany, or watching Vanessa Redgrave perform in A Madhouse in Goa in London; sailing with the old steamships down the River Danube from Passau to Budapest, art galleries and museums like the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Pergamon in Berlin, the Prado in Madrid, or enjoying the delights of California and Florida. They have visited many lands, experienced their cultures, communicated with inhabitants of modern and remote places. But never, so Laurence said, was there a moment again that they wanted to emigrate from Malta, leave their archipelago where their strong roots are, where they had witnessed great changes on small scale and where they intend to stay.

Dieses Wörterbuch Maltesisch-Deutsch / Deutsch-Maltesisch schlägt eine Brücke zwischen den beiden Sprachen im Rahmen der Europäischen Union. Mit mehr als 64.000 Einträgen entspricht es dem aktiven Wortschatz eines Durchschnittsprechers der jeweiligen Sprache. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf dem Alltagsvokabular, womit dieses praktische Wörterbuch für Touristen, Dolmetscher und Sprachwissenschaftler hilfreich ist. Eine Suchhilfe für das Stichwort in seinen grammatikalischen Formen, typographische Hinweise auf den Sinn und Verweise auf die Bedeutung(en) eines Wortes zeichnen dieses Wörterbuch aus.

 Dan id-dizzjunarju jibni pont dirett bejn il-lingwa Maltija u dik Germaniza fil-kwadru ta’ l-Unjoni Ewropea. B’il fuq min 64,000 citazzjoni hemm migbur il-vokabularju ordinarju-attiv kemm tal-Malti kemm tal-Germaniz. Qed jinghata kliem li huwa familjari u wkoll xi termini xjentifici. Mela dan id-dizzjunarju prattiku hu ta’ ghajnuna kbira mhux biss lil-lingwista u lill-interpreti, izda wkoll lit-turisti, li jinteressaw ruhhom fil-ilsien.  Ghajnuna ghal tiftix tal-kelma skond l-ordni alfabetiku meta tkun taf xi forma tieghu, accenni tipografici ghat-tifsira u ghas-sens kultant divers tal-kliem, jikkaratterizzaw id-dizzjunarju.

 THIS NEW PUBLICATION IS AVAILABLE IN OUR LIBRARY 

WIEHED JISTA JARA DAN ID-DIZZJUNARJU GDID FIL-LIBRERIJA TAGHNA 

DIESE NEUERSCHEINUNG IST IN UNSERER BIBLIOTHEK VORHANDEN

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