In a land of perpetual sunshine and ready smiles, where every other self-respecting person calls himself a honorific doctor of one kind or another, the charm that is Malta takes on different forms for people of various tastes and inclinations. There is a morsel of exuberance not only in the ways the Maltese see themselves in peacock feathers, but also in the manner others view them. The Maltese are clearly a bundle of contradictions. They are as complex as they are simple, as charming as they are abrupt, as cosmopolitan as they are parochial, all depending on the mood of the moment. As such they are no different than people of other nationalities, yet in a certain narrowly focused aspect their national profile is indeed unique.
It is often remarked by visitors to Malta that the local people are amongst the warmest, most gregarious and cordial, a fortunate stranger can ever run across. Seemingly once a visitor always a friend. Their love of extended family and children is equally legend. Yet Mario Cutajar, an expatriate Maltese, recently wrote an excellent article in an American national travelogue magazine titled "Carved In History", in which he shrewdly concluded that Malta has always had a dual character for him, sheltering and nurturing on the one hand, insular and confining on the other. Indeed Malta afforded the author a sharp study in contrasts.
There is no begrudging Malta its universally acclaimed hospitality, yet on introspection there surfaces a curious but distinct trait of absolutes. The effusive Maltese are quick to judge an unfamiliar person as conclusively "simpatiku" or "mhux simpatiku" within minutes of making his/her acquaintance, based on shallow criteria such as one's physical appearance, body language, or tone of voice. Every interaction thereafter is predicated on which side of the aisle the person is intuitively delegated. Those adjudged favorably can do no harm, while others who fail to make the grade suffer the consequences of their perceived shortcomings!! The adage of love at first sight has been finely tuned in Malta.
Black and white attitudes are symptomatic of the great divide which pervades the Maltese collective psyche. In true Latin fashion one is either for or against an argument or proposition. No middle ground is allowed for compromise in an ideological war where no prisoners are taken alive. The unbridgeable divide between Malta's conservative nationalist party to the right and its mortal nemesis the liberal labor party to the left, rule out any option for a third moderate political party of the center. Likewise a discomforting generational gap is widening between older folks who uphold Catholic behavioral strictures as a natural extension of being born Maltese, and rebellious youngsters whose reverence for religion has been replaced by emulated irresponsible conduct found elsewhere in the United States and Western Europe. In a way not fully appreciated by those who champion a break from Malta's traditional past, the accelerating conformity of modern dress and mannerisms is robbing Malta of its unique character so cherished by tourists.
Providentially for Malta its future is not all gloom and doom. Deprived of towering mountains, rushing rivers, spectacular waterfalls and other natural wonders, Malta is amply blessed with a particular scenic beauty of its very own. The secret is in its diminutive size and extraordinary history. One of the smallest nations in Europe, it boasts a treasure trove of magnificent architectural buildings, bastions and fortifications constructed during and since Europe's period of awakening, the renaissance. Other equally impressive sites are scattered throughout Malta in close proximity. Its superlative churches, built out of locally quarried limestone slabs, are as beautiful as any others found in Europe. The interiors of Saint John's Co-Cathedral and Mdina's Cathedral are amongst the most imposing in Christendom. Malta is also home to the oldest known free standing manmade structures found on our planet. Its megalithic temples now under patronage of UNESCO's World Heritage Site Foundation, were built between 3600-3500 BC. Where else but in Malta can so much history be seen within a 122 square miles (316Km) of travelling distance.
While Malta is European in manners, dress, religion and culture, its Italianate traditions are tempered by a lackadaisical attitude borrowed unhesitatingly from its former Arab occupiers. The mid-afternoon Sesta, observed during the hot and humid summer season, is as much a way of life on the Mediterranean island as one maddeningly encounters in Benghazi, Beirut or Riyadh. To the consternation of western tourists Malta's quaint bazaars are shut tight for the duration of early afternoons, while local merchants renew their vigor with sweet dreams of ringing cash registers.
No account on Malta is complete without mention of the multi-lingual dexterity of its people. While English, Italian and to a lesser extent French are spoken with relative ease, Maltese remains its native vernacular. It is the sole Semitic language to have made the transition to full fledged use of a Romanized script. Modern Maltese is riddled with foreign loan formations which have "corrupted" its purity. In years to come it is doubtful Maltese can survive as a viable language, given the constant flux of cross cultural influences reaching Malta's insular shores, and the enlargement of English as a universal lingua franca. Where but in Malta can one enjoy such an intense conglomeration of European history focused on so small an unforgettable island nation.
E-mail to Joseph Vella: vellajoseph@msn.net
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