Familji “Mħallta”

Fl-Ewropa, in-numru ta’ familji “mħallta” – fejn l-omm u l-missier issibhom ta’ nazzjonalità jew oriġini nazzjonali differenti – hu kbir. Hemm min isostni li familji hekk qed jiżdiedu. Hi konsegwenza naturali tal-ħelsien fost iċ-ċittadini tal-pajjiżi fl-Unjoni Ewropea biex jgħixu u jaħdmu f’pajjiżi Ewropej oħra. Li ħaġa bħal din hi fattur importanti tinduna biha minnufih jekk tqatta’ xi żmien fi Brussell.
Biss ma tistax tawarrab fatturi oħra. Fis-snin ħamsin, sittin u anke sebgħin tas-seklu l-ieħor, lejn l-Ewropa tal-punent seħħet migrazzjoni ta’ ħaddiema mill-Portugall, Spanja, l-Italja, l-Greċja, il-pajjiżi tal-Maghreb, kif ukoll mit-Turkija. Komunitajiet kbar minn dawk il-pajjiżi daħħlu taħlit “naturali” mal-familji tal-pajjiżi li laqgħuhom.
Imbagħad fl-aħħar deċennji kien hemm l-isplużjoni tat-turiżmu. Għexieren tal-miljuni kull xahar jivvjaġġaw minn pajjiż għall-ieħor.
Għad irrid insib xi studju jew rapport li jagħti ħarsa tajba, “sintetika”, lejn dan il-fenomenu, li qed iżid b’mod interessanti fid-diversità Ewropea.
“LOW COST”
Nissuspetta li l-linji tal-ajru “low cost” resqin lejn il-quċċata tal-iżvilupp tagħhom, jekk ma qabżuhiex diġà. Tant kibru li qed jiddakkru mill-vizzji ta’ kull min ma jistax ilaħħaq aktar mal-mudell li tellaq ta’ kif jixtieq jagħmel in-negozju. Dan se jagħmilhom vulnerabbli għal kompetituri b’viżjoni ta’ ħidma differenti minn tagħhom.
L-għajta li magħhom tivvjaġġa “bl-irħis” saret f’numru sostanzjali ta’ każi falza. Bl-irħis jekk tinzerta tibbukkja meta jkunu f’ċerta fażi tal-proċess li bih qed jimlew ajruplan bil-passiġġieri, u skont id-destinazzjoni. Barra minn hekk biex tgħaxxaqha, abbord ibigħulek bi prezzijiet esaġerati prodotti ta’ kwalità mill-aktar baxxa.
L-għajta li jżommu l-ħin saret ukoll dejjem aktar falza… meta wkoll ma jipprovaw ibellgħulek ir-ross bil-labra billi jgħidulek li vjaġġ li jieħu siegħa, itul sa siegħa u tliet kwarti, biex anki jekk jiddewmu, jistgħu jgħidu li żammew il-ħin. Dan barra milli t-trattament tal-passiġġieri abbord u fl-ajruport sar iħabbatha fl-arroganza ma’ dak tal-“eqdem” linji tal-ajru.
F’NOFS AWWISSU
Ħlief fil-fabriki, ma daħlitx f’Malta d-drawwa ġenerali li n-negozji żgħar u kbar jieħdu btala ta’ ġimgħa jew tnejn għall-ħabta ta’ nofs Awwissu. Forsi destinazzjoni turistika bħal tagħna ma tantx tista’ tippermetti lilha nnifisha dan il-lussu – għalkemm bliet turistiċi bħal Ruma u Pariġi ma jaħsbuhiex hekk.
Min-naħa l-oħra, bħal fis-sud tal-Ewropa, għadha mifruxa sew id-drawwa li l-ħwienet żgħar u kbar jagħlqu għal waranofsinhar, għadilli dil-ħaġa bdiet tinbidel, l-aktar minħabba l-influwenza tas-supermarkets il-kbar. Xorta fi żmien bħal dan, ma tistax ma tammirax l-istamina u r-rieda għax-xogħol ta’ ħwienet żgħar “tal-familja”, li jibqgħu jiftħu għal sebagħt ijiem fil-ġimgħa, ħlief għall-Ħadd filgħaxija.

English Version – ‘Mixed’ families

In Europe, the number of “mixed” families – with mother and father having different nationalities or being of different national origin – is quite huge. There are claims that their number is growing. That would be a natural consequence of the freedom of movement that allows EU citizens to live and work in other European countries. That this is an important factor can soon be noted when you have spent some time in Brussels.

However other factors are surely also relevant. In the fifties, sixties, even the seventies decades of the last century, a wave of migration occurred towards Western Europe by workers from Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, the Maghreb countries as well as Turkey. The presence of sizable communities from these countries led to a “natural” interaction with families from the host country.

Then more recently, there has been an explosion in tourism spanning several decades. Every month, scores of millions visit this and that country.

I still have to discover a study or report that provides a good, “synthetic” account of this phenomenon which is increasing European diversity in an interesting manner.

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‘Low cost’

Low cost airlines could be reaching the peak of their development, if they have not already gone beyond it. They have grown so much that they are onloading the vices of business organizations which fail to cope any more with the business model they have themselves launched. If so, this makes them vulnerable to competitors that come along with a different strategic vision.

The claim that low cost airlines provide travel opportunities “on the cheap” has become fake in a substantial number of cases. Their offer is cheap yes, depending on the phase at which they are filling up a plane with passengers when you happen to be booking, and depending on the destination. In addition, to compound matters, when on board, they sell you products of extremely low quality at exaggerated prices.

Their otherclaim that they are punctual is becoming increasingly fake… when they do not also try to pull the wool over your eyes by telling you that a flight which takes an hour is scheduled to take an hour and three quarters. Even if they run late, they can then still claimto have been punctual. All this on top of their treatment of passengers prior to boarding and on the plane, which at peak season can compete in arrogance with that of the long established airlines.

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Mid-August

With the exception of factories, there is no general custom in Malta for businesses, big and small, take a week or two off in mid-August. Perhaps a tourist destination like ours can hardly afford such a luxury, though touristic cities like Rome and Paris do not have such qualms.

On the other hand, in line with southern European practice, the custom is still widespread for small and bigger shops to stay shut in the afternoon (even if things are changing, mainly due to the example of the major supermarkets). Yet at a season like this, it is hard not to admire the stamina and work determination of the small family run shops, which still open seven days a week, except for Sunday evening.