Club News

A Message From Our President

Hello All,
Well, another month has skidded on by. I am beginning to feel like a broken record, repeating that there is not much to report and wishing that I had new, exciting news to share. I do, however, see the glimmer of hope as I hear of more people receiving their first and second doses of the vaccine. Things are progressing slowly, maybe not as quickly as we would like, but eventually we will get there. As I say this, I hope you and your families are doing well and continuing to stay healthy.

Please keep the members we have lost already this year in your thoughts and prayers. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and we remember the wonderful times we have had with them.

Recently, I was contacted by the Maltese Embassy and was asked to forward a message from Agenzija Zghazagh (National Youth Agency of Malta), looking for Maltese youth or of Maltese decent under the age of 30, they are trying to set up communications and interviews. Interested parties can reach out to Maria Carmela Borg, maria-carmela.borg@gov.mt. There is nothing else to report this month, I will talk to you all in the March Newsletter. We all just have to continue to see how our situation progress and can only hope this all ends soon.

Until then, all the best.

Joe

Message from the Honorary Consul General of Malta, Louis Vella

Warmest greetings to all fellow members of the Maltese Club and the Maltese-American Community in California. By the time you read this article, the Super Bowl will be way behind us and hopefully everyone enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of football and entertainment, away from the worries of the crazy times we are living. In Malta, hundreds of people watch the Super Bowl every year, even though it would be normally after midnight in Malta on Superbowl Sunday when the game starts..

As some of you may know, I am on the board of directors of a non-profit organization in Malta called “Stars and Stripes Malta” and I am also a member of a group called Americans in Malta. I receive up-to-date information about American life and influences as seen and perceived in Malta and Gozo.

Presepju: Last month I shared with you the exhibition of 10 Nativity scenes that are currently still on display at the museum of the bible. I have received a few replies from our readers who are interested in seeing one of these 10 Nativity scenes be brought to the Bay Area instead of it going back to Malta after the end of the exhibition period. We know there are many people in the Bay Area who love the tradition of the Nativity Scene (Delettanti tal-Presepju) we would like to hear from more who would like to see one of these exhibits brought over from the East Coast of the US to the Bay Area. The exhibition will soon. be over and these Nativity scenes will be going back to Malta unless we organize a good effort to bring one of them here.

If you are interested in bringing one of the “Presepji” to the Bay Area, please be sure to contact the Malta Consulate office at malteseconsulate@yahoo.com or call 650-631-8200 and let us know that you would like to see one of the presepji brought to the Bay Area. We can then display it at various locations every year during the holiday season.

Travel: Traveling to Europe including Malta is still not considered safe, especially if one makes a stop in London or in Italy. The news of the UK and other similar variants of Covid is making traveling across the Atlantic still risky. Health experts are still insisting that we avoid crowds even small ones, particularly in close quarters and to practice the guidelines issued by health authorities.

Not sure if you had a chance to log on to Maltese newspapers on the first week of February. A photo showing Maltese Ambassadors and Consuls posted in the US including the one in San Francisco, all wearing safety masks in solidarity with health experts and to encourage all Maltese-Americans to continue to practice social distancing and proper hygiene practices.

All Maltese-Americans, especially those 65 years and over, are encouraged to receive the vaccine. Even though we do not yet know the long-term effects, all approved vaccines are so far proving to be the best way to protect ourselves against the virus. Thousands of people in Malta are getting vaccinated every day. By Summer it is anticipated that in Malta, everyone who chooses to, will be vaccinated.

I continue to encourage you all to keep your families, friends and loved ones as well as the entire Maltese-American Community constantly in your thoughts and to watch out for each other. One never knows the last time we are able to do so. We hope and pray the end of the ordeal we are all going through is not too far away.

Always remember that, it is not what we take but what we give that make us rich.