On the Dot

Many people try to reduce their intake of Eastertide-related sweetmeats. As a result, they may ration out kwareżimal and figolli, without being aware of the potential dangers. Not removing any cellophane or plastic wrappers means that mould spores may be present without being evident, before the fungus multiplies. The public must be informed that it is not enough to cut away those areas of the confections that appear to have been affected.
Customised

• Why was all the fuss made about whether or not shops ought to open on Good Friday? One reason appears to be that some street vendors, including those who sell faith-related objects, could conduct business. So this was, perhaps, an exercise in equality.
Corners

• Valletta was a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen, not by bureaucrats for drivers. This much is evident from the new traffic plans that will come into force once the traffic flow directions are changed, following the demolition of City Gate. In all probability, the system was designed on paper – which, of course, indicates that all Valletta streets except the coast road ones criss-cross one another at right angles. Was proper attention made to gradients and pedestrian traffic?
Counters

• Special words of thanks go to the two young ladies at the counter of the Ħamrun branch of Maltapost. They are always with a smile on their face, ready to help elderly clients who turn up with several papers when all they need is the one that is the bill, indicating the amount they need to pay.
Carriages

• Ordinary buses are being seen to travel local routes, without taking up passengers, and sometimes with a “not in service” placard indicating that the people who are travelling in them may not be ordinary passengers. Are these runs meant to compute the optimum basic time that a journey ought to take, without any stops, such that calculations may be made for when the Arriva buses begin service? Or are the drivers potential employees being tested on their roads sense?
Customised

A lot, perhaps too much, fuss is being made about the forthcoming divorce referendum, which is a one-off thing. It is weird to note, however, that a permanent infrastructure change like the City Gate project did not warrant a referendum, and neither does hunting which, year after year, raises the hackles of many.
Coverage

• The prehistoric temples were covered for protection, their beauty hidden. However, the car park just outside Valletta remains without a roof, despite its inherent ugliness. One wonders whether this was intentional, or whether a ceiling for the last storey would have meant less income for the owners. Maybe a little more greenery would make the place less conspicuous once the whole area is renovated.
Collection

Without any doubt, one of the most beautiful exhibitions of Eastertide-related statuary was the one at San Anton palace at Attard. This featured antique life-sized statues, miniature, unpainted clay statues, and many other variations on the theme. It would be wonderful were this exhibition to be moved to an exhibition hall like, for example, Dar il-Mediterran, where it would not need to be divided into two segments, and it would be enjoyed by a great number of people, during the coming months.
Cycling

• James C. Wightman of St Julians took exception to the fact that this column criticised cyclists, for the wrong reasons. The correspondent failed to notice that the complaint addressed the church parvis being used as a playground, and also that the bicycles were not being used to commute to school but to perform dangerous wheelie tricks that could have fatal consequences.
Changes

• Is it possible that the people who order the digging of trenches in main streets or residential areas do not have access to five-day weather reports? Especially when a weekend comes between the commencement of works and their continuation, rain will turn large areas into fields of heavy, sticky clay that takes much longer to dry than ordinary mud, multiplying the inconvenience to motorists and residents.
Cemetery

• Each time there is heavy rainfall, it would seem that more weathered bits and pieces of the fascinating Gothic architecture of the Maria Addolorata Cemetery melt away into aggregate to be swept away in the flow. This national monument is well due for a renovation. It is useless expanding the perimeters and boasting of the additional number of graves, when such wanton destruction is being allowed to happen. Moreover, some slippery stairways have no banister rails, making them doubly dangerous.