I must be growing old as I have been reminiscing over my childhood!
I grew up on the small island of Malta in the Mediterranean. Then it was a British Colony. Schooling was in British English, followed the British curriculum, which was quite tough, but we did learn French and Italian and pretty well too.

But before I was school age we had to live through World War II. As a British colony we were automatically involved in the war but the Island was woefully unequipped for battle, no standing Army, just British forces on a tour of duty, no battleships but we did have three rickety planes,aptly named, Faith, Hope and Charity! We also boasted of a large natural harbor which, of course was invaluable for the British Navy.

With Italy, our neighbor, siding with the Axis, the harbor became a favorite place for bombings. Stray bombs were frequent and we had many civilian casualties as well as major destruction of housing. At the peak of it all, my parents decided to evacuate to the sister Island of Gozo, a very rural place and relatively out of the battle zone. There we settled in rather primitive conditions. I remember our toilet was a cement seat with a hole in it. Bathing had to be done in a zinc tub amidst much splashing and stinging soap.

I was old enough to sort of realise what was happening around me but young enough to enjoy the liberty I had, to run and play in the village square with a host of new friends. I learnt so many intriguing things I would never have had in the city. I learnt to choose the right small branch with the right shape to form a catapult. To load it and aim it at some poor unsuspecting bird. When, by sheer luck I did hit one I was in tears! So I learnt to fashion a new toy. This was a type of pan pipe. It was made from a cut out of a fresh bamboo rod, stacks of which grew near a natural spring. You had to cut a section between the "knuckles" of the bamboo making sure not to tear the thin membrane on both ends. Then slitting a mouth hole and you were supposed to be able to play a simple tune.

By 1942, the US had entered the War and the first thing they did in our part of the world was to build a landing strip for planes. Things then really heated up. Some US naval personnel also arrived on the Island and ships, planes and artillery made for a mighty racket, day and night. I was used to the British naval uniform but the first time I saw a US seaman in uniform I thought their hat was quite funny! I was playing in the public gardens along with my younger brother and two US seamen were sitting on a bench watching us play. They beckoned to my brother and one of them dandled him on his knee. He told me he left a little boy back home and was hoping to see him again once the war was over. He then put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll and offered a candy to my brother. My brother just stared at it then looked inquiringly at me. Being older, I dimly remembered what that roll was and stretching out my hand I grabbed it and said: " He has never eaten or seen candy but I have! " It was a roll of candy that had a hole in the center. They were so good!

A short while later as the battleground moved up north we returned to Malta and to a semblance of ordinary life. Our house was still standing, so that was one great blessing and soon I had to start attending school. But that is another story.

On Aging.

If you want a long life, be prepared to grow old. How many times have I heard this when I complain of the limitations age brings in agility, alertness or mental acuity!

But I don't feel old! I still want to be energetic in my garden, but oh the backaches and sore muscles! I love to hike but tire way too soon. What about shopping, a woman's delight, usually? Now I go for what I need, roam around to see what's new and very soon that is the end of that. Museums, art galleries and botanical or ornamental gardens, so interesting and informative, now have the same effect.

I love travelling and somehow I still find the spark to do more when travelling than usually, but roughing it is now out of the question. After a day's sightseeing, all I want is a large warm jetted tub and a comfortable bed.

What can one do to deter the limitations of age? As a young person, I took good care of my skin, washing and cleansing and moisturising and going very easy on make-up. But where food was concerned, I loved to cook, eat,dine out, try exotic foods, anything that has savor and flavor. Too late did I come to realise that you are what you eat, to quote another old cherry, and quite a few pounds later I find out that I could have enjoyed all I ate but tweaked my eating pattern by giving more importance to antioxidants first and foremost, and devoting a few days a month to resting my digestive system by eating whole unprocessed foods, lots of greens, preferably raw, legumes and nuts. By thus doing, I would have given my system a break and a flush and helped to avoid as many free radicals as possible.
Maybe doing so, I would have had more supple joints and a lighter step in my walk.

Maybe, maybe, in my next life I could remember my own advice.

Iran/USA

We all agree that yet another tragedy is unfolding before our very eyes! How many times have we seen a people rise against its oppressors, especially in Post War Europe?We can also say that all the Continents have at some time or other, even now, gone through this convulsion of a people who rebel in desperate fury against repressive regimes. What can we say or do when this happens?
What we must remember is that, as in the case of Iran, they are now trying to rid themselves of a regime which they themselves elected, to do away with another regime, that of the Shah of Persia, an ally of the USA. Cuba, might be another region where people will try to overthrow the very same Government that they elected to rid themselves of a despotic and corrupt regime. Maybe even N. Korea might try something similar some day, but the outlook seems very dismal for that long-suffering people.
Going back to Iran, I have been struck by the number of Iranian-American reporters and speakers who, while they appreciate that the US is resolutely against the oppression of a people by its own people, they are also clearly pointing out that the Iranians are looking more for moral than political support. They appreciate the guarded supportive words of President Obama and I must say that I thoroughly agree with him, at least on this subject. The Iranians are a world and a culture apart from the US.
They are a proud, intelligent and fiercely patriotic people and prefer to fight their own battles in their own way. US support during the times of the Shah resulted in open hostility when the Country chose the Ayatollah as their Leader of choice. That they have come to regret it is a subject that we can only conjecture on. Half of the Country seems still to favor the fanatic religious rule.
Again, fanatic in our eyes, but not in the eyes of many.To the religious Islamic regimes out there, the US and Europe appear in their eyes as a people driven by money, worldly goods, position and power. They have become estranged from the sober teachings of their Faiths. Their ideas are too avante garde for them to appreciate and where females are concerned, they think that the Western woman has lost femininity, dignity and grace.
Not that their treatment of women is to be recommended or even copied!We can only hope that the Iranians will manage to somehow persuade their leaders to take a long look at the trials and tribulations of their people and to come to some arrangement which, first and foremost is workable and dignified for its people.
The chances are that it would not be the arrangement that the West would like. But then, that is what makes a nation, sovereign, the right to make and live by their mistakes.

This and That

In today's climate of uninsured citizens for health benefits, I shall talk about an intervention I have just had a few days ago. After years and years of suffering with terrible back pains and havng tried every method offered on the market as a salve or even a solution, I have been fortunate to be recommend to The Laser Spine Institute of Scottsdale.
I am of Medicare age and found out that Medicare will cover a part of the expense but that I had to find the rest. Inspite of the fact that finances are bad at the moment, I managed to gather the required amount, (sizeable)
But what a wise decision this was! It has barely been three days that I came out of surgery and the old pain seems to be gone. Unfortunately, it is temporarily replaced by a nasty ache in my tail bone, where an injection had to be given. But painkillers and constant icing is really helping. I have started walking short distances and slowly slowly I am regaining mobility.
But the point of all his is that even with managed Health care this type of intervention would be out of the financial range of Managed Care. I am all for health coverage for the unfortunately large section of the population with litle or no access to health care, but unless it is two tiered, which means that private doctors and Institutes are allowed to operate out of the managed care system, the result would be that you cater to the masses at theexpense of the many who are willing to pay extra, you are limiting the rights of this section to get the best that they can afford.
I have seen the British NHS and the Canadian counerpart at work and must say that for the day to day aches , pains,and regular illnesses and accidents that are part of life, they stand among the best. It is only when things get complicated that problems begin, This is when you need a specialist and in Canada, which is one tier, you have to wait till a specialist or surgeon is available, of course unless it is a matter of life and death. Then you go to Emergency and get whoever specialist is on duty that day.
In Britian, private doctors and specialists are still allowed to practice out of the system but it s going to cost you!
The best system s the Swiss model where the doctors who work within managed care are very well paid, you get to a specialist immediately within the system and are very well taken care of. Of course, if you also carry private Health Insurance over and above the State one, you can then pick and choose and ensure that your peoblems are solved quickly and efficiently. But the annual output for supplementary health Insurance more than makes up for the whopping bills one has to pay in the US. In other words, since the medics. are paid promptly and well, the cost is not exhorbitant and the supplementary Insurance picks up at least 80% of the tab.
A model to look into!!

Life in Arizona, through the eyes of a European!

Let me start by saying that Arizona is the most original place I have ever seen. Besides the fact that the State has a Low Desert, Hot,hot, hot in Summer and gorgeous in Winter. Then there is the High Desert in the north mainly home to the Navajo and Hopi Nations where the summer is hot but the winter is pretty cold as the elevation is over 7000feet, hence the High Desert. In the middle are the towns and picturesque areas which enjoy a four season climate.
Being brought up speaking British English, I had a hard time understanding the American version and also being understood! Forget the "tomato/tomahto" standard joke, but listening to the various programs mainly political, I have had a struggle with quite a few "gems" For example, an "oversight" in B English is something which has been skipped over, missed or left out. In A English is is used as the past
participle for "overseeing" which has a totally different meaning. Another which bugs me greatly is the use of "momentarily" to mean 'in a moment" Momentarily is an Adverb which is used to govern a Verb and should be used close to a verb or to describe it. When someone say "I will be back momentarily, it should be "in a moment or in a short time. You can say" I will momentarily be absent " this is correct as the word "momentarily is telling me more about being absent. It is where you place the word in the construction of a sentence that gives correctness to the use of words.
Maybe, by now you might have guessed that I am a bit of a grammar freak, but I studied this subject for many years at school and it has really stuck.
So much for today!!