-an OD of Love-

Welcome to the first CODama Top Things of the year 2007. (No budget homepage advert or Euro 154 I’m sorry) Even if I’m not as good as the critics of the Times, In-Nazzjon or L-Orrizont, and not so much people will read this I still want to put my opinion online. It’s up to you to agree or not! Let me start with The Top Pop songs for 2007 Hey There Delilah by Plain White T's There've been thousands of heartbroken men reaching out to distant girl with a recorded song throughout the years, and it's a credit to the Plain White T's that this one manages to feel fresh. Singer Tom Higgenson has an imperfect voice, but his nasal delivery makes the nearly-comic sincerity of his lyrics “Delilah I can promise you/ That by the time we get through/ The world will never ever be the same” seem completely genuine. Backed by a warm acoustic guitar and a hint of viola, Delilah is an intimate love song that’s complete. Jigsaw Falling Into Place by Radiohead I find this song like a journey

Surfing thru you tube this morning(I'm having too many sleepless nights lately)I came across this beautiful and very touching excerpt from the opera Andrea Chenier which is performed wonderfully by Maria Callas as she plays the part of Madalena, which tends to always moves me and affects me in a distinct manner and made me reflect that during times of despair and misery every so often I get encouraged and inspired 'from above' to keep up hope and faith and I keep believing that something better will come my way (I don’t think that this happens just to me!) these are part of the lyrics: "Fu in quel dolore che a me venne l'amor! Voce piena d'armonia e dice: "Vivi ancora! Io son la vita! Ne' miei occhi e il tuo cielo! Tu non sei sola! Le lacrime tue io le raccolgo! Io sto sul tuo cammino e ti sorreggo! Sorridi ...e spera! Io son l'amore! Tutto intorno e sangue e fango? Io son divino! Io son l'oblio! Io sono il dio che sovra il mondo scendo da l

Take three characters; a handsome charmer Tommaso Massi, who’s a humble waiter, Bruno, a fantastic chef and friend of Tommaso and Laura a beautiful American girl who’s studying architecture in Italy. Add the beautiful sights and sensations of Rome blend together until mixed thoroughly. Add to these, humor, spice and romance and you are left with a sensational book from the author Anthony Capella that will draw you in from the first page and leaving you wanting more on the last page. I absolutely loved this book; it would be easy to devour this in a single sitting, as I did just when I got my hands on it on my way home on the bus (something which usually I hate doing) and I did not put it down until the last page in the next two hours, but then I recommend that on your second or third ‘serving’, read about twenty pages a day because the descriptions of Bruno's cooking really should be savored. Trust me when I say that you can almost taste the food that Bruno prepares in the story, y

Lately I had the opportunity to go and see the representations of Equus at St. James Cavalier, by a theatre company I have never heard before called Unifaun Theater. It was fantastic for several reasons! I had to "strongly encourage" my date to come along, she is young and not much into these sort of shows but even thou it is not her usual cup of tea (excuse my pun) I could see in her eyes that she has enjoyed every minute of it. Equus is not easy (I don’t even know how to pronounce it right:)). It is a kind of psychological detective story, a play which does an unusual thing. It asks why? Most plays tell us how. Equus is a psychological inquiry into a crime, a journey into someone's mind. It is a kind of highbrow suspense story, a psychic and mythic thriller, but also an essay in character and motive. It is the documentation of a crime. The story has been based on a flimsily documented but apparently true incident of a young stable hand has attacked six horses in their s

So tenderly I held you...Smoothly I spoke to you...Couldn’t realize it was odd of someone...To be so dearly...Since no one can be...In a world so cruel...riches oriented, Moment, we bustle...After what we lack... cars, flesh, luxury compartments... Hard to impede...1000 duties, intolerable burdens. But still I feel the warmth... I felt, Still have the desire to slow down...to get lost in your asylum... Can you stay a while . . .

Well I’m back to my lovely country Malta after a much considered necessary, holiday and given that I don’t have a tendency to go to cinemas when I’m abroad and I was looking for a relaxing friday evening, my choice fell on what I thought at first an easy romantic comedy by the name of No Reservations at my favorite movie complex in Valetta. In a couple of words the reason why I really loved this movie is because it made me feel sorry for not persisting my career as a chef and then again the reason why thank God I quit doing it. The reason being that some people think that they can instruct someone so passionate about his job the way he or she should do their dishes. Mind you it did at sometimes made me remember how good it feels during the service hours when one is just pushed to the limit to get the dishes to the customers fast. Another reason why I enjoyed watching it is that it is sumptuous celebration of the most important things in life, succulent food, fine wine, fantastic music

I’m writing this from the apartment which for my compagni di viaggio and I shared the last days free of charge. It is a little after midnight. It feels very, very strange to be going, but I have this strange sensation that I will be back. I guess it’s not that strange, knowing me, considering that I pretty much feel like I’m a part of this place. The families who for the last days made all their best to accommodate us and never making us feel hungry threw a dinner for us last night which was lovely… Stefano and Valentina made the first course, which consisted of gnocchi with a lovely sauce with walnuts and cream)… Camille and Louisa made tiramisu from scratch, and oh my goodness was gorgeous and the sausages stew and salads. There was lots of wine to go around. It was bittersweet, this last evening together. I hated all of this in a way because I do not want to leave them, but it felt so wonderful to be so loved and taken care of once again. These people have been a big part of my life

No good or bad review for an avid fan like me of the now made it to the 18 th series that is 10 long years cartoons show (which took the world by storm wherever it has been transmitted) will stop me from making it to the cinema to finally see the new stretched to 80 minutes episode which is called simply The Simpsons Movie J ...from the trailer alone I can see that this is a film that's so funny it could endanger your health , the problem is that the jokes come so thick and fast, you almost need an interval to recover from them...well what can a humble men like me say more...I’m definitely going to see it for at least once..(Friends know why I said for at least once...). It takes a wide screen to fully capture Homer’s stupidity and the movie does it...this particular guy has to save the world from a catastrophe that he has created himself

A new day comes, it doesn’t ask. It just walks in, where it left you last. And you never know, when it starts until there's fog inside your heart I'm not alone, Cause then I'd know, I was down because I couldn't find, a friend around To love me like, they used to do used to do Something's missing And I don't know how to fix it Something's missing And I don't know what it is No I don't know what it is Something's different And I don't know what it is No I don't know what it is I'm sick of the shopping malls I searched for joy, but I bought it all It doesn't help the pains and a thirst I'd have to drown first to ever satiate I can't be sure that this state of mind, is it one of my own design I wish there was an over the counter test, for loneliness.

The following are some pictures again taken with my mobile phone so please excuse the lack of quality of the Milorda Gardens in San Maison. This is one of my favourite gardens and in my opinion the best place to be in on a summer afternoon or even winter... I was there yesterday to attend to the launch of the new poetry book Hbula Stirati, which I am still reading and so far it has left me without adjectives to describe it, it is really good poetry book and it’s great that the authors have gut to publish similar books and hope they keep them coming. I also had the opportunity to meet Kevin Saliba one of the author which I love what he writes and I tend to check his blog because he always manage to bring back the good memories of the past Sa Maison Gardens The Sa Maison Garden is a small, pretty garden mostly known for its military heritage. The garden is also known as ‘il-Gnien tal-Milorda’ (Her Ladyship's Garden) in memory of Lady Julia Lockwood, who resided the

Everyone has his or her own interpretation of what a tribute band is or should be. In my humble experience, a tribute band is usually headed by a decent singer that can hit a majority of the notes of the singer he/she is trying to imitate and a capable band that is typically nowhere near the skill level of the band they are copying but does a decent job mimicking their heroes. Overall, most tribute bands do a fairly decent job at paying homage to the musical past of some of the top legends in music and, for the most part I am satisfied paying 10 or 15 bucks to see them as they are adequate and I may never get an opportunity to see the real deal anytime soon so I am pacified. Sometimes you run across a tribute band that really rocks and exceeds your expectations such as the Van Halen tribute band the Atomic Punks, the All-Female AC/DC tribute band Hell's Belles or the Led Zeppelin tribute band No Quarter. All three of these bands rock and they each have exceeded my expectations and

So many of the old classic rockers (and by that we mean the folks dominating FM radio in the late 60s and 70s—and for that matter, now) choose to rest on their success, to simply parrot their past triumphs on record and wallow in the past in concert. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, if you still enjoy playing the old stuff, and it comes through in your performance, who's to say you shouldn't play it? But it leaves an artist, no matter how great, in the uncomfortable position of being a nostalgia act and let’s face it, artistically irrelevant in the contemporary music landscape. Robert Plant, who shall forever have the title "former Led Zeppelin front man" attached to his name, despite having not been in that band since 1980, is not one of those artists. A fascination with world music, especially that found in Northern Africa and the Middle East, that dates back to his Zeppelin days has ensured a degree of adventurousness not often found in so-called "herit

I made yesterday a cinema night and it was funny how all films showing at my favourite complex were all sequels. Once a movie makes it big at the box office, the film makers tendency is to extract as much money as possible from the series or trilogy proposed. I was in a fairytale mood (if one can figure out what that is) so my choice and my date’s fell on Shrek the Tired, sorry I meant the Third. I settled in my seat, enjoying the good sight lines and the excited anticipation of the children, when a little voice behind me said, “Have to turn off the mobile now, it's gonna start" to the guy next to her, who being my age was probably her dad.”The child, a girl, couldn’t have been more than seven. Even in this era, seven is too early for biting wit. Then, as the movie began, I realized that this girl represents what DreamWorks Animation, the producer of this most lucrative of franchise animated features, envisions its audience to be. Tiny, but now too wise then our generation’s

Even if due to working late I was not able to attend the launch of Pierre J. Mejlak’s latest work of art, today I managed to get my hands on a signed edition of Rih Isfel from Merlin Library and I found the book very intriguing and it kept me hooked till the last page and I had to keep on reading it to find out how it is going to end. I simply loved it especially since it is a twisted plot and I love twisted ends...I stop here it’s all yours to discover...do not miss it!

I don’t need to look back A new day is breaking I feel better and it’s so good this way I don’t mind where I get taken The road is calling Today is the dayI can see It took so long to realize I’m strong Not to compromise Now I see what I am What is holding me down Ill turn it around I finally see the dawn arriving I see beyond the road I’m driving Far away and left behind Its a new horizon and I’m awaken now Oh I see myself in a brand new way The sun is shining The clouds are breaking I can’t lose now, threes no game to play I can tell There’s no more time left to criticize I’ve seen what I could not recognize Everything in my life was leading me on But I can be strong I finally see the dawn arriving I see beyond the road I’m driving Far away and left behind

One can easily recognise at least 5 Ferrari car keys, 2 Lamborghinis and a Bentley’s. Was it you who just removed these keys off your pocket on your way inside the home? Or is it the contents of your new girlfriend’s handbag that her father is running out of space in his garage so he decided to give her the cars? Or it could also be the showroom you have always dreamed of owning, the choice is all yours. As for me if you look a little closer you might notice that there is a bicycle antitheft lock which I might have left there by mistake...