The Initial Spark

We all love art, and we all love Europe, so I hope you'll enjoy the following list. 01. Austria - The Kiss, Gustav Klimt, 1908. 02. Belarus - The Fiddler, Marc Chagall, 1913. 03. Belgium - The Son of Man, René Magritte, 1964. 04. Bosnia & Herzegovina - Mountain Landscape,  Karlo Mijić, 1924. 05. Bulgaria - Rachenitsa Dance, Ivan Mrkvička, 1894. 06. Croatia -  Roman Woman Playing A Lute , Vjekoslav Karas, 1845-47. 07. Cyprus -  Cyclist in a Landscape, Stelios Votsis, 2005. 08. Czech Republic - The Absinthe Drinker, Viktor Oliva, 1901. 09. Denmark - The Little Mermaid, Edvard Eriksen, 1913. 10. Estonia - Half Nude in Striped Skirt, Adamson-Eric, Year Unknown. 11. France - Impression Sunrise, Claude Monet, 1872. 12. Germany - Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, Caspar David Friedrich, 1818. 13. Greece - Venus de Milo, Alexandros of Antioch, 130-100 BC. 14. Hungary - The Old Fisherman, Tivadar Csontváry Kosz

When I first heard about this new book by Elisavet Arkolaki, it immediately intrigued me, as the title reminded me about one of my favourite paintings by French post-Impressionist artist, Paul Gauguin. The painting I’m referring to is; Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? Elisavet Arkolaki is a mother, a professional writer, and also runs www.maltamum.com which is the top parenting blog in Malta. Where am I from?  is a new children's book featuring 12 illustrations-murals, 1 mural for the book cover, and a wonderful message. To put it simply, it wants to bring a message of peace & unity while teaching children about different countries, and the beauty of street art & graffiti. In fact, the artist will paint on walls, and then proceed with taking high resolution pictures with a professional camera. The murals will be painted in Athens by Platon, a most well-known street artist in Greece, and his pictures will accompany the story. Thi

These 48 first World Cup matches have ended yesterday, and these matches brought us straight to the second round, which will start tomorrow. Matches that have led us to a series of  historical statistical records ;  the oldest player ever to be on the pitch in the World Cup , the almost endless series of games without 0-0, and the first time a team qualified thanks to the number of yellow cards . We now move on to the second round, therefore, but in my opinion there are so many other beautiful things left to discuss about the groups. Surely, one of them is the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry. They could challenge each other in the quarters and it would be, sort of, the peak of their sporting rivalry. In two weeks we have seen quite a lot. Ronaldo’s sensational hat-trick against Spain, the total failure of  Messi  during the first two matches, the goal-scoring header of CR7 against Morocco, the Argentine psychotic drama, the mistakes of the Portuguese against Iran, the resurrection of Me

Among all the other architectural wonders that there are to admire, I got really interested in fountains. As an architecture newbie, I decided to make this collection of the most striking fountains from around Europe. 1. Water Boat Fountain, Valencia, Spain The image above is a cleverly designed fountain sprinkling water out of its man-made pores.  Located in Valencia; it is known simply as  Water Boat Fountain  by visitors and locals alike. 2. The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is located in the Montjuïc neighborhood of Barcelona. The fountain was constructed in 1929, and it was designed by Carles Buïgas. 3. Swarovski Fountain, Wattens, Austria It is quite surprising that more attention is not given to the breathtaking Swarovski Crystal Head Fountain in Austria. It is honestly one of the most intriguing and unusual displays in the world.  The glass covered, giant outdoor water feature is bui

It seems that many in Malta and around the world are awaiting with bated breath the arrival of a new British royal this month. Kensington Palace officials did not reveal Kate’s exact due date, but it has been reported to be 23 rd  April. This info is all over the news… But I don’t care about the royal baby much! The fact that this particular baby will be born doesn’t excite me at all. Is there anything  wrong with me? I can’t help but wonder about the estimated 371,520 babies that will be born around the world on the same day that, the third royal baby will come to be. While  some of those common children will also be born into a world of relative privilege and safety—though not the royal levels of privilege, by any means—many more of them will not. Many of the babies born on the 23 rd  April will inherit a world that is dangerous and even deadly. Of the non-royal 371,520 babies that will be born on the 23 rd  April, it is estimated that 24,000 will probably not live to se

Last night, I was sipping some drinks with a couple of friends at Castille Square. We were using the outdoor tables and chairs of The Beer Cave. I was having Amaretto. I love Amaretto. One of my two friends was having Black Label, and the other one was having Gin & Tonic. It was around 2 a.m. when the Gin & Tonic girl said something about fate and destiny to which I immediately replied that I don’t believe in such things. That single comment sparked a very long and exhausting debate. One of the greatest and everlasting debates of humanity has been about the role of destiny in the lives of human beings. There was a time when it was almost an accepted fact of life, that each and every event was governed by destiny. Astrology was considered a science. Then with the advent of modern times, the importance of the role of destiny as a concept started losing weight. Today, belief in destiny is considered a superstition by the majority of people. And rightly so, since th

Why are women’s nipples, specifically, so taboo? Why are people so shocked by women’s nipples? Why do they have so much power? Men have them. Women have them. We all demand equality and want to be treated equally, yet women are still vilified for 'indecent exposure' for showing something that both parties naturally have. Why only women? As if the public is simply too delicate to handle seeing female nipples. When did a nipple become offensive? Where do you draw the line at 'indecent'? What is it about women’s nipples that can stir so much interest in today’s society? They are, after all, a normal part of all women regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. I’m trying my best to understand why society looks upon women’s nipples as offensive. I understand the whole religious morality issue – even though, as an Atheist, I don’t agree with it. Women were taught since early childhood that displaying their nipples openly is offensive, slutty, and completely