A few days off now. And so I went off for my usual walk/jog - a bit of one, a bit of the other, but not always easy to spot the difference. The route takes me past Selmun (in the north of Malta) and the views are stunning, especially when the sun comes out after several days rain and Malta looks green again. Lovely hues of green and blue. Really exhilarating. And as I passed an elderly man he looked up at me, smiled and nodded and said 'Sliem ghalik' (the 'gh' is silent). Nobody has ever said that to me here in Malta. It's usually 'Bongu' (good morning') but this was 'Peace to you' and perhaps also 'I salute you' (the Maltese version of the Catholic prayer 'Hail Mary' begins with 'Sliema ghalik, Marija). So perhaps a mixture of both. Common in Arabic as As-salam alaykum (السلام عليكم) And I thought, goodness, I'd like to say that to somebody, sometime. It's so beautiful, and so unusual. Perhaps archaic, I'm not sure.
But the morning had begun sadly. Switching on the telly, Nelson Mandela. I remember marching in the streets of London and chanting, Free, free Nelson Mandela!' And dancing to a song of the same name (was that The Special AKA?). And that profoundly moving moment when Madiba was at last freed, and Apartheid belonged to the past. For many of us he was a role model. He showed that it IS possible to make a better world, through our actions and commitments.
And so, there you go. I can say it. Madiba, we hail you and may peace be with you. Sliem ghalik.
But the morning had begun sadly. Switching on the telly, Nelson Mandela. I remember marching in the streets of London and chanting, Free, free Nelson Mandela!' And dancing to a song of the same name (was that The Special AKA?). And that profoundly moving moment when Madiba was at last freed, and Apartheid belonged to the past. For many of us he was a role model. He showed that it IS possible to make a better world, through our actions and commitments.
And so, there you go. I can say it. Madiba, we hail you and may peace be with you. Sliem ghalik.
RSS Feed