Ulied Ulied Ulied in-Nanna Venut fi Brussel

Għall-ħabta tal-1920 in-nannu tiegħi, biex jaħrab l-għaks ta’ wara l-Gwerra, li kien waħda mill-kawżi ewlenin għar-rewwixti tas-Sebgħa ta’ Ġunju,  imbarka lejn l-Amerki.  Bejn wieħed u ieħor fl-istess żmien – forsi ħames, sitt snin wara - Juann Mamo bagħat lil Bertu Armaġużarma u wlied in-Nanna Venut l-oħra fuq dak il-vjaġġ epiku u immortali. In-Nannu Wenz ma tantx saddad għax wara sentejn “il-ħin kollu nibki” reġa’ lura fi ħdan il-familja f’din l-art ħelwa għalkemm kiefra. Il-ftit li naf fuq il-mawra tiegħu fl-Amerka jaqbel mhux ħażin ma’ partijiet mill-avventuri ta’ Ulied in-Nanna Venut, imma mhux li tgħid li jistħoqqlu min jimmortalizzah bl-iswed fuq l-abjad. Biex iwassal il-messaġġ, Mamo ħtieġlu joħloq u jsawwar ħafna ċirkustanzi fittizji mlewna sew għalkemm fuq sfond reali.

Waqt li kont qed naqra What Happens in Brussels Stays in Brussels, ir-raba’ rumanz pop ta’ Ġużè Stagno, irrealizzajt li, bħal Mamo, Stagno qabad qafas reali ħafna – li hu jafu sew - u fuqu bena storja b’karattri u avvenimenti naqra rtukkjati u mlibbsin kuluri jgħajtu. Din tat il-ħajja lil realtà li fil-wiċċ taf tidher bla wisq kulur u li ma jistħoqqilhiex li timmortalizzaha bl-iswed fuq l-abjad. Imma hemm differenza waħda u kbira, forsi frott tat-80 sena li jifirdu ż-żewġ xogħlijiet, jew li jifirdu l-qarrej tal-lum minn Ulied in-Nanna Venut fl-Amerka: Il-karattri u l-istorja tal-ktieb ta’ Stagno jitwemmnu aktar minn dawk ta’ Mamo.

Fuq livell wieħed din hi storja ta’ skoss nies ftit li xejn istruwiti u b’mentalità tipika ta’ gżira żgħira li jsibu ruħhom f’dinja msawra b’mod differenti minn dik li trabbew fiha. Inevitabbilment din id-dinja se tħawwadhom u huma se jitħawdu. U jħawdu.

Fuq livell ieħor it-tema hija iktar serja: Malta, għaxar snin u aktar wara l-Millennju u wara seba’ snin (ir-rumanz ambjentat f’Diċembru tal-2011) fl-UE, għadha Malta Maltija -  kif kien jawspika li tkun Dom Mintoff – jew iddakkret tant mill-“Ewropa” li tagħmel parti minnha li wliedha tilfu l-identità tagħhom? Il-Maltin ta’ Brussel jgħixu ħajja ta’ Maltin, ta’ Ewropej (jeżistu l-Ewropej?) jew ta’ Maltin libsin (imma spiss imneżżgħin) ta’ Ewropej?

Sakemm mhux qed inħalli l-istħajjil jiġri bija, jew m’iniex qed nipproġetta s-sentimenti tiegħi fuq l-istorja, ir-rumanz għandu wkoll dimensjoni politika: ir-relazzjoni tal-MLP/PL mal-UE u dik tal-Laburisti edukati, li għadd minnhom ivvutaw favur is-sħubija u lill-PN fl-2003, mal-partit li darba kien tagħhom.

Il-protagonista tal-istorja, Gustav Azzopardi, ġurnalist kapaċi imma moralment dgħajjef, huwa Malti żagħżugħ u edukat li jgħix Malta imma mhux barrani għal kollox f’belt bħal Brussel: il-valuri u l-atteġġjamenti tiegħu jippermettulu jidħol (bejn wieħed u ieħor) feles fl-ambjent ta’ belt kożmopolitana.  Ġej mill-klassi tal-ħaddiema imma ma tantx għadu jqis lilu nnifsu bħala wieħed minnhom. U jekk il-PL jilqa’ fih bil-qalb nies rozzi, razzisti, sessisti u fanatiċi bħal dawk li jsawru l-ġgajta li titla’ Brussell b’riħet il-MPE jismu Charlo Pulis, mhux ħaġa kbira li Gustav iħossu aljenat ukoll mill-partit li darba kien jappoġġja. Tant huma razzisti, pereżempju, li kultant tibda tistaqsi lilek innifsek jekk Stagno hux qed joħloq xi karikatura. Imbagħad tiftakar fil-kummenti li nkitbu fuq il-ħajt tal-Facebook ta’ Cecilia Malmstrom ...

Imma l-politika – u anke, sa ċertu punt,  l-imġiba barra minn lokha u imbarazzanti tal-ġgajta Maltija fi Brussel - huma sekondarji, għall-inqas kif fhimt ir-rumanz jien. Li huwa iktar ċentrali huwa l-konflitt bejn il-Malti u l-barrani f’dawk il-kompatrijoti tagħna li rabbew l-għeruq fi Brussel. Anke jekk jidhru kożmopolitani u sofistikati taħt il-qoxra, il-Malti għadu hemm. Jagħmlu għat-Twistees qishom kienu muniti tad-deheb. Is-segretarja tal-MPE Charlo Pulis hi sabiħa, sexy u sofistikata kemm trid, imma meta l-Maltin jibbujjaw x’ħin jgħaddu minn quddiem Dar Malta (għax dik għalihom simbolu tal-imbrolji ta’ GonziPN) tkun hi li saħħnithom. Ktibt ‘saħħnithom’ mhux ‘xewxithom’ għax ma’ din is-segretarja dan il-verb jiġik f’moħħok. Għandha saħna tal-Beati Pawli fuqha. Imma anke l-imġiba bla rażan tagħha forsi hija frott il-konfużjoni ta’ valuri: dak li xorbot ma’ ħalib ommha jitħallat ma’ dak li l-ħajja moderna titlob minnha. Tgħid in-nimfomanija hija l-mod kif irrisolviet il-konflitt li ma setgħetx issib tarfu?

Kien hemm xi ħaġa fir-rumanz li laqtitni fin-nuqqas tagħha. Huwa sinifikattiv li ma hemm  kważi l-ebda referenza (pożittiva jew negattiva) għal Alla, twemmin, reliġjon u Knisja? Lanqas nista’ naħseb f’rumanz ieħor bil-Malti fejn dawn ma jidħlux b’xi mod: inevitabbli li jkunu element fl-istorja ladarba l-kultura tagħna hija (kienet?) dik li hi. Tgħid dan huwa rifless ta’ kultura post-Kristjana li tinfluwixxi fuq il-ħajja ta’ bosta mill-karattri tar-rumanz? Tgħid hemm xi rabta mat-taqlib, l-edoniżmu u t-tfittxija pjuttost sfrenata għall-alkoħol - fi kwantitajiet Alla jberikhom - li jistimula, imbagħad imewwet? M’hemmx reliġjon u twemmin, imma sens ta’ ħtija li jkidd jidher li l-karattri jġarrbuh. Huwa iktar diffiċli ġġorr sens ta’ ħtija minn dnub, għax dan  jinħafer.

Stagno mmatura ħafna mill-kittieb ta’ Inbid ta’ Kuljum, l-ewwel kitba tiegħu li xorta waħda kien biċċa xogħol preġevoli.  Immatura mhux biss teknikament, imma anke bħala bniedem-li-jikteb. Kważi għall-ewwel darba fil-kotba tiegħu ħassejt li hemm ukoll ħjiel ta’ impenn “soċjali”. Ma nafx kinitx għażla konxja jew għax influwenzat mingħajr ma jrid minn Mamo u l-ambivalenza ta’ dan lejn il-popolin li jirredikola u jrid jifdi fl-istess ħin, imma deherli li hemm kumment soċjali ġmielu f’What Happened in Brussels Stays in Brussels. Jekk hu hekk, kitbietu fil-ġejjieni għandhom ikunu saħansitra iktar ta’ min jistenniehom bil-ħerqa.

Dejjaqni naqra - proprjament naqra iktar minn naqra - l-użu estensiv tal-Ingliż fir-rakkont. Nifhem li stil mexxej ta’ kitba fil-kuntest ta’ rumanz pop ifittex li jirriproduċi d-diskors bil-mod li jingħad fil-ħajja ta’ kuljum, imma kien hemm biċċiet fejn assolutament ma kien se jitlef xejn kieku uża espressjoni jew frażi Maltija – u lanqas kien se jaqta’ l-ankri ċerebrali kieku għamel sforz u fittixhom. Ħu pereżempju l-frażi (semmieha hu stess f’xi intervista li ta lil xi ġurnal) “Alfred Sant donnu qiegħed iqanżaħ xi tbissima at gunpoint”. Kieku kiteb b’pistola ppuntata lejh kien se jnaqqas xi ħaġa min-naturalezza tas-sentenza? Kien hemm iktar minn dawn. U wara l-enneżima “enneżima” kelli aptit insabbat il-ktieb mal-ħajt. Imma ma kontx lest li nagħmillu l-ħsara qabel nispiċċah.

Ma nafx kemm-il darba f’dar-rumanz infqajt nidħak. Ma naf qatt li għamilt hekk meta kont qed naqra ktieb bil-Malti (u ftit li xejn bl-Ingliż, minkejja li l-umoriżmu huwa l-ġeneru favorit tiegħi). Imma Stagno għandu ħabta joħroġlok bi frażijiet (iktar milli sitwazzjonijiet, imma l-aqwa umoriżmu huwa verbali) u tixbihat ispirati meta ma tkunx qed tistennihom. Mhux se nsemmihom hawn, għax huma ġawhar li jleqqu iktar fil-kuntest tal-istorja milli f’artiklu bħal dan.

Dak li ġara fi Brussel ma baqax Brussel imma ntiseġ minn Stagno fi storja divertenti u sorprendentement profonda. Biex nuża xbiha li darba uża Peter Serracino-Inglott, il-ktieb qisu roqgħa ilma baħar tant ċara li taħsbu baxx, imma fil-fatt meta tinżel fih issib li ma jlaħħaqlekx. Għoġobni immensament, saħansitra iktar minn Ulied in-Nanna Venut fl-Amerka. U jkolli ngħid li jekk taqta’ dik ix-xena sesswali interminabbli - ma fhimtx l-iskop tagħha - anke lin-Nannu Wenzu tgħidx kemm kien jogħġbu.

Alcohol and Cancer

If we were to randomly pick a number of people off the street and ask for their views about the effects of drinking alcohol, we would almost certainly be told that it is mainly a good thing. Its abuse would be decried but, generally speaking, alcohol is likely to be seen as a fairly pleasant and innocuous substance if consumed “in moderation”, with possible beneficial effects on “the heart” and “blood circulation” – as snippets and articles in the print media frequently point out.  So the final judgment of the man in the street would quite likely be that, on the whole, alcohol in regular amounts tends to have a beneficial effect on health.

But would science agree? What does it really have to say about alcohol and its effect on the human body?

While the true connection between alcohol and cardiovascular health merits greater in-depth analysis – many studies are now questioning the once-cherished belief that a drink or two a day will reduce the chances of a heart attack or stroke - recent and not-so-recent studies have revealed a sinister link between alcohol and cancer.

That there is a connection between even low levels of alcohol consumption and breast cancer has been known for decades. Even the supposedly ‘safe’ limits enthusiastically promoted for many years by health authorities and agencies all over Europe came with a proviso that they were not valid for women with a family or personal history of breast cancer. Even small amounts say, one drink per day, were known to be linked with a greater chance of contracting breast cancer. Other than that, however, little mention was made of the mounting evidence that alcohol is heavily implicated in several other types of cancer.

Cancer is the second most important cause of death in the EU; some 2.5 million people are diagnosed with this condition in the region each year (http://ec.europa.eu/health/major_chronic_diseases/diseases/cancer/). Amongst people aged 15-64 years living in the EU in 2004, 8% of all male and 6% of all female cancer deaths were attributable to alcohol. (http://ec.europa.eu/health/alcohol/docs/ev_20120418_co07_en.pdf.

 According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO), alcohol is a causal agent for cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colorectum and breast (http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2009/pdfs/pr196_E.pdf ). Note the term “causal”: it is not simply a question of a correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer. In a considerable number of cases, cancer is the consequence of the decision to drink alcohol.

There is a dose-response relationship between cancer risk and alcohol consumption, that is to say, the more one drinks the greater the possibility that one will contract the condition. A seminal study carried out by Corrao and his colleagues in 2004 showed that the relative risk for cancer increases according to amount drunk daily. Compared to non-drinkers, those who drink 20 grams of alcohol every day experience a 19% increase in risk for liver cancer, 25% for breast cancer, 39% for oesophageal cancer, 43% for cancer of the larynx and 86% for cancers of the mouth and pharynx (http://www.cancercare.ns.ca/site-cc/media/cancercare/alcohol%20in%20canada.pdf ). If one partakes of four alcoholic drinks (40 grams) a day, one at least doubles the risk in practically every case. If one smokes as well as drinks the chances of contracting some cancers can be said to soar.

Translating the above into more meaningful equivalents, drinks in Malta are assumed to contain 8-10 grams of absolute alcohol. Therefore 20 grams would be roughly equivalent to 2 half-pint bottles of local beer, 2 bar tots of spirits or 2 small glasses of wine.

There does not seem to be a drinking threshold below which one may drink safe in the knowledge that the alcohol consumed will not raise one’s cancer risk. Small amounts will raise the possibilities one will incur cancer. So, in so far as cancer risk is concerned, it appears that the safest advice health authorities can give is to drink no alcohol. This is what, for example, the World Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) recommends (http://www.wcrf-uk.org/cancer_prevention/recommendations/alcohol_and_cancer.php). 

However, given that it is still unclear whether alcohol has a cardio-protective effect or not, there are those who would still maintain that light drinking will not have a net negative effect on health. According to this line of reasoning, light drinking would, as it were, compensate for the increased cancer risk by decreasing the chances of cardiac problems. The WHO itself believes there is evidence that half a drink (5 grams) a day will indeed protect middle-aged persons against the risk of a heart-attack but, mindful of the other risks the consumption of alcohol can carry, WHO advises that we would be better off stopping smoking, losing weight and exercising rather than drinking even small amounts

(http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/160680/e96457.pdf).

It therefore appears that, in terms of cancer prevention, we would be best off not drinking any alcohol at all. If, for some reason, we decide we do wish to drink we should make sure we drink as little and as infrequently as possible. The old slogan used by the WHO - “Less is better’’ - in conjunction with its advice on alcohol use seems to be particularly apt in this context.