Some Like It Hot

I miss doing my weekly podcasts. I miss the cool North Sea air in Scarborough. I miss my monkey and my dog. I should be getting back to all that by now. What's more, while it has its own value and place in my life, my current visit to Malta is taking me away from finishing my book about Franklin Furnace. At least I have finally managed to see the mighty Xtruppaw in a live gig.

This morning it dawned on me that I've been so busy working on the Objects Found or Lost? project since last month that I haven't had the time or the brain-space to write a decent blog entry about all this. So here is my feeble attempt (yes, the Malta sun is too much for any mortal to feel truly productive) at capturing just a few of the ins and outs that have taken me away from my comfortable existence in Scarborough.

Coming to Malta at this time of the year is not a good idea. First there's the sun and the heat, of course. Besides all that, for those of us whose lives are governed by an academic calendar, this is when we're supposedly farthest away from the day-to-day toil of our scholarly activity. So coming to Malta to engage in a midsummer research project is almost akin to an intellectual suicide attempt.

Needless to say, spending some quality time with my parents makes it all worthwhile. Catching up with some old friends is also most pleasant. Equally rewarding is the opportunity to work at Naasha's Events Lounge, where the creative atmosphere is among the warmest I've ever experienced anywhere in the Maltese islands. Lenny and the rest of the gang at Naasha not only made us very comfortable during the two days we played there last week but also made me realize what a gem of a place this unique venue really is for Malta. Let's hope that Lenny's investment continues to yield dividends even when he moves on to other pastures.

Moving on to our two nights at SUPA within the 2006 Malta Arts Festival proved to be a more natural affair than I expected. Or maybe I had planned it this way all along...I just can't think straight any more in this heat! Frank Camilleri and Jason Masini are the best facilitators any performance artist can ever hope for. They make working at the MITP an utter joy, where all the odds melt like a bucket of ice in the Maltese midday sun. I'm also grateful to the Foundation for International Studies at the University of Malta, which generously provided us with Internet access within the 16th-century courtyard I decided to turn into a venue for our Digital Live Art event.

Meanwhile I'm really enjoying some very frank and sincere comments about some of the shows, which have been posted at Scaremongering.net. It's almost even better that most of the people commenting on Object Found or Lost? on this online forum have never seen any of my live work before. I wonder what they would have made of it given that context instead of whatever it is they're actually reacting to.

Throughout this visit to Malta I have come to appreciate one friend above all others. He is always there for me not only with his expert and professional support in all things technical but also in extending the most gracious courtesy towards my ideas, as outlandish as they may seem for anyone else. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty; whatever that cliche is all about. For me he will always be my Saviour.

My podcasts will be back next week. Soon enough I'll be enjoying the cool air in Scarborough with my monkey and my dog who do what they always do so well. It'll be good to be back home.