My essentials: Chrysander Agius’s cultural picks

About

Talking about myself is not something I enjoy doing much. However, I am a 48-year-old man with his share of ups and downs, fortunate enough to have always worked in my passion, which is not something everyone can boast about.

I am a people person; I love socialising, yet at the same time I long for my solitary days. When I’m not at work, I love staying home, cooking, and watching a movie.

Book

I don’t have the time to read a whole book anymore; however, I do read a lot. I love keeping up to date with the news. My daily routine starts with watching the news and then continues onto various portals. Due to Fixfixow, I need to stay tuned with what is going on and create comedy out of it.

I don’t have a specific subject; I tend to vary a lot. But one book I would suggest is Think Like a Monk. It’s a journey towards learning to love yourself. It was actually borrowed from a good friend of mine who suggested it when I was in a bad place.

It’s a book that helps you strip away noise, society, expectations, and most of all your ego. Our minds are normally consumed by other people, often with too much negativity, social media, and the environment. It’s like a mental detox. It also helps you combat fear, which is sometimes defined as not knowing enough or not being prepared.

This book helps you fight your ego and replace it with service and humility. I could go on for more than 80 words about this, but that would ruin your appetite for it, so read it.

TV

I am more into series. One that struck me the most is The Museum of Innocence, which is based on a true story. This museum in Istanbul features a man who collected everything related to the love of his life.

The scene that strikes me most is when he starts collecting cigarette butts, the ones they smoked together in his apartment. You must be truly in love to keep all those butts.

Internet

Ooooh!! This takes me to a totally different world. I don’t really follow anyone, but come to think of it, I do have some habits. I follow Sky News all the time; I find them fascinating.

A great suggestion for readers is Yes Theory, a group on YouTube who travel the world spreading the idea of saying YES to strangers, overcoming fear, and opening up to new experiences. These guys have visited Syria, climbed the pyramids, explored secret islands, Escobar’s villa, and so much more.

I follow their podcast and find it really inspirational, especially for someone who enjoys travelling and meeting new people like myself.

Music

I am a 90s boy. So for me, techno is music. I don’t like lyrics; I prefer melodies and beats. It also helps me concentrate, believe it or not. So I write while listening to Luciano, Artbat, and many more.

Music is everywhere I go. At home, I have a jukebox that still runs, with 99 CDs. These are true classics. You don’t get into the 99 unless you are a classic.

I also love going to concerts. I’ve been to many, including U2, Coldplay, The Killers, Jovanotti, and Michael Bublé. This shows how varied my music taste is. I love the 20s and every era, but I need to understand it first. Classical music tops it all as well; it’s incredibly inspirational.

Place

Madrid is my city. I love going there. It is alive, yet very Spanish, which is a rarity in Europe. The food is amazing, as are the vibe, the clubs, and the shopping. It has it all. The architecture, gardens, and palaces remind you what the rest of Spain is about.

I rarely hear people say Madrid is not Spanish, something we cannot say about Valletta. It has been turned into a franchise town, taking away its essence, which is a shame. We need to do better and bring the Maltese spirit back.

I also love the French Riviera and Dublin. I love people more than countries, so wherever you go, always be open to talking and experiencing locals. You will find that even the most underrated countries become great attractions.