Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1418273
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 OCTOBER 2021 8 ALMANAC My essentials ERICA MUSCAT 33, Actor and Writer I'm an island-Girl, through and through. I'd sit and stare at the waves ebbing for days on end if I could. As a professional actor, self-care was a concept I had to learn the hard way early on in my career. Time spent by the sea helps me let go of one performance whilst inspiring me for the next. 1 2 4 5 1. Books 3 2. Film/TV 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place MAID (Netflix) was the last series to check into my memory bank of greatest se- ries to date. A mother takes a job as a maid to support her child after fleeing her emotionally abusive partner. I believe that as a Society we have begun to understand that the propensity to dole out abuse is often inherited. But so is the susceptibility to accept it... That's a fright- ening responsibility that requires serious self-reflec- tion from parents, teachers and mentors alike. Definite Watch. I came across Vox's Missing Chapter series on YouTube. My guilty pleasure is doc- umentaries but I've always been wary of History docu- mentaries; after all, history is told by the victors. So Vox stood out because it was his- tory told through the eyes of those who have lost. It's jar- ring but I think it's impor- tant to remember that people suffered in order for us to be here. The minute we de-sen- sitize ourselves to that… the world will become an incred- ibly frightening place. MY dad passed away recent- ly. He was an artist through and through – although he wouldn't admit it at gun- point. My dad had an in- credible relationship with music – I could tell where his mind was at based on what he was listening to. The lyrics to Ben Platt's 'In Case You Don't Live Forever' ex- pressed everything I wished I could say to him but couldn't find the words… So I sang it to him instead. I'm eternally grateful for that song. MY 'little child within' is a mini-adrenaline junkie; there's nothing quite like a rollercoaster that comes with a story to get my heart soar- ing. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios was a particular fa- vourite. But my little nephew seems to suffer from an amus- ingly similar predilection and I'm just counting down the days until I'm able to share his first Peter Pan ride with him at Disneyland. We'll save chasing dragons until he's a little bit older. GREENLIGHTS (Audiobook) by Matthew McConaughey was just a random recommen- dation. I was hooked from the get go; no less so than by Mc- Conaughey's Southern Lilt. We experience 'Greenlights' all the time in life – an opportu- nity that comes at just the right time – like driving through a green light, barely missing as it turns red. These last few years seemed to be hurling red lights my way... But McConaughey claimed similar experiences as Greenlights. It made me hope- ful as I reassessed my journey. Photo: Justin Mamo