A Visit to the Roof
M and I were enjoying a leisurely weekend breakfast when it came up that I had not yet gone to the rooftop of our building. Amazing, that in all this time I had not made it up there. So up we went for what I thought would be a five minute visit. Little did I know that the roof is the building’s social central!
First we enjoyed the views of the sea. While the view of the Mediterranean from our windows is now blocked by that new luxury hotel nearby, from up on the roof there is still a clear line of sight to the blue waters. There is also clearer detail of the buildings around. It is amazing what a slight difference in height will do! I wonder if very tall people experience the world noticeably differently than I do.
All of a sudden a neighbour showed up, and involved us into a conversation about satellite dishes and aerial antennae. They are found all over the rooftop, and the residents would like to get rid of them because they are unsightly. He went on to sing the praises of the one central dish that has been installed, and from which we can all obtain our television channels. Too bad we already have a one-year contract with our television dish, but maybe in a few months…
Then another neighbour showed up to hang her washing. Another couple were there too. One overheard us and said that somebody had sneaked up onto the roof and actually stolen his satellite dish. The washing lady then said that somebody went into ther house and stole chicken breasts that she was about to cook. The conversation was very lively, and I could barely keep up, especially since it was all over the place! However, after everyone had gone I asked M if I had understood all the major points, and I had! He filled in the bits that I missed.
M then mentioned that there was a Maltese play named “Sunday on the Roof” which shows how the rooftop has become the social networking place of the modern buildings. Quite fascinating, and from what I saw, very true!
Coming back down, the view from our windows seemed very… low. I think I will go up on the roof regularly from now on. And do not worry about those stealing incidents mentioned. It should be pretty safe, now that we got a new and functional lock on the building’s main door.
Memories, memories… I used to sunbathe on the roof of our apartment block in my first winter in Gozo.
And regarding the view: have you ever suffered real estate agents’ talk? I bet money that you’ll hear this line at least once during a sales pitch, “…and from the roof you can see the sea!” LOL!
Sabine, you read my mind! When I discovered that you can actually see about 2 centimeters of the sea from the kitchen window, I declared that in real-estate language we now have a “sea-view flat!!!!”
Actually it was in the past that the roof was somewhat of a social space. You could sleep there when it was too hot inside durign summer. You held bar-b-ques, you talked to the neighbour who was also hanging clothes to dry etc … Nowadays tumble dryers seem to have dealt this tradition a gentle blow.
My grandpa once told me that as a young kid he once heard “passi fuq il-bejt” (footsteps on the roof). His dad told him very sternly that it “wasn’t any of their business” when he asked for an explanation. Apparently many an extra-marital affair was conducted between neighbours (who were not quite next door) the adjoining rooftops being their secret accomplice. Grandpa was making a point that life nowadays isn’t any more immoral than it was in the holy old days only more open.
What about Skype? Or something like that.