BOQ

Still working on the Bill of Quantities. It goes from architect to me, back to architect with changes.

In the meantime, little obstacles come my way. Dott Busuttil had the audacity to send me a bill for "consultancy services". I had made it very clear that he was pitching for the work when I visited his studio and he never mentioned a charge for this. This guy's notoriety precedes him. I have since met two unhappy ex-customers of his and they assured me that I have gotten off lightly. He has been known to take on projects he was not competent enough in and his greediness is an established fact. Pity I did not meet these people before. I decided to pay the bill so as to not have anything else to do with him or his studio.

The other hurdle I have had to deal with is the back handed fees I have been asked for by civil servants working with various departments. The dilemma one is faced with is whether to refuse to comply, risking the fury of the person involved or go against one's principles and go with the flow, thereby encouraging the horrid wheel of corruption to keep on turning.

The worst part in all this process is the twiddling of thumbs as one waits for others in the chain. This morning I'm doing a list of things to do so as to avoid the feeling of helplessness I'm starting to get. Two months in Malta and it feels that I have achieved very little.