Peru is the Land of the Incas, while Bolivia is the heart and soul of the Andes. The cultural, historical and spiritual wealth of these two South American nations are astonishing. The highlight to visit Peru is definitely the sacred city of Machu Picchu. Trek the challenging Inca Trail and warm yourself in the first rays of sunshine at this breathtaking mountaintop Lost City of the Incas. High in the Andes on the border of the two countries go cruising on the sapphire blue waters of Lake Titicaca and witness life on the Floating Islands of the

Uros. By volume of water it is the largest lake in South America, and with an elevation of 3,812m it is the highest navigable lake in the world. Journey into the rainforest and savannas by canoe to experience the riches of the Amazon Basin. Set off on a nature hike to spot wildlife in the Amazon rainforest, also known as Amazonia. Go Anaconda hunting and Piranha fishing in the savannas, better known as the Pampas. In the Bolivian Altiplano embark on an off-road exploration of the surreal Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, and let yourselves be

mesmerized by the multi-coloured lagoons at Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve. Take a stroll along colonial back streets while you wander around bustling local markets. Peru and Bolivia are filled with mystery, tradition and outdoor adventures in abundance – from ancient Inca ruins to rural indigenous villages, from the diversity of wildlife in the Amazon to the towering peaks of the Andes. Marvic Cordina DTTC Travel Consultant www.traville.net

Seasons Wet and Dry

Climate Influenced by altitude

Highest Peak Huascaran 6,768m (Peru)

Flora and Fauna 21,462 species

Languages Spanish and Native languages

Religions Catholicism and Indigenous Beliefs

Ethnic Groups Amerindians & Multiethnic

The Andean Empires

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Welcome to the Autumn 2013 issue of DSS Link! The summer is over and soon we will settle in the winter timetable. Marvic Cordina writes about the Andean

Empires in her exotic travel articles. You can also find some tips on how to sleep well. This issue includes also

an easy recipe of fresh marinated tuna. You can also read about the department’s district office of Ħal Balzan. The

European Union series focuses on Ireland. Learn more about Children’s Allowance through the frequently

asked questions and answers. Finally, you can read an inspiring write up about choices in our life.

If you are sleeping with stress—and waking up at all the wrong times—here is how to put yourself on snooze control. Finding yourself wide awake after a few hours of sleep, or waking often during the night is called parasomnia or sleep maintenance insomnia, and it is much more common than people think. We are often our own worst enemies when it comes to a solid night of sleep. People think that because they're able to fall asleep they'll stay asleep, even if they've had too much caffeine. But for most of us, the culprit is not that ill-conceived espresso at 5 p.m. The root of most sleep problems is stress. We're overloaded, over-stimulated, and overwhelming our bodies' ability to relax. Our nervous system is built for a sprint, but we're living in a stress marathon. If you go to bed worried you're probably going to wake up in the middle of the night. And when that happens, as you probably know, the next day is pretty much shot. A new generation of sleep scientists are overturning the conventional wisdom about parasomnia. (Counting sheep? Out.) You can do it. With a few simple changes in your routine, a little visualization, a couple of surprisingly counter-intuitive moves and perhaps an attitude adjustment, a peaceful night of slumber can be yours. Here is their best advice: Throw out your definition of a good night's sleep Just as three square meals a day has given way to all-day grazing and smaller portions, "what is good for you" has changed here, too. Thinking it is necessary to stay asleep for 8 hours straight may be unrealistic. Just as we experience a dip in alertness mid-afternoon, the inverse is a dip in sleepiness in the middle of the night. There is strong evidence that there is a kind of awakening that is totally normal.

History supports this take. Before the industrial revolution, people had their first sleep for 3 to 4 hours, awoke for an hour or two, then slept for another 3 or 4 hours. Even waking every 60 to 90 minutes can be part of a healthy sleep pattern. The deeper stages of sleep, or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, occur about every 90 minutes and get longer as the night goes on, so your brain might become more alert between those cycles. Since we're conditioned to think that waking during the night is a problem, when it happens, we panic. That reaction causes our brains to awaken even further. If you find yourself awake in pre-dawn hours, first assess your physical state. Do you have an ache, a cramp, or need to go to the bathroom? If so, take care of it. If you don't have a physical complaint, then chances are you are experiencing a normal stage of the sleep cycle. Knowing this "helps replace worries that you'll be useless without 8 solid hours of sleep with more neutral thoughts". The useful thought is: ‘I can handle the disruption and still feel rested.' Get bed-ready After an action-packed day (or one equally packed with worry), our brains need some time to catch up, to make order of things, and to slow their frenetic firing before we're ready to sleep. Pure bodily exhaustion can probably get you at least that first hour of dozing, but then worries will rise to the surface and cause you to stir. How can you get your mind to chill?

HOW TO SLEEP RIGHT… TONIGHT

We need to learn to apply the brakes before the car is in the garage. Clearing your head is key to a good night of sleep. Simply taking 15 minutes to sit quietly, meditate, pray, or do rhythmic breathing can allow your mind to slow down enough to sleep through the night. Establishing any ritual that you do before bed—anything but checking your e-mail!—will do more than relax you right then and there. The repetition also conditions brain and body for sleep. While you're transitioning to Z-mode the same way night after night, you're also creating a Pavlovian response to your ritual. So simply sitting in the spot where you do your breathing or turning on the shower water signals your mind that it will be sleeping soon. Another way to condition yourself sleepward is by playing off the body's internal clock. Simulate dusk about an hour before you plan to go to bed and dim the lights significantly. This triggers natural circadian rhythms that help us prepare for sleep. Make the breath-brain connection A small study using specific breathing techniques to treat insomnia reported an improvement in the quality and quantity of sleep. There is evidence that long, slow abdominal breathing will reduce anxiety and arousal. One breathing exercise called the 4-7-8 breath exercise is recommended. With your tongue resting on the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper teeth, exhale completely. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for four counts. Hold your breath for seven counts. Then, exhale while mentally counting to eight. Repeat the cycle three more times. Both are important for restful sleep. Take a pose to the doze There's a feedback loop between the muscles and the brain. When you stretch and release tension, the brain relaxes too. The deepest meditative state is known as "sleepless sleep." To get to a sleepful state, the yoga Bridge pose is especially useful. Lie on your back with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your heels parallel, close to your butt. Lift your hips and arch up onto your shoulders. Lace your palms together underneath your body and press your arms into the floor or mat. Hold the posture while taking 10 to 15 long, slow breaths. When you wake up anyway Despite all your best efforts, here you are, awake at an hour even a fisherman would call ungodly. What do you do now? First, here is a big don't: If you open your eyes and see the clock, that is it for many stressed people. Seeing the time can trigger them to become fully awake. Keep your eyes closed, roll over, or move the clock so the display isn't visible. If you're still far from dreamland try a mantra. Silently repeat any

word that is soothing or pleasant to you, or simply think "inhale" as you inhale "exhale" as you release your breath. Thinking the words over and over focuses and relaxes you, but requires less energy and attention than counting sheep, which can actually be too engaging to work the way it is supposed to. "Get out, get out!" After 15 minutes of lying awake in bed, you need a change of venue. When someone can't sleep, the bedroom can become a torture chamber. Staying there is counter-productive. And you risk associating the bed with your trouble sleeping, which will exacerbate the problem in nights to come. Go to go to another room. You don't want to become too alert, so make sure you have a nightlight in your hallway and won't need to turn on brighter lights. Occupy yourself with something calming like knitting, listening to chill music on your iPod, or even performing your pre-sleep ritual again. Only when you feel drowsy should you go back to bed. In a very short while, you should be the picture of blissful sleep.

Recipe for 1 person 100g fresh tuna 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ½ tablespoon lemon zest ½ tablespoon lemon juice Pinch of chopped red chillies 1 cherry tomato Salt and pepper Chopped parsley Chopped mint Knob of 100% spreadable butter 1 glass jar

Method: Cut tuna into cubes. Combine with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, chillies, salt and pepper and parsley. Half the cherry tomato. Fill the jar with mixture and place the cherry tomato by the side of glass jar and press all. Melt the butter on low heat for a few seconds and mix in the chopped mint. Cover the tuna with the melted butter and seal. Put in the fridge and let it rest for 24 hours. Serve with toasted focaccia slices so to spread the mint butter while enjoying the mouth watering tuna with a nice glass of white wine.

Buon Apetit!!!!!

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Marinated Fresh Tuna in a Jar

L-uffiċċju Distrettwali tas-Sigurtà Soċjali ġewwa Ħal Balzan jinsab fl-istess binja fejn jinsab il-Kunsill Lokali tal-istess raħal, il- Posta u l-Klinika tal-Gvern (il-Berġa). Ir-residenti ta` Ħ`Attard, Ħal-Lija u Ħal-Balzan jużaw kemm il-Klinika tal-Gvern kif ukoll l-uffiċċju distrettwali tas-Sigurtà Soċjali u ma` dan tal-aħħar jiżdiedu wkoll ir-residenti tal-Iklin. Dalwaqt tgħaddi sena minn meta bdejt bil-kariga tiegħi ta` Manager ta` dan l-uffiċċju distrettwali. Ħal Balzan huwa raħal żgħir u ħelu ħafna fejn jispikka il-kwiet li xi drabi jinkiser b`xi għajta ta` xi wieħed mill-paguni li hemm fil-ġnien pubbliku ta` San Anton. Miegħi għandi żewġ front desk officers u messaġġier. Miriam Gatt tħobb ħafna l-qtates u titma’ ċorma qtates tat-triq minbarra t-tnejn li għandha d-dar. Miriam tħobb ukoll il-pjanti u l-bitħa u l-bejt tagħha mimlijin qsari ta` kull daqs u sikwit tismagħha tgħid li se tiżra’ xi cuttings. Hija mara bieżla ħafna fuq ix-xogħol tad-distrett u ħafna huma dawk il-klijenti li jfittxu lilha meta jżuru l-uffiċċju tagħna. Lil Abigail Muscat ili nafha ħafna peress li kienet tgħix ftit il-bogħod minni u anke konna naħdmu flimkien fid-Dipartiment tal-Liċenzji sakemm infridna għal bosta snin meta jien mort naħdem bħala Deputat Reġistratur fil-Qrati ta` Malta. Abigail għandha karattru sabiħ ħafna. Hija bniedma kwieta, kalma, ma` tgerger fuq ħadd u fuq xejn u qatt ma` naf li kella xi tgħid ma` xi ħadd fuq ix-xogħol. Taf tmur għal għajn kulħadd u dejjem lesta li tgħin lill-klijenti tagħna l-aktar lil dawk l-iżjed vulnerabbli. Hija miżżewġa lil Ivan u għandhom żewġt itfal. Mary Abela ilha snin twal taħdem fid-distrett bħala messaġġier. Hija bniedma effiċjenti ħafna fuq xogħolha. Il-ġurnata tax-xogħol tiegħi tibda b`kikkra kafė tajba kif taf tagħmel hi. Jiena wkoll għandi xi passatempi u, bħal Miriam, inħobb il-pjanti u għandi kemxa qsari mhux ħażin. Inħobb naqra xi ktieb tajjeb jew nara xi film jew dokumentarju tajjeb fuq it-televiżioni. Fis-sajf nitlaq lejn il-baħar. Tkun tixtieq tara li kull minn jitlobna l-għajnuna jirċieviha, iżda mhux dejjem huwa possibli peress li xi wħud ma` jkunux eliġibbli għal ebda benefiċċju u jitilqu diżappuntati. Jiena dejjem ngħid li kull klijent li jiġi għandna qishom ġew għand il-konfessur, it-tabib jew l-avukat tagħhom u dan peress li jiftħu qalbohm magħna dwar xi problemi ta` separazzjoni u mard sabiex nagħtuhom pariri u

niggwidawhom japplikaw għal dawk il-benefiċċji li jkunu ntitolati għalihom. Il-klijenti tagħna kif diġà għidt aktar `il fuq huma fil-maġġor parti kategorija ta` nies vulnerabbli u mingħajr l-għajnuna tad-Dipartiment tas-Sigurtà Soċjali, ma` jistgħux jgħixu. Alfrida Vassallo

Alfrida Vassallo

Abigail Muscat

Mary Abela

Miriam Gatt Ħal

Bal

zan

The�General�Register�Office�manages�the�Civil�Registration�Service�which�provides�for�the�registrations�of�births,�stillbirths,�adoptions,�marriages,�civil�partnerships�and�deaths�in�the�State.�The�Social�Welfare�Appeals�Office�is�independently�responsible�for�determining�appeals�against�decisions�on�social�welfare�entitlements�and�insurability�of�employment.�A�number�of�statutory�agencies,�listed�below,�operate�under�the�aegis�of�the�Department:�The�Citizens�Information�Board�

Department�of�Social�Protection�The�Department�supports�the�Minister�for�Social�Protection�in�the�discharge�of�governmental,�parliamentary�and�departmental�duties.�The�main�functions�of�the�Department�are:�to�advise�Government�and�formulate�appropriate�social�protection�and�social�

inclusion�policies,�to�design,�develop�and�deliver�effective�and�cost�efficient�income�supports;�activation�and�employment�services;�advice�to�clients�and�other�related�services,�to�work�towards�providing�seamless�delivery�of�services�in�conjunction�with�other�Departments�and�Agencies.�

provides�information,�advice�and�advocacy�services�in�relation�to�social�services.�It�also�operates�a�Money�Advice�and�Budgeting�Service�which�provides�a�free,�confidential�and�independent�service�for�people�in�debt�or�in�danger�of�getting�into�debt;�The�Pensions�Board�is�responsible�for�overseeing�the�implementation�of�the�Pensions�Act�which�concerns�the�regulation�of�occupational�pensions�and�Personal�Retirement�Savings�Accounts.�The�Board�also�advises�the�Minister�in�relation�to�pensions�policy;�The�Office�of�the�Pensions�Ombudsman�investigates�complaints�of�financial�losses�due�to�maladministration,�disputes�of�fact�or�law,�in�relation�to�occupational�pension�schemes�and�Personal�Retirement�Savings�Accounts.�The�Pensions�Ombudsman�is�a�statutory�officer�and�exercises�his�functions�independently.�Department�of�Health�The�Department�of�Health�is�responsible�for�supporting�the�Minister�and�the�wider�democratic�process,�strategic�health�policy�formulation�and�evaluation,�resource�issues,�performance�measurement�and�management�of�the�wider�delivery�system.�The�Department�is�currently�involved�in�a�programme�of�organisational�change�and�reform�of�the�country's�health�service.�The�management�and�delivery�of�health�and�personal�social�services�are�the�responsibility�of�the�Health�Service�Executive�(HSE).�The�HSE�is�the�largest�organisation�in�the�Irish�State�provides�thousands�of�different�services�in�hospitals�and�communities�across�the�country�and�its�establishment�represented�the�beginning�of�the�largest�programme�of�change�ever�undertaken�in�the�Irish�public�service.�The�HSE�manages�services�through�a�structure�designed�to�put�patients�and�clients�at�the�centre�of�the�organisation.�All�of�the�services�provided�by�the�HSE�are�delivered�through�four�Administrative�Areas�-�Dublin�Mid-Leinster,�Dublin�North-East,�West,�and�South.�Services�provided�in�the�community�include�primary�care,�community�based�health�and�personal�social�services�and�continuing�care�hospitals�and�services,�delivered�primarily�through�32�Local�Health�Offices.�

The�HSE�also�provides�acute�hospital�care�and�ambulance�pre-hospital�emergency�care.�Other�HSE�directorates�include�Human�Resources,�Finance,�Information�and�Communications,�Technology�providing�the�technology�for�delivering�quality�services,�Estates�managing�the�capital�infrastructure�and�the�annual�capital�plan,�Procurement�ensuring�that�the�HSE�maximises�its�purchasing�power,�Corporate�Planning�and�Control�Processes�supporting�service�planning�and�measurement�of�HSE�service�delivery.�One�of�the�key�policy�aims�of�the�Health�Strategy�is�the�delivery�of�high�quality�services�which�are�based�on�evidence�supported�best�practice.�In�order�to�promote�quality�of�care�throughout�the�health�and�personal�social�services�system,�and�to�ensure�that�high�quality�information�is�available�to�the�system,�the�Government,�as�one�of�the�recommendations�of�the�Reform�Programme,�established�the�Health�Information�Quality�Authority�(HIQA).�

1. Is there a maximum annual income regarding entitlement to Children’s Allowance? To be entitled for Children’s Allowance the total reckonable income for the year previous to the claim must not exceed €24439. The amount paid in respect of social security contributions is deducted from the gross income declared. When the above mentioned amount is exceeded, Children’s Allowance entitlement will be paid at a minimum rate of €8.65 per child per week. 2. Once the application has been accepted, does the applicant have to re-apply for the benefit? Since the benefit is means tested, the applicant must submit an annual declaration of the total income on the prescribed application to the Department by the end of April of every year. Children’s Allowance entitlement will then be reassessed and if awarded will be issued for 52

weeks and paid every thirteen weeks in advance, 3. How is the Children’s Allowance rate calculated? The allowance paid is a percentage calculated on the difference between €24439 and the gross income including bank interests and social security benefits for the previous year less the social security contributions paid. When

FREQUENTLY ASKED FREQUENTLY ASKED FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSQUESTIONSQUESTIONS

CHILDREN’S CHILDREN’S CHILDREN’S ALLOWANCEALLOWANCEALLOWANCE

the total income is less than €5174, the applicant will be entitled for the maximum rate of Allowance. No allowance payable can be less than €8.65 per child per week equivalent to €450 per year for each child. 4. What are the percentages applied? The percentages applied are: 6% for each child and €8.65 for 16 to 21 year olds registering for work for the first time or students not receiving stipends. 5. What happens when the applicant and/or spouse becomes unemployed or there is a change in his/her circumstances? When the applicant and/or spouse becomes unemployed, is separated, acquires or loses custody of children, or avails himself/herself of unpaid leave, he/she should inform the Department of Social Security so that his/her claim will be reassessed on the basis of his/her current circumstances. Not to lose any benefit,

the applicant must make sure that this information has been received by the Department within six months from date of change of circumstance. 6. Are there instances where Children’s Allowance is paid after the child attains the age of sixteen? Allowance will continue being paid for those children between the age of 16 and 21 who are still attending full time education and receiving no stipends or maintenance grants. It is also paid when the said child is registering to seek his/her first employment under Part 1 of the Register of Employment. In this case, the rate payable is €8.65 for each child. 7. Are disabled children entitled to Children’s Allowance? Disabled children are entitled to Children’s Allowance and also to a Disabled Child Allowance. A claimant has to submit an application in order to become eligible for Disabled Child Allowance. This application can be obtained from any District Office of the Department of Social Security or downloaded from: www.socialsecurity.gov.mt. The application has to be certified by a medical practitioner. The Department will then refer the application to a medical panel, which establishes if the child is eligible to the Disabled Child Allowance or not. In both cases the claimant is informed of the decision. Disabled Child Allowance entitlement is no longer subject to a means test. To this end, there is no need to submit an income declaration to receive this allowance. The Disabled Child Allowance rate is €16.31 per week. 8. May one be entitled for both Children’s Allowance and Supplementary Allowance? No. When a family is receiving Children’s Allowance it will not be entitled for Supplementary Allowance.

Each of us has two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation. And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be. To read every book that

we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have the choice. To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all or to be less or to be nothing at all. Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can? Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent and ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings. Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.

CHO

ICES