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00:00:00Queens of Dance, how the ballroom scene in Paris became a meeting
00:00:03place for the queer community and
00:00:07Berlin from the perspective of those who know it best, we'll look at the best places
00:00:10to visit in the German capital. These and other stories await you
00:00:14in today's Euromax.
00:00:31When you visit one of your dream destinations, do you ever wonder
00:00:34what it would be like to live there? A young Maltese woman reveals to us
00:00:38what everyday life is like on an island that attracts millions
00:00:42of tourists every year. I think the curiosity of people who want
00:00:45to leave Malta stems from the fact that living on
00:00:49an island sometimes makes us feel a little isolated. Whenever I go on a long
00:00:53trip, I am always grateful to return to the simple
00:00:56life in Malta, an island that I truly love.
00:01:02In the very heart of the Mediterranean is the smallest member of the European
00:01:06Union. Malta has just over half a million inhabitants and even
00:01:09without tourists, it is among the most densely populated countries
00:01:13in the union.
00:01:19But what is life like in a small tourist
00:01:22center?
00:01:24Hi, I'm Jessi. I'm 24 years old and I live
00:01:28in Malta. She grew up in Mellieha, a small town in
00:01:32the north of the island, and lives with her mother and sister in the family
00:01:36home.
00:01:42For the average family in Malta, and especially for young people, buying
00:01:46real estate is becoming an increasing challenge, yet the three of us
00:01:50somehow managed to buy a house.
00:01:54I consider myself lucky, because many young people stay living
00:01:57with their parents until they get married.
00:02:02Maltese people leave their parental home at an average age of 29,
00:02:05almost three years later than the European
00:02:09Union average of 26.2
00:02:11years. Life in Mellieha, however, often means a long
00:02:14commute to work. Public transport is free for registered
00:02:18residents, but whenever she can, Jessi works from home.
00:02:22She is employed as an operations manager in a foundation connected with
00:02:25the Maltese online gaming industry. After schooling,
00:02:28she started her career... Through professional internships, today Malta
00:02:32records one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European
00:02:35Union. I think Malta offers many opportunities to young people,
00:02:38especially through the hospitality sector, the
00:02:41gaming industry, and the technology sector, which is very
00:02:44developed. However, salaries are still quite low compared to
00:02:48the rest of Europe. The average annual income in Malta
00:02:52in 2024 was just over
00:02:5433,000 euros. The average in the European Union was
00:02:58slightly less than 40 thousand. When
00:03:01she finishes work, Jessi enjoys the mild Mediterranean climate and
00:03:05beautiful beaches, just like everyone else. After a short, but also
00:03:08quite turbulent boat ride, she arrives at the small island
00:03:12of Comino. Tourism has brought jobs, economic growth, but also increasing
00:03:15crowds. The small population shares its national
00:03:19treasure with 3.6 million tourists annually. Although
00:03:22Jessi still enjoys visiting the famous Blue Lagoon. Summer
00:03:26crowds can be quite stressful.
00:03:30Many wonderful childhood memories are tied to it.
00:03:33It has always been busy, especially in summer, but I think
00:03:37in recent years it has gone too far,
00:03:40so I prefer to avoid the Blue Lagoon during the summer
00:03:44season. Even with millions of visitors
00:03:48every year, locals still have their favorite gathering places.
00:03:51In the capital Valletta, it's quite common to run into
00:03:55someone you know. I think that's something special and
00:03:59beautiful because... wherever you are, there's always a feeling of
00:04:02closeness. When it comes to dating, the situation
00:04:05is a bit unusual, because even if you meet someone new,
00:04:09it turns out they know someone who knows someone who knows
00:04:13the person you've already dated. English is one of
00:04:17Malta's two official languages, so most Maltese people speak both
00:04:20languages. English is widely used in business and
00:04:24daily life, while Jessi often speaks Maltese with family and
00:04:27friends. That language developed from Arabic with strong
00:04:31influences from Italian, French, and
00:04:34English.
00:04:38We went to Comino, there were a lot
00:04:40of people.
00:04:45Malta has been influenced by various cultures for centuries.
00:04:48Today, about 83% of the population identifies as
00:04:52Catholic.
00:04:56Life in such a small space is not for everyone. Research
00:05:00shows that a large majority of Maltese students consider
00:05:03leaving the country in search of opportunities off the island,
00:05:06but Jessi doesn't think that way. For her, this
00:05:10Mediterranean island was made of
00:05:12love.
00:05:17Did you know that Paris is home to a thriving underground Ballroom
00:05:20scene? It's a space where queer people gather to
00:05:24connect, feel accepted, and dance like there's no
00:05:27tomorrow.
00:05:32What's left when your family doesn't love you, when
00:05:35because of your skin color or queer identity you feel like you don't belong
00:05:38anywhere? When you receive death threats for who you are.
00:05:43I couldn't even imagine accepting myself, it seemed
00:05:46impossible, that's all I
00:05:48wanted.
00:05:53The Ballroom scene is a safe space for black and queer
00:05:56people.
00:06:00Paris is the epicenter of the European ballroom
00:06:02scene.
00:06:05Hanabi has been part of this scene since
00:06:062016.
00:06:14It's really hard to be black in France, especially in Paris.
00:06:18They just have a certain image here, a certain idea of what
00:06:21black people are like. I've been beaten because of my skin color, I've experienced
00:06:25all sorts of things because of my skin color, but I never give up because I don't care. I'm beautiful,
00:06:29black is beautiful, and I also have a triple culture, I'm French,
00:06:32Mauritanian, and Senegalese.
00:06:35Tired of racism and hostility, Queer, Black
00:06:39and Latino people built their own community in the late 60s in New
00:06:42York and called it the ballroom scene. At balls, they celebrate
00:06:45themselves, participants showcase their talents to the audience in categories
00:06:49such as voguing, fashion, and lip-sync. In the early
00:06:532000s, Paris built its own ballroom scene.
00:06:56Outside of this community, we can be stigmatized and
00:06:59marginalized, because we are queer, black, or transgender
00:07:03people. That's why it's important to
00:07:05gather.
00:07:10It is estimated that black people in France make up between 6 and 9%
00:07:14of the total population, although there are no official data, in
00:07:17Paris, African and Afro-Caribbean culture shapes entire
00:07:20neighborhoods, and Château Rouge and Château d'Eau are widely
00:07:24recognized as traditional centers of the black community, so
00:07:27you should be here, we are in Château, you see there's
00:07:31Strasbourg, Saint-Denis, there's Gargoles, so this is
00:07:35the center. Here you can get everything you need, you can find
00:07:38African care and beauty products, buy wigs,
00:07:42in fact... Everything Africans
00:07:43need.
00:07:50Many faces, one identity. France sees
00:07:53itself as a republic that makes no distinction based on skin
00:07:56color, where origin and skin color should not be
00:07:59important, but is that really
00:08:01so?
00:08:05I completely agree with that, if you understand even a little bit of biology and
00:08:08differences in skin color, you will understand that we are
00:08:11first and foremost human beings,
00:08:14what matters are our values, how willing we are to
00:08:18share who we are as individuals, I believe we have
00:08:21something to offer each other. Racism still
00:08:24exists, we experience it daily
00:08:26through microaggressions.
00:08:31In Paris, everyone lives as one family, white, black,
00:08:35everyone does things together. So in my opinion, everything is
00:08:38fine.
00:08:42The city's diversity is closely linked to France's colonial
00:08:45past. Many people of former colonial descent have lived here
00:08:49for generations. For Hanabi, it's time to get ready for
00:08:52tonight's Lavandix ball, he's going with his house,
00:08:56Unbottered Partiers. In the
00:08:58Ballroom scene, a house is much more than just a dance crew.
00:09:02I see my house as a kind of gang. We're here,
00:09:06we're a team. We'll go to the ball and present ourselves. Houses
00:09:10are named after high fashion brands like "Look house,
00:09:13fashion is a big inspiration for us, so we pose like in magazines.
00:09:31For many, the ballroom scene represents a chosen family because it
00:09:34provides support to those who would be rejected by their biological
00:09:37family. For three years I was away from my
00:09:40family, but now everything is fine because I managed to
00:09:43educate them. I'm happy that I managed to save that
00:09:47relationship because I was starting to lose them, I was ready no matter
00:09:50what, to choose myself in the end I got
00:09:53everything.
00:10:03The ballroom scene may be a competition, but it is primarily
00:10:07a community.
00:10:14Are you planning a visit to the German capital? Euromax reporter
00:10:17Hana Humel has lived in Berlin for over 10 years and has
00:10:21some tips for you.
00:10:24Berlin is a city where you need to know not only what is worth
00:10:28seeing, but also what is best to skip. First
00:10:31on the list is Alexander Platz. This square is always
00:10:35full of tourists, but honestly, it's not among my favorites.
00:10:38It's just a square full of fast
00:10:42fashion stores and fast food restaurants. Noisy,
00:10:45dirty.
00:10:49And very tiring to be in.
00:10:52The only thing it's good for, at least in my opinion, is the view of
00:10:55the TV Tower, the tallest building in Germany, 368
00:10:59meters high. It was built by
00:11:02the East German government in the 60s and opened in
00:11:061969. The idea was to show the world, and
00:11:09especially West Berlin, that the GDR was a modern
00:11:13and capable state. Do I think it should be completely
00:11:16avoided? No, it's a part of history that you should at
00:11:19least pause at. A ticket costs around
00:11:2225 euros. Lines can be
00:11:26long, especially in summer. The view, although good,
00:11:29is not dramatically better than the one you'll get for free at other
00:11:33places. I advise you to head west and walk
00:11:37along Unter den Linden street. This street is full of German
00:11:41history. The walk takes about 25 minutes and
00:11:44costs you nothing. First you'll pass by Museum
00:11:48Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are five
00:11:51world-renowned museums, including the New Museum, which houses
00:11:55preserved artifacts such as the bust of Nefertiti and treasures
00:11:58from ancient Egypt. If you want to spend money on this
00:12:02walk, spend it on a day ticket for Museum
00:12:05Island. Continue walking and you'll reach the Brandenburg
00:12:09Gate. The Brandenburg Gate has been the backdrop for some
00:12:13of the most important moments in history. Napoleon
00:12:16marched through it. The Nazi regime held
00:12:20parades beneath it. And then in 1900
00:12:2389, a crowd gathered here when
00:12:26the Berlin Wall fell. Admission is free, and the gate is
00:12:30also a great place for photos. It's often
00:12:33very crowded here as it's a popular stop for tour guides, so
00:12:36I wouldn't recommend staying long, but you definitely have to
00:12:40see the gate. And now
00:12:43let's turn left, because just a few minutes from here is
00:12:46one of the most moving monuments I have ever
00:12:50seen. The monument is dedicated to the murdered Jews of
00:12:53Europe, about 6 million of them. It was designed by
00:12:56architect Peter Eisenman and consists of a field
00:13:00of 2,711 concrete blocks of different
00:13:03heights. There are no names here, no faces.
00:13:07The abstract design has its purpose.
00:13:10The only thing I want to say about
00:13:14this place is that you should take care not to take inappropriate photos or
00:13:17selfies here, be respectful. This is not just
00:13:21a work of art. The third monument, the last stop on this
00:13:24walk, is the German parliament building
00:13:27(Reichstag). The glass dome at the top was designed by Sir
00:13:29Norman Foster and was added after the reunification of East and
00:13:33West Germany. You can go up to it completely
00:13:37free of charge, just register online beforehand.
00:13:40The view is incredible, and through the transparent dome above
00:13:43the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, citizens can
00:13:46literally look down on their representatives. The symbolism
00:13:50of transparent democracy is completely
00:13:53clear here.
00:13:56Next
00:14:00on my list of places you might not need to
00:14:04visit is Checkpoint Charlie, it's in every tourist
00:14:07guide to Berlin. To be honest, I understand its
00:14:10historical significance. It was the most famous crossing point between
00:14:13East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Many daring
00:14:17escape attempts by people who wanted to cross to the West
00:14:20took place here. It was right here
00:14:23in 1961 that a tense confrontation
00:14:26between American and Soviet tanks occurred. Today there's
00:14:29a McDonald's, a fake guard house and a souvenir
00:14:33shop, that's not exactly the image of the Cold War you'd
00:14:36expect. Instead, visit the East Side
00:14:39Gallery, a 3 km long section of the original
00:14:43Berlin Wall. It's the longest remaining section of the wall
00:14:46that has been converted into an open-air art gallery. After the fall of the wall in
00:14:501989,
00:14:53over a hundred artists
00:14:55from all over the world came to paint it. I have
00:14:58one more local tip for you, spend some time by the
00:15:02water, Berlin is surrounded by lakes, so if you have
00:15:05time, take a train and visit some of them,
00:15:09for example Wannsee, and if you'd rather stay in the city, come to
00:15:13Cafe am Neuen See in the middle of Tiergarten Park, there's
00:15:17a huge open-air beer garden right in the heart of the largest park in
00:15:20central Berlin. This is what Berlin looks like when you scratch
00:15:24beneath the surface of the tourist checklist of sights.
00:15:27Take a walk around the city, and when you're done, stop for
00:15:31a drink by the
00:20:54your top priority, but sooner or later it becomes a topic of conversation. That's why we
00:20:58asked young people across Europe how they bring up the topic when they start
00:21:02dating.
00:21:06Money, money, money. Sometimes it can be awkward.
00:21:10Generally speaking, it's a taboo. Money can
00:21:13become a problem as early as the first date. Who pays or
00:21:16do you split the bill? Is it awkward to talk about money? If...
00:21:20European couples manage all this, we sought answers from
00:21:23the couples themselves and an expert.
00:21:26Let's start with the basics, do you know how much your partner
00:21:29earns?
00:21:32Yes, I have a pretty clear
00:21:33idea.
00:21:36Yes, I would openly talk about my salary.
00:21:40Me too, I think I know. Not on the first
00:21:43date, but later it's good
00:21:44to know.
00:21:49It seems one. Simply, most people know how much their partner earns, maybe
00:21:53it's not a taboo.
00:21:55I don't think it's an overly important thing, the less you talk about it, the
00:21:59bigger the problem will be, it becomes more and more
00:22:01awkward. It can be an important topic,
00:22:05a little
00:22:05awkward.
00:22:09Yes, in a previous relationship I had problems because of
00:22:11money. So, it's not that simple after all.
00:22:15We showed these answers to psychologist Gulchihan
00:22:18Korkmaz. The therapist knows financial conflicts well.
00:22:22Interestingly, but I don't think it's
00:22:25a taboo topic when financial problems don't
00:22:28exist. Communication is key, you need to
00:22:31talk, because when conflicts related to gender
00:22:34or nationality arise, it all comes down
00:22:38to
00:22:39expectations.
00:22:46It's no coincidence that money is an important topic, especially among genders,
00:22:49because women on average earn less than
00:22:51men. In the European Union, the gender pay gap is about
00:22:5512%, and a British study showed that men
00:22:59who earn more than their wives are happier. Interestingly, what
00:23:03if the wife earns more, is that
00:23:07okay? Even better. Yes,
00:23:10of course. If two people have different incomes, it's hard to
00:23:14reconcile. In a previous relationship, my partner earned
00:23:18much more than me.
00:23:20Sometimes your ego kicks in and you want to pay, but mostly everything is
00:23:24fine.
00:23:26And what does
00:23:30the expert say?
00:23:33Interesting, but completely
00:23:34wrong.
00:23:39From birth, we are strictly shaped into gender roles, we grow up in
00:23:42a system where the man is dominant. Money means
00:23:46power, that's what it is too.
00:23:51When there's a shift in power in a relationship, or when a woman wants to work
00:23:55and the partner stays at home and takes care of the children, that's when
00:23:59problems
00:23:59arise.
00:24:04So, money and gender roles are very closely related, but
00:24:07according to this psychologist, money is less of a problem for same-sex
00:24:11couples. Come to think of it, financial topics
00:24:15are rarely mentioned among them. According to
00:24:18surveys, about 3/4 of German couples avoid financial
00:24:21conflicts, some feel awkward asking for a
00:24:25refund, so more than a third of Germans avoid the topic and never
00:24:29ask their partners to repay them amounts between 10 and 100
00:24:33euros. How do European couples decide who
00:24:35pays? I think the one who earns more should
00:24:39contribute more. I think it's okay for it to be fifty-
00:24:43fifty. If someone earns significantly less, I'd like
00:24:46to take care of them and spoil them a little.
00:24:51"It's important for me to be independent, we usually
00:24:54split everything fifty-fifty. It seems that splitting costs fifty-fifty
00:24:57is quite common in Europe, but Gulchihan Korkmaz doesn't
00:25:01think it's necessarily fair.
00:25:05Yes, that's silly, I'm sorry, you can't just split
00:25:0850-50, people are never 50-50, you'll have
00:25:12relationships 60, 40, 70,
00:25:1430, we have to be
00:25:17flexible, and what's your opinion
00:25:21on money in relationships?
00:25:24With that in mind, we've come to the end of the show. For more interesting
00:25:28and inspiring stories from all over Europe, don't forget to follow us on
00:25:31social media. As always, thank you for being with us and see you
00:25:35next week, until then, goodbye!
00:29:32Towards the uncensored truth in times of social moral crises,
00:29:36from a time that is increasingly missing every day in the struggle for the top
00:29:40that never ends, without manipulation,
00:29:43journalism for social justice, independent and
00:29:46disciplined, not at all sensational. I am
00:29:50Mamed Krivoši, you are watching N1.