POTPOURRI January 2015

Clementina Agricole

A story of pain, struggle and success

A Welcome Difference

PANDORA MOREL A weight loss success story

Road Rage

Seychelles’ Worst Drivers

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

1

www.potpourrimagazine.com

Dining at the Hilton Northolme

POTPOURRI

January

23

53

Knowing when to Quit A perspective on Madonna Ebola: une épidémie exceptionnelle

21

43 After a mother’s death Another custody issue

33

New Year Resolutions for Kids

SAVE IT FOR THE SHOWER Water Saving Tips

The Team Chief Editor: (1) Marie-France Watson | M: + (248) 2512477 | E: marie-france@seychellespublications.com Marketing: (2) Ineke Camille | M: + (248) 2520937 | E: ineke@seychellespublications.com Freelance Writing: (3) Mawess Wirtz, (4) Elaine Lafortune, (5) Kurt Gilbert Photography: (6) Suzanne Verlaque | POTPOURRI Photography Studio Graphics & Layout: (7) Olivia Michaud | W: www.angelcreativedesign.com

La Plage

right on Beau Vallon Beach 1

3

2

5 Potpourri Magazine Seychelles

6

4

7

Potpourri Seychelles is published by Paradise Promotions Ltd Box 1539, Room 105, Aarti Chambers, Mont-Fleuri, Seychelles Tel: + (248) 4325215 | Fax: + (248) 4325216 | www.potpourrimagazine.com Printed by: ATLAS Printing Press LLC.

Phone: +248.4.620.240 Open everyday Non-stop 12pm - 11pm

Closed on Wednesday

From the

EDITOR Facebook friends. While we laugh most of it off, the fact is that somewhere, in some basement or on some beach, someone’s fingers are busy at a keyboard getting up to no good. It is comical until we fail to differentiate between legit and non-legit, and happily give away information which can cause serious problems in our lives - i.e. giving away bank details or sensitive information.

So far, I haven’t heard anyone come up with a definitive solution to the problem. Logic dictates that we use the internet with care and caution, but with our busy lives, ‘logging on’ does not always happen when we are stress-free behind our comfortable office desk, or with our feet up on our living room couch. In our attempts to keep up with the non-stop turning wheel of life (which seems to accelerate a bit faster year after year), our fingers are forever pressing the keys and our eyes have been instructed to give more focus to the many screens that dominate our lives.

Photo credit: Suzanne Verlaque

Dear Folks, I am no expert in Information Technology matters but as a member of the World Wide Web family, I am becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of my online presence. The hacking of Sony Pictures is currently making headlines all over the world - of course the fact that high-profile celebrities are part of this news helps keep that fire burning - however, an obvious question remains: can any email be hacked?

We have all gotten the e-mails from John Smith explaining to us that his father-in-law has passed and he needs to expatriate USD $50 million from some obscure country with our help. We’ve also received the text message announcing that we have won some fantastical amount of money in some UK lottery. Many of us have had our Facebook profile either hacked or duplicated with the hacker making contact with our

1

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

I shamefully admit to being one of those people. Along the way, I come up with rules to keep me human, such as no phones allowed when I play with my kids, and I keep the gadgets at home when I go on a family outing. I am sure that as time goes by my ‘rules’ list will increase and I am OK with that. At the end of the day, my eldest son will not always rush to my bed for a morning cuddle and my baby, well, he won’t be a baby for much longer. I need my rules to be a decent mother, wife and friend.

For those of you visiting our beautiful islands this month, may you have a memorable holiday and be blown away by the Seychellois hospitality.

Chief Editor

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

2

Cover Model KC Rose (24) Guest Relation Supervisor, STE ANNE RESORT & SPA

3

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Up to Nat-Sui only at

Double Tree by Hilton Allamanda Resort & Spa

1

2

3 1. Photography: Marsha Dine | 2. Concept: Joel Rose 3. Hair & Make-Up: Joanna Houareau | Necklace and ring: Portofino Balloons: Parties & More | Venue: Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

Skirt: Exclusively made for the shoot by Gemma Emilie Dubel of GED’s (Tel: 2591056) | Top: Model’s own | Shoes: G&C @ OJ Mall

5

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Musings of an Island Girl

by Tina Houareau

RESILIENCE I recall a few years back when I wrote about resolutions for the New Year I stated that I do not make them. That continues to be true. I am more comfortable with reflecting on my actions on a daily basis and do what I can to grow as an individual. Some improvements take time and can only be attained with a change in perspective and the benefit of hindsight. I have come to accept that.

Others are less challenging and can occur almost instantaneously. Whatever the case, the important thing is I try. On a daily basis.

One very fascinating quality about us humans is that we are born with very resilient temperaments. If hurt or sad, an infant will naturally look for ways to be appeased and soothed even if no one else is present. Yet, as we grown older, many of us forget about this instinctive ability that we have from birth to be strong and spirited. So my message for my first column in 2015 is that we make a more conscious effort to be resilient.

One way to be the opposite of resilient is to set unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We can be rid of so much stress if we simply recognize that the unexpected (e.g. missed flights, miscommunication, unappealing weather forecast) is a part of life. Last month, I took my annual vacation with my son to Laguna Beach, California, where I was sorely aware of all the challenges listed in the brackets. And guess, what? I remained resilient, improvised, and we ended up having a spectacular trip.

Another important thing to remember is that making changes can take time.

Changes often also come with a steep learning curve at the beginning. Just because a new year begins does not automatically mean that it will take less time for you to accomplish your goals than you originally anticipated. The months may be fresh and the slate may be clean, but impediments will materialize. Botched projects or disappointments may surface earlier than you think. But remember that stumbling blocks are always going to be on the path that leads to success – whether than be in your personal or professional life. A resilient individual appreciates that setbacks may even bring unexpected surprises.

This is life. And with it comes the beauty that each day offers new opportunities to approach things just a bit differently so we can be happier, kinder, more confident, and fulfilled.

Happy New Year!

Tina Houareau is a Seychellois living in the USA with her young son. She is an Instructional Designer for Capella University, where she is completing her PhD in the same field.

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

6

OPEN LETTER

“THE HEART THAT YOU HAD MENDED ENDED UP CRUSHED AGAIN. IT WAS TOO MUCH. I NEEDED COMFORT AND I WASN’T GETTING IT FROM THE PERSON I THOUGHT WOULD NEVER HURT ME.” Dear G, On the 11th of December 2010, a day after your birthday is a date to remember.

I will never forget how we met and how you completed my life with a smile. I will never forget the first time we held hands, the first time you took my breath away and how we fell in love. It was priceless. It always will be. You took me under your wings and I did too. It felt like we were meant to be and it felt right, given at that time I needed someone by my side. I was a teenager and you were going through a heart break. Everything was perfect, too perfect. Being a 17 year old at that time felt like my life wouldn’t go wrong.

It’s been over a year since you broke my heart. A year since you deserted me, lied and mistreated me with all your insults. We both made mistakes but didn’t have to end up the way it did after being with each other for nearly three years.

A few months after our break up, I ended up with someone else and I broke his heart because you wanted me back and I made the most stupid mistake and I let him go and took you back because I still loved you too bits. But things didn’t last long, even after a sunny day comes a stormy day. Another one and this time even more painful. You cheated with someone I thought was my friend. My dad who had taken you as his own felt hurt and so was my mum seeing me crying every night for months.

The heart that you had mended ended up crushed again. It was too much. I needed comfort and I wasn’t getting it from the person I thought would never hurt me.

A few months later you broke up with her and started talking to me again even after she insulted me for nothing and you took part of it. I forgave you and blinded by my feelings I thought your apologies were sincere.

But you ended up with another of my school friend and it’s been over a year since you’ve been together. A few months back you started talking to me again but she doesn’t know about it. I just wonder how someone can be so ignorant and heartless like you. I never had closure and all my relationships fail because you never gave me a reason why you mistreated me. We’ve been through so much and you keep hurting me even being someone else’s.

You keep pushing me to get into relationships that don’t even last just because I want to get over you and not be lonely for the rest of my life. How do I get over such a feeling? How do I tell myself that you never loved me the way I loved you? How will I ever get the closure I need?

I just want you to say ‘’ Hey it’s time for you to move on.’’

To this day tears fall down my cheeks When does it stop?

My heart needs some peace.

Let it rest please.

So help me God. Yours sincerely, Forever and ever Love Hunny Bunny

7

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Do you have something you need to get off your chest?

Something you desperately need to say to someone?

WRITE TO US; marie-france@seychellespublications.com.

All letters will remain anonymous.

Africa’s Best Credit Card is now here.

Travel light, life is easier when you pay with your Barclays Credit Card.

Get the convenience of being able to spend whenever you want and wherever you are in the world. A Barclays Credit Card allows you to travel freely without the hassle of carrying cash and coins. You also have instant access to your cash 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at any ATM, should you need it. Barclays Credit Cards are internationally accepted in over 22 million outlets displaying the VISA sign across 150 countries worldwide.

From the bank that is here for you to prosper.

Visit your nearest branch or call us on 4383939 to find out more.

Voted the Best Credit Card Business in Africa by The Asian Banker.

POTPOURRI 2014 Cover Models’ New Year Resolutions They have graced our covers in 2014. We caught up with some of our former cover girls to see what they have in store for 2015.

Sherlyn Furneau January 2014 ”2014 has been a year full of challenges that has made me stronger than ever before. For 2015, I want to keep on striving to get the best out of myself.

I want my family to stay close together especially after losing our ‘papa’ who we all miss dearly.

I am hoping the new change in career brings out the best in me.

Staying positive is how I plan to get through 2015.”

Juliette Micock May 2014 2014: “The year I received the greatest gift; my son. I have faced the challenges of being a new mum but I have loved the excitement of starting a new life with my fiancée and son.”

For 2015: ”Definitely more focus on my career and studies. I also need to exercise more and use that treadmill that has been sitting at home. ”

Elsa Barallon ~ February 2014 2014: “It has been a year with many ups and downs but it’s not about regrets, it’s only lessons learned that will make me grow stronger for my future and look forward to the hope and possibilities of 2015.”

For 2015: “I see it as a basketful of hopes, dreams and aspirations. We should all begin this new year with renewed vitality and optimism which is the much needed ingredients to a successful start. With every year we get a little older and a little wiser. Everyone has highs and lows that they have to learn from. Every struggle in my life has shaped me into the person I am today, There may be times in life when you won’t know what’s ahead, and you can’t control the situations that life throws you in. At the end of the day, despite what happens to you what matters most is what happens in you.”

9

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

10

Marsha Parcou ~ July 2014 2014: ”It has been a challenging and motivating year. Looking at the past few months I am grateful for everything I have successfully achieved in both my professional and personal life.”

For 2015: “I am engaged and if all goes to according to God’s will, I will tie the knot in 2015. On the career front, I am passionate about my job which is promoting Seychelles in the African region. My aim is to continuously grow the South African Market as there is huge potential to obtain a bigger market share and increase the visitor arrivals to Seychelles.

On a personal note, I would like to take my fitness training to the next level and continue to inspire many people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. As mentioned in my previous article, a well- built physique is a status symbol.

It reflects the hard work one has put in. You can’t steal it, you can’t borrow it and cannot hold on to it without constant work. It is from dedication, determination, consistency, self-respect and dignity despite the bumps one encounters on the journey. Soon I would be completing my Diploma in Sports Nutrition and the knowledge gained would contribute towards the growth and evolution of ESN. Our primary objective is ‘to change lives’ The Healthy Life: It’s not just about losing the weight, it’s about losing the lifestyle and mindset that got you there! We are passionate in what we do and I am proud to say that Kirchlee is gifted in what he does – the results speak for themselves. We sincerely thank all our clients who have embarked on this journey and we look forward to welcoming new ones….

I look forward to welcoming 2015. As a spiritual person I remain in faith, as I believe I am abundantly blessed and there are greater things in store for me.”

Amanda Pillay d’Offay ~ August 2014 “This year is a very special one for me as I welcomed my 40th. I was sitting and thinking hard about my New Year’s resolutions and the more I thought about it, ‘shall I do this or will I do that’the more my inner voice kept saying “really Mandy... again!!” I am simply one of those people who cannot stick to my resolutions and no matter how hard I tried somewhere along the way I stop or forget it altogether!

So during this whole thought process I could hear my husband’s and my son’s laughter and this made me smile because they kept on going. At that moment I came to realise that happiness is the basis to everything. So I decided to keep it simple - ensure the continuation of what I have been doing last year and that is to live, to love, to give , to laugh and to do the best I can in any given situation and for anyone. ”

11

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Alexandria Faure ~ November 2014 ”For 2015 I hope for more opportunities and happiness. The plan is to get fitter and lead a healthier lifestyle. With my dream destination on my mind, which is Japan by the way, money saving starts in January itself. A trip to New York wouldn’t be a bad idea either. In a nutshell, I want to enjoy life more! ”

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

12

LIFESTYLE

My Relationship

with my

Mother

By Maryse Philo

13

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Recalling my childhood days always bring me to smile. Despite being an only child, I had an awesome one. Lots of people contributed to these lovely memories; my cousin Jean-Paul (who is really more like a brother to me), other family members, school friends, teachers, etc… However, there is one person who is in or was the cause of most of my greatest childhood memories; my amazing mum, Mrs. Marie-May Madeleine.

My parents separated when I was about six or seven. Although my darling daddy supported me as best as he could, I spent most of my childhood with my mum and grandma. Until today I still live with my grandma at La Louise. Mum was a teacher at the Plaisance primary school.

Where I was a young student, so we had ample time together. I loved school and it was partly because mummy was always a few classrooms away (note that this was not always advantageous).She was very involved in lots of extracurricular activities (especially sports), but she kept me close to her always. I remember us going to watch all sorts of sports, particularly over the week-end. She was a basketball player and she took me to all her games. We had fun.

When I was in primary five, mum was transferred to teach at the Grand Anse primary school. This is where she got to meet her current husband of 11 years. We had less time together during the day and mum started to stay over at my stepdad’s place every other day. I was so used to being at my grandparent’s place and just never got around to accompanying my mum at Grand-Anse. Mum did not persist as I was happy and it was of course easier to go to school from La-Louise. As young as I was then, I understood and feared that the changes life brought us could have a negative effect on our relationship. I am glad to say today that my fears never became reality. On the contrary, our bond became stronger and stronger over the years.

We remained close because mum repeatedly reminded me that a mother and daughter should communicate frequently no matter what.

She made it a point to telephone me each time she was away (we had no mobile phones at that time). She made tremendous efforts to stay involved in every area of my life whether it was school, church, or any other activities. Although she was a strict young mum (no messing with her), she remained open at all times. She put forth a warmth that made it extremely easy to approach her and discuss the most embarrassing girly issues.

By the time I was studying at the Polytechnic mummy had “officially” moved to Grand-Anse from my grand-parents’. Again our relationship had to be re-adjusted and we did it slowly, slowly. Thank God for technology.

From a short holiday in Kenya, mum brought me my very first mobile phone. It then became possible to communicate through text messages

LIFESTYLE

on a daily basis. This is what we do still. Keeping in touch with each other comes naturally.

We never go to bed without having talked at least once during the day. Nowadays she is very active on Facebook so we speak through Facebook chat too.

We speak about everything; work, plans, family, our joys, our worries. We support and advise each other. We make important decisions together. We listen to each other. We value each other’s opinion. We seek each other’s approval. We shop together. We gossip. We tease each other. We disagree. We laugh together. We annoy each other. We defend each other. We dance together. We both like earrings. And we borrow each other’s things and never return them.

I could go on and on. Needless to say we love each other and we’re great together. It’s very difficult to select words to describe how much she means to me. The bond we share is like no other. She is the person I know I can always turn to.

I will be forever grateful to mum for ensuring that her little girl remained close to her despite the circumstances. I’ve learnt practically all I know about maintaining relationships from her.

She guided our relationship in such a manner that I understood from a very young age that mother and child always need each other and that it takes two to keep a relationship going.

I’ve learnt to appreciate other relationships with other people in my life, because my mum showed me how beautiful and rewarding a healthy relationship can be.

Often, I hear stories whereby unfortunately either a parent or both parents do not have any sort of relationship with their child for one reason or another. This saddens me. I take this opportunity to advise mothers and children who have fallen out, to attempt reconciliation.

I recognize that some actions and behaviours are “unforgivable”. Sometimes, we are hurt so deeply that we feel we have no choice but to give up on relationships. Sometimes personality

“We speak about everything; work, plans, family, our joys, our worries. We support and advise each other. We make important decisions together. We listen to each other. We value each other’s opinion. We seek each other’s approval. We shop together.

We gossip. We tease each other. We disagree. We laugh together. We annoy each other. We defend each other.

We dance together. We both like earrings. And we borrow each other’s things and never return them. I could go on and on.” differences can make things complex and sometimes love alone does not seem like enough.

On the other hand I also know that mother and child relationships can be really beautiful and worthwhile, if well nurtured. I believe that parents and their children should remain close and support each other in all ways imaginable, as much as possible.

Have a go at mending the relationship, again. Start by just saying hello daily and see where that takes you. Remember, relationships between complete opposites often turn out to be the best ones. And where there’s a will, there’s a way.

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

14

Road Ragin’

Our roads are getting scarier by the day…and these drivers aren’t helping.

Seychelles is quickly approaching a tipping point, if it hasn’t reached it already, when it comes to our traffic system. Sure, there’s the excruciatingly slow traffic in Victoria, but even more disconcerting is the significant increase in accidents and fatalities on the road over the past few years.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, with the influx of more vehicles on the roads over the past few years. Every driver is prone to making mistakes, and most of those mistakes won’t result in a crash. But more cars and more drivers (all trying to find their way on the same stretch of road) will naturally result in more errors, hence the rise in collisions.

Accidents are the result of some combination of circumstance, road conditions and driver error. Some accidents are truly that: accidents that just can’t be avoided due to external factors and bad luck. But the vast majority of them can often be prevented if some drivers opted to be a little more aware and considerate on the roads.

If you’re still searching for a New Year’s Resolution, read on to find out whether you might be exhibiting some problematic driving behaviours, and if so, try your best not to be one of these drivers in 2015:

The Clogger

There was a time in Seychelles when drivers could stop along the main road for a casual chat when encountering friends on foot, with nary another car in sight that could be troubled by the obstruction. Those days are no more. The country’s main thoroughfare around the island is now

15

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

way too busy to have vehicles using it as their personal car park, no matter how brief.

That also means, unfortunately, that the otherwise kindly gesture of giving someone a lift will eventually need to be restricted and enforced.

That may seem extreme, but if you’ve ever sat in early morning traffic at Pointe Larue and wondered how on earth it could be so backed up, think about sand in an hourglass. If the sand travelling down through the glass is the flow of traffic, and if you were to turn the hourglass upside down whenever someone stops along the main road to dan chak or drop someone off, the sand would soon start accumulating at the top, instead of where it’s supposed to go at the bottom, wouldn’t it? All those ‘little’ stops make a big difference in the long run, especially with so many more cars on the road than there used to be.

“SIMILARLY, THERE’S REALLY NO NEED TO USE YOUR BRIGHTS WHEN YOU’VE GOT OTHER CARS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. THOSE BRAKE LIGHTS AHEAD OF YOU SHOULD PROVIDE PLENTY INDICATION AS TO THE ROAD’S CONTOURS, SO THE ONLY THING YOUR BRIGHTS WILL REALLY ACCOMPLISH, IN THAT INSTANCE, IS TO ANNOY THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF YOU TO NO END.” The Stop-and-Starter

If you do give someone a lift and can’t help but stop on the main road, you should at LEAST have the courtesy to look behind you before moving forward again, to ensure you’re not going to further obstruct any vehicles in the process of trying to get around you. If you just take off as soon as your business is finished, you put the other drivers around you in serious risk, as they may not have enough road to pass you with oncoming traffic bearing down on them in the other direction, requiring them to accelerate even more quickly – a bad situation all around. Common courtesy would have you wait until there is a safe opportunity to move forward again.

After all, you’re the one who has stopped the traffic behind you – now it’s your turn to wait.

The Luminously Challenged Driver

In Seychelles there appears to be no shortage of night-time drivers who are either desperately short on night vision or just plain ignorant about the purpose of their vehicle’s bright lights. While your brights can obviously come in handy on poorly lit stretches of road, you should always be ready to switch them off the second you see a car travelling in the opposing direction. Leaving them on severely reduces the ability of other drivers to see what’s in front of them – including you and your vehicle.

Similarly, there’s really no need to use your brights when you’ve got other cars right in front of you. Those brake lights ahead of you should provide plenty indication as to the road’s contours, so the only thing your brights will really accomplish, in that instance, is to annoy the driver in front of you to no end.

The Plain Old-Fashioned Jerk

No driver is perfect, and even the most accomplished driver can make mistakes from time to time. So with the road already perilous enough, we could really do without the handful of drivers too immoral, too ignorant, or some unholy combination of the two, to bother with the actual rules of the road and the common courtesies that go with them.

This goes for the jerk who parks across multiple parking spots (just because no one is using them when you arrive doesn’t mean nobody’s going to come a little bit later).

It goes for the jerk who decides flowing traffic can screech to a halt because he’s tired of waiting to pull out onto the road (right-of-way doesn’t change no matter how long you’re waiting).

And it goes for the jerk who believes driving under the influence of alcohol is okay for any reason (it’s not).

Just remember, simply displaying courtesy and respect for your fellow drivers would make for significantly fewer of the above drivers on our roads, and make them much safer in the process. Until then, stay safe behind the wheel!

‘Contributed’.

Tips for Driving Safely USE YOUR SENSES...NOT YOUR HEADPHONES Eyesight is regarded as the most important sense that you use when driving, and rightfully so, but hearing is also important. That means blasting music, be it through your speakers, or even worse, through your headphones, is potentially dangerous. If you can’t hear what’s happening around you (e.g. an emergency vehicle’s sirens) you risk not being able to react until it’s too late to avoid a bad situation.

LEAVE ENOUGH SPACE AROUND YOU Always try to position your vehicle at a safe distance from other cars and obstacles. The faster you’re going, the more space you need.

Remember that in just about every case, the driver that hits a vehicle from behind is the one at fault, no matter how quickly the car in front stops. Even when coming to a full stop, you always want to be able to see the bottom of the tires of the car in front of you for a sufficient cushion.

The Lazy Line Straddler

There’s really no excuse for this anymore. There’s just too much traffic on the roads nowadays to be cutting across the middle of the road along sharp curves, let alone on straightaways. If you can’t make a curve without spilling across that white line, then maybe you should just slow down.

The Overzealous Overtake Maniac

The most egregious of these culprits can be found on the stretch of highway from Victoria to Providence, where the curvature of the road and the density of tall casuarinas often block sight of what’s coming around the bend.

A general rule of courtesy which somehow seems to escape many of today’s drivers: if overtaking the vehicle in front of you is going to cause the cars travelling in the opposite direction to brake…or, you know, SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY IN ABSOLUTE TERROR, then maybe you should just sit tight for a little while, chief. When you can clearly see what’s coming along the road ahead of you, go on ahead, but just because the road is wide, or you think Paul Walker has re-incarnated himself into your steering wheel, doesn’t give you the right to put other people’s lives in jeopardy.

YOUR MIRRORS ARE THERE FOR A REASON In order to create enough safe space around your vehicle, you need to be aware of what’s around you. All your mirrors should be positioned correctly for you to be able see what’s behind you, as well as to the left and right.

WATCH YOUR BLIND SPOTS As important as your mirrors are, they can’t cover all angles, so any time you’re switching lanes or pulling into traffic, be sure to give a quick glance back toward your blind spot (where you’re rear windows are), to make sure there aren’t any cars speeding past you at the wrong time.

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

16

O

ne of the other solicitors at my firm was getting married and she invited everyone we work with to attend. One little hiccup – the nuptials were taking place on Sentosa island! There was nothing for it but for us to close the entire office for a few days and take a sojourn to Singapore!

We capped of the night dancing underneath the stars at Ku Dé Ta on top of Marina Bay Sands, three magnificent hotel towers crowned with a breathtaking sky park with 360 degree views of Singapore. It was the perfect city break and most definitely worth all the files stacked on my desk the next morning! Until next time, if you can’t be good, be good at it.

Original Raffles’ Singapore Sling

renée martin designs

We arrived at our little boutique hotel in the dead of night. Called the Hotel Clover The Arts, I was delighted to discover that my room’s walls were painted in a mural detailing some of the best sights Singapore had to offer.

It was as pretty as a postcard and directly opposite the Law Society of Singapore, which I took to be a good omen!

You will need...

30ml gin 15ml cherry brandy 120ml pineapple juice 15ml lime juice 7.5ml Cointreau 7.5 ml Dom Bénédictine 10ml grenadine Dash of Angostura aromatic bitters Handful of ice Toothpick, slice of pineapple and a maraschino cherry, for garnish

I awoke the next morning to freshly ground coffee and pastries then strolled down to Chinatown for some local flavour. The streets were bustling with fruit and vegetable markets, little trinket shops and more paper lanterns than you could count. I cooled off from the stifling humidity with a fresh coconut and some chilli crab at the Maxwell Road Hawker Centre then headed back to the hotel to change.

That night the bridal party and some of the younger guests gathered at Jekyll & Hyde, a little cocktail bar in trendy Tanjong Pagar. Over a feast of fried oysters we drank the most delicious martinis then headed over to 1-Altitude to enjoy a nightcap and a view of the city from the highest rooftop bar in Singapore.

The next day we woke up bright and early for the wedding, a full Chinese affair at the five star Capella - a stunning colonial hotel on Sentosa, overlooking the South China Sea. There were 400 guests, 5 courses and 2 wedding dresses but all too soon the fun was over so some die hard guests decided to continue to the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel for some original Singapore Slings. These delicious concoctions were invented around 1915 by their bartender at the time, Mr Ngiam Tong Boon. Very moreish!

17

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

What to do...

Mix all liquid ingredients in a shaker and pour into a collins glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.

Brigitte Monchouguy is a Seychelloise legal practitioner with a passion for social journalism. She is happiest when travelling, with interests in music, art, theatre and architecture. She also dabbles in mixology and will be sharing cocktail recipes along with her monthly escapades.

A Fresh Start - London to Mahé

By Daniel Balkwill

Dan works for Kreol Wines - a new wine shop located at Eden Plaza on Eden Island, specialising in Argentinian, Australian, French and South African products. Opening hours are 9-6.30 Mon-Fri, 10-6 Sat & 10-4 Sun.

A

New Year. A unique opportunity to turn over a new leaf and start as you mean to go on for the next twelve months.

18 AUGUST 2013 | POTPOURRI Doubtless, a plethora of other similar clichés also apply but you get the general idea.

I recall with stark clarity waking up on New Year’s Day, 2014. After a particularly raucous, riotous New Year’s Eve, I was left with an empty wallet, a haphazard patchwork of hazy memories of the previous evening’s revelry and a hangover of immense proportions. My head pounded mercilessly. It felt as if some miniscule creature with superhuman strength was attempting to batter their way out of my skull with a mallet. To my amazement and horror, I also discovered that I was partially covered in glitter.

As I lay prostrate in bed, resembling a stricken seventies glam rock star, waiting for my senses

“ THERE ARE SURELY BETTER STARTS TO A NEW YEAR, OR ANY MORNING COME TO THAT. A LOVER’S TENDER CARESS, A BENEFACTOR DELIVERING AN IMPROMPTU CUP OF TEA FOR THEIR INCAPACITATED COMRADE. ANYTHING BUT A CRAZY CANINE SLOBBERING ALL OVER YOU”.

to recover some semblance of normality, there was a deafening crash as the door burst open and my dog, Ossie, bounded into the room and began to enthusiastically lick my hand. As much as I appreciated his good intentions, I couldn’t help but feel slightly aggrieved. There are surely better starts to a New Year, or any morning come to that. A lover’s tender caress, a benefactor delivering an impromptu cup of tea for their incapacitated comrade. Anything but a crazy canine slobbering all over you.

Ignoring all of the signals in my body screaming at me to stay immobile for at least 24 hours, I managed to prise myself out of bed and stagger in the general direction of the kitchen. Mercifully, a restorative breakfast of coffee, scrambled eggs and bacon was being prepared, the collective smell of which immediately placed me unsteadily but assuredly on the slow road to recovery.

Having despatched the delicious breakfast in record time I then dutifully squirted some washing up liquid into the pan and flicked on the kettle so that I could add some hot water to soak it for a while before tackling the washing up. One must not forget one’s household chores, even in times of dire, physical hardship.

It was precisely at this rather inopportune moment that my wife decided to sneak into the kitchen to grab the remaining piece of bacon still clinging bravely and forlornly to the pan, blissfully unaware that it had recently been coated with a green, viscous layer of Fairy liquid.

Moments later, she began to retch uncontrollably as the enormity of her unwitting culinary faux pas was painfully revealed. When she reemerged from the bathroom several minutes later she was unable to speak but shot me a look of pure, unbridled venom which I shall not forget in a hurry.

I couldn’t help but reflect that this was by far the worst start to a new year I’d ever had. I was hungover, had been drooled on by the dog and accidentally poisoned my spouse, all within a handful of minutes. Sometimes it’s best not to start as you mean to go on.

H

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

18

Paroles, paroles……(par Paroles, paroles……

Janvier, c’est bien sur la bonne année, mais c’est aussi le mois des belles promesses qui souvent s’évaporent quelques semaines plus tard. Alors en ce janvier 2015, regardons un peu derrière nous et souvenons nous des « Objectifs du millénaire pour le développement « dont tous les medias sans exception nous avaient rabâché les oreilles !

Les objectifs du millénaire pour le développement (Millenium Development Goals en anglais) sont huit objectifs adoptés en 2000 à New York par 193 états membres de l’ONU et au moins 23 organisations internationales qui avaient convenus de les atteindre en 2015. Mais au fait, 2015, nous y sommes !!

Ces objectifs recouvrent de grands enjeux humanitaires : La réduction de l’extrême pauvreté et de la mortalité infantile, la lutte contre plusieurs épidémies dont le Sida, l’accès a l’éducation, l’égalité des sexes et l’application du développement durable. Wouaaaa, rien que ca !

Heureusement, tous les pauvres, tous les affamés, tous les enfants malades du tiers-monde et tous ceux concernés par ces belles promesses n’en n’ont jamais entendu parler, Ouf ! Ils ne seront donc pas déçus. Quant aux medias, cette fois-ci, c’est silence radio. C’est dommage et dramatique, car tous ces nobles objectifs devraient être la priorité absolue de tous les états…

Prenons par exemple l’objectif 1. Il consistait à réduire de moitie la part des individus vivant avec moins d’un dollar par jour. La banque mondiale estime qu’en 2005, 1,4 milliard d’individus vivaient dans une pauvreté extrême.

Il s’agissait également de réduire de moitié la part des individus souffrant de la faim. La hausse des prix des matières premières entre autre rend cette cible difficile à atteindre. L’Asie du sud et l’Afrique sub-saharienne sont les zones les plus

19

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Georges Gravé)

touchées par la sous-nutrition infantile.

L’objectif 2 quant a lui visait a ce que tous les enfants, garçons et filles partout dans le monde puissent bénéficier d’ici 2015 d’un cycle d’études primaires. Même si des progrès sont faits, il reste encore tellement de chemin à parcourir… Je ne parle pas de l’objectif 3 qui visait à promouvoir l’égalité des sexes et l’autonomisation des femmes. La aussi, tellement de choses restent à faire a travers le monde.

“LA FAIM CONCERNE TOUJOURS 925 MILLIONS DE PERSONNES ET LES INDICATEURS SONT MAUVAIS ET 884 MILLIONS DE PERSONNES N’ONT TOUJOURS PAS ACCÈS À L’EAU POTABLE.”.

Quant à l’objectif 3, les pays riches en parlent souvent, mais rien n’avance vraiment, car les budgets manquent et il faut bien le dire le paludisme et toutes les maladies dans le genre sont quand même loin des pays riches.

Il s’agissait d’endiguer et de faire reculer (pas encore de supprimer) l’incidence du paludisme et des principales autres maladies qui frappent surtout l’Afrique. La franchement quand ils ont du entendu cela, les laboratoires pharmaceutiques ont du bien se marrer et

regarder par les fenêtres pour voir si les poules avaient des dents. Et puis Ebola était encore à l’école primaire.

Franchement, le bilan est bien décevant et même si en 2010 a New York plus de 140 chefs d’Etats ont réaffirmé leurs engagements, les belles paroles et les belles promesses sont restées presque lettre mortes. L’ONU par la voix de son secrétaire général Ban Ki-moon, reconnait que les avancées sont insuffisantes avec un bilan plus que mitigé. La faim concerne toujours 925 millions de personnes et les indicateurs sont mauvais et 884 millions de personnes n’ont toujours pas accès à l’eau potable. Pour Ban Ki-moon, les explications sont « le manque d’engagement et de ressources, le déficit de responsabilité des dirigeants, l’insuffisance de soutien technique et de partenariat » En clair, oui pour les belles promesses et puis après tout le monde s’en fout.

Voila une sublime occasion de gâchée, nous avons encore ratée le coche. Nous avions 15 ans devant nous pour être fiers du travail accompli, 15 ans pour dorloter notre planète, 15 ans pour respecter et aimer ses habitants et nous avons continué à nous voiler la face, a tout détruire autour de nous, a continuer a nous entretuer, a dépenser l’argent public pour les guerres, a faire comme si tout allait bien…. Très belle année aux 193 chefs d’états.

Quant a vous chers amis (es), Je vous souhaite tout simplement une fructueuse année 2015.

Georges Gravé is the Personal Development & Training Manager at the Maia Luxury Resort and Spa

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

20

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH

BE RNA R D GE ORGE S

My sister died of cancer and before she passed asked me if I would take legal custody of her two boys. The boys’ father is active in their lives, though the boys are not legally recognised. He has no objections to her wishes and he plans to continue his role in the boys’ lives. The paternal grandmother is however claiming that she wants rights to the boys. The boys know their grandmother and she is very loving to them but my sister’s wish was that they be raised by me and I already love them like my own. Does granny stand a chance?

This problem is an extension of the one we considered in the last edition of the magazine, namely guardianship and the rights of various persons to the custody of minor children. This is very often a delicate matter, made more so by competing interests. Habitually, each parent after they separate, or different members of the family after the death of a parent, feel that the children will be better off with them. Often, something which can be talked through is not. Positions become entrenched. Lawyers, the Family Tribunal and the courts get involved. War is declared. Yet both sides are, more often than not, motivated to do good. Both sides generally want the best for the children. Both sides see the argument that the welfare of the children is of paramount importance. But unfortunately jealousy, a sense of superiority and – regrettably sometimes, plain hatred for the other side – push otherwise reasonable folk to dig in and take unreasonable positions.

Custody applications often bring out the very worst in people. Parents who were once so in love that they married and had children will, after separation, think nothing of involving the police if a child is 30 minutes late in returning after a weekend with the other parent, or will organise holidays abroad just so that the other parent can be punished at important occasions. Often, it must be said, lawyers do not knock sense into their clients but go along with their unreasonable demands, making a bad situation worse. And, nowhere is it worse than when non-parents claim that minor children should be put in their custody and care.

The situation we are considering here is typical. We have three people in the mix: the aunt of two minor boys, their grandmother and their father.

The father has not recognised them, so legally he has no rights over them. Their grandmother is the mother of the boys’ father – he who has not recognised them – not their maternal grandmother. The aunt is the sister of their mother, the one who the mother had chosen to be their custodian. By all accounts each of these three persons could be a fine one to have custody of the boys. The father, it seems, is happy to leave them in the custody of one of the other two. He is not asking for them. Can the grandmother obtain custody over the wishes of the aunt, who has been designated by the deceased mother of the children?

As always, the best place to start is with the law. The father has not recognised the children legally. This means that his name does not appear

on their birth certificates and, although their biological father, he is in law a stranger to them. Had he married the boys’ mother, the law would give him all legal rights over them, in preference to the mother. Had he simply recognised the boys, even if he had not married their mother, he would be next in line after her death to assume control over their lives. But he has done neither, and in any event he is happy for them to be with their aunt. The aunt and the grandmother have no legal rights over the boys either. The mother of the children had the right – as mother – to appoint a guardian for them after her death. She could have done that either in a Will, or through a legal appointment before a Notary. Had she done one or the other, the matter would have been resolved there and then. The sister’s claim for custody would pretty much be solid. It would appear, however, that the mother did neither, but expressed her wish that the boys should remain with her sister. Such rights, thus, as the sister and grandmother have will, in the absence of any legal guidelines or legal paperwork, have to be determined by the court, in this case the Family Tribunal.

“But unfortunately jealousy, a sense of superiority and – regrettably sometimes, plain hatred for the other side – push otherwise reasonable folk to dig in and take unreasonable positions”.

Who is the Tribunal likely to appoint?

In approaching this question, the Tribunal will be guided – as it must in cases concerning minor children – by one consideration, and one consideration alone: the welfare of the children, what is best for them. All other considerations will be pushed to the side. That is not to say that they will not be considered by the Tribunal. They will. It just means that the Tribunal will not be swayed by them in the face of other, more powerful considerations. For instance, while the preference of the mother for the boys to remain in the custody of her sister will be an important factor to be considered in the search for what is best for the children, it will weigh very little if, let us say, the sister already has several children of her own, lives in a very small house and has no income. So, the Tribunal will explore, with the assistance of the Social Services, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the aunt and the grandmother as potential custodians of the boys and decide who is better suited to have custody.

Apart from the usual matters such as the ages of the aunt and the grandmother, the comfort of their respective homes, and the suitability of each as foster parents for the boys, the Tribunal will also consider specific issues. Among those will be the wishes of the boys themselves (if they are old enough to express these, but bearing in mind that children are easily swayed one way or the other) and, crucially in this case, the fact that the mother of the children – the only one with legal rights over them before she passed – chose the aunt as the custodian of the children. Everything else being equal between the grandmother and the aunt, the choice of the mother is likely to tip the scales in favour of the aunt.

So, in conclusion, what is the simple answer to the question of the reader?

Granny does stand a chance on the basis that it is the welfare of the children, and not the wishes of anybody, parents included, which is the primary consideration in granting custody. On the facts, everything else being equal, the aunt stands a better chance simply because her deceased sister – who had the right to appoint her, even if she did not – chose her.

That choice is what may determine who will have custody of the children in the final analysis.

Educated at Seychelles College and Cambridge University, Bernard Georges has two Masters Degrees – in the law of divorce and in canon law, the law of the church. He is best known as a lawyer, having been in private practice for over 30 years. Over the past ten years, he has also been a member of the National Assembly. He is currently a part-time lecturer in law at the University of Seychelles, where he teaches Constitutional Law. And, he is a budding writer. He has written and published two novels to date and he promises many more books on history, law and Seychelles.

21

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

THANK YOU SEYCHELLES Thank you for your trust and confidence! Your loyalty to our business has been the cornerstone of our success in completing yet another remarkable year.

It will be our pleasure to continue serving and giving you that unique Creole welcome on your many journeys with us in 2015.

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

22

Ebola: une épidémie exceptionnelle

Aujourd’hui, que nous soyons au travail, à la maison ou à l’école, la plupart de nos conversations tournent autour de ce sujet : les ravages de l’Ebola. Mais qu’est-ce que l’Ebola, quelle est son origine et quelles sont les conséquences de cette maladie sur les pays concernés ainsi que sur le reste du monde ?

Sans entrer dans les termes scientifiques, Ebola est un virus très rare mais extrêmement dangereux. Des recherches ont démontré que le virus Ebola provient de certaines espèces de chauves-souris mais qu’il ne leur est cependant pas nocif. Néanmoins, ce virus peut se propager vers d’autres espèces, comme les primates ou les animaux domestiques.

Lorsqu’une personne entre en contact avec l’un de ces animaux infecté ou avec une surface contaminée, le virus s’étend dans les fluides du corps de la victime. Plusieurs symptômes sont révélateurs de cette maladie notamment de fortes fièvres, des douleurs musculaires, des maux d’estomac. A ce stade, le patient commence à souffrir d’hémorragies internes.

Le premier cas est apparu au Soudan en 1976. Cela causa la contamination de 284 personnes et la mort de 151 autres. Plusieurs autres vagues d’épidémie suivirent. En ce moment nous connaissons l’épidémie d’Ebola sur une bien plus grande échelle. D’après l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, on compterait à ce jour 3069 cas, dont 1552 décès dans le monde.

A cause de ce virus, certains pays, surtout en Afrique de l’Ouest, comme le Nigéria, la Guinée, le Liberia, la Sierra Leone souffrent économiquement.

Ainsi, nombreuses sont les compagnies aériennes qui annulent leurs vols vers les destinations affectées. Les prix des produits de première nécessité sont en constante augmentation et les ressources alimentaires diminuent.

Plusieurs frontières ont été fermées et les travailleurs étrangers se doivent de rentrer chez eux. Cette épidémie a remis en question également l’organisation de la Coupe d’Afrique des Nations en 2015. Ainsi, le Maroc, pays choisi pour accueillir la compétition, avait demandé son report par mesure de précaution sanitaire, avant que la Guinée Equatoriale en accepte l’organisation.

Malheureusement il n’existe pas de remède ou de vaccin à ce virus.

Des études démontrent que 90% des personnes atteintes par cette maladie n’en survivent pas. Mais certaines précautions peuvent être prises pour limiter la propagation de cette épidémie. Comme nous le prouve l’exemple du Nigéria qui a confirmé que l’épidémie actuelle a été maîtrisée grâce à des mesures de sécurités prises par les autorités. Il y a donc de l’espoir. Espérons que cette maladie n’atteigne pas notre bel et précieux archipel.

Jonah Annasse et Yannick Duthuit, élèves de l’Ecole française Article écrit le 10 novembre 2014

Evènements culturels culturels

Cours de français

Ateliers créatifs

AllianceFrançaise de Victoria Toutes les informations sur les évènements culturels à l’Alliance sur notre site internet www.allianceseychelles.org

23

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

EXPLORING EDEN

elles” h c y e S o g i d n I “ of Seychelles lub

By the Wildlife C

spitality at e Seychellois ho

tic Seychelles sea and authen

rience tru A way to expe . your fingertips at ns io rs cu ting that an ex so it is only fit of a 115 islands, of visiting some up to e d ad te m ca s group is them ould be dedi of sh ch try ea un l, al The Seychelle co r r te ou to offer. Af of any stay in what they have e Seychelles is important part d discovering ne islands of th an lli s ra el co w r je te d ands of ou an these isl going to the fferent inner isl charm. While crets of the di se ilore ta th e g th in by er has their own le ov htfully possib dertaking, disc e, made delig ur a wonderful un nt ve ad d helles. o is a gran a large of Indigo Seyc our archipelag , is fitted with ing excursions an, Angelique pp ar ho n. m d io ta an at ca isl or ed e pl er mad pow sunny day’s ex open version ed shade on a to the ed ns io ne Their 29 footer rs hcu uc ex m e ized privat a ing plenty of nsidered and totally custom canopy provid ls in providing every wish is co s of their trips ce s’ er ex ny om st pa cu m e The co here th e highlight ding Praslin, w day. One of th not islands surroun visited in one of a guide who be n ce ca en es ns pr io e at th in er st in ow de ne sh of do er ty e at ar rie w va These reefs. A fresh lling sessions. secrets of the ing session, e m th t im is their snorke ou sw ts a in of fety but po up at the end rs to only ensures sa ce to freshen qualified dive with the chan ts at hand to take es is gu d es ar id scribed as bo de on prov en or be ct ru ve st ha diving in an barbecues while the PADI TripAdvisor®, ld. Their Creole by reviewers on derwater wor the e” un r sit ith ui ou w e xq ny or “e d pa pl ex arded this com ous”, “festive” an aw ici el nd so “d al sla l”, r-i ho rfu te w “wonde l website, ers private in rnational trave ychelles also off ce to move between Se go di In . influential inte 14 ts the chan cellence for 20 fishing gear, io, giving gues Certificate of Ex g and bottom service portfol lin w its tra of rt ith pa lin W . as transfers s around Pras é and Praslin ds, such as Mah citing days on fishing ground an an d isl r an ne ice in rv e th ex e, courteous se look forward to ive an attentiv ce re fishermen can to ed y. te are guaran lles hospitalit and all clients thentic Seyche experience au to ty ni rtu po op

The Captain , Mr Nigel H oareau If ever there was a man tied to the se up at Beau Vallon, he w a, it’s Nigel. as either at As a youngs He started sa the beach or te iling profes at the Seyche r growing sionally in 19 in France. H lles Yacht cl 86 and follo is navigatio ub. wed a hydrog nal experienc Ocean. He ha raphy course e includes th s on various e North Sea occasions na Seychelles, and th such as the vigated to th world famou e outer island e Indian island shores s Aldabra, bu s of the , of which he t it is his love fo is a true conn own compa r the inner ny. Nigel is oi ss eu r, th not only a sa at led to the diving profes ilor, but a pa cr sionally and ssionate dive eation of his part of his w salvages. He r. He original ork entailed was a Dive ly did Master by 19 search and over 10 year rescue as w 92 and beca s ago. He lo ell as me a PADI di ves discover and really en ving instruct ing what lie joys sharing s under the or the magic of accomplishm surface of th this world w ent is to be e sea ith his client able to man excursion co s. Nigel’s gr age his own mpany, shar eate family run bo ing his and visitors and his family’s at charter an st giving them lo d ve lasting, fant of pleasure in th e Se yc astic memor helles with the ies of our co one of our am little things: a plate of untr local grilled azing reefs fish, a snorke y. He takes or a Sunday the sunset. lling session afternoon sp For this man on en of the sea, na luxury. ture in all its t on the beach watchin g simplicity is life’s bigges t

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

24

SPORTS PERSONALITY

MY PAIN! MY MOTIVATION! A story of pain, struggles and success

Dress, shoes and earrings: Rodyann’s Fashion Hair: Lucia’s Hair Gallery Photography: Suzanne Verlaque

Clementina Agricole. Her name alone whispers inspiration.

Barely graduated from girlhood herself at 12, she stormed the platform of weightlifting. She is an inspiring young athlete, and her success isn’t something that was handed to her.

Continued on Page 27 25

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

SPORTS PERSONALITY

Continued from Page 25 What a difference a few years has made for Clementina. I observe the physique of this 26 year old while she makes her way to the balcony of News Café, positioned in the heart of Victoria. Full of smiles, she’s returned to the gymnasium and getting on ‘better than ever’ with her vigorous training. And on the face of it she seems to have beaten the terrible illness that ailed her, after revealing that she’s now feeling better.

Here, Clementina talks in her own words about her ongoing battle with a brain tumour, getting back into the gym and the impact it has had on her and her sport.

“But I never questioned ‘why me?’ Instead I chose to view my illness in a different light. It was something that could’ve happened to anyone, and unfortunately it happened to me. I prayed a lot, which really helped during the dark moments.”

I’m better now.

And I want to stay that way. Life throws many challenges at us and I have chosen to surmount each one of them. If I had to do it all over again, I would still react the same way I did when I was first diagnosed.

When I made up my mind to be a weightlifter, I must have been eight years old.

I was watching the ‘Magazine Sport’ programme on television, when I saw weightlifters Janet Georges and Sophia Vandange competing in the female category. It was my first time seeing women compete in such a sport. I instantly called out to my mom and told her that that was what I wanted to do. There and then I made an absolute decision to take up weightlifting as a sport. My mom thought me mad for even having had the idea. But I seriously started considering it at that exact moment.

I’m figuring out how to be the best I can be at what I do.

It’s been a process of trial and error. Life itself is a process. I struggled through some rough times to get to where I am. At eight, I was denied access to start as a weightlifter on the account of being too young. Yet it never swayed me. I went home, took some empty milk cans and had them filled with cement and started training until my mother introduced me to Mr. Coer-De-Lion, who took me under his wing for training until I turned 12, which was when I was allowed to start proper training as a weightlifter.

My first international competition in 2003 was the Indian Ocean Island Games. It was a scary feeling at first, but once I got into the competition, I had a raging desire to win. I was only 14 then, and I was already competing with the seniors. Wanting to be the best is what keeps me going.

Bullying at school made me an even stronger person.

It was as if I had made the worst decision in the world, or so that is how I was made to feel. At school I remember being sneered at for looking buffed up and masculine, which was of course caused by lifting weights and being involved in athletics and football. In essence, I was what you would refer to as a ‘tomboy’, but I also had my feminine side; not that anyone noticed. Thankfully I had people like Janet Georges, who always held me up and who saw potential in me. She wanted someone to take after her and walk in her footsteps. She saw that person in me and that turned me into a much stronger individual.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games literally saved my life.

When people say the Commonwealth Games are a waste of time, I tell them my story. I had been suffering with really bad headaches for a long time. Here, they suggested it was migraines and they fed me lots of Panadol, but it didn’t going away. It would feel like my head wanted to explode. It was so painful that I had to wet my hair and put it in a bucket of water. I slowly noticed that I also had trouble seeing things clearly when it happened. I thought it would eventually pass. You know lifters, we are very stubborn; but it didn’t.

During the games I was fighting for gold, but I had an injury in my elbow so I had to stop. It would later prove to be a fateful injury. I eventually could not see anything. I went to the medical centre in the village to see what was wrong with my eye. It was very painful. A CAT scan discovered that I had Meningioma, which is a tumour that arises from the membranes that surround your brain and spinal cord. Thankfully, I was told that it was not cancerous. I recall accidentally seeing the scan when the doctors were

27

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

looking at it, and I noticed that there was a huge ball-like lump of flesh weighing heavily on my brain. It was about the size of a tennis ball. I knew then, that there was something really abnormal going on. I panicked a little but the nurse reassured me that everything would be all right, but it was a cause for immediate surgery and I was rushed into the operating room. They said I was lucky I didn’t push through with my competition because I would have died that day.

I recall being wide awake and speaking throughout part of my operation and asking the doctors if they had finished. The surgeons even showed me the huge lump of pinkish flesh they removed from my brain, upon my request, after which I passed out. After the surgery was over and I was supposed to be recuperating in ICU, I would get off my bed and start lifting chairs and tables and pretty much everything I could get a hold of, just so I could see whether I could still carry on lifting weights. I would even walk around the hospital to exercise, which caused me to collapse once in the hospital’s bathroom. I had to shave my whole head, but I took it so positively that people who didn’t know I had had surgery thought I had done it just for fun. They would stop me in the street and ask why I had shaved my head, but it didn’t bother me. Through it all, I never once thought of giving up.

Getting back in the game was the hardest.

The hardest moment in my life was getting back in the gym and training as hard as I used to. After I was given the clear to start training again, not everyone thought it was a great idea. Many people thought I would never go back, and some still think me crazy for having gone back. Other people said ‘Oh, you’re going to die! Some veins will pop in your head’. But I had positivity on my mind and I went for it. I didn’t listen to anyone. Training was hard and the pain was sometimes unbearable, but the pain became my motivation. Some people get high on drugs and alcohol, but for me, this is my high. I think it was also the thought of potentially losing the ability to do what I love that drove me to new heights. While the pain was intense it was all the more empowering.

“Four years ago I couldn’t have imagined I would be back and carrying the flag one day. I felt so honoured and I am still hungry for gold. I will never give up. This is me. This is my life.”

A born fighter!

Everyone knows me as a fighter. While I was going through all of this, being positive gave me peace. When the doctor said that it was a ‘life or death’ situation and that had I come any later, I could have completely lost my sight, I was moved, but I remained positive to say the least. It hit me hard after a while, especially since I was alone without my family at the time when it happened. I would often sit down and cry, especially when I would think of not being able to practice weightlifting again. But I never questioned ‘why me?’ Instead I chose to view my illness in a different light.

It was something that could’ve happened to anyone, and unfortunately it happened to me. I prayed a lot, which really helped during the dark moments. But being who I am, I knew I would pull through. I know that this is what I want to, and I have so much more I need to achieve before I wave the white flag.

Sportswoman of the Year 2013

After returning with a silver medal in the Commonwealth championships in 2013, I was crowned the sportswoman of the year and entrusted with another important job. Now, four years after almost not making it through in India, I proudly carried the Seychelles flag at the opening ceremony in Glasgow. I came out fourth, yet again, and I have to admit that I’m rather disappointed but the scars on my head provide daily context. Four years ago I couldn’t have imagined I would be back and carrying the flag one day. I felt so honoured and I am still hungry for gold. I will never give up.

This is me. This is my life.

Don’t try to do things. Just do them.

My strong suit is that I choose to view the negative things in my life as if they aren’t that. This is my advice to young people: to try and turn the negativity in their lives around, like I did. There is nothing that is impossible if you want it bad enough. Don’t try to do it, DO IT!

By Elaine LaFortune

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

28

HEALTH

VIEW FROM THE STATION

NOURISHING YOUR DIVINE SPINE With strawberries & whipped cream

By Jenny Gilbert I’ve spent the better part of this weekend preparing for the next twelve issues of ‘VIEW FROM THE STATION’, knowing that the past 3 years worth of articles have only just begun to skim the surface of conscious living, energetic healing and universal intelligence – the 3 cornerstones (inseparable by nature) of what we actively pursue at The Station.

I admit that if it weren’t for the incredible energetic flow that I achieve from writing these articles, I might be put off. They are extremely time consuming and require of me to make public many of my personal thoughts and musings; a taxing process. Luckily the reward is worth it.

My intuitive consciousness and creative intelligence develop with each article I write and I have learnt to embrace this work as a journey on which I am always delighted, surprised and more excited to explore than when I started. Who could ask for more?

A thought occurs to me - how many of us greeted the rising of the sun today or noticed the last full moon? Have we allowed the grinding down of our daily living to obscure our senses to the point of not even recognizing the significance of the cycles of nature and the practices of the Ancients in honouring these cycles? Have we become so ungrateful or ignorant? And if so, is it any surprise that we are not as healthy and happy as we could be?

One of my favourite quotations is that ‘We don’t even know 1% of what we know we don’t know we know’. A bit of a brain scrambler for sure, but I love it because it never fails to remind me that the infinite universe to which you and I are connected has endless possibilities that we can’t even begin to imagine.

29

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

In these 12 months of 2015 I will be exploring these possibilities for healing our lives on all levels. I wish to share my findings with you while discovering tools and methods to aid our paths to consciousness, vibrant health and harmonious, peaceful, abundant living.

I recently heard that practicing Kundalini yoga with sacred chanting (mantra) is like eating strawberries with whipped cream. That picture delivers pure decadent delight which perhaps explains why I felt compelled to explore Kundalini Yoga and Sacred chanting with a sense of urgency. I’m happy I did.

Also known as “The Healthy, Happy, Holy Breath”, Kundalini Yoga is called the Yoga of Awareness.

Kundalini (personified in India as the Divine Mother) is the primordial cosmic energy in every individual which eventually, through the practice of yoga, rises up from the base of the spine where it resides, awakening each of the chakras along the way until it reaches the crown chakra. It is believed that once Kundalini is awakened we are much more open to healing from the divine, and when it reaches the crown, we are then in a state in which we begin to tap into our soul, our brilliant light, our spirit.

Stirring up this powerful energy requires that we start considering our spine as the connecting system between ourselves as spiritual beings living as human beings. Kundalini yoga starts simply by sitting up straight and tucking in the chin a little for correct alignment (challenging for me but I’m propped upright as I write this!). Nourishing our spine automatically results in the spine serving and keeping us connected to the Divine.

powerful universal energy and clearing blockages, chanting brings in the ‘honey’, renewing, refreshing, and nourishing us with our light, our higher self. Chanting creates a protective force field which is probably why it is practiced with Kundalini yoga. Chanting is easy to learn and accessible at all times. Whether we chant in silence or not, the heavenly vibrations that emanate from the chant will transport us to a higher frequency.

“I put myself completely into the chanting experience and when I do this, that’s when things start happening. Often times I’ll experience myself crying in the middle of the chant because something within me is healing.

Usually I know what it is, but sometimes it’s just stuff needing to be healed and released and I’m not sure what it is.“ says Snatan Kaur.

I’ve chanted happily whenever the opportunity arises (yoga, group meetings on energy, healing circles etc.) but yesterday I put this to the test, alone and unbridled. I tuned into a chant by Snatam Kaur (known for her crystalline voice and heavenly, healing chanting) and was astonished by how I felt. Instantly lighter in every cell of my being, I am now determined to at least sit up straight for 10 minutes a day (Kundalini requirement) and to recite the simple healing chant I learnt yesterday.

I am passionate about Homeopathy for good reason and I will always be in awe of its ability to stir our innate healing energy into action. Likewise, I believe Sacred Chant (or Mantras) combined with the daily practice of Kundalini yoga is a phenomenal combination for healing.

For centuries, Kundalini yoga was deemed only suitable to be taught one-on-one by a Kundalini Guru but with time and the Aquarian coming of age, Kundalini has transcended the domain of the enlightened few and entered the mainstream of society, quietly and profoundly proving itself to be an incredible tool in the awakening of consciousness in the world.

Kundalini yoga is for anyone and everyone seeking skills to cope with the challenges of a modern world.

Like a child who’s Kundalini energy is in full alignment, we can start the practice of aligning at any time. Once we do, we start regaining the happy, innocent, playful, worry-free child-like characteristics we lose over time through drama, trauma, destructive patterns and beliefs that tarnish and corrupt our energy flow.

Enter Sacred Chanting, or Mantras (which many of you will be more familiar with).

Here at The Station, we have regular clients who pop in on their particular days for breakfast or lunch. They usually pick the same table or sofa to soak up the good vibes here while overlooking the yoga pavilion below.

A few times I have glanced up from the yoga pavilion to the same window from where the friendly, nice looking man with a warm smile waves at me – a familiar ‘Hi, we’re back’ kind of greeting. It was only last week that I was in the café and walked over to his table to ask him why he wasn’t taking part in the free yoga we were running on that day. His clear blue eyes sparkled and he smiled while answering ‘No, no, yoga is not for me’.

Fair enough, I thought, but asked why, to which he responded ‘I once tried yoga and everything was OK until they started chanting and I knew there and then that it just wasn’t for me’.

I am smiling still because chanting has the propensity to stir up fear and mistrust in people. So I know exactly what this sweet, friendly man was referring to. What I wanted to say (and I hope he reads this article) is that chanting is one of the easiest ways to feel safe and at ease and once we allow ourselves to go with the flow, we are rewarded with a real sense of peace and renewed vigour without feeling hyped up. The more we practice chanting, the more we create a space for self-discovery and observation.

The word MANTRA is made up of MAN (to think) and TRA (instrumentality). So mantra (chant) is then literally an ‘instrument of thought’ used to concentrate, awaken and intensify our consciousness.

As always, the proof of success can only be seen in the results. Nothing else should cause one to judge or dismiss these ancient methods of healing and universal intelligence. I speak from my heart when I say that every one of the beautiful, healing, balancing and uplifting experiences I have had the privilege to witness in my own life would have been lost to me were I not willing to explore. It helps that I am grounded sufficiently by my faith in goodness (or godliness), which keeps me safe.

It is not hard to relate to ‘strawberries & whipped cream’ as a metaphor for Kundalini yoga and Chanting combined. One can almost taste the sweet, feminine, seductive, energy that is Kundalini, weaving its transformative, connective energy up the spine, through the energy vortexes of the lower chakras, before flooding the crown chakra with its potency, releasing drama and trauma, opening us to The Light and empowering our chants to beckon: ‘Come in, heal my spirit, shower me with infinite love, shine my light for all to see and infuse me with all consciousness and universal wisdom”.

What bliss, what a treat. Why not tuck in and taste the fruit of this ancient wisdom? I dare you!

Jenny Gilbert is the founder and owner of Everglow Ltd, the island’s premier natural health manufactures and service providers. She is also Director of Wellness at Resonate Wellness at The Station. Homoeopathy is a well recognised system of ‘natural’ medical treatments for most diseases and conditions. Please visit http://www.thestationseychelles.com/ reflections or email wellbeing@thestationseychelles.com

So while Kundalini works with stirring up our cosmic power, releasing

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

30

HEALTH

“ONE OF MY FAVOURITE QUOTATIONS IS THAT ‘WE DON’T EVEN KNOW 1% OF WHAT WE KNOW WE DON’T KNOW WE KNOW’. A BIT OF A BRAIN SCRAMBLER FOR SURE, BUT I LOVE IT BECAUSE IT NEVER FAILS TO REMIND ME THAT THE INFINITE UNIVERSE TO WHICH YOU AND I ARE CONNECTED HAS ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES THAT WE CAN’T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE”.

AGONY AUNT

Dear Annalisa ......

About the ring Q:

Dear Annalisa, In a fit of rage while I was pregnant I threw away my engagement ring. I have managed to convince my fiancé that I lost it at the gym. My guilty conscience is catching up with me especially given I have since learned he saved up for a long time for it. Do I come clean?

Ring-less bride to be, 25

A:

Dear Ring-less bride, New years are almost synonym to new beginnings or new starts. For years it’s been considered as the most ideal time to start something new or start afresh. So many of us vouch to start living happier; eat healthier, exercise more; take up a hobby, spend more time with the family, uh uh … be better at meeting deadlines; the list is endless. So what better time if not now, to start afresh on the matter of the engagement ring?

The dilemma here is whether to come clean or not. While some will say honesty is the best policy, another will say a little lie never killed anyone.

And the simple answer that never fails in psychology is; “It depends”. It depends on the many factors about your relationship, yourself and your Fiancé.

There are so many things to consider.

How guilty are you feeling about this? Will coming clean be for yourself, your fiancé or your relationship in general? What is your policy regarding honesty in your relationship? What could this lie do to your relationship?

What could be the possible consequences? Are you ready for any of it?

Would telling rid you of this guilty feeling? Based on past experiences how does your fiancé react to a lie or the “fit of rage”? Was that the first episode of throwing away something valuable due to anger? Any money issue in the relationship? How can you make it up to your fiancé? Will it replace the lie and the act?

At the end of the day, this is your relationship, different from any other.

Your decision to come clean should be based on what matters MOST to YOUR relationship. Which is likely to be different from another’s relationship.

So with the new year rushing in, take some quiet time, consider some of the factors and decide to make a fresh start into 2015.

Happy New Year.

Escaping my past Q:

Dear Annalisa, My girlfriend is obsessed with my past. I have dated several women in the past and while my number can be considered ‘high’ each number was a loyal relationship on my part even if it lasted for a week. The more she comes to know of my ex-girlfriends she becomes more possessive and she has convinced herself that I will cheat on her or leave her. The sad thing is that she’s the only woman I’ve ever considered having a future with. How do I change her mind about me?

Terry, 33

A:

Dear Terry, You can’t physically change her mind. Plainly put it, it is impossible.

Her thoughts (“you will cheat and leave”) and her behaviour (being possessive) are being driven by her evaluation of your future behaviours based on your past behaviours. That is to say, that she sees your past behaviours as highly possible to emerge in your future together. Now she could well be wrong as you say but she does not know that as yet. She is going on past information. Overall, it is not uncommon for our past to bear negative impact on our current relationship.

However, all hope is not lost.

New behaviours that consistently send the same strong “message” that she has nothing to worry about, that you are sincere, serious and committed to the point where you consider her as the “only woman worth having a future with” are essential. Providing those types of messages both verbally (things you say –to her and others) and non verbally (things you do – to her and others) are fundamental in igniting changes in her thoughts about you and your possible future together.

Hence, it remains that you can’t physically change her mind about you or your past. However, you can provide her with new evidence/information about “you being in a relationship with her”, that could transform possible unhelpful thoughts into helpful ones. As can be expected helpful thoughts then lead to more positive feelings and more appropriate behaviours (e.g., trust and freedom).

Now this is doable, because sending those “messages” through use of appropriate behaviours, is within your control.

So here’s to a fruitful year in your relationship. Best wishes in the new year.

Happy New Year 2015.

Annalisa Labiche is a practicing Clinical Psychologist with over 5 years experience. She completed her Bachelor of Art (Psychology) degree and Master in Psychology in Australia. She is exposed to a multitude of complaints such as relationship, parenting, family issues, psychological disorders, substance misuse amongst many others.

31

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

PARENTING

A Different New Year’s Resolution

By Nathalie Hodgson It’s the time of year again where we ponder what the year ahead will hold and how we can make the most of every moment, and all I can think about is my children. What about their resolutions and what they want this year? So I began explaining resolutions to them and within minutes my research had produced results. It was an interesting conversation to say the least.

My son explained that if he could have anything next year it would be to play soccer every day, hit his drums any time he wants, (especially at parties) and to meet Spiderman.

My daughter of course needed more clarification before answering (so much like me). She asked ‘is this like a birthday wish Mum? Can I wish for anything I want?’ I answered it was similar but the difference was that we must make it happen. So whatever you wish for you must work hard for and try to achieve.’ She replied ‘So it’s not a surprise, or a gift?’. ‘No darling.

33

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Well, yes, it’s a gift to yourself. They are called goals, to get us to learn more things and be better people. Mummy has one, it is to take another test for a higher certificate in yoga’.

Without pausing she then said ‘I want to learn how to read my books’.

Then put her lips together and almost hummed ‘Mmm’. ‘I want to do cartwheels, build a snowman like Olaf and swirl around on roller skates’.

I then thought it would be nice to list their resolutions and make some drawings next to each (that they would complete themselves with some assistance). We went through the resolutions and added the additional ones below that we as parents wanted to see in the new year for our 3 and 4 year old.

• Always remember our pleases and thank yous • Brush our teeth twice a day (morning and evening) and again if there

has been a birthday party with lots of treats (which happens to end

in the middle of the day).

Pick up our toys when we are finished playing Do not yell or speak rudely to your siblings Never push, hit, kick, snatch or spit at anyone (no matter who else is doing it).

Wear our helmet when riding, scooting or skating – always!

For those that have teenagers you can try these, provided by Ingrid Masselink Andreas, a Child Therapist in Doha, Qatar (www.andreas-childtherapy.com): •

•

•

•

• •

• •

• •

Get involved in a team or individual sport that gets me moving (like soccer or karate) or activity (playing tag, dancing, riding my bike). I like and do it at least three times a week.

Try always to be nice to other kids and friendly to kids who are shy, different or new at school.

I’ll never give out personal information online, like my name, home address, school name or phone number – and never send a picture of myself to anyone without my mom or dad’s permission.

I’ll help my neighbourhood by volunteering, helping community groups and join a volunteering youth group.

I’ll stop negative self-talk (“I can’t do it,” “I’m so dumb”).

When I feel mad or stressed, I’ll take a break and choose positive, constructive ways to deal with the situation. I will try to choose going for a long walk, or another form of exercise, reading, journaling or talking through problems with a friend or parent.

When I have a tough decision, I’ll talk with an adult about my choices.

I’ll be careful with whom I choose to socialise with. I’ll treat him or her with respect and without coercion or violence – and expect the same.

I’ll resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.

When I see friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviours, I’ll talk with a trusted adult and try to find a way to help.

I then began to think that a large part of my resolutions should be parenting goals, not just my personal goals. These goals are always in the back of mind on days when I don’t think I have an inch more sanity. So I was keen to have them posted up somewhere nearby throughout the year as a reminder.

Parenting Resolutions

• Remain calm and keep cool always – to teach your children to take

stress in their stride • To not raise your voice (even after the 100th time you have asked

them to do something), always keep a stern and controlled voice

when disciplining.

• Do not get aggressive (when putting them in ‘time out’ for example).

Always stay gentle but continue with a stern face and voice.

• Praise your child’s efforts, even when they fall short of what you had

expected. Help them re-set the goal and keep going.

• Always think of a positive solution, doing things with love and a smile.

• Never argue but rather speak in a logical manner and explain points

in a debate-like fashion using normal voice tones.

• Understand better your child’s temperament • Learn to let them help – spending those extra moments letting them

wash up, fold clothes, stir the dinner and make the dough. Yes you

can do it quickly but each task helps them become self-reliant as they

grow older.

• Respect one another at every moment.

• No broken promises. A broken promise to a child is far more

detrimental than you may realize at the time. Don’t make a promise

unless you are sure you can keep it.

The hardest resolution are usually the most important one, so if one of these pops out at you, put it on top of your list and make it your priority.

We are not perfect but at least we are giving it all we’ve got along the way!

Happy New Year and Happy Parenting.

Nathalie Hodgson, is a writer, mother, PR & Marketing consultant, Doterra aromatherapy consultant and yoga instructor, juggling this whilst raising two kids and enjoying the most of life.

My Child’s 2015 New Year Resolution Some mothers tell us what their kids are planning for 2015.

“My daughter wants to learn how to sing. She is eager to take part in the ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ show next year.”

Michelle “My 4 year- old son wants to master addition. That’s exactly how he said it!”

Alisha

“My daughters have decided that we will at less take-out, except for a pizza every now and then. The whole family is in agreement! 2015 will be a healthier year for us.”

Maryse

“My son is 10. He told us it will make it his goal to help his father quit smoking. My husband had to fight back tears. I think he might just quit this year.”

Loraine

After hearing of “Locks of Love” when you can donate 10 inches of your hair to financially disadvantaged children in the US and Canada who suffer from hair loss due to illnesses, my 9 year-old daughter wants to chop off her hair and donate.

I need to find out if this is at all possible but I am touched by her giving nature at such a young age.”

Denise

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

34

PARENTING

• • •

•

PARENTING

Périnée et rééducation périnéale ...

Le périnée :

On appelle périnée la région du corps qui se trouve à la partie la plus basse du tronc, formant le fond du basin. Cette région souvent mal connue, est de ce fait souvent mal traitée. C’est un lieu où l’on retrouve à la fois une surface de peau, des viscères, des muscles, des corps érectiles, des ligaments, des nerfs, des vaisseaux et des orifices. Le périnée de la femme diffère en partie de celui de l’homme, car cette région est le siège des organes sexuels qui, pour la plupart, sont externes chez l’homme et internes chez la femme.

Tout au long de notre vie, cette région de notre corps est sollicitée. Pendant la grossesse et lors de l’accouchement, le périnée connait une situation extrême de tension, de pression et d’étirement.

Même si la durée de l’accouchement peut être courte, cette épreuve peut laisser des traces et des séquelles importantes.

Avant, pendant et après l’accouchement, certaines choses sont à faire et d’autres sont au contraire à éviter. Plus tard, lors de la ménopause des changements importants peuvent modifier la forme et la fonction de cette région. Il est possible de se préparer et d’accompagner ces changements au mieux.

Qu’est-ce-que la rééducation périnéale et urogynécologique ?

Cette rééducation participe au traitement des traumatismes obstétricaux, au traitement et à la prévention de l’incontinence urinaire et anale et des prolapsus.

Quelles sont les différentes techniques ?

Il existe de multiples techniques dont voici quelques exemples : Le travail manuel.

L’utilisation du Bio-feed-back a l’aide d’une sonde endovaginale reliée a un appareil le Myotrac Plus, qui permet de travailler de manière différente et de voir l’intensité des contractions produites.

L’utilisation de l’électrostimulation : avec le même appareil que le Bio-feed-back, mais permettant dans ce cas de stimuler les fibres musculaires grâce à différents programmes et différentes techniques.

C’est un travail en commun entre la sage-femme et la patiente. La participation active de cette dernière étant primordiale.

A quel moment ?

En post-partum, environ 8 semaines après l’accouchement, mais également plusieurs années après ou lors de l’apparition de symptômes.

Parfois les patientes consultent bien après la ménopause.

Pour éviter une chirurgie par diminution des symptômes et amélioration de la qualité de vie.

Quelles sont les femmes plus à risque de troubles de la statique pelvienne ?

Les grandes sportives, les femmes ayant accouchées plusieurs fois et en particulier de bébés de poids importants, les femmes en surpoids ou souffrant d’obésité mais également les femmes ménopausées ….

Comment se passe une séance ?

La première séance est une consultation où le dossier médical est remplit et où le point est fait avec la patiente. L’examen clinique de départ est rarement fait à ce moment là, mais plutôt lors d’une séance ultérieure.

Ensuite, dépendant des cas, le travail peut être uniquement manuel ou ce dernier peut être complété par un travail utilisant la sonde.

Combien de séances sont nécessaires ?

Cela dépend de la patiente et du diagnostic, mais la base est de 10 séances d’une durée de 30 min. Une évaluation est faite à la fin des séances pour voir l’évolution et voir comment se sent la patiente. En dehors des séances, la patiente doit refaire les exercices à la maison de manière quotidienne et si possible plusieurs fois par jour.

Pour plus d’information, n’hésitez pas à me contacter au 2 510 155 ou par email : loreasf@gmail.com.

Quel en est le but ?

Augmenter le tonus musculaire, changer les comportements, prévenir, réduire ou éliminer les symptômes, connaître son corps de femme et améliorer la qualité de vie.

http://reeducation-lebrasilia.fr

35

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

http://www.hedoneo.com/

It’s that time of year again. The day when the world comes together in unison and shouts, “I’m going to change this year!” Because everybody knows that it is completely impossible to make a change at any other time of your life… Hmm… A study conducted by the University of Scranton’s Department of Clinical Psychology revealed that a whopping 85% of resolutions made by Americans were about losing weight and/or self-improvement! In Britain, according to a survey by the Daily Mail, the top three resolutions are losing weight, getting fit and eating healthier!

This resolution revelation has brought a few things to mind for me as a fitness professional.

Firstly, why do we always wait until New Year to make these changes in our lives? Maybe it just seems like good timing; “new year, new me.” In all honesty though, I truly believe it’s just another symptom of the human condition. As a species we are alone on this planet, in so much as we are the only species with the power of consequential thought. Therefore we are the only species capable of making excuses; and we are great at it! Think about it. How many times have you said, “I would, but…” or “I’ll start on Monday”? This needs to change! I was approached by numerous people throughout the months of November and December. All of whom stated that they wanted advice and guidance from me. Almost all of them also said that they would wait until the new year before they started… WHY?! There are weeks and weeks before then! Give yourself a head start! The progress that can be made in just 4-6 weeks is unbelievable!

The second thing that immediately came to mind was the amount of stories I heard this year from fellow industry professionals. So many people quit after only one or two weeks and attempt to do their own thing instead of following the advice of someone who has studied hard in order to make this their career!

I myself received an email in October of last year, asking me for some advice. It was a young lady who wanted much more than to just slim down. She wanted to look like an athlete; she wanted that fitness model

“ALMOST ALL OF THEM ALSO SAID THAT THEY WOULD WAIT UNTIL THE NEW YEAR BEFORE THEY STARTED … WHY?! THERE ARE WEEKS AND WEEKS BEFORE THEN! GIVE YOURSELF A HEAD START! THE PROGRESS THAT CAN BE MADE IN JUST 4-6 WEEKS IS UNBELIEVABLE!”. physique. We exchanged a few emails. I asked her what she was doing currently with regards to fitness and suggested changes she might make to her regimen in order to help realise her goal. My advice, in essence, was simple: “If you want to look like an athlete, you must train like an athlete!” Start lifting weights; incorporate some agility training and lots of plyometrics. After this young lady picked my brain for a day or so, she not only decided to ignore my advice completely and continue with her aerobics classes; she flat out TOLD me she was going to ignore me! Whilst I always wish everyone the best in their individual endeavours, it is extremely frustrating when your knowledge and experience is dismissed out of hand.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity!

Let’s be honest for a minute. If you’re sick you go to see a doctor because you know that his experience makes him able to assist you. If you’re not happy with the way you look then who better to seek out for guidance than a nutritionist and a trainer? It’s what they do!

So this year, if you are one of the many millions who has made the pledge to change your lifestyle and your physique, don’t be afraid to ask for help! It doesn’t make you weak. It may just make you one of the minuscule 8% who see their resolution through….

Until Next Time…

Yours in Health & Fitness, Hassan

Hassan is a Master Trainer from the European Institute of Fitness, living on Mahe. For any further advice on health and fitness, you can contact Hassan directly on: Tel: +248 2568629 Email: h.al-ameri@hotmail.co.uk

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Mark Twain

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

36

HEALTH & FITNESS

NEW YEAR, NEW ATTITUDE!

Weight Loss with Kirschlee Pandora Helen Morel (32) Human Resources Manager for the family businesses.

My Story: My starting weight was 106.2kg and now I am 78kg. From my teenage years until I started my new lifestyle change I had always been overweight regardless of being active and playing in the school sports teams like field hockey, netball tennis and others. I was a fan of junk food like chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks so that certainly played a part in me being overweight. At the age of 17 I started getting pain in my right knee and needed surgery. Over the years I kept getting more problems resulting in more surgeries. There was also the back ache which I know was due to the excess weight I was carrying.

After many years of trying to diet and exercise I gave up since nothing seemed to work. I know I needed to do something about it because I was always uncomfortable especially with the continuous knee problems that wasn’t getting any better. I didn’t know where to start. So when a family friend called me and told me there was a trainer from South Africa here and he could help with my weight I figured I had nothing to lose.

Giving myself no time to change my mind, I was on the next boat to Mahe to meet Kirschlee. I am so glad I did because he has helped me so much through this journey. When starting something new it’s always daunting but this was so relaxed and I understood what I needed to do and went away from the meeting determined and motivated to get started. If anything changes on my diet or exercise program he will always make sure he is there to go through and show me all the new exercises to ensure I understand and confident doing them before I do them on my own.

Sometimes even on Sundays we hit the gym to train. Yes, on Sundays!

My goal is to lose the weight, get healthy and tone up. The most difficult part I think was the beginning. Changing eating habits like eating 6 times a day! Trying to get into a routine for food and exercise but after a week or two I got the hang of it and everything was ok. The great thing is my mum was and still is doing it also which gave me that extra push. She has been a constant support through this.

37

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

What surprised me was how disciplined and motivated I was and still am to do this. However what surprised me most was how much I could do in my exercise programs. I thought with my knees I couldn’t do much but I was wrong. With putting my trust in Kirschlee to show me the right exercises I have exceeded my own expectations. After two months of rehab exercises to strengthen my muscles supporting the knees I was ready. I took it slow at the beginning but now I know I can go further and push myself and I still surprise myself.

I feel on the inside I am still the same person but with much more confidence. My ‘outside’ appearance has changed so much from the old me. I have a lot more energy then I used to. I feel better in my skin and in how I look. The only things I do differently now is how I look at food and maintain my exercise schedule. Before I started this journey I would wake up and feel lazy but now when I feel like I’m too tired, my inner voice pushes me to get up and out of bed and to the gym.

After 45 minutes at the gym I feel awake and good. If I miss a gym day I feel lethargic and make sure the next day I’m there.

So far on this journey I have learnt that my ‘limits’ were all in my head and that I am capable of so much more. Along with hard work, motivation and discipline I have reached and passed my goals. I know with the continuous support and encouragement from my family and friends I will succeed in my journey. Also with the guidance and support from Kirschlee I will reach my final goal and even surpass it. I have learnt a lot on this journey and I hope this will help those of you who are in the same position as I was. It’s hard work but you have to be positive and push yourself to get started and you will feel better once you have. Set yourselves small goals and once you have reached them you set yourself another and another.

AFTER

SACOS MOTOR INSURANCE Knowing you are well protected makes all the difference Basic facts When you are ready to purchase a motor vehicle, one of the most important things to consider is car insurance. Depending on the kind of car you are going to purchase, your insurance premium could be high or low.

Most people do not realize that they are not covered properly until something happens and once someone realizes they were not covered properly - it is too late.

Options As a General Rule, when you take out a car insurance policy, you will be offered a choice of two main levels of cover: SACOS Comprehensive Car Insurance This gives the widest cover including:

BEFORE

• Repair or replacement of your car if it is damaged or stolen • Injury to other people including passengers in the car • Damage to other people’s cars and property

Kirschlee’s Take “Pandora is one of the most determined and disciplined people I know. I was really impressed by her approach and attitude towards this journey, always willing to try whatever it is I asked of her without complaining and pushing herself to her limits with her training.

She is an absolute pleasure to work with be it in the gym or with her nutritional plans. Her best quality, for me, is that she doesn’t possess the words ‘I can’t ‘ in her vocabulary. In my experience, the people that went on to achieve success with their physiques are the people with a strong mental attitude, and Pandora reigns supreme with mental strength!”

• Windscreen repair or replacement • Your car stereo and loss or damage to personal effects SACOS Third Party Cover (TP) Third party: the minimum type of motor insurance you can take out is “third party”. This covers liability for: • Injuries to other people, including passengers • Damage to other people`s property • Accidents caused by passengers in the car Although SACOS provides the basic cover, the company offers additional variants on the policies, such as courtesy cars in the event of theft or accident, or protected no-claims bonuses. These and other options such as windscreen cover and loss of use may be added at additional costs.

SACOS Offers Special Rates Are you a Lady Driver, a SACOS Shareholder, a Tenant of SACOS, or a member of SCCI, we have special Motor Insurance Rates just for you. SACOS also offers competitive Introductory Rates for New Motor Vehicles.

SACOS - Rest Assured, Be Insured Contact the SACOS Insurance Company Ltd on telephone 4295,000 or pay a visit at the SACOS Tower, Palm Street, Victoria. We will be happy to assist and guide you.

Contributed by SACOS Insurance Company Ltd

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

38

Suzanne Asba

Revenue Accounting Manager with Air Seychelles

...before

The last time I cut my hair: 6 months ago What I don’t like about my hair now: I am not happy about the length or ‘shape’. I just tie it most of the time.

Why do I want a different look? After 6 months it’s time to freshen the look and add some vitality to my hair. I want a fresh new look.

1. SAMANTHA BOUCHEREAU (AFTER-GLOW HAIR SALON, 2559321)

after!!!

“Suzanne’s natural hair colour is clashing with the light brown dye she has. Since she wants a different look, I will try a golden blonde on her. To revive her hair, I will trim the bottom and add some layers for more volume.

The front layers will be short enough for her to tie back or wear it down as a fringe.”

1

2

2. SOPHIE POOL (SP GLAMOUR, 2793300)

“To even out Suzanne’s overall skin-tone I used a concealer and an oilfree compact foundation. Oil-free foundation instantly creates a matte effect with results that last for many hours, revealing a natural, flawless complexion with zero shine all day long. Green tones were used on her eyes to match her blouse and peach lips completed the look.”

39

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Samantha says, “I love it!”

We all know a relative or a friend who has a problem with addictive behaviour - hiding the truth, inventing lies, looking for excuses, and unable to function properly on several levels; family, work, society.

The problem with addiction is that we get to depend on a substance or behaviour that we cannot stop. Stopping unchains new demons in us - anxiety, irritability, aggressiveness and a flood on disturbed bodily functions; gastrointestinal, sweating, weakness, and dizziness, until we decide that the best way ahead is getting back to our previous addictive behaviour!

Addiction is a complex disease. Yes, now doctors and scientists have classified it as a disease because it involves changes in our brain chemistry that must be managed using a medical approach; drugs that will rebalance the brain’s neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. Otherwise the demons come back, as our brain chemistry is thrown off balance and we go and seek that very substance which will restore this balance...a temporary fix that will have us enslaved to higher doses, more frequent intervals, and meanwhile we cannot function in a responsible way.

Addiction is in fact the manifestation of imbalances at many levels: Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. As such, it takes a comprehensive therapeutic approach to guarantee long term success and a relapse free future. Past emotional traumas and issues must be explored and defused, hence a residential program of 2-4 weeks is needed, to provide counselling, anger management, behavioural therapy and the help the individual needs in order to make peace with himself, and learn coping skills to help him say ‘No’ to relapsing.

The most popular approach to treating addictions has been the Minnesota 12 step program, now used in practically all the top Addiction Clinics in the world. It blends a spiritual approach with coping skills and it helps to free patients from their demons. This works well inside a centre, where the patient cannot access the addictive substance, but once he’s back in his usual living environment, he may find it difficult to fight his cravings. Hence the medical approach is needed to stabilize the brain’s chemistry and restore long term recovery, so that once they go back to real life situations, they can maintain sobriety on all levels.

At Les Mariannes Wellness Sanctuary in Mauritius, we have put together a team of doctors, psychologists, and counsellors specialized in treating

addictions. We work together with a team of holistic therapists to help the patient regain his balance within a short time. Based on lab results, identified deficits can be restored and the brain’s biochemistry can be balanced, thus relieving the cravings and dependency of addiction.

We offer daily classes of yoga, tai chi, meditation and acupuncture sessions to help rebalance the mind, body and spirit, as each patient has an individually designed program to give him optimum benefits within a short time span. Our uniqueness lies in the integration of a western medical approach together with evidence-based therapies from the east. And we have fresh foods served at each meal to restore the body’s nutrient levels.

The Sanctuary has 25 rooms and 11 treatment rooms, together with a swimming pool, sauna, hammam, ice fountain, hydrotherapy tubs, and VIP suites. In fact, it’s a 5 star wellness hotel where each client has a tailormade treatment plan given to him, whether his problem is addiction, depression, stress linked disorders, or obesity.

And very often we welcome guests who are in top condition but wish to share our wellness way of living.

For after all, life is meant to be lived...

Website: www.lesmariannes.com , www.sanctuarymauritius.com Email; info@lesmariannes.org Tel no (230) 5728 7110, 243 9200

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

40

| ADVERTORIAL |

Les Mariannes Wellness Sanctuary in Mauritius

My Fashion Diary Vee Power (29) Editor of YOLO magazine Monday: The start of a fresh new week = fresh face, straight hair, heels - oh the optimism!

Tuesday: Keeping it colourful with a neon leopard print maxi dress and turquoise accessories.

Wednesday: When it’s too hot for anything, a pair of dungarees is my friend! along with cute flat shoes and ‘blingy’ bold accessories

Thursday: It’s a #ThrowBackThursday kind of outfit day today - Highwaist 90’s stone wash denim with crop top. Ruby woo mac lippy - plain and simple.

Friday: Neo-Aztec made a big impression on me this year, as did the ‘twin-set’ TGI Friday!!!

41

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

42

CONSERVATION

SAVE IT FOR THE SHOWER Contributed by Sustainability for Seychelles

The golden shower: peeing in the shower can save water especially when you consider that toilet flushing accounts for almost 27% of indoor water use in a home. Plus if you pee directly onto your feet, you’re also preventing athlete’s foot.

“water is a precious resource in Seychelles, particularly in the dry season during the South East Monsoon.

Instead of taking a bath, you can save over 100 litres of water with a quick shower.”

Whether you do it once a week or twice a day, we all need to bathe at some point. Here are some tips on how to have a guilt free time in the shower. These will allow you to not only save water and electricity, but also reduce the amount of chemicals discharged into the environment.

Avoid the soak: water is a precious resource in Seychelles, particularly in the dry season during the South East Monsoon. Instead of taking a bath, you can save over 100 litres of water with a quick shower.

Keep it short and sweet: if you love taking long, hot, steamy

showers, then you may be less inclined to heed this particular tip, but it is something you should definitely consider if you want to have a green shower. An average shower uses about 12 litres of water per minute so use an egg-timer to keep your shower under 5 minutes. Get your hands on one of the handy 4 minute hourglass shower timers Sustainability for Seychelles is giving out for free. Singing in the shower is also great way to time yourself, or if like me, you can’t carry a tune, hook up a set of speakers in the bathroom and create a playlist on your iPod that coincides with your desired shower length.

Bring in the hardware: there are many water saving devices on the

market today. These include low-flow shower heads or aerators available at most hardware shops which can reduce your water use by up to 50%.

Turn it off: if you are already turning off the tap when you brush your

teeth, it will not be much of a stretch to turn off the water while soaping your body and lathering your hair in the shower.

43

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Use biodegradable soaps: soap isn’t just soap anymore! It is antibacterial, antifungal and anti-everything else which means that most of these products are bad for the environment. If possible try to use biodegradable soaps and shampoo when showering. If you find any products locally, let us know.

Powered by the sun: heating up water accounts for a good chunk of a home’s energy use. Depending on your needs, it might be worth investing in a solar water heater which uses free energy from the sun to keep you wallowing in hot water on a sunny day.

Have a cold one: if you can’t afford a solar water heater, consider the

health benefits of cold showers (e.g. boost the immune system, prevent injury, enhance male fertility, relieve depression etc.). Since no one lingers under a cold stream of water, you will not only save on electricity but water as well. If, like me, you really hate cold showers, try a 1 minute navy shower – turn on the water long enough to get wet, lather up using a loofah or a washcloth before rinsing off.

Contributed by Elke Talma for Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), a local NGO whose mission is to promote sustainable living in Seychelles. For more info about our work contact us: Email: info@s4seychelles.com Tel. 422-4072 / 251-9135. Address: Suite A9 Arpent Vert, Mont Fleuri. Website: www.s4seychelles.com or find us on Facebook. This article was sponsored by Seychelles Breweries as part of their WATER OF LIFE campaign.

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

44

OCCASIONS

Chiara & Robin

45

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

OCCASIONS

‘Radiant and glowing, more mysteriously desirable than ever, wearing her very sins like stars, she came down to him in her plain white dress, and his heart turned over at the kindness of her eyes.’

It’s the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald which came to my mind on this blissful day.

Chiara and Robin’s story started on a cruise along Mahe’s coastline.

While the other participants fell in love with Seychelles’ marine life, they instantly fell in love with each other.

They lived the precious years of their togetherness on the jewels in the Indian Ocean. Soon their son Giacomo was born and the young family was complete.

And though family and too many friends remain far away, they decided to breathe ‘I will’ here in the place they both love dearly.

In a small ceremony on the 6th of December their bond was sealed, the connection became eternal and the marriage celebrated.

May they, bride and groom, together with heaven and earth, with the sun and the moon, continue to give out light and radiance.

By Violeta Sredojevic The newlyweds wish to thank all their friends who have tirelessly helped to make this day a very special one in their lives.

Special thanks go to: Flowers and Decoration: Jane & Angelo Stipinovich Venue: Michel Benoit, Jon-anthony Perkins & the entire Petit Amour Villa team Organization: Alice Mascarenhas & The Rock Team Make up: Pavan Moolraj Hairstyle: Martin Hoareau Photo: Jesper Anhede & Klaartje Puutemans Bridal Support: Jessica Kerr, Melanie Labrosse Pugh, Célia Ponzo, Pavan Moolraj, Violeta Sredojevic, Eman Saffo Groom Support: Olly Pugh, Marco Rizzi, Michel Benoit

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

46

OCCASIONS 47

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

OCCASIONS

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

48

OCCASIONS 49

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

OCCASIONS

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

50

DINING REVIEW

A Welcome Difference

By Mawess Mea Wirtz In a secluded little cove at Glacis, Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and Spa provides a unique Seychelles experience, one that only an amazing group of people can provide. The villas are nestled into the natural environment such that even trees can be found growing through the buildings, giving a sense of undisturbed forest. The cove also includes a private rocky bay with its own beach allowing the resort to provide that elusive thing called PRIVACY.

The Atmosphere – Old World Serenity

The atmosphere at the resort is one of tranquility; it is a place directed more towards adults in search of rejuvenation and peace of mind. The policy is that management does not encourage admission of children less than 13 years of age. The sounds that thus resonate throughout the resort is of waves crashing on the shore, wind rustling through the leaves, birds chirping in the trees and soft voices of the staff when they ask, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”. Entering the hotel, one is inclined to speak softly and muscles lose their tenseness.

The Service – Treated Like Royalty

If there is one place where the service delivery cannot be faulted, the Northolme would be it. From the moment that one walks towards the building, any staff met along the way will offer a friendly smile. Any question is addressed with careful consideration and the staff also try to accommodate their clients’ every whim and, should they personally not be able to help, they will find someone who can. The staff aren’t at the client’s beck and call because it doesn’t seem that they need to be called; they have refined the art of giving the guests privacy but keeping an eye out for whatever they might need. They appear, as though by magic, even before you realise you need something, with the assistance that will make your stay all the more comfortable.

The Food – Options Galore

One way that the Northolme tries its best to cater to its clients is by providing a wide range of options for all its services. The options for dining are the three very different restaurants; Les Cocotiers, which leans towards an international menu with a creole flair, The Hilltop Restaurant,

51

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

which offers buffet meals according to themes and the Ocean View Bar and restaurant, which has a more laid back offering of a snack/fast foodtype menu. So, whatever one’s palate desires is covered. The week’s buffet themes are, from Monday to Sunday respectively, North African, Chinese, Creole, Indian, seafood, Thai and finally, Italian, thus allowing guests a little piece of home while they visit such an exotic location.

The Special – A Sunset Candlelight Dinner

The horizon runs along the north-west of Mahe and the sunset is an amazing sight. The red ball lowers into the sea gently and leaves behind a red sky. The staff makes sure to light candles that softly sway against an array of hues from salmon to burgundy until all turns to black.

The options for having a private dinner are many. The client may call on the hotel to discuss how they want this experience and it will be organised to suit their tastes as there are a variety of menus and locations available. A table can be set-up either at the gazebo, poolside, at the spa or on the beach and food can be local or international cuisine. Personally, I cannot recommend the Creole beach dinner enough!

Make memories with this dinner and use it to announce a birth, pop the question to your fiancée or even that special anniversary… It will be worth every cent!

The Native Fauna - One Of a Kind In-House Guests

Do not be surprised, should you choose to have your candle light dinner on the beach, to find that you have guests. I was stunned and excited to find baby sharks swimming lazily next to us along the shoreline. I jumped up to go see them clearly and they were so tame, I am sure that had I wanted to, I could have touched them (I started fearing that they would be stranded ashore each time a wave crashed, and I wasn’t exactly dressed to coax them back into the sea). Where else can you share a meal with a shark?

My Northlome Experience

The day I went to experience the resort for myself, I had undergone intense preparation; An early breakfast, then I made sure that no more

The manager was only too happy to share because the Kaluala Creole actually won an award in 2012! I think we all know how good a cocktail has to be before it wins an award. The drinks came with snacks in the form of small appetisers. Watching the sun set, listening to the quiet, smelling the salty air, feeling Agati leaves caress my skin as the sea breeze cooled me down, and occasionally reaching out for a snack or sip was absolute heaven. I was reminded once again how lucky I am to be Seychelloise.

The resort is not just a place for foreigners, it is a place where the locals can also come to experience a more subdued atmosphere and feel closer to home. Moving towards the wooden deck and standing at the balcony I could not tear my gaze away from the beauty of the canvas before me. I watched the horizon until it was pitch black, when the only light were the stars flickering in the night sky.

We had a candlelight dinner set up on the beach and the service was impeccable. I can honestly dare anyone to find fault with the staff, they are all so attentive and efficient. I took off my sandals and dug my toes into the sand and felt like this was how I was meant to live (I can always dream). If I was asked which course in the five course dinner was my favourite as an exam I would fail; how can I choose from fare that could only have descended from a deity?

It all started with seafood ceviche which apparently made me revert to my five year old self because all I wanted was to ask for more. That was followed by a salad course that I ate because I had to, (people who know me well will know that I intensely dislike leaves), imagine my surprise to discover that there actually exists a salad with lettuce that I LOVE! And it all boils down to mango and shrimp. I have no idea why it works but it

does! The following dish was the fish course. The fish was seared so well that I kept taking bites and reiterating to my fiancée that it was really good (we were eating the same thing, so he knew already). The thing that I appreciated the most was portion size. Frequently one is left feeling like the amount could have been more when in restaurants but definitely not here. I was left feeling very satisfied. Dessert was a chocolate cake with ice-cream (our favourite), which was such an apropos end to the meal. It was sweet and light and made me happy. All the while, we had a very attentive waiter that kept our glasses full and made empty plates disappear and the next course appear.

I had been singing so many praises for the food that the waiter asked me whether I wanted to meet the chef. Now, I definitely wanted to do that.

My fiancée and I played, ‘guess what the chef looks like’ while we waited…

We differed on nationality and sex but we both agreed that it must be an older person and a foreigner. My jaw nearly hit the table when it turned out that the chef was a YOUNG, SEYCHELLOIS man, I was so surprised that I told him that. He laughed which made me realise that he gets that a lot and we tried to weasel the recipes out of him. He told us about his culinary achievements and I could not help but feel proud because he was YOUNG. What is he going to be like in a few years if he is this good already?

The Best Thing – I Can Afford To Go Back!

There have been a lot of changes and the restaurants are now affordable to everyone. I would recommend the nights that they have live entertainment, which are Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, for a fun night out with friends. Did I mention that they host happy hours from 6-7 pm and 9-10 pm where they have 25% off their drinks? If I had a business meeting, this is where I would host it because the resort also has a conference room.

The restaurants are even working on a special menu that is to be a healthy listing with a creole twist. This is in line with their spa services which are all based on healthy living.

It was truly a magical evening… One I would urge everyone to experience at least once in their lives.

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

52

DINING REVIEW

food passed my lips. My fiancée and I were met by an attentive staff member who escorted us to the Oceanview bar for cocktails. While my partner consumed the famous Kaluala Creole, I sipped on a mocktail called Fruit Sensation, which was an explosion of flavour. I was pleased to find a place where a person’s choice to abstain from alcohol was so respected. Mocktails I have previously sampled always seem to be after-thoughts, drinks made haphazardly just to keep the teetotals quiet.

Meanwhile my partner in crime had surreptitiously typed me a text, “Find out what’s in this drink!!!!!!”, so I assumed that his wasn’t bad either.

MUSIC REVIEW

Knowing When To Quit Lost Youth and Shameless Dance Routines Word on the proverbial grapevine is that Madonna, AKA The World’s Madonna is an artist that falls into the latter grouping. She’s someone Oldest Living Botox Model, is planning a 2015 world tour to mark the 30 who, despite the many signs that have been made abundantly clear, year anniversary of her famous (or infamous, depending on how old your keeps trying to suck on the music industry’s ever-shrinking breast. Just daughters were in the early 80s) ‘Virgin’ tour. a few more drops... She arguably made one decent album in 1984, and Now, there are a couple of has somehow managed to thoughts that immediately ride on the coattails of ‘Like spring to mind upon reading A Virgin’ ever since. I’m not this news. The first being “Who saying that everything she’s the hell actually listens to Madone between then and now donna these days?”, and the has been a waste of time – she second being “Wait, Madonna did alright with the Austin is still alive?”. At this point, I Powers single, as well as her should probably state that in timely cover of ‘American Pie’. no way am I trying to detract Ultimately though, there isn’t from Madonna’s immense an awful lot to work with when contributions to music and it comes to building a cultural pop culture as a young and legacy, beyond Lady Gaga’s confused icon in her hey-day, fashion influences, of course. but simply attempting to find I mean, it’s not as though she the answer to a very relevant boasts the musical prowess question; when is enough and immense discography of enough? a band like The Rolling Stones, Throughout modern history, who are probably the only with regards to music in parpeople in ‘the mainstream’ ticular, the common audience that can still draw a meaningmember has been graced ful crowd after 50+ years of with a few flash-in-the-pan playing music. No, Madonna romances that ended all too has to revert to shameless abruptly. Such was the case stunts such as borderline-porwhen Jimi Hendrix died in his nographic outfits, borderlinesleep and when Tupac Shakur pornographic dance routines, realised the downside of rapand borderline-pornographic ping about enemies with big lyrics, in order to sell her guns and bigger vendettas. shows. I don’t know if people The artists who were taken will buy tickets but I do know Photo Credit: http://squaremadonna.files.wordpress.com too soon are almost always that they shouldn’t. immortalised by their existing Thankfully, we live in a corner music (although, in the case of 2Pac, one might say that he’s still recording of the world that Madonna is unlikely to visit during her illustrious 30 year and releasing music from a basement somewhere in South-Central LA). anniversary tour, proving once again the benefits of residing on a little isSo, our musical idols live on through their songs and we never have to land in the middle of nowhere. Instead of Madonna’s auto-tuned rantings hear their latest club-influenced release and wonder where the hell the and scantily-clad pantings, we get the controversy-free acts, like UB40, artist that we fell in love with went. Then you have those who push for too one of the growing litter of Marleys and the legend of disclaimers himself, long. Those who can’t let go of the dream even after they’ve woken up Shaggy AKA It Still Isn’t Me. surrounded by an ever-present sense of ‘quit while you still have cosmetic Be thankful. surgery money to actually save’.

Kurt Gilbert

“She’s someone who, despite the many signs that have been made abundantly clear, keeps trying to suck on the music industry’s ever-shrinking breast. Just a few more drops... “ Like A Virgin 1984

53

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI

Erotica 1992

Ray of Light1998

MDNA 2014

JANUARY2015 | POTPOURRI

®

Design concept: FD2-Xtreme Designs • 2713391 • Seychelles

54

55

JANUARY 2015 | POTPOURRI