01272017 weekend

The Tribune

Friday, January 27, 2017

crafts books film fashion music travel food relationships

Weekend

fit with regina Pages 20&21

Socks in the city Adding some ‘Relish’ to your style Fashion, pages 14&15

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

crafts Photos/Shawn Hanna

The art of quilting

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

M

ore than 80 beautiful handmade quilts in a dazzling array of colours and patterns will be on display at Trinity Methodist Church starting this weekend.

The annual quilt show, which is open from 10 am to 4pm daily until February 4, is once again being hosted by members of the Stepping Stone Quilters Guild, who are seeking to highlight the artistry and beauty of quilt-making.

The group, which has been in existence for more than 25 years, meets each week to not just socialise as they work on some of the hand-sewing involved in making their quilts, but also to discuss how to change the perception that quilting is not just a craft or hobby but an art form.

They also hope their handiwork will inspire more persons to consider taking up quilting.

“It’s something that is slowly dying out,” said guild member Maria Chisnall.

“Quilt-making was recently accepted at the BGCSE level which means students can make a quilt for their course work, which we were very happy about.”

Mrs Chisnall explained that there is an emotional appeal to quilting.

“It’s something that if you enjoy it, you will put a lot of time and love into it,” she said. “It’s something that can be done in a communal environment, but quilting can also serve as way to

Members of the Stepping Stone Quitlers Guild will be displaying 80 new quilts.

record your history. Most quilters can tell you exactly where they were and what was going on in their lives when they made a particular quilt.

And that is why sometimes people don’t want to give away or sell it, because it’s a part of them. It is also a creative outlet. A lot of times quilts just evolve as you make them.

They can take as little as three days to make or three years, it really just depends on the quilter, the quilt and their schedule.”

While the basic purpose of the quilt is to provide warmth, Mrs Chisnall said it is the unique tapestry of design that elevates quilting from a hobby to a art form. And while they consider their masterpieces art, members say quilts are created to be used rather than displayed.

The creativity of individual quilters is something that guild member Anita Fountain said will be evident when persons attending the show see the so-called challenge quilts.

Each year, members are asked to create a quilt using specific criteria.

This year, she explained, they had to incorporate the flying geese block in quilts of the same size.

“As you notice, even though they have the same parameters, the quilts are all uniquely different,” she said.

Mrs Fountain also noted that all of the quilts in the show are ones that have been made throughout the past year, meaning that this is the first time they are on display.

Another interesting quilt to look out for is the one consisting of 365 squares – one made every day last year.

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Inside Weekend

My perfect Bahamian weekend Katherine Rolle Youth motivational speaker Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?

“I am not much of a breakfast person so I definitely would take part in Sunday lunch to experience the island cuisine.”

Interview 4 - 5 Cara Hunt talks to Lavantae Russell, who at just 18 years of age will be cooking for the IAAF

Q: Wine, rum, cocktail or Kalik?

“I prefer rum because I enjoy mixed drinks and the Bahamas is known for its quality rum and unique Caribbean flavored drinks.”

Motivational

7 A summit for the body, mind and soul

Q: Beach or sofa?

“When I am on vacation I enjoy taking in all the destination has to offer. And because the Bahamas is known for its beautiful waters I would choose the beach over the sofa. Mainly because I find the beach to be therapeutic, inspiring, peaceful and artistic.”

Food

8-9 Gourmet pizza at family-friendly Wildfire

Travel 10 - 11 Paradise Island’s Warwick hotel offers perfect ‘staycation’ spot Books

Q: What is one thing you can’t live without?

“This may be so surprising and perhaps unorthodox, especially with regards to the topic, but I cannot live without feeling connected to Yahweh’s presence. I guess this tells you that I am a woman passionate about my purpose.”

12 Sales soar for George Orwell’s ‘1984’

Film 13 Oscar nominated ‘La La Land’ comes to the Bahamas

Q: Weekend away, where would you go and why?

“Exuma. It’s one of the islands I always wanted to experience, especially because it’s where most of my family is from. But besides that I am told it is one of the most beautiful islands the Bahamas has to offer.”

Fashion 14 - 15 ‘Relish’ offers fun and stylish Bahamian sock designs

Music 17 Visage are back for ‘Fantastic Fridays’ at the Hilton, plus Julien Believe has faith in 2017 success Relationships 19 Dr Edrica Richardson explains why gratitude is important Health and fitness

20 - 21 Regina Smith extols the benefits of TRX suspension training

Literary Lives 22 - 25 Bette Davis’ triumphs, tantrums – and those eyes Forgotten Facts 25 When telephones were a rare modern marvel Animals 27 Hollywood film “A Dog’s Purpose” raises animal protection questions, plus Pet of the Week Gardening 28 Jack Hardy and his tomato-growing adventures Cover photo | Terrell W Carey

Things 2 Do this weekend Friday • Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic 2017 Time: 7am (continues until Sunday) Venue: Ocean Club Golf Course, Paradise Island An official tournament of the LPGA Tour featuring the best 108 female golfers in the world competing for $1.4 million in prize money.

Attendance is free and gates open at 7am daily.

For more information, visit PureSilkBahamasClassic.com.

Time: 11am Venue: Mario’s Bowling & Family Entertainment Palace Under the theme, “I am royalty”, the Sapphire International Girls Club hosts its first event of the year.

Attendance is free and the event is open for young Bahamians ages 8-25. Cheryl Knowles hosts and DJ Godson is the special guest.

Call/WhatsApp 558-8909 for more information.

Saturday

• Carnival Unite – World of Colours Time: 6pm Venue: Arawak Cay Carnival season kicks off with Fresh Entertainment’s ‘Carnival Unite’. The event promises to be a day of laughter, entertainment and fun. Carnival mas bands will come together in one venue to ‘fog up’ the place. Admission is $25.

• Sapphire International Girls Club 2017 Kick-Off Session

• Shhh! Teen Headphone Dance Time: 6pm

• Stepping Stone Quilt Show Time: 10am - 4pm (continues until February 4) Venue: Trinity Methodist Church SEE PAGE 2

Venue: Skate City, #2 Bacardi Plant, opposite The Pavilion It’s the ultimate silent party for teens. DJ Lil Giant presents the event. Admission is $15 in advance and includes the rental of the headphones. Party the night away with music from six of Nassau’s top teen DJs on three separate channels.

• Beauty Beyond Feelings Presents ‘Beneath You’re Beautiful’ Time: 7pm Venue: J-Line Studios, Shirley Street SEE PAGE 7 • 45th Annual Red Cross Ball Time: 7pm for cocktails, 8pm for dinner Venue: Meliá Nassau Beach Resort, Independence Ballroom The Red Cross Society’s major fundraiser is being held under the patronage of Dame Marguerite Pindling. Tickets for the black-tie event are $250.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

interview Lavantae Russell is not your typical teenager. At just 18 years old, the Andros native is already the owner of a successful catering company and is about to provide his services to a major international sporting event. He tells Cara Hunt about his dedication to becoming a world-class chef who always provides fresh and healthy dishes to his customers.

Lavantae Russell

C

ooking has always been a huge part of Lavantae Russell’s life. So it came as no surprise to anyone who knows him that he would choose the culinary arts as a career.

What did take some people by surprise, however, was how quickly he would be successful at it.

At just 18 years old, he has already established himself as an experienced chef with his own company and a contract to provide catering for one of the country’s largest sporting events – the

IAAF World Relays.

“I have been cooking for as long as I can remember,” Lavantae told Tribune weekend.

“My parents own a resort in Andros, the Coconut Grove Resort in Staniel Cree, so I grew up surrounded by a family of cooks – my grandparents and my parents. It has become my passion.”

After skipping grade 12 in Andros, in 2014 Lavantae moved to Nassau to attend the Culinary Hospitality Management Institute.

The experience was eye-opening for the teenager.

“Of course I knew how to cook, but I have learned so much more during my time there, like the paperwork involved in cooking, the sanitation aspect of it, and really gaining the exposure of working and preparing meals for a larger scale of restaurant.

You know, in Andros, being on the island, you never had a larger group to prepare for. But being able to work at Choices restaurant (the school’s training restaurant,) has given me a better

feel for it.”

Lavantae said he enjoys dabbling in all the aspects of cooking.

“I really like baking and I love to learn new recipes. I have been doing a lot of experiments with native fruits like a guava cheesecake and some things with dilly,” he said.

This year, the determined young man realised a long-time dream – the chance to open his own catering company.

“I have always wanted to own my business and be my own boss and gain

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Friday, January 27, 2017

the experience of running my business, and now I have that opportunity.”

He said the company, which is called Lemon Grass Catering, is all about providing fresh and healthy food to its customers.

“In fact, that idea is how I came up with the name Lemon Grass because it just sounds fresh and healthy. Our motto is, ‘The grass is healthier on our side’,” he said.

At present, one of the company’s main functions is to provide an upscale lunch delivery service to busy professionals who can’t leave the office.

And already his professional demeanour and the quality of his food has made him highly sought after.

Despite his young age, Lavantae recently signed a contact with the local team who are organising the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays .

He will help provide catering for them in the lead-up to the event later this year.

“I am very excited about it,” he said. “It gives me a great opportunity for exposure, to get my name out there both locally. and hopefully, internationally. There will be professionals like doctors or lawyers involved, and hopefully I can get contracts with them in the future. I will give it my best.”

Tehran Mackey, Director of Volunteers for the IAAF, told Tribune Weekend that the organisation was thrilled to hire Lavantae.

“We are happy that we can also use this event to highlight young Bahamian entrepreneurs,” he said. “We have seen Lavantae’s work and the pride that he takes in his work. It is so impressive that he is so young and yet still has his own successful catering company. So we are looking forward to working with him.”

Lavantae will provide catering for many of the planning meetings as well as service the two main relay events – the High School Relays in

Photos/Shawn Hanna

“I have to say I missed the chance to go to the White House and prepare a meal for Barack Obama and his family while he was still president. I would have cooked them a speciality filet mignon with a peppercorn sauce”

March and the World Relays in April.

As for the future, the young chef said he is eager to complete his studies and graduate later this year. After that, he wants to travel the world and continue preparing food that people to enjoy.

He noted that while he admires many chefs locally, he looks up to Chef Jamall Petty in particular. “I have had the opportunity to work with him and he is awesome,” said Lavantae.

On the international stage, he said he is a great fan of American celebrity chef Bobby Flay.

And while his burgeoning career is sure to hold many unique opportunities in the next few years, there is one opportunity Lavantae regrets he missed out on.

“I have to say I missed the chance to go to the White House and prepare a meal for Barack Obama and his family while he was still president.

I would have cooked them a speciality filet mignon with a peppercorn sauce,” he said.

His advice to other young entrepreneurs: “If you have a passion for something, always follow your heart to do it. No matter how hard or challenging it may seem, there is a way to overcome and do it.”

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Friday, January 27, 2017

section

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Friday, January 27, 2017

motivational

Beauty in body, mind and soul

BODY - Nicole Ritchie

Summit invites women to ‘live a little, love a lot’

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

U MIND – Lashanta Smith

SOUL – Ghandi Thompson

NDER the theme “Beneath You’re Beautiful”, the Beauty Beyond Feelings (BBF) organisation will host its fourth annual empowerment summit at the J-Line Fitness Studios this Saturday.

Starting at 7pm, the summit aims to challenge the body, mind and soul of all women in attendance, encouraging them to “live a little, love a lot, take risks and trust God even more in their daily lives.”

Speakers will include Lashanta Smith, Nicole Ritchie and Gandhi Thompson. There will also be a special segment by Sandy’s Suitcase.

Raquel Pinder, founder of BBF, said it feels great to have come this far to actually be hosting the fourth instalment of the seminar. She said the many late nights and prayer sessions were all worth it.

“I feel like I am fulfilling my purpose and that makes me feel significant.

Many persons would have given up, but I pushed with the help of my team.

This will be the organisation’s eighth event itself, but fourth summit. We are so excited about this year’s theme and are also adding a travel segment for those wanting to know how to travel on a budget and how travelling can change their lives,” said Ms Pinder.

She believes the event is an important one, because women struggle with serious challenges every day in this country. She said there are women who have lost loved ones, who are going

through a divorce, unable to find work, unable to make ends meet, or living beyond their means to impress other people. And they all need help and inspiration.

“Each year as I connect with women I feed off of what’s communicated. We have to stop making excuses as women, because if we think about it, we are the cause of many of heartbreaks because we did not keep ourselves guarded.

A lot of disappointments we face, we are the cause because we tend to put more trust in man than we do in God. This organisation is that change for women to see themselves the way God sees them; for them to know that all of the things they are insecure about, are beautiful; that if we push towards being a better person, then everything else will fall in line. Although society has (dictated) an image of what beauty is supposed to be like, we are perfect in God’s eyes,” said Ms Pinder.

Sending a message to all women, she said she never wants them to forget what makes them beautiful, even during any adversities they may face. She truly believes that it is in difficult times that God begins to build people up.

“There are so many women out there afraid to dream because they don’t feel they have what it takes to start a business or even run it. Some women are getting so comfortable and not choosing to live healthy, and others are just not confident in the Word of God. At this event people are so amazed of how organised we are as an organisation and how we consistently create an atmosphere for them to be relaxed and comfortable with sharing their truth.

There are women now asking if we can host a summit that include men, so we are really thinking about the BBF 2018 summit being opened to men,” said Ms Pinder.

Having launched a BBF Club last year at the St Anne’s School, the team is looking forward to taking on more community projects, teaming up with more schools and organisations this year. They are also working on expanding the BBF clothing line.

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

food

Pizza gets the gourmet treatment at Wildfire

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

I

t is time to look at pizza from a different angle. Instead of thinking of it as a take-out food to consume on the couch in front of the TV, why not consider enjoying a gourmet option of your favourite comfort food in a cosy, yet elegant environment with family and friends.

That is the thinking behind the Wildfire gourmet pizza restaurant in the Old Fort Bay Shopping Plaza.

The pizzeria’s owners have made sure that their restaurant is much more than your average pizza joint, which is evident in the chic décor and eye-catching Earthstone brick oven where the gourmet pizzas are baked.

Husband and wife team Cameron and Lori Roach are entrepreneurs with more than 14 years in the aviation and other industries.

They said in all their endeavours they have always been passionate about customer service and they are bringing that exact attitude and work ethic to Wildfire.

“We are still relatively new. This is a new plaza with the idea of servicing the whole western end of the island, and it is definitely growing. Back here there is Venetian West, which is a big multifamily living area. We have got Charlotteville across the street, and then there is Lyford Cay and Old Fort,” Lori told Tribune Weekend.

“There is really no pizza out here and we really didn’t want to do fast food pizza, so we thought we would go into gourmet pizza. We thought it would be cool to bring this beautiful pizza oven in and set it all up.”

Recalling their opening night, Lori said it was during the plaza’s annual Christmas party two years ago.

It turned out to be a huge success for the Wildfire team, as the pizzeria was packed with guests all night long.

She said the Old Fort Bay Plaza is very family friendly, which ties in with their wishes for the restaurant’s atmos-

phere.

“The kids can run around outside where they are safe. They have got great security around here and everyone feels welcome. We originally started with a partner and now it is just my husband and I involved here. We approached the plaza developers and we ran the idea by them and as soon as they said they thought it was a great idea for this development in the area, it just secured our idea. It is fun for us. There are some other restaurants out here such as Sushi Rokkan and then there is a Bahamian restaurant, so we wanted something different and inexpensive,” said Lori.

She believes offering inexpensive food items is important in the current economy.

The Wildfire menu includes the popular “Five Alarm” pizza, which features spicy Italian sausage, Genoa salami, mushrooms, chili oil, red pepper flakes, tomato sauce and arugula, as well as other pizza options like mushroom and spinach; Greek, pepperoni and cheese; BBQ or jerk chicken, the Vegan Supreme and the Salmon Delight.

For those interested in nonpizza options, the restaurant also offers gourmet sandwiches and paninis, chicken wings, flatbreads, salads, pastas and desserts.

Wildfire’s chef, Shanice McPhee, said the vibe at the restaurant is reflected in the dishes.

That vibe, she explained, is “fresh, positive and relaxing”.

“I have been in the hotel industry for the past nine years and I can be more creative in this. I am a gourmet chef so I like pastas and meals like that. I like doing specials for the guests. I get great feedback from persons who send messages to the chef, because for me, even if it is not on the menu

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Photos Shawn Hanna

and someone asks for it, I can make it and it can be done,” said Chef McPhee.

The great thing about her job, she added, is that she gets to learn new things every day. She remembers being in the kitchen at the age of 13 with her mother baking macaroni and cooking peas and rice.

“I have learned all of this from my mom. Most persons in my family either cooked or worked somewhere as a chef.

There are not a lot of men that like to see women on top or be in charge and for that only I say stay focused on your goal and be motivated. Keep working and keep your head up by doing the best you can do. As a young chef grow-

ing up in this industry, it is hard, but as long as you strive you will make it,” said Chef McPhee.

As for Wildfire’s earthy, yet stylish décor, Lori said it is all down to her husband’s interior design skills. She said he created the welcoming ambiance by using warm colours and interesting accents.

Cameron said the goal was to not have anything “too loud”; he just wanted the it to feel naturally comfortable.

“The yellow, orange and red is also a play on fire. The idea of the oven actually came from our partner in the beginning, Peter Rounce. He had

some experience with these ovens. The design is to keep the heat in at a really high temperature so the pizzas can cook at a relatively cooked base,” Cameron explained.

“All the pizzas are made in the open area and the kids love it. They sit up at the pizza bar and watch the chefs cook.

A lot of the times the kids also want to make their own pizza, so they come in and we set it up for groups. They put all of the ingredients on their own pizza and we just stick it in the oven for them.”

Having customers returning time and again, the couple said, is affirmation that their guests are enjoying the food

and vibe at Wildfire.

“Everyone loves our bartenders and servers. We get so many comments about them; they are easy-going and offer great service. People can find us here during our regular hours, Monday to Thursday, 12noon to 9pm, and then on Friday and Saturdays from 12noon to 10pm. On Sundays we do evenings, 6pm to 9pm. We do specials randomly.

We post them on our Wildfire Facebook and Instagram pages,” said Lori.

“We have a Super Bowl party coming up, it just depends on what is going on. If we have a bunch of guys coming in then obviously we are going to also have beer, wings and pizza specials.”

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

travel

A staycation in paradise Adults-only Warwick hotel welcomes Bahamian guests

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

W

hile most of us would love to take a tour through Europe or party the weekend away in Las Vegas, distance and budgetary concerns don’t always make these viable vacation options.

But that doesn’t mean you have give up on the idea of a relaxing and exciting getaway. Increasingly, Nassuvians have become enamoured of so-called ‘staycations’, which can be indulged on long holiday weekends and be achieved with nothing more than a short drive. The most popular destination for these mini vacations is of course Paradise Island with all its attractions.

Instead of just going to the beach or visiting Atlantis’ Aquaventure water park and returning home at the end of the day, many Bahamians are choosing to treat themselves to a days-long stay to fully immerse themselves in the vacation experience.

One of the hotels hoping to offer Bahamians the “ideal staycation” with the right mix of relaxation and entertainment is the Warwick Paradise Island.

The resort, which is part of Warwick Hotels and Resorts collection of 56 hotels totalling 9,500 rooms in Europe, North America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific, is the newest four-star deluxe, adults-only, all-inclusive resort on Paradise Island.

The pool deck with the Chickcharnies Poolside Pizzeria and Grille The hotel is the result of a multimillion dollar transformation of the property, formerly the Paradise Island Harbour Resort. It celebrated a soft opening last October.

The hotel has 250 rooms on 12 floors, along with five dining options, two bars, a fitness centre and views of Nassau Harbour.

There are both island view or water

The Verandah terrace view rooms, along with either harbour deluxe or harbour premium rooms and one-bedroom suites with king beds and soaking tubs.

Paul G LeBlanc, special assistant to the president at Warwick International Hotels, told Tribune Weekend the resort presents an ideal staycation scenario for locals.

“With our location on the harbour

we are idyllic...and the fact that the resort itself is casual. It has the facilities and the amenities that most people do not have in their homes. We invite Bahamians in because it diversifies our guest space,” he said.

All rooms at the Warwick include flat-screen TVs, coffee and tea makers, individually controlled air-conditioning, in-room safes, mini fridges and compli-

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Photos/Warwick Paradise Islands

The Junkanoo Beat entertainment room

The Warwick offers a beach, pool and hot tub

“Warwick Paradise Island is adults only. We don’t want to discriminate, if you will, but we want to have an environment where people can relax. That is the number reason we have found people are staying here.”

Junkanoo art displayed at the Warwick

Buffet choices

The premium king room with balcony

mentary Wi-Fi, among other amenities.

What sets the resort apart from others on the island is that the Warwick has clearly defined its clientele as adults only.

“Warwick Paradise Island is adults only. We don’t want to discriminate, if you will, but we want to have an environment where people can relax. That is the number reason we have found people are staying here,” said Mr LeBlanc.

“The same way Sandals define their clientele, the RIU defines theirs, Atlantis defines theirs, we, too, have carved out a niche. It is not that the guests who come here don’t like children, they just don’t want to be around them because they feel more relaxed without have a child running around.”

The hotel’s signature feature is its 10,000-square-foot sea terrace which overlooks the harbour and marinas and includes a steak and seafood restaurant.

Mr LeBlanc said with its causal atmosphere and extensive amenities, Warwick Paradise Island offers everything one can want from a getaway destination.

“We have daily activities including beach volleyball, car tournaments. Then we also have Junkanoo Beat, which is our entertainment complex, and the sound system in there is out of this world,” he said.

There is also karaoke every night, performances by local bands, as well as a DJ at least two nights out of the week.

Another option for locals is purchasing a day or night pass that gives all-access to the beach, pool, dining areas and entertainment.

The day pass runs from 10am to 6pm while the night pass runs from 6pm to 1am.

“This is another option to spend a day of relaxation.

Should there be inclement weather we have a whole programme for indoors,” said Mr LeBlanc.

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

books

‘1984’ sales soar after Trump claims, ‘alternative facts’

A

fter incorrect or unprovable statements made by Republican President Donald Trump and some White House aides, one truth is undeniable: Sales of George Orwell’s “1984” are soaring.

First published in 1949, Orwell’s classic dystopian tale of a society in which facts are distorted and suppressed in a cloud of “newspeak” topped the best-seller list of Amazon.com as of Tuesday evening. The sales bump comes after the Trump administration’s assertions his inauguration had record attendance and his unfounded allegation that millions of illegal votes were cast against him last fall.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway coined an instant catchphrase Sunday when she called his claims about crowd size “alternative facts,” bringing comparisons on social media to “1984.”

Orwell’s book isn’t the only cautionary tale on the Amazon list. Sinclair Lewis’ 1935 novel about the election of an authoritarian president, “It Can’t Happen Here,” was at No 46. Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” was at No 71.

Sales also were up for Hannah Arendt’s seminal nonfiction analysis “The Origins of Totalitarianism.”

NEW YORK Associated Press

The top 10 books on Apple’s iBooksUS The Associated Press

1. Never Never

by Candice Fox & James Patterson 2. Just Friends by Billy Taylor 3. The Whistler by John Grisham 4. Fifty Shades Darker by E L James 5. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 6. Egomaniac by Vi Keeland 7. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance 8. The Mistress by Danielle Steel 9. Fidelity by Aleatha Romig 10. Below the Belt by Stuart Woods

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Friday, January 27, 2017

film

review

Ebullient ‘La La Land’ is something to sing about La la land running time: 128 mins

M

usical lovers, take a bow. Your favourite art form is having quite the cultural moment.

On Broadway, of course, we’ve got the “Hamilton” phenomenon, making the stage musical feel more vital and relevant than it has in years. And we have popular live TV revivals like “Grease” and “Hairspray.”

Now there’s the eye-popping, heartlifting “La La Land,” which both honuors and modernises the screen musical to such joyful effect that you might find yourself pirouetting home from the multiplex.

OK, perhaps we exaggerate. “La La Land,” created by the copiously talented writer/director Damien Chazelle and featuring the dream pairing of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, is not for everyone.

Perhaps you don’t like music, or singing, or dancing. Or romance, or love, or beautiful people falling in love. Or sunsets, or primary colours, or pastels. Or stories. Or, heck, the movies themselves. If you don’t like any of those things, maybe stay home.

Otherwise, be prepared: By the end, something will surely have activated those tear ducts. The one complaint I overheard upon leaving the film was: “I didn’t have enough Kleenex.”

The first obvious gift of “La La Land” is its sheer originality. Let’s start with the music. Unlike in so many other films, nobody else’s hits are used here. Our setting is Los Angeles, and so it begins — as it

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in a scene from “La La Land”, which on Wednesday reaped a record-tying 14 Oscar nominations.

must — on a jammed freeway. But unlike Michael Douglas in “Falling Down,” the drivers here simply brush off their frustrations, exit their cars, and break into song and dance.

This virtuoso number, “Another Day of Sun,” which was filmed on a freeway interchange with some 100 dancers toiling in sizzling temperatures, establishes Chazelle’s highflying ambitions.

Sebastian (Gosling) is a struggling jazz pianist, with stubborn dreams of opening his own club.

Mia (Stone) is an aspiring actress, working as a barista while auditioning for TV parts. They clash on the freeway. She gives him the finger.

They have a second bad meeting at a piano bar. Finally they meet a third time, at a party. Suddenly, they find themselves on a bench overlooking the Hollywood Hills at dusk. And then ... they dance.

Is it Astaire and Rogers (or Charisse)? Yes and no. Stone and Gosling are charming musical performers, but way less polished and ethereal than their cinematic forbears. This human quality in their first duet makes us root for them.

And we keep on rooting. It’s hard to imagine more perfect casting here. Gosling’s Sebastian is suave and sexy but also ornery and unsure of himself; Stone’s Mia is warm and ebullient but also fretful and selfdoubting. They need each other to chase their respective dreams.

But what will success mean, and can they possibly achieve it together? It’s this pillar of the story that lends it a very modern, melancholy bite.

Chazelle, 31, shows his love for cinema with references both sly and overt to classics like “Singin’ In the Rain” and Jacques Demy’s “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.”

And then there’s the nod to “Rebel Without a Cause,” with a scene at LA’s Griffith Observatory.

Some people resist musicals because in real life people never break out into song; they just speak their feelings. To which musical lovers say: “Exactly! And this is why we need musicals.”

Long live the musical. Bring enough Kleenex.

“La La Land” is being shown at Galleria Cinemas at the Mall at Marathon.

JOCELYN NOVECK The Associated Press

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report People’s Choice Awards 2017

HIT

FAIL

SPLIT

FAIL

FAIL

Jennifer Lopez “Shades of Blue”

Chandra Wilson “Grey’s Anatomy”

Jamie Chung “Once Upon a Time”

Jodie Sweetin “Fuller House”

Melissa McCarthy “Ghostbusters”

Karin says: “Very regal. I love it. It still showed off all her curves (especially from the back!), but looked classy. An unusual choice for her, and not a look we’ve seen too much on the red carpet. It could have almost been a bit too Morticia Addams-like, but the silver embroidery saves it.

Thumbs up from me.”

Cara says: “I have to say, I really like it. I love the detailing on the bodice. It is unique and we have not seen this type of dress on a lot of stars. It’s a bit modest for J-Lo (can we ever forget her green Oscar dress?), but still very sexy and she looks elegant and chic all at once.”

Karin says: “I know some of the more full-figured ladies have a hard time finding red carpet fashions, but this overly busy, knee-length jacket, made-from-leftover-quilting material (or a comforter, who knows?) is just ridiculous.

That collar especially is laughable and detracts from her fancy hairdo. Next time, Chandra, don’t experiment, please.”

Cara says: “OK Chandra, you have way too much going on with this outfit. I think the lack of sleeves combined with the neckline just doesn’t work for me. I don’t like the length of the pants and the shoes seem like an afterthought. That handbag is way to ‘church-y’, although it does match the fancy updo you have.”

Karin says: “OK, I love this buttery yellow on her and the lace, but this dress looks like it’s barely holding on.

It looks like it was flimsily sewn together and now she’s hunching over to keep it up.

Something about this just strikes me as unfinished.

Shame really.”

Cara says: “I think this is lovely; sexy in all the right places. I love the detail on the fabric...and the split...and the cut-outs...and the pop of colour with the handbag...just everything! Can we just pause a moment and appreciate how cute those shoes are?”

Karin says: “The dress is gorgeous, if a bit much for the occasion. But she just couldn’t resist that bad girl element in form of a short leather jacket (and the messy bouffant, I suppose). Sometimes this concept works, but not here.

The two pieces are world’s apart. Jodie and her stylist simply didn’t have the panache to pull this off.”

Cara says: “It’s kind of a mismatch; a failed princessmeets-biker look. I’m on the fence about it. The print is bold and pretty, but there is quite a bit of it. And I am not sure how I feel about the leather jacket with it. I also am not feeling the hair.”

Karin says: “One word: LOUD! I like the fact that she wore a pantsuit; it suits her. The pattern is also nice, but there is just too much of it. Maybe a simple black silk top would have worked better, or maybe a green one. Just something to stop this from being so visually overwhelming. Her shoes are fab though.”

Cara says: “That print is just a little too obnoxious for my liking. I think it would have been cute either with the print on the top or the bottom, but it’s just way too much on both ends. My eyes feel assaulted. I do agree that the shoes are darling though.”

Photos by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, January 27, 2017

music

Making Fridays ‘Fantastic’ again

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

F

riday nights just got a whole lot more entertaining as the country’s “number one party band” Visage returns with their showcase at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel’s Bullion Lounge.

Fantastic Fridays is back tonight, and band members are promising patrons that they will “sweat ‘til you are soaking wet.”

As before, the happy hour event will held on the last Friday of every month from 6pm to 10 pm.

The idea behind Fantastic Fridays, which is sponsored by Star 106.5 FM, is to give Bahamians the perfect opportunity to unwind after a long work week and to offer tourists staying at the hotel a taste of local music.

The band first started performing at the monthly event in March 2014. Since then, Visage has undergone some line-

up changes, but they are still all about delivering the high-energy party vibes.

And band members said they are proud to now be considered a staple of the Nassau entertainment scene.

Visage boasts two keyboard players, a guitarist, bassist, drummer, sample

tech, two sound engineers, a road crew and four frontline vocalists – Dyson Knight, Wendi Lewis, Nehemiah Hield and Shawn Ferguson.

“People don’t call us the ‘big band’ for nothing. Lately, we have been busy preparing individual releases for some

Julien Believe has faith in 2017

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net The new year has barely begun, but it’s already full steam ahead for singer Julien Believe in 2017.

He is currently putting the finishing touches on his latest album, is getting ready to release a new single, and is planning for future international performances.

However, one of the biggest developments for Julien was undeniably his appointment as a BTC brand ambassador.

“Expect some cool stuff from me and them,” he said.

In the meantime, the new single, “Don’t Stop Wining For Me”, will have an official launch party on February 11 at the Celebrity Status Bar & Lounge on East Bay Street beginning at 8pm. A music video is soon to follow.

“There wasn’t anything in particular

that inspired me to create this song.

I heard the beat and just put pen to paper, and ‘Don’t Stop Wining For Me’ was born. I just love creating music that people like to move and dance to,” he said.

Following his appearance at the 13th

annual Washington DC Travel & Adventure Show earlier this month, Julien said he is now focusing on building the momentum his career has enjoyed over the last two years and is preparing for more international performances.

“My plans and goals are the same as

of band’s frontline vocalists – Benji, Dyson Knight and Wendi – who are all slated to release new singles within the first quarter of 2017. We are also preparing for shows and creating a new lineup of music,” said the band in a statement.

The group believes the Fantastic Fridays series has officially been labelled the “grown folks party”, but are also thrilled to note that the younger folks have started coming out for the event.

Tonight, patrons can look forward to jamming to soca hits and the band’s original music, in addition to rake n’ scrape, Junkanoo, reggae, golden oldies, and even some top 40 hits.

“Guests simply love it. The feedback has been, and continues to be, phenomenal,” said the band.

“Good, clean fun in a wonderful, classy and safe environment. Nassau and the Bahamas at large definitely needs more entertainment of various forms. Live music, stage plays, film and music festivals and the like. The landscape is wide open for more events like Fantastic Fridays in order to promote Arts and Entertainment.”

always – to increase my visibility not only locally but internationally. I am taking on more international performances this year in some far away places. I can’t wait to share them with you. My goal is to make sure my music is played around the world and to create opportunities for those who come after me. It is important for me this year to also share and spread a positive message with the youth of our country,” he said.

“As with my career, my music is maturing and I’m creating music that can and will crossover to the mainstream market.”

With Junkanoo Carnival season coming up, Julien said his fans can expect his new music to feature the upbeat vibes he is known for.

“Some of my music already takes on that vibe, so there won’t be much change for Carnival season. But I do have another song to be released in the next few months that was co-created with the writers of ‘Like Ah Boss’ and ‘Cheers to Life’,” he said.

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

pageants

Theodore Elyett’s ‘show-stopping’ Miss Universe gown to be unveiled this Sunday

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

T

heodore Elyett is still in awe of the fact that millions of people around the world will get to see one of his creations this Sunday when Miss Bahamas Universe Cherell Williamson steps onto the international pageant stage wearing an evening gown he designed.

This is the first time in his 19-year career that the designer has had the opportunity to not only create an evening gown, but also the custom wardrobe of more than 15 pieces for a reigning Miss Bahamas.

The gown’s on-stage unveiling will happen on Sunday night when the pageant takes place in the Philippines. The three-hour annual beauty event will air live from the MOA Arena in Pasay City on the FOX Network at 7pm.

Cherell is competing against women from 90 countries vying to become the next Miss Universe.

One of the major highlights of the event has always been the evening gown segment. During an earlier interview with Tribune Weekend, Cherell said this is also the segment she is looking forward to the most, because her gown is “stunning”.

Mr Elyett agreed that his gown is indeed a show-stopper.

“The evening gown that I created for Cherell for the Miss Universe pageant features quite a bit of detail and texture. In fact, the entire wardrobe that I created for her has been featuring the same design elements which are true to my brand – texture, print, pattern and colour,” he said. “The gown is very intricate. Over 50 per cent of the gown was hand-sewn.”

Mr Elyett said he did some reworking of a dress previously created for a contestant in the Miss Universe Bahamas pageant to come up with Cherell’s gown.

“I created a gown for a contestant in the Miss Universe Bahamas pageant

thing I felt would have been fitting for the MU stage. Unfortunately, that candidate did not win the overall pageant title, but I wanted to re-engineer that design with a few tweaks for Cherell. It is definitely my best work yet,” he said.

Mr Elyett, who has numerous accomplishments under his belt, including winning the third season of Mission Catwalk, said this has been one of the greatest opportunities ever afforded to him.

“Believe it or not, I have never showcased any of my designs at the Miss Universe pageant – ready-towear wardrobe pieces Miss Bahamas Universe Cherell Williamson or gowns. Sometimes will be wearing a design by Theodore Elyett I’m lost for words when she competes in the Philippines. when I think about it. This has been a goal of mine since last year and I received lots of reviews I started designing professionally at about it. When I was approached to de- 13. When I was 14, the Miss Bahamas sign it by the contestant’s coach he said, committee wanted to use my costume ‘I want a gown that will be ready for to send with their queen, but they the Miss Universe stage!’. With that in couldn’t get in contact with me. Of mind I got to work and created somecourse I was devastated about the

missed opportunity, but everything happens when it is supposed to happen, and I feel that’s the real message,” he said.

“I want people to know about this opportunity. Sometimes we try in our own might to rush things into fruition.

This all happened at the right time; in God’s time. Had I pushed to do this years ago I would have had to foot the bill as the designer if I wanted my gown at Miss Universe. But because I waited on his timing, not only do I now get to showcase my talent to the world at the Miss Universe event, but it has also been fully funded – the wardrobe by the Miss Universe Bahamas committee and the evening gown by The Island Game.

Honestly, we must trust the timing of our lives.”

Mr Elyett said this accomplishment is also a huge step in the right direction for Bahamian designers.

“I can only pray that the trend will continue,” he said.

Michelle Collie, Miss Universe Bahamas national pageant director, said Mr Elyett’s talent cannot be overstated “The opportunity to have him create a custom collection for our queen is well deserved and serves the Bahamas and the organisation in so many ways,” she said.

“By involving as many Bahamians in this endeavour as we can we hope to grow the interest in local pageantry and use it as a springboard to showcase the Bahamas in every way available to us.”

The Tribune | Weekend | 19

Friday, January 27, 2017

relationships

A time to be thankful

By Dr Edrica Richardson

W

e must remind ourselves to focus on the good and be thankful. So what are you thankful for in your relationship?

There are so many incentives to being in a relationship and many of these are taken for granted throughout the year. But if you have ever received relationship advice, you have probably heard plenty of ‘don’ts’ – Don’t nag. Don’t stonewall.

Don’t blame. Don’t leave the toilet seat up. Don’t squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle. And definitely don’t assume he’s that into you when he’s just not.

Well, don’t listen. The happiest couples focus on ‘dos’, not ‘don’ts’.

Positivity has a way of shifting our perspective, while negative emotions shut us down. Positive emotions open us up.

Let’s take a moment to stop, look at our partner and be thankful.

Here are a few ideas to consider or acknowledge about your partner all the time:

• Be grateful Remembering to thank your partner seems simple, but gratitude may provide the everyday dose of hope that keeps you glued together over the long haul.

Appreciate them for their efforts.

If your partner works extra hours, cooks dinner, brings home groceries, or otherwise demonstrates their effort in providing for you, make sure to thank them for their time spent taking care of things. Even if they happen to mess something up while trying, still shower them with love and appreciation to demonstrate your gratitude for their efforts.

other’s successes – asking questions, paying compliments, and cheering each other on increases relationship happiness.

• Notice what’s new about your partner Letting your partner surprise you is vital to sustaining excitement in your relationship. But in order to be surprised, you first have to pay attention. The problem is that most of us get so familiar with our partners that we stop really noticing them. But the fact that you stopped looking doesn’t mean they’ve stopped changing, so pay attention.

• Put it in writing So next time you think fondly of your partner, write those thoughts down. Don’t forget how romantic a quick text or classic love letter can be.

• Work on the day-to-day Many of us get into a routine and it works. Both you and your partner contribute to this routine to make the day or tasks successful. We begin to expect these contributions to happen and we in turn depend on them for our daily successes. Do you notice all of these details attended to by your partner every day?

• Treasure intimacy The business of life tends to lead us to being robotic in our intimate relationship. The quick kiss and “I love you” as you walk out the door gets taken for granted and becomes part of the routine. This isn’t wrong or negative, but stop and realise even though these intimate moments become routine, think about what they mean to you.

• Capitalise on good news

• Reflect on good memories

We expect our partners to provide us with a shoulder to cry on when times are tough. But how couples behave during good times might be even more important. Partners who respond enthusiastically to each

Stress and routine seem to get in the way of reflecting on the good times. Spend some time with your partner and/or family to reflect on the good moments of the past year or years. Turn off technology and

Showing gratitude for your partner ‘s love and support on a consistent basis will lead to long-term happiness in the relationship. have a conversation about the fun moments.

• Give praise Praise them both privately and publicly. Giving praise to your partner is wonderful in private, but it’s also perfect in front of other people. Even if your partner is a bit shy, they will appreciate the fact that you’ve made a bold statement about them while in the company of others. Your loved one wants to feel that you are proud of them when it’s just you together and when you have other people around.

• Consistency is key Most of us are capable at showing gratitude from time to time. The real value lies in being able to display your gratefulness on a consistent basis.

Know this: he or she loves you with their entire being. The willingness to show your appreciation for them is well worth the effort. In fact, you’ll likely see some form of gratitude coming right back at you.

• Dr Edrica D Richardson is licenced marriage and family therapist in multiple states in the US and an AAMFT approved supervisor. She currently runs private practice in Nassau and the US. Her clinical specialities include relationship issues, stress management, family conflict and life coaching, to name a few. She works with adolescents, couples and families.

For more information, visit her website at www.dredrich.com.

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

health and fitness

TRX Total Body Fitness 101

By Regina Smith

I

f you’re looking to do something different and want to add a new element to your workout routine, TRX suspension training is a great addition. TRX, or Total Resistance eXercise, was developed by Randy Henrick, a former Navy Seal and Stanford MBA graduate.

TRX is a suspension training tool that leverages the body’s weight and gravity to build strength, core stability and flexibility using various exercises. Suspension training is versatile in that it can be used in high and low impact workouts. Other benefits of TRX include: • A plethora of strength, endurance, power and flexibility exercises that can be performed using the TRX suspension training system.

• The TRX allows for unilateral work. Meaning it allows you to work one side of the body or work limbs separately.

• The TRX is also portable. Studio classes are a great way to gain an understanding of foundational exercises, but you can also purchase your own system to set up at home or take it with you when you travel.

• TRX workouts are safe, challenging and effective. TRX exercises can be done exclusively or they can be combined with interval exercises, for example high knees, lateral bounds, box jumps etcetera.

gaged and pull the navel up and back towards your lower back. Stabilise your shoulders by depressing your shoulders away from your ears. Hold for 20 seconds.

2

. TRX side plan Lie on your side. Ensure that your elbow is aligned with your shoulder. To achieve optimal alignment, imagine the body suspended in between two sheets of glass. Lift the body into the air. Allow the toe of the right foot to connect to the heel of the left foot. Hold for 20 seconds. (For and additional challenge you can lower and lift the hip closest to the mat.)

Following are eight beginner TRX exercises. You can perform two to three sets of each exercise individually or perform one exercise after the other for a blood-pumping circuit.

Core

1

. TRX plank Start on your hands or on your forearms. Ensure that your elbows are aligned with your shoulders. Keep your glutes (hips) en-

pinkies aligned to the temples. Walk your feet toward the anchor until tension is felt in the biceps (front of the arms). Lower the body back until arms are fully extended. Pull the body back towards the anchor point by bringing the fingertips back towards the ear.

Important tips: Lift through the flexion (bending) and extension (extending) of the elbow. Keep the body in a firm plank position.

Legs

Arms

3

. Bicep curls Begin with the elbows bent higher than the shoulders, with

4

. TRX triceps press Begin with facing away from the TRX anchor. Extend the arms in front of the shoulders with the palms facing down. Lift the elbow up. Ensure that the elbows are aligned with the shoulder. Lower the body forward until the thumbs are next to the temples.

5

. TRX step balance lunge Begin facing the anchor. With the elbows stacked under shoulders, centre one leg to anchor point.

Lift opposite leg to 90 degrees at the knee and the hip. Extend the lifted leg and lower the knee (without foot touching) to the ground. Press into the heel of the grounded leg. With eyes forward, focusing on the horizon, return to a fully standing position.

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Photos/Shawn Hanna

Back

Chest

(pulling movements)

(pushing movements)

7

8

. TRX low row (Both arms or single arm) Begin by walking your feet toward the anchor point. Pull your shoulders down and back. Lower body down until arms are fully extended, maintain plank. Pull the body toward anchor point by driving elbows back beside the body.

6

. TRX hamstring curl Begin with your feet in the straps. Position your feet underneath the anchor. Extend your arms at your side to assist you with stability.

Drive your heels down into straps. Focus on pulling knees over hips. Lastly, lift your hips to form straight line from knees to shoulders.

“TRX exercises can be as dynamic or as rudimentary as you want them to be. Fitness enthusiasts at all levels can benefit greatly from utilising this suspension training system.”

. TRX chest press (Offset stance) Begin with the body facing away from the anchor. Extend arms out from the shoulders. Stand with feet part.

Maintain plank position and lower the body by bending elbows to 90 degrees.

On the return, drive through palms while squeezing chest muscles; maintain plank position by staying engage through the hips.

A key component to strength and muscle endurance progress is increase in load and change. Repetitive movements and the same volume will rarely get you the results you want. The TRX suspension training system allows you to challenge the joint and muscle in their full range of motion. Don’t miss part two of this series.

Do something different. Get fit, get healthy! Stay active!

• Regina Smith is a certified personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Paedagogy and Exercise Science. She is also a certified level one TRX trainer, and Total Barre and Pilates instructor. She can be reached for personal training and consultations at regina.tonia. smith@gmail.com. Follow her on instagram: ginag_cpt or her fitness tips and tweets on Twitter @ginagcpt.

You can also find her on Facebook under ‘Regina Smith’.

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

literary lives bette davis

Triumphs, tantrums - and those eyes Sir Christopher Ondaatje recalls a legendary and difficult Hollywood screen star who made tough, unlikeable roles her stock in trade.

R

uth Elizabeth “Bette” Davis was born on April 5, 1908, in Lowell, Massachusetts, the daughter of a patent lawyer.

In 1915, her parents separated and she moved to New York with her mother and sister.

She was a surprisingly strong-minded, ambitious individual and following a brief stint at John Murray Anderson’s Dramatic School and a short theatre career off Broadway, she made her first Broadway appearance in the comedy “Broken Dishes”.

After a screen test, Davis gave up her theatre career and made her way to Hollywood, where she had a small

role in Universal Studios’ “Bad Sister” (1931), followed by other minor roles.

She moved to Warner Brothers in 1932, the year that she married Harmon Nelson – another young actor – and, while there, made 14 films over the next three years.

In 1934, Warner Brothers loaned Bette Davis to RKO Pictures where she played the role of Mildred, a cheap, vicious, opportunist waitress in the Somerset Maugham classic “Of Human Bondage”. It was the first of many tough, unlikeable roles.

Davis was magnificent in the part and won her first Academy Award nomination. She did not win the coveted award, which resulted in the voting members of the Academy writing complaining letters. Instead, the Academy changed their voting procedure and Davis was given the award the following year (1935) for her role as a troubled young actress in “Dangerous”.

In 1936, she got another leading role in “The Petrified Forest” with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart.

Despite this success Davis had a troublesome time with Warner Brothers and was suspended for refusing roles. She went to England to appear in two films and the studio sued her.

So she went to Canada to avoid legal papers being served on her. However, they settled their differences and Davis returned to Hollywood broke and in debt to resume her career. She was offered better roles and more money.

“Jezebel” (1938) was her next movie, in which she played a rebellious Southern belle. William Wyler was the director and Davis entered into a relationship with him. She won her second Oscar for the part. Despite this award, Davis was not given the part of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With The Wind” – a huge disappointment. She had hoped to play Scarlett opposite Errol Flynn. The part eventually went to Vivien Leigh, with Rhett Butler going to Clark Gable.

Davis divorced Harmon Nelson, who had failed to make any sort of a career for himself in Hollywood, in 1938.

Nelson cited infidelity and a “cruel and inhuman manner”.

“People often become actresses because of something they dislike about themselves. They pretend they are someone else.”

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Davis was a perfectionist whose tempestuous battles for good scripts and the best production craftsmen for her roles wreaked havoc in the Warner Brothers’ executive suites. With her huge expressive eyes, flamboyant mannerisms and distinctive speaking style she left an indelible mark on her audiences and was successful in a wide variety of roles. She became one of Warner Brothers’ biggest stars.

In 1939 she played a mortally sick heiress in “Dark Victory” for which she won another Academy Award, and Elizabeth I in “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex”. “All This and Heaven Too” was Davis’ next financially successful film, after which she starred in “The Letter” (1940), another Somerset Maugham story, directed again by William Wyler, in which she acted the part of a strangely cool and calculating killer.

The Hollywood Reporter called it one of the best films of the year. Davis refused her co-star George Brent’s proposal of marriage and instead married Arthur Farnsworth, a New England innkeeper.

In 1941, Davis became the first female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences, but had to resign because of her brash manner and radical proposal for change.

She was succeeded by her predecessor, Walter Wanger. That year she starred in “The Great Lie”.

After “The Little Foxes” (the last time she would ever work with William Wyler and for which she won another Academy Award nomination), “The Man Who Came to Dinner”, and “The Corn is Green”, Davis ended her turbulent career with Warner Brothers.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, Davis worked endlessly selling war bonds. She was the only white person who performed for black regiments in mixed acting troupes that included Hattie McDaniel, Ethel Waters and Lena Horne. She also founded the Hollywood Canteen with the help of John Garfield, Cary Grant and Jule Styne. Later she appeared in the film “Hollywood Canteen” (1944), a fictional story. In the 1940s Davis made “Now, Voyager”, a romantic drama, and war stories “Watch on the Rhine” and “Thank Your Lucky Stars” in which she performed the hit song “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old”. She also made “Old Acquaintance” with Miriam Hopkins, an old adversary.

Davis’ second husband Arthur Farnsworth collapsed and died in

August, 1943, on a Hollywood street, probably because of an earlier skull fracture. Still visibly upset and cantankerous, Davis continued making the film “Mr Skeffington”. She upset everyone on the set but nevertheless received another Oscar nomination.

In 1945, she married her third husband William Grant Sherry. Refusing the title role in “Mildred Pierce” was a mistake and the part went to Joan Crawford.

“A Stolen Life” (1946) and “Possessed” (1947) were next, but then at 39 she gave birth to a daughter Barbara “B D” Davis Sherry. She continued with her film career but her relationship with her daughter and her popularity with audiences began to deteriorate. She refused the part of Rosie Sayer in “The African Queen” (another mistake), the part going to Katherine Hepburn, and also the lead in a prison drama “Women Without Men”. She played the lead in the melodrama “Winter Meeting” (1948), which lost $1 million, and then made “Beyond the Forest” in 1949.

In 1949, Darryl F Zanuck offered Davis the part of the ageing theatrical actress Margot Channing in “All About Eve”. It was one of her finest film performances, of which the film’s director Joseph L Mankiewitz said, “Bette was letter perfect. She was syllable perfect.

The director’s dream: the prepared actress.” The Cannes Film Festival, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the San Francisco Film Critics Circle all named her best actress.

Estranged from William Grant Sherry, Davis now became involved with her leading man, Gary Merrill, in “All About Eve”, and married him in 1950.

The couple adopted Davis’ daughter Barbara (with Sherry’s consent) and Davis and Merrill went on to adopt a five-day old baby girl they named Margot, after Davis’ film character Margot Channing. They later adopted a baby boy, Michael in 1952. It was another rocky marriage for Davis, her fourth, but it lasted ten years.

Davis’ films in the 1950s were not successful but she kept performing.

In “The Virgin Queen” (1955), and “Storm Center” (1956) she was criticised as being just a caricature of her former self. As her career declined so did her marriage. She divorced Merrill citing alcohol abuse and domestic violence.

In the 1960s Davis appeared again briefly on Broadway in “The Night of the Iguana” (1961) to mediocre re-

Continued on page 24

A young Bette Davis in the 1930s

Bette Davis appeared alongside Marilyn Monroe in “All About Eve” (1950).

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

Bette Davis is about to be introduced to a whole new generation when she is portrayed by Susan Sarandon opposite Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming TV show “Feud”.

Continued from page 23 views. She then returned to Hollywood to play opposite Glenn Ford and AnnMargaret in “A Pocketful of Miracles” (1961), and starred in the horror film “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” a year later. In addition to her salary Davis received ten per cent of the film’s gross profits, a wise decision as it became one of the year’s biggest financial successes.

Davis co-starred with Joan Crawford, playing one of two ageing sisters forced to share a Hollywood mansion.

They detested one another and when Davis was nominated for an Academy Award, Crawford contacted the other nominees who were unable to attend the ceremonies and offered to accept the award on their behalf. Anne Bancroft won and Joan Crawford did accept the award on her behalf.

Davis featured in one episode of “Perry Mason” for CBS TV in 1962, and then in two films “Dead Ringer” (1964) and “Where Love Has Gone”

Bette Davis with her daughter Barbara “B D” Davis Sherry, who wrote the scathing memoir “My Mother’s Keeper”.

“The best time I ever had with Joan Crawford was when I pushed her down the stairs in ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’”

(1964) before starring in “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte” (1964), the followup to Robert Aldrich’s “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” Davis and Crawford were again supposed to star in the film but the latter, citing illness, was replaced by Olivia de Havilland.

By the end of the 1960s Davis had appeared in “The Nanny” (1965), “The Anniversary” (1968) and “Connecting Rooms” (1970). She was indefatigable. She continued acting both on the stage – “Miss Moffat” (1972) as well as playing supporting roles in “Burnt

Offerings” and “The Disappearance of Aimee” (1976). In 1977, she became the first woman to receive the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Her career somehow picked up again and she accepted roles in television’s “The Dark Secret of Harvest Home” (1978) and the film “Death on the Nile” (1978). However, the bulk of her work was on television.

In 1981, Kim Carnes’ song “Bette Davis Eyes” (written by Jackie DeShannon) became a best-selling record and stayed at number one in the music

charts for over two months. It introduced her to a whole new and younger audience. She proudly accepted the gift of gold and platinum records from Kim Carnes and hung them prominently on her wall.

In 1983, after filming the pilot episode for the TV series “Hotel”, Davis was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. Within weeks of her surgery she suffered four strokes, which left her paralysed on the left side of her face, left arm and with slurred speech. After lengthy therapy she gained partial recovery, but continued to smoke over 100 cigarettes a day.

While recovering from her cancer treatment, her daughter, “B D” Hyman, published a memoir “My Mother’s Keeper”, which chronicled a difficult mother-daughter relationship and depicted scenes of Davis’ overbearing and drunken behaviour. Davis’ former husband, Gary Merrill, despite an acrimonious divorce, was quoted as saying that Hyman’s biography was motivated by cruelty and greed. Davis herself

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Friday, January 27, 2017

Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha published two autobiographies during her lifetime: “The Lonely Life” (1962), and “This ’n That” in 1987.

In the second autobiography Davis wrote, “I am still recovering from the fact that a child of mine would write about me behind my back ... I will never recover as completely as I have from my stroke ... I’ve been your keeper all these many years. I am continuing to do so.”

In 1986 Davis appeared in the television film “As Summers Die”, and the next year in “The Whales of August” in which she played the blind sister of Lillian Gish. Though in poor health both the film and Davis got good reviews, one critic writing, “she crawls across the screen like a testy old hornet on a windowpane, snarling, staggering, twitching - a symphony of misfired synapses.”

Her last film, “The Wicked Stepmother” (1989) was halted after a disagreement on the set. It was released only after Davis’ death.

After “The Wicked Stepmother”, Davis did not receive any more film offers. She was, however, feted in 1988 and 1989 for her career achievements receiving the Kennedy Center Honor, the Legion d’Honneur from France, the Campione d’Italia from Italy and the Film Society of Lincoln Center Lifetime Achievement Award. She collapsed during the American Cinema Awards, but recovered sufficiently to travel to Spain where she was honoured at the Donostia-San Sebastián Film Festival. But during her visit her health deteriorated rapidly. Too weak to make the journey back to the US she travelled to France, where she died on October 6, 1989, at the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine. She was 81.

Bette Davis was interred in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, next to her mother and sister. On her tombstone is an inscription originally suggested by Joseph Mankiewitz, who wrote and directed her in ‘All About Eve’: “She did it the hard way.”

NEXT WEEK: the enduring appeal of best selling novelist Arthur Hailey • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is an adventurer and writer resident in the Bahamas. A Sri Lankan-born Canadian-Englishman, he is the author of several books, including “The Last Colonial”

William N Aranha, Crown Lands Officer, is pictured (third left, facing camera) at a formal dinner at Government House hosted by the Duke of Windsor

When telephones were a rare modern marvel

“W

hat Manner Of Man Is This?” is Sir Orville Turnquest’s riveting book about the Duke of Windsor’s term as Governor of the Bahamas, when we were still a colony, some 30 years before we became a nation.

Richard Coulson’s review in The Tribune recently recommends that this book be required reading for all Bahamians and goes on to praise the eloquent speech that Dr C R Walker made, to the Duke, in 1942. I agree with Richard that Walker’s speech really is the “keynote of the book”.

In those days, my father was the Crown Lands Officer, a post that answered to the Governor through the Colonial Secretary, and I have several photographs of him with the Duke. But the thing I remember most clearly happened one Sunday afternoon, when my parents had gone to see a movie at the Savoy Theatre.

It was a rainy day and the three younger Aranha children were stuck indoors, playing games, when the phone rang and I answered it, to hear a voice say: “This is the Duke of Windsor. May I speak to Mr Aranha?”

I panicked and tried to get one of my sisters to take the phone, but neither of them would, so I found myself talking to the ex-King of England, who was not amused. On Monday, my father was given a telling off for

my failure to address the Duke as ‘Your Royal Highness’. It took a lot of explaining for the Duke to accept that I was only six and my father could keep his job.

In the 1940s, if your home had a phone, you probably had only one instrument, and the number had only four digits. Our number was 2681.

The hospital was 2861 and, on many nights, we were woken up by people looking for medical help. During the war, my mother expected every night a call to bring news that her eldest son had been killed in action.

A close friend of my sister, Barbara, liked bringing her friends to our house and it took Barbara a long time to realise that her friend was charging those other girls six pence each, for the privilege of seeing, and touching, a telephone.

There was wartime rationing, including food and gasoline, but the Crown Lands Officer was allowed extra gasoline, to perform his official duties. We children benefitted from this because he would often pack us into the back seat and take us all over the island, to parts of New Providence that most people never visited - places like Clifton, Adelaide, Carmichael Village, Gambier, Englerston and what was then called Cocoanut Grove (a name I was pleased to hear on ZNS news a few nights ago).

We got to know Mr Engler, after whom Englerston is named, and I still wonder why Bahamians call it ‘Anglerston’, as if it were spelled

with an A. Nobody calls England “Angland”.

It is said that everybody knew everybody else, often expanded to say that everyone is related, but that’s another story and I won’t go there.

It amazed me, however, when I was in Hope Town, Abaco, 30 years after my father’s death, and an old Abaconian, standing in the street, took one look at me and said “You must be Willie Aranha’s son”.

Soldier Road was a track that snaked through the forest, not the metropolis it is today. The curves were there so the soldiers of the British West India Regiment couldn’t see how far they had to march. Soldier Road began at Blue Hill Road and ended at the junction of Wulff and Village roads. There were no side roads. East Street did not yet extend that far south.

But this article started at Government House, where a statue of Christopher Columbus stands on a pedestal and overlooks the old City of Nassau. A careful look at the clothes worn by Columbus makes one wonder why he is dressed like a man of the 18th century. I was told that the city that had commissioned the statue (of one of their heroes) could not come up with the money to pay for it, so our Governor bought it and called it Columbus.

Believe it, or not.

• islandairman@gmail.com

26 | The Tribune | Weekend

THIRD, TRYST (across or down)

section

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TODAY’S TARGET Good 26; very good 39; excellent 52 (or more). Solution tomorrow.

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The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, January 27, 2017

animals Animal matters Kim Aranha

pet of the week

T

he new, soon to be released movie “A Dog’s Purpose”, based on a book of the same name, has been eagerly awaited by dog lovers around the world.

This all changed, however, when a very disturbing video clip was released last week on the TMZ website of the film’s dog trainers forcing the canine actor into a pool with rushing which was meant to simulate a river.

The German Shepherd absolutely did not want to go into the pool and was being more than coerced to get in. In fact, he was being downright manhandled.

Once in the water, the poor dog is seen clinging to the side of the pool in fear, trying to climb back out and partially succeeding. As you watch this clip you hear somebody sniggering and then suggesting they just throw him in.

Finally they dump the dog into the pool and you see his head disappear under the rushing water. This is followed by a panicked exclamation from a bystander, somebody in the water swims towards where the head of the dog went under, and a man calls “cut”.

All in all, a remarkably upsetting piece of film. Upsetting in so many ways. Of course upsetting because none of us like to see an animal scared or suffering, especially if the animal is experiencing this fear for our “entertainment”. It is also very upsetting to be made aware that a movie about dogs, that will clearly be seen by animal lovers around the world, did not care enough about the animal to treat him properly and humanely.

The studio making the film has re-

Patricia Vazquez

“A Dog’s Purpose” proves inadequate protection

leased a statement that the dog is fine and unhurt, and was not “in danger”.

I have no doubt that he was not “in danger”, because they had two people in the rushing water just in case there was an emergency, as there was, but that does not exonerate their behaviour.

The very first frames of the video make it clear as day that the poor dog did not want to go into the rushing water and was not comfortable. Animals are very wise and instinctive. He probably would have been happy to jump into still water, but his instincts told him that the rushing current was dangerous. Duh, we know that!

One of the producers who was not on the set that day, Gavin Polone, has stepped up and said the treatment of Hercules, as the German Shepherd is called, was absolutely inexcusable.

A representative from the American Humane Association (AHA) was supposedly present during all scenes involving animals.

Where was he when this poor dog was being forced into the water, I ask myself?

Mr Polone explains that: “The dog did the scene in rehearsal without problem, though it was from the left side of the pool, not the right side.

Lucky Milo

By The Bahamas Humane Society

“B

lack is my lucky colour! What’s

yours?”

Milo is here to let you know that bringing him into your home will not bring you bad luck. On the contrary, it will bring you a loving friend who is playful and friendly. One-yearold Milo isn’t sure why people think he’s bad luck, but he knows it’s definitely not true.

He’s been very lucky to find himself with the other cats at the Bahamas Humane Society, but now he’s ready for a home of his own. Are you looking for some luck in your life? Why not add Milo to your

When Hercules balked at jumping in from his new position, filming was cut though not soon enough. Ultimately, the crew returned to the original shooting location.

“The dog was comfortable and went in on his own and they shot the scene,” he wrote. “The TMZ video only shows the unfinished take of when the dog was on the right side. What is clear from viewing all the footage was that the dog was NEVER forced into the water.”

Sorry, but from what I saw of the footage (and anybody can go online and see for themselves is that the dog was being forced, and very much so.

Of course he has recovered and is not injured, and no, he did not die, but that is not what I am disputing.

I am questioning if humans have some divine right to force their will on every creature on the face of the Earth. Are we entitled to use animals for lame entertainment. No matter how much distress we cause them? I think not.

I do not share PETA’s (People’s Ethic Treatment of Animals) view that animals should never be used in films.

No, they can be, but we all know what is right and what is not right. Draw a line, stay humane and roll the footage.

family and see what a difference he’ll make.

Come in to the BHS to meet him or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. Milo looks forward to sharing his luck with you!

• Mark your calendar now! The next BHS Thrift Shop jewellery sale will be held on Saturday, February 11, from 10am to 2pm, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Come find something lovely for your sweetheart or yourself. All proceeds go to the BHS.

Movies are tools of entertainment, a wonderful way to pass a couple of hours, the ultimate escape from your troubles and concerns; go to the cinema and switch off. Many very talented people work in the movie industry, no doubt about it. Here in the Bahamas we have some amazing filmmakers.

But we cannot lose focus that it is entertainment and no animal should be subjected to that kind of stress so that we can have a mindless couple of hours of fun.

I am shocked with what poor vigilance the AHA must have provided that this actually was possible. I read somewhere that the AHA agent-incharge of that surveillance job was fired; not surprising.

Amblin Entertainment, who produced the film, and Universal Pictures, the film’s distributor, have delayed the film’s premiere to try and put some damage control into effect.

Should the movie come here, I for one will not go to see it. I have this very unpleasant image of poor Hercules clearly in distress clinging on for dear life. Sorry, I will personally not contribute to a film that did nothing to protect the animals that are being exploited for the producers and distributors to make money.

28| The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, January 27, 2017

gardening Tie-Dye, Jubilee (a yellow heirloom) and red hybrid tomatoes

Dear Madis…

Jack Hardy corresponds with a longtime friend in Canada, reporting on his adventures in growing a wide variety of tomatoes.

I

met and befriended Canadian science teacher Madis Tambre in 1978 when we both taught at Abaco Secondary School in Spring City, Abaco.

Almost 40 years later Madis and I are still friends and are both avid gardeners. Madis, who is of Estonian descent, loves the Bahamas and visits regularly. Most of our e-mails are taken up with reports of summer crops in Toronto and winter crops on Abaco.

Over the years Madis has sent me seeds for dozens of veggie varieties – especially tomatoes and peppers – that are unobtainable here.

I started an e-mail to Madis in the second week of January and the realisation hit me that what I was writing to Madis was pretty well what I needed to tell my Tribune readers. I hate doing things twice needlessly so what follows is both an email and an article, with personal references removed: Dear Madis, I picked my first Blue Beauty toma-

toes last week. The top half of each fruit was almost black and the lower half reddish-yellow, though one was almost completely black. If you stared trancelike into the blackness you could identify (imagine?) blue. The inside flesh was pink. The taste was unexceptional when judged by the highest expectations we apply to heirlooms and was improved by a sprinkle of salt.

Much more satisfactory was Berkeley Pink Tie-Dye that was pink with green stripes on the outside but had deep red wine flesh. Again, slightly disappointing in taste, but very colourful on the plate. The flesh turned mushy very quickly.

The cherry tomatoes Indigo Blue are up to full size but not yet ripe. Your goddaughter Serena made a tomato presentation with Tie-Dye, Jubilee (a yellow heirloom), and a red hybrid.

The first set of tomatoes ripened in early December and the star of the show was your Estonian Green. They grew larger than ever before and one cat-faced and turned into a doughnut shape, something I have never seen before. For several days all the tomatoes we ate were Estonian Greens.

The second set was mostly the nematode-resistant Celebrity, along with a few new varieties such as Neves Azorean Red, Goliath and the very promising Ananas Noire. Picked the first celebrity tomatoes today.

The third set was mostly Black Krim and Brandywine and they have a long way to go.

The fourth set of seeds was potted this evening – just a few of each to keep the lineage going. Most of them are varieties I have never grown before: Amish Orange, Hillbilly, Summer Choice (Hybrid), Black Sea Man, Delicious, Red Rose and Redfield Beauty.

Those that grow well and taste good will join my seed collection. There will be a fifth set in early March to carry me through June, the end of the season.

We live and learn. Mockingbirds were pecking my container tomatoes on the porch and I tried to get hold of a fairly fine-mesh net, to no avail.

In the end I draped the seven tomato plants with a trellis-type net with large 6” mesh. Amazingly, that did the job.

Even though the ripening tomatoes

An Estonian green tomato hardly appeared to be protected the birds kept clear. To test this further I draped my large bird pepper tree with four lengths of white string in tic-tactoe formation and the mockingbirds would not go near. With your science background you can probably tell me why birds are frightened of string.

I planted half a dozen Cubanelle seeds in October and none came up.

Same again in November. In frustration I planted the whole package and now have four seedlings. Bought a package of Anaheim seeds and decided I would not waste time and planted them all. I now have over 40 plants in three-inch pots looking for a home – I have nowhere to plant more than two or three because my pepper pots are taken up with Sweet Banana, Chinese Giant, Giant Red and, of course, my selection of hot peppers.

My early Italian parsley was embarrassing but once the winter solstice arrived it suddenly bushed out and became what I expected all along. Never noticed that before. Lost all my thyme.

It grew to the woody stem stage then died off. I think the problem was too much water. I had the thyme in an area where I also grew celery. By keeping the celery healthy I overwatered the thyme.

Valerie and I summered our strawberry plants in two large containers on the back porch, then potted a couple of dozen. Had several left over so I

put them in the ground with a good cushion of potting soil and compost to counteract the high pH soil, using Miracid as the main fertilizer. About a dozen strawberries a day at the moment but that number will pick up during February.

The passion fruit vines I trained into the guava and mango trees gave heavy returns all through autumn. I enjoy eating a freshly-dropped fruit – seeds and all – in the yard and also make passion fruit juice using a food mill. The juice is a lovely colour, like sunshine through honey. Daughter Melissa made a large passion fruit cheesecake for Christmas and it disappeared in no time.

I’ll be sending you heirloom seeds around Easter time. Until then, all the best.

– Jack.

Note: Readers may be unfamiliar with Abaco Secondary School. In the mid-1970s the senior classes at Dundas Town, Marsh Harbour and Spring City all-age schools were relocated to Spring City and the Ministry of Education gave the new institution its name. After a morning of stamping books with ASS (not very educationally inspiring), the teachers pleaded for a name change and the school became Abaco Central High School.

• For questions and comments e-mail j.hardy@coralwave.com.