Lynette Botha gets nostalgic about her journey with POTPOURRI
As I write this, it’s almost a year ago since I packed up my life in Cape Town, South Africa, and moved to Mahé. Following a media trip in 2011 that saw my other half and I fall in love with the Seychelles, a special piece of our hearts remained there when we boarded the flight back home.
This was the first time I picked up a copy of Potpourri and on returning home, I mailed Marie-France to ask if I could write for the magazine on a freelance basis – at that point I had been working for ELLE Magazine South Africa for five years. Since that day, I have been a contributor to the magazine almost monthly.
My husband and I returned to the Seychelles in 2013, with two babies under two and my father, for a holiday and to
THE DAILY SWIMS IN THE WARM, CLEAN SEAWATER WERE GOOD FOR MIND, BODY AND SOUL. THE POTPOURRI TEAM WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN ARMS.
suss out the place as our future home, as since we left, we just couldn’t stop thinking about the magical Indian Ocean islands. The five of us returned again in 2014, this time more serious than ever to make a life in Seychelles – and I was lucky enough to setup an interview with POTPOURRI, to secure permanent employment.
So near the end of 2015, we packed up our home, filled a few suitcases and moved to the paradisiacal Seychelles.
Life was full and happy and busy. My love for coconuts and banana chips grew every day. The daily swims in the warm, clean seawater were good for mind, body and soul. The POTPOURRI team welcomed me with open arms. And so began an amazing work and personal journey in the Seychelles. It wasn’t all sunsets and palm trees every day, no, but there is something so magical about the place that cannot be explained, it must be experienced firsthand to be understood.
Like with all good things, it had to come to an end; I am back home in Cape Town now – and while happy to be here, I miss my island paradise immensely and hope to return at some point.
It was an honour and a privilege working on POTPOURRI almost since its inception, and eventually, as part of the team.
I’d like to share the following Amy Poehler quote, which for me sums up my time in Seychelles, as well as Marie-France and Ineke’s journey with POTPOURRI, to this point…
“Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that – that’s what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself”
Au revoir POTPOURRI – and thank you!
Reduce, Reuse, RECYCLE
Tips for Seychelles
Anyone who has spent a little time overseas is probably dismayed at the apparent lack of waste sorting and recycling in Seychelles. It is true that we do not have the same recycling services but there are some good reasons for this. We produce a lot of waste per capita, but because our population is tiny, the total amounts are generally not enough to make export economically viable. The costs to ship waste to recycling markets overseas is high, and there is also the carbon footprint of transport and the recycling process to consider. Right now, metal is the only local waste material that is a real moneymaker; the others like PET, paper and glass all require subsidies to make them work. We always have to ask ourselves – is recycling this junk really the most ecologically responsible option? In the 3R’s of waste management REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLING, the first option: REDUCE is always the best option, and we can do this by buying only what we need, avoiding overpackaging and plastic bags, having a compost to remove organics out of the waste stream, etc.
REDUCE IS ALWAYS THE BEST OPTION, AND WE CAN DO THIS BY BUYING ONLY WHAT WE NEED, AVOIDING OVER-PACKAGING AND PLASTIC BAGS, HAVING A COMPOST TO REMOVE ORGANICS OUT OF THE WASTE STREAM, ETC.
Here are some up-to-date ideas of what you can do to practice the 3R’s at home, at school and even at work to help divert waste from our landfills.
ORGANIC WASTE: the best way to deal with leftover food is to feed it to your pet dog, cat or even tortoise. You could even give it to your neighbour! If you do not have any pets, or they are fussy eaters, you may want to try starting a compost heap with scrap food, grass clippings, leaves etc (IMPORTANT: to reduce rats, please cover your compost or bury meat/fish deeply underground).
WASTE OIL: if you fry a lot of food, you can save the used oil so that it can be converted to biodiesel which can replace diesel fuel in your car or truck. For more information, please contact 254-5515.
SCRAP PAPER/CARD BOARD: Navin’s Paper Recycling Centre (271-7170) produces egg trays, seed pots etc... You need to bring your
waste paper to Providence, but if you have large quantities they may collect it. Otherwise you can shred the paper and add it to your compost. You could also donate old magazines and cereal boxes to your local school or crèche.
USED CLOTHES: Clean used clothing can be dropped off at schools or churches for re-use as rags or craft materials (if very used), or for redistribution to families in need (if still in good shape). Red Cross Society (437-4543) also accepts donations of clothing and other items to help families who have lost their home to fire, etc.
ELECTRONIC WASTE: Have you considered selling or giving away your old computer or phone next time you upgrade to the latest model? Another option is to donate your electronic waste to Samlo & Sons (2516918) or Leevac Trading (251-2587) for export and recycling.
OLD BATTERIES: These are extremely toxic to the environment and need to be discarded correctly. Save all your batteries, from your watch, calculator and even your car. You can drop them off at Samlo & Sons (2516918), Leevac Trading (251-2587) or Surya Enterprise (251-1329) for export.
SEYCHELLES,
ALUMINIUM CANS: Like the PET bottles, these can be sold for 50 cents each at the same redeem centres. If this is too much trouble, you can sort them into a separate clear bag and place next to a public bin for someone else to take for the refund – they will get recycled! Large companies like hotels can contract someone to take away their cans for a small fee.
PET BOTTLES: These can be sold for 50 cents each at designated redeem centres at Providence, Anse Royale, St. Louis, Praslin and La Digue. If this is too much trouble, you can simply sort them into a separate clear bag and place next to a public bin for someone else to take for the refund – they will get recycled! Large companies like hotels can contract someone to take away their plastic bottles for refund.
SCRAP METAL: There are a number of scrap metal collectors who export waste for recycling. In most cases, you will need to bring your old tins, washing machine or even old cars to Providence, but if you have large quantities they may collect it. You might even get paid for your waste! For more information, you can contact Samlo & Sons (251-6918), Leevac Trading (251-2587) or Surya Enterprise (251-1329)
GLASS WASTE: You can redeem your Seybrew bottles for SR2 and DE Recycling (251-4892) takes back tomato sauce bottles for 40 cents. Your old jam jars can be reused for making pickles or as a candle holder during a power cut. If you have coloured glass, donate them to APANA (276-7181) for their artisanal glass recycling project. Sustainability for Seychelles, together with LWMA and STAR has set up a glass crushing/recycling project and the crushed glass can be used for decorative masonry work. For more information, please contact 251-9135.
USED CAR TYRES: Used car tyres can be traded by MEC (Pty) LTD (434-4912) at Le Rocher. Retreaded tyres are up to 40% cheaper than new ones. Or you can landscape your garden with tyre flower beds.
PUNCTURED INNER TUBES: Try to repair your inner tube rather than buying a new one. If that doesn’t work, then you can always donate the tube to Kaju Studio (258-3428) in Takamaka who can design a customised bag or purse to make your friends jealous.
Photo by Marsha Dine, School of Visual Arts. Dress design and creation by the fashion students of the School of Visual Arts, who have been working on a project focused on the issue of waste.
AS WASTEFUL AS IT GETS
Yacht & Crew
The Ferretti Altura 690 is capable of taking 12 guests on a day charter and 6 guest over night charter plus 2 crew. The two Ferretti offer charters from 2 hours up to one week. They also offer private transfers between islands, weddings, diving, fishing and bespoke island tours. Exclusive Yacht Services is one of the only Charter companies to offer such a high level of luxury and experiences. They tailor each trip to their client’s exact needs and requirements.
The Ferretti Altura 690 from Exclusive Yacht
Services
EYC have three yachts in their fleet:
Ferretti Altura 690
Ferretti 500 elite and Chris Craft 29 Catalina.
The Gadget World
with Elton Moustache (Director of Unified Technologies) sales@unifiedtechnologies.info
The LG G Flex is a sign of good things to come in the mobile industry. Even if there are other phones which share its curved display feature, the LG G flex stands out as the whole body of this curvaceous beauty is actually flexible.
A flexible phone! At first thought one might ask what is the actual benefit of such? But just like me there are many people who put their phones in their back pocket or leave it on their couch and accidently sit down. This can result in many busted screens of often expensive phones. Clearly the most interesting features of the LG G Flex are its curved chassis and ability to actually flex. The phone can withstand certain amount of pressure, allowing it to bend flat on a leveled surface and bounce right back to its original form - without damaging the screen!
LG G FLEX SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SMART PHONES ON INTELVISION
Despite its flexibility being its star feature, the phone doesn’t disappoint with other great features such as its impressive 6 inch screen, quad-core processor, 2GB Ram, Android 4.2 and 13MP camera. It also supports multitasking, with inbuilt dual windows allowing you to watch a YouTube video and chat on Facebook at the same time.
However, one somewhat overrated feature of the G Flex is the new material on its rear – one which LG claims is self-healing, enabling it to absorb small scratches and restoring the surface to its initial original smoothness. This phone doesn’t support memory card but comes with an awesome 32GB storage capacity- which is a respectable amount for your music, video and photos.
Its battery life is superb as it can hold up to 24 hours on one charge, with moderately heavy usage playing games and watching videos. Do you use your phone just for calls and messages? Then there’s no reason why it won’t hold up to two days.
If you love food, you will love it.
If you love dinner parties, you will love it. If you love ordinary people’s drama, you will love it.
As far as television entertainment goes, Come Dine With Me, has most of it. The format is pretty basic. Four or five amateur chefs come together to battle it out for a £1000 cash prize and title of ultimate dinner party host
by hosting a dinner party for the other contestants. At the end of each night, each competitor then rates the host’s performance on a scale of 10. Perhaps one of the best elements of the show is the comedy value added by comedian Dave Lamb, who provides a dry and “bitingly sarcastic” narration.
Catch it on BBC Lifestyle and BBC Entertainment channels.
An evening at the Boathouse
By Isabelle Houareau
Boathouse is one of those icons on Beau Vallon beach that seems to have been around for as long as most people remember. It has also been a particularly faithful dining option when we have visiting friends over from abroad – somewhere we know they will enjoy authentic creole food in a casual setting, and where they can happily sport their flips flops and sunburnt noses without feeling out of place.
That said, now having dined at Boathouse with the intention of writing a magazine review, I discovered much more behind the island-style facade many people visualise when they think of Boathouse.
SERVICE
Traditionally an all-male service team, it was a pleasure to meet the ever so charismatic assistant manager, Moïsette, who was kind enough to share with us some inside knowledge of her beloved place of work.
Certainly ranking amongst the top three restaurants in Seychelles for service with a smile, as far as speed is concerned Boathouse does have the advantage of being a buffet restaurant at night. Upon arrival, once you have made your beverage order you are invited to help yourself as many times as your appetite allows.
The boathouse service team consists of staff who have worked their way up from peeling garlic and chopping onions; they know the place and its operations like the back of their hand and they know what has gone into each dish.
“THE BOATHOUSE SERVICE TEAM CONSISTS OF STAFF WHO HAVE WORKED THEIR WAY UP FROM PEELING GARLIC AND CHOPPING ONIONS; THEY KNOW THE PLACE AND ITS OPERATIONS LIKE THE BACK OF THEIR HAND AND THEY KNOW WHAT HAS GONE INTO EACH DISH”.
FOOD
The buffet is served on the restaurant’s signature Pirogue, the traditional Seychelles oar-powered longboat, embellished daily with fresh local foliage from one of the kitchen team’s own garden. The menu is consistent and local: a selection of seasonal fresh and cooked vegetables, salads and chutneys with a choice of dressings, coconut curries, fritters, whole grilled fish and tuna steaks. Aside from a minimal number of hardto-come by ingredients which are imported, the menu truly reflects what is naturally available on the island.
The boathouse prides itself on using fresh coconuts despite the canned alternative now available locally. “The first thing you see as you walk into our [kitchen] store is a big pile of coconuts!” says Moïsette. “Whenever I am asked if there are any short-term vacancies, I say, ‘Sure, come grate some coconuts for us!’”
Moïsette, for the record, says she can grate 10 coconuts in 10 minutes.
As for dessert, given that I am a self-confessed chocaholic I am afraid Boathouse’s selection is not down my street for a meal out. On the other hand, if you are looking to enjoy our national sweets, Boathouse serves fine specimens of most of them: ladob, nougat, gato lafarinn mai - they are all there.
DECOR
Boathouse has a rather contemporary feel with its mixed furniture, intentionally mismatched table linen and eclectic mix of art, not forgetting its twig tree centre piece.
You could go as far as saying that its furniture tells a story; having started off with a sand floor and picnic tables and benches (currently stationed by the new cocktail bar), patrons now sit on locally crafted wooden chairs with cushions.
AMBIANCE
We felt relaxed and at home. We enjoyed seeing the chefs at work in their open plan kitchen.
NEW TWISTS
Though it was strictly an evening buffet option for a number of years, Boathouse now is also open for a la carte lunch and cocktails during the day. We were also told of an interesting development on the horizon: breakfast as of 7am, a soon-to-open Italian deli on the ground floor, and an Asian fusion restaurant on the top floor. Watch this space!
6 Christmas
Classy Act
You are sensible and yet an element of fun is portrayed in this combination.
Sophisticated Fun
Expect a spring in your step in those shoes and THAT dress. Every other girl in the room will be checking you out from the corners of their
Head Turner
Yes, the whispers will be all about you. Expect them when you step out in this Little Mistress number!
A concentrate of pure shimmering pigments, these powders attract sparkling light and instantly illuminate eyes with incredibly intense, unprecedented color.
• Instantly add sparkle and illuminate the eyes
• Loose powder packaged in jar
• Sprinkle Pearl Powder over eyeshadow to intensify color and radiance
These eyeshadows are must-haves in your make-up bag this Christmas. They will add that extra glitter to make this holiday that little bit brighter!
Available at the Gift Shop, SR205 each.
http://www.blackupcosmetics.com/pearl-powder.html
FACEBOOK Beauties
Name: Suzanne Verlaque
Occupation: Photographer
In my bag, you’ll always find: “My Loreal foundation N4 Beige!”
I can never say no to: “ ‘Dior Poison’ perfume”
To me, beauty is... “simplicity. A little goes a long way.”
Name: Shana N Victor
Occupation: Director
In my bag, you’ll always find: “My ‘Lancome’ lipstick of course”
I can never say no to: “ ‘Dolce Vita’ perfume”
To me, Beauty …”gets the attention but personality captures the heart!” Sponsored by:
Un certain regard… !
NOUS NE POUVONS PAS EMPÊCHER L’INFLUENCE DE LA SOCIÉTÉ NUMÉRIQUE ET CELLE DE LA CONSOMMATION. MAIS
NOUS DEVONS AUSSI PROPOSER
AUTRE CHOSE… ! LEUR DONNER
L’ENVIE D’ÊTRE SEYCHELLOIS,
DE RECONNAITRE LEURS
RACINES, LEUR CULTURE ; CAR
LA CULTURE TANT MUSICALE
QUE CULINAIRE OU SOCIÉTALE
D’UNE MANIÈRE GÉNÉRALE
GAGNERAIT À ÊTRE PRÉSERVÉE ET TRANSMISE.
En mars 2013, nous étions, mon épouse et moi, de retour aux Seychelles. En effet je fais partie des seychellois en diaspora depuis de nombreuses années. Lors de notre séjour, en plus de notre mission de formation auprès du personnel du « Village du Président », nous avons pu côtoyer un certain nombre de jeunes. De plus, nous habitions dans notre maison de famille à Cascade ce qui nous facilitait les rencontres.
Ce séjour nous a permis de nous forger une certaine idée de la jeunesse seychelloise. Tout d’abord, nous devons veiller, nous les adultes, à porter un regard neuf et positif sur cette jeunesse. Nous devons avoir une parole qui permet d’introduire ou de réhabiliter l’espérance. Nous devons faire attention a ne pas perdre ce LIEN qui nous lie à elle. Car la découverte de soi ne peut se faire que si l’autre, le jeune, l’adulte, en face de moi, me reconnaît et me respecte pour ce que je suis.
En effet, aussi bien que dans nos rencontres avec les jeunes placés au « Village du Président », que dans nos rencontres avec les jeunes d’une manière générale, nous avons eu le sentiment que ce relationnel, ce LIEN, existe encore, mais il nous a paru fragile, et ce malgré les différents dispositifs déployés comme, notamment, le NYC ou diverses actions en direction des jeunes.
Nous ne devons pas oublier, comme disait Khalil GIBRAN : « Vos enfants ne sont pas vos enfants. Ils sont les fils et filles de l’appel de la vie à elle-même… » (Le Prophète).
Nous ne pouvons pas empêcher l’influence de la société numérique et celle de la consommation. Mais nous devons aussi proposer autre chose… ! Leur donner l’envie d’être seychellois, de reconnaitre leurs racines, leur culture ; car la culture tant musicale que culinaire ou sociétale d’une manière générale gagnerait à être préservée et transmise.
Nous devons pouvoir apporter à cette jeunesse une réponse qui donne du SENS à ce « vivre avec ». Nous devons pouvoir leur apporter ce qui leur permettra de faire « le choix des Seychelles », et ce tant au niveau de la société civile qu’au niveau des choix politiques.
A partir de là où je suis, je constate que mon pays, les Seychelles, a effectivement, tout d’un grand, comme dirait une publicité pour une marque de voiture ! Il a la capacité de se hisser au niveau des « grands » de ce monde par sa vision éthique et ses choix politiques. D’un autre côté, il doit pouvoir faire des choix qui permettent de préserver et protéger sa jeunesse d’une dérive qui parfois pourrait paraître inéluctable !
Frank UNDERWOOD. franck.underwood@wanadoo.fr
To share between 2 or 3, depending on your appetite!
INGREDIENTS
1 germinated coconut
150g sugar
500g cream
4 egg whites
4 gelatine sheets
50ml water
THE COCONUT MIXTURE
Find yourself a germinated coconut& carefully break the shell so that you can use it later to serve your mousse in.
Blend your germinated coconut and 100ml cream in a blender until creamy. Place in fridge. Whip the remaining cream in a separate bowl and also leave to chill in the fridge.
The Meringue Mixture
Bring your sugar and water gently to the boil to produce a runny, transparent syrup. Be careful not to allow your mixture to caramelize. Set aside to cool at room temperature.
Whip your egg whites until fluffy. Add in the sugar syrup and whisk until peaks form. Set aside.
MEANWHILE…
Soak the gelatin in water & heat until the gelatin has dissolved.
When it all comes together: Remove your coconut mixture and cream from the fridge and pour the coconut mixture into the cream. Add in the meringue mixture and finally the gelatin – mix it altogether with a wooden or plastic spoon.
Top tip: Using a metal spoon will cause your meringue mixture to lose its fluffy consistency! Allow to set in the fridge for about an hour or 2.
TO SERVE:
Using a sheet of baking paper rolled into a cone shape, pipe the coco germe mousse into the coconut shell.
Garnish with the coconut shoot and a sprinkle of ground coffee.
This month, La Plaine St. André is mixing it up with a quirky dessert to impress! Our Coco Germe Mousse goes perfectly with Takamaka Bay’s classy Sidecar of the Seychelles.
And if a glass of wine is in order, Archipelago Wine & Spirits suggests Casillerodel Diablo’s Sparkling Chardonnay, all the way from Chile.
Top 5 rental releases
(sponsored by GR Video Rental)
White House Down starring Channing Tatum, and Jamie Foxx
Olympus Has Fallen starring Morgan Freeman, and Gerard Butler
Iron Man 3
starring Robert Downey Jr, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Guy Pearce
Third installations are hard to pull off, even at the best of times, so it’s no surprise that when the release of Iron Man 3 was announced, it met less enthusiasm than you would find in a Dental Clinic, on a Monday afternoon. Nonetheless, we all flocked to cinemas to see if Tony Stark, and his sultry ladyfriend, could once again save the world, looking great in the process. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I was pleasantly surprised. Amazing visuals, and more one-liners than you can shake a ray gun at, make the end of this trilogy as enjoyable as the start.
Film of the month
2 Guns – Starring Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg. Dir. Baltasar Kormakur
Anybody who has seen Training Day, American Gangster, or Man on Fire, will vouch for the fact that Denzel Washington is not only a great actor, but possibly the only human being that could make a raging Godzilla flee back into the sewers like a newt. Sure, he seems to always play the baddest man on the planet, whether it’s a crooked cop, a washed-up bodyguard, or a drug-slinging kingpin, but really, that’s for the simple reason that he does it better than anyone else.
Then you’ve got Mark Wahlberg. He might’ve been a member of one of the worst-dressed boy bands of all time, and the poster boy for Calvin Klein underwear before he broke onto the big screen, and stared shooting up members of every species in the known universe, but no one can deny the fact that when Marky Mark shoots stuff, he does it with style. A special one-of-a-kind style, but style nonetheless.
The Call starring Halle Berry
Snitch
starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and Susan Sarandon
This
time, 10 years ago... Outkast
Show me a person under the age of 30 who hasn’t shaken it like a Polaroid picture in the middle of Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’, and you’ll have shown me someone who’s been living with a pack of wolves in Siberia for the past 10 years. Let’s not forget the groove-driven 2nd single ‘I Like The Way You Move,’ and the timeless anti-ballad, ‘Roses’. Big Boi, and Andre 3000, carved a place in all our hearts when they dropped this classic, and we felt alright paying for it, knowing we were getting 2 albums for the price of one. The only thing that I don’t love about this album is that I can’t listen to it all day, every day. If you can, I suggest you do. Thank me later.
Finally, the plot of 2 Guns, combined with the tour de force that is Markzel Washingberg (see what I did there?), only results in a film that everybody needs to see; two highly trained government agents are made to go on the run after a sting operation on a drug cartel in South America goes awry. As if that’s not enough, just when the action is at a point where you think you’re going to have to start visiting the gym more often, we find out that neither of the powerhouse lead actors knows that the other is actually an undercover agent.
If you’re still not convinced, I’ll add simply that this movie has both unfathomable chase sequences, and more bullets than the state of Texas.
I suggest you take a seatbelt to the cinema, folks.
If that’s not your thing: Pick up tickets to see the futuristic superthriller Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.
Gilbert
MEET9OF SEYCHELLES’ BACHELORS
A few months ago we asked our facebook fans to nominate some bachelors for a feature we wanted to work on. We were unsure at the time what the response would be. We were completely blown away when our inbox become flooded with nominations. Aside from these 9 gentlemen you will come across in the next few pages, there are many more who were nominated but due to the fact that either they were no longer ‘bachelors’ or they simply declined to take part, we could not feature them. We would like to thank these gentlemen for sharing their humorous side with us and taking part in this feature. Enjoy ladies!
Alvine, Mario Marie
22 years old Law Student
3 words my friends would use to describe me: ‘Easy-going, confident and considerate.’
In my downtime, I like to… ‘Hang out with my friends or listen to music.’
The perfect date would be… ‘Romantic candle lit homecooked dinner followed by a movie. Just me and her cuddling up, enjoying the movie with some ice cream.’
3 qualities an ideal girlfriend should have… ‘Easy-going, smart and compassionate.’
My celebrity crush… ‘Rihanna’
What’s your relationship breaker? ‘Unfaithfulness. Once she cheats on me, we can never go back to the way things were before.’
How many texts in one day would be over the top for you? ‘20 is a lot, but if I’m enjoying our chat I won’t mind.’
To me, the most unattractive thing about a girl is… ‘Vanity - I don’t like girls who are shallow and are only motivated by self-interests.’
The one chick flick I secretly like is … ‘Titanic.’
If I was confined on desert island, the one non-essential item I would bring is… ‘A guitar, music is one of the best forms of distraction.’
Basile Samy
18 years old with 29 years of experience
Musician, Producer, DJ & I.T Technician
3 words my friends would use to describe me: ‘Kind, loving and understanding’
In my downtime, I like to… ‘surf the net and socialise with my friends’
The perfect date would be: ‘A beautiful day, with someone you really care about and love’
3 qualities an ideal girlfriend should have: ‘I have more than 3; a good personality, someone who loves you back, she respects you, she makes you want to be a better man, she’s sexual…As for beauty, well, that’s in the eye of the beholder.’
My celebrity crush… ‘J-Lo’
What’s your relationship breaker? ‘She lies, she cheats, she disappears without telling you, she doesn’t back you up and she criticizes you.’
How many texts in one day would be over the top for you: ‘2 or 3 is fine by me’
To me, the most unattractive thing about a girl is…’Bad personality, dramatic, heavy makeup, dresses that are extremely slutty and cannot dance.’
The one chick flick I secretly like is: ‘Seychelloise’ (he laughs) If I was confined on a desert island, the one non-essential item I would bring is…’my laptop or PC.’
Top 5 rental releases
The Butler starring Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey
Directed by Lee Daniels (Precious, The Paperboy), The Butler reveals the untold story of Cecil Gaines (played by Forest Whitaker), the butler who served eight American presidents during his tenure at the White House. We watch as Gaines is transformed by the events which unfold around him, from the Civil Rights Movement to the Vietnam War, and although the direction of the film could be better, a stellar lead performance and interesting subject matter make it enjoyable to sit through.
(sponsored by GR Video Rental)
Film of the month
The Wind Rises – Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elijah Wood Dir. Hayao Mayazaki
Studio Ghibli has been at the helm of animated cinema ever since Disney stopped making meaningful films. Founded and based in Japan, the production house has some of the worlds best-ever releases under its belt and although it isn’t nearly as well know as it’s giant American cousin, there is no denying the fact that when it comes to making films that move an audience of people other than seven year olds, Studio Ghibli has the edge.
The Wind Rises is the latest film to be released by Giblhi and it is company founder Hayao Mayazaki’s last project as director.
In that regard the subject matter is quite fitting. Jiro Horikoshi, a Japanese boy who wants to become a pilot has his dreams quashed when he discovers that he’s short-sighted. Nonetheless, he goes on to become one of the most groundbreaking aeroplane designers in the world after he joins a Japanese engineering company in the late 1920s.
In true Mayazaki fashion, the insight into Jiro’s life is subtly used to highlight the events that take place in Japan during the same time period, enabling the audience to see how certain historical happenings shaped the future of the Japanese people, so if you think that because it’s an animated film, ‘The Wind Rises’ is just for kids, you’re wrong. This movie is as emotionally gripping and informative as any feature you’ll have seen in the past year, no matter how old you are.
No one makes films quite like Studio Ghibli.
If that’s not your thing: Be sure to watch the side-splitting cop comedy ‘Ride Along’, starring Kevin Hart
Runner Runner starring Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck
Don Jon starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Scarlett Johansson
Charlie Countryman starring Shia LaBeouf and Mads Mikkelsen
Blue Jasmine starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin
It can be argued that ballet pumps are one of the most popular styles of women’s shoes (thanks to Kate Moss who wore hers with skinny jeans and caused the heart of the fashion world to stop beating for a minute). Over the years, designers have gone to town with the pumps. We have seen its evolution from basic (seamless vamp, without laces, buckles, straps or ties), to an array of elaborate styles.
It would be fair to assume every woman and girl has at least a pair of ballet pumps. They are after all, rather fantastic and they tick adequate boxes; i.e. comfort, quick to slip on and off, versatile (i.e. can be worn to run errands at the local supermarket to dropping the kids at school to dinner at La Scala).
In our November issue we look at ballet pumps and what is available on the market locally.
Note:
As you are breaking into your new pumps, make sure you have some plasters with you in case blisters pop up!
Dud’s Shoe Cavern | OJ Mall
Dud’s Shoe Cavern | OJ Mall
Rodyanne’s Fashion | Victoria House
Angela’s Fashion OJ Mall
Turia’s Fashion | OJ Mall
Pretty Fit | Orion Mall
Pretty Fit | Orion Mall
Tres Jolie Boutique | Unity House
Tres Jolie Boutique | Unity House
Real Resolutions
There’s more to resolutions than ticking achievements off a list, says Sarah Lang
Jingle bells, mince pies and Christmas pudding… December really is my favourite time of the year. I love the full-blown elaborate Christmas dinner, I decorate two trees and cannot wait to add more and have a forest of Christmas trees… I start eating mince pies as soon as they hit the shops – I even get people to post them to me from the UK. As a result, I vow to lose weight before December so I can eat as much as I want during the festive season. I start planning my Christmas shopping months in advance and I spend hours thinking about what my new year’s resolutions will be.
It’s easy to come up with a very admirable list of super zen and trendy resolutions but how many of us can actually stick to them? A few glasses of mulled wine later and I have vowed to become the world’s healthiest, fittest, most crafty (by crafty, I mean home arts and crafts, not sneaky!) woman known to mankind!
The more I think about it, the more I believe that actually the point of resolutions isn’t to stick to them to the letter, 100 per cent, with no deviation. Rather, I think the act of sitting down – alone and at peace with yourself, or as I prefer, with the family where we share our resolutions, and deciding on what areas of your life could be improved, what goals you want to work towards and what the broader picture of where you’re going is, is what’s important.
Actually stopping the running about, putting
down your phone and giving WhatsApp and Instagram a break, removing all the distractions of life… focusing on you and your family and your life. That’s what matters about resolutions.
Sitting down and taking a moment (or three) to think about your life, to evaluate what you have achieved over the year, to gauge what could have been done better and to pride yourself on times you did more than you would have thought possible – that’s what resolutions are for. Because then you can build on it and discuss or at least mentally consider the aspirations you have, the goals that have not yet been achieved and the improvements you can make to yourself, your relationships and your work.
Resolutions give us a way to bid farewell to the year that has past, in all its glory and with its failures, and to welcome in the new year that should be filled with hope and possibilities. Personally, 2014 is to-date my best year, but 2015 has been pretty darn good too. I have not pushed the boat in the same way I did in 2014 but I have still achieved things I wanted to achieve. I have made the effort to start allocating more time to my family rather than putting academic achievements before all else. I have started the necessary foundation for the dreams I have, so I feel like I am working my way towards them one step at a time. But what does 2016 have in store? It is the chance to write a new chapter. 365 days that I get to ruin or perfect; however I may choose. 52 weeks of possibilities…
I am sure my list of resolutions will once again state something along the lines of: lose 10kg; take better care of yourself; go to yoga twice a week; become more organised and in control of your life (and mail); act like more of a grown up; and some career aspiration or other. But I’ve been working to lose that 10kg for 7 years now… its not going anywhere!! I love yoga but I struggle to make it twice a week. I honestly don’t think I will ever be as much of a grown up as I should be! Nevertheless, that is not the point. The point is that I shall think about how I need to make healthier choices (whether they result in weight loss or not), I will talk to my husband about being a better mother and wife, I will tell my mum how much I love her and that I admire everything she does (and has done) for me and that one day I hope to be half the woman she is, I will remind my sister to enjoy being young before she has to start acting like a grown up, and I will savour and cherish every moment with my son.
I will simply aspire to be a better person, a better version of myself and to improve on that with each year that passes.
I could be more zen and inspiring with my resolutions, but it’s about being true to yourself and going through the process of self-evaluation that enables that honesty…. So enjoy those mince pices and the stuffing, marvel at every gift you give and receive over the festive season, sing carols as loud as you can… and make sure you give the year the send off it deserves before you embark on your new adventure – the journey of 2016!
Easy Listening
Our new ‘what’s hot’ on the music scene column with Paradise FM’s DJ Ezy D
Jean Marc Volcy – En Leokri
Its been a couple of years since the last time we heard from the already certified Seychelles Sega Legend. Alas he is back with En Leokri’ in his typical Jean Marc fashion. The album is exactly what Jean Marc is and has been known for all his life, Real Sega beats and rhythm with catchy almost subliminal lyrics to describe emotions and sentiments. The 12-track album is full of colours and is sure to feature in most parties during the year. The perfect gift for relatives and friends overseas. I caught up with Jean Marc for a radio interview a few weeks ago and he told me the reason he takes a while to release an album is because he likes to really take his time to work on every single song which is a true testament to his craft. When asked about any impending live solo concert he smiled and said there are plans but its just plans for now due to the financial demands for such venture. The song to watch is track 12, Roul Ponm Damour or track 2, Met Delo depending on your moods, no surprise that both are currently Local Radio favourites.
Champion – Yard Flow 3.0
Carrying on from his Yard Flow series, Champion drops Yard Flow 3.0. This 21-Track almost mixtape style album is original to what we have come to expect from Champion. Great lyrics on good beats to almost certainly catch the attention of the youths and music enthusiast alike. Dancehall Mad Champion has come quiet a long way from his first album, some critics might even say he has somewhat gone commercial, however, I for one will defend that. Champion has matured in lyrics, stepped away from the raw somewhat explicit lyrics to a well balanced complete album. Yard Flow 3.0 just like Yard Flow 2.0 is a piece of work that can be listened and enjoyed by the whole family at home or in the car with various genres even Sega and with collaboration in terms of female vocal heavyweight Jany De Letourdie. Champion is sure adding to his fan base with such a diverse album. With the success of his ‘road block’ first Concert at Tequila Boom earlier this year, already under his belt, Champion confirmed another Live Concert soon, however the date remains a mystery for now. I reckon the one to watch on the album is track 2 , In Toultan Ou , However track 6, Dancehall Mode is one the most popular in the Nightclubs and the local party scene. A #Hype Thumbs Up for Champion for this one.
Celebrity cat-fights
Madonna BBC Radio 1 Banned?
After failing to play Madonna’s “Living For Love,” supporters of the 56-yearold iconic crooner think that she was disqualified from BBC’s playlist because of her age!
According to report, although the single “Living For Love,” was requested frequently on BBC 1, they transferred Madonna’s BBC Radio 1 song to BBC Radio 2 where they were playing demos of singers of ages 35 and up. Ouch!
Drake Disses Kanye West Lyrics
In an interview for Rolling Stone in February — Drake not only dissed Macklemore’s, but also said that Kanye West’s lyrical prowess on Album Yeezus was sketchy. Drake didn’t stop there, and went on to say that some of the bars were so horrible that other rappers wouldn’t even have used the same lyrics! Meow…
Not one to back down Kanye replies on this new release, All Day. Hip Hop fans get the popcorn ready, we could be in for a fun summer.
Paradise FM
Top 10 Local Songs
1. Roul Ponm Damour – Jean Marc Volcy
2. Zanmi Zis En Letan – Higness ft RilThing
3. Belive Dan Love – Mercenary
4. Toultan Ou – Champion
5. Lavi Martiy – Smash Kid
6. Pa Oubliy Nou Lanmour – Danielo ft Taniah
7. Met Delo – Jean Marc Volcy
8. PaySlip – Marathon Man
9. Regard Sa Zetwal – Telsy
10. Carnaval Dan Victoria – Telsy
Top 5 Hits: In the clubs
1. Ayo – Chris Brown feat Tyga
2. Mercenary – Roula
3. Dancehall Mode – Champion
4. Di Baddest – Mad Cobra
5. Shekini – P Square
ECO-CARS…
Is there such a thing?
Ideally, in a more sustainable world, all of us would be walking, riding our bicycles, paddling kayaks and taking the bus to get around instead of driving cars. Cars cause pollution and contribute about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. They also take up a lot of space on the planet in terms of area set aside for roads, for car manufacturing factories, for oil extraction and for the refineries that produce the fuel most cars require.
But many of us have a car, and for good reason – cars are comfortable, convenient and an efficient way to get from A to B. So the question remains - is it possible to own a car and be eco-friendly?
Alternatives to cars are always better, but…
If you really need or want a car you can consider the following points:
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
Cars with small engines use a lot less fuel than large cars (and you also pay a reduced road tax). Many small cars are designed to be quite fuelefficient as well. If you are single and need motorized transport you might even consider just getting a moped or motorcycle (and invest in a good raincoat) instead of a car.
HYBRID CARS
Many car manufacturers produce one or more models of hybrid cars. A hybrid car runs on fuel and on electric batteries – it has a small gasoline engine as well as an electric motor, which also functions as a generator to charge up the batteries. It depends on the model, but hybrid cars tend to use about 30% less fuel (and therefore produce 30% fewer greenhouse gas emissions) than their gasoline counterparts. However, large hybrid cars can use more fuel than smaller gasoline cars, so buying a large hybrid car defeats the intended purpose of helping the environment. Several car companies in Seychelles already import hybrids upon order, and other companies are seriously considering it. Besides the environmental advantages of a hybrid – the trades tax is also less than standard cars, at only 15%.
ELECTRIC CARS
Electric cars run on an electric motor, powered by a battery that is usually charged up at home overnight. These cars are most eco-friendly if the battery is being charged up with electricity from renewable energy sources, like solar or wind. If you are charging the battery by plugging the car into PUC, it is drawing on electricity produced mainly by the PUC generators burning fossil fuels and producing greenhouse gas emissions. Electric car motors tend to be quite efficient though, so even if charged up using non-renewable energy, they produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than standard gasoline cars. The great news is that a couple of companies in Seychelles are now importing electric cars - PMC is selling the Mahindra e2o and the Nissan Leaf, and E-Cars is selling the GEM, Mega-Aixam and Goupil. The price for the smaller models is under SR300,000 – not too bad! Depending on the model and the terrain, electric cars can get about 100km per charge, which is perfect for most people living and working in Seychelles. And the duty on electric cars has just been reduced to only 5%. It’s worth checking out!
For more information about eco-cars try the following websites: http://www.greencarreports.com http://www.greenercars.org http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/GVGPublicUI/Home.aspx http://mahindrareva.com/ http://www.nissan.co.za/en-ZA/Vehicles/Leaf.aspx www.ecarseychelles.com
Contributed by 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.
What’s in a stocking?
Stockings and Christmas go hand-in-hand… well, in the rest of the world they do… here Marie-France Watson shares with us their special appeal
THE INTERNET OFFERS US A VARIATION OF THEORIES AS TO HOW STOCKINGS CAME ABOUT, BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS REMAIN CONSTANT, THERE WERE SOCKS INVOLVED AND THEY WERE FILLED UP.
I was 27 years old when my affair with Christmas stockings began. It was my first trip to the US and I was meeting my boyfriend’s family for the first time. In his mother’s living room, in the midst of a number of stockings, was one that caught my attention. It was burgundy red and at the top, and in silver glitter text, was my name. I can still recall the warmth that filled my heart at that precise moment; not only was it a thoughtful welcoming gesture, but it instantly brought the kid in me to life. It was going to be a great Christmas.
I have since then wondered why it is that the concept of stockings never took off in Seychelles? Historical inferences aside, it is such a practical approach to giving presents. The internet offers us a variation of theories as to how stockings came about, but a couple of things remain constant, there were socks involved and they were filled up. Christmas cards tell us that stockings are large socks hung close to the fireside, possibly on Christmas eve, and Santa comes down from the chimney (dragging some snow in with him) and fills them up with candy. This image certainly doesn’t help in getting remote island folks to develop any fondness for the idea, since we have no snow (and hence
no chimney), and Santa, well, that’s another story – not to mention the idea of filling up a large sock with sweets does not do any service to gums and teeth of little ones. So, what are we missing?
As I found out the year a stocking was put up for me, the way the world goes about stockings has evolved from the early days. While it’s an ‘each to his own’ approach when it comes to Christmas and gifts and where the bearded man in the red suit fits into all of it, stockings are a great medium to give someone presents that perhaps are not befitting for placement under the tree. Stationery and DVDs for kids, razor blades and pocket mirrors for men (please, you are more vain than us!), lip-gloss and mini diaries for women – these are some ideas of what can go into stockings.
To get a stocking tradition going here in Seychelles, we have teamed up with Chanterelle to have a stocking within each POTPOURRI magazine this December. If you’re one who celebrates Christmas, be it with or without the religious aspect, you simply cannot overlook the added festive feel and look that stockings contribute to a room. On the next page, we have some ideas of how to fill your stockings up!
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT STOCKING STUFFERS
1. Don’t overlook ‘what’ the person is: A student? A mother? A big brother?
2. Pay attention to the person’s interests: Do they travel a lot? Do they like to read?
3. …and preferences: Is pink their favorite colour?
4. There is no budget limit: There’s YOUR budget limit but not a universal one – if you can afford to throw some diamond earrings in there? Go on!
5. Compliment a ‘bigger’ gift: Think bookmarks for books.
Traditionally, stocking stuffers have been smaller gifts which either complimented the ones under the tree or were not deemed significant enough for some space under the tree. Traditionally here is the key word. The times have changed and stocking presents have become just as important as the others. This Christmas, we have teamed up with Chanterelle to get some ideas on what kind of gifts can go in our new stockings!
Gifts for girls
1.Noisy World Book | 2.Giraffe Rattle | 3.My First Numbers Book | 4.Digital bookmark | 5.Stamp set | 6.Eddy the Elephant book | 7.Soft toy | 8.Bedtime stories | 9.My first colours | 10.Little Miss books
Gifts for mums
1.Sewing kit | 2.Notebook | 3.Cooler Bag | 4.Purse | 5.Reading glasses 6.A Mother’s Love collection of stories | 7.Pocket mirror | 8.Thank you card 9.Fridge magnet
Gifts for teenage girl
1.Notebook | 2.Creative
Gifts for boys
1.Mr Cool book | 2.Transport Stamp Set | 3.Lenny the Leopard | 4.Bedtime Stories | 5.Digital bookmark | 6.Teething book | 7.Hand puppet 8.Numbers book | 9.Mr Funny book
Gifts for dads
1.A James Patterson novel | 2.Special Dad pocket book | 3.Notepad with pen & calculator | 4.3-piece bottle opener set | 5.Reading glasses 6.Bullet beer glass | 7.Hip Flask | 8.Beer opener
Gifts for teenage boy
Le combat pour le droit des femmes
Il y a tout juste 40 ans en France, le 17 janvier 1975, la loi Veil légalisant l’interruption volontaire de grossesse était promulguée. Jusque-là, avorter pour une raison non médicale était un délit passible de prison. Ce combat pour le droit à l’avortement a été celui d’une femme, Simone Veil, ministre de la santé sous le gouvernement de Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. Elle était soutenue à l’époque par les personnalités françaises telles que la philosophe Simone de Beauvoir, l’écrivain Françoise Sagan, l’avocate Gisèle Halimi, les actrices Jeanne Moreau et Catherine Deneuve et d’autres signataires du manifeste « des 343 salopes », ainsi que l’avait surnommé le journal Charlie Hebdo.
Le droit à l’avortement, et par là-même, le droit de disposer de son corps est un acquis de la révolution féministe qui a considérablement contribué à libérer les femmes dans les sociétés démocratiques. Cette révolution féministe est un long combat qui a traversé les siècles : elle prend ses racines dans le Siècle des Lumières et émerge lors de la Révolution française : de nombreuses femmes marchent sur Versailles pour ramener Louis XVI à Paris, participent à la prise de la Bastille et Olympes de Gouges rédige La Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne en 1791. La première vague de cette révolution, de la fin du XIXème siècle à 1945 s’attache aux réformes institutionnelles (droit à l’éducation, au travail, au divorce, droit de vote, droit à la maîtrise de leurs biens) : la juridiction des femmes évolue et peu à peu elles ne sont plus des éternelles mineures qui dépendent de leur époux, de leur père ou encore de leur frère.
A la fin des années 1960, la deuxième vague féministe dénonce la domination masculine dans la sphère privée et s’attache à libérer le corps des femmes de cette domination. Cette période charnière, qui s’accompagne d’une forte féminisation du travail, a contribué à bousculer les mentalités et a conduit aujourd’hui les femmes à la tête du pouvoir dans divers secteurs. Pourtant, et en dépit des progrès
indéniables, le combat féministe connaît des écueils : la révolution féministe dans son expression radicale a exclu la masculinité et force est de constater que le sexisme, le machisme et les inégalités entre les hommes et les femmes ont la peau dure, notamment en terme d’écart de salaires, qui constitue un « plafond de verre ». Dans les banlieues, le quotidien des femmes n’est guère à envier, entre les humiliations, les viols (les « tournantes »), les excisions et les mariages forcés, ainsi que le rappelle le combat de l’association « Ni putes ni soumises », fondée en 2003 par Fadela Amara, ancienne Secrétaire d’Etat chargée de la Politique de la Ville sous le gouvernement de Nicolas Sarkozy.
A l’heure où nous célébrons la Journée Internationale de la Femme, le combat pour le droit des femmes prend tout son sens dans les pays du Sud. L’actualité déferle chaque jour de mauvaises nouvelles : faibles taux de scolarisation des petites filles, violences conjugales et viols collectifs de nombreuses femmes. L’ONU, mais aussi des ONG et des associations se mobilisent sur place, comme l’association « Toutes à l’école », fondée par la rédactrice en chef du journal MarieClaire, Tina Kieffer, qui aide à la scolarisation des petites filles au Cambodge. L’attribution du prix Nobel de la paix à Malala Yousafzai, rescapée d’un attentat lié à son combat pour le droit à l’éducation, rappelle que le respect des droits des femmes passe avant tout par l’éducation. Des voix se font de plus en plus entendre : en Inde, et précisément à New Delhi, l’affaire du viol collectif d’une jeune étudiante décédée des suites de ses blessures a eu un retentissement international mais aussi national. Pour la première fois, les Indiens, sexes confondus, de la classe moyenne surtout, se sont mobilisés et ont manifesté contre les violences faites aux femmes dans leur pays. Ce changement de l’état d’esprit d’une société entière ne peut se faire que sur un temps long, d’où l’importance du travail des institutions qui oeuvrent pour la condition des femmes.
Passionnée de littérature et de cinéma, Marie Welsch est responsable culturelle à l’Alliance française des Seychelles depuis maintenant un an. Originaire de la Réunion et ayant mené des études de lettres modernes et de sciences politiques à Aix-en Provence, elle s’intéresse à l’indianité et à l’identité créole des îles de l’Océan Indien et espère plus tard en faire l’objet d’une thèse.
Album of the month
Herbie Hancock – Headhunters
It’s 1973. You’re 30 years old and in the prime of life. Money comes in easy and goes out easier. The night scene is defined by polished shoes shuffling on wooden floorboards and high-ball scotch and sodas. Live bands turn out tune after tune, each one leaking onto cigarette-littered city streets where crowds of 20 somethings, fresh from the suburbs, line up along cheap, faux velvet ropes. Skirts sway in time with the horn section. After midnight, the men let their pomade hairdos unfurl and swing over their eyes and when the drums move, their heads move.
You’re tapping your foot, sitting at a table for two and watching the ritual form a life of it’s own as individuals casually slide onto each other and form one big, vibrating mass. The band keeps playing. They own the night. They own the crowd.
African rhythms pour onto the dance floor, accentuated by tight horn riffs and piano chords that are so warm they make the default setting in the room ‘Sweat’. The bass line creeps perpetually. Everybody knows the song: ‘Chameleon’ by Herbie Hancock and his Headhunters. Everybody knows Herbie and each of his Headhunters by name. First and last. The girls crush on them, arguing in the restroom about which one is sexiest.
The album came out the week before and had changed everything. Jazz and Soul and Funk, only played like nothing anyone had ever heard. One critic wrote that it was ‘...too groovy’.
Over 40 years later, all you need to return to that club is a copy of the album.
Only one question remains; Are you ready for time travel?
If that’s not your thing: Listen to ‘Little Red’ by UK Electronica/Dub singer Katy B
This time, 10 years ago...
Usher – Confessions
I don’t think anybody was prepared for Usher’s fourth studio album. The previous 3 had sold well, each doing better than the last and, to be fair to Mr Raymond, deservedly so. By the time Confessions was released, Usher was already a big name throughout America and in most parts of Europe. He bought something new to the table. A timid, yet fiery kind of R’n’B that fans had expecting from countless artists before him, who never really delivered.
It wasn’t until Confessions came out that he truly perfected and delivered his signature sound, incorporating elements of Soul and Hip Hop into his crooner-type R’n’B songs. Listeners clearly liked it, as it sold 8 million copies in 10 months and was hailed by critics as Ushers defining contribution. I think it’s the realest thing he ever wrote.
Remember ‘Burn’? Of course you do.
March’s Book Highlight
Tess Gerritsen – Last to Die
OH...MY...GOSH! I want it put on record: Gerritsen is a GENIUS! If someone had tried to take this book away from me while I was reading it, I would have torn the pages as it was ripped from my hands! That’s how hard I was holding on to the cover desperately trying to read on in the hope of finding out what in the name of everything sane was unraveling before my eyes!
Teddy Clock’s whole life has become a game of cat and mouse since the death of his parents two years ago and now the sudden murder of his foster parents. It’s all Detective Jane Rizzoli can do to send him away to the exclusive Evensong boarding school in a futile attempt to preserve his life. There, she discovers two troubled teens whose pasts bear a shocking resemblance to Teddy’s, Claire Ward and Will Yablonski’s names are now added to a case made up of unanswered questions.
Joining forces with pathologist Dr. Maura Isles, the two must put aside their troubled friendship seeing as they are the only hope these children have of staying alive! But whom can they really trust? Will they discover the shocking truth in time to rid the world of an obsessed killer on a twisted quest?
This book has absolutely EVERYTHING a literary fanatic looks for in a thriller. Each and every chapter basically begins with a plot twist and ends in a cliff hanger! The pages are literally dripping with suspense and any attempts at trying to guess who the murderer is, is futile! Don’t even bother trying because trust me when I say you will be wrong!! As the story progresses more and more questions arise but the ones before haven’t been answered!
The scenes develop at such a fast pace that trying to keep up with the action actually sends the adrenaline pumping and goosebumbs rising! There’s never a moment of boredom and there is not one scene that I can pinpoint and say was unnecessary or was dragging! Everything had a purpose.
In most thriller novels, the readers are allowed to see different pieces of the puzzle of the plot and as the book progresses, are allowed to click the pieces together! Not in this book! Oh no, no, no! The author allows us to see all the pieces spread out on the table but it’s not until the very end that she slams the finished puzzle before us and we end up gawking and wondering how on earth we got here!!
The characters are probably what makes this book so memorable! Every one of them is a victim of something devastating and being brought together they have to learn to fight the inner ghosts of their pasts as well as the demons of the future! They’re all so different in their backgrounds but it’s the single danger they all face that unites them.
I cannot even stress on how amazing this book is! Truly gripping, heart-pumping action that will leave your eyes wide open for days after you’ve closed the last page!
NON!! (par Georges Gravé)
Ils ont dit non, un non comme un éclair, un non comme un coup de fouet, un non de ras le bol, un non comme une gifle pour tous les bienpensants de l’Europe, un non comme un échec pour tous nos politiques aveuglés par le pouvoir et leurs certitudes, un non violent du peuple de force 7 sur l’échelle de Richter de la grande mascarade Grecque ! Malgré le déferlement médiatique, malgré les avertissements apocalyptiques des grands de ce monde, malgré les menaces du grand méchant loup allemand, ils ont quand même dit NON. Ils ont osé braver l’ordre établi ! …Et si l’on prête bien l’oreille, ce non ressemble fort au champ des partisans :
« Ami entends-tu le vol noir des corbeaux sur nos plaines ?
Ami, entends-tu les cris sourds du pays qu’on enchaîne ?
Ohé, partisans, ouvriers et paysans, c’est l’alarme.
Ce soir l’ennemi connaîtra le prix du sang et les larmes. »
Un chant qui vient des entrailles de l’homme, un champ de violence et de désespoir qui annonce un combat imminent, un chant de ras le bol, mais aussi un chant d’espoir et de libération.
Amis politique, tu ferais bien de tendre l’oreille, et de réfléchir à deux fois à la vrai signification de ce non, car le NON grec est un non collectif de tous ceux qui en ont assez de souffrir, de vivre petitement, de ne jamais être entendu, de crouler sous les taxes et les impôts en tout genre, d’être les témoins de tous les scandales politiques depuis des lustres, d’être manipulés par des dirigeants qui eux vivent dans le confort, de voter pour des gens qui ne tiennent jamais leur promesses. !!!!!
Amis Politiques de tous bord, entends bien ce non, car il est pour toi. D’abord pour les politiques Grecques qui volent le pays depuis des années et qui ont trafiqué les chiffres pour pouvoir entrer dans l’Europe. Trafic de dupes, car tout le monde savait que les chiffres étaient tous faux !!! Alors de qui se moque-t-on, car aujourd’hui ce ne sont pas ces falsificateurs qui
Tout le monde le sait bien, et vous les premiers que la Grèce ne pourra jamais rembourser sa dette et continuer à lui prêter de l’argent, ce n’est pas pour la sauver, mais uniquement pour qu’elle puisse rembourser ses emprunts dans vos banques. Combien de temps cela vat-il encore durer ? Rendez-vous à la prochaine crise.
paient les pots cassés, mais le peuple, encore le peuple, toujours le peuple. Et les mêmes, qui ont en toute mauvaise foi signé les accords avec la Grèce veulent nous donner des leçons de morale et de finance. Ce non, messieurs et dames vous est destiné, il est pour vous et rien que pour vous afin de mettre vos nez dans la merde que vous avez-vous-même créé. Dans le privé, vous seriez virés depuis bien longtemps ! Demandez à un SDF de vous rembourser sa dette, impossible me diriez-vous, et pourtant, c’est ce que vous demandez à la Grèce. Tout le monde le sait bien, et vous les premiers que la Grèce ne pourra jamais rembourser sa dette et continuer à lui prêter de l’argent, ce n’est pas pour la sauver, mais uniquement pour qu’elle puisse rembourser ses emprunts dans vos banques. Combien de temps cela va-t-il encore durer ? Rendez-vous à la prochaine crise.
Amis politiques entend ce non comme un avertissement, un des derniers peut être, et reconnectes toi, si tu le peux encore avec les aspirations de tes peuples. Depuis bien longtemps, tu es dans ta tour d’ivoire tellement loin de la vie quotidienne, tellement loin du ici et maintenant et par pitié épargnes nous tes grandes leçons d’économie. Si tu étais vraiment doué en économie, nous n’en serions pas là, et que ce soit Patapouf de gauche ou l’excité de droite, n’oubliez pas que vous gouverné le pays depuis maintenant plus de 50 ans et que vous faites mumuse ensemble avec notre argent sans aucun scrupule. Alors, quand Patapouf se prend pour le sauveur de la Grèce, mon dieu, cela fait rire tout le monde. Et avant de donner des grandes leçons aux autres, regardes l’état de ton pays, regardes l’immensité de sa dette, toi qui promettait de la réduire dès que tu serais au pouvoir !!! Et encore une promesse de plus non tenue ! Quant à ton amie allemande, rappelle-lui donc que son pays a bénéficié d’une restructuration de sa dette en 1953, au sortir de la guerre, ce qui lui a permis de remettre son économie sur les rails et d’aboutir au résultat que l’on connaît.
Amis politique, tu en as déjà eu des avertissements venant de ton peuple, mais
HAVE
What is The Best Part of Motherhood?
Follow our page on Facebook (Potpourri Magazine Seychelles) to share your views on the questions we ask.
“The best part of motherhood for me has been the first minute of giving birth and knowing both baby and me were ok...Then, there comes the part where the baby grows up and right now I’m the ever so proud mother of 3 healthy young men, aged 20, 18 and 13...Watching them grow –that’s my best part of motherhood...it is worth it.”
Antonia Bistoquet Payet
“Every single part of the motherhood experience is great... Be it the looks, hugs or smile. But so far my now best and always best will be the day she called me “Mommy” for the first time. That feeling I had at that given moment was overwhelming.”
Divya Pillay Manikandan
“Simply...Everything! I love my daughter to bits! :)))”
Maria Laurence
“The sleepy kisses just as they enter the world of dreams with whispers of ‘love you manman’”
Ineke Camille
“The random kisses, hugs, ‘I love you mummy’, little gifts made out of paper and seeing their big smiles and eyes light up with so much love for me when I walk in the door is the best part of motherhood and I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.”
Misa Lablache
“When two tiny little hands wrap their arms around you with the tremendous and unconditional love they have for you, to take all your stresses away! “
PSN
“There is no best part in motherhood. From the moment you feel your child growing inside of you, it’s purely amazing. When you hold your child for the first time... nothing beats the moment u look at your child and hold him. You never forget that day, it’s not just a moment that you have. It’s like nothing else matters. “
Kelly-Anne Pothin Bertin
“I love everything about being a mum; as an extended breastfeeding mother (nursing my first until he was almost 3) watching my babies grow knowing that it’s because of what my body has produced - seeing their little personalities develop knowing you had some part to play in nurturing their characters - knowing that this little person you’ve grown inside you and brought into this world will always rely on you in one form or another makes you want to be a better person every day.
On a lighter note the best part of motherhood is having an excuse to do daft things like dance and sing in supermarket aisles ... not that I ever needed an excuse but now it’s acceptable!”
Nadia Long
“The best part of motherhood is being a role model to my children. Becoming a mother made me a better person. I hope I raise children who say “thank you” and “please.” I hope I raise children who are kind to other people, who realise that life is unfair but that doesn’t mean giving up on it. I hope I raise children who know that they are loved and special but that they are not the centre of the universe and never will be. I hope I raise children who relish life’s tiny pleasures. I hope for all of these things, but I know this: Being a mother is so much more fulfilling than anything I’ve ever done; nothing can beat nurturing your own creation...”
Jini Finigan
La marinière a le vent en poupe !
D’aventures en aventures, de port en port, la marinière connaît une vie extraordinairement longue et pleine de rebondissements. Retour sur le basique le plus tendance de notre garde-robe.
Vu des Seychelles, la marinière, ce tricot aux rayures bleu indigo sur fond blanc, n’est pas un vêtement ancré dans le paysage esthétique. Mais en France, la marinière est le basique incontournable de l’été, et force est de constater que la marinière a bel et bien posé l’ancre dans ce pays : la période estivale voit fleurir de toute part des marinières se déclinant à l’infini. Comment expliquer un tel succès d’un vêtement qui, il faut bien le reconnaître est pourtant très simple de par sa forme et son motif régulier ?
Aux origines de la marinière se trouve un décret de 1858 qui introduit pour la première fois dans la liste officielle des tenues de matelot de la marine française le fameux tricot rayé bleu et blanc, qui est à la base un sous-vêtement. Les marins avaient coutume de dire que les rayures permettaient de mieux repérer un matelot tombé à la mer. Le tricot est fait d’une seule pièce, sans couture ni boutons pour éviter que le vêtement se prenne dans des cordages lors de la traversée en mer. En 1917, Coco Chanel, alors grande habituée des stations balnéaires, et inspirée par les marins bretons lance à Deauville
le style marin, avec des marinières courtes. C’est un pari risqué pour la créatrice, qui habille alors les femmes de la grande bourgeoisie de vêtements de travail masculin. Mais les marinières sont pratiques à porter et le tissu est simple en cette période de pénurie. Dans les années 60, la marinière ressurgit à l’écran, portée par Jean Seberg dans A bout de souffle de JeanLuc Godard, puis en 1963, portée par Brigitte Bardot dans Le Mépris, du même cinéaste. Yves Saint-Laurent réintroduit dans la haute couture la marinière dans sa collection « Matelot », de façon détournée, avec pour la première fois, des marinières grises et des robes en sequins à rayures. Mais c’est Jean-Paul Gaultier le créateur le plus fidèle à la marinière, pièce phare de ses collections qu’il réinvente durant plusieurs décennies, sous toutes ses formes et dans des matières les plus diverses. Les rayures du tricot sont même utilisées pour le design des flacons de sa ligne de parfums pour hommes, « Le Mâle ». A partir de 2010, de nombreuses marques utilisent les motifs rayés de la marinière dans leurs créations, telles que Kitsuné, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, qui rejoignent les autres enseignes exploitant les marinières depuis longtemps (Petit Bateau, Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo). Force est
de constater que c’est un indémodable France : la marinière est un basique du dressing de nombreuses françaises et se décline aussi en rouge, noir, gris, accompagnée de broderies, de nœuds, de paillettes, de perles, de boutons sous forme d’ancres, de chainettes. On peut même retrouver les rayures marines sur des robes, des chaussures, des sacs et des bijoux. En 2011, les maillots officiels de l’équipe de foot en France sont d’ailleurs des marinières, avant d’être finalement supprimés en raison des critiques. Pour beaucoup, la marinière appartient avant tout à l’univers de la mode. En 2012 pourtant, le ministre du redressement productif, Arnaud Montebourg pose en marinière pour le Parisien Magazine : le vêtement devient ainsi le symbole politique du «Made in France », des produits fabriqués en France, fer de lance de la relance économique en cette période de crise. Ce qui fait cependant la force de la marinière c’est son côté pratique, sa capacité à s’adapter à différents supports stylistique, son alliance de chic et de simplicité, mais aussi l’univers symbolique auquel cette pièce renvoie : l’univers marin, l’été, les vacances sur la plage abandonnée, coquillages et crustacés...
Passionnée de littérature et de cinéma, Marie Welsch est responsable culturelle à l’Alliance française des Seychelles depuis maintenant un an. Originaire de la Réunion et ayant mené des études de lettres modernes et de sciences politiques à Aix-en Provence, elle s’intéresse à l’indianité et à l’identité créole des îles de l’Océan Indien et espère plus tard en faire l’objet d’une thèse.
Le Mâle de Jean-Paul Gaultier, photographié par Mondin
Audrey Tautou incarne Coco Chanel dans le film « Coco avant Chanel » (2008) d’Anne Fontaine
Jean-Paul Gaultier en marinière
Child’s Play
Do you remember your favourite game as a child? Who was your favourite playmate, what toys were involved and how it made you feel? How it would be the end of the world, well the make-believe world, when you lost track of time and were told it was time for dinner. Food? Who needs food? The only nourishment a young mind needs is unbridled, unstructured play. The benefits of play are abundant and there are entire websites and books written on the subject. Here are some of the benefits that your child will gain by playing ‘like a child’ and the reasons why you should take note of its importance in your child’s life.
As parents we smile when our children present us with a pirate ship constructed out of kitchen chairs, brooms and bed-sheets. However, there is more to the aesthetics behind this type of activity. Play develops children’s motor skills, communication, imagination, problem-solving and ability to focus. Letting them free to do as they please (in a safe environment) allows ideas to synthesize and take root.
I host a few play dates a week at home, and my friends always ask me ‘I am so sorry about the mess’ as the children squash play dough under their feet while playing chasey around the house. My response is always, ‘you can’t get bent out of shape when your children play. If they always feel restricted, their ideas never flourish’.
There is something in me that always tries to keep the mess to a level without disturbing them, as our living room turns into toy vortex whose gravitational pull transports more toys and objects from other rooms onto the couch. It’s not hard to observe how much longer, more engaged and more exciting their play becomes when they are just left alone to create and imagine.
‘you can’t get bent out of shape when your children play. If they always feel restricted, their ideas never flourish’
I see the magic in their eyes as their imaginations create worlds and the rules that govern them. I see improvisation as they scan the room, and their mental toy database, searching for spare parts for the pirate ship. I see politics at play as they convince and cajole playmates, and parents, that their vision should be made into reality. When they find some theme, toy or activity that they are passionate about, it’s almost training for them to find them later on in life.
THIS ONE’S FOR THE MOMS
A mother’s love is infinite – so too is her daily list of responsibilities; it’s time to give thanks, says Daniel Balkwill
I’m sure we’ve all witnessed a scene in a typical movie where a young mother-to-be is in a maternity ward in hospital. She has entered the early stages of labour. Various doctors, nurses and orderlies are all rushing around in her attendance. Her concerned partner sits attentively by her bedside, steadily having his hand crushed by hers as she whispers through gritted teeth that she’s never going to let him touch her again if this is the end result.
Invariably, in Hollywood’s archetypal way of sanitising life’s less savoury episodes, the next scene depicts the new mum, with only a few beads of sweat on her brow betraying the events of the preceding few hours, cradling a suspiciously clean baby in her arms. No other reference is made to the pain and torment endured by the mother during the trauma of childbirth. There is no sign of the husband/ boyfriend. He is probably in an adjoining room being treated with gas and air.
This is only the start of it. It’s so easy to forget all of the other subsequent sacrifices made by mothers all over the world on a daily basis as their offspring are fed, watered, clothed and sheltered both from the elements and potential harm until they are mature enough to fend for themselves in the big, wide world.
The financial hardship and emotional investment in bringing up a child are considerable, often to the detriment of the social lives of the parents. Regular evenings at a restaurant or with friends are supplanted by nights in, dealing with soiled nappies and a dizzying array of regular childhood ailments.
This unswerving dedication to the wellbeing of their child continues throughout their development, from their initial tentative steps, their first day at junior school and during what are often described as their growing pains.
Mums don’t always receive a great deal of gratitude for what they do. When a pile of freshly laundered clothing regularly appears in their child’s room or a tasty, nutritious plate of food is placed in front of them each mealtime with metronomic precision, it’s perhaps easy to become rather blasé.
Now I’m a bit older and wiser, I can see things a lot clearer now than when I was a kid. Instead of
complaining that my dinner was always late on a Friday night when I wanted to go to the pub with my friends or grumbling that I couldn’t find my lucky t-shirt in my laundry pile I ought to have just simply said ‘thanks’.
Of course, dads deserve equal credit for everything that they do but its Mother’s Day this month so mums should enjoy their welldeserved moment in the spotlight.
A special message to my mum: thanks for everything you’ve done for me and apologies for occasionally being a bit of a brat. On a more general note, well done to all mums out there and keep up the good work.
Dan works for Kreol Wines - a wine shop located at Eden Plaza on Eden Island, specialising in Argentinian, Australian, French and South African products.
Take your look from drab to fab
No matter how short on time you are, we have make-up solutions for 5, 10 and 15 minutes, for a boost to your everyday look…
by Lynette Botha
As women, we lead busy lives; whether at home with the kids all day and keeping the home in order, or climbing the career ladder, or trying to juggle both, most days there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours to do everything. Least of all, for beautifying. But a brush of mascara here and a little eyeshadow there can transform our looks instantly, not to mention make us feel good about ourselves and boost our confidence.
5 minutes
If all you have to spare is five minutes, immediately after cleansing and moisturising, apply a tinted moisturiser or foundation, followed by a little concealer to dark circles under your eyes (don’t rub this delicate area, rather apply a little product at a time and pat it in). Also apply concealer to any blemishes or redness on your face and blend in. Apply two coats of mascara to top lashes and one coat to bottom lashes. Finish with a tinted lip balm or nude-toned lipstick (less upkeep than a bold shade).
10 minutes
Build on the five-minute look by adding a pop of colour to cheeks. Women underestimate the transformative power of a sweep of blush – it gives the complexion a natural flush, contours the face and really lifts your look. Using a blusher brush, sweep it on to the
centre of cheeks and then gently blend outward and upward towards your ears. Before applying mascara, apply a light brown or neutral shade of eyeshadow to eyes, for an everyday look (if it’s the evening, experiment with colours). Finish with a clear gloss over lipstick.
15 minutes
Take the ten-minute look up a notch by lining lower inner lids with eyeliner. For daytime go for navy or brown liner rather than black – black is very harsh, and in daylight can actually make eyes appear smaller rather than open them up. Add a little shimmer or bronzing powder to cheeks over your blush (just along the cheekbones, rather than your whole cheek like with the blusher). Brush out eyebrows to neaten them, pluck any stray hairs or fill in any sparse areas with a brow pencil or an eyeshadow in the same shade as your brows (ensure it has no shimmer); set them in place with a little Vaseline or hairspray spritzed directly on to your eyebrow brush. (Tip: If you don’t have an eyebrow brush, buy a toddler toothbrush and keep this in your make-up kit).
HAIR SOS
Quick-fixes
Oily roots
No time for a wash? Spray dry shampoo on to roots, let it settle for five minutes and then brush out. If you don’t have dry shampoo, use baby powder; allow it to absorb excess oil as with dry shampoo and then brush out gently.
Bed-head
Hair a mess and no time to style it? Tie it back in a low bun and use a little hair gel on the crown of hair to tame any fly-aways for a basic, slicked-back style.
Easy waves
Wash hair at night, towel dry and then plait it loosely and sleep with it in. In the morning loosen and “brush” through with your fingers, for loose waves.
Liquid
power
The first in our new series of monthly juice and smoothie recipes with Sey Si Bon’s Steve Colas…
Seeing as it’s the mother’s issue, I thought it would only be fitting to share a recipe for this delicious detox juice, which not only rids the body of bad toxins, but also boosts energy and the immune system. Moms are on the go 24/7 and this is the perfect energy booster, any time of the day!
Ingredients:
BEETROOT: benefits include ridding the body of toxins, improving mental health and boosting energy. Beets are high in potassium, magnesium, fibre, folic acid, iron and vitamins A, B and C.
CARROT: benefits include reducing cholesterol, preventing certain cancers, improving digestion, increasing skin health as well as improving eyesight.
APPLE: benefits include curbing many cancers, decreasing the risk of diabetes, good for digestion and stomach ailments, detoxifies the liver and assists with weight control.
GINGER: benefits include being an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial, as well as containing high amounts of vitamins A, C and E, calcium, zinc and potassium.
Method:
Place equal amounts of beetroot, carrot and apple in a juicer or blender, as well as a chunk of peeled fresh ginger and blitz. Pour in a glass and top with ice cubes or crushed ice for pure enjoyment.
Beetroot is an acquired taste and not many people enjoy drinking beetroot juice, however, when mixed with apple, carrot and ginger, you get a lovely fresh and zingy juice combination that is very refreshing.
No time to do it yourself? Swing passed Sey Si Bon at Eden Plaza and let us make it for you! Ask for it by name - the True Blood Detox Smoothie.
ABOUT SEY SI BON
Sey Si Bon, opened in 2012, was the first juice bar in Seychelles, introducing Mahe to wonderful, freshly-made juices and over 30 signature smoothies. Also on offer are a variety of low-fat frozen yogurts, sweet and savory buckwheat crepes, coffee and pastries. Visit us today at Eden Island Plaza; free parking for the first hour. Visit www.seysibon.com or like our Facebook page to keep up-to-date.
Signs He Is Ready To Settle Down
Are you ready to settle down but you keep asking yourself, “Is he ready for this?” each time you think of launching this topic?
By Darrel Damoo
Many young women are left bewildered with the notion that their partner might not be in a fit state to take to the next step.
Ladies, it’s men. We do things differently.
Yes that’s right. I am a young man who has already found his calling. So take it from me girls, there are lots of processes that happen in a male’s life that might not be obvious to you. Most of us don’t know how to really truly express our feelings with words, so we choose plainly hidden signs. Signs that I will now divulge, just for you.
How do you know he has called off his search for the one true love? And how do you know you are the reason? These are the toughest question you’ll ask yourself after dating a guy who you think could be serious. The answers might have been in plain sight for quite a while now, but you just might not have understood them.
Here are the major pinpoint clues you should watch out for:
HE’S GOT DATING FATIGUE
This is just the introduction, ladies. At this early stage he feels that he has dated enough to know what he truly wants. In his mind he could be thinking that instead of seeing new faces every week, he just wants to see one.
HIS OUTINGS WITH FRIENDS START TO DIMINISH
That’s a good start. He now changes his perspective of the definition of “a fun night out.” Instead of swilling down beer, whiskey, vodka and God knows what other liquor might be on the agenda, he turns his focus onto you with a surprising dinner or a Friday night movie together.
YOU NOTICE AN INCREASE IN PHONE CALLS, MESSAGES AND INSTANTANEOUS VISITS
That’s a major clue to him wanting to be around you or in touch with you to more than he is actually doing. Usually this kicks in after a few weeks and by then you probably wouldn’t have noticed, so keep a sharp eye -- even note it down if you think you must.
Where to draw the line?
Resident lawyer Bernard Georges explains the tricky line between being able to testify and not
Question: A recent verdict in a murder case here raised the issue of the credibility of witnesses when they are family members of the victim. I am curious; for argument’s sake,
let’s say a thief comes into my house and murders my husband and I witness it, is
it
best for me not to testify?
Recent high-profile cases have certainly put the criminal justice system of Seychelles in the spotlight, or even under the microscope, as the stunning scenarios and, in some cases incomprehensible outcomes, have made the country as a whole stand up and review the events. A woman brutally murdered in her house while her children slept, a young police officer knocked down by a motor-vehicle, the grieving family of a popular sportsman left dazzled at the police’s inability to pin the blame on anybody. The nation as a whole knows it is time to take stock of what is happening and fix the system if it is broken.
In the pantheon of criminal offences, murder still holds a place apart. It may be that there are more evil crimes, or offences deserving of more severe punishment, but murder is still rightly the crime which attracts the greatest angst and passion. The reason for that is simple – a life has been taken. A brutal rape may scar the victim emotionally for life, but the victim survives. A violent attack may permanently disfigure a person, but the person can go on living. Even drug trafficking, which blights the lives of many young people, and kills many slowly and painfully, is at one remove from the immediate taking of a life, which is what murder is. For that reason, murder continues to take a hold of the
imagination, whether in a written thriller, or a film, or crime documentary or, as our country has witnessed recently, real life events.
The law relating to murder has been honed over many decades and it is as sharp as a razor blade. Criminal practitioners know the ins and outs of the crime like the backs of their hands. They know what is required to be proved by the prosecution, and what defences are open to the accused. They know, for instance, that in many cases the victim is only found dead after the event causing the death and that a case has to be put together from evidence which is not direct, such as that of an eyewitness, for instance. If a person walks up to another on a busy street in full view of a number of people and stabs another, the case will be open-and-shut. There will be witnesses who can say who did it and how it was done. These witnesses will be able to ensure that the perpetrator is convicted for his crime.
But, what if the act is committed in private between two people, one of whom dies and the other escapes? How can a case of murder be built up then? The answer lies in something called circumstantial evidence. This is a series of things which, added together, can only point to the guilt of a person for a particular crime: a fingerprint or footprint at the scene of the crime, a misplaced statement by the accused to his friends, that sort of thing.
But what about witnesses who are members of the family of the deceased? Do they count, or must the police look for other – usually
circumstantial – evidence? Let it be said at the outset that family witnesses are as good as any other independent witnesses in theory. A court weighs the testimony of every witness who comes before it independently and gives it the weight which the court deems appropriate. Thus, it may be that a court will discount a ‘family witness’ completely because the court may feel that the witness is not being upfront with the court, or the court may accept the evidence of that witness totally because the court, having heard the witness, is impressed with the witness as a witness of truth despite the connection with the case. Likewise, the court may accept the testimony of an independent witness, or reject it, depending on the court’s assessment of that witness as a witness of truth. There are no hard and fast rules. Each case revolves on its own peculiarities and each witness must be considered in the light of the testimony of that witness. A family witness may not come up to proof in one case, but that does not mean that family witnesses, or those closely connected with a crime cannot be accepted as witnesses of truth in another case.
In the final analysis, there is no better way of proving the commission of a crime than by direct witness testimony. Circumstantial evidence is a necessary substitute when there is no direct evidence, but direct evidence is always better. If you see a person whom you can identify kill your husband, then yours is the best evidence there is to nail the murderer. But there is one caveat: you must be believable. It is too easy for someone to lie and say, ‘So and so did it. I was there. I saw it with my own eyes.’ Courts are aware of that. That is why evidence is given in our courts in the way it is – through direct testimony given publicly in court and tested by cross-examination. That process allows the testimony to be strengthened if it is true, or discredited if it is untrue. In that way a court is able to make a value judgment as to whether to accept the evidence as true, or to reject it as suspect. And this applies equally to whether the witness is linked to the victim or not. Both are equally competent witnesses, with equal weight given to their evidence so long as it is true.
So, dear reader, never make the mistake of not testifying to something that you have seen. You have a duty to assist the state in bringing criminals to justice. That may not always happen because the standard required to prove a crime is naturally high in order to avoid miscarriages of justice. But, the alternative is worse. An innocent person must never be wrongly convicted of a crime through false testimony. Similarly, a guilty person must never be acquitted because witnesses have not testified as to what they have seen.
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.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH BERNARD GEORGES
When we shop online, who’s liable for the items reaching our home safely? I recently ordered some things from a company in the UK and I never received the goods. The company has been unresponsive to my queries.
This question is one which will interest readers, given the rapid growth of online purchases by Seychellois and residents of our islands. Practically everyone I know buys stuff online nowadays. I do too. Occasionally – as happened to me a few months ago – the goods never arrive. In my case, this was sorted out. The shipper had sent my parcel to Victoria, South Carolina (which probably doesn’t exist) and it was returned. But there is not always a happy ending. What happens if the goods do not arrive and the shipper doesn’t do anything about it? What if the shipper doesn’t even acknowledge your query?
Once again, there are multiple possible answers to the questions. Not buying from that particular company again is one option. That will work for future purchases, but what about the one that wasn’t delivered? The answer lies in the law of contract.
A contract is an agreement between two or more people in which one person offers to do something (or to refrain from doing something) and the other agrees to pay the first person for the doing, or the refraining from doing, that thing. Thus, whether we think about it or not, whenever we enter a shop to buy something we are entering into a contract with the owner of the shop. We offer to purchase the box of tissues or the packet of biscuits at the price on it, and the shopkeeper accepts our offer by taking our money. The contract is thus sealed and obligations arising from the transaction automatically click in. On behalf of the seller there are two principal obligations – the obligation to deliver the thing, and the obligation to guarantee that it is not defective. To continue with our example, if having paid for the box of tissues the shopkeeper asks you, ‘Where do you think you are going with that box of tissues?’ and prevents you from taking it away, the shopkeeper breaks the contractual obligation to deliver. The same applies if you purchase a large item, say a refrigerator, and the shop undertakes to deliver it at your home, and then doesn’t. You can enforce the contract. You do this in one of two ways, the choice being yours: you force delivery of the item, or you ask for your money back. Just for the record, these two options are called ‘specific performance’ and ‘recission’ in legalese.
So much for the law. Now, back to the contract itself. The words ‘small print’ automatically spring to mind when contracts are mentioned. This refers to the series of conditions which sometimes are attached to a contract and which normally nobody pays any attention to until something
happens. A common example can be seen on the back of a car-hire agreement. Usually when you hire a vehicle, you are in a hurry to take it and go, so you sign the paper given to you by the agent, collect the keys, and drive away. Well, when you signed, you signed a statement at the bottom of the page saying you had read all the conditions on the back of the agreement and that you agreed to them. That is the small print. Nobody reads it, but it binds you. Who ever reads the pages of print that appear on our computer screen when we download a new programme? We just scroll to the bottom and click the box that says ‘I agree’, impatient to start downloading. That small print includes conditions which we have just agreed to as part of the contract – to hire the vehicle or to use the programme. The same usually applies with online orders. There is usually some small print somewhere in the transaction that says that the shipper will use their best endeavours to get the goods to your address, but that they are not responsible if for whatever reason the goods never arrive. Just think about it. Would you as a shipper want to run the risk of having to send goods again if the first time round the goods shipped are lost or stolen en route? So many things can go wrong in transit when goods are despatched. What about if the purchaser simply pretends that the goods never arrived, just to get a second order? That is why shippers usually insert a clause saying they are not responsible for the non-delivery of the goods. Shippers also insure themselves against non-delivery, and they have arrangements regarding responsibility with the carriers – the postal or courier companies – which actually do the carrying, so they get refunded. But what can you, the customer do?
The answer, sadly, is not a lot. Some companies – Amazon, for example –have a refund policy. If you do not receive the goods, then all you have to do is say so and they will replace them by a new order. But not everyone does that. Usually, when you complain, the company will refer you to the small print saying they have no responsibility, and that is the end of the matter. Or, as happened to the person asking the question, they simply
“The words ‘small print’ automatically spring to mind when contracts are mentioned. This refers to the series of conditions which sometimes are attached to a contract and which normally nobody pays any attention to until something happens”.
don’t answer. The only remedy here is to sue. This again is not always a viable remedy. If your order is small – a few hundred rupees – you are hardly going to engage lawyers and courts to recover that. Plus, where do you sue? This is a complex question concerning the place where the contract was entered into and the conflict of laws. It will be worth doing only in respect of very large orders.
So, the advice left to give to the dissatisfied customer asking the question here is simply this: never use that company again, and tell all your friends about your experience. Let everyone know of your treatment through social media. These companies are very sensitive to adverse publicity. They rely on trust to carry on their business effectively. You may just get what you are seeking by acting outside of the traditional legal methods.
But, just for the record, if you don’t, and you want to sue to show the shipper that you are not going to accept their attitude, you can do so. Our law of contract puts an obligation on the seller to deliver the goods paid for. You are already halfway there...
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.
Equality of the sexes
Sarah Lang muses over the gender impartiality in this day and age
I am sure numerous sociological studies could be carried out and various reasons found to explain the discrepancies and the existence of the glass ceiling. There may well already be answers (if you know of them please let me know as I am always curious about this stuff) but sitting in the office one lunchtime a few of us began to pontificate. Could it be that the legacy of boys having more educational opportunities skews the statistics (as they count anyone over the age of 15)? Or rather is the cause that girls are more likely to stop their education due to pregnancy or the need to care for ailing and aging family members? In response to this last explanation, I hope that the creation of the University of Seychelles will reduce the impact of this cause. There is now no need to leave the country and family members in order to attain a degree furthermore with the increasing number of courses on offer, students will have more and more to choose from. What else could explain it? The only apparent explanations that come to my mind still stem from cultural issues or legacies that impact adversely upon the statistics and fail to capture recent trends.
It’s coming up to that time of year again where either students are receiving their exam results or getting ready for the term where IGCSEs or A Levels are going to be taken in a few months – cramming galore is on its way! Taking a step back from the panic stricken nights to follow and the stomach flips when results are out; there are some interesting statistics to take note of. Did you know that in Seychelles, as in several other countries, on average girls outperform boys at school? However, according to the latest survey by the National Bureau of Statistics a higher percentage of males have university level education than their female counterparts? Why the discrepancy? Also, although certain traditionally male sectors seem to actually be female dominated in Seychelles the management positions are still largely male. For instance have we had a female CEO of an insurance firm or bank? This glass ceiling seems to exist in both the private and public sector in particular domains.
Although certain traditionally male sectors seem to actually be female dominated in Seychelles the management positions are still largely male.
But then our lunchtime discussions moved on to ask ourselves why the level of education isn’t a barrier to being active in the workforce or even to reaching fairly senior positions – bear in mind this discussion was being held by 3 females and one male – but at the same time some restrictions seem to appear when looking at the highest levels of management across various fields. We thought of the fact that women are the ones taking maternity leave and thus
“missing out” on opportunities for promotion, or maybe it’s just that we women aren’t as ambitious once we begin to juggle work and family. I am still ambitious but my priorities have changed over the years. Should juggling work and a family be purely the woman’s burden? Is it even only the woman’s burden? As I look around my friends and colleagues I think a shift has occurred compared to say my parents generation or the generation before them. It’s not as socially “unacceptable” for the husband to be the supportive partner whilst the wife pursues a demanding career. Even if both have demanding careers its no longer odd to see a dad taking care of his child alone over the weekend so his wife can study, exercise or just take a break. The stereotypical gender roles seem to be melting and reshaping, as equality of the sexes becomes a norm rather than purely an ambitious goal. I am not saying that all these expectations have been removed or that everything is hunky dory for either sex right now. Lets face it there’s always going to be room for improvement, but sitting in the office talking about our own experiences and sharing our opinions on the matter it became clear that the old adage of “behind every successful man is a strong woman” isn’t going to hold true for much longer, or at least should be revised. Behind every successful person is a strong support system/partner. Whether it’s a strong family support from parents or siblings, a wife who happily fills her gender stereotype and supports her husbands career, a husband who realizes his wife has dreams and ambition and who supports her career for the good of their family, or a couple who strive to attain their individual and common goals but provide support for one another – the point is that support is support.
Yes, behind every successful man is likely to be a strong woman. But nowadays there should be little excuse for why that strong woman cannot herself be successful, and that same man who is or was busy being successful can be the strong man who supports her success. Maybe that would aid with removing the differences in levels of education between males and females, maybe not but it should work towards breaking down that glass ceiling that keeps the upper echelons of management off bounds to women.
