POTPOURRI Magazine December 2015

The Christmas 2015 Edition

POTP URRI December 11

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Eat Healthy these holidays

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Christmas in Victoria

7 Overcoming panic and anxiety (view from the station)

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Summer safety tips for water, sun and beyond‌

What’s in a stocking?

The Team

Chief Editor: (1) Marie-France Watson | M: + (248) 2512477 | E: marie-france@seychellespublications.com Marketing: (2) Ineke Camille | M: + (248) 2520937 | E: ineke@seychellespublications.com Freelance Writing: (3) Lynette Botha, (4) Mawess Wirtz, (5) Sarah Lang, (6) Elaine Lafortune (7) Hanifa Francoise (8) Philippa De Charmoy Lablache Photography: (9) Suzanne Verlaque | POTPOURRI Photography Studio Graphics & Layout: (10) Olivia Michaud | W: www.angelcreativedesign.com

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Potpourri Seychelles is published by Paradise Promotions Ltd Box 1539, Room 105, Aarti Chambers, Mont-Fleuri, Seychelles Tel: + (248) 4325215 | Fax: + (248) 4325216 | www.potpourrimagazine.com Room 203, Block A, Unity House, Victoria | Printed by: ATLAS Printing Press LLC.

From the

EDITOR

make this magazine happen and grow. In no order of importance their names are; Cyril, Steve, Fed, Andrew, Joanna, Tricia, Alvin, Kurt, Emilie, Lynette, Kellie, Sophie, Martin, Nicholas, Suzanne, Marsha, Frances, Joel, Elma and Olivia. Every one of you has been an experience – the good and the could-have-been-better – but you have each taught me something and for that I am grateful, so thank you.

Then, there are the contributors. Each one of them has their story as to how they jumped on the POTPOURRI wagon – some a tad more interesting than others! I hope that the magazine has served your purpose well, whatever it may have been, and that it has been a rewarding experience for you. Thank you Tina, Sarah, Celia, Daniel, Georges, Alexandria, Hanifa, Mawess, Elaine, Martine,

Photo credit: Suzanne Verlaque

It is with mixed feelings that I write this editor’s letter...

I feel extremely sad that it is the last one that I’ll write as part of the POTPOURRI journey as we have all known it for the past four and a half years. At the same time, I am somewhat excited that I have done this 60 times! What on earth have I had to say for the past 60 months?

I never re-read the editorials I write – and I do dread the day that I will find the courage to sit down with past issues and re-visit whatever thoughts I had.

Just like I hate photos of myself and have never managed to watch myself on television, I do think that a glass or two of wine would be required for the occasion.

I have been toying with what I would say in this issue. I know everyone wants an answer that makes sense as to why we have decided to put POTPOURRI to bed. There are many answers, too many to go into – but whether or not how I would have answered them would have satisfied everyone’s curiosity, I will never know. Our love for POTPOURRI has in no way, shape or form died or diminished.

To simply put it, our journey, in the current state, had to come to an end. What’s next? Time will tell…

While I write this though, my mind is racing about that concept of ‘now’ and ‘this moment’. Most of us live our lives continuously on our way to ‘somewhere’ failing to realise that where we are right now is the destination. I will be the first to raise my hand and admit this guilt. The problem with this though is that we miss out on what is actually THE most important moment of our lives – yesterday (and an hour ago, for that matter) is gone and tomorrow never comes, but now. Now is now, and now is the only thing we have. I fully realise that I am not saying anything you don’t already know, but it’s often the things that we supposedly know that we blatantly ignore. We live in a rush; getting things done, meeting deadlines and ticking the boxes we’re expected to tick, that our lives end up becoming a pile of unnoticed insignificant moments on our way to what we believe are more important things. No, it’s not possible to beam with happiness every second of every day but we should all try and appreciate our moments – they make up too much of our lives to simply neglect.

And in this particular moment I am thinking of certain people. The people I have worked with behind the scenes since July 2011 to

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“No, it’s not possible to beam with happiness every second of every day but we should all try and appreciate our moments – they make up too much of our lives to simply neglect.”

Natalie, Michele, DJ Ezy Dee, Brigitte, Helena, Bernard, Annalisa, Jenny and Philippa.

A special thanks goes to our advertisers who have supported us over the years, especially at the start when all we had was an idea of ‘the big dream’ we wanted to accomplish. Your support kept a roof over our heads (literally) and kept the Internet bills in the ‘paid’ file. Thank you.

In true ‘save-the-best for last’ fashion, I’d like to give a special shout-out to Ineke, the other half of this production, which many of you may not know. We started this mad journey together close to five years ago, shutting our ears to advice being thrown left, right and centre, about friends going into business being a bad idea; I can’t recall the exact words since I wasn’t paying attention.

I know it couldn’t have been easy with so many people thinking that I was ‘POTPOURRI’ all by myself, but you handled it with so much grace – far more than I would have ever done. I love you dearly.

This month we also say goodbye to 2015. Personally, it has been a year where I have had to go through some significant losses. I know it has been a tough year for many, while the best one for others. Whatever it may have been, 2016 offers us a fresh new page in our book of life to write something new, different and better. I intend to do just that and I hope you do too.

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

All my love,

Chief Editor

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

HM

A special greeting at Christmas time to express to you our sincere appreciation for your confidence and loyalty Here is to yet another year of flying the Creole spirit.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2016!

HM Corporate Xmas_2015 A4_Potpourri .indd 1

11/10/15 9:39 AM

Cover Model Demi Camille

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(1) Photographer: Marsha Dine (2) Cover Director: Joel Rose (3) Hair: Joanna Hoareau Christmas Tree Skirt: Joel Rose Make-up: Joel Rose Jacket: Ged’s Tailoring

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DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

The H Resort Beau Vallon Beach, Seychelles, Bel Ombre Road, MahĂŠ, PO Box 1626 Tel: +248 438 7000 E-mail: seychelles@h-hotel.com

www.seychelles.h-hotel.com

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DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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DECEMBER 2015#MadeInSeychelles | POTPOURRI 6

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

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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!

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

TIPS FOR THE PERFECT STOCKING STUFFERS 1.

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Don’t overlook ‘what’ the person is: A student? A mother? A big brother?

Pay attention to the person’s interests: Do they travel a lot? Do they like to read? …and preferences: Is pink their favorite colour?

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!

Compliment a ‘bigger’ gift: Think bookmarks for books.

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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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!

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Gifts for girls

Gifts for boys

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

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

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Gifts for mums

Gifts for dads

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

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

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Gifts for teenage girl

Gifts for teenage boy

1.Notebook | 2.Creative journal | 3.Blink time band | 4.A Lauren Child’s novel | 5.Sewing kit | 6.Calculator

1.Calculator | 2.Creative journal | 3.Blink time band 4.A Rick Riordan’s novel

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

Photo Credit; Malika Jivan-Sharma

In December 2013, the people of Seychelles saw something they had never seen before – the lighting up of Victoria, our capital city. This year, for the third year running, the main streets around the centre of the capital will come to live as the sun sets each day for the whole month of December.

Many people, especially families with small children love making the trip to Victoria to see the lights which bring much delight to the little ones.

We caught up with Lydia Charlie, the Executive Director at the Mayor’s office for a little more information.

POT: What is happening this year?

LC: We have the decorations from 2015 which

have been coming ‘up’ since early November.

It has not been easy this year for us to get additional sponsors on board and since we heavily rely on sponsors for this, there isn’t that much more we can do this year. However, Christmas 2014 in Victoria was a resounding success so no one is going to be disappointed.

POT: Will there be anything new?

LC: Yes, that’s for sure. We couldn’t have another

Christmas with exactly the same things as last year. For us, it’s all about the lights and there will certainly be more of it this year. I will have to skip on the specific details since we also want an element of surprise once it’s all done.

POT: How does it all happen?

LC: It depends. Some of the work gets done at

night while others during the day. It’s all about coordination and there are other authorities and bodies which have to be involved in the process like Land Transport and the Police. Anything which can be done during the day without affecting the traffic flow is done then while for others, we don’t have a choice but to wait until after working hours or during the weekend.

POT: How did this tradition start?

LC: This is an initiative of the current Mayor

of Victoria, Jacqueline Moustache-Belle, who

had some new ideas and plans for the capital.

Lighting up Victoria during Christmas time is a project that was well received by everyone and more importantly the general public who for the past two years have indicated that they love the idea. A committee was set up in 2013 for the very first one and they went about figuring out where it was best to outsource the items and how to go about setting up the whole thing.

Like I mentioned before, sponsors play a key role in the success of this and we are grateful for the ones who have come on board over the past three years. People’s expectations keep growing and we know that with each passing year they will expect something more or different.

POT: Anything else we can expect this year?

LC: Aside from the décor we are not involved

in any other activities. However we do try and contact choirs to come and sing to make the atmosphere even more festive. The Choral and Music Society will be performing and we are contacting others choirs to participate.

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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Tout va mal, je vais bien…

Je me souviens qu’il y a un an déjà, j’avais beaucoup de mal à vous souhaiter un joyeux noël et une très belle année. Comment vous dire bonne année alors que la planète est dans un état de délabrement qui dépasse la fiction, que les êtres humains continuent à s’entre-tuer allègrement, que le commerce des armes est au plus haut, et que des milliers de réfugiés sont traités comme des animaux et que nos politiques restent enfermés dans des postures démodées d’un autre temps. Mais malgré cette triste réalité, je vous le disais dans une de mes critiques, j’ai

“Éliminons de notre carnet d’adresses, réel ou virtuel tous ceux qui ont un rapport anxiogène au futur.

Arrêtons de voir ceux avec lesquels nous n’avons rien en commun . Ne disons plus oui quand on pense non et trouvons le courage de ne pas rire poliment à leur blagues racistes ou à leur propos xénophobes.

Préférons les vrais gentils et les gens au grand cœur (et ils sont nombreux aussi). Écoutons la voix de la raison et du cœur plutôt que celle de la peur et de la lâcheté.”

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DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

fait le choix d’être heureux. Certes, comme tout le monde, j’écoute la radio et je regarde encore les infos a la télévision, donc je ne suis pas dupe ni naïf, encore moins irresponsable ou bien super égoïste comme le pense certains, non, comme des centaines d’autres personnes, j’ai décidé de vivre heureux dans un monde de merde ! ‘’ Tout va mal….. Je vais bien ! Comment vivre heureux dans un monde de merde ‘’ C’est le titre du dernier bouquin de Monsieur Philippe Bloch. Vous savez, celui qui avait écrit l’an dernier ‘’ Ne me dites plus jamais bon courage, un p’tit livre qui nous incitait à rejoindre le camp des optimistes en arrêtant de parler triste. Et bien en cette fin d’année 2015, il récidive en publiant ce nouveau livre ‘’Tout va mal, je vais bien’’. Vous faire découvrir cet ouvrage sera mon cadeau de noël et de bonne année et j’espère qu’il vous redonnera du soleil dans votre vie.

Pourquoi sommes-nous si souvent convaincus que la vie est une mer de difficultés et que la crise ne finira jamais, alors que la vie est en realite un océan de plaisirs et d’opportunités. Si vous en doutez, il est urgent de changer de lunettes. Car oui, le monde est incertain, violent, changeant, chaotique…. Mais notre vie est belle, et elle pourrait l’être encore d’avantage, en suivant quelques principes aussi simples qu’efficaces.

L’auteur avec beaucoup d’humour nous livre dans ce bouquin neuf clefs pour vivre heureux dans un monde de merde.

Les Français commencent à comprendre que personne ne réglera leurs problèmes à leur place. Un miracle est donc enfin possible dans ce beau pays. À chacun de nous d’en apporter la preuve. Voilà ce que nous pouvons lire sur la couverture de ce livre indispensable.

Un émetteur de bonnes nouvelles tu deviendras, Ta confiance plus souvent tu accorderas, Sur ce qui dépend de toi tu te concentreras, De personne jamais rien tu n’attendras, Des projets fous tu imagineras, La nostalgie tu banniras, Le goût du risque tu retrouveras, et La bienveillance toujours tu incarneras. Voilà les neuf étapes de notre voyage dans le monde du positif. Des idées et des constations simples mais qui peuvent bouleverser notre vie et la société de demain. Ce livre est franchement positivement violent !

La vraie bonne nouvelle (et rupture majeure) en ce début de millénaire est qu’internet a profondément dérégulé le marché de l’information. Les réseaux sociaux ont transformé chacun de nous en ‘’journaliste’’ capable de renverser la vapeur. Il semble que les idées ou les articles que nous partageons sur la toile soient systématiquement plus positifs que ceux qui font la une des medias traditionnels. Les actualités positives sont maintenant à portée de clavier, et malgré le journal de 20h, nous pouvons être connectés aux millions d’événement heureux qui se sont déroulés dans les dernières 24heures.

Des enfants sont nés, des entreprises ont été créées, des arbres plantés, des millions de gens

(par Georges Gravé) se sont aimés ou entraidés, ils ont ri, bu, cuisiné, dansé, inventé, chanté, joué …etc.

Nous réveiller ou nous endormir avec la musique qu’on aime ou avec ‘’Rire et chansons’’ plutôt qu’avec les seules infos de la nuit. En clair, utiliser le redoutable pouvoir des mots pour devenir une gigantesque Dream Team rédactionnelle et interconnectée de l’optimisme. Chacun de nous peut et doit désormais être un puissant émetteur de bonne nouvelles contagieuses. Une tache excitante et colossale dont on commence à comprendre la nécessite et à percevoir l’urgence.

Dans le chapitre sur la confiance, l’auteur décortique notre système scolaire. Tout commence et tout fini à l’école, cette magnifique machine à détruire la confiance et a créer de l’ennui. Comprendre la priorité qu’il faut donner aux qualités humaines, plutôt qu’à l’apprentissage scolaire d’antan… L’école doit surtout réaliser l’urgence qu’il y a a repenser totalement la mission même d’un enseignant, en privilégiant désormais le savoir-être.

Encourager, donner confiance, développer l’intelligence émotionnelle et relationnelle, apprendre à prendre du recul, oser, s’adapter, communiquer,

convaincre, réfléchir, hiérarchiser l’information, en faire bonne usage, imaginer des solutions collaboratives, vivre ensemble….. Voilà la vraie mission de l’école aujourd’hui. La faire évoluer est une priorité absolue, compte tenu des dizaines d’années nécessaires avant de percevoir les effets de toute politique en matière d’éducation. Mais que cela n’empêche pas chacun d’entre nous de

modifier dés à présent ses mauvaises habitudes quotidiennes. Commençons par avoir confiance en nous-même et rapprenons à faire confiance aux autres. En famille, au travail, avec nos amis, choisissons des actes anodins avant de prendre plus de risque… Prêter de l’argent a un ami sans lui faire signer de papier ou prévoir un échéancier, rembourser sans sourciller un client qui a perdu son reçu, confier un dossier important a un jeune collaborateur malgré son manque d’expérience, laisser la porte de son bureau ouverte… et la liste est tellement longue ! Passée la surprise, la fierté et la reconnaissance qui se liront sur le visage de ceux à qui nous aurons accordé notre confiance sera notre meilleure récompense, car eux même, se sentant valorisés et respectés, se diront ‘’après tout, pourquoi pas moi ?’’ et baisseront la garde à leur tour.

Au fils des pages, nous nous prenons avec gentillesse et réalisme des bonnes petites gifles qui ont le mérite de nous faire réfléchir à notre essentiel. Il y a un moment ou les enfants gâtés que nous sommes tous devenus doivent retrouver le sens de la mesure et de la décence. Ne seraitce que par rapport à la trop grande partie de l’humanité qui vit encore sans eau potable, sans électricité ou internet et sans manger à sa faim, a l’heure où nous devons combattre…l’obésité !.

Jamais le monde n’a offert autant de possibilités

“Pourquoi sommesnous si souvent convaincus que la vie est une mer de difficultés et que la crise ne finira jamais, alors que la vie est en realite un océan de plaisirs et d’opportunités.

Si vous en doutez, il est urgent de changer de lunettes.”

d’échange et de partage. Ou que l’on tourne le regard, des innovations et des opportunités ne cessent d’apparaître. Le meilleur reste à venir et il nous tend les bras. (En voilà une bonne nouvelles pour la nouvelle année).

J’aime beaucoup le chapitre 5, qui nous donne un bon coup de pied au cul ! ‘’ Des projets fous tu imagineras ! ‘’On devient vieux le jour où nos regrets commencent à prendre le pas sur nos rêves. Monde de merde ou pas, la capacité à rêver et à faire des projets est une machine de guerre antimorosité, nul ne peut être vraiment heureux dans une éternelle routine ou un perpétuel présent. Rien à foutre, faisons-le ! Nul besoin toutefois d’être un milliardaire ou de travailler dans la Silicon valley pour avoir son propre projet Apollo. Chacun de nous peut lui aussi rêver à son Concorde, même miniature et commencer à le construire, étape par étape, à la mesure de ses moyens, avec passion et ténacité. Il est temps de refaire des projets fous !!!!

Puisque nous parlons de projets fous, permettez-moi d’ouvrir une parenthèse personnelle et de remercier chaleureusement Marie France Watson, la rédactrice en chef de ce magazine Potpourri et toute sa fabuleuse équipe qui ont eu-il y a maintenant quatre ans l’idée folle de créer un magazine moderne ici aux Seychelles. Projet fou, et j’imagine la passion, la ténacité et l’énergie de dingue qu’il a fallu développer pour en faire le magazine référence de l’île. Comme tout le monde, j’ai appris la triste nouvelle. Bravo mesdames pour cette si belle aventure, vous pouvez être fières du travail accompli, et comme le dit si justement l’auteur du livre ‘’Il y a tant de rêves encore à vivre ensemble « ! Je vous dédie avec plaisir cette pensée de Confucius « Lorsque tu fais quelque chose, sache que tu as contre toi ceux qui veulent faire la même chose, ceux qui veulent faire le contraire et l’immense majorité de ceux qui ne veulent rien faire !

Le dernier chapitre du livre me touche profondément car il parle de la bienveillance, valeur que j’essaie de faire vivre dans mon quotidien. La bienveillance est une affaire de cœur, qui n’a rien à voir avec les moyens financiers dont on dispose. Aider les autres est la meilleure façon de s’aider soi-même. La gentillesse,

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souvent moquée, est tout sauf une faiblesse.

C’est au contraire la seule force qui permet la réciprocité en dissipant la peur et la méfiance, Elle produit de la bonne humeur et crée du plaisir à être ensemble. Contagieuse, elle se répand comme une traînée de poudre par le simple bienfait que l’on ressent à la pratiquer. Nous nous accomplissons en nous offrant aux autres et en prenant soin des gens autour de nous. Fraternité, hospitalité et dialogue, trois valeurs gagnantes à l’heure ou le communautarisme divise la société française et menace son socle laïque.

L’altruisme (capacité à aider les autres de façon désintéressée) et empathie (souffrir de la souffrance de l’autre) font partie des émotions les plus puissantes.

D’où l’importance de tout faire pour limiter au quotidien l’influence des êtres toxiques qui polluent le nôtre, y compris parmi nos proches. À défaut de pouvoir les éliminer, sachons les repérer et changeons de trottoir quand nous les croisons. Éliminons de notre carnet d’adresses, réel ou virtuel tous ceux qui ont un rapport anxiogène au futur.

Arrêtons de voir ceux avec lesquels nous n’avons rien en commun. Ne disons plus oui quand on pense non et trouvons le courage de ne pas rire poliment à leur blagues racistes ou à leur propos xénophobes. Préférons les vrais gentils et les gens au grand cœur (et ils sont nombreux aussi). Écoutons la voix de la

raison et du cœur plutôt que celle de la peur et de la lâcheté.

J’espère que je vous ai donné envie de lire ce livre et surtout de l’offrir autour de vous, c’est un geste positif que nous pouvons faire pour se sentir bien en ce noël 2015 et pour pouvoir commencer avec fierté cette année 2016.

Comme le dit l’auteur dans sa conclusion, les tensions vont inévitablement se multiplier dans tous les secteurs d’activité et il va falloir les gérer en faisant preuve de courage, de justice, de transparence et de lucidité… mais le moment est aussi idéal pour imaginer une nouvelle idéologie rassembleuse, un nouveau grand projet collectif et mobilisateur. Nous ferons toujours mieux ensemble que séparément, quelles que soient nos différences, nos religions et nos origines. Rien n’est vraiment plus excitant que d’avoir une vision d’avenir et d’inventer ensemble de nouvelles règles du jeu, La révolution qui se prépare ne peut pas être uniquement technologique, elle doit aussi être celle de l’esprit. Alors faites un cadeau au monde entier ! Débarrassez-vous de vos peurs et de votre vision négative des hommes et du monde, Recommencez a croire en vous, Redevenez simplement un enfant qui apprend à marcher…. Soyons au rendez-vous de notre avenir commun !

Joyeux noël et très belle année 2016.

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

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DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

Stromae, le Soleil noir de notre époque travers ces vidéos Les Leçons de Stromae, décompose des créations et explique à ses fans, de façon ludique comment il compose ses mélodies.

En 2009, Stromae effectue un stage chez NRJ à Bruxelles : il fait écouter à ses collaborateurs son premier essai, un tube électro aux paroles mélancoliques, intitulé Alors on danse. Après un premier réarrangement (les collaborateurs de Stromae lui conseillent d’en accélérer le rythme), la chanson est diffusée sur NRJ, puis rediffusée à la demande des auditeurs, jusqu’à devenir un tube planétaire remixé par Kanye West ! Avec son album Racine Carrée, Stromae a non seulement confirmé son talent de

“On s’aperçoit alors qu’outre le génie commercial de Stromae, ce qui frappe vraiment c’est sa maîtrise de l’oxymore, cette capacité à mélanger les contraires et à créer de beaux textes graves, sombres, mélancoliques, très lucides sur notre époque, et à les contrebalancer par une forme musicale joyeuse…” « Où est ton papa ? Dis-moi où est ton papa ? Sans même devoir lui parler il sait ce qu’il ne va pas. Ah sacré papa ! Dis-moi où es-tu caché ? Ça doit faire au moins mille fois que j’ai compté mes doigts. » Tout le monde aura fredonné ces paroles pendant l’été 2013, qui forment le refrain de Papatouai, tube de Stromae qui évoque l’absence de père pendant son enfance. Ce tube aura été le point de départ du phénomène Stromae, chanteur belge aux allures de Tintin métissé et dégingandé, qui exporte aujourd’hui son succès explosif outre-atlantique en entamant une tournée aux Etats-Unis. Comment expliquer l’écrasante réussite d’un Monsieur Tout-le-monde, devenu un formidable diffuseur de la langue française, et qui, il n’y a pas si longtemps, travaillait chez Quick pour se payer ses études d’ingénieur du son ?

Mais Stromae, de son vrai nom Paul Van Haver, n’est pas tout à fait un “Monsieur Tout-le-monde” : né d’une mère belge et d’un père rwandais mort pendant le génocide de 1994, le petit Paulo, ainsi que le surnomment ses frères, a appris à jouer de la batterie, avant de se tourner, une fois adolescent, vers le rap ! Il sort d’ailleurs son premier single au titre prémonitoire Faut qu’t’arrêtes le rap avec le rappeur Jedi, avant que le duo ne se sépare. En parallèle de ses études, Stromae commence à se faire connaître dans le milieu de l’industrie musicale en composant les musiques du rappeur Kery James et d’Angunn. Parfait représentant de sa génération, Stromae a commencé sa carrière en tant que « youtubeur », à l’instar des Norman, Cyprien et autres Squeezie, ces « gameurs » qui connaissent un succès fulgurant sur le net actuellement. Le chanteur, à

compositeur et de chanteur, dont la voix est souvent comparée à celle de Brel, mais il a également dévoilé son talent de communicant, maniant parfaitement les réseaux sociaux. Car Stromae, c’est également le roi du buzz : pour sa chanson Formidable, il n’hésite pas à prendre des risques et à jouer l’amoureux trahi, qui déambule totalement ivre sur une place fréquentée de Bruxelles en interpellant les passants. Une vidéo de Stromae ivre filmée en amateur est postée sur Youtube et la stratégie fait mouche : les fans suivent de près le jeune chanteur qui serait au bord de la dépression.

Mais quelques mois plus tard, Stromae dévoile son nouvel album composé d’un éventail de titres aux thématiques variées : le cancer (Quand c’est ?), le sida (Moules frites), l’addiction aux réseaux sociaux (Carmen) la violence des rapports amoureux (Tous les mêmes), le piège de la société (Ta fête), le fossé économique entre le Nord et le Sud (Humain à l’eau). On s’aperçoit alors qu’outre le génie commercial de Stromae, ce qui frappe vraiment c’est sa maîtrise de l’oxymore, cette capacité à mélanger les contraires et à créer de beaux textes graves, sombres, mélancoliques, très lucides sur notre époque, et à les contrebalancer par une forme musicale joyeuse (l’électro, la house, la rumba, les percussions africaines, sons cubains) et des clips qui sont tout aussi colorés. Ce mélange de lumière et d’obscurité fait de Stromae le « Soleil noir » musical de notre époque.

Marie Welsch

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.

Evènements culturels culturels

Cours de français

Ateliers créatifs

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

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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The journey to Seychelles (and back) 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!

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Eat Healthy these Holidays Here, the festive season may not bring with it eggnog, mince pies and roaring indoor fires, like in the Northern Hemisphere, but that’s not to say it’s any less indulgent because we live in a hot climate. Lynette Botha.

While it’s great to let your hair down a little and treat yourself to life’s culinary delights over this time, don’t go overboard. That’ll just end up with your number one New Year’s resolution being: lose weight (if it’s not on your list already!).

Just be sensible and follow these guidelines, which are smart to use all year long:

Watch your portion sizes

When you’re visiting family and friends all holiday, enjoying long lunches and indulgent dinners, keep an eye on your portions. Don’t let your eyes be bigger than your stomach. Rather enjoy a little bit of everything, and if you’re still hungry, go back for more. Start small.

Plan ahead

If you’re off to a party or function, eat something small before you go – a slice of toast, two boiled eggs or some nuts and cheese, that way you are less likely to reach for sausage rolls, chips, samosas and any other delicious but fattening snacks your host may offer.

When hungry, eat

This sounds simple, but many base their eating habits on what society suggests – but if you’re not hungry at 12 noon, don’t just eat for the sake of it. Eat when you’re hungry. But don’t starve yourself either, or put hunger off until too late, that may set you up for overeating later on because you’re so famished.

Watch your liquid too

Alcohol is loaded with hidden calories and sugar. You may be eating right, but the drinking is adding on all the kilos.

Whiskey and vodka are two of the least fattening alcohols, enjoy with sparkling water and a dash of lime and you’re on to a good thing – too many glasses of wine, Seybrews or rum ‘n cokes may see you wearing a larger pants size in the new year.

Lay off the snacks

There are bound to be snacks around; chips, sweets, cookies, before and after meals. Try and limit your snacking and rather eat a bigger main meal – better nutrients, more fulfilling, healthier.

Focus

Switch off the TV, put down your phone, move away from the computer. During the festive season, make the most of mealtime and enjoy your food at the table, on the couch or better yet, outdoors – but focus only on your meal. When distracted we tend to just continue to eat mindlessly, not necessarily because we’re still hungry (ever noticed how quickly you finish a box of popcorn at the movies? Case in point!).

Be prepared

Keep healthy snacks around during the holidays. Chop up carrots and cucumber and store in a container in the fridge; reach for them and a handful of nuts when peckish, or better yet, a banana – nature’s perfect meal, pretty much! Eat wholewheat toast with mashed avo – the fibre will keep you full for longer. Or try mixed nuts with yoghurt and a little honey – it will satisfy your craving for something sweet.

Drink water

Lots of it. Before meals – it’ll make you fuller so you don’t overeat. After dinner and before dessert – you’ll be less likely to overindulge. In between alcoholic beverages – to keep you sober and quench your thirst. And just in general, drinking water is the best thing you can do for your body – it flushes out all the toxins and keeps you hydrated, especially in the heat.

Happy (healthy) Holidays!

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Real Resolutions There’s more to resolutions than ticking achievements off a list, says Sarah Lang

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ingle 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

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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!

| From London to Mahé |

CHARACTER TRAITS

Daniel Balkwill muses over his characteristics

Whilst leisurely perusing the internet recently, I chanced upon an especially thought-provoking quote from the highly esteemed American author and poet, Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage and tangled Christmas lights.”

Now that it’s almost Christmas and I happened to have a fair amount of time on my hands at this particular juncture, I couldn’t help but allow myself to imagine how I would deal with this triumvirate of challenges and duly spent a short period of contemplation and introspection, applying them to my historic or likely behavioural patterns.

Being British, I’m no stranger to rainfall. There are, on average, one hundred and thirty three days of rain or snow in the UK over the course of a calendar year. It’s mildly surprising that we haven’t collectively evolved into a nation of semi-aquatic mutants with fins, gills and other fish-like characteristics.

My attitude is that if it’s raining, you wear a raincoat or carry an umbrella if you go outside.

Or, just stay indoors. Rain in Seychelles falls with much greater intensity than back home. I don’t mind it though. I find it strangely comforting as it rattles a loud, percussive tattoo on the metallic

Mercifully, I’ve never experienced having my luggage lost but I like to think that if this ever did happen, that I would cope with equal measures of patience, dignity and stoicism. roof while I’m trying to sleep at night. So far, so good.

Mercifully, I’ve never experienced having my luggage lost but I like to think that if this ever did happen, that I would cope with equal measures of patience, dignity and stoicism.

This hypothetical quandary reminds me of the first time I ever visited Seychelles when my wife temporarily lost her luggage on the way home.

Incidentally, she didn’t handle this situation well although she was pleased when the suitcase finally turned up. It was my first time visiting the iconic Pirates Arms in Victoria. I was wearing a black polo shirt with a distinctive red emblem when I bumped into a tourist who was sporting exactly the same garment. In a menacing, humourless tone, he curtly informed me that we would not be friends. I didn’t respond verbally but did think to myself that he’d be even angrier if he knew that my wife worked for the clothing company in question and got mine for free whereas my doppelganger had most probably paid the full retail price. That’s karma right there.

As for the tangled Christmas lights, I’d most probably make a brief token effort to unravel them and then cast them to the floor in exasperation like a petulant child. Two out of three ain’t bad. Merry Christmas.

Dan works for Kreol Wines - a wine shop located at Eden Plaza on Eden Island, specialising in Argentinian, Australian, French and South African products.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 6.30pm; Saturday, 10am 6pm; Sunday, 10am - 4pm

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Terrifying Punch

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Living on the Wedge

Halloween is a little different in Hong Kong, Brigitte Monchouguy discovers… ’ve celebrated Halloween in a number of countries over the years but I wasn’t at all prepared for what a big deal it is in Hong Kong!

Candlelit pumpkins, cobwebs and ghostly scenes decorate every bar, restaurant and shopping centre whilst stalls selling every conceivable type of costume and mask line the streets. The combination of East meets West is apparent as expats and locals alike take the opportunity to indulge in a little childish fun and play dress up!

So when in Rome… J and I decided that we wanted a piece of the action too! We excitedly got ready in our Halloween outfits and face paint (me as Catwoman and he as a zombie) and made our way to Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong Island’s main entertainment district.

It was just 150,000 revellers and us! No big deal… Despite the huge crowd the event was well organised by the Hong Kong Police Force. We leisurely made our way up the spookily decorated lanes to Wyndham Street, taking in the full effect of the costumed crowd of all ages. Settling into the al fresco area of a contemporary bar called Tonic, we sipped like vampires on our glasses of Terrifying Punch, a bloody looking concoction, which tastes surprisingly delicious! We happily spent the evening as voyeurs, snapping photos of patrons in their variety of costumes as they paraded past our table on the street.

Alas the Rugby World Cup finals were on the same night! Not wanting to miss out on supporting our home team, Australia, we hurriedly took the MTR to Kennedy Town, a seaside district on the west of the Island in the hope of finding a pub screening the game. Many costumed revellers had the same idea, which made for an amusing train ride! Incredibly we nabbed a booth at our favourite local pub, The Old China Hand, just in time to see Australia lose the game to the well-deserved New Zealand team. Oh well, you can’t win them all!

As you will know by now, this is the final issue of POTPOURRI. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to share my adventures with you over the last four and a half years. Potpourri’s journey may be over but mine continues. I invite you to visit my blog at www.livingonthewedge.me where I will be posting more frequent anecdotes, photos, reviews and recipes. Until then, if you can’t be good, be good at it!

It was just 150,000 revellers and us! No big deal…

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

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Terrifying Punch 50ml vodka 50ml chilled beetroot juice Dash of crème de cassis Small pinch of cinnamon Small squeeze of fresh lemon juice 1 seedless white grape, for garnish 1 raisin, for garnish Ice cube tray and water, to make the garnish To make the garnish: Make the hole where the grape was attached to the stalk a little bigger. Press in a raisin.

Put this “eyeball” into an ice cube square in a tray, pour water around it and freeze.

To make the cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the other ingredients. Shake for about 30 seconds until icy. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve straight up with the “eyeball” floating in it!

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for water, sun and beyond…

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The holidays are upon us, and while we spend ample time in the sun and sea all year long, it’s always a good idea to brush up on safety tips… especially during the silly season. Accidents happen close to home and life can change in an instant – rather be safe than sorry… read on!

By Lynette Botha

Safety at the beach and in the pool

It only takes a couple of seconds for a child to drown, and despite what many think, not much water is required for this to happen. It’s not only the ocean and pools that you need to be careful around, rivers, baths, Jacuzzis, even ponds… always keep an eye on your children around open water.

WATER SAFETY TIPS:

The Beach

Even if your child is wearing a swimming ring, armbands or on a flotation item, never allow them to swim unattended.

Hold your child’s hand at all times while in the sea and ensure their head is above water and that they are able to stand.

Look out for flags on some beaches or signposts where you will be notified of strong currents or dangerous swimming areas.

Even when water is calm, do not let your child float in the sea unattended while on a lilo, body board or any other item – the current can change in an instant and pull them out.

If you’re on a boat or kayak, ensure you have life jackets on.

Encourage them to play or build sandcastles higher up on the beach and not at the shoreline, as the tide comes up suddenly.

Don’t consume alcohol on the beach while responsible for children.

The Pool or River

Children should be taught not to dive into pools or rivers, as the pool may be very shallow or the river may be full of rocks, rather jump in feet first until they are sure of the deepness.

When not swimming, ensure swimming areas are fenced off or covered with a net or pool cover – accidents happen in seconds.

However, when swimming, make sure nets or covers are removed completely, as a child can get trapped under this if not removed.

From a young age, make sure children know not to run around pools or any areas where there is open water – they can slip and fall in, bump their head or worse.

When swimming in a river or waterfall pool, always be careful of sharp objects that may be lying on the riverbed – broken glass that may have fallen in or sharp rocks.

SUN SAFETY TIPS:

You should always be wearing sunscreen, every day in fact. Just because your skin doesn’t burn, this does not mean that it’s not being affected (and damaged) by UV rays. Use at least a factor 30 SPF when in the sun though and reapply often, especially after swimming, sweating or towel drying.

Remember to wear sun hats to protect your scalp and face and sunglasses to protect your eyes.

If possible, look out for swimwear for your child that has UV protection in the material, as an added precaution.

The sun is strongest between midday and early afternoon, trying and being in direct sunlight during these times.

Make sure that your sunblock offers UVA and UVB protection (UVA are the rays that cause aging and UVB are the rays that cause burning – a good way to remember!).

Even when you’re in the shade, skin can still burn, especially delicate skin of children and babies – ensure they where light clothing or have sun lotion applied regularly.

OTHER BEACH SAFETY TIPS

Cuts and abrasions

If you or your child get cut by any sharp object while at the beach, act in a calm manner, to prevent shock; apply pressure to the area to stop the bleeding (being careful not to push the object further into the wound) and do not attempt to remove the object yourself, but rather get to your nearest doctor, pharmacy or hospital.

If you step on a jellyfish or are stung by anything similar

Apply hot water to the area, and directly after a cold compress, ice pack or bag of frozen peas – anything ice cold. Get to a doctor or hospital as soon as possible. If you are ‘stranded’ somewhere for a length of time, try to remove

MOBILE MEDICAL KIT What to pack Sharp scissors Sunblock with UVA & UVB protection Waterproof plasters Antiseptic solution Antiseptic cream Antihistamines Bandages Non-sterile gauze Rehydration tablets or sachets Sterile water ampules First aid dressing Burnshield Tape Gloves stingers with a credit card (or something similar) by scraping them off. Apply an anaesthetic cream if possible (see: first aid kit advice below).

If the area begins to swell, look inflamed or you experience shortness of breath, seek medical attention immediately.

Pack a first aid kit

It’s imperative, especially with young children, to travel with a first aid kit, either in your car or keep it in your beach bag. Make sure you know where the closest hospital is, should anything go wrong. Always have a hospital number and after hour’s doctor’s number saved on your phone.

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Mawess Mea Wirtz chats to a firm believer of the christian faith and all-round do-gooder, Dean Padayachy‌

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Change is never easy; but at some point in our lives we all go through a period, where we feel we need to take a good hard look at ourselves. We think about our past mistakes, we ponder our future choices and we think about who we have in our corner. In the end, we all want to be better. When, Dean Padayachi encountered this point in his life, he converted to Christianity and gave his life to serving his Lord. Dean lives a life of devotion, where he singlehandedly created and continues to run, a charitable organisation by the name of Brother Dudes.

MW: So who is Dean Padayachi?

DP: Dean is a Pralinois who moved to Mahé. I was born to an Indian mother and Seychellois (of Indian descent) father and they were Hindus so I grew up in that faith. I was always aware that something was missing but I didn’t know what it was. I went to school on Praslin until I moved to Mahé for NYS, but I didn’t finish the year, instead I went to India where I completed a diploma in IT, then on to Singapore where I completed Business Studies.

MW: You said that you felt that there was something missing… have you found it now?

DP: Between the ages of 20 and 30 it seemed as if all I did was make bad decisions, I consider that period to be the dark times of my life. Then one day, it was as if I woke up from a dream, the Lord came to me and I followed him. That was when I realised that it was his love that I was missing.

MW: How did you make the transition from Hinduism to Christianity?

DP: I had faith. I found the way. I moved to Mahé and there I met people who helped me. I am now a proud member of the Pentecostal Assembly of Riverside.

With the will of the Lord and with his light directing me I made the necessary changes in my life. I am still learning, I go to Bible study classes but my faith is strong.

MW: Can you give me some examples of the things that you are doing now?

DP: When I first came to Mahé, the first place I went to was the Foyer de Nazareth and I saw how the children had been neglected and how much they needed someone so I decided that I would be their big brother. I talk to them about whatever they want to talk about, because of my life; I can give them advice about anything. I have moved on to helping out at the other homes as well.

They are all my little brothers and sisters.

Lately I have been helping out at ANY organisation that asks me for help. I am happy to do it.

MW: What do you usually do as their big brother?

DP: They are of different ages. For example, a little one once lost a tooth

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ALL THE MONEY THAT I MAKE, I PUT TOWARDS THE CHARITY. THEN, IN CERTAIN CASES, THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN ME SMALL THINGS OR A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DO THINGS FOR THE CHILDREN, BUT MOST OF THE MONEY IS FROM MY OWN POCKET. and was very worried and cried. He thought that he had lost his tooth forever and there was going to be a big gaping hole in his mouth, but I was there to assuage his fears. I told him that he didn’t need the old tooth any more; so it had to go so that he could get a new, better one. It made him happy. With the older ones, they have more complicated problems but it helps them to have someone to talk to and advise them. The thing I focus on most, as brother Dean, is their education.

MW: How do you do that?

DP: As with everything that I do, it is with the glory of God and the help of other people. It is

give and take. I keep track of their performance with the help of their teachers. Right now, I have managed to get one teacher to give my little brothers and sisters extra classes for free. I have another teacher who is also interested in giving extra classes. This really helps because they need it.

MW: Where do you get funding for the charity?

DP: I have a grocery shop, I have a truck, I do photography and I can fix computers… all the money that I make, I put it towards the charity.

If you check my bank balance it is almost zero.

Then, in certain cases, there have been people

who have given me small things or a small amount of money to do small things for the children, but most of the money is from my own pocket. But in terms of help, I have many people who are willing to give their time. For example I have my good friend in Christ, Marcus Volcy, who has always stood beside and helped in any way that he can.

MW: What are the major projects that you have undertaken?

DP: I have put on two shows; on both I liaised with Mr Jude Fred of CEPS. One was under the CEPS banner and the other was mine. I have facilitated with the children when other charities or organisations want to take them somewhere or do something for them. I also have parties at the homes for the children. On my birthday, that is the day that I throw a really big one, with the children from all of the homes… it is my birthday so I make myself happy by making them happy. I provide food and I DJ as well, it is a party that the children look forward to all year.

MW: Do you have any message for our readers?

DP: I would like people to welcome charity. Live their lives according to the teachings of God. I can quote many verses from the bible to prove my point but I just want people to give, as much as they would wish to receive in their times of need. And look out for the children; do not lead them down the wrong path. There are drugs, prostitution, alcohol and many more influences that we could help diminish if we gave back to our communities. Be charitable.

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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SPORTS PERSONALITY

A one-on-one with the Seychellois Basket-baller

by Hanifa Francoise 31

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

SPORTS PERSONALITY

What do we know about basketball?

Not only is it a major international sport, but it has also made its impact here within our little island nation. And it is for this reason that this month, I had the chance to have a little tête-à-tête with one of our country’s best. Standing at 1.96m tall and weighing 104kg, Ahmadou Sylla is quite a lean and mean machine to encounter on a court!

When he’s not out shooting hoops with his Baya or National Team, 29 year old Sylla doubles as an Electro Mechanical Supervisor at the SCAA. When I asked Ahmadou of his beginnings in basketball, he informed me that although his height came as an advantage, the main drive was that it was a family thing. Growing up, he had heard his parents, who originate from Guinea and who both played basketball at a university level, talk about basketball. So it was no surprise when he and younger brother Abdel Sylla followed in their footsteps, although their older sister does not play, she supports them loyally.

His family’s support is one that has kept him going all these years as a basketball player, they have always been understanding of his lifestyle, leaving home early and returning home late on a daily basis due to practice.

His younger brother Adbel who is currently playing basketball at an international level in France, remains one of Ahmadou’s most devoted fans.

The pair shares an unbreakable bond that has further been strengthened by their passion for basketball. They always make sure to watch each other’s matches when possible and offer advice to each other as well as point out flaws and mistakes to help one another endure constructive criticism.

When it comes to the teams that have had the opportunity to sample Sylla’s talent, there are two; his first team, Premium Cobras, where he began his career as a ‘baller’ and Baya, where he later transferred. Alongside the National

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Team, Baya happens to be his current team. If one is to question reasons for Sylla’s transfer from Premium Cobras to Baya, his answer is simple: “I wanted to be in a team where every match was a challenge so that I could really know my potential, it’s always good to strive to be the best among the best”.

When it comes to the positions, he currently plays center and power forward, but also has the ability to play small forward, of the three, the power forward happens to be his favorite as it is much more freeing on court and allows him to have more influence on the game. From his playing style to his basketball idols, who happen to be Kevin Garnet for his intense passion and LeBron James as well as Kevin Durant for their skills and drive, it is easy to see that Ahmadou gives his all during every match. His attitude and love for the sport is why he has the support of not only family, but his girlfriend, (sorry ladies, Mr. Sylla has recently been taken off the shelf and is no longer one of Seychelles’ most eligible bachelors) and his best friends Sandra Grancourt, Darryl Nourrice and Abdoulaye Diallo, who can be seen at all his matches cheering him on.

As with every sportsman, Ahmadou has had moments within his career that have stayed with him up until today, the first time was a IOIG match with Mayotte where at the tender age of 18 he managed to score two points, despite being injured, to equalise the match, although they lost, this showed his coach, who at the time was Mr. Jude Talma, that he had the potential and ability to grow, which resulted in him gaining more court time to improve himself. Another heartwarming moment was the finals match for the 2011 IOIG where the Seychelles team won a gold medal in a very challenging match and made history.

During 2015 he has had the opportunity to do quite a bit of travelling in relation to his sport,

such as a trip to Zimbabwe for the Qualifications of the Afro Basket championships, The IOCg in Reunion, a training camp in South Africa with the National team for the Indian Ocean Games, Indian Ocean Club Championships in Madagascar, The All Africa Games in Congo and he even had a chance to attend training sessions while in France for a month with his brother’s former team Pau-Orthez.

During these travels, his team managed to win the bronze for the IOCG and also beat South Africa’s national team during the Afro Basket qualifications and training camp. Although the rest were losses Ahmadou doesn’t see them as such, as they had the opportunity to play against the major African teams, which counts as a win in experience.

When it comes to personal successes, Ahmadou has had the privilege of holding the Best Junior Player for the years 2004 to 2006 as well as runner up for Best Player during 2011 and 2012.

Ahmadou feels that he has contributed a lot to the basketball community of Seychelles and wishes that the federation were able to attract new blood to the game, as there is a lot of talent within the Seychelles. He plans to continue playing professionally for two years, before turning his focus to teaching and coaching the youth and building an off-court career, as well as a creating a family of his own.

When I asked him how he felt about basketball in itself, he stated in his own words “I play for the love of the game, but I’m a competitive person, so I’m always driven to win when it comes to a match. When It comes to basketball, you have to be disciplined, committed, respect the game and take criticism constructively, you have to be like a sponge, taking in the opinions of everyone to help work on your game, you require an adequate basketball IQ, it’s not about having the height or the talent, it’s about hard work – hard work trumps talent any day!”

SPORTS PERSONALITY

“Ahmadou feels that he has contributed a lot to the basketball community of Seychelles and wishes that the federation were able to attract new blood to the game, as there is a lot of talent within the Seychelles.”

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

34

an Island Girl success story

Through lifes many trials and tribulations, one island girl managed to rise above

By Mawess Mea Wirtz

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If you were to see Tina Hoareau’s resumé before meeting her, you’d be forgiven for feeling intimidated. Luckily for us mere mortals, the woman herself is one of the nicest people you could meet and very easy to talk to. She has achieved so much, yet she remains so down to earth.

A ticket to the world

The amazing story has a commonplace start. Tina lived with her grandmother at Rochon until she was six, then she went to live with her parents, who divorced when she was twelve. Having never had a stable family life, Tina welcomed the opportunity to leave the islands at the age of 17 to pursue her studies through a scholarship award. She was in the second year of her Bachelor in English at Goldsmith College, University of London, when her mother passed away tragically as a victim of domestic violence. It was soon after that when she met the man that she would eventually marry and who would become the father of her son. They met on Round Island and then parted, with Tina going back to the UK to complete her studies. The long distance relationship survived and when Tina was awarded her Master’s degree in English at Kansas State University, the couple married, and shortly thereafter, moved to the Twin Cities.

Change

Women are often defined by how they handle the dark times. Tina’s marriage was unable to weather the many storms life threw its way and with the birth of her son Sebastien in 2007, the young Seychellois made the inevitable decision to become a single mother and raise her boy in a healthier environment – on her own.

The pivotal year

Shortly after her divorce, Tina landed her dream job at Capella University in 2008, where she later started her doctoral studies. Fast forward a year and we have one of the best minds Seychelles has ever produced, suddenly a single mother, an instructional designer, and a doctoral student – all in one!

A Seychellois instructional designer

As an instructional designer, Tina is responsible for identifying the skills, knowledge, information and attitude gaps of adult learners and selecting and creating learning experiences that close this gap, based on instructional theory and best practices from the field. While Tina has always been passionate about instructional design, in recent years she has successfully guided to completion some of Capella’s more complex and prominent projects involving larger groups of stakeholders. This includes work on the applied behavioural analysis degree, which continues high enrolment and retention rates, and programs within healthcare and criminal justice. Tina’s significant contributions at Capella led to her promotion to Senior Instructional Designer in July 2015.

A potpourri of emotions

Potpourri readers will recognise Tina as the columnist who wrote “Musings of an Island Girl.” It all started with an advert posted by the editor and Tina realising that this was an opportunity to engage in self-reflective writing. An email later, Tina was given carte blanche to be as creative as she wanted with her column. Tina wrote for Potpourri Seychelles every month from 2011 to 2015. Unfortunately, when the workload for her

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

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dissertation increased, Tina found herself in the unenviable position of having to make changes to gain more time to invest in her doctorate, and, the magazine was just another casualty for the greater good. She describes her time with Potpourri as a journey, and so it was, because in her attempt to remain authentic, her columns became an eye into her life. Through her musings, Sebastien grew up, her career took off, her studies flourished, and Tina discovered herself. Tina, the woman, is a lady that many have rallied behind, her articles have helped us grow along with her and the real world advice has been beneficial to many who took the time to send her a private thank you.

She said goodbye with a heavy heart.

Out of the mouths of babes

In October 2015, Tina published her first book in an educational series targeted for children in kindergarten to fourth grade called The Runaway Peanut-Butter Jelly Sandwich. Since then she has been busy reading her story at various bookstores and elementary schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where the book has been well received by the public. Tina’s inspiration for the story came from none other than her son, Sebastien. He is Tina’s heartbeat and that is evident through everything about her. She credits Federico Lang, Nikola Radivojev, and Kosta Todorovic, her illustrators at Maven for the marvellous work they have done in bringing the characters to life.

The book is equipped with pre-reading and post-reading comprehension activities designed to help children actively engage with the text and think critically. When your son’s grandfather owns a publishing house, the printing and publishing is not an issue, so expect the book to hit the shelves before Christmas! The book can also be purchased via Tina’s website: http://www.therunawaypeanutbutterjellysandwich. com/

The last musing of the island girl

The last thing Tina would like to give Potpourri readers is a message of hope. She has not had an easy life, but she has risen above so many obstacles and criticisms. When times get hard, whatever it may be, Tina wants you to remember how as a single mother and career-minded woman, she managed to work through everything that life threw at her. She wants everyone to find the strength in themselves and realise that dreams are attainable. It may be cliché but her message is clear: “Wake up early. Work hard. Be ambitious. Keep your priorities straight and your head up. Do well, live well, and dress really well. And above all, never settle for less than what you deserve.”

“ Fast forward a year and we have one of the best minds Seychelles has ever produced, suddenly a single mother, an instructional designer, and a doctoral student – all in one! ”

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

38

From Mahé to Chennai

From left to right: Prof Dr. P.V.A. Mohandas - Founder & Mentor, MIOT International. Ms. Sheila - Overseas Coordinator, MIOT International. Mrs. Mallika Mohandas – Chairman, MIOT International. Mr. Rollen Dany Antoine Faure - Vice President, Seychelles. Dr. Prithvi Mohandas - Managing Director, MIOT International.

Big Dreams Beyond our Small Islands by Marie-France Watson December 2009 was a life-changing month for Sheila Vidot of Saint Louis, Mahé. The-then 32-year old nurse was escorting Seychellois patients to the MIOT Hospital, a Super Specialty hospital with state-of-the-art infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies in Chennai. While attending a course in the hospital, Professor PVA Mohandas, founder and mentor of MIOT hospitals, proposed that Sheila consider joining the organisation to coordinate with French-speaking patients.

Sheila found this opportunity to be very appealing and never looked back.

POT: How easy was it to settle into life in India?

SV: It was quite a challenge at first but looking back I would say I settled in without any major issues. My ambition to learn and explore my profession as a nurse in this most advanced institution made it easy for me to go on. Also, given that I’d had the privilege with the Ministry of Health in Seychelles to escort patients to India for overseas treatment, I’d had the chance to explore the Indian lifestyle and culture before, so it was a case of gradually adapting as opposed to a shock to my system.

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POT: Your children went with you. Was it hard for them to adapt?

SV: At the very beginning, it was difficult, but children are resilient creatures! Once they started at their new school they met new friends and were exposed to a positive environment, which got them steadily adjusted to the Indian lifestyle.

POT: So what exactly do you do now?

SV: I work with MIOT Hospitals as an overseas coordinator in facilitating communication with overseas patients and healthcare professionals. Just to outline a few factors that needs to be considered in handling patients from the preliminary stage. Firstly, I have to explain to the patients what the hospital environment is like and our ability to handle the relevant medical condition.

I also need to detail the hospitals’ proven track record and provide hope to patients.

Secondly, there’s a detailed discussion with the patients since it is important so that they fully understand the cost and what they receive in return. At this stage, I also go over the medical procedures involved with stage-by-stage explanations. Thirdly, I have to coordinate with the patient, the

company, and organise the itinerary and ensure that all arrangements are completed as per the agenda in advance. Fourthly, I have to educate the patient about the hospital’s success rate and achievements and make sure the patient is comfortable to go ahead with a positive attitude. Fifthly, I have to stress that the patient’s accountability is a prime factor. It is the coordinator’s responsibility to precisely convey the patient’s interaction to the doctor by carefully interpreting and translating the same efficiently. During the absence of a patient caretaker and/or attender, it is my responsibility to ensure the entire process is smooth and flawless.

POT: Tell us about MIOT SV: MIOT Hospitals is a leading Quaternary care multispecialty hospital in India with 1000-bed facility, 300 fulltime doctors, 63 specialties attracting patients from 129 countries.

POT: What are the main differences in lifestyle between India and Seychelles?

SV: I’ll start with the food! That is most certainly different. The people tend to be more conservative and reserved than us Seychellois.

POT: What is one of the biggest misconceptions about India that Seychellois’ have and which you have discovered is not true?

SV: To be honest, I thought India had a diverse and complex culture however I found it quite welcoming and it was easy for me to adapt.

POT: What is the best thing about living in India?

SV: There is much that this country has to offer. The growing economy means there are endless opportunities, not to mention the advancements in the healthcare industry on par with international standards. If you’re willing to make something of yourself here, there’s no reason why you can’t do it.

POT: Has living in India changed you?

SV: I certainly feel more Indian than I did in 2009! Professionally I have come a long, long way. I have explored and gained immense knowledge in the health care field – more so than I could have anywhere else.

There is much that this country has to offer. The growing economy means there are endless opportunities, not to mention the advancements in the healthcare industry on par with international standards.

POT: It’s been six years now, what do you miss most about Seychelles?

SV: There is nothing in particular that I miss. I have a well-balanced lifestyle here and my family is with me, which is the most important thing. I must add that I fly to Seychelles frequently to conduct free health medical camp organised and fully sponsored

by MIOT hospitals.

POT: Do you have plans to return?

SV: Not right now. I have a lot yet to learn and explore. I want to stand out as a pioneer in my field of expertise. I have presently enrolled for a two-year Master’s programme in business administration.

POT: If you could contribute something to Seychelles, what would it be?

SV: Without a doubt it would be in the healthcare sector. I would love to see all my fellow citizens get the best possible medical treatment.

Sheila can be contacted on idotsheila@gmail.com

Photo: http://www.miotinternational.com/

ABOUT MIOT MIOT International is a 1000-bed hospital offering quaternary care across 63 specialties. Among the facilities on campus is one of the best imaging sciences departments in the country and a state-of-the-art laboratory (ranked 8th internationally). The 21 state-of-the-art operation theatres are equipped with the sophisticated technology and instrumentation required to enable surgeons perform the most complex procedures. Patient rooms in the hospital have generous views of greenery, while atriums flood the building with natural light and fresh air.

There are separate entrances for emergency, OP (out-patients), and in-patients and their attendants. Strict infection control measures and sophisticated air systems ensure a near zero-bacteria environment.

It is no wonder, then, that its patients come to us from all parts of India and over 129 countries. MIOT International is recognised, both nationally and internationally, as one of India’s premier healthcare institutions.

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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O N E R AY O F S U N S H I N E AT A T I M E

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There is a new ‘green’ product causing quite a stir in certain parts of the world and last month, it landed in Seychelles. A brief description of it would lead one to believe that perhaps it is too good to be true, but, take note, the world has finally invented a safe, sustainable and attractive alternative light supply, making it easier to go green – one ray of sunshine at a time. By the world, we mean South Africa and the invention was by an engineer working for Consol over two years ago. The jars are currently being manufactured by previously unemployed South Africans from the townships of Soweto and Alexandra. A percentage of every jar that is sold, goes back to these workers.

The jar contains four solar powered LEDs, which are charged by solar cells in its lid. The jar stores energy during the day and releases light at night.

When placed in direct sunlight, it is charged and provides up to 10 hours of soft, yet bright lighting without glare. If it’s charged and not used, it can store the energy for up to two weeks.

The Solar jar is ideal for Resorts, Beaches, Water Villas, dining, inside or outside, and all other outdoor pursuits that would benefit from a beautiful lighting to create a wonderful and relaxed atmosphere. They can hang on trees, from the handle and be left outside even if it rains, as it is 100% waterproof. The solar panel has a guarantee of a year.

The Consol Solar Jar™ is ideal for garden lighting, decorating your table and other areas, barbecues, camping, alfresco dining and all other outdoor pursuits that would benefit from beautiful lighting to create a wonderful and relaxed atmosphere.

Email: corsini@seychelles.net

You can personalise your Consol Solar Jar™ any way you like. Fill it with fruit, sand, dried flowers, shells, pebbles...

There are endless possibilities. Just use your imagination.

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

42

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH BERNARD GEORGES What happens to gifts exchanged during a marriage when divorce knocks at the door?

Bernard Georges answers.

My husband’s lawyer has added the car he gave me for my birthday last year on the list of communal assets to be divided. What is the law’s position on gifts which were given during a marriage?

It is said that a gift is a gift. One cannot make a gift and then take it back. Were the law that simple! Morally, gifts should be gifts. But legally, gifts often are poisoned apples, subject to laws and rules which make them less certain than the person receiving would like. But, let’s start at the beginning.

A gift is a gratuitous transfer of ownership in a thing in favour of another. The recipient must accept it for the gift to be valid. Once given

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A gift is a gratuitous transfer of ownership in a thing in favour of another.

The recipient must accept it for the gift to be valid.

Once given and accepted, the gift is irrevocable, period.

and accepted, the gift is irrevocable, period. If a husband makes a gift of a car to his wife for her birthday, and she accepts is, that is it. The car belongs to her and he cannot have it back.

He has in law irrevocably transferred ownership of the car from him to her. End of article? Think again...

Sadly, there are three things which can be spoilers to this simple rule: divorce, death and children.

The reader’s question relates to the first, so let’s start with that. At the breakdown of a marriage the court has the power to share out matrimonial property among the two parties. This power includes transferring title to property in the name of one party into that of the other. Thus, for example, a court can give

the husband’s car to the wife because she will need it to ferry children to and from school, or put a share of the land and house of the wife into the name of the husband because he put some money into it. It is no longer ‘what’s mine is mine; what’s yours is yours.’ But this only applies to matrimonial property, that property which has been acquired during the marriage, whether registered in one or other of the parties’ names.

The court has no power to share property which is not matrimonial property. So, if one of the parties owned the property before marriage – through earlier purchase, or inheritance, say – then this property will continue to belong to the relevant party and will not be subject to a property adjustment after divorce. Enter the car. If this was a gift by the husband to the wife, then it is clearly not a matrimonial asset and is not subject to division along with other matrimonial property.

It belongs to the wife absolutely. I must sound a note of warning, though. This is so only if the husband purchased the car from his own money, not joint matrimonial money. If the

funds to purchase the car came, say, from the joint account of the parties, then it may be classed as matrimonial property and be subject to distribution along with the rest of the matrimonial property.

If the parties do not divorce, but one of them dies, the rules regarding the irrevocability of gifts flies out of the window. Gifts between spouses are re-examined at the death of one or the other. This is because the law has made provision for reserved heirs. Children have a portion of the property of their parents reserved for them at the death of the parents.

Spouses do not. Because of this, the law makes allowance for gifts between spouses to be reconsidered. This prevents spouses, by making gifts to each other, from reducing the share of their property reserved to their children. Without going into the details of the rules of succession – these are complicated enough as it is – it can be said that gifts made between spouses during their married lives can be revoked by the law once one of them dies if they have reduced the share to which their children are entitled under the law. This

is so even if the gift is clothed in some legal document. So, if the husband sells the house by a legal deed to his wife, and the remainder of his property is insufficient to give his children their due share (one-half if there is one child, two-thirds if there are two, and three-quarters if there are three or more children) the sale of the house may be cancelled so that the value given to the wife is reduced to enable the child or children to get his, her or their share.

The saying ‘Beware of Gifts from the Greeks’ is well known. Less known is that one should also beware of gifts between spouses. They may be valid, but then again they may not.

It is a sad fact that the best of marriages and the closest of families fall apart. What were once harmonious people can turn overnight into money-grabbing, venom-throwing, accusation-making enemies. The law must cater for these acrimonious eventualities. Our law is by no means perfect. The lack of freedom to dispose of assets has been criticised and is being reconsidered. But, until then, beware of gifts. Take advice when making them. A little advance preparation can save a lot of grief later.

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.

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

44

FINANCIAL TIMES

BE SMART WITH MONEY Online Shopping Smartly Done

Be careful with the information you share on the Internet says Philippa De Charmoy Lablache The season for giving (partying and spending) is upon us. Some of you have been very good and have been putting a little bit aside regularly, according to your spending plan, to accommodate for the higher cash outflow typical of the December months (new clothes and footwear for the end of year parties, presents for everybody, food and drinks on top of normal expenses) – you can go right ahead and give yourself a pat on the back and expect to be rewarded with a stress-free January 2016.

The rest of us, we’ll just flow with the tide and pray that we make it through January with our sanity still intact.

Despite the ‘spend, spend and spend some more’ attitude that we adopt during the holiday season, we should never let our guard down when making payments using our credit or debit card, whether at a POS or online. Your card details can be likened to a key into your account and as such should be given the same level of protection that you would give to a key to a vault that contained all your savings and a

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batch of signed blank cheques drawn on your account.

All of us who shop online run the risk of falling victim to card fraud. The online marketplace is marred with all sorts of unscrupulous individuals looking for a way to make a quick buck, sullying the reputation of the Internet as a marketplace. However, if we take a couple of simple measures, we can protect ourselves so that we can confidently and with relative safety tap into this very convenient means of doing our Christmas shopping. In this issue, I will share some tips that if applied, can significantly reduce your risk of being defrauded when shopping online.

START WITH A CLEAN DEVICE

Before even attempting to shop online, do ensure that your PC or mobile device is protected from malicious software (also known as malware). Fraudsters make use of keyloggers (software that capture keystrokes as you type) and other screen capture software

running in the background to get hold of your card details as you type this in online to make a payment. Using your own Internet connection the information is relayed to the fraudster and once they have that, they will have a field day clearing out your account or maxing out your credit card. Malware may be silently installed on your desktop or laptop PC, tablet or phone when you visit dodgy sites or share storage devices such as flash drives and external hard disks with others. So do ensure that you have antivirus software installed, virus definitions regularly updated and the computing device regularly deep scanned.

GO FOR REPUTABLE OUTLETS

There are millions of sites online selling a multitude of items but not all of them should be trusted. Some fraudsters posing as retailers will take your payment and not deliver anything, while other sites exist solely to get hold of your card details to empty your bank account. So, if you find a super new site selling really cool stuff, before you start filling in your shopping

USE PAYPAL

PayPal is now a widely accepted form of payment, which most reputable online retailers offer. By tying up your card(s) to your PayPal account, instead of typing in your card details on those sites that accept this form of payment, you only type in your PayPal username (your email address) and password, then choose which card you’d like to pay with. Not only is this more convenient as you don’t have to have your card in hand while you are making the payment, it is also safer as you can be reassured that PayPal would not permit just any anonymous person setting up shop on the internet to use its good name. I tend to be very wary of sites that do not offer payment via PayPal and as far as possible avoid them.

ENSURE THE COMMUNICATION IS SECURE

Normally, information flows around the Internet as plain text. That is, if someone managed to intercept the communication between your internet browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and the server that it is sending and receiving information to and from, they would be able to read it. To ensure that this does not happen, reputable online retailers put in place encryption mechanisms

“All of us who shop online run the risk of falling victim to card fraud.” that convert your card information into a code that only them can decipher. When about to make an online card payment, check if the URL (or web address) of the page that you are about to key in your card information on begins with https (the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’). You may even see a padlock in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window or in the address bar. If you do not see any of these signs, it is recommended that you do not proceed.

MONITOR YOUR ACCOUNT

Keeping track of the transactions going through your account will alert you if your card details have fallen in the wrong hands. With internet banking, electronic statements and

advices, and SMS or text alerts being offered by many banks, by signing up for these services you will find out quickly (if not immediately) if your card details were used to make a payment that you did not authorise, permitting you to contact your bank to request for the card to be blocked from making any further payments.

Some banks may even go as far as offering card fraud monitoring services, whereby you may be contacted via telephone, email or SMS to be advised of card transactions authorised on your account and may go insofar as automatically blocking the card if a card transaction suspected as fraudulent to prevent any further potentially fraudulent debits.

With your card details, a dishonest person may find their way into your bank or credit card account and make off with a good portion of the wealth that you have worked hard to accumulate. Therefore, your card information should only be disclosed to trustworthy third parties, through a secure mechanism. Through websites such as Amazon, eBay, ASOS, Boohoo. com, and the like, you could easily get most of your Christmas shopping done without you having to break a sweat running about through Victoria (or any other city for that matter) to find the ideal gifts for loved ones and clothes and footwear for the parties. However, to ensure that you have a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2016, be smart when parting with your card details.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a 2016 full of love and happiness.

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DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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FINANCIAL TIMES

basket, open up Google (or other search engine of your choice) and do a bit of research on this merchant. If you can’t find much information about them, your best bet is to not buy from the site.

MINDFUL LIVING

VIEW FROM THE STATION

“I AM SAFE AND IN CONTROL...”

Dr Jyotsna Gundecha on OVERCOMING PANIC AND ANXIETY “The bell rings and the invigilator hands over the answer sheets. I pick up my pen to write my name and find my hands getting cold and clammy. I somehow manage to write. Next, I am holding the question paper and soon I find myself struggling to bring the sentences in focus. My vision has started playing tricks, my heart is beating a loud drum in my ears and the same bell that the exams started with, starts ringing in my ears. It is a cacophony now and it takes my breath away. I struggle to get air inside my lungs, my legs seem lifeless and then the room starts becoming darker and darker…

I wake up on a soft couch, somewhere. A kind lady is fanning me with a book and as soon as she sees me waking, she holds out a glass of water. I realise I have missed my Mathematics exams and the episode seems to start building up once more. But the kind woman speaks in a matching calm voice and assures me that “everything will be fine.” She is the student counsellor and I think she knows exactly what’s happening to me. Seeing her reassuring smile I lie down and wonder what my parents would say to this. This year is important to me and my parents have high hopes from me.

I have been a good student all through my school years and now everything would

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start collapsing. I am afraid I won’t be able to stop this.”

That is a typical write up of a person experiencing a panic attack. Many of us have experienced a certain situation when we felt like this or something close to this.

It is a fairly common reaction in stressful circumstances. A one-off occurrence would warrant no serious attention; a strong will, or support from a friend, a parent, or a school counsellor would help one to cope with this and it may never occur again. But a few of us will need more help because the attacks seem to repeat more often and sometimes in circumstances that are not in the least threatening. That is when we could call this dis-ease a Panic disorder.

In normal life occasional anxiety is a normal phenomenon, almost a necessity for survival. Without anxiety we would not anticipate danger or challenge thus leaving us unprepared in potentially threatening circumstances. Thus, anxiety prepares us on the physical level with the “fight or flight” response. When the anxiety becomes more intense taking the form of excessive, irrational fear or dread and the fears start interfering with daily activities disrupting work, relationships

and social life, over a significant period of time, it would then be called an Anxiety Disorder.

These are classified under 3 categories based on the presentation – Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Panic Disorder Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) Generalised Anxiety Disorder usually starts slowly, often during the teens or early adulthood. It is a condition where an individual is worried about day to day things unreasonably, always fearing that things will go badly. Getting through the day is a task filled with intense and constant worry. They are unable to relax and startle easily. They suffer from sleepless nights, have problems falling and staying asleep. This condition often interferes with work and finishing tasks becomes difficult, adding to the anxiety. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, frequency of micturition

Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance abuse.

These may mask the anxiety symptoms or make them worse. Proper evaluation is thus of utmost important to rule out or treat the co-morbid condition. People with anxiety disorders are likely to develop substance abuse, if they are treated by self-medication with over-the-counter medications. Anxiety disorders respond well to treatment and an early diagnosis goes a long way in avoiding unnecessary medication. Proper approach to the treatment would include counselling by an expert. Today, we find many new approaches to tackle these deeper issues, such as Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT), Past life regression (PLR), Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and so on. But one must use utmost caution while choosing any therapy.

Yogic postures like child pose (Sasankasana), seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana or Janushirasana) , inverted poses like Viparita karani or the shoulder stand (Sarvangasana), the bridge pose (Setubandhasana) , Camel pose (Ustrasana), Bow pose (Dhanurasan), bound angle pose (Baddha konasana), easy pose (Sukhasana) and the corpse pose (Savasana) are some of the poses that not only alleviate anxiety but can remove the cause of the deep-seated fears.

Relaxation techniques and Yoga nidra are very effective in combating phobias.

Breathing practices like Tiger breathing (Marjarasana), Nadishuddhi (balancing) pranayama, Sheetali (cooling) pranayama have a calming effect on the mind.

Meditation soothes the distressed mind and brings a harmonizing effect on the mind, body and spirit.

The Homeopathic remedies Aconite, Arsenicum album and Kali Phos are generally known as essential panic

remedies. These should always be on-hand for such a situation, either for yourself, a family member or friend.

Social phobias can be effectively managed by remedies like Baryta carb, Calcarea carb, Hyoscyamus, Lycopodium, Natrum carb or Pulsatilla.

Homeopathy has much to offer and in cases of Generalised Anxiety Disorders. Kali carb, Phosphorus, Arsenicum, Nux vomica are just some of the many Homeopathic remedies available to help calm and ease with gentle efficacy and without side effects.

For chronic cases of panic and anxiety, it is advisable to seek support in an indepth Homeopathic consultation where a detailed case history will help the Homeopath to carefully select a remedy on an individualised basis. The method used will help shift and heal chronic fears and resolve deep seated issues.

Perhaps it’s time to face your fears, acknowledge your anxieties and open yourself to seek help. Life is too precious to live in the shadows of constant fear. The freedom you can experience by breaking out of the clutches of panic cannot be underestimated. Often family members and friends, who have never had such an experience can and often do make light of one’s suffering. Take control of this and arm yourself with remedies. Tell yourself, “I am safe and in control” and never look back with homeopathy as your companion.

Get your Homeopathic remedies at Lily Moon, The Station, Sans Souci or call 4225709 for an appointment.

Dr Jyotsna Gundecha is the Managing Homeopath at The Station’s wellness centre.

Dr Jyo is a homeopath with 18 years of experience.

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MINDFUL LIVING

or diarrhoea, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes. The severity of symptoms may vary from time to time, being heightened during periods of stress. People with GAD can function normally at work and socially too if the anxiety levels are mild.

Panic disorder is twice as common in women as men. It begins in late adolescence or early adulthood. Many people who had one panic attack may never have another. The tendency to panic disorder appears to be inherited and runs in families. Panic attacks can occur at any time, even in sleep. The symptoms are typically a sense of impending doom, fear of loss of control or death, palpitation, sweating, trembling, tightness of throat or chest, headache, dizziness, feeling of unreality or detachment, headache, chest pain. The worst fear, however is that the panic attack will recur, making a person avoid situations which they fear might trigger the attack. These individuals start avoiding places such as elevators, open spaces (agoraphobia) making their choices very restricted and sometimes become housebound. In patients having a full blown panic disorder, the condition can be very disabling affecting the quality of life severely.

Social phobia runs in families. It usually begins in childhood or early adolescence and it affects men and women equally.

These individuals are very anxious about being with other people and have a hard time talking to them even when they wish they could. They are often too selfconscious to the extent of embarrassment.

They are anxious for days before a social event and often avoid them all together.

They have difficulty making and keeping friends. They often feel nauseous or sick, tremble and flush in company of other people. Social phobias are often associated with other anxiety disorders or even depression.

AGONY AUNT

The danger of assumptions in relationships and a man barely coping with his wife’s sexual demands – Annalisa advices.

Q:

Dear Annalisa, Christmas is the most depressing time of the year for me. I have been single for four years and four for four Christmases I have attended parties without a plus-one, put up with my family telling me, ‘it’ll be different next year’, watched other people go OTT with festive PDA all around me. I feel like running away from it all. Any tips on how I put on that smile and pretend I’m fine?

Aimee, 33

A: Dear Aimee,

There is so much hype about Christmas being spent with that one special person. So much so, that we tend to focus on and feel happiness for only those who are coupled up. In the event that life circumstances, so dictates otherwise, Christmas is almost completely seen as uneventful, with wishes and hopes of having better luck in the next year.

Why make Christmas a day of longing for a special someone, when the day itself is generally spent with so many other loved ones?

It is all too common to find that people will overlook the other special persons they get to spend another Christmas with. So many people this Christmas, will be longing for someone. Someone they would have lost during the year, a loved one that they’d wish could be physically present to spend another Christmas with them.

We are loved throughout the year by so many people, a friend, a mother, a brother, a grandparent, a nephew or a father - who are all so thankful to be spending another Christmas with you. Yet with each passing year, you seem to have lost sight of that, focusing on what’s not there; your plus one.

My only tip: For Christmas this year drop the pretence. Give yourself the gift of being ‘just fine’ for real and put on a ‘real’ smile. If someone say “‘it’ll be different next year’, be positive and say with belief and conviction that “it’s good already this year, because I still have you”. Be in the moment and enjoy yourself truthfully. Next year could bring just about anything.

With that, “Have a very merry Xmas with all your loved ones”.

Q:

Dear Annalisa, I’ve decided to explore the vegetarian way of life and much to my shock my family thinks it’s the most ridiculous thing they’ve ever heard. I wasn’t expecting them to love the idea but at the very least some show of support would have been nice. With Christmas and New Year round the corner I am dreading the jokes that they’re about to spurt out at me. Do I try and make them understand or do I make my peace that they will never change?

Jacob, 24

A: Dear Jacob,

Simply put it. You can only control your behaviour and not that of others.

That means that you can only control your behaviour regarding your choice to become a vegetarian. It also means that you will have absolutely no control over your family’s reaction to your choice of becoming a vegetarian.

Do you know why you want to become a vegetarian? Do you firmly believe in your arguments to adopt that lifestyle? Have you done your research about how to maintain and sustain that lifestyle change? Valuable information for you but would all that information be of value to your family, for a change of opinion?

Maybe yes but then again, maybe no. Essentially you would know them better (than me) to deduct if it will at least curb some of the jokes, during this festive season’s meals. But then again, you can’t control their reaction that could very well continue to be less than supportive.

However your reactions or therefore lack of it, could very well determine how they proceed with the jokes. Ignoring unwanted and unflattering comments can deflate its impact. On the other hand arguing your point or trying to convince someone of your principles can sometimes inflate the situation. Therefore choose your best reaction, which lies in your control. .

In the same light, your choice of lifestyle should not necessarily be forced onto others. There is no guarantee that your family “will never change” but change lies within their control.

All in all, there can only be so many vegetarian jokes.

Merry Xmas and a happy new year 2016.

Annalisa Labiche is a practicing Clinical Psychologist with over five years experience. She completed her Bachelor of Art (Psychology) degree and Masters in Psychology in Australia. She gives advice on a multitude of subjects, including relationships, parenting, family issues, psychological disorders, substance misuse amongst many others.

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Exclusive Distributor:

Mamma Mia (Pty) Ltd t: 4 374 545 | e: mammamia@seychelles.net

Light up your Day!

(248) 434 6838 Eden Island | Seychelles

DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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FASHION

Less is More The key to a minimalist wardrobe in five easy steps by Anique Catlin-Joubert

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Styling the same piece in a dramatically different way is more interesting than barely ever wearing the same thing.

That

feeling:

liberty,

Think about what you naturally gravitate towards.

Do you spend most of your days in trousers and a casual top?

Monochromatic outfits? Oversized pieces? Then not only do we have a lot in common style-wise, you probably don’t need as many other items of clothing as you may have. Sure, a couple of dresses and nice shirts are indispensable for variety’s sake but, for example, if you’re not going to wear bright colours or skirts very often, owning as few as you feel comfortable with is the first and perhaps biggest step to cutting down the size of your clothing collection. Likewise, if pastels and prints are your thing, you can happily keep the plain, dark stuff to a minimum without feeling that your wardrobe is under-stocked.

Don’t force yourself to wear what you don’t already.

It’s all too common a scenario: fishing out something from the bottom of a drawer or back of a closet that hasn’t seen the light of day in far too long and saying to oneself, “I really should wear this more often.” If it isn’t something you really like or know how to style, it might be worth considering whether or not it’s worth holding on to.

simplicity,

harmony. Whatever it is, over the past year the minimalist within me, desperately craving that je ne sais quoi, has driven me to downsize

If you like to follow trends, choose ‘timeless’ pieces.

Trends are undeniably exciting but are dangerous to your wallet and your wardrobe space. If you like to keep up with the current fashion, make sure the pieces you buy aren’t going to be seen as out of style in a few years and may even come back in.

my wardrobe by more than half, and the satisfaction it has brought me is immense. Waking up to a fresh environment, absent of clutter, is a feeling like no other, although

Get rid of ‘repeat’ items.

Rather than having five tops that are very similar in shape and design, think about keeping two or three and how you could recycle each one instead: tucked in to jeans with heels or loose over a dress with flats, for example. Styling the same piece in a dramatically different way is more interesting than barely ever wearing the same thing.

one that is often fleeting, thanks to the ever-present temptation to add a top here and a jacket there; but the good thing is that repeating the process never gets old. Here are a few tips for the New Year to get that serene and spacious feeling by minimising your wardrobe.

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Don’t be too hasty or rigid.

Once you get going, it can be tempting to do away with a good portion of what you have; don’t forget that it’s all too easy to get rid of something in the moment and end up regretting it a week later, especially if it was sentimental or expensive. Numerical quotas are also dangerous; if you do have five similar tops that you like and wear frequently then there’s no need to get rid of any of them just because you set yourself a minimum. While a certain amount of unwavering resolution is needed when throwing things away, everybody’s idea of a minimalistic wardrobe differs in size, and although terribly cliche it’s true that you simply need to go about it in the way that works best for you. You’ll know when you’re happy with the results.

Follow Anique on her blog, styluspoint.blogspot.com, and/or on twitter, @stylusvanne.

CONSERVATION

CLIMATE ACTION What is Seychelles doing to contribute to change?

The new international agreement will come into force in 2020, replacing the now out-dated Kyoto Protocol, drafted in 1992.

For some people this is just boring international politics. But for many others, the Paris Summit is an exciting opportunity for the world to come together and craft a plan that will set us all on a better path for the future. Paris will see a convergence of artists, musicians, activists, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, politicians, youth, indigenous peoples, NGOs - movers and shakers of all sorts – all there together to commit to action for a more sustainable world.

The Age of Stupid. This was the title of a really depressing British film released in 2009 starring Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in 2055, in a world devastated by climate change.

It’s a drama-documentary, moving between Pete’s world and archive footage from the period around 2005-2009. Pete is shown news and documentary footage from our era where the impacts of climate change are already being felt, and the solutions and technology all within our grasp, but we were too stupid to know that this is the time for action. Check it out.

We are still in the Age of Stupid, carrying on consuming the earth’s resources and polluting the land, air and sea as though we don’t need them for our survival. But at this precise moment in history we are on the edge of an opportunity to show how smart and capable human beings can be when needed. Now, in December 2015, world leaders are gathering in Paris for the biggest and most important international climate summit ever held: the COP21.

The summit is being organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the UNFCCC) and the purpose is clear: to come up with a new and binding agreement on reducing greenhouse gases that all countries

In December 2015, world leaders are gathering in Paris for the biggest and most important international climate summit ever held: the COP21. of the world will endorse, and for wealthier countries to provide support for poorer countries to adopt greener technologies and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Seychelles is ready to participate – a team of government and civil society representatives will be at the conference, speaking up on behalf of our small island state, and in solidarity with others like us, through the Alliance of Small Island States. We have already submitted our INDC report, which outlines our own plans for reducing greenhouse gases and adapting to climate change. You can check out the report here: http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/ INDC/Submission%20Pages/submissions.aspx

Here in Seychelles, there is a lot we can do, and already a lot is being done. The youth group SYAH-Seychelles held a mock summit for youth at the end of November, and joined with Sustainability for Seychelles to host a climate solidarity march on Sunday November 28th – a march that is taking place on the same day as thousands of other similar events all over the globe. The Alliance Francaise and Sustainability for Seychelles are hosting a climate change arts event featuring local artists from December 1st to the 18th – the programme includes an exhibition, an art opening, poetry and music evening and art workshops for kids. Many schools, government departments, businesses and NGOs are doing projects to promote climate action.

Each of us at home can also take action by reducing our household carbon footprint, e.g. buying local goods and foods, reducing the amount of waste we produce, practising energy and water conservation, reducing our car use, and helping to create communities where neighbours help each other in times of need.

This is a time for hope, and a time for change – it’s not the time to be stupid and carry on with business as usual. Bon courage to us all to be brave!

Read the draft text for the new climate agreement: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/adp2/ eng/8infnot.pdf

Contributed by Elke Talma for Sustainability for Seychelles, a local NGO whose mission is to promote sustainable living in Seychelles. Contact us on info@s4seychelles.com or tel 422-4072. Find us on the web at www.s4seychelles.com or on Facebook. This article was made possible thanks to funding support from the GEF Small Grants Programme.

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Life, love and everything else

Au Revoir POTPOURRI The me today is thankful to the me of four years ago for choosing to write for POTPOURRI, and the me today thanks Marie-France and Ineke for accepting me on the team.

Alexandria Faure is thankful for her journey over the last four years

With every article I sent, my passion for writing grew and my inner voice surfaced.

Transforming my thoughts and life experiences helped me gain clarity in many areas of my life and supported a platform where deep self-reflection became a day-today occurrence. In every aspect of my writing and with every word I typed, I felt liberated.

A liberation that I believe has been vital for my growth into the conscious young woman that I am today.

I remember the first article I wrote for Potpourri four years ago! And this is how it ended: The purpose of life is a life of purpose’ ~ Robert Byrne.

And so, I will end this one on the exact same note.

“The Purpose of life is a life of purpose” Our lives are in our hands, we are the creators so let’s be led by our dreams and keep on discovering new things. Let’s discover new hobbies, new tastes, new countries, new friends and new habits. (Healthy habits!)

Let’s release the shackles of our past that’s holding us back and let’s start believing that worthiness is our birthright.

Let’s own every part of ourselves, the perfect and the imperfect, the craziness and the weirdness. Let’s find a balance and let’s not forget the mind, the body and the spirit Let’s choose to shine.

Let’s live a life of purpose.

And above all, let’s live and cherish every moment.

Discover new things, read books you’ve never read before, listen to music you don’t hear on the radio and try things you thought you’d never try.

Alexandria Faure is a freelance writer with a degree in Drama & Theatre Arts and hopes to pursue a masters in the near future. She is passionate about preserving the unique Kreol culture and heritage of Seychelles, and her hobby is researching different cultural aspects of Seychelles and the historical stories behind them. She hopes to share ideas and thoughts drawn from her life experiences in her articles.

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POP CULTURE

2015 in Review

Wow! I cannot believe it’s December already, I mean where did the time go? Nevertheless, 2015 has been a great year for Seychelles’ Music on a whole especially with the introduction of SBC’s new music policy which led to a huge influx of original music. So I thought it would be befitting with the last edition of POTPOURRI to do a month by month review of 2015.

JANUARY…

As the dust settled on the festive season, most people were still raving about local superstar Tania’s Nou Promes Christmas tear-jerker ballad. The emotional Christmas song is about the tragic death of a loved one just before Christmas, which aroused emotions to those feeling ‘blue’ during the festive season. The song peaked at number 1 and I’m sure it will be still be a favourite this time around also.

On the first day of 2015 Champion brought down the house with a full house concert at Tequila Boom which closed off an amazing year from him with the release of his album Yardflow 2.0.

FEBRUARY…

After a massive hit with his album in 2013, Mercenary held sold out concerts in 2014 around the country. He is widely regarded as one of the best reggae artists in Seychelles and it is no surprise that a new album was highly anticipated. As predicted, he did not disappoint. In February, Mercenary dropped Nouvo Edisyon and with hits like Believe Dan Love and Roula Roula he dominated the airwaves and packed out venues across the island.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Telsy released a cover version of John Writz popular classic Regard Sa Zetwal. The song, which is a jazzy ballad had mixed a bit at first which is always a case when you cover a popular classic.

MARCH…

The introduction of SBC’s new music policy at the start of 2015 meant that only originally created music will be played on its radio and TV stations.

With that, there was an influx of sega music from younger artists who had previously opted for quick tracks on already popular instrumentals.

Highness & Ril was one of the first to hit the scene with his sega single Zanmi pou enpe letan, which was a spicy little number depicting story of flake friends. After that, more original Sega hits were dominating the airwaves, Smaskkid was next with his hit song Lavi Martir which word has it, is a true story. Daniello , Frello, JPD all had sega singles on rotation on radio from then on.

APRIL…

As Seychelles geared up for Carnival 2015, the Carnival song competition winner by Telsy was on heavy rotation but in a funny twist of events it was the runner up song by Regi & Cusman Carnaval Dan Sesel that seemed to capture the audience the most making it the most requested song of that month.

Following up from his major success in 2014, Jakim released single Fight Pou Nou Love , the single was highly anticipated to follow in the footstep of Jakim’s 2014 Donn ou Bal but failed just short of the mark. Nevertheless, it single peaked in the top 5 in the chart and is still one of the favourites of 2015. Rampage the Carnival Party saw a record crowd of 25,000 plus

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for its introduction into the Carnival Program. Hype Production had international DJ/Producer MIKE ONE has the head liner.

MAY...

He is regarded has the most popular entertainer in Seychelles and with a schedule to match. With his monthly tour across the country Joseph ‘Pa Tous Tous’ Sinon released his album Anmenn Mwan. As expected, his album which reflected his typical style was well received by his army of fans and included hits like Welele, Myse Marcel and Madanm Angle which dominated the airwaves. He continued to pack out venues all across the country even reviving the 80’s entertainment venue Reef Hotel.

May also saw two other albums drop from Seychelles’ heavy weights Jean Marc Volcy and Joseph Louise.

JUNE...

Travis kicked off June with his answer to Enrique’s Bailando with Frazil.

Travis, one to explore his vocal talent through a variety of genre of music did just that with ‘Frazil’ and went on to dominate the airwaves and nightclubs. Travis was also the runner up in the National Day song competition with Avan Tou in the same month which in my personal opinion was a very close second to winner Antoinette Dodin’s Meyer Plas Anba Lesyel.

June also saw C-Los & T-Tray collaborated on what’s possibly a contender for song of the year Paradise. We also had debut single from Trigger Separasyon and the return of Jah 1 with single The only one for me.

JULY…

It’s not often that children follow in their parent’s footsteps especially when it comes to music. For Ketty Melanie’s son Havilah, it’s a different story. He released his debut album En pe Letan, which coincided with the marking of his mother’s 25 years in music. Ketty celebrated the moment by dropping a whooping 100 track Mp3 album.

AUGUST…

The newly opened beach soccer stadium was the venue for the concert labelled ‘Sesel Nou La’. Promoters assembled an impressive line-up of over 22 local artist, six DJs and three MCs. At the concert’s peak you could barely see the sand and the crowd was dancing and singing along, having a great time.

August also saw Praslin Artist Kolonel release his album with his hit Pa Fasil Isi Ba. Telemaquino also from Praslin released a radio single.

SEPTEMBER…

From the Miss Seychelles…Another World 2015 pageant to dominating the airwaves, out of literally nowhere in came storming Miss Photogenic

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2015, 19 old Angie Arnephy with Bers Mon Lavi Dan ou Love the re-make of an already popular song in Reunion by regionally renown musician Cyril Moimbé AKA Toulou.

Heavyweight Philip Toussaint also released his highly anticipated album Pa Pou Anpandan and went on to dominate the airwaves and pack out concert venues around the country. Tittle track Pa Pou Anpandan featuring Jahrimba is still a current favourite and it is a feisty contender for song of the year.

OCTOBER...

Festival Creole was celebrated for the whole month rather than the usual one week affair and with it came an influx of albums and singles. First to drop was an all-star combination of Jahkim, Champion and Mercenary with their single Kreol Wave.

Then came Ras Ricky with the album Lekleraz which was also the title track. Catchy single Sexy Baba is still creating havoc in nightclubs and parties. There was also the release of Diadem album

by Elijah with single Enpridan representing the album on the airwaves.

NOVEMBER…

The rise of ZanFan Move, A local group that had been recording songs underground for the best part of two years until their discovery by Hype Production. Zanfan Move singles was mass released nationally and like house on fire became the most followed group in the country.

Their local and unique hiphop/rap style made them the new trend especially with the youth and earning the boys Cocky, Gunz and KS almost overnight success. Their style is somewhat controversial especially with some of their lyrics however one cannot deny the raw talent of these boys. Since their addition to the Hype Production roster Zanfan Move has been touring Seychelles gathering more fans in the process and November saw their first radio single Potboiler hit the airwaves with the mix tape dropping before the end of 2015. Surely the group of 2015.

DECEMBER...

It’s been coming for a while Ion Kid’s second solo album, Deborde, is finally here! The big question is whether the 2012 and 2013 male artist of the year left it late or is strategically planning to scoop up another award with the Music Award season looming on the horizon.

Whatever the case may be, Deborde is full of potential hits, like Maler and Moral Anler. However it remains to be seen if it’s clever calculation or will Ion Kid miss the mark to scoop up another Male Artist of the year title.

December also sees the introduction of a new artist from the Relation camp by the name of Mia with her single Naiv.

Xtra Big and KJ both also dropped albums with Xtra Big’s Sigaret Dan Sandriye making the most noise of the two.

Best OF 2015 The Charts Paradise FM Top 10 Local Songs 1 Pa Pou Anpandan – Philip Toussaint ft Jahrimba 2 Believe Dan Love - Mercenary 3 Paradise – C-Los ft T Tray 4 Myse Marcel – Joseph Sinon 5 Frazil – Travis 6 Deborde – Ion Kid 7 Bers Mon Dan Ou Love – Angie 8 Popiler – Zanfan Move 9 Xtra Big ft Vinod – Sigaret Dan Sandriye 10 Fight Pou Nou Love - Jahkim

Top 10 Hits In The Club’s 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LESSON LO LESSON – ZANFAN MOVE WATCH ME WHIP / NAE NAE - SILENTO GANGSTA DAN UNIFORM – REZ FT RAS RICKY SHEKINI– P SQUARE ROULA - MERCENARY DI BADDEST – MAD COBRA LEAN ON – MAJOR LAZER & DJ SNAKE FESTER SKANK – LETHAL BIZZLE HERE COMES TROUBLE - CHRONIXX SOUL PROVIDER – ROMAIN VIRGO

Up Coming Live Concert & Gigs ELVIS CESAR NYE Concert Date: Thursday 31st December Venue: Tequila Boom ( Mahe ) ELVIS CESAR New Year Day Concert Date: Friday 1st January Venue: Taroza ( La Digue )

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Words are not enough to express our gratitude for your support in the past five years.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

The POTPOURRI Team DECEMBER 2015 | POTPOURRI

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