02232018 weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

books poetry film fashion music history food puzzles gardening

Weekend

BELLES OF THE BALL

Page 14 & 15

242 meets Wakanda Local stuntman lands ‘Black Panther’ role

Interview, page 4 & 5

02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

community

C B Moss recognised for his ‘Golden Heart’

T

he Rev C B Moss has been named as the 50th recipient of the Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award presented by The Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation.

Every year, at the Heart Foundation’s annual gala ball, the award is given to an individual who is recognised for their community work, selflessness, and for being a promoter of human welfare and dignity, thus making life better for their fellow man.

This individual is nominated by members of the public.

Receiving the 2017 award at last Saturday’s gala hosted at the Meliá Nassau Beach resort, Dr Moss said he accepts this special recognition with deep gratitude.

Service to others has been a way of life for Dr Moss. It is when he is assisting someone or contributing to a worthy cause that he feels most fulfilled, he said.

Dr Moss was born in Acklins, but soon after he and his family moved to New Providence, settling in Grants Town.

He attended several schools in New Providence, graduating from the Eastern Secondary School in 1963. He subsequently earned a diploma in Banking from the Bahamas Institute of Bankers; an Associates of Arts in Business Administration, Banking and Finance from the College of the Bahamas; a certificate in business studies from Lindsey Hopkins Institute in Miami, Florida, and a certificate in Advance Management from the University of Miami.

He also received a Certificate in Christian Education from the Bahamas Baptist Bible Institute, a Bachelor of Theology Degree from the Trinity Theological Seminary, Illinois, and a Doctor

(l-r) The Rev Dr C B Moss with his Golden Heart Award, Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling and R E Barnes, chairman of the Sir Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation.

Members of the Moss family at last Saturday’s Heart Ball. of Divinity Degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary, Virginia.

A banker by profession, he served in several management capacities at local banks for almost 25 years. He is currently the president and CEO of C B Moss and Associates Consultants.

Dr Moss grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ as his Lord in 1978.

He received the call to the

ministry and was ordained as a minister in January 1981. In January 1983, Mount Olive Baptist Church was organised with him as pastor; the still serves at the church to this day.

Over the years he has contributed to the national development through his involvement in many professional, religious, charitable, political, fraternal, cultural and community organisations.

These organisations include the Bahamas Kidney Foundation, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association, the Acklins Trade and Development Association, the Progressive Liberal Party, and Bahamas National Trust, to name but a few.

In early 1977, he had his first contact with the Bahamas Red Cross Society. While living in Freeport, Grand Bahama, he

was asked to organise an “old fashioned Nassau” parade to promote that year’s fair in Freeport. The entire Island was mobilised and the largest parade in the history of the Island was held, contributing to a very successful fair. Later in the year the bank transferred him back to Nassau. He accepted an invitation by the National Red Cross to join the management committee and shortly thereafter the executive committee. Late in 1978 he was appointed president, a position he held for six years. During his tenure, the Bahamas Red Cross Society became actively involved in the regional and international world of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The atmosphere at the Red Cross, he said, was one of family and made it a wonderful place to serve. Persons he singled out where Lottie V Tynes, past director general of the Red Cross, the late Marina Glinton, past director general; Dorothy King, past deputy director general, Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling, and Ken Lam. Dr Moss is married to the former Francisca Marie Johnson and they are the proud parents of five children and grandparents to 15.

The Heart Foundation was founded by Evelyn, Lady Sassoon, in 1961 after the death of her husband, Sir Victor Sassoon. The award named in her honour was handed out for the first time in 1986.

The purpose of the foundation is to assist children with cardiac care. To date, the nonprofit organisation has assisted more than 4,000 children with heart disease with no major contribution from the government.

• SEE PAGE 14+15 for ‘Belles of the Heart Ball’

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Friday, February 23, 2018

Inside Weekend

My perfect Bahamian weekend Pamela Williams Legacy Memorial Mortuary Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?

Interview 4-5 Cara Hunt talks to one of the stuntmen on “Black Panther”, Bahamian James Elwood Hanna

Food 7

New Downtown café serves up authentic Italian gelato

Entertainment 8 - 9 “Home is Where the Art is” event series highlights luxury properties and local artists

Music 10 Nehemiah Hield invites listeners to a ‘Tropical Heaven’

Books 11 Best-selling Bahamian author Tanya R Taylor releases new book

Fashion 13 Traditional wedding dresses make a comeback at the Muna Love Affair show

Belles of the ball 14 - 15 Dressed to the nines for the 54th Annual Heart Ball

Poetry 17 Bahamian students are inspired

by Martin Luther King Jr

Education 18 Percy The Potcake teaches kids about the different islands

Film 19 A trippy experience with “Annihilation” and a lively outing with “Game Night”

Literary Lives 20 - 23 Life’s but an adventure for Sir Christopher Ondaatje

Forgotten Facts 25 Paul C Aranha remembers Nassau’s Death Valley

Puzzles 26

Animals 27 Kim Aranha explains “not-cakes”

Gardening 28 The many uses and benefits or coconut water

Cover | Shawn Hanna

“Saturday breakfast.

Because I am usually busy on Sunday

Q: Wine, rum, cocktail or Kalik?

“Wine! It’s wonderful to wind down and relax with.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“Beach! It’s relaxing

and tranquil” Q: What is the one thing that you can’t live without?

“My children. They are my inspiration.”

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

“Bora Bora. It’s beautiful and mesmerising; it’s a place where you can forget about the world.”

Things 2 Do this weekend Friday • Rolf Haas and Miki Aoki Meet and Greet Venue: 1er Cru, Gladstone Road Time: 5pm - 6.45pm Join the Nassau Music Society for a chance to meet acclaimed violinist Rolf Haas and pianist Miki Aoki and enjoy a free preview of their upcoming concerts. NMS memberships and concert tickets will be for sale.

Purchase your NMS membership and be entered in a raffle to win a free concert ticket and/or a bottle of wine from 1er Cru. Happy hour is from 5pm, and the musical performance starts at 6pm. Their concerts follow on Saturday at 7.30pm at The Current, Baha Mar, and Sunday at 5.30pm at St Paul’s Church Hall, Lyford Cay.

• Bahamas Masqueraders Costume Launch Time: 8pm Venue: BahMas Kingdom (Island Gases) The Bahamas Masqueraders present “The Jewels of Desire” as their theme for their 2018 Carnival costume. For more information call 376-1381 or e-mail bahamasmasqueraders@ gmail.com.

• Sherriversary - Sherwood Rahming Live Time: 8.30pm - midnight Venue: Hillside House, Cumberland Street Celebrating one year since the release of his record “No

Sudgin”, genre-bending artist Sherwood Rahming is inviting fans to a special night of music.

There will be special guest appearances by Adria Jenee and Zuu. Tickets are available from www.sherwoodrahmingmusic.com and are free if you RSVP; or $10 at the door.

Saturday

• Heart Health Walk/Run Time: 6am Start: Arawak Cay Hosted by the Bahamas Heart Association, participants are asked to “heartwalk and run” for a healthier Bahamas and help mend a child’s broken heart. The registration fee is $20. The turnaround for the 4.2 mile route is at Goodman’s Bay.

• BAIC Pop-Up Farmer’s Market Venue: Gladstone Road Farmer’s Market Time: 8am - 3pm Fresh produces and farm materials will be on sale.

• Artwalk at Marina Village Venue: Atlantis, Paradise Island Time: 2pm - 10pm Enjoy art, crafts and music

by Bahamian artisans and sample locally grown and made products.

• Enigma’s SuGar Costume Launch Party Venue: The Pointe Nassau Time: 9pm The Pointe Parking Complex rooftop (9th floor) is the setting

for the Enigma’s SuGar costume launch party. Tickets are $15 from Mario’s Bowling and $20 at the door. Parking is $5.

Sunday

• Soap Making Class Time: 2pm - 6pm Venue: Something Better, Davis Street Marlene McKinney teaches a soap making class for $100 per person, which includes all materials. Online registration is available at somethingbetterschool.com.

• Strut Your Mutt 2018 Time: 4pm Venue: Goodman’s Bay Walk with or without your dog for a good cause. Participate and receive a ‘doggie bag’ with a gift for you and your pup.

Registration is from 2.45pm to 3.45pm. Visit baarkbahamas.org for more information.

• Movies on the Cay Time: 4.30pm - 9pm This is pop-up movie event located on a cay just off New Providence. Guests are transported from the Bay Street Marina to the secret location via Sea Spray tours, the first and only airboat in the Bahamas. The cost of your ticket, available from Eventbrite.com, includes the boat ride, seating, survival kit, a small snack and a glass of wine.

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

interview “Black Panther” fever is sweeping the globe. But what many theatre-goers may not know is that the Bahamas has a significant presence in the movie in Jason Elwood Hanna. Cara Hunt talks to the Nassau native, one of the film’s main stuntmen, about his experience in ‘Wakanda’ and how he landed jobs in Marvel’s biggest upcoming projects.

Jason Elwood Hanna

J

ason Elwood Hanna is the man behind some of the fancy jumps, kicks, flips and punches thrown during the epic fight scenes in Marvel’s mega box office hit “Black Panther”.

While he may not have imagined that he would one day play an important part in a historically significant and record-breaking blockbuster, there were early signs that a career as a stuntman was not all that far-fetched for Jason.

Born and raised in Nassau, where he attended both Claridge Primary and St Anne’s School, Jason was always an active kid.

“I was always jumping off the roof, popping on my bike with my brother. Even back then I would always be acting out or making up movie scenes in my head. I got started in my training at the age of 13/14, studying martial arts and gymnastics,” he told Tribune Weekend.

Jason has a black belt in Jujutsu and other belts in Ninjutsu and Capoeira. After high school, he furthered his training both in Canada and the United States.

“I really got my start when I was in this group called the Zanshin Action Group. We would do these live shows, staging fights and running

scenarios. That’s how I was really able to build momentum to get myself to the point where I could be accepted into the Screen Actors Guild,” he said.

While many people do not know this, Jason said as a stunt worker you are considered to be an actor – “you are just acting with a lot of risk and danger.”

“We need to know our way around set and be able to work on command, and often do the same thing over and over again for hours on end. It takes time and skill. A lot of the best athletes in the world such as former Olympic athletes go into stunt work.”

To date, Jason has worked on a number of projects including the James Bond film “Casino Royale” when it was shot here the Bahamas.

Locally, he has also worked with Kareem Mortimer and done work for the Ministry of Tourism as well as a number of commercials in South America.

For “Black Panther”, he filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. “ ‘Black Panther’ was the first major feature movie I worked on, I was one of 10 stunt men who were on the Wakanda stunt team, so we were on set for about two months. The first three weeks

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Friday, February 23, 2018

“We all knew from day one, from preproduction, that it would be big and that it would set records, we just didn’t know how many records and just how much enthusiasm it would create around the world.”

JASON ELWOOD HANNA, Bahamian Stunt Actor/Performer in the Black Panther movie. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff Stuntman James Elwood Hanna shows off his moves during a recent visit to Nassau.

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

we spent training and experimenting with the staging of the stunts that we do, trying to get the fight sequencing and the tempo all right so we could see how it would all look and then we spent the rest of the time in actual shooting,” he explained.

“During the first three weeks, we would work all day from about 8am to 6pm, but once we started filming, we were on set from 4am in the cold, working 14 hour days, doing the same thing over and over again, hundreds of times. I think I must have died about 10 times during the movie.”

In his role, Jason and the rest of the Wakanda stunt team performed all of the stunts required for the scenes shot in the film’s fictional African kingdom.

“Without giving spoilers for example, there is a big battle scene that looks like hundreds of fighters, but it was just the 10 of us doing various fight combinations and the special effects team blurred our faces and used CGI to make it look like it was tons of people fighting,” he said. “But being a part of ‘Black Panther’ was an amazing experience and I got to meet all of the main characters.”

These main characters included T’Challa played by Chadwick Boseman, Erik “Killmonger” Stevens played by Michael B Jordan,

Nakia played by Lupita Nyong’o, and Shuri played by Letitia Wright, among others.

Jason said that the entire cast and crew were keenly aware that they were filming a historic movie.

“We all knew from day one, from pre-production, that it would be big and that it would set records, we just

didn’t know how many records and just how much enthusiasm it would create around the world,” said Jason.

Since opening a week ago, the film has grossed almost half a billion dollars worldwide. And it has led to more opportunities for Jason, as he had already signed a deal for two more Marvel movies, including the highly

anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War”.

Additionally, he will work on season two of the Netflix show “Luke Cage” and the CW’s “Black Lighting” series.

As for other professional aspirations, Jason said he would love to be the main body double for British actor Idris Elba.

“I was actually on the short list for him for ‘Thor’, but he asked that his very good friend, who is a stuntman, get the job. And it is funny, because when Idris’ girlfriend met me she told him that I looked more like him than his body double,” said Jason.

“I’d also really like to try my hand at producing because I have always had a wild imagination.”

Jason said that thankfully he has never been seriously injured on the job. The threat of injury is always present, which is why he said it is extremely important that stuntmen take all precautions and be extremely careful.

“You are always honing your skills and learning new things to help you on the job,” he said.

Jason’s advice to anyone who wants to get into the industry is to work on as many projects as possible, no matter how small, so that you get as much experience as you possibly can.

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

section

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Friday, February 23, 2018

food

PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA

Taste the sweet life

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

N

Berry Cheery Tart

Tres leches cake

Goat cheese and cherry blossom mix

A combination of avacado basil, berry delicious and papaya passion fruit served with a biscotti biscuit

assau now has an authentic Italian gelato shop right in the heart of Downtown.

Italian Dolce Gelato celebrated its grand opening last Saturday and is now serving up an array of freshly made Italian style ice cream, pastries and coffees.

The proprietors hope to give patrons the feeling that they are enjoying a frozen dessert in a picturesque Italian sidewalk café.

Store owner Sara Volponi explained that she wanted to combine her love of both pastries and gelato in this new space located in the Prince George Shopping Plaza.

“I am Italian and I grew up in the kitchen making my own pasta from scratch and pastries. I love good food, and when I met my husband I fell in love with the Bahamas and really wanted to share my culture with the country,” she said.

Originally, Sara had a pastry shop called Italian Dolce which was located in the Seagrapes Shopping Plaza on Prince Charles Drive.

After that location closed, she decided to combine fine pastry with authentic gelato.

“I have always loved gelato and so I decided that I wanted to to go to Gelato University (near Bologna, Italy) and then we decided to open Downtown, because really, it is the best place to be,” she said.

Sara said that what makes her store unique is that she serves a very fresh and traditional style of gelato made in an artisanal way which you will find back in her homeland.

“We use very fresh natural ingredients and nothing is processed, which is why it will taste better than store-bought gelato,” she said.

She also explained that gelato is not really ice cream.

“A lot of people assume that gelato is the Italian for ice cream, but it is not.

Gelato is a dessert which is served at a warmer temperature than ice cream,” she said.

Papaya passion fruit Gelato also has far less air than its ice cream counterpart.

“Ice cream has a lot of air in it, especially soft-served ice cream. If you purchase a $2 ice cream cone, you are paying $1 for air,” she said.

Due to less air, you get a creamier taste, she explained. “It is also a healthier option because it doesn’t use milk or eggs, so it has less fat.”

Making her own products gives Sara quite a lot of flexibility in what flavours she can offer her customers. In addition to the typical flavours such as strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, she whips up unusual and unpredictable ones like avocado basil, beet root strawberry, Ferrero Rocher, limoncello, a goat cheese cherry blossom mix, and papaya passion fruit.

“I try to be creative with what I offer, but I am a woman in every sense of the word. My creativity goes with my moods,” said Sarah. “So if I am in a loving mood, I will experiment with love potions; if I am in a fun mood, I will try to create a fun flavour combination.”

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

entertainment

Celebrating the marriage of real estate and art

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

A

leading real estate firm has come up with a new way to showcase luxury properties while at the same time promoting local talent.

“Home is Where the Art is” is the name of a new event series which aims to celebrate the dynamic relationship between fine art and prime real estate.

The experience, presented by HG Christie, the Bahamas’ oldest and largest real estate brokerage, in conjunction with Artscape and RBC Private Banking. kicked off to a great start two weeks ago, as art enthusiasts made it a night out at the Ocean Club Residences.

As the listing agent for the property venue, HG Christie’s luxury specialist Ryan Knowles said he was happy to take the reins on planning and executing the affair.

He said HG Christie is proud to be the exclusive affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate in the Bahamas. This connection to

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Friday, February 23, 2018

the world-renowned Christie’s auction house means the company has a special relationship with art and the art world.

As many of the company’s real estate clients are collectors and enthusiasts themselves, he said they felt it would be an obvious synergy to combine the two worlds, and based on the success of the event, it proved to be a wise decision.

“We are introducing art into properties in an effort to activate spaces in an exciting and innovative way.

The art serves to elevate the real estate, while the real estate provides the ideal canvas for displaying the art. It’s the perfect marriage, really. This was the first of hopefully many such events. We are aiming to host the next event in mid-April,” said Mr Knowles.

At the recent event, Mr Knowles said organisers were proud to highlight two Bahamians as featured artists for the evening: Allan Pachino Wallace and Delton Barrett, whom he both described as being spectacular in their own rights. For him, it was a joy to watch the guests view and purchase the artwork which was on display for the first time.

Additionally, highlights included an introduction to the property – a 5,000-square foot apartment overlooking Nassau Harbour and the Ocean Club golf course.

“The apartment itself is on the market for $6,995,000. It is a rare, corner apartment in the most desired abuilding on Paradise Island, with residents enjoying access to a plethora of amenities. Personally, it was rewarding to see how dazzled the guests were by the apartment,” said Mr Knowles.

Guests of the first “Home is Where the Art is” event enjoy artwork while viewing a luxury apartment at Ocean Club Residences.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

music

Nehemiah Hield takes listeners to a ‘Tropical Heaven’

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

R

eleasing music since the ‘90s until now as cemented Nehemiah Hield as one of the most beloved male vocalists in the Bahamas.

The original lead singer of the band Baha Men, former background vocalist for international superstar Lenny Kravitz and current managing director of Kingdom Glory Records, Nehemiah boasts of a lengthy and impressive resume that is jam-packed with experience, travel, awards and accolades.

Now he is back from a brief hiatus with a new song, “Tropical Heaven”, the singer’s first original release since his 2016 gospel album “Overflow”. The new tune, according to Nehemiah, is a sweet contemporary gospel song that can easily transition to mainstream radio.

With an uplifting message and a smooth R&B/calypso rhythm and feel-good vibes, “Tropical Heaven” aims to take the listener to a warm, happy, stress-free place filled with love and joy, the singer said.

“Everything in my life is a major milestone. I wrote the song years ago, and at that a time when I was exploring how my relationship with God should work. I had just gotten into ministry and I wanted understanding.

I wanted to be confident spiritually and have faith in what God had given me based on the Holy Spirit,” he told Tribune Weekend.

“The name of the song just came to me while I was going through my exploration. The music is happy, makes you feel good, makes you go into a place where you can be at peace and feel complete – a tropical heaven.”

Reflecting on how far God has brought him on his musical journey, Nehemiah said he was born in

Cooper’s Town, Abaco where he lived with his grandmother until he was seven years old. After moving to Nassau, he had no intention of becoming a singer until he discovered his talent while in high school.

“Years later I was singing at The Palace and was discovered by Lester Adderley who invited me to sing with his band, and that was my big break professionally. I just wanted to be seen as one of the top male vocalists in the Bahamas and that happened after I was in the industry for 10 years. I didn’t plan any of this; I’ve been the beneficiary of God’s blessings,” he said.

Just last year Nehemiah released a cover of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” in celebration of Majority Rule Day. He also released his version of “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” by the late Rev James Cleveland; the track features Bahamian music legend Marvin Henfield.

The response to “Tropical Heaven”, Nehemiah said, has been great and he is certainly grateful for the support shown to this song so far.

The music video to accompany the single is set to be released soon as well.

Talking about the inspiration behind the music video, which was shot in Florida and Nassau, Nehemiah said after hearing the song, the director and cinematographer immediately thought the best way to depict a tropical heaven was to compare it to a stable, loving relationship. “(The director) was right. I initially didn’t think of the song in that context. Where two people are making the sacrifices for each other to make the relationship work. That’s what our Christian life is about, looking at how Christ did the ultimate by sacrificing His life. We wanted to show a positive relationship between a man and a woman. My wife is my leading lady in the video; the director wanted her to be my leading lady because he admired the way our Facebook page is always flooded with good vibes in our relationship, and he thought that

Singer Nehemiah Hield frolics in a ‘Tropical Heaven’ was a good example of what a tropical heaven looked like in a relationship.

I’m thankful to my wife for stepping in, as she did an awesome job,” said Nehemiah.

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“Tropical Heaven” is the first of several projects Nehemiah has planned for 2018. The song is now available on Tidal, iTunes, Spotify and other music platforms.

Order online for free home delivery!

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Friday, February 23, 2018

books

An alluring tale Bahamian author releases new book in popular series

By FAY KNOWLES

I

n a quiet Nassau suburb, best-selling author Tanya R Taylor churns out her popular fiction which is in demand around the world. It is not unusual for her to produce several thousand words in one day. She also juggles home and family, with a busy husband as well as a teenage son and daughter who are preparing for college.

On February 28, she will release the sixth book in her “Cornelius Saga” series, “The Lost Children of Atlantis”.

This is her 19th book, not counting some non-fiction which has also received international acclaim.

Tanya describes the latest instalment as “an alluring tale, and for some, an unfathomable mystery.”

When Tanya was a little girl growing up in Sea Breeze, she and her older brother Dwayne used to explore a large old derelict house set on a vast piece of land with fruit trees throughout the grounds.

“I loved going on that property, picking mangoes and dillies, and just surveying it from time to time,” she said.

Wondering why such a house was left abandoned is where the idea sprouted from for what turned out to be number one Amazon bestseller, “Cornelius”, the first in the “Cornelius Saga” series.

Tanya R Taylor is about to release the sixth and seventh instalments of her best-selling “Cornelius Saga”.

Author Tanya R Taylor

After “Cornelius” came “Cornelius’ Revenge”, then “Cara”, “We See No Evil”, and “The Contract: Murder in the Bahamas”. Each book can stand alone, but the same characters appear throughout the series, with additional ones being introduced as the plot evolves.

In “The Lost Children of Atlantis”, currently available for pre-order at a special price, Mira Cullen, an attractive young doctor and psychic, meets old, sick, occasionally delusional Stefanie Brussels. Stefanie claims to know unheard-of facts as they relate to a shocking catastrophe of long ago in which so many had perished, but no one in their right mind believes her. She

also mentions an artefact in her possession that holds special powers. As the mystery unravels the reader will find out if these are just the ramblings of a mad person or if the tale of the “Lost Children” is actually true.

Tanya R Taylor has had several number one best-sellers on Amazon.com as well as the Amazon UK store and Amazon Canada. She is the author of both fiction and non-fiction literature, and all of her books have made Amazon Kindle’s Top 100 Paid Best-sellers’ List in several categories. She writes in various genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, thrillers, science fiction, mystery and suspense.

She likes to keep her readers and fans up to date with her work and recently sent out a newsletter with a delightful surprise for them – yet another book, the seventh in the “Cornelius Saga” series, “Death of an Angel”, which will be released on April 28. This book is also now available for preorder at a special price.

She said in her newsletter: “I would not continue the series if people were not still showing interest in it. If you’re not a fan of Mira and little Rosie Cullen yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. Don’t take my word for it...In this latest riveting instalment, will a member of the Cullen family stare death right in the face? A devastating accident on the highway; a ripple effect of calamity… Mira and Rosie Cullen are no strangers to the elements of the paranormal – some terrifying and some not so much. But in this episode of the ‘Cornelius Saga’, one of them will see the face of an entity none of us – dead or alive – wishes we would ever see.”

For more information, visit Tanya R Taylor’s Amazon author page at amazon.com/ author/tanyartaylor or tanyartaylor.wordpress.com.

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Friday, February 23, 2018

motivational

Solving problems the ‘sweet’ way

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

W

ITH its first event of the year, the CHAMPS organisation is seeking to provide helpful tips and advice on issues that women of all ages are faced with on a daily basis.

Some of these issues include handling stress, learning how to wait on the right partner, and what women can do to enhance their overall appearance.

This event, under the theme “Sweet Delights”, takes place at the

Cheesecake Heaven on Maderia Street tomorrow night and will feature “sweet stories, delicious music and delightful make-overs”. It will be held from 6pm to 8pm.

“We will find out ways from Pooja Sheety, who holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, on how to sweetly handle stress and then hear from a recent bride, Marsha Johnson Rudon, on the essence of sweetly waiting,” said Samita Sweeting, CEO of CHAMPS, which stands for Chosen, Honoured, Appointed, Motivated, Positive Sisters.

“Then we will indulge in the delicious sounds of acoustic display from Glenise Johnson. Lastly, we will hear from a budding make-up artist,

Samita Feguson, CEO of CHAMPS

Nastassia Alleyne, who is a student at the University of the Bahamas but loves to make one sweetly glow as a hobby; she will demonstrate a night look and day look.”

When Mrs Ferguson embarked on a mission several years ago to inspire young women through holistic activities, she did not anticipate that her CHAMPS organisation would expand as quickly as it did.

CHAMPS was formed in April 2010 with the goal of empowering and uniting young Bahamian women. The group has now extended its outreach to the Family Islands, where it aims to impact the lives of young girls.

“What is new for CHAMPS is it is opening up doors for new members at present; we have established and active leg in the D W Davis secondary school,” said Ms Ferguson.

“CHAMPS’ aim and objective tor this year is to reach out to the community at large, engaging and thinking out the box in areas that will foster a paradigm shift among every young woman that the group touches. Stay tuned for community drives and initiatives.”

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Friday, February 23, 2018

fashion

A comeback of the traditional, but tweaked PHOTOS/WELLINGTON RAMSEY AND CANDIN MOSS

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

W

ITH so many styles, silhouettes, appliqués, detailing and fabrics to choose from, deciding on a wedding dress is no simple

exercise.

Brides-to-be got a sneak peek of what’s hot this season in wedding gowns and bridal wear during last weekend’s Muna Love Affair Bridal Show at the British Colonial Hilton.

Hosted by Munaluchi, a leading multicultural wedding publication catering to women of colour, the event saw several classic wedding gowns featuring intricate detailing displayed on the runway.

“Long-sleeve gowns are actually making a comeback in bridal dresses which is very elegant,” said Tennille Darville of Five Seasons Bridal.

“As with all trends, everything evolves and we are finding that we are going back to some of the trends in past like our mothers and their mothers used to wear, just with different tweaks.”

Since the Pantone colour for the year is Ultra Violet, a few bridesmaids gowns reflected that trend as well.

“The colour of the year is ultra violet so we decided to bring a few purple dresses just so people can see a little bit of purple, not to say that this is going to be your wedding colour, but that is the colour of the year and we wanted to stick with the theme,” she said.

Whether or not a bride should choose a store-bought dress or sit down with a talented designer and have one specially created boils down to what she wants, said Tennille.

“You have some people that know what they want and you have some people that aren’t really sure. Then you have the group of people who want this part of a dress but not that part. And then some of them are trying to create a dress from three or four different dresses,” she said. “So when you have instances like that it is always best to get it made.”

Though store-bought dresses are designed, they also sold en masse and in varying sizes. So for the bride who favours

custom creations, having a gown specifically designed could be the route to go.

“With a store-bought dress the downside to that is you could possibly see someone else wearing your dress and you may not find exactly what you are looking for,” said Tennille. “So if you have someone who is going to make your dress, obviously it is going to be a one-of-a-kind custom creation and I am not going to see more than one person wear a dress like that.”

At the end of the day, Tennille said she always encourages her clients to make the selection they feel most comfortable with.

“I want them to be certain that the dress they decided on is the dress they want to walk down the aisle in. You don’t want them to regret their choice on their wedding day and then their whole demeanour and disposition changes on their wedding day and it isn’t want they wanted. So you want to make sure you choose the dress for you and not for anybody else, and that is my advice,” she said.

Dress designs available from Five Seasons Bridal

14 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

The Tribune | Weekend | 15

Friday, February 23, 2018

belles of the ball

PHOTOS

/SHAW

N HANN A

54th

Annual Heart Ball

T

o raise funds to continue with its mission to mend the hearts of children and save lives, the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation invited all charitable Bahamians to it’s signature black-tie event last Saturday.

The 54th annual Heart Ball, held at the Meliá Nassau Beach All Inclusive resort, Chantel Deane saw our belles styled to the nines. Like every year, there were some ravishing red gowns in evidence – as befits the heart theme – but we also got to see a wide spectrum of colours and silhouettes.

Inez Johnson, for example, stepped out in a lovely off-the-shoulder dark blue dress with stunning embroidery. Leana Ingraham wowed in a very unique flower petal gown in a gorgeous peach hue. Whitney Farrington kept it classy with a strapless mermaid design which she perfectly complemented with a bold coral coloured statement necklace.

Meanwhile, Zelda Evans was feeling the lace, and by right! Her all-white dress boasted some very pretty and intricate patterns; the high slit, however, made it extra special. Keithra Toote went with another hot trend by choosing a very flattering metallic dress that was fitted to perfection. Chantel Dean shone in a royal blue gown with a wonderful, yet underused element – pockets!

And our ladies in red – Tiffany Wells, Vanessa Alvarez, Jasmin Strachan and Yolanda Fernander – all made bold statements Jasmin Strachan

Keithra Toote

Leana Ingraham

Tiffany Wells

Vanessa Alvarez

Inez Johnson

Yolanda Fernander

Whitney Farrington

Zelda Evans

with gorgeous gowns ranging in style from sheer and flowing to backless and classically fitted.

The guests enjoyed a fun evening filled with great food and music from the Soulful Groovers Band, The Ed Brice Orchestra, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Dance Band and Gary “Super” Johnson. The room raffle and silent auction helped in getting friends together to support a charity to help children in need.

“Even though the ball is there for fun and socialising, we need to realise that from this event, we all can assist children with heart disease,” said R E Barnes, chairman of the Sassoon Heart Foundation.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report BAFTA 2018 Awards

HIT

SPLIT

HIT

FAIL

SPLIT

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge

Saoirse Ronan ”Lady Bird”

Lupita Nyong’o ”Black Panther”

Allison Janney ”I, Tonya”

Jennifer Lawrence ”Red Sparrow”

Karin says: “There was some controversy as to why she wasn’t wearing black like the actresses in support of the ‘Time’s Up’ movement, but this is a lovely compromise.

The dark green empire waist gown looks fantastic on her.

And who wouldn’t love all that genuinely royal bling?”

Cara says: “This is a nice way to travel with baby bump and she is rocking the royal emeralds. The dress is conservative enough to not raise any eyebrows, but it still has a little bit of a fresh, young look to it. I think this is as sexy as you can be when you are the pregnant future queen.”

Karin says: “I almost like it.

It has something very Twiggy, Swinging Sixties, about it. But it doesn’t quite work. Maybe the bottom half needed to have more layers and be less sheer. However, it’s not hideous by any means.”

Cara says: “I can’t decide how feel. She didn’t need the sheer bottom to start, for sure.

The bodice on the one hand reminds of war breast plates, garbage bags and tyres. It’s a ‘rig up’ dress.” Yeah, OK, it’s hideous.”

Karin says: “It’s almost a shame that the all-black theme prevented us from seeing Lupita in some Wakandainspired bold colours, but this is nevertheless a gorgeous dress. I love the structure and the shoulder bands. And the golden trim just makes her look like a queen.”

Cara says: “I need a moment to just bask in the sheer perfection of this gown. How lovely does Lupita look! I swear this girl could wear a garbage bag and make it look stunning. Easily the best dressed of the night.”

Karin says: “OK, this Jetson inspired atrocity is ...well atrocious. The weird silver bolero looks like the remnants of some space-age straight jacket that she was trying to break out of. Seriously, could she even spread her arms out in that thing? A simple silver jacket would have sufficed.”

Cara says: “Allison looks great, the dress not so much.

It’s funny how it looks like a ‘80 throwback and yet futuristic all at once. I want to like it because it is different, but I find the bolero a bit weird. I may need time to warm up to it.”

Karin says: “If you look at it longer, you see it’s actually quite striking in its simplicity.

I love the completely square neckline and the soft white tulle sleeves. However, because it’s so simple, it needed some bling or some big hair for it to work. A bold updo would have worked wonders; not this slicked down middle-part.”

Cara says: “Oh wow, JLaw, this is probably one of the stalest dresses I have ever seen you wear. Not that it is ugly, it just is extremely simple and safe And the hair is a bit lifeless. A really dull look all around.”

PHOTOS/CHRIS JACKSON/JOEL C RYAN/INVISION/AP

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, February 23, 2018

poetry

Students find inspiration in MLK The US Embassy in Nassau recently held a nationwide poetry contest to honour the life and legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his push for social inclusion and equality for all. There were two categories, high school and University of the Bahamas entries. The following are the top three winners from the University of the Bahamas.

ELISE Barnett

PAVEL Bailey

st place Revolution

By Elise Barnett

The expendability of black and brown bodies was a harsh truth I had been fed at birth.

I am thirteen, and, for the first time, openly berated on the basis of my skin tone.

I don’t understand, but soon, I learn that for centuries, bodies that looked like mine had been maimed and discarded of without cause.

Institutions that confine me to a prison from which there is no escape, Project images of disenfranchised men, women and children with the intent to humiliate and disempower.

A revolution is ignited deep within me.

I am eighteen, and I can no longer stomach the ideals I had been fed at birth.

I lament the lack of inclusion, alienation and separatism, and I am hungry for justice.

Through peaceful protest, education and collective organization, I enact change.

I advocate for the socio-political and socio-economic inclusion of all people.

I advocate for a society that does not deny people’s humanity based on birth or ethnicity.

I advocate for a society that is not merely utopic, but built on principles Principles of incorporation, protection and unwavering acceptance of all peoples.

Though seeds are uprooted from the ground prematurely, And fruit, plucked before fully ripening,

I speak the tongue of nonconformity – a revolution within itself.

1

2

nd place We of One Earth

By Pavel Bailey

This is our World.

By our hands, we have made Marvels from this Rock, But by those same hands, we have wrought Horrors. No one race alone is guilty of this sin For we have all let selfish pride into our chests, But never will it touch our True Hearts.

Strip away the fear and tear down the indifference And we share the same dream.

Where no Door of Possibility is closed to anyone.

No matter what the naysayers build, No creed will divide us, no hate will dissuade us, and no force will destroy us.

For no word can define us. We define ourselves.

Even when they try to label us as “The Other,” Remember that we are always a part of A Collective.

No matter your color, no matter where you’re from, no matter who you love And no matter what you say you believe, You are a part of Us.

For we have always been Marvels.

Together we hold Creation in our palms

ASHLEY Bartlett And only together can we build a tomorrow where our World can breathe Peace.

3

rd place Breaking Barriers: The Struggle for Inclusion

By Ashley Bartlett

I am the Maya Angelou of my generation.

I can still hear the screams of Injustice.

See that we are still burdened by the walls of discrimination.

Smell the violence and brutality, as it creeps into our systems & it segregates us.

Pulls at the very fabric that knits us together in unison.

I am the Nelson Mandela of my generation.

How is it that decades later our brothers and sister still judge us?

Judge us by our race, ethnicity, and culture.

We were all born free and equal Choose to love instead of hate & in our pursuit of happiness let us not dwell in isolation but include all spheres of society because we are most powerful amalgamated rather than separated.

I am the Martin Luther King of my generation.

No longer do we trudge, because of racial injustice But we walk boldly while taking long strides towards a common goal.

One people, joining together hand, heart, mind and body.

One people united.

Inclusion for ALL.

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

education

Adventures with Percy The Potcake Mascot educates kids on different islands

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

A

mascot is usually any person, animal or even object that serves as a representation of good luck for groups, be it high school sports teams or professional basketball teams.

However, a new local mascot seeks to do much more than just bring good luck.

Percy The Potcake has an ambitious mission: he wants to bring family friendly and educational fun to every Bahamian home.

Named after the Bahamas’ famous stray dogs, Percy The Potcake and his pals travel to various islands in to explore historical points of interest regarding culture, folklore and other attractions the locations have to offer.

“He discovers historical landmarks and differentiates what makes each island unique from each other. He also tries to teach kids life lessons on his adventures,” said Antoine Thompson, Percy’s creator.

“I want Percy The Potcake to be an international

“He discovers historical landmarks and differentiates what makes each island unique from each other.

He also tries to teach kids life lessons on his adventures.” character at the end of this.

He’s gonna start with his home, which is the Bahamas, but also discover other islands in the Caribbean. That was the goal I had in mind; create a show that can bring all islands of the Caribbean closer to each other like a family.”

Mr Thompson, who is also a musician known under his stage name as Megaton, said his career as a recording artist opened up a lot of doors for him over the last five years.

He believes there is no limit to a person’s creativity, and in recent years he has enjoyed creating new ventures.

“When I thought of creating Percy The Potcake I used the same approach I would use when creating a song, and it’s turned out pretty good. I created Percy The Potcake in late

2016 after having a conversation with a friend of mine who is a teacher. I felt there was an absence of Bahamian children shows for television and via the internet. I felt that kids of the Bahamas needed their own mascot who they can look up to; a positive beacon of hope,” said Mr Thompson.

Percy is now being featured in both an online series and a TV show, and has appeared in books, puzzles and more. With a target age group of kids aged five to 12 years old, Percy has made appearances at local schools, charities and civic groups, visiting organisations like the Children’s Emergency Hostel, the Bahamas Red Cross, Our Carmichael and Public Hospital Authority.

The character is also available for special events and storytelling appearances where Percy reads from his upcoming storybook.

“We love the response we are getting, not just from kids but from parents as well.

There are times we would be filming on different locations around the islands and if kids see Percy, they automatically head towards him and give him a hug. It gives me a sense that I’m doing the right thing as to creating a character that kids are gravitating to. The arrow is really pointing up for Percy The Potcake. I’m very excited about Percy and the many projects that are in store

Percy the Potcake was created by Antoine Thompson, also known as Megaton for this upcoming year and hope everyone is too,” said Mr Thompson.

On March 24, Percy The Potcake will take the stage at the Holy Trinity Activity Centre with his pal Bruno The Bulldog from Jamaica for a first solo show.

“A lot of people still don’t know about Percy, so I feel like this is a proper way for the Bahamas to see him up

close before I release the very first episode,” said Ms Thompson.

Readers can follow Percy on his adventures on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, where you can also learn more about his live show next month.

Also, Percy’s updates can be found online at percythepotcake.com and on YouTube at Percythepotcake.

The Tribune | Weekend | 19

Friday, February 23, 2018

film

review

‘Annihilation’ is a trippy and frightful fantasia ANNIHILATION RUNNING TIME: 115 MINS

“T

he Shimmer” is the name given to the mysterious phenomenon that, after a meteor strike, settles along a swampy coastline in Alex Garland’s “Annihilation.”

It’s an area enclosed by a fluid, translucent wall bathed in an eerie rainbow glimmer. The Shimmer’s steady expansion threatens to swallow

review

Bateman, McAdams anchor lively and fun ‘Game Night’ GAME NIGHT RUNNING TIME: 100 MINS

A MURDER mystery party goes sideways when violent kidnappers arrive before the fake ones in “Game Night,” which seems on the page to be like all the other disappointing actioncomedies of late.

Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh in “Annihilation” surrounding towns, cities and, eventually, everything.

Naturally, this is Florida. Efforts to determine what’s inside the Shimmer have proven futile. Except for one survivor, none to enter have ever returned. To step inside is to step into the unknown.

The same could be said for those who come to see “Annihilation,” a trippy, mind-bending cinematic experience that plunges you into a disorienting and dream-like science fiction that contorts and disintegrates much of the genre’s conventions.

This is the bigger-budget followup to Garland’ directing debut, “Ex Machina.” The novelist turned You know the kind, where ordinary, upper middle class-ish suburbanites get thrown into some wacky underworld or genre situation. Spies live next door!

We have to start a casino to put our kid through school! We killed a stripper! While it’s a formula that can be brilliant and/or fun, recent efforts have seemed to result in features that feel more like extended Saturday Night Live sketches.

Thankfully, “Game Night” does not fall into that trap. A charismatic ensemble cast, a sharp script and a few well-placed twists make “Game Night” one of the more enjoyable big studio comedies in recent memory.

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams anchor “Game Night” as Max and Annie, a married couple who love each other as much as they love games — trivia, charades, board varieties, you name it — and winning. They live in a cul-de-sac, where all middle class suburban couples live in glossy comedies, and host a weekly game night with their friends, longtime couple Michelle (Kylie Bunbury) and Kevin (Lamorne

screenwriter (”28 Days Later,” ‘‘Sunshine,” ‘‘Never Let Me Go”) has here made good on the promise of “Ex Machina,” a heady if sometimes flat chamber piece about the invention of a very human-like artificial intelligence.

“Annihilation,” which is partly based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel, has plenty of forerunners (namely Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Stalker”) and it’s certainly not flawless. There’s an often awkward distance here between Garland’s grand ambitions and his mid-sized-budget visual effects, between VanderMeer’s immersive imagination and the necessities of physicalising fantasy in a movie.

But rarely has a film conjured such a thick atmosphere of dread and wonder

as “Annihilation,” a movie that unfolds, grippingly, as an existential mystery.

Lena (Natalie Portman) is an ex-Army biology professor at Johns Hopkins whose soldier husband (Oscar Isaacs), after being gone for a year, returns from a secret mission unable to explain where he’s been. Dumbfounded, he promptly begins to split up blood and, in the ambulance ride to the hospital, is overtaken by a swarm of police vehicles.

Lena is introduced to the Shimmer by a laconic psychologist (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in charge of fielding missions. She, herself, is going in, pulled by inescapable curiosity. Lena joins their group, an all-female squad including a paramedic (a scene-stealing Gina Rodriguez), a physicist (Tessa Thompson) and an anthropologist (Tuva Novotny).

With “Ghostbusters”-like backpacks, they enter the Shimmer where bewilderments and horrors await. They immediately wake up in their tents, unsure how they spent the last three days. In the lush, tropical forest, they marvel at the teaming mutated species while evading fantastical beasts. It’s equal parts dream and nightmare.

JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer

Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman in “Game Night.”

Morris) and the happy, handsome idiot Ryan (Billy Magnussen) and whatever Instagram babe he happens to have on his arm that week.

They also have a very strange nextdoor neighbour, Gary (Jesse Plemons), a police officer with light serial killer vibes. Always in uniform and holding his fluffy white dog, Gary just desperately wants to be included. Plemons plays him with over-the-top seriousness that makes for some of the sillier laughs early on.

The hook of the film comes when Max’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler), a charismatic alpha male and bane of Max’s existence, attempts to one-up

the normal game night proceedings by arranging a pricey murder mystery event where one person is kidnapped and the rest have to try to solve it.

Attempting to explain why a comedy works is a kind of futile exercise, but this group of actors just works together. Of course “Game Night” isn’t perfect, and an electric first hour gives way to a slow third act, but it kind of redeems itself by the end with a series of twists and turns fitting of the absurd premise.

LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

literary lives – sir christopher ondaatje

Life’s but an adventure To celebrate Sir Christopher Ondaatje’s 85th birthday this week, Sven McGirr, a long-time fan of ‘Literary Lives’, takes a look back on the diverse and interesting life of the author, adventurer and philanthropist.

S

ir Christopher Ondaatje has been a prominent contributor to the arts in Bahamas for many years. He has published more than 130 “Literary Lives” articles in the Tribune’s Weekend. He has said that he didn’t want the articles to be only about literary figures every week, because “that would be far too dull”, so whenever possible, he has tried to explore the country’s history; from the origins of Junkanoo, to Father Jerome on Cat Island, and the

pirates like Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Packham, to the 60,000 flamingoes on Great Inagua.

Ondaatje has made some great decisions in his life, but one of his best choices was when he decided to buy a home in Bahamas in 2000.

“I love these islands; there are 700 of them, 30 of which are inhabited.

I’ve been to seven of the major Family Islands and eight minor islands. They stretch from Florida in the Northwest all the way down to Haiti. I like the people and when the weather is good there isn’t anywhere else like this in the whole world!”

He is also well-versed in the history of the islands, from the Lucayans who settled here from 900 AD to 1500 AD and were wiped out by disease and slavery, to the role of the English Loyalists and Prohibition in the development of the Bahamas.

Knowing local history like he does, I could not resist asking him about the 1943 murder of Sir Harry Oakes in Nassau, a murder so famous in its day that it would have rivalled the headlines about Princess Diana’s fatal car crash in 1997.

For such a fearless man, a quick flash of hesitation appeared on his face. He is trying to protect me.

“Sixteen people who knew details about the Oakes death have been killed,” he said solemnly. “It is a nasty piece of Bahamian history.”

Ondaatje went on to describe how famous names like the Duke of Windsor, a Nazi sympathiser, Sir Harold Christie, and the famous Swedish industrialist, Axel Wenner-Grenn, who founded Electrolux, were featured in the history of this incident.

Even Meyer Lansky, the notorious gangster boss, and Oakes’s son-in-law Count Alfred de Marigny, are intertwined in the complicated tale. Oakes had sold his Lake Shore Gold Mines for $300.000,000 (the equivalent of $5.3 billion in today’s currency) and might have wanted to get his money out of the Bahamas (then an English colony) to protect his fortune, because at that time Britain was losing the war.

Ondaatje believes that Sir Harry was probably roughed up in a boat in Bahamian waters but it went too far and his body was brought back and bludgeoned later to simulate a ritual killing. Probably to cover their tracks.

Of course, as Ondaatje concludes, they will never find the murderer: “There have been five books written on the Oakes murder and I don’t think anyone really wants the truth to come out.”

Sir Christopher Ondaatje has lived in many places in his life, but he has always had a great passion for people and adventure. He was born on a tea plantation in the British Colony of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and, as he writes in his book, “Journey to the Source of the Nile”:

“As a boy I used to slip down the line to talk to the tea workers and see how they lived, though I risked punishment for doing so. Their lives fascinated me then, and I have never been able to suppress this side of my nature for long.

I love meeting people in many different environments – on the road, on tea estates, in fishing villages in Africa, in jungles, on dhows in Zanzibar. I love mixing with crowds in Eastern Markets.

I love camping – cutting down to the bare essentials – and finding out about

The Tribune | Weekend | 21

Friday, February 23, 2018

the people I encounter in out-of-the-way places. I struggle continually to balance this side of my nature with the comfortloving side. Eventually, it always seems, the wanderlust wins and I set out on my travels again.”

After the Second World War, England was bankrupt and pressure was put on the country to dispose of its colonies. In 1948, Ceylon became an independent country, and one of the early steps of the government was to nationalise the tea estates.

In the midst of this turmoil of a new government coming to power, Ondaatje was sent by himself on a troop ship to Plymouth, England to go to a private school – a lonely journey for a 12-yearold boy. At first it was hard to fit in, a long lanky kid with a funny accent and a shock of black hair, but fortunately his cricket skills soon ingratiated him to the school community.

Five years later his world was turned upside down when he was called down to the house master’s office and saw his mother, who he hadn’t seen for five years, waiting for him.

“There were no hugs, no kisses, we were strangers,” he recalled. His mother had divorced his father who had drunk and gambled away the family fortune. Even though he only had one year left, the house master said that Ondaatje would have to leave school as the school bills had not been paid for over a year. His once well-off family had hit rock bottom. His mother had to find work looking after a rooming house in London, and when he was 17 years old Ondaatje moved to the City and began to work in a bank as a trainee.

Trying to better himself, Ondaatje took a night school course in economics. There the professor explained that “the first thing you have to know about securities is that it is possible create a company and issue pieces of paper that represent a part ownership of that company. The value of this paper can depend on how well the company is doing – or whether there are more buyers or sellers of the paper – or the ‘stock’.”

Ondaatje recalled with a laugh, “My God! How long had this been going on?” It was at that point that he determined to become an expert on the instruments of finance.

After five years in the City of London, he made his next big move.

It was 1956, and with only $13 in his pocket, he emigrated to Canada.

“It was March and it was freezing cold outside, and I didn’t have the proper clothes. I lived in a little basement apartment in Leaside with a wash tub and a single bed, and shared the room with the laundry equipment. Some nights I was so hungry I would sneak upstairs and steal some milk from the bottle in the fridge, just to keep away the hunger.”

He got a job in the “cage” of a Toronto stockbroking firm – keeping records of clients’ trades and money. That’s when he really started to acquire an ambition. “I really wanted to be part of that crowd. It was like looking into a candy shop,” he said.

It wasn’t long before wanderlust took hold of Ondaatje again and he decided to move to Montreal to get some wider experience. Once again he had virtually nothing but the leather shoes on his feet, and he remembered: “It was so cold that a layer of ice would build up between your feet and the soles of your shoes.”

Ondaatje found a job selling advertising for a Montreal magazine. He didn’t make much money, but the magazine had an arrangement called a “Contra account” where you could exchange advertising for food in certain restaurants. He survived, and the experience taught him a lot about selling and about Canada – knowledge that would help a lot later in his life.

Montreal was an exciting cosmopolitan city in those days and Ondaatje not only met his future wife there, but also met up with a group of young sportsmen who became interested in bobsledding – a sport that was dropped in the 1960 Olympics.

Suddenly, a lot of Ondaatje’s free time in the winters was spent in places like Lake Placid where he represented Canada in his first World Championships. Two years later he competed in the 1962 World Championship team in

Ondaatje, at centre behind the sled, went to the 1964 Olympics with Canada’s bobsled team.

Continued on page 22

Sir Christopher with his brother, best-selling author Michael Ondaatje (”The English Patient”)

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

Continued from page 23

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and ended his bobsledding career with the Olympics in Igls, Austria in 1964. Canada had two sleds.

The first sled caused an enormous upset winning the gold medal, and Ondaatje’s sled came in 14th place. Even after all these years, Ondaatje says with pride, “Competing for Canada in the Olympics really taught me something.

It was the first time I felt I was somebody. It gave me confidence. Something terribly important for me at the time.”

If there is one adjective you would never use to describe Ondaatje it would be lazy.

Just before starting his own brokerage company with two business associates – Loewen Ondaatje McCutcheon & Company – in 1970, he also wrote his first book “The Prime Ministers of Canada 1867 - 1967”.

“It was 1967 and Canada’s Centennial year. It wasn’t much of a book, but it was timely. We started a small publishing company – Pagurian Press – and we raised $3,000, the cost of producing 3,000 books. A dollar a book. The book sold out before we came off the press.

We updated and improved the book every time there was a new Prime Minister, and eventually over the next several years it got picked up by the Canadian school board and became required reading.

We were lucky. It went on to sell over 600,000 copies.”

Chatting with Ondaatje is a little like talking to King Midas. It seems like everything he touches turns to gold. But unlike the mythical king, Ondaatje’s success seems more to rest on his courage to take risks, and his love of the publishing business. One of his early projects that proved to be very lucrative was in financing Harlequin Books.

Golfing with 007 – Sir Sean Connery with Sir Christopher Ondaatje

Ondaatje on an expedition to find the source of the Nile.

Stovel-Advocate Press in Winnipeg, a printing company, were lamenting the fact that they might have to close down because they weren’t getting enough printing business to keep them afloat. Learning that Mills and Boon in England, who printed romance novels, were selling their company for $4,000,000, Ondaatje and his fledgling brokerage company raised the $4,000,000 for Harlequin Books, which went on to become the largest publisher of romance novels in the world.

You can bandy around numbers and dazzle the readers with finance, but it all seems a little cheap when you get to know Ondaatje. Oddly enough for a man who has made a considerable fortune, money does not seem to define him.

He is a very generous man and his philanthropic contributions over the years have prompted him to be knighted by the Queen in 2003, the same year Roger Moore was knighted and Helen Mirren and Jane Goodall became Dames. It is fascinating talking to him. He has met and mixed with many famous writers, actors and politicians that it is a little like a smorgasbord of the who’s who. And he has written about many of them.

Money is certainly a topic that Ondaatje knows something about. In 2006, in a prescient book called “The Power of Paper: A History, a Financial Adventure and a Warning”, he was able to predict the stock market crash in 2008.

“Actually it was 2006”, he corrects me, “I wrote the book two and a half years before the start of the crash and Harper Collins, my publisher, rushed to get it out in time. At that time Americans could borrow money from banks in the US if they put up sufficient collateral. The banks were greedy for profits and they were lenient with their loans. As house prices went up borrowers would increase their loans and buy more real estate. Some people owned as many as ten houses – all on borrowed money; corporations too. But when money tightened people walked away from their borrowings - leaving the banks holding depreciating assets.

This caused the inevitable bank crisis - saved only by the Federal government. The Canadian banks were far too conservative to get involved with these risky loans.”

Ondaatje has since been asked to do another book, but he refuses. “This crash is nothing compared to the crash we’re likely to see. Governments and corporations are borrowing money with no intent of ever paying it back.

We have to pay the piper sometime.”

When asked how long it will be before the next big crash, Ondaatje sighs and says: “Within the next six years.

Probably sooner.”

In 1988, Ondaatje, with his wife, went on their first safari to Africa, and it changed his life. He made the bold decision to give up business and finance, and to pursue his childhood dream of being an explorer and writer.

He says with pride, “This is what I really am. I don’t want to hide behind a piece of paper. It has allowed me to recreate myself.” He sold his interest in the brokerage

The Tribune | Weekend |23

Friday, February 23, 2018

company, as well as his publishing empire, and decided to follow in the footsteps of some of the famous Victorian explorers. He travelled through India and Pakistan to write “Sindh Revisited: A Journey in the Footsteps of Sir Richard Francis Burton” (1996).

This was during the rule of General Musharraf and when Pakistan was “the most dangerous place on earth.” Fortunately for him, the Sindh Government provided him a jeep, a driver, and two men with machine guns. “This probably saved my life,” he said.

Two years later he ventured out on another journey following the paths of such legendary African explorers like Speke, Burton, Grant, Baker, Stanley and Livingstone. This time his goal was to try and find the definitive answer to the source of the longest river in the world, the Nile. Books had been written on the subject before, but they “didn’t tell the whole truth,” he said. “If you go there it’s completely different.”

His book “Journey to the Source of the Nile” sold 70,000 copies in three months, and revealed some new geographical information.

Ondaatje’s books are fascinating reads and you really get to understand how dangerous some journeys can still be for modern explorers.

“We were going around the south side of Lake Victoria in Tanzania … up into Uganda where it’s a no-man’s land; people were fleeing the genocide of the Hutus and the Tutsis. The refugees had no rights, and had absolutely nothing—they would kill you for the shirt on your back. So we encountered a road block on the road with logs and sticks. We had to stop. We had two guns illegally strapped to the bottom of the jeeps and we took them out and fired two shots into the air - just to let them know that they were going to encounter some resistance. No one came. So we cleared the road.

Two miles down the road there was another road block but a little smaller. We just gunned the jeep and ran right through it.”

Sprinkled among the facts of a gruelling journey, Ondaatje throws in little vignettes of what

it’s like to be on such a challenging adventure.

“At one point we were going around Lake Albert and we had just been eating garbage. Ugali, this maize dough. It’s the life blood over there; you cook it in a pan, or by throwing it into the fire. We eat it with stew … or with golden syrup. On the road we saw a man selling goat meat on a wooden trestle on the side of the road. So we stopped and built our campsite. One of our bearers made an incredible stew, very tasty, and we washed it down with the local brew. At one am in the morning all of us got the worst case of diarrhoea. God knows what we had eaten! The next day, and well into the following night, we had to stop the jeep and disappear into the jungle to purge ourselves. It took three or four days before I recovered. But I suppose that’s what it’s all about.”

Talking with Ondaatje makes for one of those fascinating conversations that fly by too quickly, but I did have one last question.

I had just finished reading “The Lost City of Z”, a novel that was recently turned into a movie, and I am incredulous that anyone would willingly choose to go on such rugged journeys like the explorer Percy Fawcett took in the Amazon between 1906 and 1924. Why would anyone want to go on a journey like that with the ticks in your eyes, the infected mosquito bites, the maggots living in your arms, the skin on the bottom of your feet peeling off, the starvation, the hostile natives with poisoned arrows, the poisonous snakes, the make shift rafts over the rivers of piranhas?

Ondaatje seems unfazed.

“It’s not going to be easy. You’re going to be uncomfortable. And even if you’re with other people, you’re actually mostly on your own. Fighting with yourself. But you have to understand, it’s all about the quest. If you don’t succeed … then you will have nothing to write about.”

Some people might say that to the press is just to look heroic.

However, one look at Ondaatje’s long, athletic frame, the

Ondaatje with a hunting hawk in Exmoor, England.

The cover art for Sir Christopher Ondaatje’s “The Last Colonial”, featuring 27 stories, some autobiographical.

determination in his eyes, and the quick intelligence, and you know he’s telling the truth. Sir Christopher Ondaatje may have turned 85 yesterday, but he’s always ready for another adventure.

NEXT WEEK: The enigmatic life of the heir and poet who epitomised the lost generation of American literature.

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

history

Burnished in history: How an AP photo showed the cost of war

D

allas Brown can still see the bullets coming for him 50 years later, smacking into the dirt at his feet as north Vietnamese soldiers fired on his platoon during an ambush deep in the jungle.

Minutes later, as the deadly firefight wound down, Brown and his fellow soldiers in the 101st Airborne would be immortalised.

In one of the most searing images of the Vietnam War, Brown grimaces as he lies on the ground with a back injury. Not far away, a platoon sergeant raises his arms to the heavens, seemingly seeking divine help.

Landing on the front page of The New York Times, the black and white image by Associated Press freelancer Art Greenspon gave Americans back home an unflinching look at the conditions soldiers endured in what would become the war’s deadliest year. Captured on April 1, 1968, it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and appeared prominently in Ken Burns’ recent Vietnam War documentary.

But for the young Americans who have decided to talk about it a halfcentury later, it was merely a moment in another sweltering day in a Southeast Asian jungle with well-hidden enemies all around. Some of them have spent years putting the experience in perspective.

“When I look at that picture now, I say, ‘If I can survive that, I can survive anything,’” said Tim Wintenburg, who in the photo helps carry a wounded soldier over brush hacked away to create a helicopter landing zone.

Sgt Major Watson Baldwin has his arms raised to guide in a helicopter that would take away the wounded men, including one shot in the leg by the Vietnamese soldier who was firing at Brown. Baldwin died in 2005, according to Fort Campbell officials who recently tracked down soldiers in the photo.

This April 1968 file photo shows the first sergeant of A Company, 101st Airborne Division, guiding a medevac helicopter through the jungle foliage to pick up casualties near Hue. AP PHOTO/ ART GREENSPON, FILE

Brown, who lives near Nashville, and Wintenburg, of Indianapolis, met with an Associated Press reporter at Fort Campbell in Kentucky to recount the events surrounding the photo — their first news media interviews ever on the war.

After he received his draft notice in 1965, Wintenburg visited a recruiting office and was told he looked “like Airborne material.”

By early 1968, he was 20 years old and on the front lines.

Brown, who was 18 when he landed in Vietnam, remembers being inspired by “The Ballad of the Green Berets.”

He was encouraged to go through airborne training. Both men ended up at Fort Campbell, home of the 101st Airborne.

In the spring of 1968, Brown and Wintenburg’s squad was in the dangerous A Shau Valley on a weekslong “search and destroy” mission, meaning they never took prisoners. Firefights were commonplace.

Brown recalls their battalion commander, a lieutenant colonel, telling them before one mission: “You get a body count, you get a prize.”

“To my knowledge we might have taken a handful of prisoners the whole time we was in Vietnam,” Brown said.

The soldiers were hiking up a slippery mountain trail after a monsoon when they paused to eat lunch.

Brown, sitting on his rucksack with his M-16 rifle across his lap, thought he saw a sapling move down a ravine.

He didn’t feel any wind. He switched

his rifle to full-automatic as an enemy fighter stepped into view.

Known in the platoon as “hillbilly” for his Tennessee drawl and proficiency with a rifle, Brown fired on the first north Vietnamese soldier, killing him and then another behind him. He was reloading when a third enemy fighter fired back.

“You know you see these movies where you see clods of dirt jumping up? I could see them, I mean they was coming right at me and that’s when I got off that rucksack,” Brown said. “I thought, this guy, he means to kill me as sure as the world.”

Brown lunged for cover, and a bullet struck the leg of a soldier who had been behind him. Once the ambush was put down, Brown carried the wounded man up the hill, injuring his back on the way.

Brown grimaced as the photo was snapped. Wintenburg, who had lost his helmet, helped the wounded soldier up to the landing spot. He glanced back toward Greenspon.

Greenspon now lives in Connecticut.

He declined to be interviewed, saying the soldiers should always be the focus of any story about the photograph.

Brown and Wintenburg each spent about a year in Vietnam, and both men struggled with anxiety for years. But now, 50 years later, they relish opportunities to reunite with fellow 101st Airborne members.

Brown has a copy of the photo hanging in his home, and he has plenty of stories of how he convinced relatives and friends that he’s in it. A few years ago, Brown’s granddaughter and her boyfriend — now her husband — asked about it. Seeing it through their eyes reminded him of the growing pride he now takes in his piece of history.

Wintenburg shares that pride, though he is perhaps more sanguine about what led him to that moment.

DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press

The Tribune | Weekend | 25

Friday, February 23, 2018

history

Death Valley Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha

W

riting as a black Bahamian born in Delancey Town, former PLP chairman Bradley Roberts in his autobiography “Big Bad Brad” writes: “We always seemed to harbour this idea that all white people were rich in the Bahamas, but that was far from the truth.” He also told us, “Delancey Town was home to some poor white families as well.”

In his delightful 60-page booklet “He who laughs . . . lasts”, Vincent Higgs, a former schoolmate of mine who now lives in Abaco, wrote about growing up in Sears Addition, a settlement of poor whites that was known as Abaco Village.

Stretching from Shirley Street, and accessed through Sears Road and Sweeting Street, the community centered on the spacious junction where these two streets join Montrose Avenue. It extended southwards to

today’s Rosetta Street, or thereabouts, then a swampy area known as Death Valley, or Coco-Plum Pond, where the valley boys could pick and eat the countless sweet, black cocoplums – unwittingly giving their name to our famous Junkanoo group.

Like the poor boy of Delancey Town, many of Vincent’s poor, childhood friends became prominent Bahamian businessmen. He listed about a dozen of them who became millionaires, one of whom, Vincent said, was so rich that he deserved to be listed twice.

To build Palmdale, Joseph Garfunkel, proprietor of the Home Furniture Company on Bay Street (the first store in Nassau to have a glass window), bought the acreage from the Cole family, who lived not far away, at the top of Mackey Street hill.

Diane Morley, proprietress of Cole’s of Nassau, and a Cole by birth, confirmed to me that the short road that connects Mackey Street to Bilney Lane (just up from The Paint Place) has always been called Cole Lane, even though the recently erected street sign calls it Ivanhoe Road.

Today’s Palmdale was formerly known as Death Valley and was owned by the Cole family.

The Pyfrom family owned huge acreage south of Pyfrom Road (shown on the map and commonly called Bar Twenty Corner) and developed Pyfrom Addition, Marathon Estates and the Mall at Marathon, which is on Robinson Road. In response to an earlier article about street names, Macgregor Robertson told me that Sir Roland Symonette named Robinson Road after

This weekend in world history February 23 • 1836 – The Alamo Mission near San Antonio is besieged for 13 days until March 6 by the Mexican army under General Santa Anna; the entire Texan garrison is eventually killed.

• 1945 – US Marines plant an American flag atop Mount Suribachi on Japan’s volcanic island of Iwo Jima. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event.

February 24 • 303 – The first official Roman edict for the persecution of Christians is issued by Emperor Diocletian. It is the

empire’s largest and bloodiest official persecution of Christianity.

• 1991 – The Gulf War ground offensive begins with a US-led coalition entering Iraqi-occupied Kuwait and southern Iraq. This offensive is known as Operation Desert Sabre.

February 25

• 1870 – Hiram Rhoades Revels, a Republican from Natchez, Mississippi, is sworn into the US Senate, becoming the first African American ever to sit in Congress.

• 1964 – Underdog Cassius Clay, age 22, defeats champion Sonny Liston in a technical knockout to win the world heavyweight boxing crown.

The Iwo Jima flag-raising

Macgregor’s father, but misspelled their family name, which is how his father’s road became Robinson Road.

In the words of the late P Anthony White, “For what it’s worth.”

• For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@gmail.com

fLare (across) ProBe (down)

26 | The Tribune | Weekend

Best described as a number crossword, the task in Kakuro is to fill all of the empty squares, using numbers 1 to 9, so the sum of each horizontal block equals the number to its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the number on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Kakuro increases from Monday to Sunday.

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Jihad, 4 Blatant, 8 Vat, 9 Go on and on, 10 Look-see, 11 Decry, 13 Nearly, 15 In vain, 18 Prong, 19 Apropos, 21 Agonising, 23 Gig, 24 Satiety, 25 Enemy.

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Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Miles, 4 Indoors, 8 Gas, 9 Impatient, 10 Tiny tot, 11 Offer, 13 Nebula, 15 Strict, 18 Lathe, 19 Estates, 21 Climb down, 23 Imp, 24 Emended, 25 Sweet.

Down: 1 Megaton, 2 Losing bet, 3 Skirt, 4 Impute, 5 Detroit, 6 One, 7 Satyr, 12 Faint line, 14 Lie-abed, 16 Tosspot, 17 Record, 18 Lucre, 20 Tongs, 22 Ire.

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The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, February 23, 2018

animals

What is a “notcake”?

H

ands up anybody who knows what a “notcake” is.

I would be surprised if there are many of you crying out “I know!”; I did not know what a “not-cake” was either until a few days ago.

The definition of a “not-cake” is any dog who lives with potcakes but is not a potcake himself. Most “notcakes” end up picking up many of the potcake characteristics, the majority of them endearing, but some of them can be quite frustrating.

Having written an article last week interviewing my four potcakes, I realised that my “not-cake” had been completely left out and not even mentioned in passing. Forgive me Buddy, no offence was intended and do not feel slighted, because you are also an extremely valuable part of our family.

Buddy is a very agile and happy 11-year-old black Labrador. He is our son Scott’s dog, and came to us in the summer of 2006. Scott was back from boarding school and his beloved Star had passed away from a very aggressive cancer in February of the same year. We decided that Scott could get a new friend as soon as he returned from school in June so he would have the entire summer to bond with his new fur baby.

Sadly, the Bahamas Humane Society was battling a very severe distemper epidemic and there were no puppies available for adoption. Scott was not one to be deterred, however.

He took off on his bike and returned triumphant with the information that there was a litter of Labradors in Westridge, and “Can we go and just see them Mummy?”

Now, I address all parents and dog lovers, how do you ever go and just see them? You know, as I do, that you

Kindhearted Kevin

By The Bahamas Humane Society

PET OF THE WEEK

H

andsome Kevin considers himself quite the ladies’ dog. This three-year-old won’t mind sharing his new home with another dog, provided she’s female! Not that he’ll be able to make puppies with her; all BHS adoptees are spayed/neutered, but it’s the company that counts.

Kevin was very stressed when he first arrived at the Bahamas Humane Society, but he has calmed down nicely and is happy to chat with people passing his kennel. He’d make a good yard dog/guard dog for the right person. Do you have room for Kevin in your life? If so, come in to meet him or call 323-5138 for more information. Kevin looks forward to greeting you. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.

PATRICIA VAZQUEZ

Animal matters Kim Aranha

Buddy the Labrador, or “not-cake” inevitably return with a little ball of fluff that crawls into your heart before the car trip is over. In Nassau, the trip is never very long and that is how long it took Buddy the “not-cake” to wrap us around his, little, chubby black paw...forever.

On that first night, Buddy was ceremoniously introduced to Scott’s bed, their bed, and the next morning we could not find that little black ball because he blended in with the navy blue sheets on the bed. From day one Buddy and his boy Scott were

the best of friends. When Scott went back to school, Buddy, you guessed it, slept on our bed...and he still does! As Buddy’s human grew up, I persuaded him that Buddy the “not-cake” had bonded so strongly with his four potcake siblings that he would be happier here with them. But Buddy is always first down the corridor if he hears his human’s voice.

Buddy walked Scott down the aisle and “gave him” away to Scott’s bride Bianca this summer, and remained next to Scott during the entire ceremony wearing a matching bow tie like the other groomsmen, his tail wagging when Scott took his vows.

Ask Buddy what it is like living with a bunch of potcakes? His reply will be: “They are a feisty bunch, always into everything! They are the first to wake up if there is a noise and they bark the loudest. They remind me to bark with them. I love my siblings!”

Buddy was brought up by his mentor Chief, who is one year older: “Chief is top dog,” Buddy tells us. “ We are good friends and we love to race down the hallway. He taught me how to ‘talk’: looking at my human and barking at him when I want something.”

Sometimes Buddy pretends to be a potcake because he thinks they are so cool.

The only totally un-potcake thing Buddy does is jump into the pool and swim. The potcakes in our house hate the water. Buddy makes up for all of them and will swim and leap into the water for his blue toy until your arm is tired from throwing.

There is a wonderful Facebook page that I have only recently joined called “Potcake Nation”. There are posts from potcake families all over the world and their “not-cakes” who have welcomed these remarkable island fur children into their lives.

You know what is so absolutely amazing is that here in the Bahamas many people do not even consider the potcake as a “real dog”, and never as a “house dog”. And if you go on this page you see and hear from people who absolutely treasure these amazing and beautiful proud animals of the islands.

How can we encourage the residents of these islands to understand that we have dogs that are held in high esteem in other countries and people will go to great lengths and expense to have one, in their home, as, yes, a house dog!

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, February 23, 2018

gardening

Coconut water Jack Hardy espouses the many benefits of the delicious tropical drink.

“G

et your coconut water.

Man, it’s good for your daughter. Coco got a lot of iron – make you strong like a lion.” – Coconut Woman sung by Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte was a consummate entertainer, but Coconut Woman’s claim that coconut water has a lot of iron is somewhat misleading. It does have iron, but in small amounts, about 10 per cent of an adult’s daily requirements per 100 ml. What it does have is significant amounts of potassium, an important electrolyte that helps relieve dehydration. If you enjoyed a little too much alcohol last night the accepted Bahamian hangover cure is coconut water, pure and simple.

Coconut water is found in green coconuts that are about six months on the tree and have a film of jelly attached to the shell. You would think that if young coconut water was good for you the stronger more concentrated water in a

mature coconut would be even better. Not so. The nutrients in coconut water are used to turn that jelly into coconut meat and lost to the liquid.

Coconut water is 95 per cent water, four per cent carbohydrates and one per cent protein and fat along with trace vitamins and dietary minerals. One per cent may not seem much but check out your insecticide spray can and see the percentage of active ingredients that do the job, usually about one or two per cent.

There is no doubt that coconut water is an effective hydrator. It has been used in the tropics for centuries to treat children that have become dehydrated though fevers. Survivors of cholera were usually those who were able to rehydrate their bodies after loss of fluids through diarrhoea and vomiting. After a sweaty experience – hard work in the garden, a long ramble – you can feel the almost instant effectiveness of coconut water as it courses through your body.

Diabetes is one of the scourges of the Bahamas and coconut water may help to maintain fluid balance in the body. Speak with your doctor about your particular case.

The presence of potassium is definitely helpful in dealing with migraine headaches but again should only be used on a doctor’s advice and indication of amount. Coconut water is also used as a diuretic and in this case its effectiveness is increased by adding a pinch of salt.

“Coconut water and rice curry. You can cook it in a pot.

You can serve it very hot.”

Rice made with coconut water has delicate flavour, more subtle than rice with coconut milk that is coconut water infused with the pressed juice from coconut meat.

Coconut water can also be added to the ingredients of a chicken or goat curry but it is in rice that it most effective.

“The thing that’s best if you’re feeling glum, is coconut

water with a little rum. It could make you very tipsy. Make you feel like a gypsy.”

Here in the Bahamas we prefer our coconut water with gin. The best I ever tasted was in Ragged Island and was made by the Anglican ladies for a fundraising cook-out.

The water was very lightly sweetened with condensed milk and the amount of gin was minimal. You needed two or three glasses to feel a buzz and would need about a gallon to get tipsy. Gin and coconut water (cannot get it in America) is often made far too strong and sweet and becomes a horrible concoction. Keep the gin and coconut water light and stay with it. If you run out, any other alcoholic drink will taste awful.

I would like to tell you that I drink fresh coconut water every day, but that is not so.

My garden is only 10 years old and my coconut palms are mere teenagers. I notice a few spathes developing so the time will shortly come. Coconut water straight from the nut is

best, of course. The top of a young coconut is easily sliced off and you can pour the water into a container and refrigerate it for greater refreshment.

In the meantime I have to drink a canned version – one a day, usually first thing in the morning – that invariably comes from Thailand. There is a wide selection available ranging from under a dollar a can to over five dollars. Many have lumps of coconut jelly in them, which I do not like and strain out before drinking.

Coconut palms have roughly the same lifespan as humans and are ridiculously easy to grow. Just lay a dry coconut on its side where you want it to grow and come back a few months to admire the green shoots. For best foliage colour palms need plenty of magnesium and manganese which are contained in ‘palm special’ fertilizers. The regular coconut palm growing in the Bahamas is Jamaican Tall.

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