09162016 weekend section

The Tribune

Friday, September 16, 2016

art books relationships film fashion music books food pageants

Weekend

wendi lewis Pages 4&5

Grounded in love Couple keeps it fun and fancy Weddings, pages 14&15

02| The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

section

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, September 16, 2016

Inside Weekend Interview 4 - 5 Cara Hunt talks to Wendi Lewis about her life-long love for music Art 7 Andret John sculpts Bahamian history

Drinks 8 Sister duo aims to make the Bahamas a healthier nation Food 9 -11 Cjay’s Bahamian Deli wants to revitalise downtown Nassau; Paradise Plates goes big for milestone celebration, plus pastry chef brings artistry to cake baking at Atlantis.

Pageants 13 Reigning plus size beauty queen captures international crown

Weddings 14 -15

My perfect Bahamian weekend Dawn Demeritte Journalist

“I need to see all I can see and do all I can do before I die.”

Q: Saturday breakfast or Sunday lunch?

“When I think of Saturday breakfast I think of mimosas with anything I am eating. Therefore, I prefer the thought of Saturday breakfast.”

Q: Beach or sofa?

“Sofa. Although the beach is great, we have the luxury of going on a beach at any time. I don’t have the luxury to lay on my couch as often as I would like to.”

Q: Wine, Kalik or cocktail?

“Kalik – It’s a Bahamian thing.”

Q: One thing you can’t live without?

“I can’t live without my phone. It has my appointments, it’s how my boss summons me, and it’s how I communicate with the rest of the world.”

Q: Weekend away, where would you go?

“Always somewhere I’ve never been.

One life to live, I need to see all I can see and do all I can do before I die.”

Terelle Duvalier and Gerrard Wilson celebrate fun and fancy nuptials

Things 2 Do this weekend

Relationships 17

Friday

Love can be a fairy tale

• Summer Madness 2016 Time: 8pm (encore on Saturday) Venue: Dundas Centre for Performing Arts The James Catalyn and Friends theatrical group present this year’s revue, “Laughin’ at Wesef”. Tickets are $25 and are available at the box office at the Dundas; or call 3933728 or 394-7179, from 10am - 4pm daily. Children and babies are not allowed admission. Reserved tickets not collected by 3pm on the day of performance will be sold.

Books 18 The newest releases reviewed

Music 19 Keeya proves she’s “Hella Good”

Film 20 - 21 Movie highlights from September to December Literary Lives 22 - 25 Oscar Wilde – A picture of brilliance and indecency

Forgotten Facts 25 Paul Aranha talks pounds, shillings and pence Puzzles 26 Animals 27 Kim Aranha on four-legged heroes

Gardening 28 Jack Hardy talks cucurbits

• GeneratioNext Drive-In Movie Time: 8.30pm Venue: Holy Trinity grounds The entrance fee is $5 (children under 12 are $2); snacks are available for purchase.

• “It’s All About the Cross” concert Time: 7.30pm Venue: Holy Cross Anglican Church, Soldier Road The concert is part of the church’s 50th anniversary celebrations and features the Holy Cross Senior Choir,

the junior praise team, the marching band and the TRUTH dancers.

Admission is free.

Saturday • 31st Annual International Coastal Cleanup Time: 8am - 10am Venue: South Beach, near the pools The public is invited to volunteer and attend. Free bus transportation is available every 30 minutes starting at 7.30am from the Marathon Mall or Town Centre Mall. Please wear closed in shoes, sunscreen and gardening gloves. E-mail Lashanti Jupp at lashanti@dolphinencounters.com or Linzi Knowles-Belton at linzi@ dolphinencounters.com for more information or to volunteer.

Sunday • BHS presents “Unleashed on the Beach” Venue: Pearl Island (Boat departs from TPA Marina, East Bay Street) Time: 11am or 1pm depatures; 4pm or 6pm returns.

Enjoy a relaxing Sunday with family and friends during a special fundraiser to benefit the Bahamas Humane Society.

Tickets are $20 and include the roundtrip boat transfer, and all-day beach and swimming pool access.

Lunch on the island is $15.

There is also the opportunity to snorkel in the protected coral reef and rent our water sports equipment.

Book tickets at pearlislandbahamas. com or call 422-2211 or 462-6277.

• Bahamas Olympic Team Celebrations Time: 3pm Venue: Meliá Nassau Beach Hotel/ Arawak Cay Tommy Stubbs and Buttons Formal Wear will present a reception at the Meliá for the entire Olympic team.

Immediately following the event, the general public is invited to join in a motorcade from Cable Beach through the streets of Nassau – down Baha Mar Boulevard to JFK Drive and Thompson Boulevard, and ending at the Fish Fry, Arawak Cay, where the athletes will be on hand to mix and mingle. The motorcade is expected to arrive at the Fish Fry at around 6pm.

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Friday, September 16, 2016

interview The field of biochemistry may have lost a bright, young mind, but the Bahamas has gained a soulful voice. Singer Wendi Lewis tells Cara Hunt about how she came to pursue a professional career in music and what she thinks of the current opportunities within the local industry.

Wendi Lewis

W

endi Lewis is best known for her melodic voice, but a few years ago the singer was about to embark on different career path entirely.

“I had finished the College of the Bahamas with a degree in Biochemistry and was prepared to get my medical degree at the University of the West Indies,” she said.

“But then I began to question myself, did I really want to do this, and I consulted with my parents and they told me, ‘It’s OK; to not do medicine’.”

With her parents’ support, Wendi followed her heart and instead enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, as a voice major.

The decision to peruse a career in music was almost a no-brainer for a woman who does not remember a time when she did not love to sing.

“I started singing as a little girl. I remember my very first performance was when I was four-years-old, and I sang ‘The Greatest Love of All ‘at my pre-school graduation. So when you are doing something from that young, it is always a part of you,” she said.

“My father, once he knew that I could sing, helped me develop my talent. He would buy soundtracks on cassette tapes – so that gives you an idea of how long ago it was – for me to sing, so I sang a lot of Helen Bayler,

“I think Bahamians appreciate our music, but I am not sure what value they place on it.

It’s like when you go into a store and you see a bag that you like. You may like it, but when you see the price you have to decide if you value it enough to pay the price.”

CC Winans. Growing up I was always just ‘that girl who can sing’. But it was not until I was in college that I made the conscious decision to sing professionally and considered that I might be able to make it a viable career.”

Wendi made the most of every opportunity during her time at Berklee.

After graduation she remained in the East Coast.

“It gave me a chance to grow and develop and immerse myself in the music scene,” she said.

Eventually, she returned home and launched what has to date been a very rewarding music career.

She joined the popular Visage Band five years ago, and has released

Friday, September 16, 2016

singles such as “Happy Hour”, “One Song”, “Make It Loud” and “Party Starter” with the band. She has also released two solo projects that are of the pop/R&B genre: “Lunar” released in 2013, and “Risky Business” released earlier this year.

“I think my music has been wellreceived,” she said. “I know that as I have grown, my music has changed and developed, and fortunately the more exposure I get, the more it has helped me to develop.”

Wendi said that while she has had some amazing experiences so far, she would still not say that she has “arrived”, as there is still much she wants to accomplish and so many songs she wants to perform with other artists.

However, there is one experience that stands out in her mind as somewhat of an “I made it” moment.

“I know that performing at the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival during its first year was very important to me; it felt big. We (Visage Band) had practised for it for so long. Before then, people may have known my name or had heard my music, but it was after that performance that people really began to recognise me. Like I would be walking down the street and people would say, ‘Oh hi, you are the girl who was rocking on the carnival stage?’”

Looking forward, Wendi said that she would love to work on a project with American songwriter Ester Dean.

“Working with Rihanna would change the game and I would absolutely love to sing even just one note with Beyoncé,” she added.

But right here at home, she said, she would love to collaborate on a project with Ronnie Butler.

“That would be epic; he is a legend,” she said.

Wendi is also in talks with singer Bodine about a possible project. “We will see if that happens.”

One collaboration that is already up and running is her video blog called “A Couple Views”, which she does with fellow musician Dyson Knight.

In each episode, the two chat about a wide range of topics, everything from Beyoncé’s latest album to stereotypes, from what makes music “Bahamian”, to the recent referendum.

“It’s really just us talking and giving our perspective on things,” she said.

Wendi said that she used to be a news binge watcher, but admits that ever since she gave up cable television she has had to resort to getting the cliff notes version of what has been happening in the world from social media.

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At the moment she is also busy with her “Business Tour”. The name of the tour is directly inspired by Wendi’s new EP entitled “Risky Business”, which she describes as an edgier, grittier version of herself as an artist.

She said that her favourite song on the EP is called “Buffy”.

“I worked with songwriter Anwar McDonald. I just love the track. The bridge is really good. I love the remixes some of the DJs have done with the song. It’s a song you sing when you want to slay and everyone needs a good slay song,” she said.

Wendi said that she would love to see music in the Bahamas evolve to the point where musicians are able to make a “full living” from it.

“And by full I mean be able to buy land and put food on the table,” she said.

However, she admits that this reality is still a far way off, as many musicians have to seek options outside the Bahamas.

“I think Bahamians appreciate our music, but I am not sure what value they place on it.

It’s like when you go into a store and you see a bag that you like. You may like it, but when you see the price you have to decide if you value it enough to pay the price,” she said.

Wendi said that she is a big advocate of learning music the traditional way – in school.

She said this helps musicians be more creative in their songwriting and has educational benefits for students who may not be necessarily interested in a musical career.

“Studies have shown that students who study music do better in school,” she said.

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Friday, September 16, 2016

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Friday, September 16, 2016

art

Sculpting history EP Roberts bust to be unveiled in Green Turtle Cay

By Felicity Ingraham

E

tching faces into eternity, that is the kind of magic Bahamian sculptor Andret John seeks to conjure up.

In recent years, his work has increasingly sought to capture Bahamian history and has appeared on permanent edifices throughout the country.

His latest creation is the bust of the late Enoch Pedro Roberts, Sr, for whom the primary school in the Englerston community is named.

EP Roberts (1894 - 1976) was a poet, musician, artist, craftsman and a pioneer in the field of education. Today he is considered one of the Bahamas’ nation builders.

The bust was sculpted in clay, using a photograph as a reference.

Mr John said he was commissioned by the grandson of EP Roberts, who was inspired to complete a task which began as an idea of his father, the late Enoch Pedro Roberts II. The sculptor recently took the bust to the United States to be overlaid in bronze before bringing it back to the Nassau for the final inspection by the family.

Next, the completed bust will travel to Green Turtle Cay, the birthplace of EP Roberts. It will find its final home in the Albert Lowe Museum.

The bust of EP Roberts

by Andret John

Andret John at work The museum – considered the Bahamas’ first official museum – will observe its 40th anniversary this November.

Celebrations for this milestone will include the official unveiling of the bust. EP Roberts’ two remaining living siblings – Dr Patrick Roberts and Rosemund Williams – will officially do the honour as the sculpture is set upon its new pedestal.

The bust will join those of two other Bahamian greats, Sir Etienne and Lady Dupuch, whose sculptures are housed in the living room area of the museum.

The Roberts family is one of several families from the quaint community of Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, which produced nation builders.

The matriarchs and patriarchs of the island’s families have also been immortalised in a

“Whether mundane or someone of prominence, I think there are many who deserve to be remembered.” book – “Those Who Stayed”

by Amanda Diedrick – which will be released during the museum’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Mr John’s bust will be in the company of the works by other great artists, most notably James Mastin, who died

last month. He was the creator of the famous Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden.

Mr John told Tribune Weekend that while sculpting has been his art form of choice in recent times, he is actually a visual artist who utilises other skills such as painting.

He was born in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, and moved to New Providence at the age of 11 to attend Queen’s College, where he said his artistic talent blossomed.

With the aid of his art teachers, and a chance encounter with famous Bahamian artist Brent Malone, he made the decision to become an artist.

This decision, however, was not realised until early adulthood.

Today, Mr John said his work provides a certain com-

fort to his clients. In this latest case, creating the EP Roberts bust fulfilled a long soughtafter dream for the Roberts family.

“My work seeks to bring beauty to the human condition,” the artist said.

“My subject matters consist mostly of people and their impact on my immediate society.

Whether mundane or someone of prominence, I think there are many who deserve to be remembered.”

Mr John said that portraits of great Bahamians give people “a visual, tangible example of who those people were”, and ensure that the younger generations can see and reflect on those who helped build this nation.

Reflecting on the many social ills of today, especially the statistics relating to young Bahamian men, Mr John said that creativity can be way to answer many of these problems.

“Through creativity we can create self-sufficiency,” he said. “We need more examples of people generating wealth through their creativity. We have to show them that they can accomplish their life goals by using their creativity.”

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

drinks

Creating a healthier nation one smoothie at a time

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

C

hristine and Janine Carey are two sisters on a mission to make the Bahamas a happier, healthier nation. To achieve this, they opened up the first international branch of Liquid Nutrition here in Nassau.

Founded in Montreal, Canada, in 2004, Liquid Nutrition has evolved into an international beverage company that provides nutritional functional beverages, fresh juices and vitamin products. Their concept combines a health bar and supplement store.

Janine said she was first introduced to Liquid Nutrition through a Canadian friend. After meeting with their corporate team, the two sisters decided that the company was in line with their vision for a business to provide the Bahamian community with healthy food and beverage options.

The sisters went into business together, and today they run the Liquid Nutrition store in the Old Fort Bay Town Centre.

They said they knew that working together would accelerate their personal and professional growth as well.

Janine is an Ashtanga and anti-gravity yoga instructor and health coach, while

Liquid Nutrition offers functional beverages, fresh juices and vitamin products.

Christine is a certified health and life coach.

“At Liquid Nutrition we are happy to offer the freshest fruits and veggies, organic, carrageenan-free almond milk, coconut water, grains, nuts and organic pure Canadian maple syrup.

Nothing in our functional beverages is pasteurized or refined. Our water is filtered. All of our products are with

no exception 100 per cent plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free.

The sweetness that you’re experiencing on your lips comes directly from Mother Nature herself, and from the love and care we put into everything we make, just for you,” Christine told Tribune Weekend.

Christine started her career in coaching by becoming a lactation consultant and natural birth educator in 2005. From there, general health coaching was a natural progression, as she was already working with families and addressing baby’s first foods.

During her experience in the field over the years she found that many people are really interested in living a healthy life, but have a lot of questions.

She decided to diversify her practice so she could help people change their eating habits and address areas of dissatisfaction in their lives.

“I have always been committed to service. My community is very important to me and I want to be able to create a healthier, happier nation.

As coaches and through the Liquid Nutrition business, Janine and I are able to have daily dialogue with people and encourage and uplift the quality of their lives through healthy foods and positive perspectives about life,” she said.

Christine said people are always surprised at how good their smoothies taste, how many options they offer and

that everything is so reasonably priced.

She said she is thankful that Liquid Nutrition has been able to find great people to work with here in the Bahamas.

“It’s so important to Janine and I that when you walk through our doors you are genuinely greeted in a way that shows you that you are valued, appreciated, and we are happy to offer you this goodness,” said Christine.

The businesswoman said she looks to her sister as her biggest inspiration.

Christine said she is grateful for the unconditional support and guidance she receives from Janine in every aspect of her life.

“Sometimes she can see things that I’m too close to and adjust my course.

She is my anchor. She is my partner in life. I adore her,” she said.

Christine said she is pleased that Liquid Nutrition works with non-profit organisations such as Paradise Plates and the American Heart Foundation. She said this is the time of year that they can support these groups and assist others in doing good in the community. The company is also working on a partnership to expand on its locations.

“We are focused on opening another two locations in 2017, so we have a location in the east, central and west.

We would love to see Liquid Nutrition be the new fast food option in the Bahamas,” said Christine.

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Friday, September 16, 2016

food

Cjay’s Bahamian Deli dishes out down-home cuisine

A culinary tribute to a ‘Fox Hill boy’ Cjay’s Deli hopes to lure people back downtown

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

C

jay’s Bahamian Deli is on a mission to help breathe life back into downtown Nassau by providing a venue that serves up tasty, down-home Bahamian cooking with a twist to its customers.

Located in Saffrey Square, the restaurant opened in March to pay homage to the life and legacy of the late

Charles “CJ” Johnson, a well-known businessman and chairman of the Fox Hill Festival Committee.

“CJ was a giant of a man; he loved to entertain. And although not formally trained, he was a chef in his own right,” said Cjay’s co-owner Terrell Stuart.

“Born and raised in Fox Hill, he was community-minded. (Being) chairman of the Fox Hill Community Association, it brought him great joy to watch the crowds socialise and eat the native dishes prepared for the annual Fox Hill Day festivities. It was our intention to create a space where good friends could meet to have great conversation while enjoying excellent food.”

Ms Stuart said in opening the restaurant they also wanted to do their part in revitalising the downtown area.

“In other countries around the world the city centre is bustling with activity, safely into the wee hours of the morning. You will see the locals enjoying meals outside, children playing

“You have not lived until you’ve tried our Saturday brunch.” with music and laughter providing the soundtrack to their outing,” she said. “(In Nassau) you will often hear people say they have no need to come downtown. We believe that a restaurant such as ours is necessary to bring people back to the town area.”

And while she admits that times may have changed from Nassau’s heyday, Ms Stuart believes there is still the potential for the area to come alive again.

“We are hopeful that our local

Bahamian and expat communities will support us as we attempt to change the face of downtown,” she said.

Since its opening this spring, guests have enjoyed an array of tempting local favourites.

“On Saturdays, we have an awesome brunch. We serve traditional souses, omelettes made your way, as well as the increasingly popular wings and waffles. You have not lived until you’ve tried our Saturday brunch,” said Ms Stuart.

The lunch menu includes cracked chicken and conch, fish fingers and deep fried ribs, as well as seasonal offerings such as coconut infused boiled crab n’ dough with caramelised onions.

“Our cooks are from the old school and the new school; it’s a wonderful mix of experience and innovation,” said Ms Stuart. “For this reason we are able to take traditional favourites and put our own spin on them, making them absolutely fabulous and distinctly ours.”

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Friday, September 16, 2016

food PHOTOS/CAY FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY

Paradise Plates to celebrate milestone in style

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

N

ot only will the eighth annual Paradise Plates offer up a night of compassion, great food and music, it will also celebrate Hands for Hunger’s milestone of rescuing and delivering one million pounds of food since its inception.

This year’s instalment will be held on October 1 in the Atlantis Imperial Ballroom. Paradise Plates will showcase signature fare from 33 of the island’s most elite chefs, restaurateurs, vintners, brewers and beverage purveyors.

Guests will be treated to a unique evening of gourmet food, desserts, wine, beer, and cocktails, complemented by an assortment of live entertainment and unique raffle and door prizes.

Participating chefs will also use the event as an opportunity to show off their craft and will each bring their best dishes to the event. Drink mixologists are also excited about sharing new and unique cocktails.

“This year, 12 of the restaurants featured will be making their debut, as many of them are still in their first year of operation,” said Keisha Ellis, Hands for Hunger communications manager.

“This means that guests will have the opportunity to sample dishes from some of the newest and hottest restaurants in Nassau. In addition to that, we are featuring chefs that are not located in Nassau – Xuma from Highbourne Cay, Exuma; 1648 from Eleuthera, and Flavour Mama from Miami,” she said.

Ms Ellis said this year’s event will feature numerous surprises, especially for the entertainment segment of the night.

“Paradise Plates is a one-of-a-kind event in the Bahamas. This year, we are doing a raffle, so even those who are unable to attend can still support our work by buying raffle tickets. The

For the past eight years, Paradise Plates has offered gourmet dining and exciting entertainment.

Participating restaurants, chefs and drink purveyors for Paradise Plates 2016 include the following:

Food

unique prizes that guests have a chance of winning include four tickets to anywhere JetBlue flies and a private sushi lesson for 10 people,” she said.

“Each year, we strive to do everything a little better than we did the year before. That goes for our food rescue programme, our community outreach, and Paradise Plates. Hands For Hunger is a trusted name in the community and people know what they can expect from us. When it comes to Paradise Plates, people know that they can expect the finest food, the greatest entertainment, the most unique prizes, and an overall great night – all while supporting the less fortunate.”

Sponsors for the event include Atlantis, Wildflowers Events & Occasions, Creative Relations and Zamar.

Tickets are $175 and 100 per cent of the proceeds go toward Hands For Hunger’s operation and programmes.

For more information contact 3271660 or visit www.handsforhunger.org.

1648 French Leave (Eleuthera) Black Angus (Meliá Nassau Beach Resort) Burger Shack (Atlantis) Cassava Grille Chives to Go Drifter’s Flavour Mama (US-based Bahamian chef) Le Petit Gourmet Louis & Steens Luciano’s of Chicago Mahagony House Nobu (Atlantis) Old Fort Bay Club Olives (Atlantis) One and Only Ocean Club Sakura Sushi Sapodilla Shima (Island House) Studio Cafe Summer Palace Xuma Restaurant (Exuma)

Beverages

Aquapure Pirate Republic Sands Beer Young’s Fine Wine Skyjuice King Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits John Watlings Liquid Nutrition Bristol

Desserts

Pop-Stop Dunkin Donuts Graycliff Chocolate Factory

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Friday, September 16, 2016

food

Atlantis cake artist to bring added creativity to resort’s sweet creations

C

HEF Ivanna Smith, cake artist at Atlantis, is about to take her craft – and the Paradise Island resort’s position in the cake arts – to another level.

Chef Smith and her assistant Volanda Rahming recently returned from a three-day intensive training course in Manhattan, New York, with pastry chef extraordinaire Chef Ron Ben-Israel.

Dubbed “Ron’s Garden’s Party”, the course – an instruction on gum paste and sugar flower work – proved extremely beneficial to Chef Smith and she said she intends to bring what she’s learned to Atlantis’ Pastry Shop.

“We learned how to make roses, chrysanthemums, calla lilies and other flower types, and he also showed us how he stacks, builds and decorates his cakes,” she said.

“It sounds pretty simple, but it was really intense.

Making the flowers takes a lot of time, but I got so much more from Ron’s teachings and the way he executes his masterpieces. He’s just so meticulous, from his organisation to the tools and equipment he uses.

I’m already in the process of making some changes to the way we do things at the Pastry Shop; a lot of little key things that I believe will make a tremendous difference in the product that we offer here at Atlantis.”

Chef and owner of one of America’s finest couture cake studios, Ron Ben-Israel caters to many of New York’s premier hotels, including The Pierre, The St Regis, The New York Palace, The Ritz-Carlton, The Waldorf Astoria, The Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental, in addition to an extensive list of private clients. His confectionery creations have been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Town and Country, People, New York Post, New York Daily News, Martha Stewart Weddings, In Style, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Elegant Bride, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, The Knot, Time Out and Vogue Magazine, to name a few.

Chef Ben-Israel was named “Best Baker” by Vogue Magazine and was declared Martha Stewart’s favourite cake maker. He continues to regularly contribute to Martha Stewart’s eponymous magazine and TV shows, and their collaboration was highlighted in Martha Stewart Weddings’ 20th anniversary issue.

Chef Smith, a 10-year veteran in pastry making and cake artistry, has been employed at Atlantis for the past four years. She currently manages the Atlantis Pastry Shop and is responsible for all wedding and other specialty cakes, including birthday cakes, created at Atlantis and One&Only Ocean Club. She previously apprenticed under the direction of Atlantis Chef Jasmine Clarke-Young, who died in 2011.

At the end of the course, participants showcased their finished masterpieces and were presented with certificates.

Celebrity pastry chef Ron Ben-Israel

Atlantis’ Chef Ivanna Smith with Chef Ron Ben-Israel

Confectionery flowers Volanda Rahming of Atlantis’ Pastry Shop receives her certfication of participation from Chef Ron Ben-Israel

Cakes by Chef Ron Ben-Israel

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

entertainment

Bahamian film “This Life” chosen by LA CineFest

By CARA HUNT cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

T

ony McCartney recently realised a decade-long when he wrote, produced and starred in his first feature-length film called “This Life” – a gangster style movie set in the Bahamas.

And now the veteran actor, who also had a role in the first Bahamian soap opera “Gippie’s Kingdom”, has had a second dream come true – the dream of garnering international recognition for his work.

Following a successful Bahamian premiere last month, “This Life” has now been named as a semi-finalist in the Los Angeles CineFest.

CineFest is an online international event

which invites filmmakers to submit their work in a number of categories, including short film, feature film, documentary, animation, student, music video, experimental, drone films, and web/new media.

There are also awards for subsections such as screenplay, script, song, film score, photography and posters as well as an audience choice award.

Los Angeles film industry specialists announce the semi-finalists and choose the finalists and winners in each category. All winners receive the Los Angeles CineFest Certificate.

Each year, the judges select one filmmaker, their “Best of the Best”, from all the categories and the prize is the latest edition of Sony Vegas Pro plus a live screening in theatre in Los Angeles.

The festival was created by Mark Mos,

The main cast of “This Life” at the film premiere at Galleria Cinemas – (l-r) Patrick Deveaux, Nicole Musgrove, Tony McCartney, Jeffrey Mackey and Deangelo Brown. a Kodak Entertainment Imaging awarded filmmaker and film premiere organiser.

Mr Mos has organised the premieres for “Gladiator”, “Mission Impossible 2”, ”Gone in 60 seconds” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, among others.

He is also a filmmaker with a master’s degree in TV and Film Production. His films were shown at film festivals in Los Angeles, Chicago and Salt Lake City, and also in Europe.

Receiving the news of his film having been selected by Los Angeles CineFest, Mr McCartney said it felt “crazy” to be nominated.

“Just the thought that an international film organisation would consider my film is amazing,” he told Tribune Weekend.

“I am really hoping that it will be pushed into the finals, but I am still honoured and excited about being named a semi-finalist.”

Additionally, Mr McCartney said that he has submitted “This Life” to a number of other festivals, including the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, and is hopeful for a positive response “This Life” had it’s red carpet premiere last month here in Nassau and Mr McCartney said he was thrilled with the local response

“We had a full house for the premiere and everyone really enjoyed it. It was very well-received. Making the film was a tedious but very rewarding undertaking, and so it’s great to be appreciated.”

Mr McCartney explained that the idea for “This Life” came from his love of the gangster genre, particularly from Brian De Palma’s cult film “Scarface”.

The movie is about a young man who enters the world of drugs and crime after losing his job because he has to care for his mother who is blind.

“So he enters a life of crime in the hopes of making some fast money and the movie explains what happens. It is a tale of money and power gone wrong,” the filmmaker said.

Production on “This Life” wrapped after five months of shooting. Mr McCartney plays the lead character and the movie also stars Patrick Deveaux, DeAngelo Brown, Nicole Gaitor and Jeffery Mackey He hopes the success of “This Life” will inspire more Bahamian film projects.

Meanwhile, Mr McCarntey’s next project will be called “1492” and will focus on Christopher Columbus.

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Friday, September 16, 2016

pageants

One queen, two crowns Reigning plus size beauty queen captures international crown

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

B

AHAMIAN plus size beauty queen Jacklyn Frazer celebrated a triumphant return home after winning the 17th annual Miss Big Beautiful Woman International Pageant 2016 and capturing various awards during the showcase in Philadelphia last month.

As reigning queen for the Miss Plus Beauty Bahamas International franchise, Jacklyn was afforded the opportunity to represent her country in the Miss Big Beautiful event at the Holiday Inn Stadium and organised by veteran promoter David Wilkes. The pageant drew 11 contestants from across the United States and the Caribbean.

According to Rochelle Walker, local pageant representative, Jacklyn not only captured the crown, but she also “out-spoke, outglammed and out-performed” her competitors, capturing awards for Most Exquisite Evening Gown, Best Talent Performance and for being the overall interview winner.

But of course the major high-

“I’ve always been passionate about representing the average plus size woman who maybe wants to do what I am doing but does not have the confidence to do so.”

light of the evening came when Jacklyn was crowned the overall winner of the pageant.

“Indeed, another historymaking moment for Bahamians in international pageantry, and certainly history for plus-sized beauty everywhere,” said Ms Walker.

As the new Miss Big Beautiful, Jacklyn walked away with a plethora of gifts, including a mink ensemble (coat, headwear and stole), a diamond ring, an eight-day cruise, gift baskets, gift certificates, an electronic device, jewellery and rhinestone acces-

sories to go along with her crown, sash and trophies.

Jacklyn now also serves as the international spokesperson for the Miss Big Beautiful international platform, which is “No More! – Bringing Awareness to Domestic Abuse.”

She will continue promoting her local platform of “Loving the Skin You’re In – Because Beauty Comes in Plus Size Too”.

Jacklyn, a 23-year-old human resources major at the Bahamas Baptist College, is no stranger to pageantry, having been crowned Miss Teen Plus Bahamas in 2010 and Miss Cultural Bahamas in 2012.

“I have always loved pageantry.

It allows me to affect the lives of others, especially women like myself. I’ve always been passionate about representing the average plus size woman who maybe wants to do what I am doing but does not have the confidence to do so. It is my hope that through my walk and experiences they are motivated to take action. The main objectives for me are to inspire and to break down all barriers related to being a plus size woman in today’s society, locally and internationally,” she said.

Jacklyn said that most people underestimate the work that goes into competing in pageants and how much can be learned from the process.

“Each experience has taught me new and vital lessons, so I’ve definitely used my past pageant experiences to help prepare. I have been at this for a little over six years now. Most people do not realise that pageantry takes a lot of effort, hard work and training. I wholeheartedly believe that my previous competitions have assisted in preparing me for my present.”

Over the next 12 months, Jacklyn will be making special guest appearances across the US and in the Bahamas to speak on two important topics: “Building Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence in Women” and “Beauty Comes in Plus Size!”

Ms Walker said she is pleased to have closed the Miss Plus Beauty Bahamas organisation’s first year with a bang. However, the work for next year is only just beginning, she added.

Jacklyn Frazer is crowned Miss Big Beautiful Woman International 2016

Jacklyn Frazer (right) with David Wilkes, CEO of the Miss Big Beautiful Woman International franchise

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

celebrity With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

AP PHOTOS

The Weekend Fashion Report 73rd Venice International Film Festival

HIT

HIT

HIT

HIT

SPLIT

Lily-Rose Depp “Planetarium”

Natalie Portman “Jackie”

Sophie Turner “Game of Thrones”

Emma Stone “La La Land”

Dakota Fanning “Brimstone”

Karin says: “She’s only 17, but already knows how to work that red carpet (guess that happens when parents are Johnny Deep and Vanessa Paradis). This is so cute and so elegant. And those shoes are beyond cool. She means business, for sure.”

Cara says: “Lily-Rose, those serpentine shoes are so cute that everyone online was talking about them. Her dress is your basic little black dress, but she made it pop with the bow – she looks like a very modern Audrey Hepburn.”

Karin says: “It’s not va va voom, but it’s really pretty and really feminine. It just looks breezy and comfortable.

The white lace overlay over the black is a nice touch and manages to not look like a table cloth (no small feat, that). She just looks really nice.”

Cara says: “Natalie just announced that she is pregnant with her second child and she is glowing in this very lovely black and white dress.

I think she looks amazing.

Comfy, but still high-fashion stylish. Brava!”

Karin says: “Ooh, we don’t get to see many mixed patterns on the red carpet. And this is a spectacular example of it.

Sophie just looks so confident because she knows she’s the picture of sophisticated, elegant sexiness. I’m not crazy about the blond hair though; she looks better as a red head for sure.”

Cara says: “Stripes can be hard to pull off, but Sophie does it. I think this dress looks great on her. It’s sexy and cool – perfect for an almost fall late summer evening event in Venice. Great choice!”

Karin says: “This festival has been unusually fail-free when it comes to red carpet gowns.

And here we have another winner. Emma simply sparkles in this lovely blue-silver number. It looks wonderful with her complexion and hair.

A slight misstep and this could have been a showgirl disaster, but we have nothing to worry about here.”

Cara says: “I just think Emma is cute as pie and her dress choices are always so fun. This is a great dress – very playful.

If I was wearing it, I think I would be swishing around all night. Love, love, love it.”

Karin says: “OK, here we have the duffer of the event. This looks just like every other cheap, sequined prom dress, complete with the hideous belt and flower details at the straps. Also, I’m all for the nomakeup look (especially when you’re 22), but she needed some ‘oompf’ somewhere... maybe a cool hairstyle or something. This is a complete fail for me.”

Cara says: “I really like the colouring of this dress... somehow she looks very mermaid-like. Guess it’s the scale effect of the dress. It’s not a complete home run for me though, because it reminds me too much of a pageant dresses, but I still like it.”

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, September 16, 2016

relationships

Fairy tales do exist!

A relationship with mutual love, respect and passion does not have to be a fairy tale.

By DR EDRICA RICHARDSON

I

used to say fairy tales don’t exist, but I was wrong.

I don’t mind when people tell me that my relationship ideals are a fairy tale. If it is a fairy tale to be loved, to be respected, to have passion, then yes, I believe in fairy tales. If mutual respect, love, lust and friendship are a fairy tale, then of course!

I want to be in love with a person, in lust with person, in like with person. It’s a multidimensional world, so why would I want a one-dimensional relationship?

I want love, passion, honesty, companionship, sex that drives me crazy and conversation that drives me sane.

That’s the standard I’m setting. What standard are you setting?

Many people make the mistake of expecting others to treat them in a more loving and respectful way than they treat themselves.

If you don’t love yourself, stop expecting others to. If you don’t respect yourself, stop expecting others to. If you don’t keep promises to yourself, stop expecting others to. If you are not faithful to your dreams, your goals and your resolutions, stop expecting

others to be.

We inspire others to treat us by the way we treat ourselves. The most important relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself. It is in this relationship that we set the standard for all others.

Love, passion, honesty and companionship – I want those kinds of things. If that is a fairy tale, I’ll wait for it. I’ll cultivate it. I’ll create it.

Every time I have settled for less, I have felt empty, incomplete, had too much drama, and just didn’t feel the wonderful magic of love.

Let’s be honest, many of us

wouldn’t do it.

We live in a world where we question if following our heart or even making the first move is acceptable.

Being the one who cares more or calls too frequently or shares too much is looked down upon. What happened to genuinely liking a person and going with it?

What happened is our unwillingness to slay the dragons that present themselves in our relationships.

We want the fairy tale without the work, and even Disney didn’t sell us something that crazy. Even Snow White and Sleeping Beauty had their struggles to overcome.

If you want to fall in love, you have to take risks together. Even the couples that seem to have it all figured out had issues they needed to combat.

Don’t be afraid to try. If you know a person is worth your time and effort, give it to them and your fairy tale can be right around the corner, too.

They do exist, just change your reality and don’t base them on animated characters. Each relationship has it’s own magical properties. Sometimes your happy ending ends with a partner, while other times you end up being happier alone. Perception is reality; make sure you’re in charge of yours.

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

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

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

books

This device can read a book without opening it

L

eave it to the great minds at MIT and Georgia Tech to figure out a way to read the pages of a book without actually opening it.

A team of researchers from the two institutions pulled it off with a system they developed that looks like a cross between a camera and a microscope.

They said it could someday be used by museums to scan the contents of old books too fragile to handle or to examine paintings to confirm their authenticity or understand the artist’s creative process.

Writing in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications, the scientists explained how they used terahertz waves — a type of radiation situated on the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared light — to read a stack of papers with a single letter handwritten on each page.

The device, called a terahertz spectrometer, managed to clearly read only nine pages, though it could see writing on up to 20.

“We were very excited because we didn’t think we would be able to see as deep as we did,” said Barmak Heshmat,

review

‘Darktown’ by Thomas Mullen has intense plot Atlanta during the post-World War II years was a city on the cusp of change: “Neither city nor country but some odd combination” writes Thomas Mullen as he sets the scene in

Barmak Heshmat poses with his prototype scanning device at MIT. a research scientist at the MIT Media Lab. While the device is still a long way from reading an entire book, Heshmat said the team is already talking with the

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York about using it to inspect some of its artworks and antique volumes.

MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

his gripping novel “Darktown,” which succinctly, and often uncomfortably, explores racism.

The mayor’s order to integrate Atlanta’s police force in 1948 doesn’t sit well with the old-guard that’s male — and white. Eight new black officers are allowed to wear the uniform but cannot make an arrest unless a white officer is present.

“Darktown” also is a complicated crime fiction that melds an intense plot with fully realised characters. At times, Mullen’s unflinching description in exploring the bigotry and hatred the rookie officers experience make “Darktown” an upsetting read. Yet this authenticity adds to the realism and relevance of “Darktown,” bringing to mind 2016 confrontations between police and blacks.

War veterans Lucius Boggs and

Tommy Smith, along with their six colleagues, joined the Atlanta force because it offered the best jobs. After three months on the force, Boggs and Smith come across Brian Underhill, a drunken white ex-cop who has just crashed into a lamppost with his passenger, Lily Ellsworth, a young black woman. The white policemen who arrive on the scene allow Underhill to leave without charging him. But a few days later, Lily is found murdered.

“Darktown” briskly moves as the plot delves into racial tensions and WWII veterans returning to civilian jobs. Although set a couple of decades before the civil-rights movement, “Darktown” is a harbinger of how attitudes and opportunities will be changing.

OLINE H. COGDILL Associated Press

review

Ian McEwan’s ‘Nutshell’ is ‘Hamlet’ in miniature It takes a lion’s nerve to rewrite “Hamlet” from the viewpoint of a fetus, a stunt conceived and sweetly achieved by Ian McEwan in his latest novel, “Nutshell.”

McEwan’s 197-page thimble brims with literary allusions, social commentary and murderous intrigue. The setting is contemporary London. Our narrator, a fully aware infant awaiting birth, overhears his mother plotting with her lover to kill her husband. The doomed cuckold, our narrator’s father, is a poet, who isn’t around much and seems to have forgotten his heir. Our nameless narrator’s loyalties are torn.

From our storyteller’s cramped quarters, he listens as Trudy and Claude (stand-ins for Shakespeare’s Gertrude and Claudius) work out their plan. He soliloquizes, already world-weary from the podcasts and news reports that lull Trudy on sleepless nights in her late pregnancy: “My disposition is to stillborn sterility, then to dust.”

Cleverness accumulates. Twists come from John Cairncross, a character slyly named for a real-life World War II double agent. Claude, at one point, breaks the tension as he bungles into the wrong Shakespearean tragedy and misquotes it: “So we’ll stick our courage to the screwing whatever.”

Later and inevitably, our narrator puts aside words, takes action and hurls the story to its end. McEwan, whose prose is always exquisite, is best known for “Amsterdam,” ‘’Atonement” and “Saturday.” His “Nutshell” is a stunt, but a gorgeous one, studded with Joycean reflections on fathers, the wisdom of pop songs and reviews of placenta-filtered fine wine.

CARLA K JOHNSON Associated Press

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Friday, September 16, 2016

music

Keeya’s ‘Hella Good’ pays tribute to strong women

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

B

ahamian singer Keeya is back with her first selfpenned single which she describes as an ode to “boss women making

moves”.

The song, “Hella Good”, she said, is boastful and unapologetic; it’s for your solo “twerking” after a great week at work. A firm believer in work hard, play hard, Keeya said her sophomore effort definitely represents her time to play.

“This song means so much to me. It’s the first song that I am releasing that I wrote myself. As a young woman, there is so much out there telling me that I am not good enough. ‘Hella Good’ is like, actually, no. I’m here. I’m standing on my own two feet. I’m pursuing my goals. I am more than good enough, I’m hella good,” said Keeya.

For her previous single “Faded”, the singer said she was privileged to work with an amazing team, and the response was incredible.

But “Hella Good” is even closer to her heart, she said.

Keeya hopes that people really feel the heart in the song and love it as much as she does.

“To me, that would be a success. It feels incredible to be here releasing my second single. There is so much more that I want to accomplish, but I am learning to celebrate the journey.

I feel blessed, I feel empowered, I feel loved,” she said.

The singer said she is now toying with the idea of making a music video for the new song, especially after the positive feedback the received following the release of the single.

“The video for ‘Faded’ was such a massive undertaking and I’m constantly trying to outdo myself, so if there is a video for ‘Hella Good’ I’m committed to investing time in the planning

“I’m here. I’m standing on my own two feet.

I’m pursuing my goals. I am more than good enough, I’m hella good.” stages to ensure that it will be what I envision. In the meantime, I’m focused on finishing my EP and working on developing as an artist. I have never felt anything even remotely close to the feeling I get when I’m on stage vibing with an audience. I’m so thankful for all the love and support from everyone so far. Truthfully, I can only do this as long as people are willing to show up for me and listen,” she said.

And Keeya is thrilled that she has been hearing her music on radio stations more and more. She said she is even seeing people singing “Hella Good” on their snapchat stories.

“I think ‘Hella Good’ is the kind of song that’s really made for driving around with your crew on the way to the club. It puts you in a good mood.

It makes me so happy to see people enjoying themselves to my music,” she

said.

Keeya said she is looking forward to performing at Compass Point on September 23 and at the Hard Rock Cafe on October 7, where she will be accompanied by the Jam Session Band.

To keep up with her shows, follow the singer on Facebook at justkeeya and Instagram @justkeeya.

Her music is available on iTunes and all major music streaming services.

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

film fall movie preview

Highlights from September to December

T

here’s something for everyone in movie theatres this fall. The calendar is jam-packed with romance, spectacle and jaw-dropping true life stories.

Some of our most familiar franchises take bold leaps into undiscovered areas of their universes: Marvel sidesteps into the metaphysical with the Benedict Cumberbatch-led “Doctor Strange” (November 4), JK Rowling’s Harry Potter world gets new life in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (November 18), and we find out just how those rebels stole the Death Star plans in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” (December 16).

The cast of the new “The Magnificent Seven”

A monthly rundown of fall highlights: SEPTEMBER • “The Magnificent Seven” (September 23) — Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt head to the old West in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of the John Sturges film, itself a remake of “Seven Samurai.”

• “Deepwater Horizon” (September 30) — Discover the true story of what happened to the men and women on the oil rig that caused the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell and Gina Rodriguez star.

• “American Honey” (September 30) — Go on an atmospheric road trip through the Midwest with some drifting teens, including a revelatory Shia LaBeouf.

Moana

OCTOBER • “The Birth of a Nation” (October 7) — Controversy surrounding writer, director and star Nate Parker aside, his film tells the fascinating story of Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion.

• “The Girl on the Train” (October 7) — Emily Blunt stars in this adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ best-selling thriller about a divorced woman who becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of a woman she’d watched from afar.

• “The Accountant” (October 14) — Who said accounting was boring? A math whiz with some dangerous clients gets in over his head in the new Gavin

Nate Parker and Aja Naomi King in “The Birth of a Nation” O’Connor thriller. Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and JK Simmons star.

in Ang Lee’s adaptation of Ben Fountain’s acclaimed novel.

• “Moonlight” (October 21) — Director Barry Jenkins tells a lyrical coming of age story set in the underbelly of Miami’s drug scene with the help of Naomie Harris and Janelle Monae.

• “Arrival” (November 11) — Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star in director Denis Villeneuve’s mind-bendingly intelligent alien encounter drama.

• “Inferno” (October 28) — Tom Hanks reprises his role as symbologist Robert Langdon in the Dan Brown series.

NOVEMBER • “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” (November 11) — A young Iraq veteran returns home for a victory tour

• “Manchester by the Sea” (November 18) — Kenneth Lonergan spins a poetic tale of family and tragedy in a film that’s been pegged as an Oscar contender since January. Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Kyle Chandler star.

• “Moana” (November 23) — Disney Animation takes us back thousands of years to the South Pacific for a story about young woman who sets sail

The Tribune | Weekend | 21

Friday, September 16, 2016

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in “Fences” for a fabled island. Dwayne Johnson voices a demigod, of course.

• “Rules Don’t Apply” (November 23) — After a 15-year hiatus from films, Warren Beatty returns to the form with an ode to 1950s Hollywood and riff on prudish mores with Lily Collins and Alden Ehrenreich.

Beatty plays Howard Hughes.

A scene from the sci-fi film “Arrival”

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in “La La Land”

Mahershala Ali in “Moonlight”

Jiang Wen in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

DECEMBER • “La La Land” (December 2) — A moody musician (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) fall in love while pursuing their dreams in this musical dreamscape from “Whiplash” writer-director Damien Chazelle.

• “Fences” (December 16) — Denzel Washington directs himself and Viola Davis reprising their Tonywinning roles in this August Wilson adaptation.

• “Passengers” (December 21) — Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are jolted out of hypersleep 60 years early in a spacecraft travelling to a distant planet.

• “A Monster Calls” (December 23) — Get transported away from life’s hardships to a land of monsters and magic in director JA Bayona’s fantastical adaptation of Patrick Ness’s children’s novel, with Liam Neeson as the tree monster.

LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

literary lives oscar wilde

A picture of brilliance and indecency Sir Christopher Ondaatje examines the shame, criticism and current popularity of one the western world’s best selling novels

“O

scar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854, the son of an eminent eye-surgeon and a national poetess.

He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford. Wilde tried to establish himself as a writer with little success, however his three volumes of short fiction, ‘The Happy Prince’ (1888), ‘Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime’ (1891) and ‘A House of Pomegranates’ (1891), together with his only novel, ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ (1891), gradually won

“The theme of a young man selling his soul in exchange for eternal youth is not new - as Wilde confesses.

It is an idea as old as the hills. But ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ offers an intriguing and highly original treatment of this idea, principally owing to Wilde’s brilliant conceit of the portrait which masks Dorian Gray’s life.” him a reputation confirmed by the enormous success of his theatrical comedies - ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ (1892), ‘A Woman of No Importance’ (1893), ‘An Ideal Husband’ (1895) and ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ (1895) - all performed on the West End stage between 1892 and 1895.

Wilde’s success however was shortlived. In 1891, he met and fell extravagantly in love with Lord Alfred Douglas. In 1895, when his success was at its height, Wilde brought an unsuccessful libel action against Douglas’s father, the Marquess of Queensberry. Wilde lost the case and two trials later was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for acts of gross indecency. As a result

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Friday, September 16, 2016

The Dorian Gray portrait used in the 1945 film (starring Hurd Hatfield) was painted by Ivan Le Lorraine Albright, an American artist who was well known as a painter of the macabre. of this experience he wrote ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ (1898). He was released from prison in 1897 and went into an immediate self-imposed exile on the Continent. He died in Paris in ignominy in 1900.”

The above introductory paragraph is from the Penguin Classic edition of Wilde’s masterpiece “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, a book that still fascinates readers even though it is more than 100 years after its first publication.

The Classic edition, published in 2000, contains a scholarly introduction by Robert Mighall, a former editor of the publishing company, providing us with a new and contemporary judgement of Wilde’s novel, which we are allowed to

Oscar Wilde photographed by Napolean Sarony in 1882

compare with that of Peter Ackroyd who wrote the introduction to the 1985 edition. Both are conveniently included to the 2000 edition.

Oscar Wilde’s story “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is one of the most brilliant philosophical novels ever written, and was first published by chance when Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle dined with the American publisher, J M Stoddart, who commissioned both men to write a story for Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine.

Conan Doyle’s story was “The Sign of Four”, and Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. The latter appeared in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott’s.

Fearing criticism for publishing an

indecent story, the editor of Lippincott’s, without Wilde’s knowledge, deleted 500 words from the story. Despite this, the novel was aggressively disparaged by book reviewers for moral reasons, which caused Wilde to revise some of the controversial material and lengthen the story for book publication in April, 1891, by Ward, Lock and Company. All of Wilde’s original unedited material eventually appeared in 2011 in an edition published by Harvard University Press.

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is the subject of a full-length portrait by Basil Hallward, an artist, who is impressed with Dorian Gray’s beauty. Through Basil Hallward, Dorian Gray meets

Lord Henry Wotton and he is soon enthralled by the aristocrat’s hedonistic view that beauty and sensual fulfilment are the only things in life worth pursuing. Dorian Gray then expresses the desire to sell his soul so that the picture will age and fade instead of him. His wish is granted and Dorian Gray pursues a libertine life of a whole variety of amorous experiences while he stays young and beautiful. However, his portrait ages and records every soul-corrupting sin.

Towards the end of the story Dorian Gray invites Basil Hallward to see his portrait hidden away in a locked

Continued on page 24

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

Continued from page 23 room, and now made hideous by Dorian Gray’s corruption. In anger he blames the artist for his fate, stabs him and kills him. He then blackmails a scientist friend to use his knowledge of chemistry to destroy the body. Later he is responsible for the suicide of a young actress he has deserted. He is then implicated in other scandals and acts of depravity. Finally, realising that only a full confession will absolve him of any wrongdoing, Dorian Gray destroys the last vestige of his conscience - the portrait - and using the knife with which he murdered Basil Hallward, he stabs the picture. His ensuing horrifying screams and cries of alarm attract passersby and the police who break into the locked room to discover a disfigured old man, withered and decrepit who can only be identified by the rings on his fingers. Beside him is the picture of Dorian Gray, reverted to its original beauty.

“The theme of a double life of outward respectability ... while secretly transgressing society’s moral codes is central to the plot of Dorian Gray,” Robert Mighall says. Peter Ackroyd agrees stating, “The point was that Dorian Gray presented in oblique form an image of the double life which Wilde himself was leading at this time, and there are some critics who believe the book to represent Wilde’s need for confession if not expiation.”

Mighall also adds that “Wilde’s novel goes further in blurring the distinctions between high and low, respectable and outcast. For while this supposed affinity between art and criminality, idle hedonism and actual delinquency, would not shock or trouble a large portion of the respectable and idle classes at the time, Lord Henry Wotton’s rapier wit threatens to indict a much large section of the social spectrum.”

Ackroyd adds, “And if Dorian Gray is one of the best narrations of the double life of a Victorian gentleman, so it is also one of the best accounts of the divisions within London itself.

As the narrative moves from the dining tables of the rich to the hovels of Whitechapel and Limehouse, Wilde’s descriptive powers lift the book far above the sonorities of his conventional prose; and as we marvel at this, we can see also the burgeoning comedy of Wilde’s dialogue in those scenes where Lord Wotton appears.”

Robert Mighall reminds us too that the theme of a young man selling his

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” was first published complete in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine.

Oscar Wilde with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (1870 - 1945) at Oxford, 1893.

(Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Friday, September 16, 2016

Forgotten facts Paul C Aranha soul in exchange for eternal youth is not new - as Wilde confesses. It is an idea as old as the hills. But “The Picture of Dorian Gray” offers an intriguing and highly original treatment of this idea, principally owing to Wilde’s brilliant conceit of the portrait which masks Dorian Gray’s life. In Horace Walpole’s “The Castle of Otranto” (1764), the figure of Alfonso steps down from his portrait, warning that Manfred’s days at the castle are numbered; and Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Oval Portrait” (1845) describes the artist’s obsession with capturing an absolute likeness which eventually destroys his model, the wife worn out by arduous sittings for the portrait.

Ackroyd too reminds us that Oscar Wilde’s classic is reminiscent of other classic stories, among them Huysmans’s “A Rebours”, Balzac’s “Le Peau de Chagrin”, Gautier’s “Mademoiselle du Maupin” and Pater’s “Gaston de Latour”.

Wilde, Ackroyd says, was not one to shrink from plagiarism, even plagiarism of himself.

To Robert Mighall it is clear that “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” is the vehicle for a fantastic plot device...a metaphor or mask for erotic desire, or the alibi for a life of secret vices; but it is also a work of art, and therefore occupies an important place in Wilde’s text and oeuvre. Wilde “made art, its relation to life and conduct, and its correct interpretation the dominant theme of most of his writings and public pronouncements. These concerns are explored in Dorian Gray, a novel in which a painting rather than its subject is the eponymous character.”

Indeed, as Mighall points out, when Dorian Gray attends a performance of Wagner’s “Tannhaüser”, he sees in the prelude to that great opera a presentation of the tragedy of his own soul. It is the spectator, and life, that art really mirrors. Works of art therefore act as subjective mirrors in Wilde’s novel.

Robert Mighall concludes: “It is a book that continues to fascinate readers of all ages over a hundred years after its first publication. For at the centre of the narrative is a study of an individual struggling with the consequences of his actions, and coming face to face with the reality of his soul. Wilde’s study of conscience and corruption can also be understood in both metaphysical and psychological terms.”

“The soul is a terrible reality. It can be bought, and sold, and bartered away. It can be poisoned, or made perfect. There is a soul in each one of us.” - Dorian Gray Mighall continues and explains: “Although the central conceit of the physical consequences of certain acts is informed by beliefs peculiar to the time, Wilde’s depiction of how this process affects Dorian Gray has the power to fascinate and chill readers in an age that has discarded such beliefs and can recognise in such descriptions an outline of what now be termed paranoia.

Dorian Gray is in part an acute study of obsession and psychological collapse, depicting a mind destroying itself with its own obsessions... ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ is therefore a work that can be read in a number of ways. It is an enduring parable on the corruption of the soul and a study of psychological collapse, a compendium of the beliefs of the period, and an exercise in literary decadence, conspicuous in its exotica and esoteria.”

Even before Wilde had finished “The Picture of Dorian Gray” he had already started work on “Lady Windermere’s Fan” (1892), and the publication of his novel, despite all its criticism, launched Wilde’s extraordinarily successful career as a dramatist.

At the time of his public downfall in 1895 he had two plays - “An Ideal Husband” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” – playing to packed audiences in the West End of London. These plays were almost immediately taken off, and a US tour of “A Woman of No Importance” was cancelled.

On May 25, 1895, Wilde was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. In November that year he was declared bankrupt.

On his release from Reading gaol Wilde left England forever. He died destitute in France in November, 1900. And yet today Oscar Wilde’s plays have never been more popular, and “The Picture of Dorian Gray” remains one of the best-selling titles ever published in the Western world – despite its shame and criticism.

NEXT WEEK: The snobbish and devastatingly witty Nancy Mitford.

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. The author acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from the Penguin Classic edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

A Bahamas four-shilling (4/-) note from the reign of King George VI. Similar notes are offered on the internet for about $5

When pounds, shillings and pence was currency

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efore 1965, the Bahamas used pounds, shillings and pence as our official currency.

One pound is written as £1. A pound was divided into 20 shillings and a shilling was divided into 12 pennies, or pence. If you care to do a little calculation, there were 240 pennies to £1.

Bahamian £5, £1, 10-shilling (10/-) and four-shilling (4/-) notes were in circulation, but the coins we used were British coins, in the following denominations - ½-penny (written ½d), 1-penny (1d), 3d, 6d, 1/- and 2/-.

At a time when £1 Sterling was worth $4.80, a 19th-century author recorded the explanation he received of how to manoeuvre between the two currencies.

“The ha’penny (British pronunciation of ½d) is worth 1 cent; the penny, two cents; the threepence (3d) coin (pronounced threppence) is six cents; the 6d coin is 12 cents, the 1/- coin is worth 24 cents and the 2/- coin is 48 cents.”

If that isn’t complicated enough, Bahamians had their own way of naming many of the coins, many of which I never heard in use.

Even in Britain, pennies and halfpennies were called coppers but Bahamians distinguished between them by calling a ha’penny a small copper, and a penny a big copper.

My Aunt Maud was born in 1897 and during her childhood a sixpence was called ‘a shilling’ (a real shilling was called a shilling Sterling) and a threppence was called a cheque. Nine pence were referred to as a shilling and a cheque. To make it even more complicated a threppenny bit was another name for a 3d coin.

Aunt Maud said that at the end of one school year, the headmaster sent them home with strict instructions to tell their parents that, to comply with new school rules, the next term’s school fees had to be paid by cheque.

Unknown to his children, my grandfather spent the school holidays collecting threppenny bits and sent his children back to school with bags of silver coins.

This reminds me of an Esso dealer, who sold 1,000 gallons of gasoline a week, all of it on Sunday, when it was illegal to sell gas and he could charge more. He phoned Esso every Saturday and said his surname and “one thousand”. Everyone knew who was calling and what he wanted. At that time, the 1950s, 1,000 gallons cost the dealer £100, which this dealer always paid in coins. Often the biggest coin was a sixpence; never anything over a shilling.

• islandairman@gmail.com

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.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Frank gains the new seat these wanted it too (10) 6 Thought I’d get an early start (4) 10 Number follow a new cure that’s harsh (5) 11 Such a rite is suited to a solemn sacrament (9) 12 Playful recreation which takes a deal to get started (4,4) 13 Mails sorted in the Mohammedan world (5) 15 A ground organisation unlikely to be caught napping (2,5) 17 Some trickery doesn’t amount to much, we hear (7) 19 It may appear smart on top of a door or window (7) 21 Hackneyed tour now re-organised (7) 22 Get us included in a try out when out of practice (5) 24 Remarking on a mixture of gin and tonic (8) 27 It sounds a beastly form of warfare (9) 28 Broken grid I fixed (5) 29 A great sea power (4) 30 Truth stands between man or criminal (10)

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26 | The Tribune | Weekend

TARGET 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

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Down 1 Bird associated with Across: 1 Pegasus, 5 Muted, a crow (4) 8 Easy-going, 9 Kit, 10 Soft, 2 Broken rule again leads to 12 Undersea, 14 Caring, 15 Die out, 17 Put right, 18 Skip, pain (9) 21 Bus, 22 Like a shot, 24 Elegy, 3 I had been a conductor, 25 Nonstop. but became lazy (5) Down: 1 Press, 2 Gas, 3 Sage, 4 Be a clumsy fat lover of 4 Skiing, 5 Magnetic, 6 Take Heloise (7) stock, 7 Detract, 11 Foretaste, 5 They make pictures of 13 Unwieldy, 14 Capable, Chester, perhaps (7) 16 Shaken, 19 Put up, 20 Warn, 23 Hit. 7 Not only soldiers may be bored by it (5) 8 They act unimaginatively, putting a plant that needs warmth in a fitful sun (10) Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution 9 It’s obvious it’s a list of cargo (8) Across: 1 Build-up, 5 Franc, 14 Not left out at the start, 8 Greatcoat, 9 Coo, 10 Name, being outspoken (10) 12 Nobodies, 14 Resent, 16 They test metal 15 Skiers, 17 Compress, 18 Stye, for a ship, taking 21 Rid, 22 Versatile, 24 Stair, years perhaps (8) 25 Tannery.

18 Usual wish for a happy Down: 1 Begin, 2 Ice, 3 Duty, 4 Proton, 5 Fetlocks, 6 Architect, retirement? (4,5) 7 Crosses, 11 Mass media, 20 Paper used for wrapping 13 Engraver, 14 Records, a cigar (7) 16 Esprit, 19 Enemy, 20 Main, 21 Dismissed with anger - it’s 23 Ire. a scandal (7) 23 The going rate for methedrine? (5) 25 It’s about time (5) 26 Part of the modern PolishGerman border (4) Down Across 1 Jolt (4) 1 Unfathomable (10) 2 Brand (9) 6 7 8 6 Discharge 3 Drug 9 of guns (4) derived from poppies (5) 10 U.S. holiday resort (5) 4 Lengthy reprimand (7) 11 Properly qualified (9) 5 By unspecified 13 means (7) 12 Wormwoodflavoured 7 Perfect wine drink (8) model (5) 13 Tired 18 8 Abolition (10) out (3,2) 9 Shopkeeper (8) 15 Unauthorised 14 Unwise (3-7) disclosure (7) 16 Cheerful 17 Reckless (7) willingness (8) 19 Embarrassed (7) 18 Standard of 21 Dizziness (7) judgement (9) 25 22 A venomous 20 Far away (7) snake (5) 21 A flavouring (7) 26 24 Miscellaneous 23 Conclusive 28 items (8) evidence (5) 27 Deficiency (9) 25 Jewish 28 Physique (5) minister of religion (5) 29 Dexterous (4) 26 Not in use (4) 30 Conflicting (2,8)

EASY PUZZLE

EBL AB I AHT

The Target uses words in the main body of Chambers 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)

HOW many words of four letters Yesterday’s or moreSudoku can youAnswer make from the letters shown here? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

Friday, SeptemberChambers 16, 2016 21st Century Dictionary (1999 edition)

CAN you crack the A Alphabeater? Each grid number represents a letter B – or black square. As in C Alphapuzzle, every letter of D the alphabet is used. But TODAY’S TARGET Good veryto good 24; excellent you16;have complete the 31 E (or more). Solution tomorrow. grid too! Use the given F YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION letters and black squares deny dingy drey drying dyeing below thedyne gridedgy to start.

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Solution today’s Targettomorrow. solution HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. Each must contain the centre letter and there must be at least one nine-letter word. No plurals or verb forms ending in “s”.

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Good 16; very good 24; excellent 31 Down: Justice, Rook, R (or more). Solution tomorrow.

Abstinence, Size, S 8 28 Sequence, Ugly, Boa, T YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION Tuck, Affright, View, U 10 26 Accomplish, Stag, deny dingy drey drying dyeing Moodily. dyer dying dyne edgy emery V enemy energy eyed eyeing eying Extra letter clues W 14 7 eyrie greedy greeny grey greyed 0907 181 2560 X grimy gyre gyred midgy mingy (Deduct three minutes for Y 15 20 miry needy nerdy reedy remedy each extra clue letter heard) REMEDYING rimy Z

Call 0907 181 2585 for today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390

*Calls cost 80p per minute Kakuro Answer plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

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PLAY MORE CROSSWOR

The Tribune | Weekend | 27

Friday, September 16, 2016

animals

Four-legged heroes

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s we have just had the 15 anniversary of the terrible tragedy of 9/11 and the mass murder of thousands of people of many nationalities, it is time to give thought to those animals who assist in search and rescue and then, sadly, search and recovery.

Almost everybody I know who was an adult in 2001 knew somebody who was killed or who lost a close friend or family member on that tragic day.

Last year, on Facebook there was a very touching report about a golden retriever called “Bretagne” (pronounced Brittany), who is the last surviving rescue dog who worked in the 9/11 rubble in New York City following the collapse of the Twin Towers.

She celebrated her 16th birthday with a visit to New York last year.

The previous year, at 15, she had visited Ground Zero. Bretagne was part of the Texas Task Force 1. This gentle golden retriever was one of almost 300 dogs involved in searches and rescues.

Bretagne retired in 2008 and lived with Denise Corliss, her handler.

At several instances she disobeyed her owner/handler’s commands and would become a self-appointed therapy dog and seek our distressed and overcome rescue workers that she sought to comfort, many of who were exhauster firefighters and other first responders.

Bretagne passed away this year on June 6, a few days shy of her 17th birthday. In addition to her work at the Twin Towers, Bretagne worked after Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Ivan.

Though 17 sounds very old, the Guinness Book of Records has many dogs listed that have lived past their 20th birthday. But for a dog who has been in those kind of dangerous situations, and breathing in dust, it is surely remarkable.

One point of great internet is that the dogs at Ground Zero got very stressed and depressed because most of their work was search and recovery (dead bodies) not search and rescue

Lovely Mels

By The Bahamas Humane Society

PET OF THE WEEK

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els was found wandering the streets of New Providence a few months ago and was brought in to The Bahamas Humane Society so they could help her find a new home, one with a secure yard and owners who can spend time with her.

Mels is probably about a year and a half old. She was popular with this year’s summer campers as she enjoys walks and would be great in a home with someone who does as well.

Mels is friendly with most people but will also make a good guard dog as she knows to bark when the time is right. She’s on treatment for heartworm, but being young and healthy she’s expected to make a full recovery. Do you have the right temperament to be a match for Mels? If so, come in to the BHS to meet her or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.

PATRICIA VAZQUEZ

Animal matters Kim Aranha

Mels with BHS volunteer Andrea • Don’t forget to send your entries in for the 2016 BHS Summer Fun Photography Contest! Entry deadline is midnight, September 16, and payment must be made on or before that date. Full details can be found at the BHS website and Facebook page. Please send all photo entries to bhsphotocontest@gmail.com.

If you have already sent entries to bhsphotos, please resend them to bhsphotocontest@gmail.com. Thank you to Purina, Bahamas Local and Finca Nati for sponsoring this event.

Bretagne was the last surviving 9/11 Ground Zero search dog

(live bodies), so much so that the rescuers and handlers had to hide in the rubble for the dogs to “rescue” then so that the animals did not become depressed and despondent and unable to continue to work properly.

Funny how we seldom credit dogs for having the intelligence or understanding to be able to experience depression or stress under circumstances such as the Twin Towers searches.

When 9/11 took place, animal search and rescue teams came to New York from all over America and worked shoulder-to-shoulder with their human counterparts with fierce bravery and dedication.

When there is a terrible tragedy like the killings in Sandy Hook or the attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, a team of well-trained and gentle dogs, invariably Golden Retrievers will fly in to help the survivors and provide much needed unconditional comfort for those scared and left behind.

In airports around America there are now therapy dogs who visit departure gates experiencing delays.

People are angry, uptight, frustrated and exasperated, and there is nothing quite like a quiet, furry friend with a wet nose sitting beside you, understanding the degree of frustration you are going through. It is not by accident that hospitals and old people homes have therapy dogs to help people through the darkest of hours, unconditionally.

In the earthquake in Italy a couple of weeks ago, they had a crew of search and rescue dogs who alas rapidly became search and recovery, but after a nine-day delay a dog, a golden retriever called Romeo, was pulled out of a collapsed building and literally ran into his owner’s arms.

Sixteen days later, two cats – Gioia and Pietro – were rescued. I am wondering how they could live so much longer than any human could have under the same circumstances? Does it have to do with a mental ability to stay calm and conserve energy?

Perhaps we will never know.

But certainly those people trapped after terrorist attacks, earthquakes, avalanches, mudslides, and other disasters that cause buildings to collapse are more likely to be rescued by a rescuer with four paws than with two legs.

Thank you Bretagne and all your fellow canine rescuers; we are indebted to you!

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 16, 2016

gardening

Cucurbits The Cucurbitaceae family is the plant group with the most species used as human food. Jack Hardy explains how, when and what type of cucurbit to grow in the Bahamas.

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ining plants of the family Cucurbitaceae are usually called cucurbits by growers and include cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, gourds and melons.

Cucurbits need rich, lightly moist conditions with good drainage for optimum results. This is usually achieved by mixing compost with soil in the growing area and slightly raising the elevation. The result is called a hill and can be used to grow three cucumber vines or one pumpkin vine.

Being vines, cucumbers benefit for somewhere to climb. If cucumber vines are grown on a trellis it is more likely bees will be attracted to the flowers and less likely that destructive insects

Butternut squash

Cuban calabaza pumpkin will attack the fruits. Cucumbers tend to curl into a banana shape as they develop but will grow straight when hanging from a trellised vine.

Plant your three seeds well spaced apart in hills and water daily until the seedlings have sprung. The best form of fertilizer to use is time release, such as Osmocote, and this can be applied to the hills once the vines are established.

Cucumbers are often grown for pickling and the gherkin type used is much smaller than the salad cucumber.

There are English and oriental varieties of cucumber, but the most reliable type for home gardeners is Ridge, an American cucumber. Unless your package states otherwise, any seeds you buy will be Ridge.

Cucumber vines produce both male and female flowers, the female flower being attached to a miniature fruit.

The female flowers are pollinated by bees but in many places bees have become quite rare.

If you do not see bees in the morning, which is pollination time, you may have to do the job yourself. Use a cotton swab such as Q-Tip, and dab pollen from the anthers of a male flower and then apply to the open female flower.

If this sounds like too much work you can buy cucumber seeds that are parthenocarpic and set fruits without any exterior pollination.

Squashes are divided into summer and winter types. Winter squashes have thick skins and the mature fruits can be stored for a long time. The most popular summer squashes are crookneck, straight neck and zucchini. These

are best grown one plant to a hill as the plants can grow quite large. Winter squashes include acorn, spaghetti and butternut. I have had the best results over the years with butternut.

Pumpkins are very popular in the Bahamas for use in soups, and the most popular pumpkin is the Cuban calabaza. It is unlikely that your local nursery will have packets of calabaza seeds, so your best source is the supermarket where you can buy a half or quarter slice of pumpkin with seeds in place. Buy a slice that is from a large pumpkin with plump seeds.

Pumpkins need space to grow and should be grown one to a hill, with the hills spaced eight feet apart. The calabaza pumpkin also has a propensity to ‘walk’ by putting down roots along its stem and allowing older growth to die off.

Gourds are closely related to pumpkins and are easy to grow. Some are utilitarian and the smooth fruits can be dried and made into bowls, pitchers and bird feeders. Smaller gourds with warts and crinkles come in a fascinating range of colours and shapes that make an interesting conversation piece when piled into a large bowl and displayed.

Melons other than watermelons are usually best grown in fall and spring.

Cantaloupe and honeydew are the most popular and can be picked at the perfect stage of ripeness, unlike the ones you buy from the store. Do not be disheartened if your fruits are not as large as store bought; yours will taste better. One melon that always performs well for me is Crenshaw.

Unobtainable from the supermarket, Crenshaw melons grow quite large (five to six pounds) and have a rich, sweet taste.

Watermelons are best grown in late winter and early spring.

Unlike the other melons, watermelons do not demand well-composted soil. They come to us from the banks of African rivers and appreciate rich alluvial soil. The best imitation of this in the Bahamas is heavily-fertilized sandy soil.

Watermelons can be round or sausage shape and the sweetest are the most prized. Crimson Sweet is my favourite with Sugar Baby – a smaller round fruit that can fit conveniently into the refrigerator – a close second.

Most watermelon vines produce two fruits before dying off. We will discuss watermelons in detail later in the season.

I find chayotes rather insipid. They are often called christophenes in the Caribbean and look like slightly flattened light green avocadoes. If you want to grow chayotes you will have to find a fellow gardener that already grows them. The fruits you will find in the supermarket will have been picked early and the seeds will not be viable.

Plant a large fruit with the pointed end down and the top just covered or slightly above ground. The chayote vine needs strong support; a chain link fence is fine. Once the seed springs the foliage grows rampant with cucumberlike leaves.

• For questions and comments emailj.hardy@coralwave.com