09202019 WEEKEND

Friday, September 20, 2019

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02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

community

Young musicians drum up SUPPORT for kids displaced by hurricane

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

A

group of talented young musicians has decided to cancel a trip to Alabama planned for this October in favour of launching a new initiative to aid Hurricane Dorian survivors.

Rhythm N’ Youth is a youth organisation that was officially founded in 2012, but existed since 2009 in the form of Gerald Cash Rake n’ Scrape band.

Since its launch, the group has excelled at championing the rhythmic styles of Bahamian rake n’ scrape drumming and promoting Goombay and Latin American melodies, all infused with the local saw and goatskin drum sound.

And while the organisation is best known for its high-energy musical performances, Rhythm N’ Youth founder Nathaniel Adams said the team is looking to offer so much more in future.

He is happy to share that the group, in conjunction with the Crestwood Academy, will assist those affected by Hurricane Dorian through an initiative called “Let’s just PLAY.” The initiative will take the form of the organisation’s annual Summer camp for a day. The group will perform a series of rake n’ scrape sessions for the drums and the saw, host Quadrille lessons, as well as engage in arts and crafts and offer lunch for a total of 100 kids displaced by the hurricane, all free of charge.

The event is expected to take place on Saturday, October 19, at the Gerald Cash Primary School.

“We are looking to sponsor the initiative and be sponsored so that we can continue this weekly, every Saturday if possible, so that the kids not only learn Bahamian culture but have loads of fun to help heal them from the awful experience that they’ve encountered. Right now rehabilitation is extremely important for the victims and we must all play a part in this venture. I believe

I believe that music is a healer, as it heals me whenever I am down or upset, and I believe it can do the same for our (hurricane) victims.”

that music is a healer, as it heals me whenever I am down or upset, and I believe it can do the same for our victims. It also is a great way to touch the lives of children that we may not have had the opportunity to touch because of geographic location. So since they are in Nassau now for a time, let’s play,” said Mr Adams.

He said Rhythm N’ Youth has so far not really been involved in community initiatives, but since

Hurricane Dorian they have added a new position to their executive team: community and outreach specialist. The new team member to hold this position is Tammi Rahming.

She is now responsible for keeping Rhythm N’ Youth in tune with all things community-related and will be integral in ensuring that “Let’s Just PLAY” is a success.

“It is important to do this because I would like more of the community

and the Bahamas to know we exist and also to know that there is a dynamic programme such as Rhythm N’ Youth out there that is making an impact on young people and the community. We intend to host 100 kids per time during the initiative and are actively looking for sponsors to continue it weekly,” said Mr Adams.

“For the remainder of the year we will be preoccupied with the initiative proposed and also the general building of our main programme. We are looking to travel to the Island School in Eleuthera the early part of next year to host a concert and to give kids that a part of Rhythm N’ Youth programme an opportunity to experience the school for the weekend.”

People looking to volunteer, sponsor and assist can contact Nathaniel Adams at 565-2885 or e-mail him at enjayadams@hotmail.com.

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, September 20, 2019

Inside Weekend Interview 4 - 5 A first-hand account of an emergency responder from one of the US’ largest Christian charities assisting the country in the wake of Hurricane Dorian

Food 7 Baha Mar’s culinary in its last week

Gardening 10 Jack Hardy expands on the cucurbit season

Music 11

Caribbean soca stars unite in benefit concert for the Bahamas

Art 12-13, 20-21 Richardo Barrett explores the connection between religion and superstition; artists asked to be inspired by power outages to produce works in the dark, plus Sew n’ Sews host annual quilt show

Fashion 14-15 Sandbox launches new campaign to help kids and their parents discover the power of fashion

Film 17-18

Return to ‘Downton Abbey’ or go to space with Brad Pitt in ‘Ad Astra’

Calendar 19 Things to do around town this weekend

Forgotten Facts 22 The truth about Christopher Columbus’ discovery

History 23 New studies show just how deep and widespread the roots of homo sapiens are

Literary Lives 24-25 Sir Christopher Ondaatje checks into the ‘Grand Hotel’

Puzzles 26

Animals 27 Kim Aranha on the truth about bees, plus Pet of the Week

Cover | Donavan McIntosh

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04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

interview

One of the largest US charities, Samaritan’s Purse has been on the ground here since day one, following the all-clear after Hurricane Dorian, working tirelessly to help address various needs of the Bahamian people. A director of one of the organisation’s emergency field hospital provides Cara Hunt with a first-hand account of what it’s like to respond to disasters around the world.

Samaritan's Purse

E

ven before Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas the Samaritan Purse International organisation was preparing supplies to immediately send to the islands hardest hit by the deadly storm.

Rapid response to disaster is what the Christian organisation is known for.

Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters and disease, while at the same time promoting the Gospel to the residents of the areas where they work.

Led by President and CEO Franklin Graham (son of famous evangelist Billy Graham), Samaritan’s Purse works in more than 100 countries around the world.

The organisation pre-positions supplies in warehouses strategically located around the globe so that they can reach disaster areas as quickly as possible to assist the local governments.

And Hurricane Dorian was no exception.

Almost as soon as the allclear was given, teams were on the ground on both Grand

Samaritan’s Purse airlifted 30 plus tonnes of critical relief supplies to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, September 20, 2019

Bahama and Abaco establishing bases of operation and distributing the more than 30 tonnes of relief supplies they brought with them.

On Abaco, one of the immediate needs was to provide shelter material, clean water and other critical supplies after the island chain was decimated by Dorian. Additionally, the organisation was instrumental in rushing much needed supplies to the tiny community of Cedar Harbour, about 40 miles north of Marsh Harbour.

Immediately, Samitarian’s Purse airlifted emergency supplies to the more than 100 hundred individuals who had been cut off from the rest of the island because the Category 5 hurricane had swept away the only bridge connecting them to the mainland.

It was only one of many ways the organisation has come to the aid of the Bahamian people.

On the island of Grand Bahama, one of the most pressing needs was to establish am emergency field hospital (EFH).

The Rand Memorial Hospital, the primary care facility on the island, had been devastated.

In addition to treating persons who had suffered injuries during the almost two days that the eye of the storm hovered over the island, it was imperative to have a field hospital set up that could handle the basic medical needs of the population.

And the need was great.

Within the first hour more than a dozen patients entered the mobile hospital seeking medical help. In its first full day of operations, the EFH treated more than 90 patients.

The 40-bed hospital includes an obstetrics ward with delivery room, an operating room with the capacity for up to 10 surgeries per day, an intensive care unit, and 24 patient beds.

To date, more than 900 patients have been treated and they have distributed more than 8,000 tarps and 9,600 litres of clean water.

Tribune Weekend had a chance to chat with Melanie Wubs, the clinical director of the Samatarian’s Purse EFH. A nurse from Canada, she first became involved with the organisation about two and a half years go when she joined a team taking an emergency field hospital into Iraq.

“I have been with the organisation ever since,” she said.

The Samaritan’s Purse emergency field hospital located on Grand Bahama has the capacity to treat some 100 patients per day.

Teams of Samaritan’s Purse doctors and nurses are hard at work treating individuals injured during Hurricane Dorian.

Melanie explained that once a team is deployed to a site they bring everything that is needed with them to be totally self-sufficient.

“We don’t want to have to take away any of the resources on the ground, so in addition to relief supplies we bring everything that we need. That includes our own food and supplies and our living quarters.

Then we work with the local government officials to determine how best we can assist.”

Melanie said Samaritan’s Purse remains committed to being a

presence for as long as they are needed.

“We (the organisation) have committed to being here for about three months, historically its about six months,” she said of their stay in the Bahamas.

She noted that they are just now wrapping up relief efforts in Puerto Rico and Dominica a year after Hurricane Maria ripped through those island nations.

In Freeport, Melanie and her team have been busy addressing many of the needs patients would typically

“We don’t want to have to take away any of the resources on the ground, so in addition to relief supplies we bring everything that we need. That includes our own food and supplies and our living quarters.”

Photos courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse have gone to the Rand Memorial Hospital for.

“We are treating patients with diabetes and high blood pressure and we are seeing patients who have conditions related to the aftermath of the storm such as wound infections or respiratory illness that would have come about as a result of being exposed to wet and musty conditions,” she explained.

The work is rewarding, but can be emotionally challenging, which is why she said teams have help available to them to ensure that they deal with their own stress of being around so much devastation and tragedy.

“We are prepared before we go in. We have disaster training and we have a staff chaplain who is also available to help us,” she said.

“The best part of our job has been getting to be here with the Bahamian people and provide a service and... being able to listen to their stories. It has been a tough few weeks, but we get a lot of joy being in the field and in the work we are doing.”

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Tribune | Weekend | 07

Friday, September 20, 2019

food

B

ahamians have one more week to enjoy the “Dine at Baha Mar” culinary festival currently taking place across the resort’s eight signature restaurants.

Inspired by the ‘Hottest Restaurant Weeks’ held each year in cities like New York and Los Angeles, Baha Mar introduced multi-course prix fixe menus personally curated by the resort’s award-winning chefs for this event.

“Designed with the Nassau community in mind, the specially-created menus at set friendly prices will make for truly memorable culinary experiences, from romantic date nights to stylishly luxe nights out with friends,” said Vanessa Christie, director of Public Relations at Baha Mar. She said the feedback since first launching the initiative on August 19 has been excellent, and diners have expressed appreciation for the the choices presented by the various chefs that guide them through their menus.

Tribune Weekend asked her what advice she would offer to readers who are having trouble deciding which restaurant to dine at. Her response?

Baha Mar's culinary festival in its last week

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net Simply follow your cravings.

“We have included a wide variety of flavours and cuisines, from the high Chinese restaurant Shuang Ba to the fish house 3Tides, the Italian Fi’lia, Steakhouse Carna, the Mediterranean Cleo, the Japanese Katsuya, the Mexican Costa, or Commonwealth, which is inspired by various regions, such as India, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. So the luxury of choice is yours and whatever suits your mood that day should influence the restaurant you visit. However, you

can come and try all special menus until September 29, so there is still some time to dine around,” she said.

She believes events like ‘Dine Baha Mar’ allow their chefs to highlight not only some of their favourites and best-sellers, but also to expose hidden gems and provide patrons with a well-rounded and curated dining experience.

“It is also a great opportunity to try something new.

You might have identified your favourite restaurant at the resort, but there are others that were never on your radar before. This is a time to explore and find new delicious dishes at here at Baha Mar,” said Ms Christie.

What more can guests expect from Baha Mar in future when it comes to culinary experiences? Well, according to Ms Christie – without giving away too much – the team is working hard behind the scenes to expand on Baha Mar being a great culinary destination.

“We will be welcoming the American brasserie, the Sugar Factory, to the resort in the Spring and look forward to introducing additional new dining concepts in the coming months,” she added.

The Tribune | Weekend | 09

Friday, September 20, 2019

head, neck and shoulder tension. All of these services provide a way to start a healing journey, by focusing on the mind, body and spirit in a serene setting,” said Ms Deveaux.

As an organisation, Ms Deveaux said the Mandara Spa is engaging in efforts to support fundraising to help rebuild Abaco and Grand Bahama. The team has developed an awareness and donation campaign at their spas in the United States and the Caribbean, with proceeds being donated on National Heroes Day, October 14, to commemorate those who were lost, those who survived, those suffering from trauma, and the many volunteers who are providing aid daily.

“Our recovery is long, but we are committed to the islands that we love. There are specials daily and we have discounts of up to 30 percent off so for those persons who are interested in doing this because of the trauma; we are here to care for them. Our global product line, Elemis, is also so wonderful and it is a daily ritual. ‘Self-care Sundays’ is something that I recommend to people, where you can use the Elemis skin balm and just relax and chill.

You light a candle and soak just to take care of yourself; to just zen. There is a plethora of health benefits of spa services for the mind and body ranging form stress relief to chronic pain, management to improvement of the skin et cetera,” said Ms Deveaux.

“Life takes over, and we have stressful lives. And so I think you should, every week, book a spa service – be it for a facial, body, scrub, mani and pedi or foot ritual for the hands and feet, or a simple scalp massage – everyone should devote or dedicate a day to take care of themselves. My day is Sundays and that is when I put on a mask at home, or I book a service and as a treat to myself I do this. I work hard, and mental

health is also important so I do this for myself.”

She said those people whose budget doesn’t allow for a weekly spa visit should just concentrate on spending an hour out of a day just taking care of themselves.

“I highly recommend this.

Also, exfoliating yourself once a week is fabulous, and I think people should treat spa’ing as not only when you come to a location, but it can be created in your own bathroom, a private space where you just decompress.

It is my day to take care and look after me, because we are all looking after our children, we have aging parents that we are taking care of and life is just taking over and it is very important for us to just spend some time disconnecting from all that. Rejuvenate, so we can take care of everybody else. If you can’t take care of yourself you really can’t take care of other people, so it is very important as individuals that we make time for ourselves,” said Ms Deveaux.

She also believes keeping a gratitude journal can be very beneficial. She recommends before going to bed at night, people should write down at least 10 things they are grateful for.

“I used to find myself complaining and then I see the tragedy that is going on and say to myself, ‘My Lord, what do we have to complain about?’ If persons start journalling what they are grateful for they become more appreciative of everything they have. You can also use that any time you are feeling disconnected with yourself. Just look at your journal and see how rich you are as a person. And then another thing we need to do is find someone to be nice to – do something for someone other than yourself. Trust me, it will boost your spirit and make you smile. Simple things, but very important,” said Ms Deveaux.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

gardening

Cucurbit season The cucurbits – cucumbers, squash, melons, pumpkins, gourds – form an important sector of the vegetable garden, says Jack Hardy

B

y and large, cucurbits are reliable and fast growing.

They are susceptible to various fungus, mildew and other airborne diseases, but usually produce plenty of fruit before succumbing.

Cucumbers are the most popular of the group and come in English and Asian long forms, shorter and stockier Ridge type, pickling or gherkin, and patio varieties that can be Ridge or pickling.

For the absolute beginner with limited space these patio cucumbers are the best bet, giving full-sized fruits from short vines. There are some cucumbers that do not look like cucumbers, such as the Lemon cucumber which is a Caribbean native. The Armenian cucumber does look like a cucumber but is a squash.

The most important factor in growing cucurbits is the number of seeds you sow.

Although most vines bear male and female flowers they prefer not to be self-pollinated. Female flowers growing on an incipient fruit are outnumbered by male flowers but if you only have a few plants you will find a female flower without any suitors. Therefore plant more seeds than you feel you really need. You may get a glut but that is better than no fruits.

Most cucurbits are pollinated by bees and you may have a problem there. If you do not see bees at work when you have male and female flowers open you can hand pollinate using a Q-tip or small artist’s paint brush. Dab onto the centre of a male flower, then on the centre of a female flower. This is best done at late morning on a dry day, before noon.

The roots of virtually all cucurbits need to be well drained and right from the start we should to plant our cucumber seeds in raised areas that are called hills. Add soil and an amendment such as commercial cow manure or compost to a fertilized area and work it in so the hill is about 2 inches above ground level. In an 18-inch diameter hill sow 3 seeds in a spaced out triangle and remove the weaker two once several leaves have appeared. In a larger hill of 30-inch or more diameter you can plant three groups of three and leave the best of each trio.

Cucumbers are vines and like to climb. If you grow a single cucumber -preferably Patio type - in a 5-gallon pot pot you can insert a tomato tower for the vine to climb onto. You can position tomato towers for middle and end growth that will bear the cucumber fruits. English and

Asian cucumbers are long and need a trellis for the vines to climb onto. The fruits will hang and be straight.

All cucurbits are liable to diseases from airborne spores.

Damp leaves allow the spores to stick and later warm sun nourishes them. There are chemical sprays but home gardeners can use a cheap and ingenious method of treatment: spray with milk. Mix powdered milk with water the mixture ratio is not critical - and spray the leaves on a weekly basis.

Treat summer and winter squash similarly to cucumbers.

Summer squash is usually compact instead of vinous and each plant needs plenty of room. Individual plants in 18-inch hills is about right.

Winter squash have hard skins and are vinous. You can choose from Hubbard, Spaghetti, Acorn and Butternut - the last being the variety that has given me most success and satisfaction.

Zucchini can be yellow or green, and sometimes the green is so dark it looks almost black. Summer and winter squash tend to stop growing when mature but zucchini will continue to grow once it reaches standard size. Pick the fruits while fairly young to avoid large and hard seeds.

There is only one pumpkin we need grow. The Cuban pumpkin comes in several colours and shapes but is the favourite for savoury dishes.

I have never seen the seeds available for purchase in a nursery but, of course, they can be obtained from roadside vendors in Nassau. Buy a quarter or half pumpkin and ensure the seeds are large and full. Once these have dried out somewhat they can be planted to leave a single vine at least eight feet from a neighbour.

Cuban pumpkins put down roots along the length of

Growing patio cucumbers

the vine and can leave their original growing position and ‘walk’ about the garden.

Melons do well at this time of year. Grow them in hills with plenty of compost for best returns. There are netted Cantaloupes and smooth types, the sweetest being the small Charentais. The most rewarding sweet melon may be an old standard - Crenshaw.

It grows larger than most sweet melons and is a reliable producer. If you have never grown Crenshaw I suggest you give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Weird and wonderful ornamental gourds are easy to grow and have a myriad of shapes, sizes, colours and uses.

They are grown in the US

during summer for fall harvest decorations. By the time our gourds are mature harvest will be long over. Most can be dried and retain colour in a pilot-light oven. My favourite is Turk’s Turban, with a prominent and colorful blossom-end button.

If you like Kiwanos you can grow these African favourites quite easily using seeds from a store-bought fruit, preferable one that is more orange than yellow. Dry the seeds for a couple of days then plant about four feet apart. From sowing to harvest is about four months.

• For queries and comments e-mail jacktribune242@ gmail.com.

The Tribune | Weekend |11

Friday, September 20, 2019

music

Caribbean soca stars unite in benefit concert for the Bahamas

Kes The Band

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

B

AHAMIAN artists will join the likes of soca stars Kes The Band, Destra and Farmer Nappy for a special hurricane relief concert in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend with the Bahamas Red Cross as the beneficiary of the proceeds.

Wendi and Dyson Knight, Visage, Julien Believe, Judah Tha Lion and Avvy are all making their way to our Caribbean neighbours for the One Caribbean Unite & Rebuild concert taking place this Sunday at the Safari Eco Park Chaguaramas.

The hurricane relief event is expected to see other well-known soca acts such as Ultimate Rejects, Trevlyn Voice Erphaan Alves, Patrice Roberts, Shal Marshal and many others take the stage.

The idea for the concert came after members of Kes The Band, who performed during Bahamas Carnival this year, expressed a desire to bring to assist in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, according to local marketing guru Eldri Ferguson.

Destra

Farmer Nappy

Judah Tha Lion

Wendi and Dyson Knight

“In earnest, it was sparked by a conversation between members of Kes The Band and myself,” said Ms Ferguson who forged a relationship with the band.

“Kees Dieffenthaller (the band’s lead singer) did a performance during Carnival this year and from that he developed and affinity for the Bahamas.

So when the storm happened one of the band members and

I were talking and they just wanted to know what can be done.

“We toyed with the idea of putting together a relief concert. Obviously (doing) it in the Bahamas wouldn’t be appropriate because the mood and the tone wasn’t there. But there was this outpouring of effort in Trinidad. So we said we would do it in Trinidad and

Julien Believe see what other artists would be interested in participating.”

When it came to the selection of local acts for the event Ms Ferguson said invitations were sent to artists who have positioned themselves as ambassadors over the years and have crossover appeal.

“I am familiar with most of Bahamian acts. We wanted persons who served as brand ambassadors and would be

a good representation of the Bahamas,” she said.

“Crossover (appeal) is always important. We wanted artists who have good music and can easily cross over to a Trinidadian audience, and that was one of the reasons why we selected the persons we did.”

Organisers are hoping to raise a minimum of $100,000 to donate to the Bahamas Red Cross, she said.

“To ensure we provided the support and relief to a reputable organisation...we didn’t want to just raise the money and not have somewhere to put is specifically. So we said we would do bring in the Red Cross because their efforts are often sustained, long-term and the impact can be measured.”

All entertainers are said to have donated their time for to this fundraising initiative.

“This is truly a labour of love. People are going above and beyond. We have had an outpouring of support in terms of local sponsorship in Trinidad and we are particular grateful to the team of Aliv and Cable Bahamas because they have come on (board) in a big way.

Everyone is committing time for free. Its a major effort and just a consortium of persons working together to make this effort come to life,” said Ms Ferguson.

The concert will be streamed live.

“We have had the local support of companies like Aliv, Cable Bahamas, and we working on doing a free feed with ZNS to stream elements of it. And of course we are encouraging people to watch it and continue to donate online,” she said.

Pulling off an event of this magnitude took support from the Trinidadian community as well as the Bahamas. Should a relief concert like this be held in New Providence, it will take the same amount of support, said Ms Ferguson.

“We are thinking about it. The artists are certainly interested, however, we would definitely need the commitment from corporate Bahamas to see this happen.”

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

art

Quality quilting on display

T

he Sew N’ Sews quilting group is making preparations for its third show at Doongalik Studios which will open on Saturday, October 5 from 4pm-6pm.

This year’s show will for the first time ever feature a challenge, under the theme “Sun, Sand and Sea”.

Challenges issued to the quilt members encompass a set of parameters which must be included in the quilt top, for example: appliqué, specific colour, size, et cetera. These parameters will be listed at the show for patrons to determine whether or not they have been adhered to. Gallery visitors will be asked to choose their favourite quilt which they feel best fits the challenge.

Another first for the Sew N’ Sews will be a display of two group quilts which will be for

sale and the funds donated to charity. The design patterns of these quilts will be based on the ‘Cake Recipe’ technique and one of them will be a Christmas quilt.

The Christmas Room has been a popular feature of the previous shows, and it is sure to be this year as well in the lead-up to the upcoming festive season. On display will be holiday inspired quilts and a tree of handmade ornaments that will be for sale. Proceeds from the sale of the tree ornaments will be donated to the art supply drive which annually provides three selected public schools, including one from the Family Island, with much-needed art supplies.

The Sew N’ Sews is a group of between 15 to 20 women – most of whom are former teachers – who have been meeting for the past 25 years.

A master printmaker takes up residence at The Current The

Current art gallery at Baha Mar has a new resident artist in master printmaker Max Taylor. He will be in residence until November 18. Mr Taylor will be working on a series of prints in collaboration with Baha Mar’s Creative Arts Director John Cox for their collective exhibition forecasted to open at the end of November.

Discovered as an artist while still a schoolboy, Maxwell Taylor – who was born in 1939 in Nassau – was first tutored by Don Russell, and later apprenticed at the fabled Chelsea Pottery as a ceramic designer alongside Brent Malone, Eddie Minnis and Kendal Hanna.

Strongly influenced by the Black Power movement, Mr Taylor’s work tackles human rights issues, illustrating momentous events for emancipation, equal rights and job equality. He idealises the traditional home life, depicting families Print work by Max Taylor sitting around the dinner table in

candlelight, powerful female figures and hard-working male figures.

Throughout his career, he has explored themes of despair, celebration and atrocity.

Mr Taylor believes that the technique should fit the theme and uses many creative combinations to achieve his vision. He is renowned for his ceramics and paintings, but it is in printmaking that he really excels. He created the “Immigration Series”using the ancient technique of “cutting wood” but in a challenging large format. Mr Taylor lived in New York for many years, studying at the Art Students League of New York from 1968 to 1972, then taking further studies in photo silkscreen at The Pratt Graphic Center in 1972 and printmaking at Bob Blackburn’s Printmaking Workshop from 1969 to 1977. After 20 years in New York, during which he worked on construction sites to support his artistic

practice, he travelled south to the Carolinas and then to Europe.

Mr Taylor currently lives and works between the Bahamas and Florida. His work was exhibited at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, at The International Printmaking Exhibit, 1971, in Santiago, Chile, and in 1977 as part of the exhibition Bahamian Art Today at Brent Malone’s Matinee Gallery. He held a one-man show in 1979 in Nassau, and in 1983 was part of the group of 10 artists selected to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Bahamian independence. In 1991, he founded B – CAUSE (Bahamian Creative Artists United for Serious Expression) with Brent Malone, Antonius Roberts, Stan Burnside, Jackson Burnside and John Beadle. He has participated in numerous solo exhibitions and his work is among the collections of the late Nat King Cole and Sir Harold Christie.

The Tribune | Weekend | 13

Friday, September 20, 2019

art

Don't get left in the dark

I

n response to Nassau’s excessive blackouts and load shedding, the Creative Center is encouraging artists of all mediums to create pieces of work by lantern or candlelight for its upcoming exhibition, “Black Out: Art in the Dark”.

Sponsored by Nassau Motor Company and FG Wilson generators, and in association with Ubani Artworks and Artists’ Circle, “Black Out: Art in the Dark” is the brainchild of Bahamian artist Deime Ubani in an effort to challenge local artists in creating original pieces of work without the aid of electricity.

“This exhibition will capture the sense of working and living in the dark, as we have unavoidably become accustomed to,” she said. Ms Ubani credits her constant frustration with Bahamas Power and Light as her main motivation for the exhibit.

“Our goal is to capture the movements, the emotions, and the lack of overall visibility in those moments of power loss that predominantly occur in this nation,” she said.

Submissions for “Black Out: Art in the Dark: will be accepted until September 28 and will be judged by Ms Ubani and Creative Center Art Events Coordinator Jalan Harris. Art pieces from eight to 10 selected artists will be chosen and displayed for the opening exhibition on October 25 at the Creative Center in Chippingham.

“Right now it’s an open call for submissions, so we’re getting inquiries and also working on pieces ourselves,” said Ms Harris. “The event was inspired by all of the load shedding, and the artists are creating work that’s either dark or predominantly black.

Or they can just paint in the dark.”

Originally envisioned as an effort to creatively embrace

“Power is essential for all, for survival. This exhibition will draw attention to the plight of the Bahamian people at large and give back to those members of the community that are affected the most.”

Artist Deime Ubani the unpredictability of the island’s electricity issues, “Black Out: Art in the Dark” evolved into a relief effort that will benefit hurricane victims recently affected or displaced by Hurricane Dorian.

The Centerpiece of the exhibition will be a collaborative art piece that all of the accepted artists will work on together at the Creative Center. The full proceeds from the sale of this collaborative piece, along with a percentage of sales from each individual piece sold, will be

donated to hurricane relief efforts throughout the Bahamas.

“Power is essential for all, for survival,” Ms Ubani said. “This exhibition will draw attention to the plight of the Bahamian people at large and give back to those members of the community that are affected the most.”

For more information, please visit the Creative Center Bahamas on Facebook or Instagram (@CreativeCenterBahamas) or call 376-7474.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report 2019 Diamond Ball Benefit Gala

With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt

SPLIT

SPLIT

HIT

SPLIT

SPLIT

Rihanna in Givenchy

Normani in J’Aton Couture

Cardi B in Georges Hobeika

Cindy Bruna in Rami Kadi

Paula Patton in Valentino

Karin says: “I like the rigid structure of the dress; it’s different and very haute couture. And I kinda love the peek we get of the crinoline style cage skirt at the hem.

However, I cannot abide all that black velvet. There is so much of it! She looks like she’s hot just standing there in all that clingy material.”

Cara says: “Shine bright like a diamond, Rihanna! What a cute dress. I absolutely love it. It’s so different and such an attention-grabber. She looks awesome and perfect.

Not everyone could pull off something like this.”

Karin says: “Clearly this is supposed to look like two halves of different dresses sewn together. To me, this has always seemed like a concept for design student projects.

It looks amateurish, in other words...just like this shiny white dress. Also, her boobies look like they are being squeezed to death.”

Cara says: “This outfit has quite a lot going on. I had to look at it several times to figure out exactly what was going on with it. Honestly, I’m not sure about it. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either. It’s just sorta there.”

Karin says: “She went full on Cinderella and I love it!

Which other occasion can you go this big for than an actual ball? I love this shade of pale pink on her, and look at those dramatic tiers. It’s a tremendous dress and she looks really lovely in it.”

Cara says: “Cardi looks like a cupcake in this very pink ruffled gown. This is a hit for me. It’s very theatrical and becoming her signature style.

She’s been rocking these giant ball gowns at big events for a minute now. Loving her elegant hairdo as well.”

Karin says: “This just looks like a cheap prom dress.

Those overlapping ruffles at the waist and those at the shoulder are actually offensive in how hideous they are. And why is the high-low trend coming back? We just left it behind. It’s way too soon for nostalgia for this particular style.”

Cara says: “So this is very, very, very green dress. It’s pretty, I guess, although I do think the bottom half reminds me of a bed skirt. That ruffled train did not have to be that long, especially with how short the front part of the dress is.”

Karin says: “Paula has something of an Egyptian look going on here. I don’t know if she pulls of the Cleopatra look 100 percent (the hairstyle somehow seems wrong for it), but she does look nice. I’m not sure though if I like the gold band at the neck being asymmetrical; it should have been evenly balanced.”

Cara says: “This dress is hideous, just plain hideous. I mean, it’s like some Egypt’s Cleopatra meets a vaguely Asian-themed hodgepodge of ugliness. There is way too much going on. It’s horrid and does not flatter he at all.”

The Tribune | Weekend | 17

Friday, September 20, 2019

film

Review: ‘Downton Abbey’ film is stately and safe downton abbey | 90 minutes

T

he “Downton Abbey “ movie isn’t exactly a movie. It’s more like another season of the popular “Masterpiece Classic” show that’s been condensed to 90 minutes instead of eight hours.

Written by series creator Julian Fellowes, almost every character who made it out of the six season run alive is back for their big screen debut with their own little arc and some lavish costume changes. But Michael Engler’s direction doesn’t bring any cinematic grandeur to this continuing story of a family and their servants. And Fellowes’ script has the impossible task of giving every character their own mini plot, as if focusing in on one or a few would have had fans of the other members of the very large ensemble up in arms. Together it makes “Downton Abbey” the movie a fairly shallow experience: All set dressing and nostalgia and some delicious Dowager Countess one-liners.

For “Downton” devotees, the crumbs might be enough.

For anyone else just dropping in, however, “Downton Abbey” doesn’t exactly stand on its own.

The tidy reason for this big reunion is that King George V

Brendan Coyle as John Bates and Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates. (Photos/Jaap Buitendijk/Focus Features via AP)

Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess of Grantham and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Talbot. and Queen Mary have decided to spend a night at Downton Abbey as part of a royal tour.

It’s 1927 and the aristocratic class is continuing to question their place in a modernising Britain, but there are just enough of the old traditions left that the news of this royal visit sends the estate into a

tizzy. When the royal entourage descends, the downstairs staff is horrified to learn that they’ll be sitting on the sidelines for the visit. The royals travel with cooks, footmen, butlers, valets and dressers and this group is especially dismissive of the provincial Downton employees.

Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) even decides to enlist the help of their retired Butler Mr. Carson (Jim Carson), when she feels like his successor Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) isn’t equipped to handle this high profile occasion. It’s one of many constructions that will

leave you wondering whether fan service has gotten in the way of believable storytelling.

Yes, it brings Carson back to Downton and allows Thomas to go off on his own adventure in town, but it’s hard to deny that this is one overstuffed movie.

Consider just some of the subplots floating around: Daisy (Sophie McShera) gets to question her engagement; The long-widowered Branson (Allen Leech) gets a possible love interest and anarchy subplot; Anna (Joanne Froggatt) solves a mystery; The Dowager debates inheritance with her cousin Lady Maud Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton); Poor Edith (Laura Carmichael) gets some good and bad news (can’t let her be too happy!); And Lady Mary, well, she gets a hand in most things, except her own relationship since her husband Henry (Matthew Goode) is absent for most of the film. The only ones who don’t have all that much going on are the Granthams themselves, Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) and Robert (Hugh Bonneville).

That’s not to say that there aren’t good moments. There are, in fact, many, especially for those who miss the voyeurism of the fancy dress evenings with the family and their helpers. As in the series, the Dowager is always a standout and at 84, Maggie Smith is as fierce and fiery as ever in bringing her to life. And it is always lovely spending time in such lush surroundings. But the movie could have benefited on a little focus and not so much fan service, especially considering how good all of the ensemble actors are in these roles. Perhaps that’s why Fellowes couldn’t choose just one.

Besides, if the camera movements and swelling music cues are any indication, there is only real star anyway: Downton Abbey itself.

LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer

18 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

film

H

aving stayed rigorously close to his native New York for much of his career, writer-director James Grey has lately been making up for lost time. His last film, “The Lost City of Z,” journeyed into the Amazon, circa early 20th century. His latest, “Ad Astra,” skitters across the solar system like a stone skipped through space.

Both films aren’t merely changes in setting. They’re inherently about leaving home — the sacrifice entailed, the wonders to be discovered, the cost of obsessions that require pursuit. It’s fitting that they follow Grey’s masterpiece, “The Immigrant,” a profound and melancholic tale of passage. Whether orbiting New York or Neptune, Grey has been on the move for some time.

“Ad Astra,” starring Brad Pitt as an astronaut in the near future, is easily the most expensive production yet for Grey (”We Own the Night,” ‘‘Two Lovers”). Its timing is fortuitous. Coming on the heels of Pitt’s radiant performance in “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,” ‘‘Ad Astra” seems almost like an encore amid all the (deserved) celebration of its lead performer, a singular star in a movie universe with few that can match his lustre.

But “Ad Astra,” more intimate than it is majestic, is much more than a rocketfuelled vehicle for its star.

It’s a ruminative, mythical space adventure propelled by father-son issues of cosmic proportions. Pitt’s Roy McBride is ordered to the far reaches of the solar system to make contact with his previously presumed dead father, a legendary space explorer named H Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones).

He’s feared to have gone mad, and is suspected of having something to do with power surges playing havoc with Earth’s electronics. In the film’s staggering first moments, McBride is working

Review: A space odyssey with Brad Pitt in ‘Ad Astra’ ad astra | 124 minutes

on a miles-high antenna, like Jack on a beanstalk to the sky, when a surge sweeps over it. Explosions follow and McBride plummets through the stratosphere.

“Ad Astra” is mapped like “Apocalypse Now.” Instead of an ominous, top-secret trek down a Vietnamese river toward Colonel Kurtz, McBride is hopping between planetary stations (a string of colonised bases exist on the moon and Mars, with Neptune the next destination) en route to another missing hero-turned-psychopath, with a mission to potentially search and destroy. That this is Roy’s father, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a youngster, adds significantly to the implications of the journey.

Pitt’s astronaut is a solitary figure, taciturn and cool under pressure. Much of the charisma he so effortlessly displayed in “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood” has gone into hiding, replaced with a more pensive and subtle performance. His space voyage comes in contact with a handful of colourful figures, all of them underused (Donald Sutherland, Natasha Lyonne, Ruth Negga, a pair of rabid space baboons). But Roy’s chiefly in dialogue with himself and the old video transmissions from his father.

In copious amounts of voice-over and frequent confessional-like psychological evaluations, Roy narrates his psychological voyage through the stars. The nature of ambition gets deconstructed.

Brad Pitt stars in “Ad Astra”.

Grandiosity gets toppled by elemental humanity.

Where I think “Ad Astra” misses the mark is in so closely marrying its subtext with its text. Roy is navigating his relationship to his absent father both literally and figuratively.

Daddy issues, alone, can take you only so far, even if it’s to Neptune. Aside from verging on the one-note, that focus constricts the very linear, very self-contained “Ad Astra,” a taut but inflexible chamber piece in a genre given to symphony.

That minimalism, though, is also part of the considerable appeal of “Ad Astra.”

The placid surface of Pitt’s carefully calibrated performance slowly cracks. And it’s often riveting to watch how Grey remakes fairly familiar

science-fiction terrain. Working with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (who also shot “Interstellar”), Grey brings his typically formalist style and firm command to stripped-down scenes that approach the sublime.

A dazzling chase sequence with buggy-riding pirates on the moon is depicted nearly soundlessly.

Grey has a gift for shrinking massive set pieces and enlarging private dramas. In “Ad Astra,” he travels 2.7 billion miles through space. It’s a long way to go for a talk with your dad, but a fair distance for uncovering a ray of hope in a lifeless void.

JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer

The Tribune | Weekend | 19

Friday, September 20, 2019

View Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” on the big screen under the stars. Bring a float or rent one to lounge in the gigantic pool. Don’t want to float? Bring a chair or blanket for poolside seating. Tickets are $10 per person and include popcorn only. Other concessions will be available. Showtime is at 8pm.

Featured

FRI 9/20

• Patron Tequila at T2 Cigar Bar Time: 6.30pm - 9pm Venue: T2, Baha Mar Enjoy a live guitar performance as you sip on palomas, margaritas, and free samplers—all made with Patron liquors – as their brand ambassador Kenneth teaches those in attendance all about the agave tequila.

• Float Flicks – Kids’ Edition Time: 7.30pm Venue: Evolve Functional Fitness

The Tribune Established 1903

• Cruising for a Cause Boarding time: 8.30pm Vessel: Blackbeard’s Revenge, Old Pioneers Dock, Elizabeth and Victoria Avenues Enjoy a cruising concert in aid of raising funds, receiving clothing and supplies for those affected by Hurricane Dorian. The floating concert will feature performances

by Judah The Lion, Ubuntu & Papa Smurf. ‘Hennergy’ will also be on board providing free temporary henna paintings specifically designed for hurricane victims. Tickets are $25. Call

|100 Jamz | Y98

What's going on this Being Bound To Swear To The Dogmas Of No Master

weekend

826-1324 or 676-6533.

SAT 9/21

• Solomon’s Yamacraw Farmers & Craft Market Time: 8am - 12noon Venue: Solomon’s Yamacraw Local vendors showcase their homegrown produce as artisans display their creativity.

Featured

• Halsbury Chambers’ Free Legal Clinic Time: 9am - 3pm Venue: Halsbury Chambers, Village Road This is the 15th annual free legal clinic. Lawyers will be available to speak to.

To reserve your space, call 393-4551.

• Going Green Time: 12noon - 6pm Venue: CBS Bahamas, Southwest Plaza Attend seminars hosted by experts from the Bahamas National Trust and the Ministry of Environment.

The event will also feature hands-on DIY demonstrations for kids, a live snake-handling workshop, and giveaways, deals, and more.

Editior’s Voice

SATURDAY DON’T MAKE ANY ‘FEATURED’ The Missing Treasure: Annual Scavenger Hunt Time: Saturday, 7pm Venue: Smugglers, Downtown Join the Rotaract Club of East Nassau for their highly anticipated scavenger hunt, with prizes and surprises, and all for a good cause. Round up your team of five or go all in by your lonesome for the grand prize that awaits the winning team. Register at rotaract.eastnassau@gmail.com. Tickets are $20 per person.

• Nassau Night Market Time: 2pm - 10pm Venue: Market Slope, Downtown The relaunch of the outdoor street festival celebrates Bahamian culture and entrepreneurship through offering entertainment, flavorful foods and precious products. It is a familyfriendly event which seeks to enliven Downtown’s dead hours.

Featured

• Esports Fight Night Time: 3pm - 9pm Venue: King of Games Hobby Store, Spring Hill Plaza, Fox Hill Hosted by Celestrum Gaming, this is an esports tournament. The schedule is as follows: 4pm - Brawlhalla

and Killer Instinct; 5pm - Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V.

Featured

• Float Flicks – Adults Only Edition Time: 7.30pm Venue: Evolve Functional Fitness View “47 Metres Down” on the big screen under the stars. Bring a float or rent one to lounge in the gigantic pool. Don’t want to float? Bring a chair or blanket for poolside seating. A cash bar will be available.

Showtime is at 8pm.

• Soirée Blanche Time: 9pm - 2am Venue: Club Waterloo The ultimate white party hosted by DJ Ignite.

Sponsored by Ciroc and

Heineken. The dress code is all white.

• Fusion Football Time: 1pm Venue: Fusion Superplex Watch the game in the XS3 theatre with it’s 50 foot screen. Admission is $2 and seats can be reserved online at fusionsuperplex. com/showtimes or at the box office. Food and drinks will be on sale.

• Speak Up Speak Out - A Reflection of You Time: 7pm - 10pm Venue: Balmoral Club This is the official launch of SUSO Transformational Organisation. It promises to be a night of transformation through a dynamic presentation, creative artistry through dance, fashion and singing, interactive activities and a transparent testimony. Hosted by Tinesha Longley, the event’s guest speaker is Dr Tamalia Gibson. Tickets start at $25.

SUN 9/22

20 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

art

A

n exploration of the casually superstitious yet religious nature of Bahamian life is at the heart of Richardo Barrett’s first solo exhibition.

After being featured in numerous group shows, he is finally presenting a standalone exhibit called “Triangles•Squares•Demons”. The show opened last week at the Central Bank Art Gallery. Through many different narratives, Richardo’s work seeks to give visual representation of what may appear mundane to some and dream-like to others.

“The reason I chose the title is specific to the content of the work and how the viewer might interpret what they see. First, focusing on shapes, maybe colour, and then an illustration of what might appear to be a demon or an angel,” he told Tribune Weekend.

“But much more than that, for me the title encompasses a lot of what the work is about and how in Bahamian society (superstition) is ever intertwined with personal religious beliefs.

A perfect example of this can be seen in our conversation as it can easily sway from the casual ‘How was your day?’ to the superstitious ‘I get hag last night!’. Thus, the flow of the title going from triangles to squares and then what seems to be a random insert of the word demons, as sometimes the flow of everyday conversation can be just that.”

Much of his inspiration for this exhibit was drawn from the “things left unsaid and the thoughts left unseen”.

“The body of work feels split down the middle, with one half being very representational and black and white and the other surreal and full of vibrant colours,” the young artist said.

“The first half addresses themes of the everyday, like poverty, gambling, depression, success; the list can go on.

And the other half has more of a feeling of what it would look like to dream or maybe have vision, so to speak; like when you dream and you wake up and try to recall a dream. For me it feels that way. These pieces address more of the dark and suspicious thoughts we might have but do not talk about or care to admit.”

As with most of the works he creates, Richardo always desires those who see his art to come to their own conclusions and find their personal interpretations.

“Apart from the many other aspects of the work, I want people to engage with the big takeaways: Bahamians

The surreal intertwining of religion with superstition

Richardo Barrett explores ‘triangles, squares and demons’

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer | jgibson@tribunemedia.net

“Heaven ‘N Hell”

08 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

leisure

Healing mind and body LOCAL Spa encourages selfcare in times of trouble

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features writer | acadet@tribunemedia.net

A

Photos/ Mandara Spa

fter living through the horrors of Hurricane Dorian and its aftermath for the past three weeks – losing her home and living several days without electricity and running water – this mother-of-two yearned for just one day to be able to pamper herself and enjoy life’s little luxuries.

“You think it would be the last thing on my mind, but it wasn’t. I thought if I can pamper myself a bit it would be a great way to start working on my mental health, and I could be there for my family. I want to be strong for them, but in order to do that I have to be mentally stable. I can’t help to think of what I have lost, but I am grateful for life and while I am still here I want to take care of myself. The immediate days after the hurricane were the absolute worst, but I can honestly say I am finally starting to feel like myself again,” said the Abaco native who wished to remain anonymous.

Another survivor shared: “I walked in water with a suitcase for miles. My body still aches and I am still exhausted. I am in Nassau with my sister who gifted me a spa service, and even though it doesn’t fix what has happened, it made me feel good. At the end of the day this mental struggle will be a long one; it is not short-term. If I am encouraged to take care of myself, even going for a walk or exercising to get my mind in order, I am going to do this.”

While many may consider getting their hair and nails done, or even having a massage or facial, as trivial, superfluous things following the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, a number of storm evacuees told Tribune Weekend that these services made a world of difference to them.

“I really wanted to get my hair done before people I knew me saw be looking all bedraggled and defeated. Getting my hair done, putting on some makeup

and jewellery, it really made me feel like myself again,” said one Abaco evacuee.

Taking care of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally is extremely important, the storm survivors said, especially during times like these.

This past weekend, Tribune Weekend visited the Mandara Spa at Atlantis, whose team emphasised the importance of self-care and the benefits of spa services following a tragedy.

Youlanda Deveaux, the spa’s regional vice president for the Bahamas, Caribbean and Latin America, said Mandara strives to offer a sanctuary for those wanting to relax, heal, or simply disconnect from the world for a short period.

Upon booking a service, guests are encouraged to connect with a therapist to help address areas of concern. A consultation before a service also assists guests in getting the most out of their treatments.

“All of our therapies have an element of healing, and there are certain services that help you transcend. The Balinese massage, for example, has been utilised for centuries to strengthen and heal the body. This traditional therapy combines stretching, long strokes, as well as palm and thumb pressure techniques. Flowing and graceful, the Balinese massage relieves tension, improves blood flow, eases stress, and encourages harmony,” said Ms Deveaux.

Meanwhile, the sound wave therapy lulls the mind and body into a meditative state. The treatment often begins and ends with a beautiful shower of a peaceful sound wave – the vibrations are produced by therapeutic singing bowls to promote total relaxation and help realign the chakras.

“We also recommend our breathing releases in which you will surrender the mind and body to a wealth of relaxation exercises. Your therapist will combine deep meditative breathing with movements and point release tools to relieve

The Tribune | Weekend | 21

Friday, September 20, 2019

Photos/Donavan McIntosh are a very diverse religious and superstitious set of people. This is not necessarily a negative or a positive, but when we admit this to ourselves I think we can better understand our neighbours in the Caribbean and the similarities we share.”

He also wants people to know that everyday life is “full of positives but a lot of negatives as well.”

“And sometimes when we focus too much on the joys we forget the sorrow and with it the means to combat against it,” he said.

Richardo, currently the assistant curator at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (NAGB), initially enrolled at the College of the Bahamas as an architect major.

But in 2009, after recognising his calling was really to be an artist, he successfully switched to the Art. He graduated in Fall 2012.

During years college years, he participated in a number of exhibitions, including the 25th Annual Central Bank Art Competition and Exhibition and the Annual Colour of Harmony Exhibition at COB, as well as in a “duel” art show, “Fallen Transitions”, which was the culmination of a body of work he produced during a three-month junior residency at Popopstudios in 2011.

He was the 2011 recipient of the first ever Antonius Roberts Award.

The award represents a residency sponsored by veteran artist Antonius Roberts.

Winning the Central Bank open category art competition in 2018 is one milestone of many in Richardo’s career so far. Some recent exhibitions he participated in include the Eighth National Exhibition (NE8) and also Transforming Spaces in 2016.

“My art practice in comprised of painting, sculpting, collage work, and the list goes on. And because of that I consider myself a mixed media artist. With this exhibition there was some interactive work as well.

My art practice does not focus on one specific medium but whatever I choose to,” he said.

“The thing I love most about being a mixed media artist is that I am constantly challenging myself to explore new art forms and try new mediums.”

All of the artwork from “Triangles•Squares•Demons” is available for purchase.

“Bahamians are a very diverse religious and superstitious set of people. This is not necessarily a negative or a positive, but when we admit this to ourselves I think we can better understand our neighbours in the Caribbean and the similarities we share.”

Triangles Squares Demons Art Exhibition by Richardo Barret at Central Bank of the Bahamas.

“All Natural”

“God”

“Gleem”

“Fly”

22 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

history

Admiral of the Ocean Sea – One man, three names Forgotten facts | Paul C Aranha

I

n 1492, three ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña, under one man, with at least three names – Cristoforo Colombo, Cristóbal Colón and Christopher Columbus – landed at an island that was rechristened San Salvador, opening a gateway to what became the New World. That island of San Salvador is now a part of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Like him or not, whether he “discovered” America or not, he and his fleet changed history.

As Cristoforo Colombo, he was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451 and spent years trying, in vain, to raise the money for a voyage of exploration, a search that took him to Spain.

Where, as Cristóbal Colón, he persuaded the Catholic Monarchs of Spain (Queen Isabella of Seville and her husband, King Ferdinand of Castile) to sponsor a journey west, in the name of the Crown of Castile.

It is commonly said that Columbus discovered America, and many people think this includes the huge landmass of North America, but Columbus, the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea”, never knew that North America existed for he died, in Spain in 1506. He is buried there in the Cathedral of Seville. It was not until Easter Sunday, March 27, 1513 that the Spanish explorer Juan

The Columbus statue in front of the original Government House from 1806 (photographed in 1920) Ponce de León (1460-1521) happened upon Florida.

I have often heard Columbus’ being blamed for the Spaniards’ forcing the original inhabitants into slavery, which strikes me as a scatter-gun approach to assigning blame, since the King of Spain did not authorise this inhumanity until 1508, when he gave the inhabitants of Hispaniola permission to conduct slave raids on the Bahama Islands.

By 1513, only one human being could be found in the Bahamas.

Generations of Bahamians celebrated October 12 as Columbus Day, or Discovery Day, but this seems to have give way to National Heroes Day. In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson: “The old order changeth, yielding place to new And God fulfils himself in many ways,

Lest one good custom should corrupt the world...”

Whenever I find myself stuck in traffic in front of Government House, I look up the steps to see whether the statue of Columbus is still looking down from there, as it has been since Governor Sir James Carmichael Smith (1829-1833, after whom Carmichael Village is named) imported a statue, which bears little, if any, resemblance to a

man of the 15th century, since the clothing is entirely out of period. My father frequently told his children that the statue had been commissioned by a city in the United States, but that city could not pay for it, so our Governor stepped up and bought ‘Columbus’.

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

The Tribune | Weekend | 23

Friday, September 20, 2019

history

Studies across the globe reveal deeper and more widespread roots of the human age (THE CONVERSATION) – Examples of how human societies are changing the planet abound – from building roads and houses, clearing forests for agriculture and digging train tunnels, to shrinking the ozone layer, driving species extinct, changing the climate and acidifying the oceans.

Human impacts are everywhere. Our societies have changed Earth so much that it’s impossible to reverse many of these effects.

Some researchers believe these changes are so big that they mark the beginning of a new “human age” of Earth history, the Anthropocene epoch. A committee of geologists has now proposed to mark the start of the Anthropocene in the mid-20th century, based on a striking indicator: the widely scattered radioactive dust from nuclear bomb tests in the early 1950s.

But this is not the final word.

Not everyone is sure that today’s industrialised, globalised societies will be around long enough to define a new geological epoch. Perhaps we are just a flash in the pan – an event – rather than a long, enduring epoch.

Others debate the utility of picking a single thin line in Earth’s geological record to mark the start of human impacts in the geological record. Maybe the Anthropocene began at different times in different parts of the world. For example, the first instances of agriculture

emerged at different places at different times, and resulted in huge impacts on the environment, through land clearing, habitat losses, extinctions, erosion and carbon emissions, forever changing the global climate.

If there are multiple beginnings, scientists need to answer more complicated questions – like when did agriculture begin to transform landscapes in different parts of the world? This is a tough question because archaeologists tend to focus their research on a limited number of sites and regions and to prioritise locations where agriculture is believed to have appeared earliest. To date, it has proved nearly impossible for archaeologists to put together a global picture of land use changes throughout time.

GLOBAL ANSWERS FROM LOCAL EXPERTS

To tackle these questions, we pulled together a research collaboration among archaeologists, anthropologists and geographers to survey archaeological knowledge on land use across the planet.

We asked over 1,300 archaeologists from around the world to contribute their knowledge on how ancient people used the land in 146 regions spanning all continents except Antarctica from 10,000 years ago right up to 1850.

More than 250 responded, representing the largest expert archaeology crowd-sourcing

project ever undertaken, though some prior projects have worked with amateur contributions.

Our work has now mapped the current state of archaeological knowledge on land use across the planet, including parts of the world that have rarely been considered in previous studies.

We used a crowd-sourcing approach because scholarly publications don’t always include the original data needed to allow global comparisons. Even when these data are shared by archaeologists, they use many different formats from one project to another, making it difficult to combine for large-scale analysis. Our goal from the beginning was to make it easy for anyone to check our work and reuse our data – we’ve put all our research materials online where they can be freely accessed by anyone.

EARLIER AND MORE WIDESPREAD HUMAN IMPACTS

Though our study acquired expert archaeological information from across the planet, data were more available in some regions – including Southwest Asia, Europe, northern China, Australia and North America – than in others. This is probably because more archaeologists have worked in these regions than elsewhere, such as parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and South America.

Animation showing the spread of intensive agriculture across the globe over the past 10,000 years, based on ArchaeoGLOBE Project results. (Nicolas Gauthier, 2019, CC-BY-SA) Our archaeologists reported that nearly half (42 percent) of our regions had some form of agriculture by 6,000 years ago, highlighting the prevalence of agricultural economies across the globe. Moreover, these results indicate that the onset of agriculture was earlier and more widespread than suggested in the most common global reconstruction of land-use history, the History Database of the Global Environment. This is important because climate scientists often use this database of past conditions to estimate future climate change; according to our research it may be underestimating land-use-associated climate effects.

Our survey also revealed that hunting and foraging was generally replaced by pastoralism (raising animals such as cows and sheep for food and other resources) and agriculture in most places, though there were exceptions. In a few areas, reversals occurred and agriculture did not simply replace foraging but merged with it and coexisted side by side for some time.

THE DEEP ROOTS OF THE ANTHROPOCENE Global archaeological data show that human

transformation of environments began at different times in different regions and accelerated with the emergence of agriculture. Nevertheless, by 3,000 years ago, most of the planet was already transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists.

To guide this planet toward a better future, we need to understand how we got here.

The message from archaeology is clear. It took thousands of years for the pristine planet of long ago to become the human planet of today.

And there is no way to fully understand this human planet without building on the expertise of archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists and other human scientists.

To build a more robust Earth science in the Anthropocene, the human sciences must play as central a role as the natural sciences do today.

• This article is republished from The Conversation.

Read the original article here: http://theconversation. com. The authors are Ben Marwick, University of Washington; Erle C Ellis, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Lucas Stephens, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, and Nicole Boivin, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

24 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019

literary lives – vicki baum

Checking in to the ‘Grand Hotel’ Christopher Ondaatje looks back on the life of Vicki Baum whose 1929 novel was made into the Academy Award winning film “Grand Hotel” in 1932.

H

edwig “Vicki” Baum was born in 1888 in Vienna into a Jewish family.

Her mother Mathilde was mentally sick, and died of breast cancer when she was a child. She described her father as tyrannical and a hypochondriac. He was killed in 1942 in Novi Sad (present day Serbia) by soldiers of the Hungarian occupation. Baum played the harp and began her musical career in the Vienna Concert Society and went on to perform in Germany between 1916 – 1923. By then her first marriage to the journalist Max Prels was over and she married Richard Lert

Hedwig “Vicki” Baum (1888 – 1960) – a conductor and childhood friend. They had two sons, Wolfgang (born 1917) and Peter (born 1921).

Baum began writing in her teens but her first articles were published under her first husband’s name. She did not start to write professionally until the birth of her first son.

Her first book, “Frühe Schatten: Die Geschichte einer Kindheit” (Early Shadows: The Story of a Childhood, 1919) was published when she was 31. Baum took up boxing in the 1920s after she had her two sons, training with Sabri Mahir – a prizefighter who

Greta Garbo and John Barrymore in the 1932 film adaptation of “The Grand Hotel”

had a studio for boxing and physical vulture in Berlin. She said, in her final 1964 memoir, that a few women, including Marlene Dietrich and Carola Neher, trained there.

“I don’t know how the feminine element sneaked into the masculine realms, but in any case, only three of four of us were tough enough to go through with it ... but no sparring in the ring (for women), no black eyes, no bloody noses.”

Baum later credited her strong work ethic to the skills instilled in Sabri Mahir’s studio. After 1919 she published a novel nearly every year of her life, totalling 50 books – ten of which were adapted as motion pictures in Hollywood. She is most famous for her 1929 novel, “Menschen im Hotel” (People at a Hotel), which was made into a stage play in Berlin in 1929, directed by Max Reinhardt, and the Academy Award-winning film “Grand Hotel” in 1932.

Baum emigrated to the United States with her family after she was invited to write the screenplay for the film.

She lived in Los Angeles and worked as a screenwriter for ten years. Her books were banned in Germany with the rise of National Socialism and the Third Reich in 1935, being denigrated as sensational and amoral. She became an American citizen in 1938, and all her post-World War II were written in English rather than German.

“Baum was not by nature a hack. Thomas Mann was her idol. Her technique in her mature fiction derives from the critical doctrine of ‘Neue Sachlichkeit’ (‘New Objectivity’, hyper realism). On the strength of ‘Stud. chem.

Helene Willfüer’ (1928), a New Woman novel with a well-researched scientific

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Friday, September 20, 2019

background, Baum was awarded an exclusive contract by Ullstein. Her fiction was serialised, and her glamorous image publicised, in Ullstein’s ‘Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung’ which, in the 1920s, boasted the largest magazine circulation in the world. It was in the ‘BIZ’ pages that ‘Menschen im Hotel’ (1929), i.e. ‘Grand Hotel’, was first published ... ‘Grand Hotel’s success was boosted in the American market by a Broadway production which ran for 257 nights. The American publisher Doubleday invited Baum to New York to promote their translation of the novel and by 1931 ‘Grand Hotel’ had sold 31,000 copies and topped ‘Publishers Weekly’ bestseller list ... Once in America Baum took up remunerative employment in the film industry, despite a total ignorance of the techniques of screenwriting, and still imperfect English.” – Lives of the Novelists, John Sutherland “Grand Hotel”, starring John Barrymore, Greta Garbo, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore and Joan Crawford was an enormous hit and made Vicki Baum a household name among English speaking readers. “Men Never Know” (1935), “Career” (1936), “A Tale from Bali” (1937), and “Grand Opera” (1942) were other Baum scripts made into film.

“It was only after the Second World War that her fiction was translated back into German. Despite the fame of ‘Grand Hotel’, Baum’s better novel is ‘Shanghai ‘37’ (1937). The story of nine intertwining lives is centered, again, on the grand hotel milieu with an extravagantly international dramatis personae. The novel touches on such topical themes as the rise of Nazism and climaxes with the Japanese invasion of Shanghai and the assault of the international community there.” – Lives of the Novelists, John Sutherland Vicki Baum’s reputation went into a steep decline following World War II. She died of leukaemia in Hollywood, California in 1960, aged 72. Her last memoir, “It Was All Quite Different”, was published posthumously in 1964.

Baum in Hawaii in 1935

Baum’s most famous novel, “Grand Hotel”

Baum was one of several female celebrities who took up boxing in 1920s

NEXT WEEK: A tale of black humour and sexual retribution

• Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of “The Last Colonial”.

He acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia; and from Lives of the Novelists by John Sutherland

off onion, say, and fruit (8) 28 Infrequent fights with European (6)

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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Q 39 8 28 5 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R A S 16 17 24 25 121 T 3 B U 11 10 25 31 32 FIND where the fleet of ships shown C is hidden 2 V in the grid. The numbers to the right of and D below the grid indicate how many of the 24 362 W 11 30 2 squares in that row are filled in withEships or X 4 parts of ships. The ships do not touch each 22 2 18 21 38 Y 1 F have other, even diagonally. Some squares Z been filled in to start you off.

BATTLESHIPS

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Down 1 A bed made badly by George Eliot (4,4) 2 Experiment on a patient may set a precedent (4,4) 3 Still on the same plane (4) 5 Where to find data on unmarried people of one rank? (2,6,4) 6 Famous school of rising reputation (4) 7 States differ - so do these (6) 8 It often provides cover for the runners (6) 11 It may help in crime scene reconstruction (12) 15 Profession many rush to get (5) 16 Note down new present (5) 18 Small party conflict (8) 19 Four repeatedly out rustling (4-4) 21 Holds a hundred and fifty serpents (6) 22 He should honour his agreement to the letter (6) 26 Bird seen when others rise (4) 27 Dam gets built by degrees (4)

Across 1 Country air (6) 4 Team needs pace to avoid tackles (8) 9 The novelist has an American number (6) 10 Organising Sue’s opal wedding (8) 12 A dollar for it? Sounds dear (4) 13 Parisian banker put in to have a look round (5) 14 Only a thousand before (4) 17 It is mainly uninhabited (6,6) 20 He gives assistance in need for a sculptor (6,6) 23 Idle doodle gave a false impression (4) 24 Alec’s fresh mount (5) 25 Some favour Dutch as a language (4) 28 Not trying hard with a point deficit (8) 29 Repair broken weapon (6) 30 Feeling fed up? (8) 31 It can give one a breath of sweetness (6)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Armed, 4 Freedom, 8 Can, 9 Thingummy, 10 At a loss, 11 Alike, 13 Chubby, 15 Regard, 18 Spell, 19 Suffice, 21 A bit thick, 23 Wad, 24 Laundry, 25 Rayon.

Down: 1 Archaic, 2 Miniature, 3 Ditto, 4 Flimsy, 5 Engrave, 6 Dim, 7 Maybe, 12 In a big way, 14 Belated, 16 Dresden, 17 Ossify, 18 Stall, 20 Fakir, 22 IOU.

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Afire, 4 Salient, 8 Elf, 9 Evergreen, 10 Earldom, 11 Tight, 13 Starch, 15 Crusoe, 18 Rayon, 19 Schemer, 21 Cheapjack, 23 Tot, 24 Parasol, 25 Strum.

Down: 1 Ageless, 2 Infirmary, 3 Emend, 4 Steams, 5 Lighter, 6 Ewe, 7 Tenet, 12 Gasometer, 14 Canopus, 16 Erratum, 17 Assail, 18 Recap, 20 Hikes, 22 Ear.

BATTLESHIPS

Solution tomorrow

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Down 1 Worrying problem (8) 2 Act of retaliation (8) 3 To join (4) 5 Animal without a backbone (12) 6 Bring to a stop (4) 7 Lacking sufficient skill (6) 8 Binding promise (6) 11 Mediocre (3-2-3-4) 15 Scatter loosely (5) 16 Cruel person (5) 18 Quiet and out-ofthe-way (8) 19 Hidden nonpaying passenger (8) 21 Seem (6) 22 Uproar (6) 26 Tranquil (4) 27 Colony of bees (4)

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3

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The Tribune | Weekend |27

Friday, September 20, 2019

animals

The truth about bees

I

have always been fascinated by a statement that I hear frequently, that if there are no bees in the world we will run out of food and starve. That always struck me as pretty extreme.

Recently the BBC ran a report where they look at the importance of bees in our lives.

They point out that bees play a massive part in our food, either directly because they pollinate the fruit and vegetables we eat, or indirectly by pollinating the food that the farm animals consume if we have meat on our plates.

Pollination is an essential part of the process in flowering plant reproduction. The little honey bee is the creature that does most of that, even though the wind, birds and bats play their part too, but compared to the bee their contribution is negligible. All sorts of fruits and vegetables depend on the honey bee to pollinate in order to develop into the plants and fruit we want to eat.

We are being warned that the honey bee population is in grave danger. Every year the danger becomes more real.

Europe has now temporarily banned the use of one type

of insecticide called neonicotinoids on all their flowering crops. Insecticides containing this ingredient can affect bees and other invertebrates.

It is not quite true that if all bees were swept off the face of the earth there would be no food, because nowadays we are able to fill their pollinating roll artificially.

Have you ever sat perfectly still and watched a bee at work? Here in Nassau there are plants that attract the honey bees, but the best display of bees hard at work I have ever seen is sitting in an English garden in the summer.

Their buzzing is loud enough to alert you that they are at work, and then you watch them go from flower to flower, to flower. They move with such skilled and deliberate determination; there is a definite aura of “they know what they are doing.”

The BBC has also featured a report from Russia where they stated great concern for the drastic reduction of their bee population, especially in the central and southern sections of Russia over the past few months.

Apparently 20 regions have reported massive bee deaths.

Once again the pesticides are

ADOPT AN EVACUEE

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY

B

Animal matters | KIM ARANHA

amboo, here. I’m not actually an adoption dog, but I do live at the Bahamas Humane Society. I’ve been watching all sorts of activity and bustling around the shelter ever since Hurricane Dorian passed by. I’ve been told the shelters

being blamed, but surely it is up to the farmer to do his homework and to be sure that he does not use a pesticide that is going to kill off the bee population...talk about killing the goose that lays the golden egg!

Russia is also a major producer of world honey. In the past they would regularly produce approximately 100,000 tonnes of honey a year and are now worried that this massive bee death could cause a 20 per cent reduction of their possible honey production this year.

It is not just the Russians who are concerned, France is seriously worried and they estimate that the decline will continue. In the past the French harvest of honey was around 20,000 tonnes.

Recently it has been as low at 9,000 tonnes. In France they think that the culprit is climate change, but they do not rule out pesticides and the varroa mite spreading in to hives and infecting the bees.

One of the climate challenges is that France had late frosts that were followed by a severe heat wave, causing an unsuitable environment for the bees.

in Abaco and Grand Bahama were badly hit by the storm and can no longer hold animals. As a result, many of the adoption animals at the BHS have been sent out to rescues Stateside, so there aren’t many to share with you right now. But the BHS does still have adoption animals! And a good way to help is to come and adopt, so we will have even more room at our shelter for the incoming evacuees. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. If you’d like to make a financial

France and the EU produce 250,000 tonnes of honey yearly. The EU countries that contribute to this large quantity are: Spain, Germany, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Greece and France. The biggest producer in the world is China, coming in with a whopping 500,000 tonnes of honey a year.

What is such fun about honey is all the different flavours we get depending on what flowers or plants the bees are pollinating. There is a definite difference in flavour, say between clover honey and lavender honey.

Something I did not know and surprised me is that orchids depend on honey bees to pollinate them as well.

When I sit outside here at home I do not see many bees

donation towards hurricane relief, please email b_humane@hotmail. com; if you’d like to donate supplies or volunteer your time, please contact doriananimalrelief@gmail.com.

Recovery for those islands is going to be a long process and we will need all the help we can get! (And if you’re house cleaning, don’t forget our Thrift Shop; they take donations of all gently used items, including furniture!) Thank you so much!

PS: If you really want to adopt me, we can work that out.

ever, but I do not believe that I have ever seen one around the orchids. I will make a point of looking more carefully at my orchids.

It is funny how easily we take all these amazing details of nature for granted.

How impeccable the plan is between the bee and the pollen, the honey making and the pollen. Everything appears to follow a meticulous master plan, but the problem is that if we humans remove one link in that carefully created plan the whole thing falls apart and we suddenly have a shortage of bees, which snowballs into all sorts of other shortages.

Years ago on TV there was an advertisement that said “it’s not nice to fool mother nature.” For sure!

(Photo/Patricia Vazquez)

28 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, September 20, 2019