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Weekend Friday, November 3, 2023

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02 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 3, 2023

food

Star chefs take over

Atlantis restaurants put top names at the helm for Table Takeover series

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

I

N a collaboration with renowned chefs from all across the globe, the Nassau Paradise Island Wine and Food Festival has successfully hosted its Table Takeover series back-to-back over recent weeks.

The Table Takeovers offered the opportunity for visiting chefs to takeover an Atlantis restaurant, offering a select menu of their signature dishes.

So far, there have been culinary professionals such as the decorated Chef JJ Johnson who took over the Bimini Road restaurant in September, and the famed Iron Chef Jose Garces who was featured at Café Martinique in October.

Just last week, from October 26-28, Café Martinique got a double dose of the Table Takeover experience as Mashama Bailey presented three nights of exquisite cuisine.

Celebrated as “the most important chef in America” by the Financial Times, Mashama is the creative force behind the critically acclaimed Grey Spaces hospitality group, co-founded with Johno Morisano.

With her exceptional culinary skills and innovative approach to Port City Southern fare, Mashama has become a force in the culinary world.

In an interview with Tribune Weekend, Mashama said she was very excited to be in the Bahamas.

“Whenever I am part of something that friends like JJ Johnson and Alon Shaya are part of, it is quite an honour.

I have cooked around the United States, the Caribbean and Europe. You learn

MASHAMA Bailey laughing during her Atlantis visit

A YOUNG diner chats to chef Mashama Bailey so much from being around other cultures and that it is something I would like to continue to do. Asia, South America and, especially, Africa are next on my list,” said the chef.

For her, Mashama said the Table Takeover experience was about starting a dialogue between what she does at The Grey, her flagship restaurant in Downtown Savannah Georgia, and Bahamians.

At Café Martinique, diners had the opportunity to savour a unique curated menu offered alongside the restaurant’s regular menu.

There was a fusion of flavors with fresh, local ingredients, drawing inspiration from Mashama’s diverse background. There were items such as Frisée salad with crispy pig ears and poached egg, savannah red rice balls, deviled crab with garlic toasts breadcrumbs, chicken country captain, butterscotch pudding with Chantilly cream and peanut brittle, and more.

“I just stay true to myself.

I cook seasonally and ancestrally and I hope our guests will see that. The thing about it that I think is interesting is that they had purple topped turnips in the kitchen

and they are serving it with lobster, and I thought maybe the turnips would go nice with fish, so I added that,” said Mashama as she spared a brief moment to sit at the table with me.

“So, it was like this kind of nod to me, as purple topped turnips are very southern.

Pumpkin Squash and all that stuff are very southern so I wanted to do a mashup.

I think it represents me coming to the Bahamas and what I smell and taste.”

When asked about the “crispy pig ears” and how it may be a first for Bahamians, Mashama said she wanted locals to trust her.

“I don’t want to give anything that’s bad. Like when I serve food, even though it may sound crazy like rabbit dirty rice, I want my grandmother to be able to eat it.

Someone who grew up in a very small town and who has a very good pallet. I want her to be able to eat it and find it relatable. Not something that’s so crazy that black folks can’t understand it. It may be different but I think it’s comforting,” said Mashama.

With regard to the red rice balls, Mashama said this is a recipe that is really popular in Savannah Georgia.

“In Savannah, they do red rice and it is cooked in tomato with onion and red pepper and garlic. They stew it down and put shrimp in it, sausage and stuff like that.

It is like a jambalaya but it is really a play on jollof rice that comes from west Africa.

So, I wanted to do my version of it which is vegetarian.

I wanted to add something bright and creamy with it so I like herbs. I added my green goddess dressing that has like parsley and chives, with little garlic.

I think that brightens up the flavors of the tomato, bell peppers and onions and stuff. So, this is a traditional savannah red rice and I just made it into a Crockett so it is easy to snack and eat, like finger food. The devil crab is also from Savannah and it is just spicy crab. They do a lot of crab in Savannah so they pick the crab, fold it in with bread, onions and bell peppers and celery. I made it a little spicy so there are peppers in it. I think if you come here and try those dishes, you’ll get a taste of what the food is like in the south of America,” said Mashama.

As conch salad was also featured on Chef Mashama’s takeover menus, she told us of her experience at Arawak

FRISEE salad w ith ears and pached crispy pig egg Large

Cay upon her arrival in the country.

She said: “ I have had conch salad before, conch fritters, and curried conch in Jamaica. So when I got off the plane here, I was chatting with my driver. I have never been to the Bahamas so I didn’t know how far paradise Island was or anything like that. So I was speaking with him and I was telling him what I was here to do. And he said oh you’re on the radio. So I said yeah I am going to do like a conch salad (for the menu). And he was like have you ever had Bahamian conch salad and I said no. Then he took me over to Fish Fry. “I got the tropical one and I also got like the regular traditional one. I tasted both of them and it was delicious. I just never had it here before. So, when I went in the kitchen here, I thought to myself, what do I want to have it with, and I started thinking of how I had it in Jamaica and I had it cooked.

I even had to ask one of the ladies who work here to show me how to cook it and said so this is what I am going to do, and they were like don’t do that you’re going to mess it up.”

She took tips from the kitchen staff at Café Martinique and came up with her tropical version of conch salad.

“I was asked how I’m going to serve it and I said ceviche style so I was told not to cook it because it is going to get tough. So, I started thinking about the flavors and then I added coconut and pineapple with it. So I have like a tropical take on it,” said Mashama.

The Tribune | Weekend | 03

Friday, November 3, 2023

interview

Jeronimo Bowleg Jeronimo Bowleg spent 13 years on death row waiting for the execution to come – but it didn’t. He spoke to JEFFARAH GIBSON about how he escaped death, and his spiritual transformation since.

B

AHAMIAN Jeronimo Bowleg should be dead today - he was sentenced on September 2, 1996, to be executed.

Jeronimo’s execution was set to take place two years after sentencing, for a murder in 1994 of which he and two co-accused were convicted. Their hangings were to take place consecutively: one at 8am, 9am and the final at 10am.

Jeronimo’s execution was scheduled in between that of his co-accused.

Every day for the nearly 13 years he spent in prison, Jeronimo wondered “how did I get here?”

“I was not the shooter, I wasn’t even supposed to be with them. But there I was in a prison cell by myself, waiting to die.”

After, losing two court appeals after sentencing the Privy Council made a “miracle” ruling on the fate of Jeronimo and his co-accused, releasing them from their sentence.

Today, Jeronimo lives life as a free man, running a local construction business and still putting back

the pieces of his life together and hoping to help others along by his own personal story and spiritual transformation.

He tells the story of his life as a career criminal, how he found himself in the most regrettable position; an accomplice to a murder that landed him in prison and how he escaped death for the umpteenth time, in the autobiography “A Walk Through The Valley of the Shadow of Death”.

The book’s title is drawn from the famous “The Lord is My Shepherd” biblical Psalm 23 and speaks

04 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 3, 2023

“Death row made me numb.

After some point you lose the fear of dying and just accept that this is what it is and what it is going to happen”

to the spiritual transformation Jeronimo experienced on death row.

While imprisoned, Jeronimo was converted to Christianity and recalls having spiritual encounters that not only gave him hope when his death date was imminent, but changed his life completely.

Though published in 2016, Jeronimo feels the time is now to share his personal testimony and help minister to the lives of anyone who would take heed.

“The book is being called the manifestation because it is revealing my spiritual experiences which I humbly came to accept as my destiny.

“My faith I would say brought me through. I was sentenced to die by hanging, even saw a few of the friends I made in prison get hang but God’s word and my belief in Him to deliver brought me through.”

As a youngster, Jeronimo had a very eventful life.

Growing up the in the area of Montell Heights, he was introduced to a lot of things and people that shaped his path of violence and crime.

Jeronimo attended EP Roberts Primary School and then went on to CH Reeves Secondary School where he “somehow managed to get my diploma”.

“I say that because I was not one to be keen on the idea of school education growing up but somehow I always did well and got good grades despite cutting most of the classes and peddling drugs in and around the school,” he said.

Life on the fast lane Jeronimo multitasked school with living life on the fast lane. And for him the latter yielded a bigger payoff.

“I bought my first car, a motorbike and a Rolex watch before I reached 18 years old so that should give you some idea about how fast I was trying to get through life.

The high-risk life did not stop Jeronimo. In fact, it was the only way he knew how to live. They fought for what they wanted on the streets even if it meant risking their life and freedom.

The area he and his family lived in was druginfested and most families he said had at least one member who was a drug dealer. In fact some of those dealers recruited youngsters like Jeronimo and his brother to keep contraband.

“I started getting into problems with the law at an early age.”

Jeronimo recalled a time when he was a teenager, he and his brother Mark had gotten into it with some guys in their neighbourhood, who attempted to rob them of a motorcycle.

Forced to defend his brother who was being attacked, Jeronimo took an object and assaulted the attacker. This was the genesis of Jeronimo’s life of violence and also the first time he was arrested.

Jeronimo was later charged with grievous harm.

His bail was posted by his father who then took him home. Thereafter, Jeronimo, his mother and father played the waiting game.

After a few court appearances, Jeronimo’s fear of going to prison diminished, as the vicim had not been showing up to court.

“Then he showed up to court miraculously one day with his mother. When the case was called, the judge questioned the victim as to whether or not Jeronimo was the one who assaulted him.

“His reply stuck with me forever. He told the judge ‘no’ and that he had never seen me a day before in his life.”

The judge was left with no choice but to dismiss the case.

Looking back, Jeronimo said he now believes God had been keeping and calling him for a purpose even in the midst of the mess he always found himself.

This he believed was also evidenced by the numerous times he escaped death, running the streets and creating enemies with different gangs.

But soon Jeronimo’s illicit way of living came to a screeching halt. And the fairytale he had hoped to live with his then girlfriend and mother of his only son, Dr Jeronimo Bowleg Jr, was no more.

“I had been in the company with some guys and they had planned to rob a gambling house. This was a house where they played gambling games. I wasn’t supposed to be with those guys because that was not my kind of thing (robbery). They told me they didn’t want me there but I still went with them when everything went down.

“When we got there, I ended up kicking the door of the house but I walked off. A few minutes later someone came to the door. The other guys moved in.

I did not go in the house.”

The victim trying to defend his home was fatally shot after a struggle between one of the robbers.

“That was not the plan. This was a botched robbery.

“I was so disappointed that happened. I didn’t think the guy would do that. I didn’t think he would shoot anyone.

“When I spoke to him by himself, I asked why did he do that. He said he had no other choice because the victim was started to attack him and that’s when it happened.

“I told him I would have never went with them if I knew something like that would happen.”

About a month later, police had sufficient evidence tying Jeronimo and his co-accused to the robbery/ homicide.

The Tribune | Weekend | 05

Friday, November 3, 2023

They were later arrested, tried and convicted of murder; death was the penalty.

“I will never forget the date. It was September 2, 1994. I was 21 years old at the time,” he vividly recalled.

“There was screaming and wailing in the courtroom. Like nothing I had ever heard. The guards took us away almost immediately. They already had three cells ready for us.”

Life on Death Row Each death row inmate had a cell for himself with one bunk and flush toilet. No condemned man shared a cell.

Jeronimo and his co-accused were lucky enough to have adjacent cells.

“My family was broken and hurt as you can imagine. They didn’t think I deserved to be put to death when I was not the one who shot the victim.

The persistent thought Jeronimo had walking out of the courtroom in shackles was that man you are 21 years of age and you are going to die.

“I couldn’t eat. For a month, I went without food. I lived off of the fruits and water.

I spent all that time just thinking about how my life was going to end.

However, Jeronimo had not completely accepted the fate he was summoned to. His attorneys quickly appealed the ruling hoping to argue that since Jeronimo had only kicked the door and walked away he would only be convicted of robbery at best.

“All hope was not lost at that point because my lawyers were working hard.”

Truthfully being hopeful while on death row was an oxymoron; Jeronimo was surrounded by men whose fate and been determined by the state. Several of the very men he had formed a brief acquaintance had met their judgement.

“After a while of being on death row, I became numb. Numb to death. People around me were dying and I kept battling the thought of dying until one day I just accepted this as my fate.”

Jeronimo had no other choice given he lost his case at The Court of Appeal. The prosecutors argued Jeronimo and co-accused all acted in a concerted effort, therefore execution by hanging was his fate.

Jeronimo had to prepare to die. The day his death warrant was read, he was informed of his execution date and had to take medical exam.

Simultaneously, the state carried on with its process, while on the other end attorneys were making attempts to appeal the execution to the Privy Council.

Two days before the execution date, good news came. Jeronimo and his co-accused were granted a stay of execution. This meant the Privy Council would hear their appeal. For them, that was a very good sign that they at the very least had grounds for appeal.

“We had won a small battle in the big war that we were fighting. It was a war, he said.

Throughout this time Jeronimo said he had hope as he had begun to grow a relationship with God in

Photos by Dante Carrer jail. He said he began having spiritual encounters and was told by God that he would be released.

“Never was I a Christian; so when these things started happening they kind of freak me out. My little brother had sent me a Bible and to pass the time I started to read it. As I read it seemed as if something that I was reading were speaking.

“There are many accounts of The Lord showing Himself to men throughout the history of the Bible, but still these questions persist. The Almighty understands the yearning that this generation has for proof to put an end to this seemingly endless debate.”

Jeronimo’s faith in what he believed God had been saying would be challenged.

Privy Council Ruling He said: “About two months before the execution would run out, we were all listening to the news one the Privy Council ruled in favor of some death-row inmates in another Caribbean country. The council had ruled that a petitioner be allowed the right to legally challenge a decision made by the Prerogative Board Of Mercy on their behalf, and that the privilege of having a legal representative present their case before the board be afforded to these individuals.”

In the Bahamas and other Caribbean Commonwealth Countries, the Prerogative” Board of Mercy was available as an entity where an inmate could apply for clemency after all legal avenues has been exhausted. Before this ruling you were not allowed to challenge a decision made by this critical organ of the human rights body. The ruling took effect throughout the Commonwealth and

caused these governments to put a hold on hangings so that they could make the necessary adjustments to comply with the judicial change.

It took the Bahamian judicial system about two years before they could properly implement this new procedure. For Jeronimo he had passed the five-year limit.

“Every day I worshipped and praised God for this.

I would go to the door of my cell and shout praises to God for this.

“Every day in prison was a challenge, especially on death row. I was battling for my sanity, my freedom, and just to get through the hardship of each and every day.”

He was later re-sentenced and then later released.

Jernoimo said he wants to share how through the entire time God had been by his side and called him for a purpose.

“I wish for the whole world to experience this divine revelation through me. That’s what this book was written for. I got to experience God in both physical and spiritual form and I’m now sharing my experience with the world. Hangings in The Bahamas was brought to a halt when it came time for my coaccused and I to be executed, we were the ones they said we’re next. This I think establishes truth in this book and lends credence to the facts written therein.

“I cannot say what is next for me in detail. We’d all just have to wait and see as the plans God has for me according to His will and purpose unfold.”

The book is available for purchase at Book World, Bahamas Faith Ministries Book Store and Logos.

26 27 A 11 1 TODAY’S TARGET Friday, November 3, 2023 B Good 7; very good 11; C 25 1 excellent 14 (or more).

D Solution next Saturday.

ACROSS E 4 3 1 Give an account of (8) 1 2 3 4 5 TARGET F LAST SATURDAY’S 6 Metallic element (4) Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid ● The GExtra 36 lett7 CANSOLUTION you crack the Alphabeater? Each grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the 8 Obliterate (5) Target number represents a letter – or black square.

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No plurals.

H DOWN 20 21 Verb forms ending in S permitted.

I 37 2 16 36 31 31 12 3 4 T 29 9 1 Vanish (9) J TODAY’S TARGET U 14 4 2 Just a few (4) Good 16; very good 24; excellent 32 K 18 10 2 24 20 22 17 1 38 V 8 15 22 (or Solution tomorrow(9) 3more).

Family members L W 8 M 5 20 25 12 37 27 33 11 3 12 15 2 4 Wide inlet of the Call 0907 181 2585 N X Yesterday’s sea (3) For today’s solution call: 0907 181 2583Yesterday’s for today’s Target solution O 34 12 31 19 22 18 30 8 29 21 31 Y 15 1 *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

Acknowledge *Calls5 cost 80p per minute plus your (9) telephone P Sudoku Answer Kakuro Answer company’s network access charge.

Q 29 38 2 10 27 13 12 39 26 Z 16 2 7 Areas (7) LAST SATURDAY’S SOLUTION R Call 0907 181 2586 for 9 Gowns (5) ACROSS 1 Swallows, 6 Park, 8 Alert, 11 Magnet, S 32 12 7 2 17 5 12 Rubs, 14 Ice, 15 Study, 16 Tin, 17 Step, 19 Angles, BATTLESHIPS today’s Target solution17 10 331 342 53 10 Tales (7) T

safety measure (5) 26 Warm yourself around soldiers (4) 27 Inventor improved great edge (9)

06 | The Tribune | Weekend

SMALL CROSSWORD CROSSWORD SMALL

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.

L T A L RA E L Y

20 Agree, 21 Date, 22 Measured.

13 the Compact orshown firmis (5) DOWN 1 Spiritual, 2 Arab, 3 Languages, 4 Wet, FIND where fleet of ships hidden 18 The Door handle numbers to the(4) right of and 5 Attempted, 7 Amusing, 9 Lends, 10 Richest, in the grid. below the grid indicate how many of the 13 Stone, 18 Tear, 19 Are. 19 Perish (3)

CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 It’s put in by an attendant (10) 6 Complain about vehicle parking (4) 10 See about a share in power (5) 11 Consumed with rage at first, becoming calm (9) 12 Swimmer brings back one young salmon in ten (8) 13 Follow directions and prosecute (5) 15 A noted soporific (7) 17 Crowded wards need rearranging to take me in (7) 19 Bedroom layout reveals lack of attention (7) 21 He cuts inside the fold (7) 22 Moral discourse to be soundly followed (5) 24 Textile manufacturer’s bequest to his son? (8) 27 Frenziedly we fell on first male companions (6,3) 28 Nothing more to be written about a holy sculptor? (5) 29 Courses demonstrate methods (4) 30 He’s rarely found out (4-2-4)

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Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Down 1 A way through on foot (4) 2 A pushful revolutionary (9) 3 A prison on the move (5) 4 A stiff examination (7)

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Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Express, 5 Rents, 8 Varieties, 9 Gum, 10 Rife, 12 Brighten, 14 Errors, 15 Meteor, 17 Research, 18 Trod, 21 Tea, 22 Hair shirt, 24 Cider, 25 Tousled.

Down: 1 Elver, 2 Par, 3 Even, 4 Skiers, 5 Resigned, 6 Nightwear, 7 Seminar, 11 Firm stand, 13 Breather, 14 Erratic, 16 Script, 19 Dated, 20 Esau, 23 Ill.

23 A loud cry raised in the street (5) 25 I’m illuminated round the edge (5) 26 Measure for fitting, say? (4)

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Down: 1 Works, 2 Don, 3 Inch, 4 Gloomy, 5 Misnomer, 6 Let it ride, 7 Algeria, 11 Climb down, 13 Contrite, 14 Plastic, 16 Loiter, 19 Timid, 20 Peep, 23 Wit.

squares in that row are filled in with ships or parts of ships. The ships do not touch each other, even diagonally. Some squares have been filled in to start you off.

Solution tomorrow

C

5 Joins men in a new sect (7)

9 10

THE ALPHABEATER

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Behaving as expected (4,2,4) 6 Hard steady work (4) 10 An established principal (5) 11 Disinclined (9) 12 Favouritism to relatives (8) 13 Function improperly (3,2) 15 Conceal from sight (7) 17 Rich deep red (7) 19 Set free (7) 21 Strong desire (7) 22 An Afro-Cuban dance (5) 24 Interpret (8) 27 Harass (9) 28 Rowdy fight (5) 29 Unaccompanied (4) 30 Regarded as permanent (4,2,4)

Down 1 East Indian timber tree (4) 2 Worldwide (9) 3 Rate of activity (5) 4 Type of rotary engine (7) 5 Controversial argument (7) 7 Inclined from the vertical (5) 8 Energetic enthusiasm (3-2-3-2) 9 Neuralgia in hip and thigh (8) 14 Jealous disparagement (4,6) 16 Retaining same original force (8) 18 Pick-me-up (9) 20 Rule out (7) 21 Admit defeat (7) 23 Lesson to be drawn (5) 25 Prohibited by social custom (5) 26 Cunning manoeuvre (4)

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3 x Destroyer

2 x Cruiser

4 x Submarine

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your

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The Tribune | Weekend |07

Friday, November 3, 2023

crafts

Crochet talent opens doors for entrepreneur

By ALESHA CADET | Tribune Features Writer | cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

S

OPHIA Dixon-Tomlinson is a woman who wears many hats.

From being a school teacher at Living Waters Kingdom Ministries to being certified in the field of Communication and Child Psychology. She tells Tribune Weekend, however, that one of her most outstanding qualities is her love for crochet.

“I have been a crocheter since the age of 12, but as I grew older, I lost interest. In 2020, COVID-19 came, and I was laid off and never called back to work. At home, frustrated, I decided to continue with my Godgiven talent, which is crochet,” said Sophia.

Since that time to now, Sophia’s inventory at Links By Love SGG has included shawls, handbags, coasters, earrings, bracelets, scrunchies, blouses, and hats - all crocheted.

She said: “Some of my products are currently displayed at the arrival launch at Sir Lynden Pindling International Airport. My current products are made of cotton, bamboo, wool, and acrylic. I am a volunteer crochet instructor at Carlton Francis Primary School.

“I also do shows at Bahamar with Elsie Frazier (straw designer) and Monifa (sand jewelry designer).

They would often send me crochet projects and motivational notes that kept me in high spirits.”

She remembers her first Links By Love SGG piece - a crochet bag she advertised via WhatsApp and sold in no time.

She said: “Customers soon started calling and requesting different items. As time went on, customers started advising me on different pop-up shows that I could participate in. The first person who gave me an opportunity was Pamela Burnside at Doongalik Studios. She accepted me to participate in art walk shows in the Marina Village at Paradise Island, of which I am presently a vendor.

“My most memorable customer was a lady who ordered five cat pillows for five people in her family who like cats. It was a challenge

SOPHIA Dixon-Tomlinson says she has taken her God-given talent and turned it into a business because I had to make the pillows from photographs of the cats. I rose to the challenge and conquered it.”

When it comes to her style and crochet inspiration, Sophia said the person who motivates her the most is Llama Mama by Kayla, a creative YouTuber.

“She has four fingers, and she makes the most amazing crochet products. She also participates in fairs and competitions. In these competitions, she makes the biggest and most beautiful crochet artworks.

Kayla is always in high spirits, regardless of her challenges. I admire

her and her work very much,” said Sophia.

She is looking forward to becoming a vendor at this year’s Jollification event held on November 17-19 at the Bahamas National Trust.

“I will be launching my brand-new corded crochet line. I will then be at the Art Walk on December 16th and 23rd where I will launch my ribbon collection. You’ll have to come to see it. I have my friends and family to thank for their love, prayers, and support. Persevere, never give up on your dreams, and always put God first,” said Sophia.

10 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 3, 2023

gardening

Edible plants made easy

G

ood day, gardeners.

We’re into November now, and the average temperature is gradually cooling down. This means that it is the best time of year to re-up, to get planting, to get growing! Halloween is gone, and you know what’s right around the corner... although I’m a bit loathe to say the word so early yet, but yep, the Christmas season.

I don’t recognise the American thanksgiving as some do in our country, so I’ll roll right through that one. Many of us will be saving up, dollar by dollar, to spread joy to our loved ones and share in the spirit of the season with family and friends.

Growing edible plants in even the smallest of spaces doesn’t have to be a challenge nor does it have to cost a lot of money.

It can be easy! Even if you’re not a gardener, yet. Maybe you’re looking for a new hobby or seeking to do something beneficial out of the regular routine. Maybe you want to get the kids off of the screen and into something healthy. You can grow something useful, anywhere, and it is rewarding, and it can be fun. Read that again. Yes, you, can grow something useable, anywhere. Something that can be used to either eat, to add spice or flavor to your food, and even to help with health issues. We are what we eat!

Literally all it takes is to select a few easy to grow herbs, root or leaf vegetables, available as starter plants or seeds from a plant nursery. Put these in one large pot, with a mix of a good quality planting medium, some additional plant nutrients, sufficient sunshine, and a bit of water now and again, and you’re on your way. That’s it. That’s all it takes.

All other bridges can be crossed should they be reached. Even a windowsill is enough space to grow something useful such as basil, parsley, lettuce even. Don’t waste your time replanting the base of a store bought lettuce. Yes, it may grow, but it gets bitter, it’s too old.

So, you’re considering giving it a go. The pot doesn’t have to be large.

For the new gardener who may not yet be confident, we can even plant the pot for you, and we will teach you how! Maybe you imagine

yourself to be without the mythical green thumb. I suffice to say that you’re deluding yourself. Believe!

There are things to do and to not do when it comes to getting young plants growing properly, and at our nursery we take joy in helping rookies to learn the ropes. Once the basic methods are under your belt, the rest is easy breezy.

Of course, it helps to know which plants grow well together. That’s what we’re here for. Any gardener or professional nursery grower worth their salt will take delight in sharing tips and tricks. If a gardener is grumpy, they’ve lost their passion, or they may be dealing with the business end of the garden, let alone the stress that we all go through with life, and ease of business being an idea only in this Bahamas. Pray for them and go find another.

Every gardener with passion would rather be gardening. Gardening is therapeutic and it grounds us. So yes, you can grow something useful, anywhere.

Do you have garden space that is unused or that has to be weeded

or mowed, and basically seems to serve no purpose? Plant some sweet potato, some cassava, some slippery spinach, some annual peanuts even.

Bam. No more weeding, and the space is working for you now.

Banana plants can never be trees, because they do not get hard wood.

Banana plants do not take a lot of space, there are cultivars that are dwarf and stay small, and banana plants do not require additional care.

Put a banana in an unused corner and basically, forget about it. Easy breezy.

Next year you’ll have bananas to eat.

It doesn’t have to take that long though and I digress. Back to the pot.

You can grow something useful, anywhere!

It’s an excellent time of year to get planting lettuce, kale, herbs, cabbage, tomato, cucumber, and whatever else you can think of too. It does not take a lot of space to grow something for

eating, and it is easy to do. Here’s the best way to kill a plant: give it too much water.

Here’s the second-best way: don’t give it enough water. Choosing the correct soil mix for the purpose is important. For plants like rosemary, thyme, or onions that like it dry, use a mix that drains quickly. For plants like lettuce, tomato, or celery that like it wetter, use a mix that retains moisture. That’s all for now, folks. As always, I wish you happy gardening.

UÊ `> Ê À > Ê ÃÊ Ì iÊ ÕÀÃiÀÞÊ > >}iÀÊ >ÌÊ ÝÊ Ê ÕÀÃiÀÞÊ Ê iÀ >À`Ê, >`°Ê 9 ÕÊV> ÊV Ì>VÌÊ Ê Ü Ì Ê> ÞʵÕiÃÌ ÃÊÞ ÕÊ >ÞÊ >Ûi]Ê ÀÊÌ « VÃÊ Þ ÕÊÜ Õ `Ê iÊÌ ÊÃiiÊ ` ÃVÕÃÃi`]Ê>ÌÊ}>À`i }Ó{ÓJ} > °ÊV °

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Friday, November 3, 2023

entertainment

What to stream this week:

A

wkwafina starring as a game-showobsessed woman in “Quiz Lady” and the animated historical drama “Blue Eye Samurai” about a mixed-race, revenge-seeking female samurai in Japan are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you Also among the offerings worth your time as selected

by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are a studio album from Jason Aldean, a new Hulu series made from Charmaine Wilkerson’s novel “Black Cake” and Annette Bening portrays a real-life hero who swam the treacherous passage from Cuba to Key West in 2013.

NEW MOVIES TO STREAM

UÊ ÌÊÌ Ê > >Ê Þ>`Ê ÀiÊ than 30 years and five tries to swim from Cuba to the Florida Keys. “Free Solo” filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s º Þ>`»]ÊÃÌÀi> }Ê À `>ÞÊ Ê iÌy Ý]Ê`À> >Ì âiÃÊ iÀÊvi>ÌÊ of endurance, along with the perseverance of her closest friends and collaborators. i }Ê« >ÞÃÊ Þ>`]ÊÜ ÊÜ>ÃÊ 60 when she began training herself again for the open Vi> ÊÃÜ °Ê Ê>ÊÃÌ> ` ÕÌÊ supporting performance, Jodie Foster plays her friend > `ÊÌÀ> iÀÊ iÊ-Ì °Ê Ê ÞÊÀiÛ iÜ]Ê ÊÜÀ ÌiÊÌ >ÌÊÌ iÀiÊ is enough here to help the film “if not swim against the tide of sport-biopic convention then at least ride a swift current to the finish line.”

UÊ Êº+Õ âÊ >`Þ]»Ê>Ê 30-something accountant named Anne (Awkwafina) has devotedly watched every episode of “Can’t Stop the Quiz” since she was 4-year-old. After her pug is kidnapped and held for ransom, Anne and her estranged sister Jenny

(Sandra Oh) embark on a mission to get Anne on “Can’t Stop the Quiz,” a “Jeopardy!”-like show in which Will Ferrell plays an Alex Trebek-like host. “Quiz Lady” debuts Friday on Hulu.

— AP Film Writer Jake Coyle

NEW MUSIC TO STREAM

UÊ >ÃÌÊ Ì ]ÊÌ iÊÃ }iÀ songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who turned his unique brand of beach bum soft rock and “Margaritaville” escapism into a lifestyle and movement, died. As the music world continues to mourn the loss of a giant, Mailboat and Sun Records have teamed up to release his final album, a posthumous release titled “Equal Strain on All Parts,” recorded earlier this Þi>À°Ê ÌÊvi>ÌÕÀiÃÊ*>Õ Ê V >rtney, Emmylou Harris, Lennie Gallant, Angelique Kidjo, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Buffett’s light-hearted, goodtime jams live on, as evidenced on the previously released tracks,

“My Gummie Just Kicked »Ê> `ʺ ÕLL iÃÊ1«°» Uʺ } Ü>ÞÊ iëiÀ>` »Ê ÃÊ the 11th studio album from mainstream country juggernaut Jason Aldean, released on the heels of his first BillL >À`Ê ÌÊ£ääÊ Ê£Êà } i]Ê the controversy-creating “Try That in a Small Town.”

Produced by Michael Knox, Aldean says “Highway iëiÀ>` »ÊÌ> iÃÊ Ã« À>Ì ÊvÀ Ê ÃÊ ÛiÊà ܰʺ Ê Ì ÊÜ i Ê Ê ÊL>V Ê Ê Ì]Ê ÊLÕ ÌÊ ÞÊV>ÀiiÀÊi>À ÞÊ Ê ÞÊ live show, and have been on Ì iÊÀ >`ÊÌ ÕÀ }Êà ViÊ ÊÜ>ÃÊ 18 years old,” Aldean said in a press release. “For us, touring is our favorite part.

Getting on the bus and going town to town and playing our shows and doing our thing and seeing the fans… the title for the tour and album was really inspired from that.”

UÊ ÊÓään]Ê>vÌiÀÊ >Û }Ê been on a hiatus as a group for 12 years, Boston boy L> `Ê iÜÊ `ÃÊ ÊÌ iÊ Block returned with a new album, “The Block.” This year, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the album

responsible for the second chapter of their career, "/ ÊÜ ÊÀi i>Ãiʺ/ iÊ V \Ê,iÛ Ã Ìi`°»Ê ÌÊ V Õ`iÃÊ four previously unreleased tracks as well as a new remix vÊÌ i ÀÊà } iʺ ÀÌÞÊ > Ving,” this time featuring a new generation of boy band: ]Ê ]Ê> `Ê Ã Õ>Ê vÊ the best-selling K-pop group - 6 / ° UÊ ÀÊà i]Ê ÕÃÌÀ> > via-Zimbabwe rapper-singer Tkay Maidza ‘s unique vocal tone might be most closely associated with her cover of the 1988 Pixies’ song º7 iÀiÊ ÃÊ ÞÊ `¶»Ê>ÃÊ utilized in an Apple AirPods commercial. (She recasts the song in a style all her own — quite the feat for a track frequently covered and tethered to the final scene in “Fight Club.”) But it’s her original work that deserves attention. “Sweet Justice,” her sophomore album that follows 2016’s self-titled debut and a 2020 EP series — is an eclectic collection of soulful electronics and psychedelic production i iÛ>Ìi`ÊLÞÊ iÀÊ« >ÞvÕ Êy ÜÊ and smooth vocal tone.

UÊ i ÞÊ À>Û ÌâÊ > iÃÊ inspiration rock with a soaring new single he made for Ì iÊÕ«V }Ê iÌy ÝÊw ]Ê “Rustin.” Kravitz sings and plays drums, bass, piano, Hammond organ and rocks a tambourine on “Road to Freedom,” which plays over the film’s end credits. The movie centers on Bayard Rustin, the civil rights activist and primary architect of the 1963 March on Washington, who often worked tirelessly out of the limelight.

The biopic, which arrives in select theaters Friday and > `ÃÊ Ê iÌy ÝÊ Ê ÛÊ£Ç] — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

NEW SERIES TO STREAM UÊ iv ÀiÊ >À > iÊ Wilkerson’s novel “Black

Cake” was published in 2022, Oprah Winfrey secured the TV rights in a bidding war and it’s now a new Hulu series. The first three episodes of “Black Cake” drop Wednesday, with new i« Ã `iÃÊÀi i>Ãi`ÊÜii Þ°Ê ÌÊ follows Benny and Byron, adult estranged siblings whose mother has died and ivÌÊÌ i Ê>Ê ÞÃÌiÀ ÕÃÊy>Ã Ê drive with the details of her family history, explaining how she arrived in California from the Caribbean in the 1960s. The story also connects to a Caribbean Black cake from their heritage.

UÊ Ì iÀÊ« «Õ >ÀÊ Ûi ]Ê Ì iÊ77 Ì i i`ʺ ÊÌ iÊ Light We Cannot See” by Ì ÞÊ iÀÀ]Ê >ÃÊ> Ã Ê been turned into a series.

Shawn Levy directs the story of Marie (played by newcomer Aria Mia Loberti) as a blind, young woman in hiding in German-occupied À> ViÊ> `Ê>Ê >â Êà `iÀÊ named Werner (Louis Hoffman). He’s an orphan who was drafted against his will and the show explores how they’re linked by a radio broadcast, despite their different backgrounds. The four-episode series also stars Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie and premieres Thurs`>ÞÊ Ê iÌy Ý° UÊ/ iÊ> >Ìi`Ê ÃÌ À V> Ê drama “Blue Eye Samurai” about a mixed-race, revengeseeking female samurai in Japan is already getting «À> ÃiÊv ÀÊ ÌÃÊÕÃiÊ vÊÓ Ê> `Ê Î Ê>ÀÌ ÃÌÀÞ°Ê >Þ>Ê Àà iÊ voices the lead character, Mizu, alongside Masi Oka, George Takei, Randall Park, Kenneth Branagh, Brenda Song, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa > `Ê >ÀÀi Ê >À ḭʺ ÕiÊ Eye Samurai” drops Friday, ÛÊÎÊ Ê iÌy Ý° — Alicia Rancilio

12 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 3, 2023

literary Lives - Robert de Niro

A quixotic and querulous life | Part one Sir Christopher Ondaatje looks at the brilliant and breathtaking career of the American actor, known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, and considered to be one of the most influential actors of his generation. He is the recipient of numerous awards including two Academy Awards - and is once again in the cinemas at present alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the lauded Killers of the Flower Moon.

“I grew up in a tough neighbourhood and we used to say: You can get further with a kind word and a gun than you can get with just a kind word.”

Robert de Niro Robert de Niro was born on 17 August 1943 in the Manhattan borough of New York City, the only child of painters Virginia Admiral and Robert de Niro Sr. His parents, who had met at the painting classes of Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts, separated when he was two years old after his father announced that he was gay. He was raised by his mother in the Greenwich Village and Little Italy neighbourhoods.

His father lived nearby and remained close to De Niro, who was nicknamed “Bobby Milk” because of his pale complexion. De Niro befriended many street children in Little Italy, much to the disapproval of his father. Against his parents’ wishes his grandparents had de Niro baptised into the Catholic Church while he stayed with them during his parents’ divorce.

De Niro went to PS 41- a public elementary school in Manhattan through to sixth grade. He made his stage debut when he was ten, playing the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz. He later went to Elisabeth Irwin High School for the seventh and eighth grades. He was very shy and for a while was accepted into the High School of Music & Art, and later still to McBurney School and Rhodes Preparatory School. He dropped out of school at sixteen when he saw people acting on TV. “If these actors are making a living … they’re not really that good. I can’t do worse than them.”

He studied at HB Studio and Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio. He also studied with Stella Adler at the Stella Adler Conservatory where he was exposed to the Stanislavski system. He was

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Friday, November 3, 2023

ROBERT de Niro alongside Leonardo Di Caprio in Killers of the Flower Moon inspired by Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Greta Garbo and Geraldine Page.

De Niro had bit parts in Encounter (1965) and Three Rooms in Manhattan (1965) – also in Les Jeunes Loups (1968), and a bigger role in Greetings (1968) – with Brian De Palma. A year later he appeared in Sam’s Song and another De Palma comedy The Wedding Party (1969), which was not released for six years.

He appeared in Bloody Mama (1970), an adaption of Ma Barker who was the mother of four American criminals, then in a De Palma comedy Hi, Mom! (1970). In 1971 he appeared in Jennifer on My Mind, Born to Win, and The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight. The next year he starred in two performances at The American Place Theatre, but returned to the screen in Bang the Drum Slowly (1973).

“De Niro proves himself to be one of the best and most likeable young character actors in movies …“ Hollywood Reporter Collaborating with Martin Scorsese again he appeared in Mean Streets (1973). It debuted at

the Cannes Film Festival, and then the New York Film Festival. It was culturally significant and selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry.

“De Niro does something like what Dustin Hoffman was doing in ‘Midnight Cowboy’” Pauline Kael The New York Times In 1974 De Niro had a pivotal role in The Godfather Part II (playing the young Vito Corleone). It was a bravura performance. He spoke mainly in Sicilian dialects, with only a few lines in English. The film was a huge financial success, grossing $48m at the box office, and winning Best Supporting Actor for De Niro. Collaborating again with Scorsese, De Niro starred in Taxi Driver (1976), a landmark film that also starred Jodie Foster as a child prostitute.

“De Niro is dazzling in one of his signature roles.”

The San Francisco Chronicle It was hailed by Time Magazine as one of the best films of all time. It was a gruesome

ROBERT de Niro with his Oscar for Raging Bull

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Friday, November 3, 2023

De Niro returned to the crime genre with True Confessions about a priest who clashes with his brother (Robert Duvall), a detective investigating the murder of a prostitute. A difficult film to follow. He followed this in 1982 with The King of Comedy about a struggling stand-up comedian. It was a box office disappointment.

ROBERT de Niro in Taxi Driver

performance. That year he also starred in 1900 with Gérard Depardieu, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) was De Niro’s next film, where he played a New York City Jewish gangster – a dark film that lasted 229 minutes. The film was cut short to 139 minutes in the United States and widely criticised, with Kenneth Turan saying, after seeing the full cut, that it was “excessive as well as tightly controlled”. Falling in Love, a romantic comedy starring opposite Meryl Streep, was his last release of 1984. One year later he starred in a science fiction film Brazil about a daydreaming man living in a dystopian society – unsuccessful at the box office. In May 1986 he returned to the stage at Longacre Theatre, playing the lead in Cuba and his Teddy Bear – a strange choice. He starred with Jeremy Irons in The Mission (1986) – a wonderful period drama about the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in eighteenth century South America. The background music of the film by Ennio Morricone was marvellous but the press was critical of De Niro’s casting.

In The Last Tycoon he played the part of Irving Thalberg in Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon.

De Niro lost forty-two pounds to play the role, creating an intensely brilliant performance which was sadly panned because of its intensity. It just didn’t really work.

“De Niro, who was fine as the street-wise priest in ‘True Confessions’, is all right here until he opens his mouth.”

In 1977 De Niro only made one film New York, New York with Liza Minnelli. Again it received disappointingly mixed reviews despite De Niro’s authentic performance as a saxophone player.

However it received nominations for four Golden Globe Awards.

However the film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

The Deer Hunter (1978) was another epic film, directed by Michael Cimino, about a steelworker after the Vietnam war – an uncomfortable, gruesome film, ranked by the American Film Institute as the 53rd-greatest film of all time. It garnered another nomination for De Niro for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep also starred in the film.

The fourth collaboration between De Niro and Martin Scorsese in 1980 was the biographical drama Raging Bull about the middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta. It was an exceedingly violent film, still regarded as being one of the finest acting performances by a male actor. The film received eight nominations at the 53rd Academy Awards – including Best Actor – which he won.

Vincent Canby New York Times

In 1987 he played two minor roles in Alan Parker’s Angel Heart, and as Al Capone in De Palma’s The Untouchables. He then travelled to Russia to be President of the Jury at the 15th Moscow International Film Festival. Finally he starred opposite Charles Grodin in Midnight Run which grossed $81m worldwide.

“De Niro has reduced himself in scale … and it’s a relief to see him drop the great actor mantle … the actor fits into him snugly, effortlessly, and the chance to play comedy, particularly opposite a comic foil as ideal as Grodin …”

Hal Hinson The Washington Post He turned down the opportunity to play Jesus Christ in Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), although he told the director he would do it as a favour if needed. Scorsese cast William

Dafoe instead. In 1989 De Niro starred in several films not widely seen: Jacknife with Ed Harris and Kathy Baker; We’re No Angels with Sean Penn and Demi Moore; and Stanley and Iris opposite Jane Fonda. They were not received positively by film critics.

Then De Niro and Martin Scorsese united for a sixth collaboration with the crime film Goodfellas (1990) – a film about mob associates Henry Hill and his associates. De Niro plays James Conway – an Irish truck carjacker and gangster. It premiered at the 47th Venice International Film Festival and grossed a moderate $46m on its wider release.

“De Niro played his character as a smooth killer with riveting restraint.”

Peter Travers Rolling Stone magazine Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune was equally impressed and called Goodfellas “easily one of the year’s best films”. De Niro was nominated for Best Actor at that year’s BAFTA. In 1990 De Niro also appeared in the lead role for Awakenings, directed

by Penny Marshall and co-starring Robin Williams. De Niro’s next film project was the drama Guilty by Suspicion (1991) – about David Merrill – a fictitious film director, returning to the US during the McCarthy era and Hollywood blacklist.

He then had a minor role in the mystery drama Backdraft (1991), playing a veteran fire inspector.

De Niro was much in demand and he could be choosy about his roles.

De Niro’s biggest success of 1991 was Cape Fear, his seventh film with Scorsese and a remake of the 1962 film of the same name. De Niro plays convicted rapist Max Cady, who seeks revenge against a former public defender who originally defended him. De Niro’s performance was widely lauded.

“De Niro dominates the film with his lipsmacking, blackly comic and terrifying portrayal of psychopathic self-righteousness.”

David Ansen Newsweek The film grossed a successful $182m and earned De Niro another Best Actor nomination at the 64th Academy Awards.

“I do what I do best, I take scores. You do what you do best – try to stop guys like me.”

Robert de Niro Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of The Last Colonial. The author acknowledges that he has quoted liberally from Wikipedia.

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Friday, November 3, 2023

animals

A battle cry for change

By KIM ARANHA Animal Matters

I

am back. Yes, I am back from a glorious vacation that took me away, away from my island home and gave me a chance to see how other people do it.

I have not been away from here for any length of time since 2019 and pre-Covid. You forget, you forget how different things are elsewhere.

I am back with a vengeance, I am restored and revitalized, I am full of some of the energy needed to at least try to do something… Change something, Improve something. Have a go at it again.

I have returned to a slew of messages, emails, social media messages, and videos, many of which I really wish I could unsee.

I was away for four weeks, during that absence I did not see one stray animal, every dog had a collar, a home, a coat and a belly. The cats were all sleek and nourished. The field animals were all fed. there were shelters, clean water troughs. In the villages outside shops there were water bowls strategically placed in case somebody came with their dog.

If the dog was not allowed in the establishment there was a spot to tie his leash to and a sheltered area.

There were moments that I thought this was Rainbow Bridge and started to look for Chiefie but then I realised this was on Earth just quite simply not the Bahamas.

How embarrassing, how devastating that these everyday experiences for most was a cause for jubilation for a Bahamian, what a sorry state of affairs.

I am back with a firm resolve that we absolutely have to do more, we have to do better. We have to talk to our “representatives” and demand that they help make this a country where animals are not mistreated, and nothing happens.

There are laws, there are consequences to this blatant disregard for animals, or worse still the abuse and neglect they suffer every day at the

hands of humans who, in turn, do not suffer the consequences of their actions.

You cannot tell me you did not know that the poor dog chained at the bottom of the garden, who is skin and bones and can barely lift its head, is suffering. You cannot tell me you did not notice that the collar you put on your puppy six months ago is now covered in his skin and ingrown and his throat is contracted. I am sorry you did not notice that?

Your dog is pregnant, gets hit by a car, her pelvis is broken, you do nothing, and then she goes in to labour…. her screams of pain are so bad you finally reach out for help. I

doubt you cared for her but the noise got on your nerves.

What were you thinking when you dumped your dog, or kicked your dog, or beat your dog? That it is okay? It is not okay, there is nothing to be proud of hurting something smaller than yourself. Being a bully is sick and sad. You want a fight? pick on somebody your own size, not your dog or your kid I am sick to death of making lame excuses for a culture that embraces cruelty to animals as easily as buying a beer.

Time and time again people are witnessed trying to drown their dogs because they don’t want them

anymore or tying them up in the bush with no water, or food or shade, to die a slow and terrible lingering death in the hot summer heat. Which part of you can ever, ever, think that is okay? People have lost all sense of empathy or compassion.

Why are these monsters not all locked up before they turn their evil ways on children and the elderly? why is there not more effort to stop this kind of behaviour?

How have we got to 2023 and cruelty abounds, neglect thrives, and ignorance flourishes. Laws are there, but it is so difficult to energise anybody to do anything.

People get mauled by dogs, injured, maimed, and nothing happens, they are not compensated.

Were the owners adequately punished for their crass and irresponsible behaviour?

Where are the churches in this, why are the many churches in this country not preaching kindness to all creatures created by the Lord? It is written as clear as can be in every version of the bible I have seen: “the Lord God made them all.”

I am fed up, it is time to sound a battle cry and get more people on board, insist, stand up for the rights of those who cannot defend themselves.

I assure you behind every case of animal abuse there stands a child or woman with tears running down their face from the abuse that the same person has inflicted on them and they are simply too afraid to ask for help.

It is up to us.

pet of the week

A classic potcake

and loyal and Tiramisu is no exception. Come to the BHS to meet her or call 323-5138 for more information. Tiramisu looks forward to meeting you!

By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY Classic potcake pose! Tiramisu is the epitome of the Royal Bahamian Potcake, and she’s available for adoption at the Bahamas Humane Society now. Tiramisu is just under two years old so still has plenty of zoomies energy but she’s a gentle walker on the lead. She’s sweet natured and outgoing with adults and children alike. She’s good with other dogs and young enough to be trained for cats. Potcakes are smart

Photo: Judy Young

Upcoming events - half price Jewellery Sale tomorrow (Sat, Nov 4 10am to 2pm), weather permitting, at the Thrift Shop.

Jollification, Saturday Nov 17 and Sunday Nov 18, the BHS will have a booth. Christmas Jewellery Sale, Saturday, December 16, 10am to 2pm at the Thrift Shop. BHS Raffle tickets on sale now, drawing December 29, available at the BHS and Fox Hill Nursery.

16 | The Tribune | Weekend

Friday, November 3, 2023

photography

From 242 to Times Square

By CARA HUNT | Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

I

t was an unexpected dream come true for a Bahamian photographer whose work was recently displayed on one of the most visible canvases in the world.

Former Tribune photographer turned fashion lensman Shawn Hanna reached a career high when photographs he took of Nigerian rapper Blaqbonez were displayed on a billboard in New York’s iconic Times Square.

The rapper, whose real name is Emeka Akumefule, is famed for his energetic rap style and outspoken nature in the music scene. He first entered the music scene at the age of 12, when he discovered his love for rap.

Shawn says he literally had no idea this was something that would happen as it was a lastminute booking.

“This was all like a shocker to me my team and I, Hanna Rozae, we produced, we creativedirected film and directed five visuals for his new album, Emeka Must Shine, which he released last Friday. His team called us extremely last moment.”

He said that the vision of the shoot was to play on the word shining - him coming into his own element and being his best self.

“So we produced five teaser videos - they were not full-on videos, just 45 seconds to one-minute visuals just to kind of introduce the songs to the listener and just have them connect with then they can download the album. So, it was just for promo purposes.”

He explained that as a part of their work, they also did several photographs of the rapper on each of the video sets.

“It was all a shocker, we didn’t know what their plans were for the photographs, we knew what the plans were for the videos because that is what we were mainly contracted to do, but the photos we did not have any idea of what was going to happen with them. It was just such a big surprise for me when his manager sent me the Times Square stuff and I was just like woah is this for real, is this going to happen, because this was not in the plans… I was very shocked, but at the same time very grateful and excited, ecstatic, all the emotions in one.”

This is the first billboard to have one of his images and Shawn says he had made it a professional goal to achieve his dream.

“To get this one without even knowing in advance was pretty cool. Just being a kid from

the island, you would think that something of this nature would be so out of reach and so I really want to inspire other kids on the island. It is really representation at its finest - like everywhere I go I want to rep my country, the Bahamas, every room I step in, I always make that known.

“Everything I do is for me and my country that is super important for me because I want to be an inspiration for a lot of creatives. I really want to inspire my fellow Bahamians to go out there and shoot for the stars, don’t wait too late.”