Friday, December 14, 2018
art books film fashion food wellness history gardening puzzles
Weekend
COOK WITH GOOMBAY Pages 8 & 9
Say it with a tee
Local designer celebrates the season pages 20 & 21
02 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, December 14, 2018
wellness
Give yourself the gift of
relaxation By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
T
he holiday season is usually a hectic time for people who are often juggling working an eight-hour job, gift shopping, preparing their homes for Christmas and planning parties. But a local massage therapist suggests that this is perfect time to give the hustle and bustle of the season a rest and pay attention to yourself. Richard Clarke, a massage therapist who offers his professional expertise at Skin Solutions Day Spa & Salon, is encouraging people to not only purchase presents for family and friends, but to also give themselves a gift – the gift of relaxation. And having a massage, says Richard, could be just the kind of relaxation that is needed. As soon as you lie down
on a masseuse’s table, the therapeutic benefits begin happening, he noted. Richard said most Bahamians consider massages a luxury service only for the wealthy. However, he said that massages are something that people should get routinely, as they are perfect for reducing stress, improving blood circulation and relieving muscle pain. Massages, when received on a regular basis, can help maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being, he added. The Skin Solutions Day Spa and Salon currently offers a selection of massage therapies to suit a variety of needs, including a Swedish massage and massages for stress relief, massages with warm bamboo, hot stones, aromatherapy and a maternity massage. “Stress starts off mentally, from everyday working, having to deal with people. Everything we have to deal with on a daily basis can add stress to the body. When it becomes physical, then you know it’s a problem. You may feel a lot of tension and stiffness. These things are signs of physical stress in the
body and that you need to relax, and massages can help a lot with that,” he said. For those who are unable to commit to a weekly or biweekly 30-minute visit to the spa, Richard advises at least getting a massage once a month. “It is definitely something to look forward to every week,” said Richard. Having something to look forward to in the midst buying gifts and investing in others is an important thing to remember this holiday, he added. “I always believe in loving yourself and taking care of yourself. I am the kind of person who has to give and give to so many people on a daily basis. So I am encouraging people to think about themselves. What do you want, what do you need? I am not saying don’t do for others, but what do you need?
Massage therapist Richard Clarke at work. PHOTOS/TERREL W CAREY SR
“I can’t stress how important it is for the everyday person to get a massage. People will be surprised to see how their problems just melt away on the table,” he said. And being able to give this gift to clients is rewarding for the massage therapist who said he couldn’t see himself doing anything else. “Being in massage allows me to do three core things that I enjoy: I enjoy meeting people, I enjoy helping people, and at young age I had this huge fascination with the human body. I tried being doctor, I couldn’t deal. I enjoy the feeling of people coming to me with all of their stress, all of their woes, from their heads to the soles of their feet, and have them say ‘thank you so much’. “I enjoy making people happy, which is why I have to remember to keep myself happy,” he said.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
Inside Weekend
overboard. If I do do too much at least my pinkie will be up.”
My perfect Bahamian weekend Quera Ferguson, Digital marketing strategist
Q: What is one thing you cannot live without?
“My son, if I were to be truthful, but Wi-Fi is a verrry close second. It’s creased up under there. I’m a complete follower of millennial life and a slave to their Wi-Fi ways. Between work and social media, I am always online somewhere.”
Q: Beach or Sofa?
Interview 4-5 Latoya Dean delights thousands with skits poking fun at Bahamian culture Food 7 - 9 Learn to cook the Goombay way, plus the ‘fifth taste’ comes to the Bahamas Film 10 A gleeful romp in the ‘Spider-Verse’
Entertainment 11
Celebrate a ‘Cougar Christmas’ and enjoy Nassau’s first night market History 12 - 13 Tell your kids the real Santa Claus story Fashion 14 - 15, 20 - 21 This season, say it with a fun graphic tee and sing the ‘Ave Maria’ with new jewellery Books 17 New releases reviewed, plus Michelle Obama tops three million sales Lifestyle 18 Choosing the right décor for your office Gardening 19 Delightful courtyard gardens Literary Lives 22 - 24 Sofia Whitehead celebrates the courage of Bahamian matriarchs Forgotten Facts 25 Paul C Aranha on Base Road and Bay Street Puzzles 26 Animals 27 Kim Aranha on her Christmas blessing, plus Pet of the Week
“Beach, definitely. Much better view than I get from the couch. And it’s the perfect backdrop to inspire some #LimestoneMagic and I can I work or unwind. Options matter.”
Q: Weekend away where would you go and why? “If I had a free weekend, I would spend in in San Salvador. I had a friend of mine that has visited here over the past 25 years who can tell me about spectacular things he’s seen on islands I’ve never thought to visit. He told me about a story of sea birds that perch on a white rock in San Sal. He noted that watching them take off as a flock is something that I must see.”
Q: Saturday lunch or Sunday breakfast?
“Saturday lunch, because it doesn’t happen in the morning and I believe that Sundays were designed for sleeping in. I’d hate to offend.”
Q: Wine, rum, Kalik or cocktail?
“Depends on the plan for the evening. I’ve found wine to be a pretty reliable way to indulge without going
Things 2 Do this weekend Friday
• Island-wide Christmas Toy Drive Time: 9am Venue: Sunshine Auto Sales, Abundant Life and Soldier Roads Until December 14, Ricardo Miller Ministries will be accepting unwrapped gifts for boys and girls ages 0-12. Then on Saturday, the ministry will be handing out 250 gifts and serving free food to children in the Soldier Road. Or if you would like to support with a financial gift, please give online at www.gofundme.com/ kids-christmas-gift-giveaway. • ‘Pattern’ and ‘Puzzles, Pixels & Palettes’ at The Current Time: 6pm - 9pm Venue: The Current, Baha Mar This is the official opening of two simultaneous exhibitions, “Puzzles, Pixels and Palettes”, a furniture exhibition by Daniel Belton, and “Pattern”, a group exhibition of works by the 2018 resident artists Kendra Frorup, John Paul, Attila Feszt, Sonia Farmer, Yasmin Glinton and Ivanna Gaitor. • ‘Good Times’ Grand Time: 5pm Venue: Hillside House Bring your business cards and come prepared to network with some of the brightest minds in the country.
Music performances by We The Few, Jah Doctrine and DJ Ace. Food by GrillN’Tings; art and crafts by Celeste Harding, and the smash hit signature drink “Muddoes”. • Annual Christmas Concert Time: 7pm Venue: St Andrew’s Kirk The Bahamas National Symphony Orchestra presents its annual Christmas concert. This year‘s concert will feature a special guest performance by the Bahamas National Children’s Choir. Bring the entire family out for a night of your favourite Christmas carols. • Winter Soulstice Music Festival Time: 8pm - 5am (continues on Saturday) Venue: Western Esplanade Nas and Damian Marley are scheduled to perform on the first time; Saturday’s headliner’s will be Rick Ross and Ty Dolla Sign. For further information, visit https://wintersoulsticemusicfestival.com.
Saturday
• Jingle Bell Jog Time: 7am Venue: Western Esplanade Hundreds of Santa Clauses are coming to town and taking over the streets. This is a race for all ages, and participants will be furnished
with a Santa suit. Medals for all finishers. Register at OPEN MRI (Harbour Bay or Cave’s Village) or online at jinglebelljog.net. • It’s Christmas - 1st Annual Fair Hosted by Marley Resort Time: 12noon Venue: Marley Resort & Spa, West Bay Street The fair will feature Jamaican dishes well as hair-braiding, attractions and many arts and crafts booths with a variety of items for sale. There will also be music by Shelling Squad. Admission to this event is $5 per person. • Killarney Children’s Christmas Party Time: 2pm - 5pm Venue: Mother Louis Park (opposite Nesbitt’s), West Bay Street Prime Minister Minnis and MP for Killarney Dr Hubert Minnis invites all Killarney kids to the Children’s Christmas Party. There will be a bouncing castle, face painting, gifts and more. • 7th Annual Christmas, Carols, Coffee Time: 6.30pm Venue: Starbucks Palmdale, Madeira Street eNue presents its annual Christmas event. There will several great singers and lots of coffee.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
interview
JOANI PHOTOGRAPHY
Poking fun at uniquely Bahamian situations has earned this accidental comedienne a following numbering in the thousands, both here at home and abroad. Now, the Grand Bahama native tells Cara Hunt how she is planning the next step in her career by penning a stage play.
Latoya Dean
L
atoya Dean initially created a her now famous video showing what a conversation between Bahamian sweethearts and wives would look like just for the fun of it. The video was filmed in 2013 was shared just among her family and friends on her personal Facebook page, but it quickly gained traction and ended up going viral. Almost five years later, Latoya is still making hilarious videos that capture
Bahamian life through her Latoya Laughs Production company and has a social media following of almost 10,000. Not bad for a girl who never considered herself to be that funny and admits she’s a bit shy. The 35-year-old Grand Bahamian told Tribune Weekend: “I don’t come from a comedic background, and to be honest, I don’t realty know what prompted me to make that first video, but I got an amazing response. I made
“I get a lot of my inspiration from my family and friends and social media. Bahamians are just so unique; they are so freespirited and outspoken.”
it and posted it on Facebook and people really seemed to like it and everyone started to share it, so I started doing more of them. The positive feedback inspired her to continue to making videos poking fun at Bahamian culture. In one of the video she makes fun of an insurance agent who frequently call their clients for payment: “Hello, this is Mr Moxey from Life and Death insurance. Your payment is due on the fifth of the month.” “Ma’am, the 25th is Christmas, you really think that I have time to be worrying bout paying insurance?” “Mr Rolle, if you don’t come in by the 22nd, the policy will lapse.”
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Friday, December 14, 2018
“Well,” Latoya says in the video. “Let it lapse, collapse and pass out, ‘cause y’all ain’ getting no money for Christmas, cause that for my children’ Christmas gift. I pay my insurance every month and the one time I can’t pay my insurance will collapse – bunch of thieves.” In another video a mother and daughter-in-law square off against one another. In the video the mother-in-law asks why does the house looks the way it does and why the wife has not prepared dinner as yet for her son. In retaliation, the daughter-in-law invites the mother to cook a meal herself and says she does not recall giving her mother-in-law a key to her home. The mother replies that she cut her own
people in the Caribbean and even in North America. “I was born in Kingston, Jamaica. My father, who passed away, was from Bimini and my mom is Jamaican. I have a lot of Jamaicans who say they relate, as well people from Trinidad and St Kitts. I didn’t think that people from the United States and Canada would relate, but they like and share my videos as well, so I guess they do relate,” she said. Latoya is still amazed by how much her following has grown. “I have to say I am grateful to (entertainer) Sawyer Boy. He shared one of my videos on Instagram and it really caused me to get a lot more followers.” In the beginning, she admitted, it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
“You will always have the naysayers and the critics. I would have people say, ‘She think she so funny, but she ain’ that funny’ or ‘She so stale’.” key as she does not need permission to enter her son’s home. Latoya has done several sequels to the popular mother-in-law video, including one where the mother-inlaw complains that her son has been “fixed” because he takes his wife’s side. Additional videos include things that mothers say in all sorts of situations, such as when their children stay out late, when they join Facebook, or when their kids have to be disciplined. She also does spoofs about events in the news such as high BPL bills. “I get a lot of my inspiration from my family and friends and social media. Bahamians are just so unique; they are so free spirited and outspoken,” said Latoya. “I also get inspiration from my mother, although I have to say that she is not as 100 percent (represented) in some of the mothers I do. My mom is a bit more relaxed and lenient. But I have a lot of family and friends who say their parents are just like this.” And while her videos are centered around Bahamian life, Latoya noted that they can be relatable from all
“You will always have the naysayers and the critics. I would have people say, ‘She think she so funny, but she ain’ that funny’ or ‘She so stale’, and people would try to discourage you. But I also got a lot of likes and encouragement to continue,” she said. Going forward, Latoya is slowly branching out to expand her brand. She has made radio appearances and recently starred in her first television ad for a local store in Grand Bahama. “I’m focused on making my videos now, but I do think that I want to do a
stage play that is based on my ‘Things Bahamian Mothers-in-Law Say’. I have never written a stage play, so I’m a bit nervous. Usually when I record my videos I just say whatever comes to my mind as I am recording. Also, I am very shy and so the idea of actually being in front of a live audience is a bit scary. When I record it’s just me and my phone, but I am trying to break out of my shell,” she said. You can view Latoya’s videos on her social media channels under “Latoya Laughs”.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
food
Umami Burgers bring
‘fifth taste’ A
fter taking on the hot flavours of Mexico City and exotic spices of the Middle East, Umami Burgers, the gourmet hamburger joint, has now made its way to the tropical shores of the Bahamas. The Umami Burgers airstream, presented by the hospitality company sbe, will be accessible at the beach at Baha Mar. The word “umami” is Japanese and can be translated as “pleasant savoury taste”.
to the Bahamas Staying true to the translation of its name, Umami Burgers aims to offer deliciousness with every bite, channelling “the fifth taste”. Umami, only recently recognised by western scientists, is one of the five basic tastes, together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). Umami Burgers will give beachgoers a taste of Southern California with its signature dishes, including the Original Impossible Burger, Ultimate Baconator, the iconic Truffle Burger, thin fries and more decadent sides.
For those seeking healthier alternatives, there are lighter options available on the Greens’ N Bowls menu such as the New Style Taco Salad or Tuna Poke & Wasabi Caesar Salad. Not to mention, guests are free to enjoy refreshing handmade agua frescas and lemonade for the perfect thirst-quenching beverage by the beach. Paying homage to the Bahamas’ vibrant colour scheme, the trailer itself
is painted with Umami’s signature shade of orange and can’t be missed. The airstream aims to be the perfect food stop for guests at the beachfront resort, which is set along 3,000-feet of crystal clear waters and plush white sand. The venue is the most recent addition to sbe’s $4.2 billion dollar project in the Bahamas and follows the introduction of seven other outlets, including Fi’lia, Bond, Privilege and the Monkey Bar.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
food
Learn to cook the
Goombay way The late Phenton Neymour’s vision comes reality By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net
E
veryone loves a good outing, especially if it involves great food. But instead of just going to a restaurant, sitting back and letting the chef prepare your food for you, Nassau’s newest eatery wants its customers to become directly involved in the process. At Goombay House, located in the quiet neighbourhood of Queen’s Street, you now have the opportunity
to take part in an intimate cooking experience with a hands-on twist. That’s right, you get to prepare and cook your own meal, under the guidance of a professional chef. Whether you are looking for a culinary adventure to share with a loved one, a unique occasion to hang out with friends, or just trying to learn something new, the Goombay House Cooking Studio welcomes people of all skill levels. From learning how to recreate beloved Bahamian staples to perfecting popular international dishes with exotic flavours, there are cooking classes to satisfy any interest. Themed sessions are “Issa Brunch Vibe”, which includes three mimosas per participant; “Tis The Season To Cook”, a dinner and a lesson; “Happy Hour Bim”, a mixology class with hors d’oeuvres, and perfect for the season, the “Brunchin’ With Santa” cooking class for kids. Signing up for a session is the first step on this culinary journey. Then, when you walk through the doors you are greeted warmly by owner Cutelle Neymour with a Goombay House apron and Chef LeWaun Johnson, who
The Goombay House Cooking Studio in Queen’s Street opened earlier this month
“We are not going to be taking any shortcuts...we are going to do it the real Bahamian way, like how our grandmothers used to do it.”
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prepares you for the day’s assignment. You are also offered a choice of coffee, tea or orange juice while you wait for the class to begin. Last weekend I got the opportunity to take part in the “Issa Brunch Vibe” session, along with three others. Our two meals of the day were the famous chicken and waffles dish and stewed conch, made from scratch of course. “A lot of people fear being in the kitchen, but cooking is quite simple once you have the right instructor or instructions. It is just following directions and knowing what to do. A lot of people may just throw a pot together, but it is a skill that is easy to learn. It all depends on what you intend on making,” said Chef Johnson. Prepping the group ahead for the actual lesson, Chef Johnson made one thing very clear: “We are not going to be taking any shortcuts. There are a lot of shortcuts you can take, especially with the stewed conch, but we are going to do it the real Bahamian way, like how our grandmothers used to do it.” He rejected taking the easy way of using oil to brown the flour. Instead, we were told to brown our flour in a deep dish with absolutely nothing added. While this gave our hands and arms quite the workout, it was fun to see the transformation before our eyes. “I guide you step by step so that you will be able to prepare the dish at home for yourself or your household. That is what I aim for. Normally people remember what they do based on visual practice, and this is just that,” said Chef Johnson.
PHOTOS/TERREL W CAREY SR
Friday, December 14, 2018
Chef LeWaun Johnson gives instructions
“Phenton came up with the name. We always wanted it to be representative of the Bahamas, and Goombay is just that.” Goombay House owner Cutelle Neymour, widow of former MP and Cabinet Minister Phenton Neymour, said it brings her great joy to see her new business venture being so well received, as it was one the dreams of her late husband.
Participants proudly show off their completed dishes
“I travelled to Thailand with my late husband for our honeymoon three years ago and we participated in a cooking class there. It was an awesome activity and we discussed at that very moment that this was missing in the Bahamas. Over the years we’ve worked on the idea, but not until this year we started to put pen to paper. Phenton came up with the name. We always wanted it to be representative of the Bahamas, and Goombay is just that,” said Cutelle. Goombay House, Cutelle said, it will make you feel at comfortable and at ease. That is because when decorating she didn’t think of it as a business, but as a home. She wanted to provide her customers with a relaxed ambience. And the location being an older building meant there was some built-in charm already at work, making Cutelle’s effort to create a warm, inviting atmosphere easy. In a way, it seems like Cutelle was always destined to become a business owner. “I grew up in an entrepreneurial home, so the drive to own was instilled in me early. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, which
Goombay House owner Cutelle Neymour increased my desire to operate my own business. Over the past 12 years I have worked in the administration and accounting fields. At my last place of employment I gained extensive international training and exposure, which has prepared me for this new venture. I also love to travel, which is the result of my other company, Truelovetravel. This company is the contributor of the creation of Goombay House,” she explained. Since Goombay House’s official opening earlier month, Cutelle said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. “My overall goal is to make Goombay House a domestic and international name brand showcasing Bahamian dishes to the world,” she said. For all those interested in attending a cooking class, call 804-2665 or e-mail goombayhousecompany@ gmail.com. Payments are to be made in advance and guests should arrive 15 minutes prior to start time to ensure they don’t miss out on any of the dishes.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
film
review
other Spider-People, freed from their
Too much Spider-Man? Not in the Spider-Verse
Y
ou might be forgiven for feeling superhero overload this holiday season. Had enough of, say, of Spider-Man for a while? Well, this may sound nuts, but consider watching not just one webslinger but five of them in the animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Instead of overload, you’ll be begging for more. The film gleefully scrambles the notion there can be only one friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man and offers the exciting idea that he can be anyone. He can be a girl, he can be a middle-aged dude with a paunch and he can even be a cartoon pig. It’s hard to underestimate what this means. “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse “ does what comics and graphic novels have long experimented with, but this time makes the leap to the big screen. It literally opens up a universe of possibilities. “Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask,” we are told. The result is a film that’s fantastically fresh, both visually and narratively, trippy and post-modern at the same time and packed with intriguing storytelling tools, humour, empathy and action, while also true to its roots — still telling the story of a young man learning to accept the responsibility of fighting for what’s right. Our main hero here is one plucked from a spin-off from the main SpiderMan comic book universe: Miles Morales, a half-African-American, half-Puerto Rican teen from Brooklyn who has a Chance the Rapper poster on his wall. He looks and acts nothing like previous Peter Parker types
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE RUNNING TIME: 117 MINS
— Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland — and that’s great. Hey, if Cate Blanchett can play Bob Dylan in a movie, why not offer us a new look on Spidey? Produced by Phillip Lord and Christopher Miller, the duo behind the acclaimed “The Lego Movie,” this Spider-Man saga pops with outstanding animation, constantly changing its styles. At times, it can be hyper-real, then surreal. It includes anime, slo-mo, colour distortion, pop art, hand-drawn elements, CG animation and even tweaks its own origins by adding dialogue in little panels. The animators place their story in a wonderfully gritty New York, complete
with screeching, graffiti-streaked subway cars and charmless pedestrians, (one of whom turns out to be voiced by Post Malone, who contributes to the soundtrack.) One quibble: Their ability to have things in the foreground appear in sharp relief while objects in the background bleed away makes it seem as if you’re watching a 3D film without those weird glasses. Our hero Miles (Shameik Moore) is trying to navigate life between his cop dad (Brian Tyree Henry) and his cooler uncle (Mahershala Ali). After being bitten by a radioactive spider, he witnesses the death of SpiderMan (smaller viewers, beware). But Miles soon learns there are many
IMDb Top 10 Movies of 2018 1. Avengers: Infinity War 2. Black Panther 3. Deadpool 2 4. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 5. The Meg 6. Venom 7. Mission: Impossible - Fallout 8. Ready Player One 9. Incredibles 2 10. Bohemian Rhapsody (IMDb determines its list of most popular movies by the actual page views of the more than 250 million monthly unique visitors to IMDb.)
realities by the hulking Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), who has built a nuclear collider that allows access to alternative universes. “New Girl” star Jake Johnson voices a flabbier and depressed Peter Parker who wears sweat pants and is going through a divorce to Mary Jane. There’s a fedora-wearing, black-andwhite Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) who has been teleported from battling Nazis. There’s also a cool-girl SpiderGwen played by Hailee Steinfeld, and Kimiko Glenn voices an anime schoolgirl from the future. And there’s Spider-Ham (John Mulaney) who is rooted in Saturday morning kiddie cartoons, including the use of a dropping anvil. This odd family unites to take down Kingpin and return to their universes, winking forever at themselves and the viewer, not a little like the “Deadpool.” Marvel icon Stan Lee makes his expected animated appearance, but this time there’s sadness attached. He mourns Spider-Man’s passing. “I’m going to miss him,” he tells Miles. Lee died November 12 and we’re going to miss him, too. But this film somehow sums up a lot of what he tried to do over his career: Pack fun, action and sweetness into a story and then watch it soar. ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter. com/KennedyTwits MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer
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Friday, December 14, 2018
entertainment
Celebrate a ‘Cougar
F
Christmas’
ormer students of Charles W Saunders Baptist School or anyone who has free time in their schedules and fancies a night out is invited to the upcoming “A Cougar Christmas” mix and mingle next week. It will be a time of reconnecting and celebrating the holidays on Saturday, December 22, on the school grounds on Jean Street beginning at 8pm. Hosted by the recently established Executive board members of the Charles. W. Saunders Alumni Alumni Association of the school, the Associaton along with Pastor Diana Francis (Middle). event aims to offer guests a good time while also bringing them up to speed the students for the graduating class of We want this event to create new on various plans and initiatives the 2018. and rekindle old relationships,” said group hopes to accomplish. There will be prizes, food, drinks Renea Burrows, vice president of the “A Cougar Christmas” will feature and music. The event is mainly geared association. a celebration of alumni and their suctowards former graduates, urging “We want the main takeaway to be cesses. And as the Christmas season is them to become involved in the new that we began a movement to cultivate a time of love, joy and peace, this feelAlumni Association. However, anyone a sense of gratitude for the school. We ing will be brought to life during the who wishes to celebrate along with the want to celebrate its history, heritage, event, according to organisers. alumni and be a part of the cause. dignity and the successes of the past,” Alumni are encouraged to not be “The mix and mingle is being hosted she said. shy and embrace the chance to mingle to identify (the school’s) alumni across This mix and mingle is one of the and converse with one other as well as the country with a view to reconnect. first fundraising initiatives that will help
Nassau gets a night market Starting this Saturday, something new is coming to Nassau’s night life scene. When Brandon Kemp visited a Taiwanese night market in 2015, he was amazed by the variety of food stalls, drink vendors and artisans that filled the streets and the hundreds of people crowded around them every night. He wanted to recreate that night market feeling in the Bahamas, so he decided to reach out to various special artisans who would come together to represent the creativity and talent in the country. The Nassau Night Market, he said, will give Bahamians and tourists alike
Brandon Kemp was inspired by famous night markets like the ones in Taiwan and Thailand. the chance to see local products and culture on full display. Visitors will be able to browse and taste the culinary delights of numerous vendors, buy handcrafted products, and enjoy the evening’s featured street performers. After Saturday, the market will be held each Friday, and each market will
be different, as a rotation of vendors, dancers, groups of poets and comedians, artists, and other Bahamian talent will add to each week’s special theme. “We want to give local entrepreneurs a creative platform on which to sell their products,” said Mr Kemp, founder of SeaRoc, a business
the Alumni Association accomplish some of it’s immediate goals. “But most of all, this event provides an avenue where existing students can meet and network with the alumni, learn of their business and educational successes with a view of easing the transition between the classroom and the work place,” said Renea. The association plans to launch a vigorous social media campaign in the weeks to come. development company. “We have extraordinary talent and creativity in the Bahamas. Providing a venue for Bahamian entrepreneurs and artisans to showcase themselves is something we’re really excited about. And by having new vendors and artists there each week, it will be fresh every Friday.” Why nightime? “Many people will agree that Bahamians try very hard to stay out of the heat and sun, yet once or twice a year hundreds of people gather at daytime festivals like the International Food Festival and Jollification,” he noted. “This event aims to give everyone the chance to enjoy something they love, in the cool of the evening.” The Nassau Night Market will run from 6pm to midnight every Friday, and its first pop-up location will be on Market Slope, immediately east of the Straw Market downtown. Entrance is $3. Food, beverages and 100 percent Bahamian products will be available for sale. Follow the event’s social media pages for each week’s location and special features @ NassauNightMarket.
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history
This Christmas tell your children the real
Santa Claus story – holy oil or water – that dripped from the tomb. Pilgrims took this manna home in little bottles or used rags to sop up the moisture that dripped from the saint’s tomb in its subterranean
(THE CONVERSATION) – Santa Claus will soon be coming to town, bringing gifts to children. Santa has several aliases, depending on the part of the world you live in. The English call him Father Christmas, the French know him as Père Noël, and Kris Kringle seems be a version of the Christkind, or Christ Child, who leaves treats for good German Lutherans. In the Netherlands, he arrives in town on a steamboat or horse from Spain. On the night of December 5, Dutch children put their shoes on the hearth – these days near the central heating duct – hoping that he will fill them with sweet rewards rather than a reprimand for poor behaviour. The Dutch call him Sinterklaas – which has come into American English as ‘Santa Claus’ – short for Sint Nicolaas or St Nicholas. St Nicholas and Santa Claus are historically the same man. But unlike the jolly figure who purportedly flies on a sleigh from the North Pole, the saint came originally from the balmy Mediterranean coast.
WHO WAS ST NICHOLAS REALLY?
As a historian of religions who has written books about ancient saints, I caution against reading accounts of saints’ lives as factual history. However, the earliest stories of St Nicholas seem
to correlate with histories and church documents of the period. According to these early medieval texts, Nicholas was born around 260 AD into a Christian family. His birthplace was near the town of Myra, now called Demre, on the southwest coast of modern Turkey. At the time, Christianity was illegal under the Roman empire. He studied to be a priest and spent time in prison for his beliefs. However, after Emperor Constantine legalised Christianity, Nicholas was elected Bishop of Myra. During his lifetime, he became famous for defending his people against imperial taxes and other forms of oppression. According to the earliest document about Nicholas, from the fifth century, he prevented three loyal generals from unjust execution for treason. A ninth-century Greek legend claims he revived three scholars who had been murdered and stashed in a pickling tub. He also saved three girls whose poverty-stricken father wanted to sell them into prostitution. After his death, people believed that Nicholas continued to work miracles. His burial place, below the floor of his church, became a popular destination for pilgrims who begged Nicholas to relay their petitions to God. Proof that Nicholas was listening, they believed, was in the “manna”
crypt. This was a common pilgrimage practice at Christian shrines. Visitors to the coastal town of Myra spread Nicholas’ fame along sea routes across the Mediterranean. From there,
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Friday, December 14, 2018
word passed to the Latin West, and upriver to Russia. Soon, pilgrims from all over Christendom were journeying to Myra to seek the gifts of protection and healing from the saint, who was said to be especially attentive to children.
Florida and other ports around the world. Even the Dutch, who rebelled against Catholic Spain and formed a Calvinist republic in 1581, somehow maintained their devotion to Sinterklass. In other parts of Europe, St Nicholas lost his feast day but his concern for children helped link him to the gift-giving tradition of another December feast day: Christmas.
ITALIANS STEAL THE BODY
This pilgrimage was disrupted in the 11th century when Seljuk Turks invaded Anatolia. Christians feared that the Muslims who now governed Demre would disregard the saint’s tomb. So, one crew of pious Italian Christians decided to take action. In 1087, three ships laden with grain set out from Bari, on Italy’s southeast coast, bound for Antioch. However, according to a monk named Nicephorus who wrote immediately after the event, their real mission was to steal St Nicholas’ body. In Antioch they heard a rumour that the Venetians too were planning a similar heist. The Barian sailors hastily sold off their grain and headed for Myra in search of St Nicholas’ church. Priestly custodians there became suspicious when the sailors asked to see the saint’s body. The Barians claimed that the pope had a vision directing him to fetch Nicholas to Italy. When the priests refused, they offered gold for the relics, but the offer “was tossed aside like dung.” Done with arguing, the Barians caught and bound the priests. Suddenly, a phial of manna fell to the pavement and broke. It seemed that St Nicholas spoke to them: “It is my will that I leave here with you.” So, the Barians broke through marble floor with picks and hammers. A delicious aroma filled the church as they opened the tomb. They found the bones swimming in a small sea of manna. They carefully wrapped the relics in a silk case brought for the purpose. Nicephorus describes how they fled to their ship, pursued by outraged priests and a howling crowd of citizens demanding that they “give back the father who has by his protection kept us safe from visible foes.” Yet the crew made it back to the harbour at Bari, where the townsfolk and clergy processed, singing joyous hymns, to greet the saint.
ST NICHOLAS GETS A REPUTATION
HOW TRUE IS THIS STORY?
The desecrated sarcophagus in the St Nicholas Church, Demre, where the saint’s bones were kept before they were removed and taken to Bari in 1087.
Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy where most of the relics of St Nicholas are kept today. A new church was built for Nicholas in the court of the governor of Bari. A few years later, Pope Urban II — the one who would preach the First Crusade – formally enshrined the relics of the saint. The Barians believed that manna continued to ooze from Nicholas’ coffin. And going by the claim on the basilica’s website, the belief persists to this day. Within a decade of the saint’s arrival in 1087, the Basilica di San Nicola was one of Europe’s most popular pilgrimage destinations. May 9 is still
celebrated as the day that Nicholas moved shrines or was “translated.” For at least five centuries, the region, which includes Bari and its saint, was caught in constant wars for possession of southern Italy. In 1500, Bari fell into the hands of King Ferdinand of Aragon, whose marriage to Queen Isabella of Spain created a global naval power. Because Nicholas was a patron saint of sailors, Spanish sailors and explorers carried stories of the saint wherever they went: Mexico, the Caribbean,
In the 1950s, Italian scientists examined the bones enshrined in the Basilica di San Nicola, seeking evidence of authenticity. They found the skull and incomplete skeleton of a man, dating to around the fourth century. More recent technology has allowed experts to use the bones to reconstruct Nicholas’ face – he looks like an old Greek man with a broad, worn face. He lacks the rosy cheeks and Anglo-Germanic features of modern Christmas decorations, but like the Santa Claus of greeting cards, he was probably bald. Turkish archaeologists now claim that the Italians stole the wrong body and that Nicholas’ remains never left Demre. They have discovered another sarcophagus dating to the fourth century in the same church, which they claim contains the saint. Meanwhile, historians have suggested that the story of Nicholas’ translation is a fiction purposely created to advertise a new pilgrimage centre in the 11th century. Although relic theft was common in the Middle Ages, grave-robbers often made mistakes or lied about the authenticity and source of their bones. Nothing in the shrine at Bari proves that the bones inside belong to the fourth-century Bishop Nicholas. Still, this holiday season, when you tell your children about Santa Claus, why not include the tale of Santa’s well-travelled bones? And don’t forget the manna, which is believed to still flow in Bari. • This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com. Lisa Bitel University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Friday, December 14, 2018
celebrity The Weekend Fashion Report
With Karin Herig and Cara Hunt AP PHOTOS
Britain The Fashion Awards 2018
FAIL
SPLIT
SPLIT
HIT
Model Kaia Gerber
Naomie Harris
Singer Rita Ora
Victoria Beckham
Karin says: “The literal Gerber baby (and also daughter of Cindy Crawford) is slaying the fashion runways at just 17. But she’s not really succeeding here. This looks like a costume for a ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ performance...or like she escaped from the circus.” Cara says: “For some reason the phrase ‘deconstructed Xena, Warrior Princess’ popped into my head when I saw this dress. I’m not even sure what that means, but this dress seems a bit torn apart to me. It’s not my style, but I guess it’s supposed to be fashion forward.”
Karin says: “In a way this baby doll dress is really cute. I’m just not sure she can pull it off. She doesn’t look all that look comfortable in it. I really like the throwback 60s sequin design and the colour scheme, but maybe a few more inches of fabric were needed.” Cara says: “This dress looks like a bottle cap collection. It is cute though. Very holiday appropriate and very retro looking, and not to forget, sparkly! I can work with it. Maybe it would have worked a bit better with boots, or clunkier shoes at least.”
Karin says: “Poor Rita is flopping in fashion like she is in music (I know, her new album might actually go somewhere). Was she going for a sort of sexy house coat look here? I don’t get the concept.” Cara says: “This is your basic shirt dress. It’s nothing overly special, but kudos to her for trying to put her own stamp on it with the knee-high sheer hose and the head scarf. It doesn’t quite come together, but at least she tried.”
Karin says: “It looks like we’re stuck with Posh Spice wearing nothing but black and navy blue these days. That being said, this is actually a really cool look. It’s so simple and straight forward, yet it’s expertly tailored so manages not to look like a potato sack. The criss-cross at the neck works wonders.” Cara says: “I love this. It’s so simple yet dramatic all at the same time. It just looks perfect on her. Dare I say, its stylish Posh back? She looks more confident as well, probably knowing she’s rocking it.”
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Friday, December 14, 2018
books
‘Pandemic’ rings warning bell about gene-editing technology
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hen there’s a scientific breakthrough, Robin Cook doesn’t just stand up and cheer. He uses his fertile imagination and writes a novel about its possible perils. In his latest medical thriller, “Pandemic,” Cook dramatises the scary side of a miracle molecule called “CRISPR/Cas9,” which can easily be custom-tailored to seek out and alter genes in humans and animals. The story begins when a seemingly healthy young woman with a transplanted heart boards the subway in New York City but suffers abrupt respiratory distress and dies before she reaches her destination. Jack Stapleton, a medical examiner who appears in 10 of Cook’s previous novels, does
an autopsy. He suspects that an unknown, flu-like virus is responsible for her death. He is duty-bound to identify and stop the virus before it can cause a pandemic and kill millions. Stapleton welcomes the challenge as a “diversion” from his many personal problems. To name a few, his daughter has just been diagnosed with autism and his mother-in-law is blaming his genealogy for it. His wife, Laurie Montgomery, has unexpectedly been named the chief medical examiner, making her his boss both at home and at work. Stapleton’s investigation reveals that a hospital in New York performed the woman’s heart transplant at the request of the Dover Valley Hospital in New Jersey. Dover also paid all her medical bills.
Realising that “something weird is afoot,” Stapleton drives out to Dover and receives a warm welcome from its owner, Wei Zhao, a Chinese billionaire businessman who holds a double PhD in molecular biology and genetics. Wei, a body-building enthusiast who admires Arnold Schwarzenegger, makes an intriguing villain. The novel also offers an intriguing look at the subterranean world of medical examiners, but “Pandemic” goes far beyond just entertainment. By graphically showing what could happen were CRISPR/ Cas9 to fall into the wrong hands, the author rings a much needed warning bell about gene editing technology. WAKA TSUNODA Associated Press
Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ tops three million sales NEW YORK (AP) — Sales for Michelle Obama’s memoir have topped three million and the former first lady is extending her book tour into 2019. “Becoming,” published four weeks ago, is among the fastestselling nonfiction books in history and already among the best-selling political memoirs of all time. Live Nation and Crown Publishing announced Tuesday that
Mrs Obama will have 21 events next year, six of them in Europe. She has been appearing at such arenas as New York City’s Barclays Centre and Chicago’s United Centre, with guest interviewers including Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. Her tour is now scheduled to end May 12 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama during an appearance for her book in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
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Friday, December 14, 2018
lifestyle
Choosing the right office décor By A MONIQUE GRAHAM
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hether you realise it or not, the moment a client walks through your doors they begin forming an impression of you and your business. What does the environment around you say to you, about you, and more importantly, to others about your company? Is your office space one that invites others in and makes them feel welcome? Does your office space create an environment that is comfortable for you and gives you and your team the drive to be productive? Your work space tells a story, conveying information about your professionalism, capabilities, and work style. Perhaps it’s time for an upgrade to your office space. A great office interior design will mirror your core values and strategic objectives. You might be surprised to learn that the decor in your office will increase productivity amongst your employees. As a matter of fact, studies reveal that productivity in employees can increase up to 25 percent if they are working in a well-designed office space. In today’s world, aspects such as the architecture, lighting, and organisation of your desktop can play an important and essential role in the performance of the varying job functions. a conversational piece of furniture, or art, can create an inviting atmosphere to employees who may be suffering from visual fatigue, exhaustion, stress and headaches as a result of poor décor. The potential impacts are: • A reduction in productivity • Increased absenteeism • Increased unnecessary usage of energy. Here are some solutions: • You should ensure that when you look around the office there are accent colours that brighten up the space. When choosing a colour scheme for your space, incorporate your brand’s colours so your space really upholds a consistent style reflective of what you and your business are all about. Accent colours on the walls, office accessories and or chairs add personality,
dimension and a new life to your office space. Colourful chairs, for instance, can complement a neutral background, while promoting a more upbeat atmosphere. After all, don’t you think it would be good to show off your office space to your clients and encourage them to do even more business on site? • Art can be used in setting a positive tone for a space. Incorporating artwork in the work space is sometimes viewed as luxury, and its impact has been significantly underestimated. It can provide a welcoming atmosphere or deliver an infusion of drama for your office. The artwork you select for your office should speak to who you are and communicate the appropriate
A Monique Graham
message regarding your business objectives to visitors. Traditional pieces tend to create an aura of sophistication and reliability, while bold, progressive works send out a more playful, fun vibe. • Plants liven up your work space, add colour and also boost your health. Plants help with concentration, increase a sense of well-being and remove contaminants. They also offer a visually meditative effect to the work space, leading to happier and healthier employees who are more productive. • Metallic pieces create a great sense of functionality and versatility as interior elements to any space. You can utilise metallics mixed with mirrors to reflect natural light into dim areas. Brass, gold, copper and silver metallics are immutable and add a contemporary allure and industrial feel to a soft space. • Rugs are a great way of outlining various spaces without creating physical barriers. If you have a larger space with multiple sections, separate those areas with rugs. Or, if your office is smaller, you can still add rugs. Put them underneath furniture to act as nice accents or add one directly outside of your office doors. • Good lighting is one of the most important elements of a well-designed office. Your space can be equipped with the most unique furniture, the best colour combinations and chic desks, but none of that will truly shine unless you have the right lighting. Since natural lighting is always best, keep all window areas unobstructed to fill your work space with as much natural light as possible. If your windows have blinds, keep them open during office house. The idea of going to work itself maybe is not a quite enjoyable task, but by choosing or improving the decor, it promotes creativity, enhances productivity and efficiency. Employees will be inclined to spend more hours at the office if they are comfortable. • If you’re in need of further assistance, Style Office Solutions is located on East Bay Street opposite BAMSI.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
gardening
Courtyard gardens:
a kind of paradise behind faded walls SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico (AP) — Step off the dusty cobblestone streets and peek behind nondescript, weather-worn, faded, even grimy brick facades, and encounter the startlingly beautiful courtyard gardens of this central Mexican colonial town. These oases of beauty and calm claim their roots in the traditional Moorish gardens of ancient Spain. Those, in turn, were inspired by Persian, Roman and Islamic gardens even earlier. The word “paradise” itself means “walled garden.” Alfonso Alarcon, a landscape architect in San Miguel de Allende for nearly 30 years, says monasteries were among the first to design and plant courtyard gardens. Perhaps it was an attempt to replicate paradise. “Life was directed inside” initially for safety reasons, he explained. “No one saw you. It looks like nothing from the outside, and then you get into this beautiful patio.” Traditionally, such gardens are built in a cross-shape with the corners, usually anchored by large trees, pointing north, south, east and west. A pond or fountain often serves as a central focal point. Fruit trees and fragrant plants provide further respite from the sun, humidity, even the noise and dirt from outside the walls. In the 16th century, the conquering Spaniards left behind their outdoor sanctuaries, and they continue to be embraced in Mexico today. Markus Luck has been designing gardens in San Miguel since 2006. “You want something that looks good yearround,” he explains. “Put in things that aren’t too big, don’t block too much light, aren’t too cluttered.” In smaller spaces, the entire courtyard can even be filled with plants in pots. Mexican walls are often painted bold reds and yellows and oranges, so trees and plants tend toward simple, wide, leafy greens, or crawling ivy and simple white blooms.
Courtyard gardens in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. (Photos/ Kim Curtis via AP)
Because of its mild, Mediterranean climate, just about anything can grow — and quickly — in San Miguel. Popular choices for courtyard gardens include citrus trees, including oranges, limes and kumquats, olive trees, bougainvillea, ferns and lavender. “I would see something in front of someone’s house and I’d knock on the door and ask for a cutting,” Luck said. “You’d see the ones over time that do well.” Modern designers and property owners also are paying more attention to how much water their gardens
will use and how much work will be required to maintain them. San Miguel uses well water stored in ancient aquifers, so it’s chock full of salt and other minerals, Luck said. Jeffry Weisman and Andrew Fisher first fell in love with the three jacaranda trees on the property they bought here in 2011. “I grew up in LA with a jacaranda outside my window. It was minuscule compared to these that are 110 years old,” Weisman said. “Nothing like an ancient tree to give scale and sculptural quality to a garden.”
The main building on the couple’s property was originally built in the 18th century as a tannery, so it’s more open and less claustrophobic than most, Weisman explained. He said they designed the courtyard as a series of rooms, each with a theme and purpose, from the pool area to the dining terrace to the outdoor living room with fireplace. “For the planting, it was critical that everything be easy to grow and native,” he said. “In our youth, we spent a lot of time trying to grow things that didn’t want to grow, and we’ve learned better.” Alarcon said he still meets clients who want what they can’t — or shouldn’t — have. “Gardens work as a dynamic unit. Everything should work with everything else,” he said, adding that he encourages property owners to think past their immediate enjoyment to the mid- or long-term. “Gardens don’t remain the same. Even if you try to control it. Plants grow old, they die, they change.” ___ Alfonso Alarcon: www.terralandscapedesign.com Markus Luck: www.sozolandscape. com Jeffry Weisman: www.fisherweisman.com Andrew Fisher: www.andrewfisherart.com KIM CURTIS Associated Press
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Friday, December 14, 2018
fashion
‘Sleigh’ every day this season with fun graphic T-shirts By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
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hile other countries can express their love for the holiday season with “ugly” reindeer sweaters and funny woolly hats, here in the Bahamas we don’t really get the chance to get in on the sartorial fun, thanks to our warm climate. However, that does not mean we can’t find our own unique ways to celebrate the Yuletide in a slightly tongue-incheek way. Enter “Create My Tee by Weech”, a Bahamian-owned business which will help you to “sleigh all day” with festive printed T-shirts. Seasonal quotes and images can be a fun addition to any wardrobe, said Dervin Weech, designer and owner of the new brand. The company is a home-based mobile delivery business specialising in custom heat-pressed vinyl and graphic tees. And for the holidays the company has aimed to create affordable Christmas inspired T-shirts which can say anything from “Happy Holidays Y’all”, to “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year”, “Sleigh All Day” and “Dear Santa, I Can Explain.” Those who want “to say it with a tee” can choose from suggested prints or can create their own to make the shirts as personal as possible. “Our goal is to bring your idea to life so you can stand out at your Christmas festivities and run-arounds this year. These T-shirts can be worn at your offices on casual Fridays, at your family potlucks, game night with friends, doing your Christmas shopping, and at so much more. They can be dressed up with a blazer and even dressed down with a pair of pyjama pants,” said Dervin. For the holiday season the company is also offering personalised Christmas ornaments on which names can be printed. Dervin said these are ideal for
hanging on Christmas trees or as gifts for loved ones. “These are one of the things I’d say are thoughtful. While you can buy a person an outfit from the store, at the end of the day it is just an outfit from the store. When you sit down and put thought into who’s receiving the gift and what you want them to feel when opening the gift, I think adding your personal touch to the outfit with a quote or saying is more fun, as well as affordable, and you can’t beat that,” he said. While most current products are Christmas inspired, the company also makes T-shirts for all occasions – family vacations, reunions, birthday parties, wedding celebrations and anniversaries.
Designer Dervin Weech, owner of “Create My Tee By Weech”
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Friday, December 14, 2018
“Our goal is to bring your idea to life so you can stand out at your
Christmas festivities
and run-arounds this year.”
Dervin said his own personal style and tastes inspired him to start “Create My Tee by Weech”. “Graphic tees, a pair of jeans and some tennis shoes has always been my go-to style when it comes to casual wear,” said Dervin. He especially likes graphic T-shirts and ones with funny quotes. “I would pick these shirts up whenever I had the opportunity to,” he said.
It was this appreciation for fun graphic tees that made Dervin consider starting his own company to offer products he himself would wear and which he knows others will enjoy as well. “I always knew I wanted to eventually start a business of my own, not necessarily a T- shirt print company, but I wanted to do something other than the 9 to 5,” he said. “Last year, I became inspired to draft a few ideas here and there, and I thought of a few things but still didn’t really have the drive to bring any of the ideas to fruition. It was after losing my
PHOTOS/SHAWN HANNA
Personalised Christmas ornaments
father, Irvin B Weech, and overcoming a few obstacles in my life this year I became more adamant with decisions in my life life.” “I told my girlfriend I had thought of the idea to start a T-shirt printing company, and while I was very serious, it was still a ‘some day’ attitude towards the idea. I thank God for her because she did not sleep on it. She surprised me with my very first machine and the rest was history. Day in and day out I studied the trade, heavily invested in my business, came up with a name, and today we have Create My Tee By Weech. Honestly, one of the main things that makes a successful entrepreneur is the push and motivation behind the product.” Early this Fall, Dervin used his designs to draw attention to an important cause by making breast cancer awareness T-shirts. The response to these shirts, he said, was overwhelming. “Most people, especially in the country, are affected by this terrible
disease, and we wanted to play our part as best as we can. I decided to create a ‘Believe There Is Hope For A Cure’ T-shirt available in pink, white and black, and really to my surprise, persons were very interested in the product. We did very well and we were grateful and happy to see the brand promoted in such a way,” he said. For more information about “Create My Tee By Weech”, contact 448-5589, 225-4157 or e-mail createmyteebyweech@gmail.com.
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Friday, December 14, 2018
literary lives – sofia whitehead
The impact of Bahamian
matriarchs
Sir Christopher Ondaatje writes about an extraordinary young Bahamian who may have produced one of the most meaningful books of the last decade about the women who have been and are holding the Bahamas together. “I never seen a book like this. Women. They are the backbones of these islands. Even today.” – Candice Simpson, Long Island and New Providence Sofia Whitehead was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but she is the daughter of a Bahamian father of Austrian descent, and a mother from
Sofia Whitehead, photographer and author
Uruguay. She is also a profoundly nationalistic Bahamian with deeply spiritual feelings. She had to be, to be able to produce a book like “Bahama Mama”. It is a cultural and artistic masterpiece. Somehow she has made it all come together like a moving ballad or an Impressionist painting. She has used her words and her camera like a paint brush – grasping the soul of her subjects and smearing them on the pages of her book like a magician. “I cried when I saw and read this book. It is a sensitive insight into the lives and journeys of our Bahamian matriarchs. Their stories of courage and strength are truly inspirational.” – Tiffany Forbes, Abaco and New Providence After school in Austria, and then a college degree from Montevideo, Uruguay, Sofia Whitehead returned to the Bahamas in 2015 and started work on her literary triumph – travelling through many rocks and cays, visiting 17 different islands and capturing the spirit of her subjects – the women who for generations have moulded the mind and body of this nation. If this experiment has been an experimentation of self expression – she has succeeded. In her search for answers, adventure and beauty, she has embarked on a journey of discovery and found the people “beautiful in their skin”, radiating courage, strength and character. “When I was 13 or so, I went to Crooked Island with my family – and there was a lady who cooked for us whose name was Marina Gibson. Every time she would come out to talk to us – she would always have something very interesting to say that stayed with me. I never got her words out of my system. I knew that at some point I would have to dig deeper – and now I have done that: I have found what I was looking for. I have seen and photographed these ‘salt of the earth’ women who have a great sense of humour and who represent the
Friday, December 14, 2018
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A MAP of the islands Sofia Whitehead visited
“All you gotta do is say ‘Yes I will’. Boom, boom! Afterward, you be just all right. Wife and husband will be just all right. Y’uh just lay down and relax y’uhself!” – Edna Williams Whitfield, Sugar Loaf, San Salvador
true history and hardship of our people. I have seen real Bahamian life with my own eyes, and I have been lucky enough to have captured some of it.” Sofia Whitehead’s photographs are stunning. They are also technical accomplishments. Using a Canon 5 D Mark III camera, and a 50mm. F 1.4 lens, she has caught the character of her subjects – not an easy thing to do. She used a stock of 18-55mm lens for her depth images. One of the telling stories of Whitehead’s superb literary documentary which puts her book in its historical context is the hangover from “The Contract”, also known as “The Project” – the farm labour programme launched on March 16, 1943 by the governments of the Bahamas and the United States of America. The programme continued until 1966 and allowed literally thousands of Bahamian men to carry out menial agricultural work in many American states. Only some of these men returned to the Bahamas – the rest settled in the United States and started families there. The effect and disruption on Bahamian family life was prodigious. The women these men had left behind had to shoulder the burden of surviving and bringing up their families. “The Contract” had an
“I never married, but I have three kids. It killed my Pa. He mussee thought I was the blessed Virgin Mary.” – Eva Lorraine Sawyer, Dunmore Town, Harbour Island
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impact on the lives of the people far and above economics. Many of the women featured in Sofia Whitehead’s revealing book were only children in 1943 at the start of “The Contract”. These children are now over 70 and 80 years old, and had to live through the years when there was no man in the family. Women were responsible because they had to be. They had to do it all. “I saw these Bahamian women with my own eyes and developed personal observations about them, their place in life and home, and how they handled it. Some of the islands, like San Salvador, had really tight communities. Others, like Ragged Island, were old. Most people had left. There was no one there to look after them.” Sofia Whitehead said she loved travelling alone – just showing up on the island where everybody wanted to help. She didn’t have to do any planning. It just happened. She was never frightened – although at first she was intimidated to talk to someone new. She was able to be herself and to create her own situations where
Friday, December 14, 2018
islanders would connect, and allow her to take the photographs that she wanted. “Bahama Mama” is a work of love and dedication, financed by Sofia Whitehead herself with loan-funding, now repaid. Hundred copies were given to Commonwealth Breweries in return for some help with her book launch, and 50 copies were given to the women featured in the book. Only 100 copies remain of that first printing – distributed by the Island Store and by the Albany Emporium Boutique. She is planning a second printing of 2,000 copies, but is hoping for a much wider international distribution – hopefully in England and the United States. Sofia Whitehead’s book “Bahama Mama” is an historical landmark. There is nothing quite like it that has been published before. I am certain that she will achieve all the acclaim and success she deserves. NEXT WEEK: A Christmas crisis • Sir Christopher Ondaatje is the author of “The Last Colonial”.
“Try to learn while you are young to be what you want to be, so when you married you could take care of your own home and things. Be an independent woman. I was the first midwife on Rum Cay. I delivered plenty babies for the whole island. When the moon is full, the babies is come.” – Hermie Gwendolyn Bain, Port Nelson, Rum Cay
“It was good growin’ up on Mayaguana. See, the island had plenty people, and I had plenty young people company. You know, everybody know everybody. You know my children, I know yours.” – Eva Petrona Charleton Betsy Bay, Mayaguana
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Friday, December 14, 2018
history
Base Road and Bay Street Forgotten facts | Paul C Aranha
I
n 1973, the Lands and Surveys Department of the Bahamas published a comprehensive and interesting book called “Street Map of Nassau and New Providence Island, Book 1”. It covers the eastern portion of the island but, as far as I have been able to find out, Book 2, showing the western portion, has never been published. There may be inaccuracies in some of the street names shown, but it provides a good staring point. For example, after World War II, the stretch of road that connected the air
base (Oakes Field) to the southern end of Nassau Street was known as Base Road. Book 1 shows Nassau Street stretching all the way to the Oakes Field roundabout. So, is the Base Road Wholesale Bar located on Base Road or on Nassau Street? What prompted this column was my recent discovery of the Bay Street Medical Centre, located on Marlborough Street. The anomaly would not affect the quality of medical attention, but it might confuse would-be patients.
Then, there is Bay Street Garage – located on Dowdeswell Street. This one is easily explained. I remember being sent to Bay Street Garage in 1947 and 1948 to pick up car parts for my brother’s car repair business. At that time, Bay Street Garage was on Bay Street, just west of Victoria Avenue, in the rear of Malcolm’s Tyre Service. But in September 1948 Bay Street Garage moved into its own building on Dowdeswell Street, without changing its name. It has been there ever since.
Some time ago, I ran into a former expatriate resident who insisted that Bay Street had been re-routed, which explained why Bay Street Garage is on Dowdeswell Street. I’m not sure I ever got her to believe that it was the garage that moved, not the street, but the attached 1922 plan of the eastern portion of the city supports my position that Bay Street was never re-routed. • For questions and comments, e-mail islandairman@gmail.com
– or black squ a C e e F H theMmainT s
Alphapuzzle, 20 mins Good: 16 mins body of 2018 the alphabet December 14, SOLUTION STUCK? CALL Friday, FOR A CLUE Excellent: 12 mins chambers you have to c grid too! use 322 5607 0901 322 5601 090121st Yesterday’s solution: letters and b century Both today’s words in a moment Halve your Target Time! QUery (across) below the gri Dictionary *Calls cost 75p plus your telephone company’s grid is ‘rotati arGUe (down) (1999 network access charge. symmetrical’
26 | The Tribune | Weekend
A l I n l V TarGeT THe aLPHa edition)
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
T A G A l I n l V
HOW many words of four letters or more can you make from the letters shown here? In making a word, each letter may be used once only. each contain The Target cAnmust you crack thethe centre A letter and there must be at least Alphabeater? each grid uses one nine-letter word. no plurals or B number represents words in verb forms ending in “s”. a letter
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CRYPTIC PUZZLE Across 1 Plays for time in the theatre (6) 4 Influenced in an unnatural way (8) 9 Mother hits out on August 1st (6) 10 Lose track of account in simple form (8) 12 Neil turned right (4) 13 Cooked meats provide energy (5) 14 In December I’m expecting frost (4) 17 Still twenty required to get even (6,1,5) 20 Conduct a consuming interest? (5,7) 23 About a thousand sheets of paper (4) 24 Check out of Kabul (5) 25 Girl getting rave review (4) 28 Discovers it’s fun to do wrong (5,3) 29 Verdi’s composition transmits power (6) 30 This is dropped by plants for birds (8) 31 A number put on tissue (6)
Down 1 Not in one’s own interest (8) 2 Arrests about a thousand supporters (8) 3 It’s bound to mean a change of plea (4) 5 It’s the done thing in France (4,8) 6 See a letter goes to the agent (4) 7 Distressing twitch about to irritate (6) 8 Motor sled that is constructed (6) 11 You’re welcome to define a gratifying experience (3,1,8) 15 Cover for person with a dagger (5) 16 Not just any type of injury (5) 18 Kept quiet (8) 19 Two fools in murderous combination (8) 21 A professional apt to benefit (6) 22 One who deserves what he gets (6) 26 Customs applications (4) 27 The charge is about right, but you don’t have to pay (4)
Yesterday’s Easy Solution Across: 1 Demur, 4 Cutback, 8 All, 9 Bucharest, 10 Indulge, 11 Unity, 13 Gratis, 15 Felled, 18 Glass, 19 Endemic, 21 Strapping, 23 Nun, 24 Overdue, 25 Today. Down: 1 Drawing, 2 Melodrama, 3 Rebel, 4 Cachet, 5 Traduce, 6 Age, 7 Kitty, 12 Ill-omened, 14 Insipid, 16 Decency, 17 Cerise, 18 Gusto, 20 Digit, 22 Rue.
Across: 1 Still, 4 Drifter, 8 Ski, 9 By no means, 10 Armband, 11 Repay, 13 Nutmeg, 15 Editor, 18 Backs, 19 Turmoil, 21 Redundant, 23 Rex, 24 Numbers, 25 Spied. Down: 1 Sustain, 2 Idiomatic, 3 Libra, 4 Denude, 5 Immured, 6 Tea, 7 Risky, 12 Pot-pourri, 14 Essence, 16 Relaxed, 17 Strays, 18 Baron, 20 Rates, 22 Dam.
EASY PUZZLE
Across 1 Wheedle (6) 4 Unanimously (2,3,3) 9 Shortsightedness (6) 10 Trading centre (8) 12 Shakespearean king (4) 13 Oppress cruelly (5) 14 To fly (4) 17 Warm spell in late autumn (6,6) 20 Public declaration (12) 23 Part played (4) 24 Narrow street (5) 25 East Asian desert (4) 28 Poor comic verse (8) 29 Leave off (6) 30 Cruel (8) 31 Lively (6)
Down 1 State a grievance (8) 2 Danger (8) 3 Beast’s den (4) 5 Unsophisticated (6-6) 6 Gas used in lighting (4) 7 For the most part (6) 8 Sum total (6) 11 Associate closely (3,9) 15 Jeer at (5) 16 Gem (5) 18 System of fitness exercises (8) 19 Precisely (8) 21 Merchant (6) 22 Unfortunate situation (6) 26 Fir or pine wood (4) 27 Tolerate (4)
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The Tribune | Weekend | 27
Friday, December 14, 2018
animals
A Christmas blessing Animal matters | KIM ARANHA
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couple of mornings ago it was wonderfully cool. A lovely breeze was blowing through the window, dawn was gradually breaking. I looked out my bedroom window and my heart filled with happiness. I saw Chief trotting across the lawn, heading towards the perimeter wall to conduct his daily “inspection”, which includes walking the boundaries and sniffing every leaf that he can reach. Normally seeing one’s dog would not bring on such strong emotions, but Chief has a battle behind him. In September he had surgery on a lump that suddenly appeared on his hind leg. Everything moved very quickly; they got the lump, and test results showed an aggressive cancer. The bottom line was, do nothing and he would probably have his leg amputated in a question of weeks (the cancer was that aggressive) or radiation! Well, that was a no-brainer, wasn’t it? But, wait a minute! There is nowhere in the Bahamas that does radiation on animals. You have to take him to the States. And there are only a few places you can go to in Florida. Once the information had been digested, the decision was pretty easy: Florida, here we come! I have already described our trip on dog-friendly TIA (Trans Island Airways) and our living arrangements in Delray, for the daily visits to the veterinary oncologist. What I haven’t spent time on is how wonderful it is to see him on all four legs trotting around the garden happily; the fact that he still has four legs! I know that loads of people thought that we were nuts. Leaving home for five weeks, for cancer therapy on a dog. I saw the look flash across their faces before making some polite conciliatory remark, but we “hanged tough” and stuck to our resolve! Chief came to us as a small puppy, eight weeks old, rescued off Blake
Road. He needed a home. Our son, Scott, persuaded us to go and see him (who ever goes and sees a puppy and comes away empty handed?). That was in June of 2006. Chief came to a house that had just experienced loss, as our Bernese Mountain Dog, Rascal, had died of cancer, malignant histiocytosis to be exact, in September. POTCAKE This mercurial CHIEF, whole golden ball of fur and healthy fitted in just fine. We had a second
Radiant Reba
PET OF THE WEEK
By THE BAHAMAS HUMANE SOCIETY
L
ooking for a smart, active dog to add to your family? One who will keep you active as well, both during and after the holiday season? Why not take a look at Reba? Reba is a one-yearold Setter cross. She’s been at the Bahamas Humane Society for several months now, hoping that just the right family or person will come in to adopt her. She’s happy with long walks and would love to swim. Have you been seeking a reason to be outside? Reba will keep you moving. Come into the BHS to meet her or call 323-5138 for more information. Adoption hours are 11am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday. Reba looks forward to shaking your paw! • The fourth annual BHS Thrift Shop jewellery sale will be held
PHOTO/PATRICIA VAZQUEZ
Saturday, December 22, from 10am to 2pm. Come do some final Christmas shopping or pick up something shiny for yourself. All proceeds go to the BHS.
Bernese Mountain Dog, Star, who brought Chief up. Bernese are famous for talking to you, looking you straight in the eyes and barking to communicate with you. Star taught Chief the art of communication, which he still practices with ease when I have any food he wants. Star passed away the following summer, of the same cancer. Chief lost his second mother, but she had brought him up well. By the time she died he was a strong 85-pound Potcake with a natural sense of protection, which he took seriously and still does, bless him. Every morning he checks the boundaries of our property, and does not rest until the complete circuit is finished. He is fiercely faithful to his family, both human and canine, affectionate, wise (oh, so wise), protective, and just the best dog ever. How could we not go to the States for this amazing friend? Seeing him running around the garden conducting his security checks fills my heart. By now he could have had one leg less. To those who thought that we were mad to go to the expense and inconvenience, you will never “get it”/ To love your pet enough to make sacrifices for them is either part of your nature or it is not. That love is such a two-way street and Chief gifts us with so much love and affection that it is immeasurable. He has made and still does make our lives better and happier every day. The actual treatment itself was fairly simple, the worst part was the recovery from the burn on his skin post-radiation, because he had to wear that dreadful cone, and he hates that cone. He would come over to our sides of the bed and bang it on the bed frame until we woke up to stroke him to sleep. He would lie on the bed swinging that cone back and forth, swiping us in the motion. We were so happy, as was he, when we were able to remove it for good. He is 12.5 years old, he is my friend, we are his friends, and I believe that we made the right decision. Granted, we were fortunate that we could, and he was fortunate to have us with him through his treatment. We are gearing up for Christmas in this house and we treasure every day we have with our pets and every time we see Chief move around on four legs! God bless modern medicine!
28 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, December 14, 2018