POTPOURRI April 2015

A Passion For Dance Emma Cadeau

Seychelles’ newest addition to the furniture scene

Something old, something new…and something green

The newly renovated Acajou Hotel on Praslin FASHION

Party dresses for every occasion

PLUS:

The Book That Changed My Life Must-reads for everyone

www.potpourrimagazine.com

BEHIND THE BUSINESS

POTPOURRI

April

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Special Feature

The Book That Changed My Life

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Sports Personality Klaus Pragassen

61 Dining Review Veranda CafĂŠ

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Parenting

Pop Culture with DJ Ezy D

How to stay calm and keep energy levels up

The Team Chief Editor: (1) Marie-France Watson | M: + (248) 2512477 | E: marie-france@seychellespublications.com Marketing: (2) Ineke Camille | M: + (248) 2520937 | E: ineke@seychellespublications.com Editor: (3) Lynette Botha | E: lynette@seychellespublications.com Freelance Writing: (4) Mawess Wirtz, (5) Hanifa Francoise Photography: (6) Suzanne Verlaque | POTPOURRI Photography Studio

La Plage

Graphics & Layout: (7) Olivia Michaud | W: www.angelcreativedesign.com

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Potpourri Seychelles is published by Paradise Promotions Ltd Box 1539, Room 105, Aarti Chambers, Mont-Fleuri, Seychelles Tel: + (248) 4325215 | Fax: + (248) 4325216 | www.potpourrimagazine.com Printed by: ATLAS Printing Press LLC.

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From the

EDITOR

Photo credit: Suzanne Verlaque

Dear Folks, Mee-Nah-Miz. This is how my 19-month old baby pronounces Midnight Memories in reference to the hit song from UK boy band One Direction.

Every single day without fail I have to play the song at least once so he can dance. I grew out of love with boy bands many years ago, but since the arrival of my first son I find that I have had no choice but to learn to love them again, including Justin Bieber. What choice do I have? My boys love to dance and for the three minutes and 21 seconds that the song echoes between the walls of our home there is laughter and happiness. Yes, I dance along and now have Midnight Memories moves too.

There is something so therapeutic about dancing. I think we have all done this: locked our doors, put on our headphones, shut the world out and danced. If only our mirrors could talk! Medical experts also give the thumbs up to dancing, backing it up with a list of benefits such as stress relief, an increase in flexibility, boosting of memory and many more plusses. There are few things we love that medical institutions approve of these days, so make the most of this one. As we celebrate dance this month go right ahead and lock that door if you haven’t done it for a while.

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Dancing is also said to be great for weight loss, which brings me to my next topic. I have happily noted the impact our March cover girl, Stephenie Dookley, and her story have had on the country. Several media outlets have followed suit and re-told her story, which I must say, regardless of how it is told, remains an exceptional one. There is a rise in the interest of healthy living in the country which is great given that *recent data from the World Health Organisation has stated that the Seychelles has the highest proportion of overweight and obese men and women in sub-Saharan Africa. Social media outlets indicate that people are now seeking out lifestyle changes as opposed to a magic pill or miracle tea that would lower the numbers on the scale. The messages from the experts are clear: there is no easy way and sacrifices have to be made. I have dabbled in one such journey and one important thing I have learned is that there is much to learn about food and nutrition. Of course we all think that we know what there is to know and we have a fair idea about what is healthy and what is not. I was wrong about a few ideas I had about food. The key is to educate yourself and then make informed decisions. A starting point, if you’re looking for one, is to follow the articles in this magazine from our trainer, Hassan, on page 47. If you are active on Facebook, you could also follow individual stories and tips in the Seychelles Fitness Group; to note, the group consists of individuals who share their stories and not medical experts.

April is a fun-packed month here on the islands. From Carnaval to Easter celebrations, make sure you seize every moment and create beautiful memories with your loved ones.

For those of you visiting our beautiful islands this month, may you have a memorable holiday and be blown away by the Seychellois hospitality.

Chief Editor *The report is ‘Global Status of Non Communicable Disease’

Cover Model Emma Cadeau

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1. Photographer: Marsha Dine 2. Stying and Make-Up: Joel Rose 3. Hair: Joanna Hoareau Shot on location at: La Plaine St Andre, Mahé Dress and Earrings: KanKan, price on request Shoes and additional accessories: Model’s own

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Taking farming to new heights with Barclays

Greg Lawen and his sister Betty are hard-working entrepreneurs from Anse Boileau. Today, they run the Lawen’s Farm, a family business that was launched by their father when he bought a plot of land to start a small orchard. “It was in 1995 and at that time we produced bananas, lemons and coconuts. Betty and I were still students then, but we turned up every weekend to take care of the orchard. Two years later, the family moved here in order to devote more time to the farm,” explains Greg.

Their father wanted to expand the business and, in 2000, they decided to start a pig farm next to the orchard. Over time, this would become their main economic activity. “Everything we know about farming and animal breeding, we learned on the job,” says Greg. “Our first experience may have been stressful and required the assistance of a veterinarian, but today, we can handle new births and the subsequent caring for the sows,” he proudly admits.

Determination to succeed To finance their venture, the entrepreneurs turned to Barclays.

Their first loan came in 2009 to fund the acquisition of livestock feed. Since then, the relationship between them and the bank has only strengthened. “The team at Barclays has always been helpful and understanding. Right from the start, they gave us the tools, including financial guidance, to grow our business,” explains Greg.

In the early 2000s, the Lawens ventured into the commercial production of coconut oil, a commodity they had on the farm. At first, they stripped and dried the coconut themselves, but they

soon had to simplify their tasks to respond to the needs of their expanding business. Nowadays, they buy dried coconut in bulk.

However, they still operate the mill their father used to make the coconut oil. “The coconut oil has always been a very popular product, and we sell it to shops around Mahé.”

Yet, despite their hard work, the last few years have been challenging for Lawen’s Farm. “Six years ago, things started to change on the local market - new products became available and people had less money to spend. Thus, it became harder for us to sell our products. From nearly 130 animals, we dropped to 40. Another issue we had was with the livestock feed, which we had sourced locally. At the beginning of this year, there was no animal feed on the market, which made it difficult for farmers like us,” says Greg.

Barclays - Contributing to business growth “Now, things are starting to look up again. This is a result of the ongoing support and guidance of Barclays, who believed in us, and for that I am grateful,” he adds. In fact, there is now too much for Betty and Greg to handle on their own. They are thus looking to hire farm hands to fuel their expansion plans for 2015.

These include growing the number of livestock; increasing the number of pigs to around 200 and adding a chicken farm. For sometimes now, Greg has been using Barclays internet banking service, which he finds as a more convenient way to control and keep track of his finances.

With their passion and determination to succeed, and the unfailing support of their trusted bank, Barclays, Betty and Greg will no doubt manage to turn their small family farm into a true success story.

Business Loans with Barclays Grow your Business with us We can support you with our range of Secured and Unsecured lending solutions, offering you flexible terms and competitive interest rates. We can help you expand your business more easily by financing your new assets and other business related expenditures, with a low contribution and longer repayment terms.

Unsecured Loan

Secured Loan

1. Maximum loan amount of SCR80,000.00 2. Repayment over 1-2 years 3. No personal contribution 4. One-off arrangement fee 5. All loan applications are subject to internal approval

1. Maximum loan amount of SCR1 million 2. Repayment over 1-5 years 3. Business contribution of only 20% of the loan amount 4. One-off arrangement fee 5. Security includes pledge over motor vehicle and mortgage over assets 6. All loan applications are subjected to internal approval

For more information Please visit any of our branches where your Business Development Manager will be happy to assist you further or contact our Call Centre on 4383939 or email sez.customerservices@barclays.com.

COVER STORY

g n i c n Da n Quee This month’s cover model, Emma Cadeau has been dancing since the age of five; now, at 20, she’s more passionate about it than ever. We catch up with her for a quick Q&A by Lynette Botha

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What inspires you about dancing?

Do you have any advice for aspiring dancers?

Yes – don’t wait until it’s too late, start now, and don’t give up! When you start, don’t stop. You may find it tough in the beginning, because your body is not used to the movements, but practice makes perfect. If it’s something you love and you are passionate about dance, continue doing it – you won’t regret it.

Well, because I have been dancing since I was in pre-school, from the age of five , it is something I have loved from a very young age; it’s a part of who I am and because I love it so much I have continued to pursue it for all these years. Everything about it inspires me. Dancing also runs in my family. My cousins also started dancing at a young age so my parents thought it was fitting for me to also be enrolled in the School of Dance at the age of five.

Who is your favourite dancer?

What dance genre is your favourite?

Beyond the horizons, around the world! I would love to travel and dance in different countries, to share my passion for dancing as well as our culture.

I have not really decided whether or not I would pursue a career in dance simply because I have no idea what my future holds. I will be leaving to start my university studies in the UK soon and I am looking forward to taking up some dance classes there.

Oh, I love them all. But the classes I take include cotemporary, modern dance and hip-hop. I tend to be a more lyrical dancer, inclining more towards contemporary. When we do special performances, genres change. I like to learn new styles and techniques as I enjoy any form of dancing. Regular classes are three days a week – two of those days we have double classes; it takes commitment but it’s worth it.

What is the best thing about dancing for you?

The best thing about dancing for me is meeting someone that appreciates my style of dancing. I dance for fun, to express myself and to inspire. So it really warms my heart that I can make someone happy just by dancing.

Dancing makes communication easier. Dancing gives me a chance to understand my body, what works better and what doesn’t. Dancing gives

I don’t have a favourite dancer, because I want to be my own favourite dancer. I want to challenge myself to be the best that I can be, but I do look up to my teachers, all of whom are amazing dancers, choreographers and artists. I also search for inspiration from my fellow dance colleagues.

Where do you hope your dancing will take you?

Whatever may happen, we are watching with anticipation and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Emma.

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COVER STORY

A dedicated and diligent student of dance, Emma has achieved greatly for her young age. Having studied and practiced dance at the Seychelles School of Dance for years, Emma’s hard work and determination paid off in 2012 when she was selected as the first Seychellois ever to be accepted into Midgardsskolan School of Music in Stockholm. Emma spent five months there putting her body and mind through intense dance training, before returning to Seychelles and continuing her path to perfect her art.

me confidence, making me willing to take up new challenges. Also, it’s my time – a time that is about me only. I get to let loose and be active. It’s really hard to explain but there’s nothing else like it. I love it. I also find that when I dance I forget about everything else that is going on in my life; for that time I am just focusing on dancing, moving and not thinking about every day problems and life.

Musings of an Island Girl LIFE IS A DANCE (I wrote this poem in part for Carnival and International Dance Day) Life is like a dance there are many steps and I know time and time again I will fumble and fall I spin and I twirl my feet simply painting an inimitable mural At times I fly through the air and dance with invisible partners under the stars Sometimes I dip down low without a best friend to help me through my live show But always I put one foot in front of the other moving to my own rhythm In the end I hope to look back and see the story I have painted with the tips of my toes Smiling a radiant smile I bow to the crowd because I like what I see and I realize life is a dance and it is the song that determines my destiny.

Tina Houareau is a Seychellois living in the USA with her young son. She is an Instructional Designer for Capella University, where she recently completed her PhD in the same field.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

e h T

t changed a h t k my o o b l

ife

In celebration of World Book Day on 23rd April, we’re sharing the reads that have had an impact on our lives. Whether they challenge the way we think and see the world, motivate us or just bring joy through their pages, these are books worth reading…

Bitch: In praise of difficult women by Elizabeth Wurtzel.

I have been an avid reader my whole life, I love the worlds that open up as you flick through the pages and devour every word. Some books are for the escape but every once in a while a book comes along that changes your perspective and broadens your mind.

As an angsty teen I read all sorts of manifestos and essays, I poured through sappy coming of age stories but the one book that stood

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out and marked me was ‘Bitch: In praise of difficult women’ by Elizabeth Wurtzel. The author presents five essays that discuss the depiction of women throughout history and in the media, highlighting their difficultness but urging the reader to see the other side. The angsty teen in me was drawn to this - it opened my eyes to a modern form of feminism that wasn’t about stereotypes of unshaven hippies and suffragettes but about asking for equal opportunities and embracing all aspects of woman. Simultaneously, ‘Bitch’ drew my attention to various historical figures and opened the door to non-fiction as a choice of reading material – a move that has brought me more knowledge than anything else could have. Referred to as both ‘celebratory and cautionary’, this book made me think about all things woman and feminist; it urged me to accept that strength in a woman is not a bad thing but that it may often be judged more harshly than the same strength in a man; it encouraged me to remain ambitious and to continue dreaming; alongside all of this, the book reminded me that a woman’s “weakness” is not a limiting factor and that our softer sides should not be forgotten. ~ Sarah Lang

SPECIAL FEATURE

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

A truly great book, film or section of music, all have something in common – they will effortlessly transport you through myriad different and powerful emotions. One minute you’ll be laughing out loud, the next you’ll be desperately holding back a sob. Shantaram

by Gregory David Roberts is a particularly wonderful example of this phenomenon. It’s about a convicted armed robber who escapes from his native Australia to India where he immerses himself in their unique, rich culture.

As an expat living in a distant land I can identify with so many elements of this incredible book. Awesome. ~ by Daniel Balkwill About seven years ago a book was recommended to me by a friend. The book would go on to help mold my view on life and how I should live it. A lover of quotes of any sort I was in for a treat. Being someone who was never satisfied with the normal and politically correct world view, Shantaram would offer me a different perspective on so many questions that I had as yet been unable to answer.

Shantaram, which is based on the true story of Gregory David Roberts, introduces an Australian character named Lindsay (Lin), a heroin addict sentenced to a long, harsh prison term after his personal life spirals out of control; he escapes and makes his way to Bombay (Mumbai).

One of the major strengths of this book is the numerous characters who cross Lin’s path through his journey. We are introduced to Karla, a mysterious woman that Lin falls in love with, Prabaker, a tour guide who will become Lin’s first friend and his connection to the Indian culture; Khaderbai, Bombay Mafia Don who will shape your view on religion and morality, French bad boy Didier, who “spoke a lavishly accented English… to provoke and criticize friend and stranger alike with an indolent malignity” and many more. Characters and people change, develop, and mature due to different circumstances, which makes the book more realistic.

I am a firm believer that fate gives you what you need when you need it.

Shantaram came at just the right period in my life. This book definitely had

“I am a firm believer that fate gives you what you need when you need it. Shantaram came at just the right period in my life. This book definitely had a major effect on me; the smart and intellectual conversations between “Lin” and “Khader Khan” came to me at precisely the right time when I was having all of these existential questions roaming in my head.”

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a major effect on me; the smart and intellectual conversations between Lin and Khader Khan came to me at precisely the right time when I had all of these existential questions roaming in my head. I am a Cosmic Humanist because of it (might be two words worth Googling).

These conversations inspired me and enlightened me in some way. Lin’s story in general was inspiring in different ways, his love for the people around him and his kindness will leave you rethinking your life and your attitude towards people. Love and gratitude is all that you’ll be thinking about while flipping the pages of this book. In many ways you can say that this book acts as a reference point for my beliefs, my own personal little bible.

“It’s forgiveness that makes us what we are. Without forgiveness, our species would’ve annihilated itself in endless retributions. Without forgiveness, there would be no history. Without that hope, there would be no art, for every work of art is in some way an act of forgiveness. Without that dream, there would be no love, for every act of love is in some way a promise to forgive. We live on because we can love, and we love because we can forgive.” ~ Mervyn Vel

Eat. Pray. Love. By Elizabeth Gilbert

Cliché, I know, but this book really spoke to me.

As someone who had a set idea of how my life would turn out – yet had various fantasies of how it in fact could be (i.e. out of the ordinary) – this book confirmed that there isn’t a set way to live life. It also shows that every thing happens for a reason and that no matter how bad life may seem at some point – things always get better and there is always light at the end of the tunnel. If you want to quit your job and travel the world, do it.

My life is completely different now from how it was a year ago – I have quit my job, moved countries, been thrown out of my comfort zone and I grapple with my decision every day. But no risk, no reward. This book may not have changed my life in every sense of the words, but it certainly validated where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. It’s a book everyone should read, or at least, watch the movie – Julia Roberts portrays the main character perfectly. ~ Lynette Botha

Princess: A true story of life behind the veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean P. Sasson

This book was the first that I read from Jean P. Sasson and its contents have remained with me since. I read Princess when I was in secondary school; the story of a real life Saudi Princess, Princess Sultana Al Saud. It is not a fairytale. It is not a romance.

It strips away all delusions that I may have had about the ‘Disney style’ life of a ‘princess’. For me, this book affirmed that Seychelles is definitely one of the best places on Earth for a female child to be born.

Growing up, the fact that I am of the female sex was never an issue and never a deciding element for anything I ever wanted to do. No one ever said “but you are a girl” or highlighted the fact that I am a woman. Maya Angelou says that people will never forget how you made them feel, I say that I will never forget how books make me feel. Princess shocked me and made me sad and angry but also happy and grateful. ~ Azarel Ernesta

This book changed my way of thinking, acting and communicating. It doesn’t matter what you do, it matters Why you do it. when we get caught up in the details of HOW and WHAT we are working on, it is very easy to forget WHY we are doing it. If you are an employee, an employer or an entrepreneur, you must read this book. The author weaves together a clear vision of what it truly takes to lead and inspire.

Often times people in management positions tends to forget that the role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas but to create an environment in which great ideas can happen. ~ Aishah Bristol

Think and Grow Rich

by Napoleon Hill

“Thoughts are things”, somebody once told me. As I read the book, it confirmed that. This book made me realise that I had so much more in me than where I was in my life (at the time that I read it). As an entrepreneur and businessman, this book gave me the tools I needed to gain courage and to dig deep into my soul. It made me “dare to be great”. And it is still a book I read every year, in January, for motivation and encouragement. It’s a book that you can read 50 times and learn something new every time. Being a Kyokushin Karate fighter too, the book actually helped me gain the confidence to go to Las Vegas in 2009 to fight for the World International Championships of the AKKO (American Kyokushin Karate Organization) where I ended up second. ~ Michel Laporte Godorn

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

This book made me fall in love with philosophy.

It’s one of those thoughtprovoking, mind-bending books you come across rarely as a 14 year old! It made me change the way I saw the world. It was a turning point in my way of thinking and perception of things. It complete changed my outlook on life. Sophie’s World is a great introduction to western philosophical thoughts for both kids and adults. It’s easy to read and Sophie the protagonist and her mysterious philosophy teacher will make you imagine a different world. Sophie’s World will spur you on to discover greater and better things, I promise! ~ Karen Pragassen

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

A landmark novel of high modernism, the text, centering on the Ramsay family and their visits to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920, skillfully manipulates temporality and psychological exploration.

The novel includes little dialogue and almost no action; most of it is written as thoughts and observations. It recalls the power of childhood emotions and highlights the impermanence of adult relationships. Among the book’s many tropes and themes are those of loss, subjectivity, and the problem of perception, all things I can relate to. ~ Tina Houareau

Changes: A Love Story

By Ama Ata Aidoo

I’m not sure that any book has ever truly changed my life in the sense of dramatically altering its course, but I can think of one that determined it, and that’s Changes: A love story by Ama Ata Aidoo, a Ghanaian writer. I started reading the book out of necessity for my course degree, but grew to love it.

I never knew I could read a novel so fast until I picked up this one. It is one of the first novels that triggered in me, an intense appreciation for African literature. It was from Aidoo’s novel that I learned that literature had a sound, that language mattered more than story, that rhythm haunted the imagination, and that love, desire, grief and loneliness interested me more than any other subject. It encompasses how the lives of professional working women have changed sharply, even if the cultural assumptions of men’s lives have not. Aidoo writes with intense power while shedding light on women’s problems around the globe, which is an issue that concerns me. Reading this novel made me realise that I have to live according to my heart’s desires despite my cultural and spiritual circumstances. This novel is just so interesting that I imagine it would do great as a movie. I highly recommend it. ~ Elaine LaFortune

Adultery by Paulo Coelho

It’s a life lesson book that highlights that we as humans are never satisfied with what we have. Nothing is ever enough; we complain about routine and life in general no matter how good we have it. We betray the ones we love with our selfishness. Every thing seems fine until we’re about to lose those that are precious to us. It confirms that you never know what you’ve got until it’s gone. I highly recommend it. ~ Aruna Latulipe

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Start with Why by Simon Sinek.

SEYCHELLOIS OVERSEAS

Craig Hoareau is

Red Von Heart is the stage persona Craig Hoareau created for himself to pursue his love for music. The image that comes with Red Von Heart is a far cry from the young shy Seychellois man who for the most part has kept this part of his life fairly private. Craig, 25 is from Bel-Ombre and is the son of popular dress-maker, Myriam Hoareau. He has been living in London since 2012.

The Music POTPOURRI: When did you realise that you had a serious interest in music?

Craig: I have always had a love for music for as far back as I can remember, however as a child and teen I did grow up quite reserved and shy, therefore it was not something I shared with many people until I started to pursue it seriously.

POTPOURRI: When you did, what did you do?

How did this all start?

Craig: I used to listen to a lot of music and watched many performances from the world stage, all genres and styles of music. It was a great learning tool for me. When I realised that music is what I wanted to do, I moved to London to pursue it.

POTPOURRI: Is there any significance to the name Red Von Heart?

Craig: Yes, Red Von Heart is a stage persona I created who is quite different from the everyday me. He is a confident, loud and assertive character. When I’m on stage, he allows me to become this person who is invincible. The name itself signifies who I am as a person and artist. The colour red is associated with strength, power and determination which are all aspects of the character I have come to be.

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Support POTPOURRI: Was there a person who pushed you into making the first step in making this happen?

Craig: I would say I was self-reliant at the start.

As it was not something I had shared openly with people, I didn’t have that much support and had to rely on myself to push forward.

Before I took the leap to audition for music representation, I had always been afraid to take that next step. I was always struggling with confidence and had that nagging fear of going ahead with it. It was only when I managed to conquer that fear, did it I manage to start seeing things happen. Since then I have had incredible support from my mother, friends and management team who are incredible.

POTPOURRI: What genre of music is Red Von Heart?

Craig: RVH is a mixture of many genres put into one. I would say the main umbrella it would fall under is Pop/Pop Dance Music, however I do love Synth Pop, Rock, Alternative rock/ pop, Metal, jazz and 80s Electro sounds. I try to incorporate different genres in my music.

“Feedback has been great, the music and style is different and something new on the music scene.

I’ve been called crazy, but people love crazy!”

POTPOURRI: What have been your achievements your far?

Craig: I have already released a song on iTunes called Dirty Pop, which is available for purchase worldwide. I wrote the music myself, as I did with Rock This Town. I work closely with my producer and co-produce all of my tracks. I have also worked on a few covers, two of which are on my YouTube channel. I have done a Queen cover as well as a Lady Gaga cover. I also got the chance to perform at one of the best music venues in London, Soho at the end of last year (2014) which has seen the likes of Pixie Lott!

POTPOURRI: Financially, were you able to successfully seek funding?

Craig: I started off funding everything on my own. I managed to find a job and used that as the base to finance demos and rent studio time.

Studio time is quite costly and as an artist who is starting out there will be a period of struggle, however my studio and management have been incredibly supportive.

POTPOURRI: What is the biggest challenge you face in this journey?

Craig: The biggest challenge is the competition.

There are so many other artists wanting the same thing and trying to make music that people will like. It is a very tough and cut throat industry and you constantly have to be on the game.

POTPOURRI: Is music a full time ‘job’ or do you have something else going?

Craig: Music is not the only job. I currently work for an LVMH brand, Thomas Pink, which is one of the leading British Luxury shirt making brand for men. London is an extremely expensive city to live in, so the job which I must say I enjoy, helps in paying the bills. I currently juggle between the two.

Leaving Seychelles POTPOURRI: Many people would understand that anyone looking to improve their art need to go beyond our islands, is that the reason you left?

Craig: Partly the reason. I have always wanted to move back to London. I wanted to have more opportunities, build my confidence and do things on my own and achieve certain life goals. I learned a very valuable life lesson from my mother growing up which is to be independent, self-dependent and strong. Life is tough and you have to do your best to survive.

I do not like depending on anyone for anything and I strongly believe in working very hard for anything you want in life. The music is also another major factor. I wanted to be closer to all the music influences I have had growing up and of course the many opportunities to develop and improve my art.

The Future POTPOURRI: What are you working on now?

Craig: I have recently released a music video for my new single ‘Rock This Town’. I am also working on new music in the studio with some new exciting sounds I cannot wait to share! I am writing a lot as well and starting to do a few more gigs and shows.

POTPOURRI: What’s next?

Craig: Create more music that people love! My aim is to make people happy and forget about their problems. Music is something which allows people to escape for a little while from their daily struggles and if I can do that I would be happy!

POTPOURRI: Where do you want to take all of this?

Craig: I do hope that my music career can take off and I can do it full time. I love creating art and performing on stage.

POTPOURRI: Do you think Seychelles is ready for its first international star?

Craig: Well I haven’t reached that point yet, but when I do I certainly feel they are. Seychelles is a very talented and brilliant nation. There is no place like it and I am sure that I will have great support from all the people.

A Point of View POTPOURRI: What do you think of music in Seychelles?

Craig: I love Seychelles music! There are so many talented artists and the music is unique to the islands. Whenever a creole song comes on, it always makes you want to dance and sing along. Like most places in the world it is very diverse.

POTPOURRI: Local artists have not had the easiest time breaking into the international music arena – why do you think this is so?

Craig: I think it is just a matter of exposure, targeting their international audience, creating new sounds and determination. They need to get the music out there and promote it to a wider audience outside of the Indian Ocean. I am positive that with the immense talent that exists in Seychelles, it is sure to happen soon.

POTPOURRI: Internationally, which artists top your ‘fave’ list? Why? Craig: Queen, Depeche Mode, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Paloma Faith, Boy George, Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie. All these artists have something different to offer and have different styles of music. Some have been in the industry for decades and some only for a few years. They are amazing performers and song writers who remain consistent with their art. I admire this and have been influenced by the passion in which they have on stage.

They write and perform their own music, which makes them more genuine and great inspirations. If you watch a performance by any of these artists listed, you will understand what I mean.

Follow Red Von Heart: Facebook.com/redvonheart | Twitter.com/redvonheart - @redvonheart | Soundcloud.com/redvonheart | Instagram – redvonheart | Youtube – Red Von heart

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SEYCHELLOIS OVERSEAS

POTPOURRI: What has been the feedback so far?

Craig: Feedback has been great, the music and style is different and something new on the music scene. I’ve been called crazy, but people love crazy!

BEHIND THE BUSINESS 15

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

A living area setup in the store

The Furniture Gallery

In an unconventional location, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of city life, Daniel Payet is making décor dreams come true. Marie France Watson finds out more…

The Beginning

After living in London for 27 years, Daniel Payet has been home on La Digue for the last two years, returning when an opportunity to help manage and assist in the running of La Digue Island Lodge presented itself. Daniel, who has a Masters Degree in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths College of the University of London and a passion for literature, originally started out in the legal profession (with a focus on human rights). Which would make one think his latest venture, The Furniture Gallery, as an unlikely one. Au Contraire. Furniture has always been a personal interest of Daniel’s and he spent a chunk of his time, while living in London, going to antique markets in Camden and Notting Hill and even Marché aux Puces in the northern suburbs of Paris, when the opportunity arose.

certain living spaces can be created. At this point in time, there are still manyadditional concepts developing, and in the future Daniel is looking to offer extra services that extend to styling of homes and assistance with décor themes and ideas to make ordinary spaces come alive. The plan is for the showroom to showcase a sample of what can be done and for catalogues to do the remainder of the work.

Venturing into the furniture business was something Daniel had been interested in for a while since returning home. During an exploratory trip to Indonesia, where he visited Bali and Java, he made some contacts and once he was back in Seychelles, he started working on his ideas to open a store. Forging full steam ahead, he went on to a trade fair in China and on his return, cemented all plans for the opening of The Furniture Gallery.

The Opening

In a market that has been expanding in recent years, it is imperative for The Furniture Gallery to offer something ‘more’ or ‘different’. As it turns out it has, so far, managed to do both. The showroom has been created in such a way, that actual rooms are setup – you don’t just look at rows and rows of furniture, but rather mockups of unique spaces – how they could appear in your home. The rooms are setup in this way in order to excite customers and inspire them with a visual interpretation of how

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Quality hardwood bar stools are just some of the pieces on offer

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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BEHIND THE BUSINESS

The Furniture

After spending time researching the market, Daniel came to the decision to stock furniture and décor pieces that offer something for everyone, with the emphasis being on quality craftsmanship. Furniture in the store is largely solid hardwood such as mahogany and teak. Quality does come at a cost though,but Daniel’s done the maths and has found a way to offer mid-range affordability too. The Furniture Gallery is a new addition to an already growing furniture industry in the Seychelles, which is attempting to push the boundaries in taste and expectations of the market.

Keeping in mind the fact that many Seychellois take great pride in their living spaces and have a more conservative approach to furnishings, Daniel is pushing the boundaries with a modern contemporary style but not with an entirely ‘out-with-the-old’ approach.

Modern and minimalist furnishings with a focus on natural fibres

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The Clientele

Daniel says he’s noticed how the local clientele has evolved in the past two decades, influenced, of course, by development that has occurred on the islands. 20 years ago, there was no Internet and no magazines to inspire people as far as décor and furnishings were concerned. The rise of Seychelles’ profile as a top tourist destination has brought five star hotels to our shores and Seychellois who have not had the means to travel have seen how these establishments are furnished, right here at home. There is now a wide range of sources from which to draw inspiration – from what we eat and how we dress to how we decorate our homes.

This is confirmed by the interest that has been expressed in ‘unusual pieces’ from potential clients when looking at some of the catalogues Daniel has shown them.

BEHIND THE BUSINESS

”Daniel is looking to offer extra services that extend to styling of homes and assistance with décor themes and ideas to make ordinary spaces come alive.”

Daniel Payet

An ‘oasis’ in the midst

The Furniture Gallery is located in room B1 on the first floor of An-Noor House in Plaisance. Anyone who has been on the lookout for commercial space would know it’s no easy feat to secure a spot that ticks all the boxes, especially when it comes to a furniture store. The location might not be perceived as the greatest but it has contributed to the element of surprise for clients who usually do a double take when they step into the showroom. For Daniel, the venue sits well with the concept of ‘charming Seychelles’, where you can find little treasures in the most unexpected places.

A Year from Now

Every business has their projections and expectations. This is no exception for The Furniture Gallery, though Daniel is prepared to learn the lessons the market has to teach. He is open to re-visiting the current concept should the need arise and to respond to what the clientele dictates. The main objective though is to simply keep moving forward.

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Living on the Wedge

Shop ‘til you drop

Iced coffee, retail therapy and fireworks are the name of the game this month

S

ometimes a girl just has to shop. I was lucky enough to have a boyfriend that also appreciates some retail therapy! After a lazy brunch of eggs benedict and iced coffees (an Australian favourite) at the delectable Tuck Shop in Northbridge, J and I cruised into town on his baby blue Vespa and then strolled into Rhodes & Beckett to find him a new business shirt. Their Egyptian cotton shirts are second to none and as they were having a sales special we walked out with three shirts – two crisp white Oxfords for him and one gorgeous white herringbone number for me.

and endive salad. Rockpool is famous for its steaks and it certainly did not disappoint. We ended one of the best meals I’ve had in Perth in some of the best company, whilst watching fireworks cascade over the Swan River from our little booth with a view. It was an unforgettable evening. Until next time, if you can’t be good, be good at it.

Iced Coffee (Makes 2) ½ cup espresso coffee 2 tsp caster sugar 1 cup milk 6 ice cubes 4 scoops good quality vanilla ice cream 2 straws, for garnish *60ml Kahlúa (optional)

Next stop was David Jones where, after trying on and deliberating between a frothy black tulle prom dress and a sophisticated black silk full-length dress with leather collar, I finally settled on the latter as well as some snakeskin stilettos to complete the ensemble. Last stop was Florsheim Shoes where we picked up some shiny black brogues for the mister. It was a successful shopping trip!

That evening we dressed up in our finest, which - let’s face it - is half the fun. J wore one of his new white shirts, silver cufflinks, brogues and a Hugo Boss suit whilst I accessorised my new cocktail dress and shoes with simple diamond studs and red lipstick. We drove to the Crown complex and arrived on time for our booking at Rockpool, the brainchild of the celebrated Aussie chef, Neil Perry. Whilst waiting to be seated we sipped on Tanqueray Martinis at the bar. The people watching opportunity was worth the wait. Some of the outfits on display had us nudging each other in awe whilst others had us shaking our heads in bemusement!

Place coffee and sugar in a jug. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add milk.

Stir to combine. Divide ice cubes and ice cream between two glasses.

Top with coffee mixture and garnish with straws. Serve. *For an afternoon treat or delicious dessert, stir 30ml Kahlúa into each glass.

Once comfortably settled into our booth we kept things local by ordering a bottle of 2011 Forest Hill Riesling from Mount Barker and starters of Bay Rock Oysters and three fish ceviche. Next came our mains of Rangers Valley dry aged rib-eye steak and wood fired White Rocks veal cutlet, with sides of mac and cheese and radicchio, cos

Brigitte Monchouguy is a Seychelloise legal practitioner with a passion for social journalism. She is happiest when travelling, with interests in music, art, theatre and architecture. She also dabbles in mixology and will be sharing cocktail recipes along with her monthly escapades.

Established since 1725 by the young Irishman Thomas Barton, Barton & Guestier was the 1st French brand name in the wine business. With almost three centuries of expertise, B&G has now become a worldwide benchmark of great French wines.

B&G Cote Du Rhone Concentrated | Well Structured Spicy Perfect with spicy food, red meat and cheese.

B&G Rose D’Anjou Fine | Crisp | Refreshing Perfect as an aperitif with salads and spicy dishes.

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For more information please contact

+248 432 5214 or +248 258 7066

F : +248 422 6024 | E : orders@savysons.sc

Savy&Son_180mm x 130.5mm_Potpourri_Final.indd 1

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3/9/15 7:25 PM

| From London to Mahé |

GETTING FESTIVE Come rain or shine, Daniel Balkwill is all in for Carnaval 2015

T

he first opportunity I had to visit the Seychelles carnival was back in 2013. I was placed in a dilemma. Should I forego what was historically the strongest sales day at my wine shop and head into town to enjoy the festivities or would it be more advisable to eschew the powerful lure of great music, tasty snacks, nubile dancing girls and lots of cold beer to put in a solid day’s work at the coalface?

Although my dedicated work ethic prevailed, I soon realised that I had committed a serious error. I must have been the only person in the shopping centre. The only other discernible forms of life present were several rather cheeky Mynah birds hopping around outside and the occasional clump of tumbleweed cartwheeling by. Seemingly, everyone else in the country but me was in town partying their behinds off and having fun. When I saw all of the footage on local TV afterwards I could tell that I’d missed out on what was clearly a fantastic event.

When the same dilemma presented itself the following year, I was determined to join in and see for myself what all the fuss was all about. I worked until early afternoon before downing tools and heading into Victoria. A monumental cloudburst before I’d even managed to cross the bridge at Eden Island forced me, along with a very jolly group of German revellers, to seek refuge at one of the restaurants by the marina where we all enjoyed a beer or two until the fury of the weather gods had been appeased.

The energy and vibrancy emanating from everyone was infectious and it proved to be the perfect introduction to the carnival spirit.

We passed by all of the floats which were all lining up before commencing their procession through Victoria. There were representatives from China, Kenya, Brazil and it was particularly good to see some fellow Brits from the Notting Hill carnival participating in the event. Town was packed to the rafters. Every conceivable vantage point had been commandeered and the sense of eagerness and anticipation was almost palpable.

We followed the procession all the way through town up to Freedom Square, where we set up camp outside one of the beer tents and spent a memorable and enjoyable evening dancing the night away fuelled by the twin delights of Phoenix beer and fried chicken.

It was a great event. Really well organised and it was lovely to see tourists and locals all together enjoying a myriad of different cultures from all over the world. Count me in for 2015!

Dan works for Kreol Wines - a wine shop located at Eden Plaza on Eden Island, specialising in Argentinian, Australian, French and South African products.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 6.30pm; Saturday, 10am - 6pm; Sunday, 10am - 4pm

Our next attempted foray into town managed to avoid any meteorological mishaps and we were fortunate that our arrival at the roundabout by the national stadium coincided with the appearance of a float and accompanying procession representing Trinidad and Tobago.

H

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LOCAL PROFILE

Jean Preira

gave the final approval. A Loans Officer, which is a step up, deals with larger loans and they are approved by the Loans Committee.

POTPOURRI: So the next step for you was to become a Loans Officer?

Jean: Yes it was. Even as an Assistant Loans Officer I never refused any task which was sent my way, even if it wasn’t what my job description entailed. When necessary, I worked on loans which Loans Officers only handled and for me it was a way to learn and improve.

“I love the team work approach we have here. There is a friendliness amongst the staff and it very much dictates how we cooperate and meet deadlines.

We collectively look for ways to overcome hurdles.”

Jean Preira

Seychellois women in managerial roles do not surprise anyone anymore. More and more, it’s the tick-tocking of heels which we hear in bosses’ offices as opposed to the thumping of men’s smart shoes. The Development Bank of Seychelles is one such organisation which can boast of its female leadership. POTPOURRI got the chance to catch up with Jean Preira who heads its Finance Division.

POTPOURRI: When did you join the bank?

Jean: Right after completing my Diploma in Business Studies at the Seychelles Polytechnic, I joined the bank as an Assistant Loans Officer. I remember the day very well; it was the 14th January 1996. I had sent my CV out to a few places and this opportunity came up. I must admit I had a preference for an accounting position but I decided to give this a go.

POTPOURRI: Why accounting?

Jean: I loved numbers. I still do. I did very well in all my math subjects and was the top of my class. I guess you can say numbers is like a second nature to me. It simply comes naturally.

POTPOURRI: OK, tell us what that first job entailed.

Jean: The thing with loans is that they all pretty much follow the same procedures. The difference lies in the type of loans you handle. As an Assistant Loans Officer I dealt with loans which amounted to less than SR50,000 and it was the Managing Director who

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POTPOURRI: When did you move to the Finance Department?

Jean: In 2005, a post opened up in the Finance Department.

I had at the time started attending ACCA classes on a part time basis and had passed four topics in Level 2. The post was for an Assistant Accountant and that’s where my career in Finance really started. I became head of the Finance Department in 2008. Due to the fact the Finance as a say in most undertakings of the bank I sit on all the boards within the Bank!

POTPOURRI: How was the ACCA course?

Jean: It took me four years to complete it since I was doing it part time with the Seychelles Institute of Management. In 2008 I had passed all the exams. I am now an affiliate and will soon file for membership.

POTPOURRI: Would you say that DBS encourages such training?

Jean: Definitely. DBS always paves the way for progression for its staff. We go as far as to give priority to existing staff when a post opens up. I am an example of that.

POTPOURRI: Your entire career has been with DBS. Any particular reason?

Jean: I love the team work approach we have here. There is a friendliness amongst the staff and it very much dictates how we cooperate and meet deadlines. We collectively look for ways to overcome hurdles. Official duties aside, all

members of staff keep our social club alive and we are constantly organizing get-togethers.

LOCAL PROFILE

EYLLBEING

DBS Finance staff

POTPOURRI: You are confident the DBS plays an important role in the economy of the country?

Jean: Definitely. We started off financing the agriculture and fisheries sectors and over the years explored others. Our decree permits us to finance productive sectors of the economy only. You can say that our role is assisting growth in Seychelles and we do this by charging interest at a rate that is affordable but can also keep us going. You also have to bear in mind that new business ventures are often seen as risky and often commercial banks do not finance such ventures. We also have another advantage which is the duration of the repayment period which can be as long as 15 years.

POTPOURRI: Tell us briefly how it works.

Jean: We are a bank that borrows in order to lend. We borrow locally and also internationally. We are always on the lookout for favourable interest rates so that we can pass on the benefits to our clients. It’s not as easy as one may think because we also have to work around the unpredictability of the currency which means we have to be very careful from borrowing from overseas.

POTPOURRI: What else proves to be challenging?

Jean: One of the hardest things is the endless regulations we have to abide by. Our procedures can also be quite lengthy given that we do not know our clients personally (like commercial banks do) and we have a lot of research to do before approving loans. Lastly I would also add that market conditions are not always favourable such as when interest rates go up and that makes our work challenging.

SEYLLBEING

POTPOURRI: The bank takes up quite a chunk of your time, how do you unwind?

Jean: I am a member of the Island Girls volleyball team and we play in the second division. I am currently in injury and I am waiting for the doctor’s orders before I resume training. I have always been the ‘sporty’ type with swimming and netball phases on my list.

The Island Girls Volleyball Team

SEYLLBEING Seychelles & Wellbeing

holistic treatment by therapists who come to you yoga I therapy I ayurveda I acupressure www.seyllbeing.com I fb.com/seyllbeing I +248 258 42 36 I info@seyllbeing.com

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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Yves the great Marie Welsch explore l’heritage de Yves Saint-Laurent «Rien n’est plus beau qu’un corps nu. Le plus beau vêtement qui puisse habiller une femme, ce sont les bras de l’homme qu’elle aime.

Mais pour celles qui n’ont pas eu la chance de trouver ce bonheur, je suis là.»

A travers cette belle tirade, le grand couturier français Yves Saint-Laurent exprimait toute sa passion pour les femmes et les créations stylistiques qui étaient au coeur de sa vie. A l’annonce de sa disparition, en 2008, celui que la presse a longtemps surnommé «le Petit Prince de la mode» laissait derrière lui un héritage imposant et d’une infinie originalité. Il a été l’inventeur de la garde-robe de la femme moderne, le

créateur génial du smoking, du caban, du trench-coat, des sahariennes, des combinaisons-pantalons, des cuissardes, des blouses transparentes qui ont fait beaucoup couler d’encre en pleine révolution sexuelle. Il a été le premier couturier à mettre au devant de la scène des mannequins asiatiques et noires, comme son égérie Katoucha, d’origine guinéenne.

Son compagnon Pierre Bergé affirmait alors : «Si Chanel a libéré les femmes, Yves Saint-Laurent leur en a donné le pouvoir». En se servant des codes masculins, et en les mêlant à des codes vestimentaires ultraféminins, il a apporté aux femmes assurance et audace et les a ainsi accompagnées dans le grand mouvement de libération de mai 68.

Féru de théâtre, d’opéra, de littérature et de peinture, la mode permettait à Yves Saint-Laurent de dialoguer avec l’art et d’explorer tous les champs esthétiques possibles. Ce génie rendait en effet hommage dans ses collections aux artistes qu’il admirait et qui peuplaient son imaginaire, d’où la création de la fameuse robe Mondrian (1965), des robes Pop Art (1966), des collections Picasso (1979), Van Gogh (1988), Matisse (1981), «Shakespeare et les poètes» (1980) et de la collection «Proust et les fleurs de Giverny», créé en l’honneur du bal Proust donné par MarieHélène de Rotschild à l’occasion du centenaire de la naissance de l’écrivain en 1971. Ses nombreux voyages étaient une grande source d’inspiration, avec la collection Russie, Chine, Espagne et la collection orientale, inspirée des séjours du couturier au Jardin Majorelle au Maroc. Yves Saint-Laurent a été également le dessinateur des costumes et des décors de nombreux films comme India Song de Marguerite Duras, de Belle de Jour, de Luis Buñuel, ou encore de la Sirène du Mississipi, de François Truffaut, ces deux derniers films réunissant Catherine Deneuve, son amie et admiratrice de toujours.

Lors de ses adieux à la haute couture en 2002, Yves SaintLaurent a affirmé qu’il ne se reconnaissait plus dans le monde de la mode actuelle : «la création et le marketing, déclarait-il alors, ne font pas bon ménage». Le couturier ne désigne pas de successeur et annonce qu’il n’y en aura pas : la maison de couture ferme ses portes. Mais l’entreprise n’est pas morte puisque la ligne de prêt-à-porter de la nouvelle marque «SaintLaurent Paris» propose d’élégantes collections dessinées par Hedi Slimane.

L’immense héritage de Yves Saint-Laurent est quant à lui préservé par Pierre Bergé, au sein de la «Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint-Laurent», musée qui propose régulièrement des rétrospectives sur les 40 années de carrière du couturier.

Passionnée de littérature et de cinéma, Marie Welsch est responsable culturelle à l’Alliance française des Seychelles depuis maintenant un an. Originaire de la Réunion et ayant mené des études de lettres modernes et de sciences politiques à Aix-en Provence, elle s’intéresse à l’indianité et à l’identité créole des îles de l’Océan Indien et espère plus tard en faire l’objet d’une thèse.

Evènements culturels culturels

Cours de français

Ateliers créatifs

AllianceFrançaise de Victoria Toutes les informations sur les évènements culturels à l’Alliance sur notre site internet www.allianceseychelles.org

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APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

SEYLLBEING

SEYLLBEING Seychelles & Wellbeing

Yin Yoga with Monica every Saturday 10am at Copolia Lodge, sans souci, MahĂŠ

www.seyllbeing.com I fb.com/seyllbeing +248 258 42 36 I info@seyllbeing.com

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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Pépites…

(par Georges Gravé)

Quand ils sont venus chercher les syndicalistes, je n’ai rien dit, je n’étais pas syndicaliste, Quand ils sont venus chercher les juifs, je n’ai rien dit, je n’étais pas juif,

Dans le silence de la nuit, patatras !!, un grand bruit…. Une étagère qui s’écroule dans un petit meuble oublié dans un coin de la pièce… et par terre pelle- mêle, des vieux papiers jaunis qui retrouvent vie, qui refont surface après des décennies de silence. Emotion, relectures de ces précieuses pépites qui ont fait de moi, ce que je suis aujourd’hui. Et bien sur une énorme envie de partager avec vous !

Tendresse….

« Nous le savons tous, la tendresse n’est pas un état permanent, c’est une découverte permanente. Il appartient à chacun de la découvrir sous le fragile des apparences, sous la violence des habitudes, sous l’impalpable du présent. C’est une galaxie en voyage dans le ciel des rencontres, elle peut ainsi nous prolonger jusqu’aux étoiles de la vie. » (Je suis un adepte de la tendresse, et ce texte est toujours resté gravé au plus profond de moi)

Personne…

« Ce qu’il faut que tu fasses, Personne, jamais ne te le dira…Sauf peut-être, ton Dieu, si tu as assez d’oreilles pour l’entendre… Si tu sens que tu dois aller contre tous les principes établis, Si tu sens que tu dois aller même contre toi pour trouver ce que tu cherches… ou pour te trouver… Va et Ose…Ce que tu crois que l’on te fait subir, n’est jamais que ce qu’il faut que tu comprennes… » (Je ne sais pas qui a écrit ces quelques lignes, mais elles m’ont toujours donné le courage de mes convictions et de souvent pouvoir sortir du troupeau)

Quand ils sont venus.

« Quand ils sont venus chercher les communistes, je n’ai rien dit, je n’étais pas communiste,

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APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

UN TEMPLE, UNE ÉGLISE, UNE SYNAGOGUE, UNE MOSQUÉE, TOUTES CES ARCHITECTURES JARDINENT L’ESPACE ET INSPIRENT LA CLÉMENCE. JAMAIS L’INTOLÉRANCE. CEUX QUI ONT CONÇU CES PRODIGES D’ÉQUILIBRE DANS LA PIERRE, CEUX QUI ONT CONSTRUIT DE LEURS MAINS CES MIRACLES ARC-BOUTÉS, CEUX QUI ONT PRIÉ LA DEMEURENT PRÉSENTS. PAR LA MÉMOIRE DE MILLIARDS ET DE MILLIARDS DE GESTES, DE LOUANGES, DE PARDON ET DE SÉRÉNITÉ QU’ELLES SOULÈVENT, CERTAINES VOUTES-NOUS DÉSENVOUTENT. Quand ils sont venus chercher les catholiques, je n’ai rien dit, je n’étais pas catholique, Puis, quand ils sont venus me chercher, il ne restait plus personne pour protester ! » (Poème écrit à Dachau, attribue au Pasteur Martin Niemoller.)

(Je me souviens très bien avoir beaucoup pleuré quand j’ai lu ce texte pour la première fois, et je suis toujours ému des années après.)

Comment te dire…

« Ma chère… Voici des fleurs, beaucoup de baisers et mes souhaits de bon anniversaire.

Souvent, tu me demandes « Dis-moi que tu m’aimes…Dis-moi des choses… ». Des choses que je n’arrive pas à t’écrire, des choses à la fois profondes et douces, des choses que n’importe qui pourrait dire à condition d’oser, à condition d’essayer, à condition de les dire. Des choses qui ont été dites par d’autres à d’autres. Des choses qui ne se disent tout de même pas si fatalement parce qu’intime, parce que secrètes, parce que rares.

Des choses que je voudrais avoir à te dire sans avoir à les dire. Parce que c’est déjà trop de les dire. Parce que c’est ne rien dire pour ainsi dire que de les dire.

C’est presque ça que je voulais te dire, mais que je n’ai encore pas vraiment su dire… Parce que je t’aime. Parce que c’est ça que je ne peux pas dire. Ça que je veux depuis longtemps t’écrire, ça que n’ayant su dire, j’ai quand même ose dire…. Et t’offrir pour nos cinquante années de vie communes » (Une merveilleuse lettre d’amour écrite en début de ce siècle… merci à cet auteur inconnu.)

Consécration.

La connerie humaine règne dans toute sa splendeur lorsque des millions d’individus, au nom d’une philosophie, d’une science, d’une politique ou d’une religion se mobilisent autour d’un idéal.

Les grandes idées, de prime abord, paraissent excellentes mais elles finissent immanquablement par provoquer l’effet inverse. Au nom de la religion ou au nom de telle ou telle croyance philosophique, politique ou économique, combien de guerres saintes, de calamitées, de morts.

Pas de dieu sans diable, les deux vont de pair. Une aspiration à la perfection encourage l’esprit malin à nous prendre en défauts. Les fidèles contraints deviennent contrits. Ne sachant pas comment atteindre leur but, expier leurs fautes ou expulser leurs frustrations, ils se transforment en exaltés, en enragés, en fous à lier.

Un temple, une église, une synagogue, une mosquée, toutes ces architectures jardinent l’espace et inspirent la clémence. Jamais l’intolérance. Ceux qui ont conçu ces prodiges d’équilibre dans la pierre, ceux qui ont construit de leurs mains ces miracles arc-boutés, ceux qui ont prié la demeurent présents. Par la mémoire de milliards et de milliards de gestes, de louanges, de pardon et de sérénité qu’elles soulèvent, certaines voutes-nous désenvoutent.

Quelque part en chacun, dans les profondeurs de l’âme, se trouve un lieu sacré, un jardin secret, un vrai non-lieu. Un endroit baigné d’une clarté si limpide que l’ombre parait jouer avec la lumière sans s’en offusquer. Un endroit sans envers.

Un endroit si transparent qu’il n’appartient à aucun parti, a aucun bord, a aucun préjugé. La découverte de la part féconde est toujours une expérience impromptue, une révélation subite, une soudaine remise en service, un éclat ou le rire se mêle aux larmes.

Georges Gravé is the Personal Development & Training Manager at the Maia Luxury Resort and Spa

BUY & BOX

Shopping in the UAE? Take a lot more, for a lot less!

For all of your shopping in one box, call 4391048 or e-mail cargocommercial@airseychelles.com

Terms and Conditions Apply. Air Seychelles & Air Seychelles Cargo can’t be held liable for any third-party taxes or fees levied by the local authorities at any side, such as (but not limit to) customs fees, additional handling, storage, import tax,etc.. Items may be subject to import tax or customs duty in the Seychelles: those charges be billed separately by local authorities, APRIL will 2015 | POTPOURRI 26 if applicable. Seychelles Box shipments are subject to standard Terms and Conditions of Air Seychelles & Air Seychelles Cargo.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WITH BERNARD GEORGES

Life, love and law lifestyle? What will the neighbours think? Faced with these uncertainties, she prefers to continue receiving the abuse. It is a classic case.

And classic cases require classic solutions. Don’t listen to her. She needs help. She needs to break out of the circle of abuse. She needs you. Deep down she wants you to do something, but she fears her husband, so she pretends otherwise.

So, don’t listen to her. And certainly don’t listen to her husband. Do what is right by her, and by society.

But, what exactly is that?

Sage advice from our resident lawyer, Bernard Georges

Question: My sister’s marriage is plagued with abuse. I decided that enough was enough and recorded the ‘next’ beating on camera.

Much to my shock she has told me that if I release the video, both her and her husband would take me to court. Can she actually do that?

People are very strange. We will shirk from admitting the obvious, as if to do so is a sign of weakness in us. Your question starkly underlines this reality.

Many people suffering from cancer, for example, will refuse to talk about it, to admit that they have been struck by a terrible disease as if it is their fault. The same phenomenon applies to violent marriages. Many women with abusive husbands go out of their way to protect them, going so far in some cases as blaming themselves for their misfortune. The reason is the same – it usually comes from a mistaken sense of inferiority. When it doesn’t, it comes from something just as bad – dependence. Many women in unhappy and abusive marriages feel they are stuck there. Some have nowhere to go, others have no jobs and need the income provided by the husband, yet others feel that their friends will look down at them. In many cases, the friends will do so because they have advised the abused wife to get out long before.

The abusive husband thrives on this dependence of his wife on him, on her insecurity. That is why he gets away with it. That is why he repeats the

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abuse. The sad thing is that the abusive husband often has a complicit partner in his abused wife.

The wife would rather put up with the abuse than contemplate having to start all over again. It is a thoroughly sad affair.

Women in abusive relationships need all the help they can get. The abuse often has turned them into objects, into automatons. In many instances they can no longer think straight. Once they have convinced themselves that the fault for their situation lies with them rather than with their thug of a husband, the situation calls for desperate measures. The situation is made worse by the fact that humans are by nature insular. We do not like change. We will put up with a clearly desperate situation in the hope – often forlorn – that things will get better. That is why so many people throughout history have not escaped from awful situations while they still could, only to realise much too late that things rarely get better if left unattended.

The reaction of your sister here fits perfectly into the norm. You mean well. You can’t see her constantly abused. You want to help. You offer your services. And what do you get in return?

The threat of legal action. Your sister is beyond being able to help herself. She fears her husband.

She fears the beating she will inevitably get if he feels that she asked for your assistance. But, worse, she fears the unknown. What will happen to her if you do something to assist her? Will she be thrown out? Will she lose her children, her

Superficially, you can’t use the pictures or video you have taken. The two persons in it don’t want you to. It is their private life, so you cannot use them. They have a right to privacy, even in this case. If you use the pictures they can take you to court for breach of their privacy. But you can still do lots. You have witnessed a beating. This is an assault. It is a criminal offence. As a citizen you have a duty to report it to the police. Do that. Go to the police and make a statement that you have seen your brother-in-law beat your sister. Lodge a criminal complaint. Ask them to prosecute him.

It will not be easy. The police are reluctant to interfere in private domestic matters, preferring to ask the parties to deal with the problem as a civil case. In any event, when the police interview your sister she will likely deny everything – remember, she is under the thumb of her abusive husband. Or, if they do prosecute him, he will ask her to withdraw the case. He will put pressure on her until she does. All this is going to happen, as night follows day. That’s the way it goes all the time.

So, what to do? Grab your sister and take her to the police Family Squad and force her to make a complaint. Take her to the Family Tribunal and file a domestic violence complaint. Push her to do something. Find ways to get to her when her husband is not around. It will not be easy. She will fight you as hard as he will. But don’t let up.

When you have tried everything and have got nowhere you still have one thing. Remember the pictures? Use them. Tell your sister you will use them. Tell her you don’t care if they take you to court. Give them to the police. Show them to the Family Tribunal. I promise you one thing: your sister and her husband will not take you to court.

They won’t dare. And, if they do, no court will give them any relief. So, stare them down. You are doing the right thing here. You are protecting your sister. And if they do take action against you, well that’s worth a trip to court, isn’t it?

Educated at Seychelles College and Cambridge University, Bernard Georges has two Masters Degrees – in the law of divorce and in canon law, the law of the church. He is best known as a lawyer, having been in private practice for over 30 years. Over the past ten years, he has also been a member of the National Assembly. He is currently a part-time lecturer in law at the University of Seychelles, where he teaches Constitutional Law. And, he is a budding writer. He has written and published two novels to date and he promises many more books on history, law and Seychelles.

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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SPORTS PERSONALITY

Court crossing

with Klaus Pragassen

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SPORTS PERSONALITY

The multi-talented footballer, tennis player and squash champion chats to Hanifa Francois about sports, life and everything in between

I must admit that before this article, I was not that au fait with squash as a sport. Probing some of my friends, it appeared neither were they. The opportunity to meet and interview last year’s best squash player of the year, Mr. Klaus Pragassen, meant I had to brush up on my knowledge.

A basic description of squash, according to Wikipedia. com, descries the following: “Squash is a racquet sport played by two (singles) or four players (doubles) in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball. The players must alternate striking the ball with their racquet and hitting the ball against the playable surfaces of the four walls of the court. The game was formerly called squash racquets, a reference to the “squashable” soft ball used in the game (compared with the harder ball used in its parent game racquets)” .

“His comeback was encouraged by the constant support from the current players and chairman of the squash association. Despite the fact that he joined during the mid-season, it didn’t affect his performance as Klaus was awarded the Best Player Award for 2014, something that was very unexpected, and which also goes to show how much talent he has as a squash player.”

Sounds like fun to me. Yet this racquet sport gets little to no recognition in Seychelles, possibly owing to the fact that it isn’t as publicised as sports like football, tennis, swimming, athletics and the like.

But this didn’t stop Klaus from aspiring to be a professional squash player, from the age of 19, when he was a key asset to the sport. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, he had to put his life as a squash player on hold to focus on other aspects, such as being a dedicated football player. But like any other passion, it haunts you, calls you out and demands to be regaled. This is what pulled him back eight years after his departure, to make a comeback in the mid-season of 2014.

His comeback was encouraged by the constant support from the current players and chairman of the squash association. Despite the fact that he joined during the mid-season, it didn’t affect his performance as Klaus was awarded the Best Player Award for 2014, something that was very unexpected, and which also goes to show how much talent he has as a squash player.

So what got him interested in squash in the first place?

He tells me that he was a tennis player at first and got introduced to squash by American Squash player John Daniels, who one day took him to the court and showed him what it was about. It definitely tickled his fancy as he decided then and there to migrate from tennis to squash.

During his career as a squash player, Klaus has earned multiple wins during the Seychelles Open squash tournament and has had the chance to participate in the Mauritius Open tournament, where the players’ skill levels are more competitive than those of Seychelles.

This didn’t pose a threat to Klaus as when he made his big come back, he was more than prepared and found that he is a better player than before. With the aid of research done via Internet and constant practice, putting what he learnt to use on the court, Klaus is all about leveling up his game play in the hopes that the Seychelles Squash team gets the chance to participate in inter island competitions with countries such as Mauritius and Reunion.

This all makes Klaus out to sound like someone who obsesses over squash – and while he does love what he does, his life is multi-dimensional. If you’ve been to Nouvobanq or happened to pass through Bel Air district, you’ve probably noticed the guy who’s always smiling from cheek to cheek. He seriously does love to smile and it’s quite hard to not do the same while in his presence as you can clearly see that he is a happy man, leading a happy life and being the introvert that he is, his charming smile is his way of expressing it.

Other than juggling his career at Nouvobanq alongside being a sportsman, he is also father to a five year old son, Micah, who happens to be quite the aspiring sportsman at such a young age! The little charmer plays golf with his grandfather, football and squash with daddy and also got selected to be on the athletics team for his school.

Talk about putting all that childhood energy to good use!

He definitely makes his parents proud and it comes as no surprise that Klaus wishes his son stays on that track and follows in his footsteps. Klaus hopes to someday be a squash coach when he fully retires from the competitive game; Micah might be lucky enough to have one of the greats, in addition to being his dad, as his coach.

Given his introverted, low-key personality, it isn’t surprising that Klaus pointed out how he prefers squash to any other sport as he feels more at ease in his space and revels in the minimal risk of injury while playing, compared with his previous football career, where he played for teams like Bel-Ombre, Cable & Wireless, Northern Dynamo, St Louis and Victoria City. When he’s not busy with sport and work, he prefers to spend his time with his son and his girlfriend, relaxing at home rather than being out and about.

When I asked him if he had any parting words, he said “I feel that the youth of today have too many distractions and not the good kind, they lack discipline and fail to see the positive aspect of sports. They rather go towards things that will only make their lives complicated!”

For those of you inspired by him and with a desire to learn more about squash or maybe even join the Seychelles Squash Association, you can watch matches that are held every two months at the Mont Fleuri Squash Court, a detailed itinerary and further information can be obtained from NSC.

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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MINDFUL LIVING

VIEW FROM THE STATION

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES...

When we listen – really listen – and observe the world around us, there is so much to be learnt. By Jenny Gilbert Not a day goes by when I am not introduced to a new concept and an ancient truth that piques my interest to want to share it here. My brain gets easily scrambled with exciting information as a result so it is just as well that I know that out of chaos comes order. When I succumb to that wisdom and finally sit down to pen my thoughts I’m always ready - but it is nonetheless a struggle to decide on the topic.

For the past few days I was set on writing on a particular subject. Being called away for assistance to transform a spa on Praslin into a Virtues affiliate at short notice, I was ripped away from my normal weekly schedule which meant that my article would be in late. Stressed by this, I sought an extension from the editor of Potpourri and decided not to worry about it. I knew I would have an easy task of finally writing the article because the topic was set and the article all worked out.

Until I tried to brush my teeth on waking up this morning to discover that we had no water.

The simple expectation of having running water whenever I choose is a concept borne of privilege. Most of the population of the world has to fetch water from wells or streams miles away from home, yet the idea of having to run to one of our rain water collection tanks (we have several) to tap out water a mere 15 or so meters from our back door was enough to almost drive me over the edge. We have another rather large holding tank connected to the main water service supplier with a powerful pump to circulate the water and maintain pressure for several days, even weeks, without supply but a burst pipe in the main system coupled with our now crippled, burnt-out pump has resulted in not a drop of water passing through our building. With a factory to run, a restaurant, hotel and spa to keep afloat it isn’t difficult to imagine my level of frustration. Our establishment had been brought to its knees today despite our efforts to ensure this would not happen – yet the show must go on!

With our dependency on water, nothing seemed as urgent as getting dishes washed, toilets flushed and linen laundered. And no matter what, I have an article to write which is now totally changing direction.

I have experienced that the moment one makes the conscious decision to actively strive for humanity, to believe fully in the life of the spirit and the infinite wisdom that abounds, the lessons come faster and more graciously without effort. Everyday incidents hold the key to new knowledge and we can choose to shroud these incidents in drama or embrace them for the lessons they hold.

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New houses, new furniture, new streets, new clothes, new sheets, everything new and machine-made sucks life out of us and makes us cold, makes us lifeless the more we have. ~ D H LAWRENCE ~ Everyone who knows The Station is aware of the character of our project.

We are almost entirely recycled, renewed, reused, repaired, restored, reloved, regenerated. From the roof cappings that have been transformed into beautiful lights in our cafe, to the fallen albizia from our gardens brought to life through golden sheets of counter tops in our restaurant and spa, our intention and commitment has been to give life and reenergize everything that comes into The Station. The foundation of my work is to support and enable all who enter our place to learn about the nature of energy healing in its many forms. So it is a joy to energetically heal everything and everyone on our property, allowing the energy to shine which it does given the space, a generous dose of love and some gentle nurturing.

Almost everyone coming here has recognized that something is different.

They feel it and, as so many have said, The Station has soul. I believe that this is an accurate description of our place in the mountains. What most do not see is how we are slowly, deliberately and conscientiously moving towards a permanent culture on our estate as an example of how to lighten our load on the planet.

We managed to get through our day with difficulty and thankfully we had plenty of stored rain water, but I know that were our rain water, waste water (grey and black) systems already connected in line with Permaculture principles we would never have to deal with such difficulty again.

So what stops us from making our lives that much simpler while working in harmony with the laws of nature and the universe? While everyone I know has a concept of what organic gardening is all about, few know anything at all about Permaculture. Hailed as the real pioneer of permanent culture, Both of these enlightened individuals simply honoured ancient methods of living in harmony with nature based on listening to and observing it. Much like we do with Homeopathy to heal an individual.

Simply put, Permaculture is a healing system. It heals by seeking to restore balance to the global environment, itself an organism. It does this using laws that are true, tried, tested and irrefutable. Over time, this living concept changes our respect for all living organisms, from people to animals, earthworms and bacteria. Much more than being ‘organic’ Permaculture is consciously designing places (including gardens, laundries, water and energy systems) where we live and work that are high yielding, regenerative and sustaining, require minimum effort for maximum output, are ethical, caring for the land and the people and that generate surplus for sharing.

My hope is that if you’re reading this article you will spend a little time looking up Permaculture on the web. You may be pleasantly surprised at how easily you can apply its principles in your daily life. You might be sufficiently motivated to start a Permaculture project in your own home, in your garden or at work, or at least want to find out more. Life really does make more sense when we apply nature’s laws of reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling. Most importantly, you’ll learn that Permaculture informs us about redesigning our environment which is where it makes its biggest contribution.

Perhaps, like us, you will develop wonderful potions to keep caterpillars off your chinese cabbages without killing these creatures, or you’ll start seeing tired flowers and foliage in your vases as an opportunity to replant, producing new plants instead of dumping them in the garbage or on the compost (which at least is regenerative!).

It has been an absolute pleasure to start applying permaculture principles while developing our estate into a food forest instead of trying to create the more conventional organic vegetable beds. Slowly our gardening staff are starting to see that sweeping away leaves to make gardens look neat only serves to destroy the soil, creating unnecessary feeding of border plants which would be far happier being fed by micro-organisms burrowing under fallen leaves. They’re learning to love the gardens they tend which grow stronger day by day because they’re caring about what is going on under the soil rather than what is simply growing on top. And I see these individuals glowing more vibrantly as they realise that they are connected to the soil and everything that surrounds them.

New houses, new furniture, new streets, new clothes, new sheets everything new and machine-made sucks life out of us and makes us cold, makes us lifeless the more we have. ~ D H Lawrence ~ As I finish this article listening to “What a difference a day makes”, I think The Station is smiling. I’m hoping that it won’t be too long now when we’ll have our different water systems fully integrated into the holistic organism that is The Station so that our dependence on what has become an entitlement and an expectation will finally be converted into the abundance that only nature can provide.

Jenny Gilbert is the founder and owner of Everglow Ltd, the island’s premier natural health manufacturers and service providers. She is also Director of Wellness at Resonate Wellness at The Station. Homeopathy is a well recognised system of natural medical treatments for most diseases and conditions. Please visit http://www.thestationseychelles.com/ reflections or email wellbeing@thestationseychelles.com

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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MINDFUL LIVING

Brushing my teeth in half a small cup of water gave me a moment to reflect. In an instant I chose to connect to the lesson rather than focusing on literally being disconnected from the matrix. And so this article is going to focus on our developing project here at The Station, our passion for permanent culture and what this strange thing called Permaculture actually is.

AGONY AUNT

This month Annalisa offers advice for a grieving single mother and a struggling friendship

Q: Dear Annalisa, I recently and suddenly lost my partner; not only is my heart broken, but I have been left a single mother. I don’t know how to deal with the grief. There are good days and bad days and I know I need to be strong for my child.

Besides this tragedy completely shaking our world, it has also put financial strain on me. How do I begin to put my (our) life back together?

Natalie, 29

A:

Dear Natalie, First of all, my sympathy for your loss.

The loss of someone special is always difficult and there are no shortcuts to dealing with the thoughts and emotions associated with that loss. In both sudden and anticipated death, there is pain. However, while the grief is not greater in sudden death, the capacity to cope may be diminished because the mourner is shocked and stunned by the loss. Mourners are overwhelmed. The loss is so disruptive that recovery is almost always more complicated, given that the mourner’s adaptive capacities are severely assaulted. Hence their ability to cope is critically injured that functioning may be seriously impaired.

“As exhausting and unappealing as all this may sound, research has shown that in order to grieve in a healthy way, the mourners need to both spend time in grieving for the person and somehow continue to live and to function.”

It is difficult to predict the duration or the course of your grieving process because your grief is unique in the sense that no one else has had the same relationship you had with your spouse. Besides the circumstances surrounding his death, your grieving experience will also be influenced by any other losses you may have experienced, your emotional support system, and your cultural and religious background. In all, you will grieve in your own special way.

The single most important factor in dealing with the loss is having a good support system and making good use of it. It is important to express your thoughts and feelings with those close to you who care. Allow others to

help you by listening to your sorrows, and even in assisting with aspects of your daily life and routine. Yet keep yourself busy, do things with friends, spend time with your child, take up a new hobby or learn a new skill (one which you may eventually incur an income from).

As exhausting and unappealing as all this may sound, research has shown that in order to grieve in a healthy way, the mourners need to both spend time in grieving for the person and somehow continue to live and to function. So take care of yourself by getting adequate rest and eating well. Consider taking a “one-day-at-a-time” approach that will allow you to grieve at your own pace. So that you may slowly pick up the pieces.

Grief can sometimes trigger other psychological issues that can require psychotherapy. So don’t hesitate to seek an appointment with a mental health professional if need be.

Q: Dear Annalisa, My best friend and I are very close, as best friends should be, and our kids, close in age, have regular play dates. While I’m happily married, my friend broke up with her long term partner three years ago. She’s had two relationships since but has been single for a year. She is loyal, funny and a great cook. She is also, as we found out seven weeks ago, HIV positive. I know it’s terrible, but I find myself putting distance between us now. I don’t mean to be judgmental, but I have kids and they’re all I can think about. How do I overcome this and be the friend she deserves?

Marjory, 37

A: Dear Marjory, Think of the situation being reversed. You being in your friend’s place; a separated, single mother, looking to start over, failing to use protection, and knowing you are now HIV positive.

It might be hard for you to imagine yourself in that situation. For simply you have a different reality, being “happily married. Plus somehow, it is way too easy for all of us to believe, “it could never happen to me”. While the reality is it could happen to any one of us. And now it has become your best friend’s reality. So what does that mean for your friendship?

I could be wrong, but somehow I don’t think I am, in saying that the furthest thing from your best friend’s mind right now, is losing you as a friend.

Having said that, I believe you are coming from a place of fear, a place that harbours little knowledge on HIV/AIDS, a place of several misconceptions and fear about contracting and being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. When someone is diagnosed with HIV it can be emotionally draining for them, but it is not uncommon to also affect those close to the person.

So ultimately, as much as your friend needs information and guidance about her condition, so do you. You need sufficient information to deal with any irrational fear and other misconception that is driving you away from your best friend. Either make a separate appointment with a doctor to clarify any issues and ask questions. Or better still, if you are able to discuss your fears with your friend, ask if you may join her on one of her review appointments.

All in all, keep revisiting the originals thoughts: How would you like your best friend to treat you, if the situation was reversed.

Best wishes for your friendship.

Annalisa Labiche is a practicing Clinical Psychologist with over five years experience. She completed her Bachelor of Art (Psychology) degree and Masters in Psychology in Australia. She gives advice on a multitude of subjects, including relationships, parenting, family issues, psychological disorders, substance misuse amongst many others.

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Life, love and everything else Moutya is an existing testimony to the lives of the slaves during the plantation era and a dance influenced by our African ancestors. Working on the plantations, the fields and beaches; these open air areas were the only places where the slaves could entertain themselves, hence why Moutya is performed outside in the open air. This open-air practice hasn’t changed and also suits the island life perfectly.

Although Moutya has now regained its place as a popular dance form and a very important feature of the Seychellois Kreol identity, let us not forget that in the past the dance itself was an integral part of the communities’ expression for freedom of speech in an environment where they were oppressed.

Shake it

Beating drums. Singing. A Blazing Bonfire.

This can only be spirited Moutya!

There is no denying that people of Seychelles are heirs to cultural elements that have derived from distant lands on the continent of Africa and Asia; the Moutya is a living testimony of that. In a dance, the story of a country can be told; the history of its people and its ethnic roots. Many years ago I was sat in a riveting conversation with a certain historian called Mr Norbert Salomon about the exhilarating dance of Moutya. It was then that I realized what an archive this dance form was in itself and what a rich culture we had been entrusted with.

It was also then that I realized that we had a testing task ahead of preserving it – not only the Moutya but all the other facets of our culture.

Alexandria Faure is a freelance writer with a degree in Drama & Theatre Arts and hopes to pursue a masters in the near future. She is passionate about preserving the unique Kreol culture and heritage of Seychelles, and her hobby is researching different cultural aspects of Seychelles and the historical stories behind them. She hopes to share ideas and thoughts drawn from her life experiences in her articles.

FEELING DOWN The key to not being disappointed in life, is not expecting too much, says Celia Ponzo Being let down is a terrible thing. It’s like the ground shaking beneath your feet. I’m sure that everyone has experienced this feeling sometime before – whether on a minor or major scale.

We can be let down by various things in life – from friends, family and partners, to our boss, a poor result on a test, a bad movie (that was supposed to be good!) or an experience… the list is endless.

The problem with being let down is that it creates feelings of sadness, disappointment, anger, frustration, dissatisfaction and resentment – all of which are very toxic to our mind and body. These feelings are negative and not only do they make us feel bad, but while we are experiencing them they are also harming us physically, as they encourage the body to release hormones that create imbalances.

In order to avoid these feelings we have to ask: what causes us to feel let down in the first place?

The answer is simple: EXPECTATIONS.

WELLBEIN G

We set expectations in our minds for everything we do and every person we meet. We expect things to unravel in a particular manner and when they don’t we become disappointed. We expect people to act a certain way and when they don’t we get even more disappointed. We expect our friends to say certain things at particular times and then we get sad if they don’t. We expect to get a promotion at work and when that doesn’t happen we get frustrated and angry.

The key is to not have such high expectations. Not to expect people to act and behave like me. It would not be fair of me to expect someone to act the same way about a situation as I would. Simply because we are all different beings, from different backgrounds, having lived different journeys and been given different teachings in life.

By taking away expectations we can also be pleasantly surprised by situations and have positive responses simply because we did not expect anything in the first place.

I have been recently disappointed and deeply let down which lead me to a lot of anger within. I realised that I was so angry that it created feelings of extreme anxiety and at the same time it lead to me getting a fever. My body temperature was raised so high from my anger, which showed me once again how the mind and body are intertwined. All of the emotions I was feeling were so negative but I needed to get them out; once they were out though I chose not to continue on that path and to just forgive and accept the situation.

Next time I will try and avoid the stage of anger and try my best to just let it go by telling myself that it was me in the first place that had placed a particular expectation on the situation. If I do not manage next time, I will not judge myself as at the end of the day we are only human and it is extremely difficult to control and manage strong emotions but I believe it all comes with practice!

Célia is passionate to inspire happier and healthier lives by sharing holistic tips to her public. Her background is in medical anthropology and public health. She is currently working in the nutrition unit at the ministry of health.

APRIL 2015 | POTPOURRI

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PARENTING

Healthy Parenting Habits It’s tough being a parent. It’s also very tiring! Here Nathalie Hodgson shares six ways to keep your cool and maintain your energy

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Ever crawled into bed at night physically and mentally exhausted? Is this becoming a frequent occurrence? Lying there, you often wonder why you are as tired, when the day was nothing out of the ordinary. Being a parent is a 24 hour job, even if you are not actually with your children around the clock. So in the month of World Health Day here is a list of actions you can take to keep your energy pockets high on every level.

Time for yourself should be high on your weekly to do list. If you are less stressed, taking each task as they come and enjoying the moment with grace and a sense of calm. Try your best to schedule it in, not only some personal down time but an activity you enjoy, a hobby or passion.

Stop worrying There is no question that this is the hardest one of them all. We do it without even knowing and each parent for a different reason. Parenting is trial and error, with a mix of common sense and lots of love. Yes she maybe struggling with math, yes he always feeds the dog his vegetables at dinner (and lies about it). The load of washing from the holidays two weeks ago is still not done and the back car seat floor will be seen again, one day. Ask yourself, what really matters, now, this moment? Take a deep breath, list your priorities for today and take one day at a time.

Give love, love and more love

As parents it seems like your entire adult life is between the time your children go to bed and you go to sleep. This may not be a long period for some. So time for yourself should be high on your weekly to do list. If you are less stressed, taking each task as they come and enjoying the moment with grace and a sense of calm, will be noticed and reflected by the little people around you. Try your best to schedule it in, not only some personal down time but an activity you enjoy, a hobby or passion.

There is no question that no matter how bad your child’s behaviour, if you show them the right way with love and gentility in your approach they will not only learn faster but more likely to never repeat it again.

True discipline is teaching and guiding children through a variety of constructive, positive and helpful approaches. This is not that easy though, it takes more energy, time and effort, and we all lose our temper and raise our voices at some point. However hitting a child is no way to gain control. Each hit or nasty word said in anger leaves a scar. It registers with children deeper than you know and will resurface again with even higher stakes. Think about it closely, was knocking over the glass of water at the dinner table really all that bad to warrant the screaming, hitting and crying? Don’t get sucked into the anger, be there for your child, teach them to correct their behaviour without all the drama and trauma. If you were treated with anger when you were a child, remember it and feel it.

Remember how bad it felt? So why would you want to inflict the same hurt on your children?

Don’t get sucked into the anger, be there for your child, teach them to correct their behaviour without all the drama and trauma. If you were treated with anger when you were a child, remember it and feel it.

Drop the competition Keeping up with the Jones’ will only cause more stress and strain in your life. Live simply and fully and whatever you can afford for your children now is just right so make the most of it. Losing sleep over your children’s accomplishments will also create tension in yourself and with your children. Give them an environment to learn as much as they can on equal grounds, without the added pressure of your expectations. Assistance and a little persuasion is occasionally required however if things do not work out they can become easily discouraged when they learn to always measure themselves against a peer or sibling. Everyone is different and there are many ways to be wonderful, a winner and special.

Smile more Parenting is the hardest thing most people will ever have to do (but without even noticing). Kids do and say the funniest things ever. Record them, write them down and most of all don’t miss them (because your too busy), laugh with them, because it’s that smile and laugh that can change everything. Look for these fun moments and make them teachable moments. Meet up with friends (with or without children) that lift your spirits and make you laugh.

Stay creative Can’t find the other sock, declare it ‘crazy sock day’. Your child had a tantrum in the middle of a busy shopping mall, join them or pick them up, smile and walk away. Newborn not sleeping and you are at wits end, turn on the music and dance around the house a little (at least it will calm your nerves) and try a new tactic. Never get too serious, children will appreciate your sense of humor and more likely assist you with a trying situation if they know you are not ‘ The Hulk’ about it (especially teenagers).

There is no secret to being a good parent and if anyone who tells you otherwise it is a lie. Even with all of the maddening things that come along each day, being someone’s mommy or daddy is one of life’s most rewarding experiences. Wouldn’t you agree?

MAKE THE ORDINARY COME ALIVE “Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable, but it is the way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life.

Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples and pears.

Show them how to cry when pets and people die.

Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand.

And make the ordinary come alive for them.

The extraordinary will take care of itself.”

William Martin, The Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents

Nathalie Hodgson is a writer, mother, PR & Marketing consultant, Doterra essential oils consultant and yoga instructor, juggling this whilst raising two kids, running her own business and enjoying the most of life.

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PARENTING

My time

FASHION 37

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FASHION

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BEAUTY

Essentials in your bag Move over lipstick and mascara, there are more important necessities that should take priority, says Marie France Watson Some women would disagree that diamonds are a girl’s best friend and insist that their bag (the one they carry around with them everywhere) deserves the title – and for good reason. A story unfolds every time a woman empties her bag; one that causes men to question our sanity and at the same time one that tells a little bit about the type of woman we are. Irrespective of whether your name makes the list of the top five fashionistas at Boardwalk or you are a mum of three who has had the same bag for the past five years there are some essentials which we can make all our lives easier.

Vaseline

In almost every shop these days you can find the plastic tubs on the shelves. The great news is that they come in small sizes and you can choose between aloe vera and cocoa butter. The benefits of Vaseline are vast; from a great lip balm to tidying up eyebrows to adding a shine on make-up free eyes, it’s a handbag must.

Wipes

Marketing campaigns target babies as far as wipes are concerned but don’t fall for it. Wipes are great to refresh your face or hands when you’re stranded somewhere without a ladies’ room. Spilled something over lunch? You won’t fret as much if wipes are nearby and can minimise the damage right there and then. You have kids? We do not need to explain that one!

Gum/Mint

In line with the above, unpleasant breath is not something you want to be associated with. While there are very few reasons why you should leave your house without brushing your teeth, gum or mint would provide a temporary solution to the problem. If you find yourself doing this often (anytime more than once a year), pack a travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste in your bag too.

Tweezers

Many of us do not have the time to make sure our brows are always looking their best. Vaseline helps to keep them in place, but depending on how you score on the unruly scale, plucking a few out of place ones out can go a long way to improving your look for an unexpected meeting / date / lunch. Plus, you never know when you may get a splinter or need them to act as a makeshift screwdriver.

Compact mirror

To pluck your brows you’ll need one of those. You’ll also need it to check your lipstick on your way to a party, mascara smudge after a funeral and what got stuck between your teeth after lunch.

Deodorant

This depends on a few factors – do you walk or cycle to work? Do you go to the gym during the day? Do you sit really close to your colleague? If the answer to all of those is yes then you need to have one in that bag. Or at least a body spray for a refresh during the day.

Miniature Perfume

There’s something uplifting about a dab of your favourite scent half way through the day. Miniature bottles are perfect since they are both small enough and light enough.

Safety pins

Even expensive designer clothes can sometimes suffer from human imperfections. A broken zip or a tear when you are far from home can cause a panic. Tip: Save the little ones that come with price tags from new buys and always take the complimentary sewing kits from fancy hotels – they’re the perfect size for your bag.

Hair bits and bobs

Bobby pins and hair elastics are what we are talking about. We don’t need to explain that one. How we go through 1000 a year remains a mystery.

Your bag probably needs a regular refill.

Aspirin

Unfortunately, headaches never send memos when they’re on their way and get a kick from surprising us each time. Make the last time it surprised you the very last time. Throw a pack in your bag. You’ll spare yourself pain and become the most-liked person in the office. Note: Consult your doctor/pharmacist before taking any medication.

Notebook and pencil

You never know when you will have to write down something of major importance and your phone dies. Ideas and reminders come to mind at unpredictable times so keep a mini notepad closeby. And why a pencil? No one steals pencils. It’ll remain a companion longer than a pen.

Minimum cash

Yes we now live in a “plastic cash” world but how many times has the ATM failed you? Only you know what minimum amount you will need a day. Have it in cash in your purse.

Panty liner/tampon/pad

Ladies, two is enough. One for you and one for that hopeless friend.

Band Aids

Breaking into new shoes? Guess who might show up? Maintain comfort with band aids in your bag pocket. Aside from blisters, paper cuts and other minor incidents are always a possibility.

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FITNESS

FUNCTIONAL TRAINING

& FITNESS

What is functional training and why is it so beneficial? Hassan Al-Ameri explains…

A lot of gym goers consider themselves “fit” but in order to determine that, it’s important that we understand what “fitness” actually is.

Coach Greg Glassman has, in my view, the best view of fitness: “There are ten recognised general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. You are as fit as you are competent in each of these ten skills. A regimen develops fitness to the extent that it improves each of these ten skills.”

So, having said that, ask yourself again….”Am I REALLY fit?”

Imagine a big bucket, full of ping-pong balls. On those ping-pong balls are written exercises with a set/rep/time range. The possibilities are almost limitless! The fittest person will be the one who can perform more of these tasks better than anyone else. Think about it. It makes sense!

“FUNCTIONAL TRAINING, IMPLEMENTED CORRECTLY, WILL SERVE YOU MUCH BETTER IN ACHIEVING YOUR FITNESS GOALS.” It’s because of these theories that my underlying principle as a trainer exists: Never sacrifice one element of fitness in pursuit of another!

Functional training incorporates functional movements. These are movements that are transferable into many real-world applications. The deadlift, for example, is very commonly used by almost everybody, on a daily basis. Think about it. Every time you lift something up off the floor, you are essentially performing a deadlift!

By performing functional movements you ultimately make your everyday life much easier. This is why functional training is so important!

The human body is an amazing piece of engineering, designed perfectly

by Mother Nature. We are predisposed to moving synergistically.

Basically, our muscles work in tandem with one another…. in groups.

It’s for this reason that functional training will give you the greatest increases in strength.

Think about it like this, have you ever in your life seen anybody doing anything that resembles a bicep curl, in any situation outside of a gym… ever? Of course you haven’t! It’s a functionally useless movement. These types of isolation movements are good for building what I would call “mirror muscle”.

Mirror muscle is exactly what it sounds like: good to look at, pleasing on the eye, but ultimately not very useful.

Functional training, implemented correctly, will serve you much better in achieving your fitness goals. Take me, for example; I do a lot of pullups. This means I could – if I chose to – perform well at bicep curls. The same cannot be said conversely, however. Just because you are good at bicep curls, does not necessarily mean you can complete even a single pull-up!

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Just because you want to lose weight, doesn’t mean you need to be weak. Conversely, being strong doesn’t mean you can’t be fast and agile.

Train to be a model of fitness rather than a “fitness model”.

To conclude then, a functional approach to your training will offer you the greatest progress with regards to FITNESS. It ultimately depends on your target, though. If you want to be a swimsuit model or a bodybuilder then fitness won’t be a concern to you. Your goals are purely visual; and that’s fine! But please, please, please DO NOT confuse size or body fat percentage with fitness.

“If you base medicine on science, you cure people. If you base the design of planes on science, they fly. If you base the design of rockets on science, they reach the moon. Science works... b**ches.” – Richard Dawkins Until next time…

Yours in Health & Fitness, Hassan

Hassan is a Master Trainer from the European Institute of Fitness, living on Mahé. For any further advice on health and fitness, you can contact Hassan directly on: Tel: +248 2568629 Email: h.al-ameri@hotmail.co.uk

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CONSERVATION

SPEAK UP FOR THE EARTH! Let’s all get together and do our bit for the planet says Micehele Martin April 22nd is earth day – a day to remember and celebrate the beauty and bounty of planet earth, and all those who are working hard to protect it. For those of us who are employed in the environmental sector, we are used to being labeled “environmentalists” and accept the responsibility that people place on us and our organisations to safeguard the natural environment and biodiversity. But beyond those who earn a living from working for the environment, there is a growing movement of citizens who are advocating for environmental justice and protection as part of their daily lives civic duty.

Environmental activism has been growing worldwide since the 1970s when scientists started to better understand how all of our industries and other human activities are affecting the water, air, soil, biodiversity and climate. People have

used different tactics over the years to protest against environmental damage, including peaceful demonstrations, petitions, letter writing, and even more extreme actions like chaining themselves to trees to stop forests from being cleared. More recently with widening access to the internet, citizens and environmental groups alike use Facebook pages, online petitions and other methods to communicate urgent issues and organise global days of protest and action. A great example of this was the huge People’s Climate March in New York City in September 2014 and included among the 300,000+ participants a Seychellois delegation headed by our own climate change ambassador Ronny Jumeau.

Here in Seychelles we are also seeing an increasing interest in environmental concerns among citizens – you can see this through letters to editors of various newspapers, and participation in public environmental meetings. The recent public participation in the environmental impact assessment process for the proposed Cap Ternay hotel project is an interesting case. The public meeting was packed to the roof with people from all walks of life, who wanted to have their say about the project – and the majority of them were against it. CEPS (formally known as LUNGOS) launched a Save Bay Ternay campaign and had wide support from many environment groups as well as private citizens. The end result - the Government of Seychelles announced the cancellation of the project citing concerns for the project’s environmental impact and the objections raised by the citizens of Seychelles.

THERE IS A GROWING MOVEMENT OF CITIZENS WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND PROTECTION AS PART OF THEIR DAILY LIVES CIVIC DUTY

Another sign of increasing civil society interest and participation in the environmental movement in Seychelles is the growing number of CBOs (Community-based organisations). These are groups of volunteers that sprout up in communities or neighbourhoods to take action to improve the environment or the community in some way.

Right now we have about 20 CBOs in Seychelles! Some are groups of farmers or fishermen from a specific community – and they group together to support each other and also advocate for a stronger voice to participate in national or regional plans e.g. for new fishing facilities in Bel Ombre or Roche Caiman. Many of the others are focused on environmental concerns – protecting rivers, an eroding coastline, mangroves, beaches etc. CBOs have a stronger voice than individuals and slowly they are starting to be recognized as key stakeholders that must be involved in decisionmaking in their communities.

Several of the CBOs are working in collaboration with other partners who give them a hand, for example, Sustainability for Seychelles has organised a few workshops for CBO leaders on climate change, and environmental laws & citizenship.

If you care about the earth and your community, and want to get involved in a CBO, or start one up in your community – contact S4S and we can help you get going, and introduce you to some of the other groups. We are also working on a CBO handbook to help guide citizens through the steps of setting up a group and keeping it going.

Contributed by Ginnie Laurencine for Sustainability for Seychelles, a local NGO whose mission is to promote sustainable living in Seychelles. Contact us on info@s4seychelles.com or tel. 251-9135 or 422-4072. Find us on the web at www.s4seychelles.com or on Facebook.

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Something old, something new

And something green

Hidden away on Cote D’Or beach

Photo Credits; The main photo of the hotel from the beach: Paul Turcotte. ALL other photos: Marsha Dine

The newly renovated Acajou Beach Resort has plenty of noticeable changes. But perhaps even more impressive are the improvements you can’t see There are many Takamaka trees that line the beautiful stretch of beach on Praslin known as Cote D’Or. If they had feelings, and the ability to talk, there is one in particular that would probably tell you how lucky it was.

Massive, old and grizzled, the tree took root some 30 metres behind the beach. For the better part of the past 20 years, it provided a good deal of shade – not to mention an even greater deal of character and natural scenery – for guests residing on the western side of the Acajou Hotel.

When the hotel closed at the end of 2013 for major renovations, part of the planned refurbishment included the construction of an elevated promenade on the entry side of both existing room blocks, well known since the hotel’s inception for their trademark log-cabin façades. The individual staircases to every first-floor room would be removed, in favour of the more practical walkway, but the western block posed a problem: the path went straight through the tree.

It would have to go.

“When we embarked on this project, we made a resolution,” resort general manager Joanise Doway says. “If we had to cut a tree, we would plant two somewhere else. But even so, the idea of cutting this one didn’t sit right with us.”

Re-planting a tree of that age, so heavily rooted down, was not realistic. So what else could be done?

The only answer was an expensive one. The plans were re-drawn, and today guests of the newly re-opened “Acajou Beach Resort,” will notice that, while the promenade on the eastern block is as straight as an arrow, that of the western block arcs wide around the trunk of a massive old Takamaka.

A slight modification, for a not-so-slight addition to the project budget of nearly SCR 200,000. *** The ‘green’ movement is not something new to Acajou, which reopened in mid-December last year. In fact the hotel was originally built with mahogany (Acajou actually means ‘mahogany’ in French) that was specifically planted and cultivated for construction, rather than wood sourced from the conventional logging practices associated with deforestation.

For its 2014 renovation, however, the hotel took its environmental commitments several steps further, investing heavily in a number of ecofriendly features. Foremost among them: a 1.4 million SCR solar project, with a photovoltaic array that currently powers about 50 percent of the hotel’s electricity needs.

“We felt solar was an obvious choice for us,” Ms Doway says. “With the advances in the technology and the timing of our own renovation, it was the right move.”

The project was carried out through a local company and will be expanded in several phases, with the eventual goal of running a fully solar-powered hotel in the coming years.

“It has been a massive investment relative to the size of our hotel,” Ms Doway says, “but we believe it will pay off, not only financially but also as an example that locally owned hotels can and should protect the environment we’ve been blessed with.”

Solar may have been the biggest of Acajou’s ‘green’ investments, but it

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wasn’t the only one. A new sewage treatment plant has been installed on site, and together with a composting project, the hotel aims to reduce the impact of its waste on the environment.

Energy consumption was another core element of the resort’s renovation plans, and efficient LEDs now constitute more than 90 percent of the total lighting on the property. An energy management system is also now in place for every room, which sees the air-conditioning switch off within a few minutes if any of a room’s doors are left open. *** Throughout the renovation process, one concern for the Acajou management was how to harness modern technology while also staying true to the rustic, Creole ambience the property was known for. The early feedback from guests, according to Ms Doway, suggests they got the balance right.

“To appreciate the old it’s nice to be able to see something new,” Ms Doway says, “and we like the idea that guests can enjoy a meal at our main restaurant in a very rustic atmosphere, and then have a completely different experience at the pool bar in a more modern setting.”

The cuisine at Acajou also reflects that contrast, with traditional European, authentic Creole, and exotic Eastern cuisine intertwined throughout the resort’s menus. The multi-cultural makeup of the kitchen staff – which includes Seychellois chefs and counterparts from China, Sri Lanka and the Philippines – was carefully conceived to combine a wide range of unique flavours and creative ideas, Ms Doway says.

The resort’s signature dish is an octopus curry, a Seychellois favourite but with the unusual twist of being served in a coconut half-shell. “It’s something every visitor who comes to Praslin should try,” Ms Doway says of the curry, which is available at both the main restaurant and at the pool bar for lunch. ***

“We’ve created some new areas that are definitely more modern,” she says, noting that the new beachfront deluxe rooms depart from the traditional log-cabin style, boasting a more contemporary ocean theme.

The renovation and expansion has brought Acajou’s room total to 52, with no shortage of accommodation types, from the standard and superior blocks nestled in the garden, to the beachfront deluxe rooms, as well as new family rooms and self-catering apartments.

The new infinity pool is closer to the beach than its predecessor, with a modern raised deck and a brand new bar and restaurant offering just enough height to look out over Cote D’Or beach and the sea. Satellite television in every room, and free wi-fi internet throughout the hotel – be it in the rooms or even poolside – help guests stay connected for another modern touch.

Such diversity of accommodation should allow the resort to attract a wide range of clientele, from the typical honeymooner and romance market, to families and also residents. With Cote D’or offering safe and calm sea conditions virtually all year-round along the beach, an inviting new pool, as well as opportunities for treatments at the resort’s massage suite, Acajou appears primed to be the scene for many a relaxing escape.

But elsewhere, the rich colour of dark wood against the bright shades of the central garden’s greenery, has been preserved. The main concourse of the resort, which houses the reception, front office and the main restaurant and bar, has been expanded, but with the same original feel of open space and wood finishing, typical of an old Creole plantation house.

“We had a good following among Seychellois and resident expats before, and we’re hoping that continues,” Ms Doway says. “With the addition of the children’s pool and the new family rooms, we’d like to see more resident families joining us.”

The Main Restaurant

The new spacious family rooms comfortably sleeps up to 4

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The hotel is even offering a special discounted resident rate from May through to the end of July, to revive interest among locals after the long closure period for the renovations.

“We’re a Seychellois-owned hotel and we’re proud of what we’ve been able to do with the place, so we naturally want to share this with the residents who come to visit,” Ms Doway.

“Not just the hospitality experience on offer, but also the environmentally conscious way that we’ve tried to go about it.”

Acajou’s signature dish: Octopus Curry

Count a grizzled old Takamaka tree among the many that would agree.

SPECIAL RESIDENT OFFER To commemorate its reopening, the Acajou Beach Resort is offering a special discount for residents from 1st May until 31st July 2015, with rates starting from SCR 1,800 per night for a couple on halfboard (inclusive of breakfast and dinner). For reservations and more information, call 4385 300 or e-mail acajou@seychelles.net.

Offer is subject to availability.

The new pool bar and restaurant

The new walkway encircling the Takamaka Tree

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DINING R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W

Veranda Café A beautiful restaurant off the beaten track is the perfect place for a spot of lunch There are many reasons why Veranda Café holds the number one spot on TripAdvisor as the best restaurant in Mahe, Seychelles.

From the location on a quiet road between Port Glaud and Barbarons (adjacent to the new AVANI Barbarons Resort) and the dark wood deck, to the friendly, helpful service and of course, the delicious, flavourful and unfussy food.

The café seating is all on the veranda (hence the name) of an elegant, old-style Creole building, sharing the space with Pineapple Boutique, which sells beautiful locally-made souvenirs and clothing, a great stopover for passing tourists and locals alike, away from the hustle and bustle of Victoria.

Owners Jenni Baldwin and Lynn Tregarthen opened for business in October 2013 and over the last 15 months have seen their cafe increase in popularity and reputation at a very pleasing rate.

“Our intention has always been to provide simple, delicious food using the freshest local ingredients wherever possible and to provide excellent service in the hope of meeting and hopefully exceeding the expectations of our clientele. We are delighted and thankful that this has been reflected in the unbiased views of our customers on Trip Advisor, which has kept Veranda Cafe consistently in the No 1 spot of Mahe restaurants in the last 12 months. “ Mother of two grown up sons (one of whom is Seychelles professional Ironman triathlete Nick Baldwin) Jenni says “our family has always been passionate about good food and having to meet Nick’s healthy, specific dietary requirements over the years has helped to broaden my passion and knowledge, so the opportunity to open the cafe in such a lovely location was really exciting”.

“Our menu varies but always consists of good coffee and tea, fresh fruit juices, salads, curries and pasta dishes as well as a selection of homemade cakes including the very popular and indulgent chocolate brownie”

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“We believe that good food apart, we owe our success to our very small but dedicated all-Seychellois team of four! Our front of house manager, Maryvonne Whitaker ensures that service is always delivered with a smile and nothing is too much trouble as far as the customer is concerned. We are very fortunate to have young Darel Dupres as our chef. He manages his kitchen single-handedly. Darel is committed, hard-working and takes a lot of pride in the presentation of his dishes. Day to day management of the business is handled

by Jenni with Lynn, mother of 3 daughters and with a full-time job assisting at the busy weekends.

DINING

Veranda Cafe is open every day from 11am to 6pm except Wednesdays.

“At present we do accept and welcome dinner reservations with 24-hours notice, but with increasing demand we are looking ahead to opening in the evenings at the weekend in the near future.”

Must-haves on the menu include the wonderfully fresh and light smoked fish salad, any one of the delicious and full-of-flavour curries, the freshly-made lime juice with a zesty zing and save space for banana cake or brownies – both equally delicious, without being too rich.

For further information or to book call Jenni on 2600384 or Lynn on 2594987

Exclusive Distributor:

Mamma Mia (Pty) Ltd t: 4 374 545 | e: mammamia@seychelles.net

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OCCASIONS 49

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Miss Seychelles

Island Jewels

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OCCASIONS 51

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OCCASIONS

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View of the hotel from the beach

Saturday 14 March marked the official grand opening of AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort.

While the hotel had welcomed guests since 2 February, during its pre-opening phase, there were still bits and bobs that needed to be finalised.

The resort was previously Le Meridien Barbarons, and while no changes were made to the original structure of the previous resort, the lobby, restaurants and bars, all guest rooms and suites have been refurbished to meet with the global AVANI standard, according to the resort’s general manager, Manish Jha. Guests at the event were welcomed by AVANI representatives and staff in the beautifully-furnished and spacious lobby and then made their way to the expansive pool area, where a floating stage was setup in the pool.

The grand lobby with high ceilings and vibrant colouring is inviting to guests

“All 124 guest rooms and suites, which offer a balcony or terrace with views of the garden and the ocean, have been redesigned to offer an improved use of space and a host of modern comforts. In addition, we have added new walkways and decking all around the resort and pool, all surrounded by beautifully re-landscaped grounds,” said Mr Jha. Alain St Ange, Minister for Tourism and Culture, said that the government is pleased to see that a hotel that has been part of Seychelles’ tourism landscape for many years has been revamped and reopened under a new brand.

Guests enjoyed live music and dancing throughout the evening under the stars.

For more information and reservations, interested parties are requested to contact AVANI Barbarons Resort and Spa on 467 3000 or email Seychelles@ avanihotels.com

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The elevated outdoor bar area is the best sunset viewing spot

Clean and unfussy lines in the Elements restaurant make the view the focal point

The perfect place to while away your days in the Seychelles

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POP CULTURE

Easy Listening Our new ‘what’s hot’ on the music scene column with Paradise FM’s DJ Ezy D

Jean Marc Volcy – En Leokri Its been a couple of years since the last time we heard from the already certified Seychelles Sega Legend. Alas he is back with En Leokri’ in his typical Jean Marc fashion. The album is exactly what Jean Marc is and has been known for all his life, Real Sega beats and rhythm with catchy almost subliminal lyrics to describe emotions and sentiments. The 12-track album is full of colours and is sure to feature in most parties during the year. The perfect gift for relatives and friends overseas. I caught up with Jean Marc for a radio interview a few weeks ago and he told me the reason he takes a while to release an album is because he likes to really take his time to work on every single song which is a true testament to his craft. When asked about any impending live solo concert he smiled and said there are plans but its just plans for now due to the financial demands for such venture. The song to watch is track 12, Roul Ponm Damour or track 2, Met Delo depending on your moods, no surprise that both are currently Local Radio favourites.

Champion – Yard Flow 3.0 Carrying on from his Yard Flow series, Champion drops Yard Flow 3.0. This 21-Track almost mixtape style album is original to what we have come to expect from Champion. Great lyrics on good beats to almost certainly catch the attention of the youths and music enthusiast alike. Dancehall Mad Champion has come quiet a long way from his first album, some critics might even say he has somewhat gone commercial, however, I for one will defend that. Champion has matured in lyrics, stepped away from the raw somewhat explicit lyrics to a well balanced complete album. Yard Flow 3.0 just like Yard Flow 2.0 is a piece of work that can be listened and enjoyed by the whole family at home or in the car with various genres even Sega and with collaboration in terms of female vocal heavyweight Jany De Letourdie. Champion is sure adding to his fan base with such a diverse album. With the success of his ‘road block’ first Concert at Tequila Boom earlier this year, already under his belt, Champion confirmed another Live Concert soon, however the date remains a mystery for now. I reckon the one to watch on the album is track 2 , In Toultan Ou , However track 6, Dancehall Mode is one the most popular in the Nightclubs and the local party scene. A #Hype Thumbs Up for Champion for this one.

Celebrity cat-fights Madonna BBC Radio 1 Banned?

After failing to play Madonna’s “Living For Love,” supporters of the 56-yearold iconic crooner think that she was disqualified from BBC’s playlist because of her age!

According to report, although the single “Living For Love,” was requested frequently on BBC 1, they transferred Madonna’s BBC Radio 1 song to BBC Radio 2 where they were playing demos of singers of ages 35 and up.

Ouch!

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Drake Disses Kanye West Lyrics In an interview for Rolling Stone in February — Drake not only dissed Macklemore’s, but also said that Kanye West’s lyrical prowess on Album Yeezus was sketchy. Drake didn’t stop there, and went on to say that some of the bars were so horrible that other rappers wouldn’t even have used the same lyrics! Meow…

Not one to back down Kanye replies on this new release, All Day. Hip Hop fans get the popcorn ready, we could be in for a fun summer.

Paradise FM Top 10 Local Songs 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Roul Ponm Damour – Jean Marc Volcy Zanmi Zis En Letan – Higness ft RilThing Belive Dan Love – Mercenary Toultan Ou – Champion Lavi Martiy – Smash Kid Pa Oubliy Nou Lanmour – Danielo ft Taniah Met Delo – Jean Marc Volcy PaySlip – Marathon Man Regard Sa Zetwal – Telsy Carnaval Dan Victoria – Telsy

Top 5 Hits: In the clubs 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ayo – Chris Brown feat Tyga Mercenary – Roula Dancehall Mode – Champion Di Baddest – Mad Cobra Shekini – P Square

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