saturday_20_june_2015 - We Love Seychelles – Sesel Sa

www.today.sc
Saturday 20 June 2015
Newsline
n News
n Sports
n Business
n Life
n Tourism industry: Helping the STA to help oneself
(page 2)
Roman Catholic Church
Bishop Wiehe on his way out
Rumours that Roman Catholic Bishop Denis Wiehe had resigned in reaction to the celebration of
Seychelles’ first gay wedding last week, were denied yesterday by the diocese in Mauritius.
B
n Fantasy football: Winners of third Edition receive
(page 4)
their prizes
n
Constance Ephelia Seychelles: Chef Lu Htet reveals
the tricks of sushi making
SR 10/-
ishop Denis Wiehe has
written to the Vatican
asking to be relieved of
his responsibilities as Bishop of
Victoria, the Catholic Church
has confirmed. Pending the Vatican’s approval, Bishop Wiehe
should step down. This approval, TODAY has learnt has not
been granted yet.
The news however surprised
many in the Catholic Church in
Seychelles. While the diocese
says Bishop Wiehe made an announcement on the radio last
week-end, Catholic priests we
spoke to say they had not been informed of Denis Wiehe’s decision.
This has led to rumours that
Bishop Wiehe’s decision was
linked to his displeasure at Seychelles’ first gay wedding celebrated on Saturday 13 June
by British High Commissioner
Lindsay Skoll at her residence.
Denis Wiehe was appointed Bishop of Victoria on 1 June 202.
But sources at the Diocese in
Mauritius said Bishop Wiehe
had told them the gay wedding
had nothing to do with the Cath-
olic Church and that it was the
Anglican Church that was more
concerned by this.
“When they reach the age of
75, all Bishops are required by
Church law to send their resignation letter to the Vatican
where an ecclesiastic committee will study the request before
approving or rejecting it. If they
do grant approval, then Bishop
Wiehe will step down as Bishop but will continue to act as a
priest”, a source at the diocese in
Mauritius told TODAY.
Asked whether the Vatican has
already approved the request,
our source replies in the negative and adds that as at now, the
issue of Bishop Wiehe’s replacement does not arise. But sources
in Seychelles say it is doubtful
Bishop Wiehe will be replaced
by a Seychellois.
Continued on page 2
International Day of Yoga
(page 7)
More than 1000 people expected at Stad Popiler
A historic event that could find its place in the Guinness book of records.
T
n
A gay soirée
(pages 13)
housands of people are
preparing to gather at
events around the world
to mark the first International
Day of Yoga marked tomorrow,
as India pushes to raise awareness about the ancient discipline.
The idea of a yoga day was
first mooted by Indian prime
minister Narendra Modi, a
yoga practitioner himself, who
spoke about the benefits at the
UN general assembly in November last year. 177 countries
of the 193 members of the UN
co-sponsored this resolution,
Indian High Commissioner to
Seychelles, Sanjay Panda told
TODAY. More than 1000 peo-
ple are expected to attend the
open air yoga session.
Events will be held tomorrow in 177 countries, includ-
A 33-minute public yoga session will take place on Sunday.
ing Seychelles, where yoga
practitioners will gather at
the Stad Popiler at 8am tomorrow for a yoga session
that will last exactly 33 minutes. The yoga sessions will
be held in all 177 at the same
local time of 8am and will all
last 33 minutes.
Yoga lets people “discover the
sense of oneness with yourself,
the world and the nature”, Mr
Modi said at the time.
More than 35,000 people
will gather in New Delhi for
the 33-minute public yoga session, hoping to secure a place
in the Guinness Book of World
Records.
Continued on page 2
12.80
13.55
12.90
13.50
14.50
15.25
14.50
15.25
20.25
21.35
20.25
21.30
p2
Saturday 20 June, 2015
Tourism industry
Helping the STA to help oneself
The Seychelles Hospitality Tourism Association (SHTA) and the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday with the aim to improve the tourism service sector by putting more
value in tourism education.
By A. De Giorgio
P
rofessionalise Tourism education. It is the only way, the
Seychelles Hospitality and
Tourism Association (SHTA)’s
chairperson, Freddy Karkaria
thinks the country will improve its
service sector. “Even though Seychelles has come a long way, there is
still a lot of space for improvement”,
and improvement can only be
achieved, Mr Karkaria said “if the
tourism related stakeholders put
more value in tourism education by
supporting the Seychelles Tourism
Academy”.
It is this with this end in mind
that the SHTA and the Seychelles
Tourism Academy (STA) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) on Wednesday evening at
the STA campus at La Misère.
Flavien Joubert, the STA’s principal explained that like every organisation financed by government,
the Tourism Academy “is allocated
a budget but this is only sufficient
for the payroll, administration and
the daily running of the academy”.
After the bills have been paid, he
added, “the academy is regrettably
left with insufficient funds which
cannot cater for much needed new
courses and other practical training activities. Luckily, over the past
few years, the academy has been
supported by a few tourism related
businesses through amicable and
verbal agreements which without
a doubt made a huge difference to
STA’s principal, Flavien Joubert (L)and SHTA’s
chairperson, Freddy Karkaria following the signing of a MoU.
our students and the tourism service sector”.
The difference the help has made,
Mr Joubert added, is primordial
and the tourism industry cannot afford to lose that advantage or simply continue to rely on luck. “This is
the reason we’re all here today,” the
principal of STA, explained.
The signing ceremony took place
in the presence of government officials such as the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange,
the principal secretary (PS) for
Tourism, Anne Lafortune and the
chief executive officer (CEO) of the
Seychelles Tourism Board (STB),
Sherin Naiken as well as tourism
stakeholders.
Mr Joubert thanked all those
businesses such as ISPC, Mason’s
Travel, Air Seychelles and Beachcomber Hotels for their continuous
support be it through funds or products and services. He then explained
that the aim of the MoU between
STA and SHTA is to strengthen
the bond between the two bodies
and to formalise the existing partnership that the academy has with
some stakeholders whilst seeking
new partners. Through this accord,
both parties will also be able to assist each other in developing human
resources by promoting careers in
travel, tourism, hospitality and aviation, to name but a few.
Helping the STA means helping
oneself, Freddy Karkaria said to
stakeholders in the tourism industry. “STA students are currently the
key individuals who have the power
to change things for the better and
take the hospitality service in Seychelles to another level. So whether
you are a fishing company, a catering establishment or a luxurious resort, you all somehow have an effect
on the tourism industry and it is the
way you take ownership of this sector that will determine your growth
and future,” he explained.
Speaking to TODAY, Flavien
Joubert who shared his opinion on
other tourism issues that he says
seriously worries him. For instance,
he believes that there is something
wrong in the way many hospitality
establishments determine their salary schemes. “I cannot understand
why certain businesses are ready
to pay x amount to their foreign
employees but then somehow will
not pay that same amount to qualified locals who can certainly fulfil
the job requirements. This usually
applies for management posts and
occurs in many hospitality establishments,” he explained.
The evening got even more interesting – for the palate - when
guests were invited to STA’s dining
room to enjoy a traditional Chinese
buffet which was prepared by the
academy’s culinary students under
the supervision of a Chinese chef
who has been in Seychelles since
February to train Food Preparation
and Culinary Arts students and
lecturers. Also present for the dinner was the Chinese ambassador to
Seychelles, Yin Lixian, who was the
guest of honour of the ceremony.
Bishop Wiehe on
his way out
Continued from page 1
Denis Wiehe, this newspaper
was told, turned 75 on 21 May.
His secretary also confirmed
that he is still acting as Bishop.
The Bishop himself was unavailable for comment.
Denis Wiehe was appointed
Bishop of Victoria on 1 June
2002 and will have completed 13
years as Diocesan Bishop on his
retirement, if approved.
It was in November 2014 the
Vatican confirmed that the retirement age for Bishops will
be 75.
More than 1000 people
expected at Stad Popiler
Continued from page 1
In Seychelles, an interactive
panel discussion will be held
at the ICCS and participants
include Minister Vincent Merriton. National Sports Council
CEO Giovanna Rousseau and
four yoga experts consisting of
Robin Hanson, yoga instructor at Nature Seychelles, Adriana Auguste, the chairperson
of the Yoga Association in Seychelles, Dr Joshna Gundecha,
homeopathic doctor at The Station Wellness Centre as well as
Brother Francis from the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual
University in Seychelles.
In his message on the occasion of the first International
Yoga Day, Tourism and Culture
Minister Alain St Ange said that
it was “fitting that Seychelles
should play its part in disseminating knowledge of yoga on
account of our strong ties, both
ethic and cultural with our Indian brethren who have long
made their home among our
islands, enriching our culture in
so many ways. We all look forward to the suite of activities
planned for the International
Day of Yoga that includes open
air yoga sessions, lectures on the
origins and importance of yoga,
a photographic exhibition and
seminars featuring numerous
yoga maestros from India and
local practitioners. Meanwhile,
globally, we are aiming for a
record in the Guinness Book of
records for the most extensive
coordinated yoga sessions on
the planet”.
Mr St Ange added that the
spiritual and physical healing
powers of yoga “have been shown
as hugely beneficial to the way
we lead our lives and I can think
of no more appropriate backdrop
than the natural beauty of the
Seychelles Islands which with
their perfect climate, harmony
and tranquility, offer a unique
opportunity to recalibrate mind,
body and soul according to the
rhythms of nature”.
p3
Saturday 20 June, 2015
Exhibition
Down the constitutional road
A time to remember and to pay tribute.
By AB
A
n exhibition on the evolution and history of
the Constitution was
launched on Thursday at the
Palais de Justice, by the President of the Court of Appeal,
Francis MacGregor in the presence of President James Michel,
Founding President Sir James
Mancham and various dignitaries, members of the diplomatic
corps, the judiciary and the National Assembly.
“At an occasion like this we
look at where this Constitution
came from, at the framers or pioneers of it and at the work they
did and where they are today. It
is a moment of ‘reconnaissance’
of their contributions to the
Constitution of Seychelles,” said
Justice MacGregor. The event
was the last of a series organised
by the Judicial Committee as
part of the celebrations of Seychelles’ very first Constitution
Day. The exhibition will remain
open to the public until next
Thursday.
“The constitutional road is
a well-trodden path that is not
leveled and not downhill but
leads uphill all the way,” remarked lawyer Bernard Georges
in his address. Mr Georges added that the event’s focus was on
the founders present at Thurs-
James Mancham, Bernard Georges, James Michel and Francis
MacGregor at the exhibition.
day’s ceremony. The exhibition,
he claimed had for aim of conveying the main elements of the
22-year period as well as the results achieved nationally during
discussions on the Constitution.
“The exhibits on display are
designed to identify the persons
involved, to show them at work,
to look at what the official press
said about the Constitution Commission, to remind us of that singular moment in our national life
when our then leaders and a fortunate group of persons- chosen
from diverse fields- debated our
future before the cameras which
brought them into our homes
every night over several months,”
he said. He added that the exhibition also displays examples of
public participation in the process which he noted was crucial
to the end result. The exhibition
is conveniently in the form of articles, photographs, objects, judgments and learned papers written
about and concerning the Constitution since 1993.
For his part, Justice MacGregor focused his address in
five parts; the purpose of events,
the Constitutional discussions,
the contribution of the judiciary
towards the Constitution, sources of the Constitution and the
road ahead. He also paid a special homage to three founding fa-
thers and mothers of the Constitution; Danielle de St Jorre, who
was then Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Chamery Chetty, former Finance minister and Karl
Tamatave, who later became a
Member of the National Assembly for Grand Anse Praslin. “The
road or mission does not end
here, there is tomorrow and the
future of its road map or charter,
of which the judiciary remains
in principle and practice the
guardian,” he said.
The ceremony also featured
a report of a letter by lawyer
and rapporteur for the activity, Nichol Gabriel. Mr. Gabriel
briefly addressed some of the
most pertinent issues raised
on Wednesday during discussions on the Constitution such
as National Reconciliation. He
also announced that the full report on the discussions will be
made accessible to all online
soon.
The ceremony concluded with
the guests visiting the exhibition and interacting with one
another. In the words of Bernard
Georges, many of them were already “live exhibitions” having
their own stories and accounts
of events to tell. “In the room,
we have Seychellois equivalents
of Jefferson and Franklin, of
Montesquieu and Voltaire,” Mr
Georges said.
Letter to the Editor
Disclaimer
The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily
those of this newspaper
The past is all they have as
history will judge them
Dear Editor,
As a learned political observer, it saddens me to be exposed to how
pathetic some professed leaders are, with a preparedness to dwell on
the past with selective memories of how selfish, cruel and egocentric
they are whilst refusing to admit they lack the very knowledge and
intellect to lead a country.
They have numerous loyal supporters like epiphytes prepared to
feed on the dying carcass as they know if the current regime is removed from power they have much to lose and there will be the demise of their source of income, influence and the lifestyle they have
become accustomed too, not to mention the repercussion as the
truth is revealed the months that will follow.
You have a pathetic non campus who should be enjoying the billions he has acquired through ill dealing and another who is still bitter about events, the injustice of decades ago, it’s all too boring and
irrelevant for productive conducive politics let alone to benefit the
economy and its inhabitants.
What we need is fresh blood, energy, foresight and a willingness to
challenge the status quo as there is always a better, fairer and more
positive transparent way to move forward on the world stage.
So many opportunities will presents themselves but who has the
will and mettle to lead as an alternative to the present bunch of selfserving rats that are leaving the sinking ship as they know judgement
day is on the horizon?
Let’s be fair here - everyone in politics globally always have good
intentions when they enter the devil’s playground. The focus is lost
when they are exposed to opportunities greed and narcism, not to
mention loyalty to the party line.
There will be some of you reading this who will say “never has
there been truer words written” and those who will say “what a load
of nonsense”. Let the truth be known to those who are less learned
and privileged, the false promises, the gifts, like the past will always
be offered and never delivered nor fulfilled.
From a citizen of global
political interest.
Constitutional Day
How can Seychellois protect the Constitution Perhaps we need to start
loving people more instead
if they cannot protect themselves?
of being self-righteous?
Members of society attended the first ever CEPS organized Constitutional workshop in commemoration of
Constitutional Day.
P.Mawanda
I
n commemoration of Constitutional Day, the Citizens Engagement Platform, CEPS on
Wednesday 17 organized a workshop. Under the theme- Citizens
as Guardians of the Constitution,
the objective of the whole workshop was to regroup civil society
organizations and advocate for
all Seychellois to participate in
public affairs by knowing their
rights. But how can people participate in anything when majority of them do not even know
their rights? How can they be
guardians of their constitution
when they cannot even guard
themselves because they do not
know their rights? Seychellois
have more than ten constitutional rights stated but most of them
do not even get the chance to enjoy at least eight of them.
In Seychelles, just like any
other African country, the fundamental rights of so many people
are abused. Today it seems like
only those who can afford a good
lawyer can reach the constitutional court if they have a constitutional grievance. So what
happens with those who cannot
afford a lawyer? With the office
of the ombudsman in place, one
would think that Seychellois’
rights would be strongly advocated and fought for. However this is
not the case. So, where do people
go to report any abuse of their
rights? With almost no proper
working mechanism in place,
they go nowhere.
Judge Bernadin Renaud who
was one of the Panelists at the
workshop suggested that CEPS
establish a system where people
can go report their grievances.
But is that necessary with an ombudsman office already in place?
“The ombudsman’s office exists
but it looks like it is poorly run or
managed by government. As said,
if anyone who cannot afford a lawyer took a case to the ombudsman,
the ombudsman would have to
hire a lawyer to defend that person
at the constitutional court. But the
ombudsman office does not have
such money, which leaves most
of these cases as filed reports just
gathering dust in some office. At
the most, some of them are investigated but not brought to court.”
A lady who attended the workshop told TODAY.
The CEPS Chairman, Jules
Hoareau, believes the solution
to the problem is, ‘Government
needs to ensure that the systems it
has in place to cater for the rights
of the people are fully equipped
and are doing their jobs.’
If people do not know their
rights and cannot easily report
any abuses they encounter, how
then can they protect a constitution? Defined as the fundamental
principles according to which a
state or organization is governed,
a constitution is in simple terms
a book that contains a set of laws
that govern people in a country. It
also states the rights of the people
that are governed by it.
The constitution in any country should be something easily
accessible and easily interpreted.
In 2010, the government gave out
free constitutions to all schools
in the country. On Monday 15
June, to commemorate Constitutional day, a Judicial Committee on Constitutional Day led by
the President Court of Appeal,
Francis MacGregor gave out simplified copies of the constitution
to all head teachers in the country. But how visible is this plan,
in helping tomorrow’s future get
well equipped with the rules that
govern them?
Today spoke to a parent whose
child attends one of the schools
that received a copy of the constitution. According to this parent,
this is just another way to waste
material
“One copy was given to every
school that has over 200 children.
That one copy will probably be
placed in the headmistress’ office
and no other copies will even be
made from it cause of lack of finds.
Most of these children are scared
of their head teachers and will not
go knock at their doors so that she
can get a look at the constitution.”
The 40 year old parent explained.
While citizens could be the best
guardians for their own constitution since it governs them, how
possible is this when less than
half of Seychelles population has
access to a copy of the constitution either by soft or hard copy?
How can they protect something
that is just an ideal to them? Most
government and nongovernmental organizations have copies of
the constitution on their websites. In this technological age, it
would seem the best option. But
can all citizens have access?
“How many people in this
country can afford to pay for internet? Yes, many people may
have devices where they can
download the constitution but
does it make sense? My grandmother can hardly read an email
from a computer. How is he then
expected to be a guardian of an
electric document?” A gentleman
told TODAY.
“For this to be a reality, for
citizens to be guardians of their
constitution, we need to educate
citizens more on their rights and
what this entails. More sensitization at grass root levels especially
in schools needs to be done. As
CEPS, we are planning on organizing various talks and debates
in collaboration with other NGOs
in relation to citizen rights.” Mr.
Hoareau said.
“When I was Ombudsman,
one of my recommendations
was that authorities continuously print as many copies of
the constitution to enable easy
access. If this had been done, all
households would by now have
a copy of the constitution. I was
Ombudsman for 10 years and
stressed this idea throughout
my time in office. Back then, a
copy of the constitution cost only
one rupee.” Judge Renaud said.
He added that while his initial
recommendation regarding the
constitution was that it should be
written in Creole, given the three
national languages copies should
be made in all of them.
The workshop was attended by
the Leader of Opposition, David
Pierre, members of the diplomatic core, members of the National
Assembly, members of the Constitutional day organizing committee and several other people.
Dear Editor,
On Sunday, I attended a church
service led by Father Kallais. He
read a letter from the Inter-Faith
committee and expressed his
general displeasure at the news
of the gay marriage which occurred at the British High Commissioner’s residence on Saturday.
I believe that one of the main
reasons why the church is whining is because they weren’t consulted. But have they realized
how inconsequential they’ve
become to the matters of state
recently? The statement that
they weren’t vilifying homosexuals was almost a side-note in the
letter, whereas their main issue
was that this happened on their
watch!
Therefore, my questions and
comments are as follows:
Firstly, are these clergies really angry with the British High
Commissioner for marrying
these people or for showing Seychelles that the church is asleep,
ineffective and not consulted on
such matters?
Secondly, the head of the Anglican Church is the Queen of
England. The Queen must follow
the laws of her land - does that
not therefore imply that the Anglican Church in whichever ju-
risdiction must follow their leader’s stance? Wrong perhaps, but
she is still the head. Of course,
they must adhere to the laws of
the country they find themselves
in, but shouldn’t the priority or
allegiance be to the Queen? That
would be similar to what the Roman Catholic priests do with the
orders of the Pope.
Thirdly, Father Kallais conveniently forgets that he has a gay
person very close to him. Who
feels the judgment of his family
- who may perhaps one day wish
to have a partner to commit to
like everyone else.
As for Mr. Maurice LoustauLalanne spouting off his usual
diplomatic mumbo-jumbo, he
too should realize that many
Government offices including
the President’s Office and his
own ministry have seen plenty of
gays and lesbians pass through.
The country itself is already polarized enough through partisan
politics that the last thing we
need as a nation is more stupid
remarks or more Government
interference in the private lives
of our citizens.
Perhaps we need to start loving people more instead of being
self-righteous. I think answers
will be more forthcoming then.
A proud lesbian.
Erratum
In an article published in Friday’s edition on a new state of the art
LED screen unveiled earlier this week, and intended for the National
Day celebrations, we mistakenly said that the screen was bought for
SCR20 million.
The value of the LED screen is in fact SCR2 million. We apologise
to the National Sports Council for the confusion.
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p4
Fantasy football
Winners of third Edition receive their prizes
Wooooooohooooooooo is the overall winner while That’s Zamora is the runner up.
By CM
O
n Wednesday, the winners of the Fantasy Football competition, collected their prizes during a small ceremony at the
office of TODAY in Seychelles.
The overall winner Wooooooohooooooooo lives overseas and was
thus not able to collect his prize. The runner up was That’s Zamora
(Stewart Martin).
Prizes ranged from airline tickets, subscriptions to TODAY in
Seychelles’ digital paper as well as a set of branded gifts for each
participant comprising of a mug, sun visor, polo shirt, umbrella and
a pen. Veronica Maria, TODAY’s Business Development manager
thanked Seashell Travel for sponsoring a return ticket to Dubai.
The winners were as follows:
Runner Up, Stewart Martin received a return ticket to Dubai and
a set of branded items. Third place went to Jean-Luc Palmyre, who
won a tablet, one year subscription to eTODAY newspaper and a set
of promotional items. Fourth place went to Juan Palmyre who won
six months of subscription to eTODAY and a set of promotional
items. Finally, the fifth place went to Collin Chang-Tave who won
three months of subscription to eTODAY and also a set of promotional items. He was unable to make it to the prize giving ceremony.
Proud winners include That’s Zamora’s Stewart Martin (far right).
Basketball: National league
Football
Baya and Drifters’ unbeaten run at stake
National team face a few hiccups in Mozambique
Defending first division league Champions Baya and the current league leaders Drifters
clash this Saturday in an eagerly awaited match at the Victoria gymnasium.
By RR
D
rifters have made a tremendous start to the season where they reached
the final of the Curtain raiser
tournament where they lost to
PLS Hawks but they exacted revenge when those two teams met
in the league in May.
The players of Coach Philip
Arissol showed that they are a
strong contender for the league
title this season when they disposed of Mont Fleuri Dawgz last
Saturday on a 87-73 score which
shows the credential of this team
which is taking the sport by
storm.
Coach Philip Arissol is quite
pleased with the progress of
his protégés so far this season
and points to the fact that they
have had a very good pre-season
which is proving very beneficial.
“The players took their preseason preparation really seriously and though I was not
always available due to work
commitments, they trained on
their own which shows that they
are taking things very seriously
and want to achieve something,”
noted Coach Arissol.
Nonetheless
the
Drifters’
trainer is conscious that Champions Baya will be the biggest test
his team face this season but says
they will be ready for the challenge.
“We have to prepare well for
this match as it is going to be
tough but we are playing well
at the moment and the players’
confidence is growing with every
win so therefore we expect an ex-
Baya will try to uphold their unbeaten run against a resolute
Drifters side.
citing match and we will go all
out for a win. However we know
that we have to defend extremely
well and avoid committing too
many fouls which may come
back to haunt us,” coach Arissol
explained.
For his part, the Baya coach
Michel Malbrook says that his
team are determined to prove
that they are worthy of the title
of champions and are all fired
to defend their crown though he
firstly expressed his disappointment with the basketball federation.
“My team is in good form but
we are disappointed and also annoyed with the federation as last
week we requested the postponement of our match on bereavement ground due to the sudden
passing away of our Malagasy
player whose body was repatriated on Saturday. After being advised to write a formal letter for
this request which we obliged,
the federation did not agree for
the postponement of our Sunday match against Beau-Vallon
Heats. Therefore we were forced
to turn up for the match but then
the match was cancelled due to
a lack of table officials which
made us very frustrated,” coach
Malbrook revealed.
But coach Malbrook said that
his team will be focussed for
this top of the table battle and
expects a closely fought match
but one which will entertain the
crowd.
“We know what we have to do
to win and we have our game
plan and it will be a good opportunity to let out all our frustration on them and I feel it is going
to be a tight but exciting match,”
coach Malbrook predicted.
The Baya-Drifters’ clash is
surely a match not to miss as
they put their unbeaten run on
the line and hopefully there will
not be a lack of officials to cause
further cancellation of matches
this weekend.
By RR
T
But the team’s spirits are still high.
he Seychelles national
team faced a few hiccups
as they prepare for their
match today, in the CHAN tournament against Mozambique.
The Seychelles senior squad
left the country on Tuesday
morning for Maputo where they
will dispute this CHAN qualifying match but according to the
team manager, Michel Albert
who spoke to TODAY Sports on
Thursday, the team is encountering a few difficulties which is affecting their preparation for this
match.
“Since we arrived, we have not
been provided with a suitable
training ground and we have had
problems with transportation as
the van we initially travelled in,
has broken down twice and this
is quite frustrating,” the Seychelles team manager revealed.
However Manager Albert added that they are very happy with
the hotel facilities where they are
staying and said that despite the
difficulties, the players’ morale
remains high.
“Thankfully the players have
not allowed these problems to affect them and they are focussed
on this match,” manager Albert
claimed.
Mozambique lost at home in
the AFCON qualifiers last weekend to Rwanda and therefore
will try every trick in the book to
gain a psychological advantage
over our team that once again
will be without head coach Ulric
Mathiot. It will be Cliff Nolin
who will take charge of this away
fixture.
The Seychelles match will kick
off at 5pm Seychelles time and
TODAY Sports wishes them the
best of luck.
Cote D’Or pull out of Inner
Island Cup
Cote D’Or’s club president
Robert Payet has revealed that
his team have pulled out of the
Inner Island Cup for several reasons.
“Firstly we have five players
with the national team whilst
two of our Malagasy players
are going back home for treatment. We have another three
players who are injured and
now two face suspensions. We
are partly disappointed as we
thought this competition was
going to be played in a friendly atmosphere but this is not
the case and on top of that,
the officials are incompetent.
So for the benefit of my team,
I feel it makes more sense to
pull out or else we will not
have players to participate in
the national league as they
will all be injured as a result
of this tournament,” explained
Mr Payet.
Nonetheless matches will
continue in this competition as
today Lightstars host Anse Reunion on Praslin and La Passe
meet Revengers on La Digue.
The Seychelles team are facing difficulties in Mozambique.
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p5
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p6
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p7
Constance Ephelia Seychelles
Chef Lu Htet reveals the tricks of sushi making
Constance Ephelia unveiled its new sushi menu with a delightful introduction from Chef Lu Htet, a sushi expert from Myanmar. A demonstration workshop was conducted on
Tuesday. TODAY learnt the tricks of sushi cuisine at the Cyann Restaurant and shares them with you.
N. Dennis
met the renowned Chef JeanGeorges who taught me creativity and innovation in making
sushi rolls and sashimi. He is
my sushi teacher. I treasure each
and every technique that I learnt
from him.
When I was offered the position of Sous Chef at the Cyann
Sushi Bar, I was really excited
for the opportunity to bring a
Japanese influence to the vibrant
Constance Ephelia Seychelles
culinary scene.
I
Chef Lu Htet reveals the trick of cutting the sushi into six pieces.
f you plan to dine at Constance Epehlia’s Cyann Restaurant, make sure not to
miss the chance of experiencing
the striking flavours of Chef Lu
Htet’s sushi rolls and sashimi.
What’s the secret behind these
delicate creations? Where does
Cyann Restaurant’s Myanmar
mastermind find his culinary inspiration? TODAY sat down with
the head sushi chef himself to
find out what the tips and tricks
of sushi cuisine are.
What brought you to Constance Ephelia’s Cyann Restaurant?
Growing up in Myanmar, I always wanted to become a sushi
chef as I was fascinated with
Japanese cuisine for its rich tradition and intricate artistry.
At the age of 19, I went to the
culinary school to join the Yangon Hotel as Commi III for one
year (January 2005 to February
2006) and later became a Commi I at the Inn Yar Lake Hotel in
Yangon Mayanmar (April 2006
– December 2007). Before coming to Seychelles, I worked as a
Commi I sushi chef at the W Hotel and Residences in Doha, Qatar for seven years (April 2008
– April 2014). This is where I
Sashimi can be eaten with rice and miso soup.
What is the secret behind
your new sushi menu?
Hygienic is the first secret of
the sushi bar. The new sushi
menu requires different techniques and ingredients but they
all have one thing in common:
the clean, fresh and finest fish
available from the local market.
All the seafood and vegetables
are fresh and locally produced
except the nori sheet.
At the Cyann Sushi Bar, I create my own style by adapting the
best local products such as the
red snapper, octopus, captain
blanc, bonito and tuna. To add
a twist to the traditional sushi
template, I integrate avocado
with spicy mayonnaise, flying
fish roe and herbs.
The most important part is
the 90 gms rice that needs to go
into every sushi roll. The most
interesting sushi that I serve
my clients is the Unagi, which is
made with fresh water eel. It is
blanched and fried before being
served as rolls.
My signature Maki are: shrimp
tempura, shredded crab, crispy
calamari, spicy tuna and crispy
soft shell crab. The traditional
rolls are: California, tuna avocado, cucumber, and avocado and
cream cheese.
My sushi keeps the originality
and integrity of the recipe but
has an European touch integrated with its traditional version.
What are the basic ingredients to use when making good
sushi?
Sushi making is undoubtedly
an art. The basic ingredient that
goes into making a simple sushi
are: Rice, soya sauce, nori sheet,
wasabi, ginger, fresh fish and
other dry ingredients such as
kelp, flying fish roe, herbs and
more.
You need a sushi mat to make
the roll and a sushi knife to cut it.
How do you eat a traditional
sushi? Why does one eat sushi
with wasabi and ginger?
Traditionally, sushi is eaten
with chopsticks but people who
are not comfortable with chopsticks can use a fork. Eel is already blanched, but most other
sushi, when raw, should be
dipped in soy sauce with a little
dash of wasabi before eating it.
After eating a rich piece of sushi,
it is always refreshing to crunch
on some pickled ginger which is
offered as a condiment.
Wasabi and ginger are sushi
companions. However they are
both capable of enhancing the
subtle flavour of the fish while
dining.
Wasabi is also called as the
Japanese horseradish. Its stem
is used as a condiment and has
an extremely strong pungency. It
also helps to defend against bacterial infections in the body and
mouth.
Pickled ginger is most commonly found next to wasabi and
soy sauce as a garnish. This condiment is meant to refresh the
palate in between sushi varieties,
which ensures that the subtleties
of each fish variety can be tasted.
It has minor anti-microbial and
anti-fungal properties and it is
thought that eating it with raw
food can assist in the prevention
of sickness and it is good for digestion.
Can people eat sushi every
day?
Yes, I actually recommend people to eat sushi everyday as it is
very simple and healthy. One of
the main advantages of sushi is
that it is very good for the health.
It is unfortunate that many people have the wrong impression
of sushi. But sushi is made with
fresh ingredients without any additives. No oil is used in the process and eating sushi is a great
way to lose weight.
Did they enjoy the raw fish?
Journalists and other PR officials present at the sushi
workshop had the opportunity
to create and make their own
sushi rolls, under the guidance
and watchful eye of Chef Lu
Htet. Having made the sushi
and sashimi, journalists were invited to taste each other’s – and
Chef Lu Htet’s creations and rate
them!
Here’s what they had to say:
“I have tasted sushi before but
Chef Lu Htet’s sushi rolls were
incredibly good. I quite liked the
taste and enjoyed the local ingredients blended with raw fish. My
favourite one was the California
roll and also I enjoyed the eel
which was prepared really well,”
said Jerry Sinon, the business reporter from Pure FM.
The sales and guest relations
manager of Constance Ephelia,
Christophe De Froberville said
that, “it is a good combination
of traditional sushi with the new
menu created by Chef Lu Htet.
It is quite an interesting affair for
Seychellois to discover this new
type of sushi products as it is not
very common in Seychelles. My
favourite one was the soft shell
crab roll. I also tried tasting eel
which was different and interesting to discover something new
and unique”.
“It is the first time I taste sushi
roll. I like my fish cooked with
herbs and curry powder. I was
a bit uncomfortable while eating the eel sushi roll but I liked
it as the preparation was different. I would give Chef Lu Htet a
5/5 marks,” said a representative
(name withheld upon request) of
Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) radio.
The public relations executive of Blast Communications,
Linda Philoe-Bristol is allergic to
shrimps. She said “I enjoyed the
tuna avocado roll and California roll as it was well prepared.
Though eating raw fish is a first
I learnt from Chef Lu Htet was
that ‘I need a good knife to cut
my sushi’, said Vesna Rakic, the
director of Sales and Marketing
Seychelles.
The sales coordinator of Constance Ephelia, Ehad Bhaukaurally said that, “before I started working in the hotel industry,
I had never tried sushi because it
did not interest me. But I gave it
a try here at the hotel and now
I cannot stop eating sushi. The
main aim of the workshop was
to discover the new chef and his
new sushi menu. I think to make
a good sushi you need to have all
the ingredients ready and set.”
Asked to describe Chef Lu Htet
in three words, this is what he
said: “passionate, creative and
innovative”.
“I am not a great sushi fan but
I found it interesting. The most
shocking one was the eel as Seychellois do not eat this fish. I
tried the raw tuna, it was good
as well as I learnt the technique
of using the knife,” said Natifa
Constance, a radio presenter and
producer of SBC Radio.
A platter with different kinds of sushi.
for me, I enjoyed the taste and
will go for more”.
“I am a big fan of sushi but the
eel sushi has certainly been the
highlight of this workshop. I
have always seen it on the menu
but never had the courage to try
it. Today I saw the preparation
and that gave me the courage to
taste it. And guess what? I really
enjoyed it. The one technique
Ms. Bristol making a tuna avocado sushi roll.
The awards and achievements
of Chef Lu Htet
Best Brunch 2014 Time Out
Doha
Best Contemporary Restaurant
2014 Time Out Doha
BBC Good Food Middle East
Awards Restaurant of the Year
2013
Best Restaurant 2013 Time Out
Doha Market by Jean George
Best Business Lunch 2013 Time
Out Doha Market by Jean George
Winner of the Middle East’s
Leading Business Hotel 2013
World Travel Awards
Winner of the Middle East’s
Leading Hotel and Residences
2012 World Travel Awards
Best Restaurant Qatar Choice
2012 Market by Jean George
Best Business Lunch and Best
European Contemporary Food
2011 “Times Out Doha” market
by Jean George
Winner of the Middle East’s
Leading Hotel and Residences
2011 World Travel Awards
Winner of the Qatar’s leading
Meetings and Conference Hotel
2011 World Travel Awards.
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p8
Aviation industry
International Monetary Fund
USD2.3 million disbursement for
Seychelles approved
Ethiopian Airlines reduces frequency to
Seychelles
The IMF Executive Board approved the disbursement after it completed the second
review under the Extended Fund Facility.
Ethiopian Airlines now operates only on Fridays and Sundays and this is due to low season, the airline said.
Source: einnews.com
N. Dennis
T
he Executive Board of the
International Monetary
Fund (IMF) completed on
Wednesday the second review of
the arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with
Seychelles. The completion of
the review enables the disbursement of an amount of about USD
2.3 million, bringing the total
disbursements to about USD6.9
million.
In completing the review, the
Executive Board also approved
the authorities’ request for waiver and modification of performance criteria. The 36-month,
USD 16.1 million (the equivalent
of 105 percent of Seychelles’ quota) arrangement under the EFF
was approved by the Executive
Board in June 2014.
Following
the
Executive
Board’s discussion, Mr. Min Zhu,
Deputy Managing Director and
Acting Chair issued the following statement:
“Sound macroeconomic management has strengthened the
Seychelles’ economy significantly. The near-term growth outlook is favourable and prospects
in the tourism sector remain
strong, with noticeable gains in
both traditional and non-tradi-
E
Total disbursement so far is USD6.9 million.
tional markets.
“Policies have aimed at reinforcing resilience and entrenching macroeconomic stability.
The authorities remain on track
to achieve their objective of reducing the debt burden below 50
percent of GDP by 2018. Balancing this objective with the need
to address critical infrastructure
needs will require tight control
of current expenditure and improved governance and financial performance of state-owned
enterprises. Further progress in
building international reserves
has ensured an effective buffer
against external pressures.
“The authorities should continue to improve the forward-looking elements of their monetary
policy framework, including inflation forecasting and liquidity
management. The exchange rate
should continue to be allowed to
adjust freely to changes in the
economic external and internal
conditions.
“To support sustained and inclusive growth, structural reforms should aim to increase
the role for the private sector in
the economy and enhance competition. In this regard, caution
should be exercised in expanding the roles and mandates of
public enterprises. Accession
to the World Trade Organization is welcome, while further
improvements in the business
climate should aim to make
growth more inclusive by broadening access to credit, enhancing infrastructure, and reducing
skills mismatches in the labour
market.”
thiopian Airlines has reduced its flight frequency
to Seychelles from three
flights a week to two flights a
week, Meseret Tekalign, the area
manager of Ethiopian Airlines,
based in Seychelles, confirmed to
TODAY.
This newspaper was informed
of the reduction in the number
of weekly flights by an aggrieved
businessman who was told on
no less than two occasions that
the Ethiopian Airlines flight he
wanted to book to Seychelles had
been cancelled.
“We normally operate thrice
weekly to Seychelles. But as it
is a low season period for Seychelles until the end of July, the
airline has decided to operate on
Fridays and Sundays,” she confirmed. It is expected that Ethiopian will increase the number of
flights to and from Seychelles as
from August on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays.
The airline resumed flights to
Seychelles on 1 October last year
after a six-month interruption.
It announced in January 2014,
that it would stop flights to Seychelles because the load factor on
the flights to and from Seychelles
was not high enough, making the
Ethiopian Airlines Business Class Seat - Boeing 777-200LR
route unprofitable.
The announcement was bad
news to Seychelles as it compromised the Seychelles Tourism
Board’s plans to provide an alternate stop-over in Addis Ababa
for travellers from Europe, China, the Americas and Africa, other than Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
But after extended negotiations
between Seychelles’ Transport
Minister Joel Morgan, the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority
and the Ethiopian authorities,
the airline agreed to make a
comeback. News of the decrease in frequency however
does not bode well for the future of the route but Ethiopian Airlines says it is due solely
to the low season. In fact, Mrs
Tekalign said that Ethiopian
is “planning to increase its
frequency from three to four
times a week in peak season”. The additional flight is
expected to be operated on
Wednesdays.
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p9
Airtel
Ambassador YayaTouré
On Wednesday, Airtel launched its new ‘It’s Now’ campaign and announced that footballer YayaTouré will be the company’s new brand ambassador. This was during a brief ceremony held at the Maison de Football Auditorium, Roche Caiman.
N. Dennis
to explore opportunities around
them.
On the minus point, guests and
young footballers had come with
high expectations of seeing Yaya
Touré and were disappointed by
his absence from the event. Mr.
Dina explained that Yaya Touré
would actually visit Seychelles
later this year and that Seychelles
would be his first stop in the Afri-
I
can region.
Commenting on the new campaign, Mr. Dina said that, “Airtel
is an ambitious front-runner in
the technology industry and has
helped millions of Africans to plug
into the global community. We
push the boundaries of technology, constantly innovating, and
drawing on our entrepreneurial
spirit to provide our customers
with a window to the world. There
is no time better than the present
to start living your dreams and
this why the call of the campaign
is - It’s Now.”
“The campaign motivates the
younger generation to act now,
such as it is now the time to live
their dreams, to start a project, ap
(Continued on Page 10)
Mr. Dina addressing the guests at the launching event.
vory Coast’s captain and Manchester City’s midfielder YayaTouré is the new African face
of Airtel’s “It’s Now” campaign, the
managing director of Airtel, Amadou Dina announced on Wednesday.
“Africa is a continent with pos-
sibilities and potential. Airtel is
privileged to kick off the ‘It’s Now’
campaign and partner with football star Yaya Touré as our PanAfrican brand ambassador,” Mr
Dina said during the launch of the
telecommunications company’s
new campaign at the Maison de
Football in Roche caiman.
The campaign seeks to nurture
and help talents grow in Africa
through various consumer touch
points such as sports, lifestyle and
music while providing customers
with connectivity and technological solutions that will enable them
The young footballers- Raman and Perry disappointed of not seeing Yaya Toure.
Saturday 20 June, 2015
(Continued From Page 9)
ply for a job, learn a skill or make
that change. Take that step now,
and let Airtel be your partner in
making your dreams come true,”
added Airtel’s MD.
In a press statement, Airtel Africa’s Chief Executive Officer,
Christian de Faria, said that the
campaign reiterates the company’s commitment to support the
youth in Africa as well as to drive
economic growth by unlocking
people’s potential.
“We are excited to be signing
the pact with Mr. Touré who is respected in Africa and beyond. As
the first player to win the African
Player of the Year award for four
consecutive years, Yaya Touré is an
inspiration to everyone working to
achieve their potential and striving to be at their best every day,”
said Mr. de Faria.
Speaking about his partnership
with Airtel, Mr. Toure said in the
press statement that “throughout
my career I have been fortunate
to have a great deal of success on
the field. However, I know that the
strongest performances come only
when you commit 100 per cent to
the tasks at hand and display the
strength and mettle to give it your
all.”
“The ‘It’s Now’ – campaign is
close to my heart as it calls on Africans to embrace the opportunities
around them to better their lives. I
am glad to be working with Airtel,
with its wide reach within Africa,
in order to inspire many people,”
Delegates at the event.
p10
added the Manchester City’s midfielder.
Mr. Dina concluded that the
partnership will see Mr. Touré
supporting Airtel’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) particularly in youth empowerment for
development.
Present at the launching event
was the principal secretary of
Information
Communications
Technology (ICT), Benjamin
Choppy, the chief executive officer of Nouvobanq, Ahmad Saeed,
the Chairman of Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) Elvis Chetty, the chief executive officer of
Seychelles National Youth Council, Alvin Laurence, the head of
Sales and Marketing of Airtel,
Bernadette Larue and young foot-
YayaTouré
“I just had a normal African
childhood”
Source: wikipedia
“I just had a normal African
childhood: We played football a lot, but it was always in
the streets and always without
shoes. Boots were very expensive, and when there are seven
off you in your family and you
say you want to buy a pair, your
father wants to kill you,” YayaTouré said of his childhood.
Born on May 13, 1983, in
Bouaké, Ivory Coast, YayaTouré began his European soccer career in Belgium in 2001.
After rising to prominence in
the Greek and French leagues,
the midfielder helped FC Barcelona win six titles in 2009.
Touré then became teammates
with his older brother in Manchester City and emerged as a
favourite for helping the English club end its lengthy championship drought.
p11
Saturday 20 June, 2015
Flavien Joubert
“I’m afraid to fall asleep and never wake up”
TODAY caught up with one of the pioneers of the Seychelles’ tourism industry, Flavien Joubert. In this interview, the Principal of the Seychelles Tourism Academy reveals many
interesting things, such as his greatest fear, what song he would like played at his funeral and the three individuals he’d invite to his dream dinner party.
helping hand.
What annoys you the most
about people?
I cannot stand people who
complain when they have no
reason to.
Do you have children?
Yes. I have two daughters,
Natasha is in her early 30’s
whereas Jessica is ten years
old.
Are you more of a cat or a
dog person?
I’m definitely a dog person.
In fact, we have four at home,
named Puppy, Miley and the
names of the other two vary
according to what mood we
are when we wake up the next
morning (laughs...).
What is your greatest fear?
I am afraid to fall asleep and
never wake up.
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be?
I would choose the power to
stop every war in the world
and bring peace. In the summer of 1974, I was caught up
in a civil war whilst studying in Cyprus and I ended up
from student to being a refugee.
What did you dream of
becoming when you were
growing up?
Since the age of ten, I had
this urge to help people and
so I wanted to become a priest
very badly. In fact, I had even
undertaken seminary studies
Signing some of the copies of his first cocktail book which was officially
launched last December.
What’s your ideal holiday
destination?
I’ve travelled quite a lot in
my lifetime but the charming
city of Brighton on the south
coast of England happens to
be my favourite holiday destination of all. I’ve studied
and worked in Brighton for 15
years.
What’s
your
favourite
place in Seychelles?
That would be Beau Vallon
beach especially at sunsets.
Do you have any hobbies?
I like to read and swim, I
find both very therapeutic.
How do you unwind?
I live at Port Glaud right
near the beach so I go for a
swim nearly every day.
Can you cook? Best dishes?
I started off in the tourism
industry as a chef, so yes, I
presume that I can call myself
a good cook. I’ve been com-
plimented more than once for
my octopus curry.
A joyful 17-year old Flavien Joubert.
for four years but then those
priests who were in charge of
recruitment, decided to put a
stop to my vocation. According to them, I loved girls more
than I loved God (laughs...).
What’s your favourite TV
series or movie?
I am not much of a TV fan
but I do happen to like some
movies in which Sylvester
Stallone features.
What is your earliest memory?
I think I was eight and I remember my father telling me
about his experience as a soldier during WW1.
Which book changed your
life?
I know it’s a children’s book
but I would have to go with
Little Red Riding Hood. It is
the one book which made me
realize at such a tender age to
be careful of those who disguise themselves as friends.
What is the most important lesson life has taught
you?
To survive at any cost and
never give up.
What song would you like
played at your funeral?
“Hello” by Lionel Richie.
What would you say are
your main qualities?
According to my friends, I’m
very sociable, charismatic and
positive at all times but above
all, I’m always ready to give a
Flavien posing for a souvenir photo with his beloved wife, Nadege.
If you could go back in
time, where would you go?
I think at the exact time
when oil/petroleum was discovered. Simply because its
discovery has changed the
course of life on earth as well
as threatened its environ-
ment.
In the film of your life, who
would you choose to play
you?
I’d choose Eddie Murphy for
his unique sense of humour. I
had the luck of meeting him
during the time I was working
for Quincy Jones (the former
record producer of Michael
Jackson).
If your house was on fire,
what’s the one possession
you would save?
I will surely try to save my
marriage certificate. After
I pass away, this will be the
only document that will be
able to prove I was in love and
that I had a beloved family.
If you could invite three
people, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be?
Eddie Murphy, Quincy Jones
and B.B King.
p12
Saturday 20 June, 2015
Lifeline
Celebrity Profile:
Chris Kyle (1974–2013)
BBC denies Clarkson invited back to Top Gear
Chris Kyle was a Navy SEAL marksman whose autobiography “American Sniper” became a bestseller and was made into a major Hollywood film
starring Bradley Cooper.
Source: Bio.com
The BBC has denied it invited
Jeremy Clarkson back as host of
Top Gear, months after he was
axed from the job.
Clarkson told the Sun, for
whom he writes a regular column, that an unnamed BBC
executive had “asked if I’d come
back to Top Gear” last week.
But Clarkson said he refused:
“It would have been impossible
to make the show I’d want to
make,” he said.
The BBC has named Chris
Evans as the new host. A spokesman said: “We haven’t offered
another Top Gear contract.”
Fifty Shades of Grey rewrite savaged by critics
Early Life
The late Navy SEAL sniper,
Christopher Scott Kyle was born
April 8, 1974, in Odessa, Texas.
The son of a church deacon,
Kyle grew up on a ranch and experienced a childhood that was
shaped by outdoor pursuits. He
loved to hunt deer and pheasant
and later competed in a number
of bronco busting contests.
For two years he studied agriculture at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, before leaving for a job as a ranch
hand. His lifelong interest in the
military eventually led him to the
Navy in 1999, where he quickly
gained admittance to the SEALS,
the force’s elite special operations
unit.
Military Life
After weathering a demanding
selection process, Kyle was selected for and trained as a sniper.
Over the course of his 10-year
military career, Kyle served four
combat deployments to Iraq.
His marksmanship became renown not just within the American military, for whom he was
charged with protecting, but
among insurgents as well, who
nicknamed him “The Devil of Ramadi.” His enemies had also put
a $20,000 bounty on the head
of any U.S. sniper. Kyle’s steel
nerves and patience for tracking his subjects earned him two
awards of the Silver Star and five
awards for the Bronze Star. n all,
Kyle claimed to have killed more
than 160 people, a record for a
U.S. military sniper though the
number could not be officially
substantiated. “After the first kill,
the others come easy,” he later
wrote in his bestselling 2012
book, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal
Sniper in U.S. Military History. “I
don’t have to psyche myself up, or
do something special mentally –
I look through the scope, get my
target in the cross hairs, and kill
my enemy before he kills one of
my people.”
Post-Military Years
Kyle retired from the military
in 2009. In his post Navy life,
Kyle followed a number of different pursuits, many of them no
doubt aided by the fame his book
brought him. With his hulking
presence and quiet demeanor,
Kyle encapsulated the image of a
military hero and as sales of his
books soared, he appeared on
talk shows and participated in
the NBC competition show, Stars
TODAY in History
Critics have savaged EL
James’s rewrite of her erotic
bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey,
with one calling the writing “bad
throughout” and another accusing it of “rapturous self-regard”.
Grey re-tells the events of
James’s 2011 original from the
perspective of its antagonist,
Christian Grey.
The book, writes the Evening
Standard’s David Sexton, “loyally repeats every line [and] every
excruciating email”. According
to the Telegraph, the result is “as
sexy as a misery memoir”.
June 20th is the 171st day of the year
1631: Pirates sack
Baltimore
1819: First steamboat
crosses Atlantic
Earn Stripes. In addition, Kyle
co-launched a non-profit group,
FITCO Cares Foundation, which
supplies fitness equipment to
war wounded veterans. Kyle’s
childhood passion for guns remained with him. He founded
Craft International, a security
company that is marketed with
the motto, “Despite what your
momma told you, violence does
solve problems.” Kyle was also
an outspoken opponent of President Obama’s push to tighten
gun controls.
Murder and Aftermath
Kyle’s life came to a tragic end
on February 2, 2013, when he
and a colleague, Chad Littlefield,
were shot at a gun range outside
of Forth Worth, Texas, by Eddie
Ray Routh, an ex-Marine who
had a long history of mental illness. Kyle, who was 38 at the
time of his death, had worked
with the 25-year-old Routh in
the months prior to the shooting.
‘American Sniper ‘ Film
In 2014, Kyle’s book American
Sniper was released as a major
Hollywood film, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle and
directed by Clint Eastwood.
Lauded by some critics and
fans while generating massive
controversy over its depiction
of violence and take on the Iraq
War, the commercial blockbuster received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Music
Cyndi Lauper and Van Morrison
added to Songwriters Hall of Fame
Cyndi Lauper, Van Morrison and Lady Gaga have all been inducted into the Songwriters
Hall of Fame.
Source: BBC
T
Tommy Chong treated for
rectal cancer
Tommy Chong - one half of
the 1970s comedy duo Cheech
and Chong - has revealed he has
rectal cancer.
“I have good news and bad
news. First the bad news, the
cancer came back and it is a real
pain in the butt,” the 77-year-old
comedian tweeted.
“The good news is I now
have to use more marijuana to
treat the cancer.” Chong said he
would report back on his progress on his Chong and Chong
podcast. “Please wish me luck
while I kick cancer’s behind,” he
wrote. Chong came to public attention alongside comedy partner Cheech Marin in 1971, with
the comedy album Cheech and
Chong.
Kyle’s murder drew an outpouring of support, especially
in his home state of Texas,
where an estimated 7,000 people attended a public service
for the late SEAL at Cowboys
Stadium in Arlington. In addition to his wife, Taya, Kyle’s
survivors include his two young
children.
In October 2014, prosecutors announced they would not
seek the death penalty against
Routh. Routh’s trial lasted two
weeks and deliberations less
than two and half hours. On
February 24, 2015, the jury
found Routh guilty of murder
and the judge sentenced the
veteran to life in prison without
parole minutes after the verdict
was rendered.
On this day in 1631, the village
of Baltimore in Ireland was attacked by North African pirates,
who sold the majority of the inhabitants into slavery.
The attack was led by a Dutch
captain-turned-pirate
called
Jan van Haarlem, who launched
the covert attack with a crew of
Dutchmen, Algerians and Ottoman Turks. They captured 108
English settlers, who worked in
a small herring fishery in the village, and a few Irish residents.
Most of them were put in irons
and sent to work as galley slaves,
while others spent the rest of
their days in the seclusion of harems in North Africa or working
as laborers.
The pirates were led to the
sleeping village by a man called
Hackett – the captain of a fishing
boat who had been captured earlier – in exchange for his freedom.
He was later hanged on the clifftop outside the village for his role.
On this day in 1819, the SS Savannah became the first ship to
cross the Atlantic Ocean using
a combination of steam and sail
power.
After departing from the
American coast, the ship encountered the schooner Contract, whose commander wrote
that he saw a vessel with “volumes of smoke” billowing out.
Assuming it was a ship on fire;
he pursued it for several hours
but was unable to catch up. Days
later, it passed the sailing ship
Pluto at 10 knots, sparking its
crew to give off three cheers for
the “happiest effort of mechanical genius” to ever hit the sea.
When the unusual ship
reached England, it was greeted
by hundreds of boats, including a British sloop-of-war, and
thousands of people on roofs and
piers. The historic voyage lasted
29 days and 11 hours, during
which time the engine was used
for 80 hours.
he stars received their
honours at a three-hour
ceremony in New York,
and many expressed surprise in
their acceptance speeches.
“I still can’t believe I make a living making music,” said Lauper.
“I’m blown away.”
The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia, was also inducted posthumously alongside the band’s lyricist Robert Hunter.
Country artists Toby Keith,
who has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, and Bobby Braddock, who wrote Tammy
Wynette’s DIVORCE, were also
honoured.
And “poet laureate of the blues”
Willie Dixon, who died in 1992,
was cited for songs including
Hoochie Coochie Man, I Just
Want to Make Love to You and
You Can’t Judge a Book by the
Cover. Northern Irish songwriter
Van Morrison accepted his award
a week after being knighted in
the Queen’s birthday honours.
The star performed a duet with
Michael Buble on Real Real
Gone, and noted that songwriting royalties had kept him afloat
during dry spells in his career.
“The name of the game is hustle,” he said.
His appearance was particularly notable because he pulled
out his induction at the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
Gaga won the contemporary
icon award, receiving her trophy
from jazz star Tony Bennett, with
whom she recorded an album of
duets last year.
“I think she’s definitely underrated as a songwriter,” said Hall
of Fame president Linda Moran,
“partially because she was first
known more as a personality.”
The singer also covered the 4
Non Blondes hit What’s Up in
tribute to fellow honoree Linda
Perry, who penned that song,
as well as Christina Aguilera’s
Beautiful and Pink’s Get The
Party Started.
Other performers included
Carly Rae Jepsen, who sang
Lauper’s ballad Time After Time; and Buble, who
crooned a finger-snapping
version of Van Morrison’s
Moondance.
p13
Saturday 20 June, 2015
Letter to the Editor
A gay soirée
D
ear Editor,
From the moment I arrived at Joachim and Steven’s home in north Mahé, I knew
that Steven is going to outdo himself with the Creole dishes. He is
in the kitchen, adroitly chopping
bright red tomatoes and tossing
them into a rougay kordonnyen
sale. My taste buds quiver in anticipation as the smell of octopus
curry drifts across. I can visualise the contents of his saucepan:
tender pieces of zourit and cinnamon leaves swirling in bubbling
coconut milk and spices, the
magic formula of which he alone
knows. Joachim puts an arm
proudly around Steven’s waist.
“He’s really seduced me with all
this aphrodisiac Creole food,” he
says, sporting his eternal grin.
“That’s why I’m never ever going
to leave him. When are all these
strident homophobes trying to
elbow their way past one another
on Facebook going to accept that
we gay people are so bloody talented?”
There is a chuckle in the doorway. “Hey, Doreen and I are not
gay, but we’re not completely
without talent – wouldn’t you
agree?” It is Egbert, holding a
bottle of white wine and a large
pack of grapefruit juice. He and
his wife Doreen are Joachim and
Steven’s heterosexual neighbours
- and first-class graphic artists
both of them. They always get
invited to these “soirées”. Their
eight year-old daughter, Chantal,
is at a birthday party and someone will bring her over later. As I
make a mental note to ask Chantal about her progress in mathematics, a car drives down the
alleyway and parks outside. “This
must be Marc and his Praslinois
boyfriend Nicolas,” says Steven,
going out to meet them. “They
were supposed to bring Yvonne
and Jeva.” There is the sound of
a car door being shut followed by
a loud explosion of female laughter outside. Yvonne and Jeva have
been living together as a couple
for over ten years.
Everyone agrees that dinner
is even more than what we have
come to expect from Steven.
The tangy freshness of his satini
zironmon is the perfect foil for
the pungent jolt of the octopus
curry. Years ago, I read somewhere that “the palate should be
kept fresh, teased, surprised, excited throughout a meal”. This is
certainly what we are experiencing. As we eat, the conversation
becomes more focussed on “the
gay wedding” held last Saturday.
“I’m so happy that the British
High Commissioner took this
initiative,” Nicolas says, as I admire his dreadlocks. ”It’s
sad though,
isn’t
it, that all
these
things
When are the homophobes going to accept that gays are bloody talented?
have to be massaged into us from
outside – you know, turtle conservation, human rights, gender
rights, gay and lesbian rights...”
“I agree,” Doreen responds. “We
Seychellois don’t seem to take
these issues seriously if one of our
own tries to raise them from inside the country. They’ve got to
have the sanction of international
organisations or western embassies first.”
“What I find so frustrating,” Steven intervenes, “is that these conservative zealots – I’m tempted to
say idiots – don’t seem to realise
that us gay and lesbian people
may have perfectly practical reasons to want to get married, just
like heterosexuals do, apart from
wanting public acknowledgement of our relationship with
our partner. For heaven’s sake,
isn’t marriage an internationally
recognised human right for all
people?!”
I am certain we have been
through this a number of times
before, but still his outburst is
followed by everyone joining in
to mention a practical reason for
gays and lesbians wanting to get
married: inheritance rights if a
partner dies, an equitable division of property if a relationship
ends, dependency and indemnity
compensation if one’s partner is
in the military and dies while on
active duty, facilitated residency
for partners from another country... I look around the room.
They are all couples. Suddenly
I am thinking of Nguéko, probably still on his way to Paris from
Brazzaville. We won’t be able to
meet again until I take leave in
September. In the background
Sam Smith is singing I’m not the
only one.
“Above all,” I say, “legalising
same-sex marriage would mean
affirming the inherent worthiness of us gays and lesbians as
valued Seychellois citizens
that deserve equal rights
under the law.” Jeva cautions that only 18 out
of 194 countries
allow same-sex
marriage
througho u t
their entire territory – most
countries of Western Europe, of
course, as well as Canada, Brazil
and some other Latin American
countries, New Zealand, South
Africa – although it is also legal
in 36 U.S. states, and some other
countries allow various types of
same-sex civil partnership. The
conversation shifts to Nelson
Mandela’s legacy in the fight for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in South Africa.
Jeva, who seems to have a memory for such things, recalls that in
1994 Mandela appointed the first
openly gay judge to sit on South
Africa’s High Court. Thanks to
Nelson Mandela’s insight and
wisdom, South Africa became
the first country in the world to
include constitutional protection
for same-sex loving persons.
There is a momentary diversion when a green bush cricket
suddenly appears, flutters across
the veranda and lands on one of
Joachim’s potted caladiums. I
run across to watch it delicately
preening its long antennae. Marc
and Yvonne remove plates and
serving dishes from the table
as Joachim and Steven bring
the dessert. “C’est une salade de
fruits, chers amis,” Steven announces, “simple et savoureuse !
” I don’t know about “simple” – I
don’t recall seeing such a variety
of tropical fruit, from papaya,
mango and banana to pineapple,
mandarin and passion fruit, in
one salad – but it is most certainly “savoureuse”. Somehow, Steven
has managed to weave in a faint
hint of ginger as well. The topic
of conversation is still the outpouring of hatred we have been
subjected to on Facebook and
elsewhere.
“Marriage cannot be only for
procreation,” Marc is saying.
“Otherwise infertile couples or
couples who do not wish to have
children would not be allowed to
marry.”
Jeva comes up with more interesting data. “Did you know,”
she asks, “that experts at the University of Melbourne published
a study last year that shows that
children raised by same-sex parents scored higher than others in
terms of general health and family cohesion?”
Already deciding that I’m
going to have another
helping of Steven’s
“salade de fruits des îles”, I mention the way the topic of gay and
lesbian marriage has been treated
in some Seychellois newspapers
recently. I was particularly saddened to see gay marriage included in a list of “trivial enough
issues” on the front page one
newspaper. A column in another
said that “the concept of gay marriages in our Seychellois society
is a matter of personal opinion”
but then went on to contradict
this by harping on about “the
Christian spirituality of our Creole society and culture”. “I would
have thought that legal marriage
is a secular institution and that it
should not be limited by religious
objections,” I tell the others. “Anyway, I have friends who are devout Christians in a gay Christian
organisation in France called David
et Jonathan. There are progressive churches, like the Metropolitan
Community Church, that support
gay and lesbian rights – and only
last month France’s main Protestant
church, l’Eglise Protestante Unie de
France, voted to allow its pastors to
bless same-sex marriages.”
A car arrives to drop Egbert and
Doreen’s young daughter, Chantal.
She shows me the jigsaw puzzle she
has won in a game at her friend’s
birthday party. I notice from the
writing on the box that there are 150
pieces that when assembled, will
form a picture of “glorious butterflies
that flit and flutter through a blooming garden”. Both Chantal and I love
butterflies, so this should not be too
difficult.
As we lay out the pieces on a low
table, Steven is fuming again. “You
know, their criticisms on Facebook
and against the British High Commissioner remind me of the argu-
ments against interracial marriages
in the old days. I recall my grandparents saying that people thought if a
white person married a black person
this would send the wrong moral
message and devalue the institution
of marriage! What’s the big deal? If
two people love each other, why can’t
they be allowed the same rights and
responsibilities, no matter their sex? ”
Yvonne reaches out and squeezes
his arm. “Don’t forget all the complex
reasons why people say all these horrible things about us,” she says. “Jeva
came across this very interesting paper in a psychology journal the other
day. They’ve done studies in the US
and the UK that show many homophobic people are actually self-loathing gays – secretly, they often harbour
same-sex desires themselves. One of
the researchers said that in many
cases these are people who are at war
with themselves and they are turning
this internal conflict outward.” I don’t
tell them I remember reading about
another study: it concluded that men
who are the most outspokenly homophobic are also the ones most
likely to be aroused by gay pornography.
Chantal and I have completed
our third butterfly and second
flower when my mobile phone vibrates. I’m engrossed in watching
Chantal assemble another brightly
coloured wing and a few minutes
elapse before I finally look at the
phone. It is an SMS from overseas.
My pulse is suddenly racing. It is a
message from Nguéko. I blink and
then peer at the screen. “Salut. Je
t’aime trop tu sais.”
Suddenly, I am no longer sad
and angry. For now, the bigotry,
the prejudice, the fear of us and
the hypocrisy no longer matter.
Where just a while ago there was
frustration and pain, clarity and
purpose now blossom again.
Pat Matyot
Anse Nord-Est, Mahé
Disclaimer: The opinions and
views expressed in this article are
those of the writer and not necessarily those of this newspaper.
Saturday 20 June, 2015
1 Pick-Up Ford. Single Cab. Scr 295,000.
Te: 2578516
Urgent Sale:
One White Kia Pick-up. 3 years old.
Price Rs 250,000. O.N.O
One White Toyota XL Saloon. Licensed
till October 2015. Price Rs 50,000.
O.N.O. Tel: 2783891 Anytime
oped land, registered under parcel number C1248 situated at La Plaine Ste. Andre, Au Cap.
And
Parcel V8825 being 0.2195 hectare or
2,195msq consisting of three-bedroom
dwelling house and a separate 1 bedroom
flat in basement situated at Sans Soucis.
Contact number 2512700 for viewing.
For long term rental for one to two
years
Urgent Sale
One pair Yamaha Speaker. 1000 Watt
each. Price Rs 5500. O.N.O. Tel: 2783891
anytime.
For Sale two properties:
1.914 hectare or 19,140msq of undevel-
Semi-Detached Two Bedroom Two
Bathroom Apartment Location Beau
Vallon
Fully furnished surrounded by secure
wall with neat and clean garden.
All rooms have air conditioning and ceiling fan. Internet connection available
but tenant will need to pay for whatever
internet package desired. Accommodation is suitable for companies who need
accommodation for their expatriate staff
21 Jan – 19 Feb
How much can you accomplish in a single day? If you
are a typical Aquarian you
can do more in 24 hours
than most people manage
in 24 hours and that’s good
because it will be non-stop
today. Your energy levels are
so high it’s not real.
23 July – 22 Aug
There is no point trying to
get along with someone
who obviously does not
want to get along with you.
The more you try to please
them the more distant and
unfriendly they will become. Accept the situation
and go your own way.
20 Feb – 20 March
A few days from now you
will be in a position to do
what you please, but before
then there is something you
must do to please a loved
one. On the home front
especially you should give
without thought of what
you might get in return.
23 Aug – 23 Sept
Others may say you have
been lucky, that you don’t
really deserve what you
have got, but the truth is you
have worked long and hard
to make an impression.
Luck is what you make of it
and you are entitled to enjoy
your good fortune.
21 March – 20 April
Your mind is so active that
good ideas are flowing thick
and fast. Wherever you are
and whatever you may be
doing you should keep a pen
and some paper close by at
all times. Put your thoughts
into words the moment they
come to you.
24 Sept – 23 Oct
You will be faced with a
rather stiff test today but
you have what it takes to
come out on top. The planets indicate you can handle
anything life throws at you.
No matter how tough the
test you will sail through
with flying colours.
21 April – 21 May
You have no choice but to
admit that you have wasted
a lot of money for no good
reason. But don’t be too
hard on yourself because in
a matter of days you will be
having the kind of fun that
money can’t buy.
24Oct–22Nov
If you have still to decide on
making some sort of commitment you must make up
your mind soon. Others are
beginning to lose patience
with your half-hearted attitude and won’t hesitate to go
elsewhere in search of a partner. Is that what you want?
working on contract.
SR 16,000 per month. Kindly phone
Mary 4247300 or 2523037 for appointment to view. Available immediately.
House For rent
Two bedroom, brand new house at
Beau-Vallon.
Fully furnished.
Interested person please call 2525066 for
viewing.
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Down
1. Possessing the necessary skills
2. A round fruit with a single pit
3. An inclined surface
4. An abnormal condition of the lungs
5. Big Bird’s street
6. Step
7. Snake-like fishes
8. Macaws
9. Fortified wine
10. Assertion
11. Hi
12. Consumed
13. Hoar
21. Left or right
23. Prefix meaning more than one
25. Detect
26. A beautiful and graceful girl
27. “Once ____ a time”
28. Grows on a tree
29. A division in a long poem
32. Repasts
33. One who moves into a country
34. Gemstone
35. Fictional captain
36. Dross
38. Cooking appliance
42. Incapable
43. View as
Yesterday’s solution
Across
1. French for “After”
6. Line formed by joining 2 pieces
10. Cook
14. Accuse
15. A three-tone Chadic language
16. Anagram of “Real”
17. Hunks
18. Winged
19. A range of male singing
20. Intensity
22. Grins
24. A giant slain by Odin (Norse
mythology)
25. Old Scottish for “Salmon”
26. Throbbed
29. Jail room
30. Sword
31. Discharges
37. Wanders
39. N N N N
40. Force forward
41. Enamored
44. Mother
45. City in Norway
46. A short passage at the end of a
literary work
48. Parts of a garment that cover
the arms
52. Floating mass of ice
53. A morsel of corn
54. Monument
58. A mild expletive
59. Chieftain
61. A stringed instrument
62. Tardy
63. Withered
64. Inward
65. Trudge
66. Strike
67. Shop
1. Who was the longest reigning Arab ruler, until 1995?
22 May – 21 June
Because the sun leaves your
birth sign this weekend it is
unlikely you will be able to
finish a number of things
you started in haste. It is
though still possible to complete one really important
task. You know what it is, so
get on with it.
23 Nov – 21 Dec
Although relationship problems have caused some
concern in recent weeks you
managed to keep a sense of
perspective and did not allow minor differences to become major disputes. That’s
good. The benefits will come
over the next few days.
2. Who was the first British actor in the 90s to win the Best Actor Oscar?
22 June – 22 July
22 Dec – 20 Jan
You need to put your affairs
in order, both at home and
at work, because in a matter
of days you will be too busy
with other people’s problems to worry much about
your own. Routine matters
must be dealt with now,
not later.
8. In ancient China people committed suicide by eating what?
Published by TODAY Publishers (Seychelles)
Limited, P.O. Box 999, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
Printed by “The Print House (Pty) Ltd.”, Providence
Industrial Estate,
Mahé, Seychelles.
Tel: +248 4290 999/950/951
Fax: +248 4325999
info@today.sc
3. What was invented 1903, and patented in 1906 by G C Beilder?
4. What fresh-water mollusks produce red or pink-colored pearls?
5. How many karats is pure, unalloyed gold?
6. What bean provides the colored inks used in most U.S. daily newspapers?
Grand Anse, Praslin
Tel: +248 4237 441
Fax: +248 4237 442
7. Who was the original lead singer with The Supremes?
Editor - Deepa Bhookhun
deepa.bhookhun@today.sc
9. On average, what do 100 people a year do with ballpoint pens?
10. A person who bites their nails is called a what?
Quick Quiz Answers: 1.King Hussein of Jordan 2. Daniel Day-Lewis 3. The Photocopier 4. Mussels 5. Twenty-four 6. The soybean 7. Diana Ross 8. Salt - one lb will kill you
9. Choke to death on them 10. Onychophagist
Although recent events have
had a negative effect on your
self-belief you will make up
for it when the sun moves
into your sign at the weekend. Today you are advised
to wind down, conserve your
energy and not take yourself
too seriously.
47. Penetrates
48. A sharp blow
49. Not against the law
50. Muse of lyric poetry
51. Finished
52. A type of hat
54. A star in the constellation
Cetus
55. Within
56. Partly open
57. Ore deposit
60. Cat sound
How To Play
The objective is to fill the blank squares with the correct numbers
•Every row of 9 must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order
•Every column of 9 must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order
•Every 3 x 3 sub-grid must include all digits 1 to 9 in any order
Fill the other empty cells with numbers between 1 and 9
A number should appear only once on each row, column and 3 x 3 region
Business Development Manager - Veronica Maria
veronica.maria@today.sc
ISSN: 1659-7265
Saturday 20 June, 2015
p15