Month: January 2018

Dojo re-opens January 2018 | Community Hall – Stilbaai
Monday & Wednesdays at 15:00

The last Gashuku and Grading for Stilbaai OGKK Karate
took place on 29 November 2017.

Back row from left to right:
Luke Symons, Penny Symons (green), Anre Farre (brown), Elaine Hardy (green), Sandra van Jaarsveld (brown), Trinity Griffiths (brown), unknown.

Middle row:
Wiehan Kok (green), Dr Karlien van Zyl (green), Charline Brennan (2nd dan), Armand Farre (blue), Jaco de Bruin (green), Brenda Neate (5th dan), Nadia de Bruin (blue), Rosa van Zyl (green), Lee Symons (green).

Seated in front:
Johan van Zyl (orange), Wyatt Griffiths (blue), Wiehan van As (green), with club mascot, Ninja.

 

Nadia and Jaco de Bruin took part in the Mossel Bay Sports Festival where she won gold for Kumite and he silver.

 

Armand en Anre Farre received their Western Cape Colours last year and represented Stilbaai Karate at the All Style SA’s in Durban.

 

Trinity Griffiths, who recently graded for Brown Belt in Goju Ryu Karate (OGKK) also qualified for Eden All Style Karate Colours for a second time, as did her brother. Wyatt was previously in the Development Squad. They will both take part in the Western Cape Champs In January. Were they to be successful, they would go through to the All Style SA’s in Durban later in 2018.

We often take our eyes for granted and put them at risk during our daily activities. Adopting good eye care habits and going for regular eye tests with an optometrist are important, regardless of one’s age or overall health. During an eye test, an optometrist doesn’t just examine the quality of your vision and whether you need spectacles, contact lenses or an adjusted prescription. It also includes a general health check for injuries, abnormalities and early signs of eye conditions and diseases. In fact, optometrists are often the first health care professionals to detect chronic systemic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Having a Zeiss Experience eye test with the latest advanced eye technology at the new Mellins-Zeiss Vision Centre in the Mossel Bay Mall, is like stepping into the future. Until recently, eye testing technology has remained virtually unchanged for about 100 years. As part of this innovative eye test, the Zeiss i.Profiler reads your eyes like a “fingerprint” and digitally maps 2500 points on each eye in under 90 seconds. It enables the optometrist to determine your prescription to the nearest 0.01, instead of 0.25 as in older eye tests.

The customised precision technology enables Zeiss to manufacture the most individualised lenses in the world, namely Zeiss i.Scription. According to Zeiss this level of customisation results in the production of lenses that are able to improve night and twilight vision by up to 30% and reduce irritating reflections or halo effects. You will also get improved colour vision and contrast and overall, see more clearly.

The last step in the Zeiss Experience is about how the lenses fit the spectacle frame and the effect of the positioning and shape of the frame on your lenses. Lens-fitting errors can reduce optical performance by up to 40 percent, so in this step the lenses are optimally positioned.

One also gets to choose the optimal lens thickness for your prescription. The days of thick and bulky “bottle” lenses are therefore over! Your lenses can now be up to 50 percent thinner and lighter and all Zeiss lenses come with a UV protective coating as standard. The lenses can however be customised further with lenses that will darken in the sun and lighten when indoors, or one can opt for an anti-reflective coating that specifically reduces glare from LEDs, TVs, computers and tablet screens.

For more information, eye care tips and advice, contact Mellins-Zeiss Vision Centre, tel: 044 691 1010 or visit www.mellins.co.za.

On behalf of Mellins i-Style
For more information, please contact:
Karen Armstrong
Armstrong Communication & PR
Tel: 021 795 0035
E-mail: karen@armstrongpr.co.za
Date: December 2017.

In the hot summer months, chances are that you will spend more time in the sun, whether driving, playing sports or just enjoying a beautiful day outdoors. At the same time, your eyes will be exposed to direct sunlight, sun glare as well as damaging solar rays such as UV (ultraviolet) and HEV (high-energy visible) radiation which are major risk factors. This is why taking proper care of one’s eyes and remaining aware of the hazards that can affect good vision are vital, especially during the year’s sunniest season.

The new Mellins Vision Centre in Mossel Bay Mall has the following tips and information to help you maintain excellent vision:

Getting to grips with radiation: The sun emits different types of electromagnetic radiation, most of which are visible (HEV) light, UV rays, and infrared rays. While UV rays make up only a very small portion of the sun’s rays, they are the main cause of the sun’s damaging effects on the eyes. UV rays are an overload of energy that travels through an empty space creating an imbalance in the chemical structure of the body’s molecules, causing cell damage and deformities. As UV rays travel with sunlight, the rays can pierce through the thin layer of skin on the eyelids when the eyes are closed or partially closed, making it possible for the rays to reach the eye. The transparent lens and cornea help to protect the eyes by filtering the UV rays, but if direct light continuously reaches the eyes over long periods of time, this can lead to serious eye problems including:

Cataracts.
Eyelid cancers.
Intraocular melanoma.
Macular degeneration.
Harmful growths on the surface of the eye. Pterygium or benign growths on the conjunctiva (the protective membrane that spans across the outside of the eye), usually occur at a later stage in life. These growths can negatively affect sight and may need to be removed surgically.
Keratitis (sunburn of the cornea).
Photokeratitis. When the eyes are exposed to high, short term dosages of UV rays, this can cause a painful inflammation of the cornea. Photokeratitis, also known as ‘snow blindness’, can cause instant vision loss for up to 24 to 48 hours.

Are polarised lenses your best weapon against harmful radiation? Tinted sunglasses may help to darken glare from the sun. Sharp light however can still obscure your vision and the lenses do not necessarily protect the eyes from harmful radiation. The best solution for protecting your eyes against damaging rays is polarised lenses that can block 100% UV radiation and absorb other detrimental light. Polarisation occurs when sunlight ‘ripples’ into various directions and hits a surface to cause a flux of light that reflects into one direction. When reflected from surfaces such as water, sea sand, the windshields of oncoming cars or wet pavements and roads, the polarised light can cause a blinding effect once it reaches your eyes. Polarised lenses eliminate much of these types of glare to improve contrast, make colours more brilliant and ensure outstanding vision, even under extreme light conditions. These lenses also protect you from eye fatigue because your eyes no longer have to adjust to constantly changing light conditions.

To best protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays when outdoors, make sure that you are equipped with good quality polarised sunglasses that can block 100% UV rays and absorb most HEV rays. It is also a good idea to keep your sunglasses on in the shade as although these cooler areas may reduce the effect of the damaging rays, it does not provide complete protection.

For more information, eye care tips and advice, contact Mellins Zeiss Vision Centre in Mossel Bay Mall at tel: 044 691 1010 or visit www.mellins.co.za.

ʼn Produksie van Verdi se immergewilde La Traviata in Stilbaai, op die oewer van die Gouka-rivier, het die pas afgelope Desember die kunstenaarlewenservarings van die lede van die Sempre Opera-geselskap aansienlik ryker daar laat uitsien. Om in die natuur, omring met olyfboorde met die rustige klanke van ʼn kabbelende stroom ʼn opera op die planke te sit, is nie net ʼn uitdaging nie, maar ook reuse voorreg.

In opdrag van Altus Joubert, eienaar van Riethuiskraal en Kransfontein, het 16 lede van Sempre Opera al die pad van Pretoria af gereis om saam met die tenoor Stéfan Louw en sopraan Anina Wasserman ʼn ingekorte weergawe van La Traviata uit te voer.

Die opera is gebaseer op die drama “La dame aux Camélias” van Alexandre Dumas. Dit speel af in Parys (Frankryk) en handel oor die courtisane, Violetta Valery, gesing deur Anina Wasserman, wat verlief raak op Alfredo Germont, gesing deur Stéfan Louw. Violetta ly egter aan tering en sterf tragies aan die einde. Violetta se vriendin Flora Bervoix is vertolk deur die mezzo-sopraan Linette van der Merwe en haar kamermeisie wat ook as verteller opgetree het, was die mezzo-sopraan Riana van Vollenhoven. Ander rolle sluit in, Danie Verster (bariton) as Gorgio Germont, Alfredo se vader; Chris Mostert (tenoor) as Gastone de Letorières, Alfredo se vriend; Lourens de Jager (bariton) as Barone Douphol, een van Violetta se minnaars; Rex Nigrini (bas-bariton) as Marchese d’Obigny en Dottore Grenvil. Die sangers is begelei deur die Sempre Opera Instrumentale Ensemble onder leiding van die dirigent, Schalk van der Merwe. (Irma Huysamer)