Innholdsfortegnelse for 05 March 2015 i You South Africa

PEOPLE seem to give up on relationships far too easily. And when we shared the announcement that cricket hero Graeme Smith and his Irish pop-star wife, Morgan, were splitting after just four years of marriage many of you echoed this sentiment. Make it work, you said. As one reader succinctly put it: too many people have fairytale ideas of “happily ever after” but forget that you work at things when they’re going well so you’re better prepared when life throws a curveball or two. A thoughtful article on Theatlantic.com recently emphasised the importance of kindness towards each other in a relationship. It made me stop and reread. Surely that’s obvious? We all know how it feels if people gang up on you or are dismissive. Unkindness is awful so surely…

HE’S gone from being a man at peak physical fitness who wowed the world with his athletic prowess to someone who is now so thin his prosthetic legs no longer fit. He’s unable to indulge in food that can fuel his physique and now practically lives off tuck shop chakalaka. Nobody thought life would be easy for Oscar Pistorius in Kgosi Mampuru 2 Prison in Pretoria but there’s no doubt the Paralympian is taking strain after four months behind bars. Apart from the stress of daily prison life, Oscar is terrified of being poisoned so he refuses prison meals. Several sources have independently confirmed he doesn’t eat the meals provided. Instead the 28-year-old apparently lives on chakalaka – a spicy vegetable-based side dish usually served with braai meat, pap or…

THE mystery of what happened in the early hours of 27 January at De Zalze golf estate in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, has armchair detectives scratching their heads. It’s been more than a month since the gruesome axe murders that claimed the lives of Martin van Breda (54), his wife, Teresa (55), and their son Rudi (22), yet police still haven’t named any suspects and are keeping mum on the investigation. Shocked South Africans hoped the two surviving members of the family – Henri (20) and his sister, Marli (16) – would shed light on what happened that day. But Marli remains in hospital, under police guard, recovering from the horrific head and neck injuries she sustained. And Henri’s version of events has raised more questions than it’s answered. YOU…

Even if you’ve dealt with all the issues that came up during those first years of marriage it doesn’t mean you’re in for plain sailing. If you want a happy marriage you have to work at it. But is there a formula? A recipe for success? There is, American psychologist and relationship counsellor John Gottman says. It’s called the five-to-one rule and he says applying it will keep your marriage out of the danger zone. Gottman developed a mathematical model of relationships after studying couples’ interactions for decades. The research he’s spearheaded at the Gottman Institute in Washington in the US found the secret to a successful relationship is keeping the ratio of positive to negative interactions at or above five to one. So for every time you argue, criticise…

PLAITED KOEKSISTERS MAKES ABOUT 30 Preparation: 30 min Chilling: overnight + 30 min Cooking: 2 min a side 180 ml (¾ c) cake flour 375 ml (1½ c) cornflour 30 ml (2 T) baking powder 60 ml (¼ c) sugar 150 ml milk 100 ml cream 2 eggs 50 g butter oil for deep-frying SYRUP 500 ml (2 c) water 800 g sugar pinch of salt 2 ml (½ t) cream of tartar 5 ml (1 t) ground ginger 15 ml (1 T) lime juice 1 cinnamon stick DOUGH 625 ml (2½ c) self-raising flour 1 Syrup Heat the water in a pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Leave the…

GET THE LOOK STEP 1 Apply nail polish to the nail. Wait for it to dry completely then apply a second coat. When it’s dry use a nail decoration tool to draw branch-like lines in a contrasting colour from the bottom left corner to the right. STEP 2 At the tip of each branch, add small dots and lines to mimic leaves on a tree. Leave one branch bare for your little birds to sit on. STEP 3 To create the birds start with the heads, draw two dots next to each other, above but not touching the branch. Complete each body with an oval shape connecting the head to the branch then add a beak and feathers. STEP 4 To make sure your design lasts and looks salon-standard, finish…

EDWINA FIELIES, 32, a publishing manager in Cape Town, is our guinea pig for the adapted Paleo diet. Why do you want to go on this diet? What is your goal? I’d like to lose a few kilograms gradually and healthily. Looking at the diet, what do you think your biggest challenges will be? Pasta is one of the easiest and quickest dishes to prepare at night, especially being a working mom. This means I’ll have to plan our meals better. Also no processed foods equals no takeaways! What do you like most about the diet? I like the fact that the diet incorporates fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, chicken and fish and that I can have many small meals throughout the day. I’m a nibbler so at least I’ll be…

Chronic pain, coupled with the fact that fibromyalgia is often seen as a fake disorder, can be detrimental to fibromyalgia sufferers’ emotional wellbeing. They’re often denied sympathy by their colleagues, friends and family because there aren’t any observable signs, rheumatologist Dr Francois van Zyl says. Learn to read the signs, sufferer Deléne Vrey says. “My friends can see when I get tired and my mother can hear it in my voice when I speak to her on the phone. You should try to help where you can but don’t treat a fibromyalgia sufferer like an invalid” And don’t take it personally if sufferers come across as cold, she adds. “We can sometimes be short with people when we feel uncomfortable or sore. Don’t take it personally if someone with fibro…

WHAT REDUCES THE COST? The cost of administering an estate can be kept down provided it doesn’t become a formal winding-up process. In November last year the master of the high court increased the maximum value of estates where an executor needn’t be appointed from R125 000 to R250 000. This means you save on executor’s fees. Nor do you have to advertise the estate, which results in further saving. There’s also no need to lodge a liquidation account with the master. CONDITIONS FOR REDUCED COSTS Estates of less than R250 000 reported to the master after 24 November 2014 may be exempt from the formal winding-up process. This includes community estates. The date of death of the deceased and whether there’s a valid will are irrelevant. But the estate…

GRITTY DETERMINATION After leaving school he spent three years in the British military’s most elite force, the Special Air Service (SAS). Then, at 23, he became the youngest Briton to summit Mount Everest – after almost being paralysed in an accident. “I’d dreamt of climbing Everest ever since I was a kid, but then I broke my back while I was in the army. I was lying in rehab with several broken vertebrae and unable to move, but still hoping to make that climb. Most people thought I was crazy.” FAMILY LIFE Bear (40) and wife Shara Cannings Knight have three sons – Jesse (11), Marmaduke (8) and Huckleberry (6). He’s tried taking them along on work trips “but it was a disaster. I once stuck them in a lodge…

LISTEN TO THIS! TITEL MEGHAN TRAINOR R180* The Grammy-nominated 21-year-old speaks to single young women like no one else. In tracks such as To My Future Husband and 3 am (an ode to drunk texting) and smash hits All About That Bass (a powerful song that tells girls to embrace their curves) and Your Lips Are Movin, Meghan speaks from the heart, accompanied by doo-wop sounds that are so infectious they’ll have you – and your five-year-old daughter – boppin’ along. Unsurprisingly the record topped charts in the US and SA. But for pop-lovers only. – NICI DE WET * AVAILABLE AT THIS PRICE FROM KALAHARI.COM. PRICE CORRECT AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRINT AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. NEW ON THE BIG SCREEN / THE THEORY OF…

‘WHAT are you? Six, seven months?” asks Juliette Binoche, sizing up my pregnant stomach as we shake hands in the bar of an elegant Paris hotel. Seven. Any tips from a two-times French mother for a novice Brit? “Love, patience . . . and limits as well. That’s the difficult one. Limits are hard to find sometimes.” It’s not just kids who need them. Juliette, I’ll soon discover, has boundaries for everyone, including me. Later she’ll happily talk about raising her two children as a single parent, until I move to enquire about her current relationship status and her patience suddenly wears thin. “I’m not answering any of those questions. You’re trying to see the limits” she cuts me off, with a sharp, no-nonsense laugh. It’s the kind of laugh…

CANNES She’s learning the moves! KHANUKANI, or Cannes as mom KHANYI MBAU calls her, strikes a pose with the socialite and TV personality. The nine-year-old is the spitting image of her mother. KENZIE Loyiso and JENNIFER BALA’s daughter, KENZIE (2), shows that every little girl needs fabulous sunnies to complete a great outfit. ZARIA It seems effortless style comes as easily to ZURAIDA JARDINE’s daughter, ZARIA (5), as it does to her radio presenter mom. KATERIEN AND ELISE MINKI JOUBERT’s adorable daughters, KATERIEN (1) and ELISE (6 months), seem to go for a boho-chic look. JAYDEN He may be just seven months old but DANNY K’s little boy, JAYDEN, already boasts quite an impressive wardrobe. He and his muso dad even have matching sneakers! GABRIELLA AND GIA Gorgeous sisters GABRIELLA…

Since being sentenced to five years behind bars for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius has been confined to the hospital section of Kgosi Mampuru 2 Prison. Judge Thokozile Masipa found him guilty of culpable homicide and he has to serve 10 months of his five-year sentence before a decision can be made to convert his prison sentence to house arrest. The prosecution, led by advocate Gerrie Nel, indicated it would appeal the verdict. Judge Masipa granted the state leave to appeal and Oscar could be behind bars for longer than five years should the appeal be successful and he’s convicted of murder. The minimum prescribed sentence for murder is 15-20 years in prison. Llewellyn Curlewis, a criminal law expert of Pretoria, says the…

THIS year it seems to be mostly out with the old and in with the new if the recent crop of award winners and headline-makers is anything to go by. You might not recognise their names or their faces at first glance just yet, but that will soon change because these fresh-faced hotshots are being catapulted into superstardom in 2015. ‘Every job comes with its challenges. If you’re putting your all into it, it always feels pretty gruelling’ Eddie Redmayne (33) You may have noticed the freckled-faced, tweed-wearing young man in 2011’s My Week With Marilyn but Eddie’s stature has grown dramatically since then thanks to his role in The Theory Of Everything. Although the London local received critical acclaim for his role in the 2012 movie adaptation of the…

“Sometimes I scold myself for not having done more,” SA-born tennis ace Ray Moore says to the camera. He’s fighting back tears and biting his lip to contain his emotions. “Hearing their stories . . . There comes a time when you have to take a position and I’ve done that and they’ve done that.” In a recent interview with M-Net current affairs show Carte Blanche he reveals he’s always known his former colleague Bob Hewitt had a thing for young girls. “It was always, ‘There’s Bob again sitting up in the stands with a young girl’,” he told presenter Derek Watts. “But nobody ever imagined it went further than that.” Ray, now one of the tournament directors for the Masters 1 000 event at Indian Wells, California in the…

HYMNS fill the air in the street where neighbours, teachers and friends have come to pay their respects and mourn with the family who live here. A woman prays at the top of her voice and pleads with God to strengthen the family and help them through their ordeal. The Malekutu family have been suffering greatly since news reached them that their beloved Lerato died at school. The 17-year-old matric learner of Eden Park Secondary School in Alberton, Gauteng, was declared dead at school after a classmate apparently pulled a chair out from under her during a history class. Fellow learners say Lerato’s head slammed hard against the floor. Her classmate apparently thought it was a joke, one says, and laughed not knowing at that time that Lerato was critically…

t – teaspoon/s T – tablespoon/s c – cup/s AS AUTUMN approaches, so does the season for fruits such as apples and pears. Koekedoor, a spin-off of the TV reality food show Kokkedoor, is also about to kick off in Tulbagh, a region renowned for fruit. The show is bound to inspire people to start baking. I always opt for cakes that are quick and easy to make, like these. GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE AND PEAR CAKE MAKES 1 RING CAKE Preparation: 20 min Cooking: 50 min CAKE 230 g gluten-free flour 5 ml (1 t) baking powder 60 ml (¼ c) cocoa powder pinch of salt 3 eggs 250 ml (1 c) sugar 125 ml (½ c) chopped dark chocolate 20 ml (4 t) chopped rosemary leaves 3 pears, grated 250…

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you Diet -try it!  Every month for 12 months YOU is publishing a new diet. Why? So you can find one that best suits your lifestyle, food preferences and dietary needs. WHAT YOU GET EVERY MONTH > Week 1: A new diet > Weeks 2, 3 and 4: An eating plan for the week PLUS recipes PLUS expert tips. In months with five weeks you get extra tips. WHETHER you’re familiar with the term “Paleo” or not, there’s nodenying this way of eating signals a new approach to dieting as we know it. It’s said to be the way the first people ate when lean meat, nuts and berries were their staple diet. It’s similar to the low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) Banting-style diet Professor Tim Noakes advocates. Most carbs and legumes…

Lean cuts of meat and poultry (grass-fed if possible, but not necessary) Fresh fruits – all fruits are fine, but limit intake to three pieces a day Fish and other seafood Fresh vegetables Eggs Seeds Healthy oils such as olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado and coconut Limited dairy, legumes and some grains are allowed in Bruk’s adapted version of the Paleo diet Nuts (limit if you want to lose weight) AVOID Refined sources of wheat (for example white bread, cakes) Refined sugar Processed foods Overly salty foods Refined vegetable oils Candy Alcohol TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Send an email to diets@you.co.za and share your weight-loss success stories with us. Perhaps you’ve tried one of our diets and reached your goal. We’d love to hear from you.…

Trauma It’s believed physical injuries, emotional trauma or viral infections can trigger it. Fibromyalgia runs in families Immediate family of patients have an eightfold risk of developing the condition, rheumatologist Dr Francois van Zyl says. It can change from mild to severe in people with a genetic predisposition who experience a psychological shock, rheumatologist Dr David Gotlieb says. Women Fibromyalgia is eight times more common in women than men, and mostly affects those aged 20 to 55. Psychological conditions “Certain psychological conditions, including major depression, panic disorders and familial major mood disorders, have been reported in several studies to be risk factors for the development of fibromyalgia” Dr van Zyl says.…

GENERAL PRINCIPLES 1 MOVE FAST The longer a stain stays in, the harder it is to get it out without leaving a trace. 2 DON’T SCRUB You risk rubbing the stain in deeper and it spreading over a wider area. Instead, blot liquid spills with a cloth or paper towel to remove as much of the discoloration as possible. Work inwards so the stain stays contained. 3 DON’T ADD MORE LIQUID You’ll only make the job harder for yourself. 4 SOAK IT UP To lift a wet stain from a carpet the best strategy is sometimes to place a 1-cm thick layer of clean white rags or paper towels over the spill, weigh them down with a heavy object, then leave overnight so the liquid can be absorbed up and…

THE NOVEMBER MAN 2014. 104 min. 16LV Sexual Violence. Action thriller. R144* Retired CIA agent Devereaux (Pierce Brosnan) is sent back into the field in Russia to extract an undercover spy, Ulanova (Mediha Musliovic). She has incriminating evidence against Russian army general Federov (Lazar Ristovski), a presidential candidate taking out all who stand in his way. But things go awry when misinformation leads to the CIA killing Ulanova. Devereaux’s wrath is unleashed and he gets caught in a cat-and-mouse game with his former protégé Mason (Luke Bracey), and the CIA. If you enjoy action movies but are tired of CGI overkill this old-school thriller is for you. Based on a book in The November Man series by Bill Granger, the plot is complex yet typical of your average spy drama…

The 2012 American Idol winner recently hit SA shores as the opening act for Irish rockers The Script. We caught up with the 24-year-old singer after his Cape Town concert to talk about fame, his love-life and mastering a few Zulu words. It’s your first time in SA. What do you think of the country? I didn’t know what to expect, especially fan-wise and how the shows would go, but all three concerts were absolutely incredible. Have you done any sightseeing? We haven’t got to see much. I’ve been pretty busy with travelling and interviews. It’s been beautiful though. The people here are amazing as well. I wanted to do a safari but there wasn’t enough time to do all that, so next time! You recently got engaged. Did your…

PISCES 19 FEB – 20 MAR Work prospects are set to boost your finances If you’re a true Pisces, chances are money management may not be one of your strong points. But it’s important to keep an eye on your finances since uncontrolled spending can cause havoc with your cash flow. The good news is that work opportunities may have a positive effect on your finances; don’t let any chances go to waste. You may have a gullible streak, so take care not to fall victim to scams. YOUR LUCKY NUMBERS 49, 38, 42, 27, 7, 33 ARIES MARCH 21 – APRIL 19 You’re bound to feel good about yourself, with an abundance of energy and a lot courage to boot. As pent-up energy may cause headaches or temper outbursts,…

Her real name She was born Ariana Grande-Butera. Her mom, Joan Grande, is the CEO of a telephone and alarm system company and her dad, Edward Butera, owns a graphic design firm. Her name was inspired by Princess Oriana from the 1988 film Felix the Cat: The Movie. Hard-working clan “I come from an Italian family and they all have an incredible work ethic, starting with my grandfather, which trickled down to my mom and then me and my brother. We were raised to know what we want and to go after it” the 21-year-old says. Rising star In December Ariana was presented with the Rising Star accolade at the Billboard Women in Music Awards. She’s only the seventh person to receive this award after such big names as Colbie…

IT COULD have come straight from the plot of a romantic film. A young girl is besotted with a character in a children’s TV series and tells her mom she’ll marry him some day. She never forgets the cuddly character with the gentle eyes and distinctive voice but doesn’t think she’ll ever meet him. Then years later she discovers the man she’s been chatting to on an online dating site is the very same person who donned a furry suit to play the character she loved so much! On Valentine’s Day this year Zeni Martina’s dream of marrying the character Zet, who was hugely popular in the ’90s thanks to the Christian children’s series, sort of came true. She walked down the aisle at the Methodist Church in Roodepoort to…

WE WERE shocked by reports that PAMELA ANDERSON (45) had thrown out her husband’s dog given that she’s such an animal-lover. But it seems the busty actress wants nothing to do with her third husband, RICK SALOMON (47) – she’s filed for divorce. In retaliation Rick filed for an annulment of their marriage on the basis of fraud. While no details have emerged, sources close to the TV producer and professional poker player say he has evidence the Baywatch star tricked him into marrying her. It’s a move right out of his estranged wife’s book. Back in 2008, she successfully obtained an annulment of their brief first marriage, citing fraud. But they went on to remarry in January 2014. Six months later Pamela filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences” but…

• Seems VANILLA ICE (the one-hit wonder behind early ’90s track Ice Ice Baby) has his own interpretation of the word “stealing”. Cops arrested the 47-year-old rapper after he’d stolen items from a vacant house in Florida for his reality show, The Vanilla Ice Project, in which he remodels homes. Turns out Ice was renovating a house next door and thought it would make for good TV to nick items from the house. According to him it was just a big old “misunderstanding”. Mmm. • A new book about the late British fashion designer ALEXANDER McQUEEN tells how he hated Victoria Beckham, now the toast of the fashion world. In Gods And Kings: The Rise And Fall Of Alexander McQueen And John Galliano, Alexander – who committed suicide aged 40…

My heart goes out to Lloyd Cele and his beautiful wife, Janice, on the tragic loss of their baby girl at 35 weeks (YOU, 19 February). The loss of a child whether while still in the womb, a few days after birth or later on in the child’s life is traumatic and life-changing. My husband and I lost our daughter 22 days after her birth due to complications after surgery. She had Down syndrome which we discovered only after her birth. But we were blessed with her and were looking forward to spending our lives with her. Life had other plans. I’m now 39 weeks pregnant with our second baby girl and I’m counting the days until her arrival. Reading about the Celes’ loss brought tears to my eyes and…

AMERICA’S sweetheart has had a hard time mustering her famous megawatt smile in the past year following the suicide of her sister for which the blame landed squarely at her door. And it’s unlikely she’ll be able to summon that smile soon because one year later there’s been another death in the family. Julia Roberts is faced with heartache again after her beloved mom succumbed to cancer. Betty Lou Bredemus (80) died in the early hours of 19 February, 10 days after the anniversary of the suicide of Julia’s half-sister Nancy. Julia’s mom had been battling lung cancer since 2013 when doctors found a malignant tumour in a routine MRI. The August: Osage County actress and her mother were extremely close – a bone of contention for younger sister Nancy…

• John Legend & Common Thanks to their epic anthem, Glory, for the critically acclaimed movie Selma, glory is certainly what the crooner and the rapper can expect – they scooped the Oscar for best song at this year’s Academy Awards. The two performed the goosebump-inducing song, of which the melody took John just an hour to write, at the star-studded show on 22 February, bringing several in attendance, including Selma star David Oyelowo, to tears. • Julianne Moore After nearly three decades working in Hollywood the 54-year-old actress is riding high thanks to her riveting performance as an Alzheimer’s disease sufferer in the hard-hitting drama Still Alice. She’s been winning awards left, right and centre, and recently claimed her first Oscar for best actress. Even sufferers of the disease…

Pulling a chair out from underneath someone is a prank many people have seen, done or experienced yet medical experts are unanimous on the matter: it’s one of the most dangerous things you could do. The coccyx bone, which is located at the base of the spine, above the bum, could be severely damaged and lower back pain could become a problem for the person who’s fallen as a result of the prank, doctors say. It could also result in legal action – if lawyers can establish the intention to hurt was deliberate it could be viewed as an assault. A notable case in the US now used in law schools is Garratt vs Dailey. It involves Ruth Garratt suing five-year-old George Dailey after he pulled a chair out from…

AVOCADO AND CHICKPEA SALAD SERVES 4 Preparation: 10 min Standing: 15 min Cooking: 5-10 min CHICKPEAS 1 can (410 g) chickpeas, drained 45 ml (3 T) olive oil 1-2 red chillies, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 10 g fresh coriander, chopped salt and pepper juice and grated zest of 1 lemon BREAD STRIPS 2 tortilla wraps 30 ml (2 t) olive oil salt SALAD 100 g mixed lettuce leaves 2 avocados Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray. 1 Chickpeas Mix the ingredients except half the lemon juice. Set aside for at least 15 minutes. 2 Bread strips Cut the tortillas into strips, drizzle the olive oil over and season with salt. Spread on the baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes. 3…

BODY SHAPE: COLUMN MARYKE CUMPSTY (41) IS AN ASSISTANT EDITOR AT OUR SISTER MAGAZINE HUISGENOOT. SHE WANTS TO KNOW HOW TO FLATTER HER FIGURE WHEN SHE WEARS HEAD-TO-TOE BLACK. This body type is called a column shape because your figure is almost straight up and down. The clothes you wear should give you curves and definition. Wear three-quarter sleeves; they make arms look leaner and more feminine. And wear a belt to create the illusion of a waist. NECKLINE A round or V-neck shows skin, so your clothes don’t form a solid block. LAYERS Sometimes also worn in various lengths, layers create shape and definition. JEANS Skinny pants make your legs look slim and balance the upper body. JACKET Create curves by pulling in a loose jacket with a belt.…

Q What are the principles of the Paleo diet? A The Paleolithic diet – usually abbreviated to the Paleo diet – focuses on trying to eat in the way early humans ate. This involves cutting out dairy and processed foods and most starchy foods (for example pasta, breakfast cereals and bread). Instead the focus is on eating seeds, nuts, meat, chicken, fish, sweet potatoes, eggs, fruits and vegetables. Q Is this a healthy way of eating? A Although the focus on eliminating processed foods is advisable, the limiting of dairy and starches can be harmful to health and can lead to problems such as osteoporosis and poor blood-sugar control in diabetics. Ultimately the Paleo diet is another fad as the focus isn’t on science, but rather on anecdotal testimonies. In…

FOR many years fibromyalgia wasn’t regarded as a “real disease”. The chronic, sometimes debilitating pain experienced by fibromyalgia sufferers was considered to be “all in the mind”. For decades Deléne Vrey (40), a freelance translator of Parow, Cape Town, sought answers about why she was always tired and in pain. As a child she had to give up gymnastics because she was so exhausted after practice she couldn’t get out of bed the next day. Later she had to stop doing athletics as well, as the pain in her ankles became too much for her. As a student she relied on tonics and painkillers to get by. Still doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause. “All the tests came back negative. I was ‘healthy’ and there was nothing wrong with me, but…

I FOUND NUDE PICS ON MY HUSBAND’S PHONE Q I found a cellphone last night that belongs to my husband and the only thing on it is WhatsApp, which he’s used to interact with at least 35 women since February last year. He took videos of himself masturbating in our bathroom and at work and sent it to them. They’ve all sent nude photos and videos of themselves to him. I confronted him and he says it was just a game. I know two of the women – one works with him and the other is our domestic worker. He created Facebook and WhatsApp accounts under a false name so they don’t know who he is. Six years ago I found porn on his laptop but it was just photos…

BLOOD Sponge with cold water, blotting with a towel as you go. TEA AND COFFEE Blot thoroughly, then treat with a carpet shampoo. Use a dry-cleaning solvent on stubborn stains. CHEWING GUM Place a bag of ice cubes on the chewing gum to freeze it. You can then break the gum with a small hammer and lift off the pieces. Rub any residue with white or methylated spirits on a soft cloth. VOMIT Scrape up any deposits, taking care not to spread them over a wider area. Blot thoroughly with a paper towel, then treat with carpet shampoo and a little disinfectant to remove odour. INK Marks from a ballpoint pen should be dabbed with a cotton bud that’s been dipped in methylated spirits. Marks from a fountain pen should…

SHE counts talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey among her fans and has won a number of high-profile awards. And although her books deal with fairly heavy subjects such as climate change and colonial arrogance the really refreshing thing about Barbara Kingsolver is that she never takes herself or her achievements too seriously. In fact, the bestselling American novelist was so unsure of her abilities it took her more than a decade of soul-searching before she finally plucked up the nerve to write The Poisonwood Bible, the novel that put her on the literary map. We caught up with her during her recent visit to South Africa to find out what makes her tick. This is your first tour of South Africa. What do you make of your local readers? I can’t…

Does the 22-year-old pouty-lipped hunk look familiar? You might have him in the 2013 version of Romeo & Juliet and last year’s biblical epic Noah. He’s a staunch pescatarian, which means he eats fish but no meat or poultry. He says it’s because he grew up on a farm and had “17 pets at one point”. He sees his parents often and shares a flat with older sister Abigail in London. Mom Vivien is a painter and his dad, Simon, a shipping finance consultant. He struggled at school as he’s severely dyslexic. He says he’s still “a really slow reader”. He’d love to act alongside Oscar winner Judi Dench, saying he thinks it would be “fun”. He’s “enjoying the single life” and once even gave Taylor Swift the brush-off, which…

Art class These students see only flowers, but there are 18 other items hidden in this classroom. Look for a spool of thread, telephone receiver, mitten, banana, paper clip, capital letters A and E, needle and thread, crown, bow, smiley face, snail, gingerbread man, pencil, sock, book, kite, and golf club. Find three differences Art supplies Find the words that are listed below – they’re hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally, backwards or forwards. Find two identical pictures (only two are identical)…

THEY look like all the other eight-year-olds running around on the sports field during breaktime. But these two bubbly, energetic girls are pretty special – although you won’t see them getting special treatment here at school. To the teachers and the learners they’re just Danielle and Danika Lowton, two sisters who are rather clever. But to South Africans who’ve been following their story since their birth in 2006, they’re the conjoined twins who were joined at the head (YOU, 6 July 2006). It hasn’t been an easy eight years for the girls and their parents, Nitesh (37) and Kribashnee (40), but they’ve achieved a significant milestone this year – the sisters, who were previously home-schooled by their parents, started to attend a mainstream school. YOU visited the twins at their…