Tennis superstar Serena Williams was two months into her pregnancy when she won the Australian Open Championship in January. Women have successfully and safely participated in competitive sport activities while pregnant for years. Dr. Raul Artal, a member of the board of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as a guest editor on Obstetric Practice said, “Pregnancy should not be looked at as a state of confinement. In fact, it is an ideal time for lifestyle modification. That is because more than any other time in her life, a pregnant woman has the most available access to medical care and supervision.” If you were not physically active before pregnancy it is an ideal time for maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Why exercise during pregnancy.

• Physical activity in pregnancy has minimal risks and has been shown to bene_ t most women, although some modification to exercise routines may be necessary because of normal anatomic and physiologic changes and fetal requirements.

• At a time when your body looks like that of a stranger’s, you may wonder how this body can possibly be yours. By exercising you can increase your sense of control while boosting your energy level. You feel better as a result of the endorphins released during exercise.

• It assists in relieving backaches and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, butt, and thighs.

• It reduces constipation by improving the movement of food along the intestines.

• It prevents wear and tear on your joints (which become loosened during pregnancy due to normal hormonal changes) by activating the lubricating fluid in your joints.

• It aids you by relieving the stress and anxiety thereby making it easier to fall asleep.

• Exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, thereby making you look physical more attractive by giving you a healthy glow.

• It increases muscle strength and endurance which can greatly ease labor and delivery especially if you have a lengthy labor.

• Exercise will assist you in regaining your pre-pregnancy body more quickly. As you exercise during your pregnancy the probability of you gaining excess fat will be greatly reduced especially if you exercised regularly before pregnancy.

• Studies have shown that exercise may lower a woman’s risk of complications, like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

Most exercises are safe to perform during pregnancy, as long as you exercise with caution. Do not overdo it, and receive the green light from your health practitioner before doing any type of exercise.

The safest and most productive activities are swimming, brisk walking, indoor stationary bicycling and low-impact aerobics (taught by a certified aerobics instructor). These activities carry little risk of injury, bene_ t your entire body, and can be continued until birth. For women who do not wish to venture out of the comfort of their homes, especially closer to their due date, there are many exercise videos designed for pregnant women that can be purchased or viewed on-line.

Other activities such as jogging or running can be done in moderation. You may want to choose exercises or activities that do not require great balance or co-ordination, especially closer to your third trimester. Some women who have been actively weight-training continue to do so when they become pregnant. However, one must approach this with caution as your body goes through major changes during pregnancy, such as an increase in blood volume, by approximately 40 per cent. An increase in the heart rate also occurs as more blood has to be circulated, thus causing the heart to beat faster. Dizziness may also occur as a result of the additional pressure placed on the large veins in the back region that take blood back to the heart from the lower extremities. Workouts have to be tailored to your body’s changing needs, which we will discuss further in part two of this article.

We will also explore weight training and some of the major exercises that provide the biggest benefits to your new body.

People take advantage of you.

They exploit you. This was graphically shown in a credible documentary (via British Sky TV) on sexual abuse and exploitation of very poor, teenage girls in South-East Asia, especially places like Viet Nam, Thailand and the Philippines.

Sex and prostitution usually make hot stories. But my interest here arose from the exploitation and misery I saw in the Sky documentary– something we should avoid here.

For many years now, we have been having regular media reports about the increase in prostitution in this country. An increase which will be aggravated as refugees and immigrants penetrate our borders – legally or illegally.

The downturned economy will help pave the way if the required controls are not properly inserted.

In July 2015, Corey Connnelly wrote about the rising sex and human trafficking from Latin America– about “100 arriving here per week”– many as prostitutes (Newsday July, 12, 2015).

In April 2013, officers were charged with protecting a prostitution ring in Marabella. In March, 2013, seventy eight charged for prostitution in south again – a mixture of Guyanese, Jamaicans, Dominican Republicans and Venezuelans.

Connelly’s story explained all this as “a million–dollar industry” brokered by local agents and second to illegal drugs.

The Trafficking in Persons Act, Sexual Offences Act, Counter-Trafficking Unit – all face mounting challenges. The US State Department has already described this country as a Caribbean “sex destination.” These “sex workers” are poor, and taken advantage of one way or another.

The abuse and sexploitation of prostitution in South Asia are widely known.

In fact, there is now a growing network for shared intelligence among countries regarding registered sex offenders travelling to South-East Asia for cheap, easy sex.

It is difficult to stop such persons from leaving their country but the affected, receiving country can stop them. The published report noted that many of the sex offenders come from Western countries, including Europe, Britain and the United States.

More than that, the increased prevalence of “under-sixteen” prostitution in Southeast Asia is being summarised as a “tourism, poverty, prostitution” matrix. A “collision,” said one security agent.

Like a vulgarised underground economy, prostitution flourished with the American bases in Viet Nam, Thailand and the Philippines– men leaving hundreds of children behind. Like how our “Jean and Dina” culture flourished with the American base in the 1940s.

Many “sex visitors” to Southeast Asia seek to capture as many poverty- stricken virgins as possible.

Clearly shown in the documentary are the scantily dressed teenagers, cramped in small groups, idly chatting, while waiting for “customers.” They drown their destitution in nervous laughter and aimless gazing.

“Will you do this all the time, when will you stop?” The interviewer asked. “I don’t know, I do this now to send back money for my two children,” one 15-year old explained (in translation). Two children at 15? The very red lipstick, thickly-powdered face and bikini-styled wear are their frontline tools-at-work.

Once inside with the “customer,” anything goes.

Recently, the governments in Southeast Asia have been striving to reduce the miserable trade but the demand-supply network, propped up by police corruption, is quite resistant. Regarding “tourist offenders,” security agencies use shared intelligence from Interpol and other governments. This year, it is reported, thirty-four have been stopped by Filipino security, eighteen in Thailand and two in India.

Last two years, seventy from the UK have been blocked by the National Crime Agency.

Of course, not all “virgin hunters” are registered offenders.

The rate of HIV and related diseases is high. But craving for the “Yankee dollar” there, like the Caribbean, is quite high too. There were loud music, curious pedestrians and even tourist couples of same or mixed gender cruising along these “red light” districts. The Pattaya district in Thailand is reputed to be the world’s largest red light district. Two of the teenage prostitutes, quite surprisingly, said they were working “to save to go to university.” Prostitutes saving for university? Though an extreme example, it seems that while poverty can bring misery and exploitation, it can also spark ambitions for escaping

A full house at the Oval witnessed a professional display by the Trinbago Knight Riders, which saw them maintain their position at the top of the standings with their third win of the tournament.

Khan snatched four wickets for 28 runs in four overs to help reduce Amazon Warriors to 156 for seven batting first, before Munro blazed an unbeaten 70 off 47 deliveries to guide Knight Riders to 162/3 with one over to spare.

Amazon Warriors silenced the capacity crowd with some excellent stroke play as they got to 40 without loss after three overs. South African pacer Robert Frylinck conceded 22 runs in his only over of the match forcing TKR captain Dwayne Bravo to bring leg-spinner Khan into the attack. He did not disappoint as he got the wicket of Amazon Warriors captain Martin Guptill for 24 caught by Khary Pierre at long on. The fall of Guptill did not slow down Chadwick Walton as he struck Khan for a six over cover in the same over.

It was 50/2 in the fifth over when Babar Azam was trapped leg before to off-spinner Sunil Narine for two. Medium pacer Kevon Cooper kept the run rate down at the other end, but left-arm spinner Pierre then felt the brunt of Walton who struck the spinner for two sixes in one over.

Dwayne Bravo also kept the run rate down as he tried to take the pace of the ball on a fast paced wicket. After containing Walton and Jason Mohammed for some time, Cooper got the breakthrough when Walton skied a delivery to Brendon McCullum at cover. It was 89/4 when Pierre, who was the Knight Riders best fielder on the night with three catches, held on to a catch inches inside the deep midwicket rope off Khan to dismiss Mohammed for 13.

For the rest of the innings the Knight Riders bowlers kept Amazon Warriors at bay with Roshon Primus (23) and Keemo Paul (14 not out) getting the visitors past 150. Narine was also among the wickets finishing with figures of 4-0-16-2.

Knight Riders was off to a terrible start as McCullum drove the first ball of the innings to Gajanand Singh at cover off left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir.

Munro and Narine then put Knight Riders in control with a 79-run second wicket partnership dominated by Munro. Narine played sensibly, giving Munro the strike as he clobbered the Amazon Warriors bowlers. Off-spin bowler Steven Jacobs and pacer Rayad Emrit conceded a lot of runs as TKR raced to 63/1 after five overs.

Narine rode his luck as he was dropped twice in the seventh over.

Paul dropped a difficult chance running to his right fielding at long off, before Primus dropped an easy caught and bowled opportunity.

Paul made amends when he caught Narine at deep mid-wicket for 23 off Jacobs.

Munro continued his steady innings and brought up his 50 after being joined by Darren Bravo.

Darren was tested by spinner Rashid Khan as the Knight Riders onslaught was halted.

Darren broke the shackles with a straight six off pacer Primus, but the next ball he was caught by wicketkeeper Walton trying to glance a delivery to third man. The score now read 106/3 after 13.2 overs.

Denesh Ramdin joined the party and together with Munro they comfortably took TKR over the line. Ramdin ended the match with two sixes in the 19th over to end unbeaten on 42 off 23 balls with three fours and three sixes. Munro’s knock of 70 included five fours and five sixes.

After the win Munro said, “I think in the power play especially on this surface you got to take the game to the opposition. Myself and Sunil had to take responsibility in the power play and we did that.

We got off to a good start and it was just consolidating through the middle and trying to build partnerships.” TKR played Barbados Tridents at the Queen’s Park Oval last night, and will face St Kitts and Nevis Patriots tomorrow at 8 pm at the same venue.

The violence against our citizens and our law enforcement needs to be eliminated because the first duty of Government is supposed to be to protect our well-being and safety.

There should be no compassion meted out towards lawless conduct displayed by the criminal elements in this country.

Crime and violence is an attack on human potential and must not be accepted by the PNM administration.

Our Prime Minister’s main responsibility is not to make life more comfortable for the criminal but to make life more comfortable and meaningful for the law-abiding parents trying to raise their kids in peace and trying to empower them to contribute positively to society and leave a legacy.

There are thousands of moms and dads who simply want to sleep safely at night. We are sick and tired of being subject to drive-by shootings, murders of our loved ones, robberies, kidnappings and rapes of innocent under- aged girls.

More law enforcement, more effective policing, more cohesive neighbourhood engagement is what is needed in T+T. Policies need to be put in place that will ultimately bring crime down by large numbers.

Citizens of this country continue to face the worst heartache imaginable as we are being targeted by these ruthless criminals on a regular basis. We need to make our country safe again.

The Prime Minister, The Honourable Dr Keith Rowley must work alongside the best investigators, criminologists and law enforcement officers to dismantle gangs and stop the flow of drugs and illegal weapons into this country. The Prime Minister and his administration must work with local communities, officials and the opposition to make the reduction of crime a top priority. Safety and security of a nation is the key to a successful nation. To have the best schools and the best jobs it is critical to have safe communities.

SIMON WRIGHT Chaguanas

The festival was a literal feeding ground for curry cookers and connoisseurs alike. An initiative by the Chaguaramas Development Authority (CDA), it showcased curry manifested in its many forms from curry duck to coconut-curry ice cream, as well as produce from local farmers and live entertainment.

Blending into the band of patrons was Sharon Rowley, wife of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley (who is in Barbados), joined by daughters Sonel and Tonya, who visited each booth sampling most of what was offered such as pholourie and coconut- curry ice cream.

“This is an excellent initiative and perhaps there will be more like it in the future,” Rowley said.

“From the turn out it looks like it will be a success.” Also relishing in the festivities was Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Clarence Rambharat and CDA chairman Narine “Gupte” Lutchmedial.

While perusing the authentic Indian cuisine offered by Rasam’s Multi-Cultural Restaurant, Rambharat mirrored Rowley’s sentiments.

“[The festival] is very nice and anything that includes food, fruits, and local goods, I’m happy to support it,” Rambharat said. “I would like to see what is going to come.” Accompanying Rambharat, Lutchmedial expressed his pleasure with the use of the boardwalk for the family-friendly event.

“I’m happy that they’re using the boardwalk during the time for holiday because it’s made for recreation,” Lutchmedial said. “It’s a great initiative.” According to CDA acting general manager Deowattee Dilraj-Batoosingh, the festival was created with the hopes of encouraging citizens to enjoy the boardwalk and its facilities in a safe and secure environment while helping small business owners.

“We are trying to support local entrepreneurship and provide an avenue for people in these hard economic times to showcase their food,” Dilraj-Batoosingh said.

The festival comprised three villages– Trinbago, Asian, and Creative– each of which used curry in their own way.

The Trinbago Village housed 103.1FM Curry Duck champions, Muddaduckers, who drew a huge crowd with their famous curry duck and pepper roti. Rasam’s Multi-Cultural Restaurant at the Asian Village prepared curry in an authentic Indian, Thai, Hakka, and continental, offering patrons a global experience, while the Creative Village housed chefs who experimented with curry in non-conventional ways. It is in this village that citizens ventured to Sundaes and Things, the home of the famous coconut-curry ice cream.

“The idea for the curry ice cream came out of the Divali Nagar last year,” manager of Sundaes and Things, Otis Diaz, said. “People are so curious about the ice cream and many are amazed by the curry and how new flavours can bring delight.” Curry lovers were not disappointed as many favourites such as curry goat, kerala fish curry, and doubles were available. Bringing the flavour of the sister isle to the festival was De Jeuner’s which offered authentic Tobagonian cuisine such as traditional curry crab and dumplings, conchs, and callaloo.

With the constant flow of patrons, it was evident that the festival was a hit.

“Because of how things have been in the country, it’s nice for people to come out and [the festival] promotes family togetherness,” said patron, Margurete Alexander.

“I hope this festival continues because it adds some life to the area and gives people pride for their country.”

The body of Okeiro, 15, who was sent by his mother, Abia Williams, to sell vegetables in front of the Bethel House of God Church in Freeport, Thursday, was discovered floating at the back of the church on Friday morning.

The autopsy, conducted by forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov, showed the schoolboy was stabbed 15 times on his face, neck and scalp.

The pathologist, in recreating the scene, found that Okeiro had to have been restrained by one or two attackers while another stabbed him.

Alexandrov also found that Okeiro’s wounds had caused extreme blood loss, which caused him to collapse from haemorrhagic shock after breaking free from his attackers.

He was subsequently thrown into the river behind the church where he drowned.

In practice at San Fernando General Hospital in the orthopaedic department, no one could imagine that at age 15, while a fourth form student at Presentation College, San Fernando, Chackan received devastating news that he had Type One diabetes.

Then began a journey that would change his life.

Despite his diabetes, Chackan swam competitively, was a member of the Sea Scouts, earned himself eight Grade One’s at Ordinary Level and eight distinctions at Advanced Level, won an open national scholarship and graduated from UWI with a degree in medicine.

He is now an advocate for diabetes prevention, sharing information and experiences from the other side of the physician’s desk.

On July 31, Chackan was chosen as a Young Leader by the International Diabetes Federation to educate citizens about chronic diseases, all part of an effort to employ the child advocate model of creating awareness.

The federation, Sunday Newsday was told, has an activist in every island. Chackan, who is from Ste Madeleine, remains mighty proud of the strides he has made.

“I sincerely hope that my success story will drive others to embrace diabetes not as a dysfunction but as an opportunity to show it (diabetes) that you are indeed the boss.” Proper management through diet, exercise and medication has become part of his routine.

But it was not always so easy, for Chackan recalled his emotions as a teenager when doctors broke the news to him.

“It was at the tender age of 15, I came face to face with this frightening dysfunction for the first time. Confusion, anger, worry, despair and sadness all mixed into the horror which overcame me as I lay on my bed at the Princes Town Hospital. It was there that the doctor uttered using utmost sympathy, ‘You have type one diabetes. It is not a death sentence.’” Chackan said the words stung him “like a whip.” “Words could not describe the heartbreak which almost brought me to tears.

As I lay numb, I hoped it was just a dream but it wasn’t.” Chackan was determined not to let diabetes become his life and take away the joy of living.

He chose management and education over complications and never allowed himself to be at the mercy of “the dysfunction”. With the support of nurses at San Fernando General Hospital, whom he lovingly referred to as “Aunty Marion”, “Aunty Zobida” and “Aunty Jackie”, and his parents Krishna and Farida Chackan, his outlook took on a positive dimension. His life-changing moment came in August 2007 when he took part in a camp for children living with diabetes.

“It was at this amazing camp that I gained the realization that I am not dealing with diabetes alone.” Chackan said the experience strengthened his belief that he could overcome the disease.

“Camp provided not only useful ideas and tips for management but also increased peer networking which provided untouched emotional support whenever needed.” In ten years, Chackan grew from camper to counsellor and eventually doctor and now has the chance to not only to learn from his peers but also to share with them as a professional.

He is single and his parents continue to play an integral role in his helping him manage diabetes.

“My physician is always just a phone call away and other medical staff such as nurses and certified diabetes educators give hints which doctors may not have time to relate.” Despite his outstanding achievement in academics, Chackan considers his greatest accomplishment is managing diabetes so well in the past ten years that he has no complications with any of his organs.

“This is a goal, we, as persons living with diabetes should strive for.”

But, this is what happens at the Norris Deonarine Northern Wholesale Market in Macoya on a daily basis.

The backlog of traffic is caused by farmers who wanted to sell their produce but were unable to procure a space.

Minister of Agriculture, Land Fisheries Clarence Rambharat, who on Friday turned the sod for a new $4.5 million car park to alleviate parking along the highway and onto the road which distressed residents, said this was common when there was a lack of space to sell.

“Once you have competition for space, you will have people who are blocking spaces making it difficult for the bonafide farmers, so the first thing we have to do is make more spaces available.

“By removing the traffic within the market we are able to make more space and it would improve the traffic space within the market. It would also allow us to squeeze the vendors inside a little better.” When asked about the “touts” or those who ran roughshod over the vendors, Rambharat they needed to “get rid of all criminals and persons inclined to all criminal behaviour.

“The board of Namdevco has their job to do and I’m here to make sure that they do what they have to do, but they have been operating under challenging circumstances.

Once we have have completed the first phase I expect to see improvements,” he said.

Namdevco chairman Dennis Ramdeen admitted that as a board they did not move swiftly enough.

“The minister has been very clear in giving us a mandate. We are here to help, but it is not the cure for all.

We have to extend the southern side and tackle issues inside of the market,” he said.

Ramdeen said there would be a police presence when vendors arrive to bring in their goods from 4 am until noon.

Vendor Randy Ramoutar, who left his Rio Claro home at 9 pm on Thursday, hoping to get a spot to display his goods, was still trying to sell his bundles of chadon beni.

“We are not getting any justice out here because we have no rights at the end of the day which is unfair.

We have no proper facilities.

We supposed to come together and support each other because we have no interest here. We have no rights, none whatsoever.

“We want a market for we goods. Is a friend and favour thing. I write to the minister, tell I want to meet him. This is my bread and butter. They importing the product and like we selling rubbish.

This is what I do for a living. I do chadon beni, plantain, dasheen fig, I not robbing nobody. All I asking for is a chance. Why do you want to bring goods from Guyana that we growing here?” Ramoutar asked.

As to vendors who were retailing their goods, Rambharat admitted it has always been a problem at the market.

“It is good for the consumers and for the retailers because they (retailers) buy from the wholesalers, so it is difficult to exclude them.

We can have wholesale on some days and retailing on others, maybe changing the hours.

“We have to try to accommodate everybody.

Yes, we want wholesalers, but we also want people earning a livelihood in the market.”

This past week, another of our major insurance and finance groups joined those announcing excellent results even as they acknowledged the difficult financial environment in which they were operating. And, of course, most of us who do not belong to the top echelons of income receivers (I hesitate to say “earners” because many of them are coasting on deals and privileges organised through good political connections) are well aware of the difficult financial times to which some have a convenient immunity.

Naturally, the major shareholders of these companies will be pleased that their investments are blooming for the time being. But the vast majority of us, striving to manage on fixed or even decreasing incomes should not be too impressed.

That some companies, mainly in the financial sector, are doing well is a cause for some comfort. We do not want them to collapse like we saw with many in the late 1980s.

And as we are aware, the CLICO Group is alleged to be in this danger notwithstanding our Government’s “helping hand” there over the past ten years.

But whatever is happening at and to the CLICO Group is well hidden from nearly all of us and, particularly, to those who have lost or are in danger of losing their life savings. The truth of this debacle is hidden in an expensive “meant to be public” report.

We should have accepted long ago that nobody truly is committed to our country. We are all here for ourselves, for what we can get out of this land, this society in which we currently reside.

We look outward, overseas, especially to the USA and Canada, to where we will invest the money we have made while residing in large homes surrounded by high walls and electronic alarm systems. And it has been so throughout our colonial and independent history.

While other islands distinguished and branded themselves proudly, we remained a backwater for cast-offs and refugees and our agriculture never had an identity of its own. Petroleum saved us economically, so we did not need to farm the land any more, and maybe this helped us to disconnect any emotional bonds to our homeland.

Certainly to our land, which we see as something to destroy rather than to cultivate.

But as we face the ever-recurring financial difficulties imposed by the world market price of our oil—a price over which we have no control—we become aware of an ever-increasing outflow of foreign currency, steadily eroding our reserves as the “oil money” dries up.

We must also acknowledge that due to basic incompetence, our production of oil and gas is also dwindling.

We continue to spend and, literally, to export our US dollars on totally unproductive items. What for instance is the annual sum of US dollars exported to pay for the right to sell unhealthy foods with American brand names? People in the unhealthy fast-food business are complaining that they cannot legally access US dollars to pay for the right to sell these “branded” foods, so that we can feel that we are “just like America.” Actually, it is a little bit ironic that the businessman who sells his own brands of pizza, coffee and the like attracted more vilification than those selling American-named brands, for which they must pay exorbitantly.

But understand our thought processes in this regard: It was Dr Keith Rowley, as minister of Planning some years ago, opening another American-franchised fast-food outlet, who stated that if anyone doubted we were a developed nation, they only needed to patronise this food chain! How proud we are to open each new fast-food, fast-take-away-ourdollars outlet! We will be closer to developed-nation status when we are franchising people in North America to sell doubles or corn Soup but we are a long way from understanding this.

Of course, we know but do not discuss the fact that many of our manufacturers who are exporting products consider that their export earnings are to be banked away while the Central Bank must continuously pump them up with US Dollars to import their raw materials.

All of these things drain our foreign currency reserves, which only petroleum can replace. The financial services sector, a large and generally unproductive cartel, continues to squeeze the population, particularly those with limited incomes.

While they are currently blooming in our barren financial l a n d – s c a p e , they too are living and profiting on borrowed time.

Earlier this year, to the dismay of some of us who were ardent binge watchers, the show was cancelled after its second season.

Fans took to Twitter and other online forums to petition for the return of the series. Efforts were rewarded later in June 2017 with the announcement from Netflix that the finale would be aired in 2018.

In a time of fractured relationships between people, ethnicities, race and nationalities and divisive attitudes created along these lines, getting lost in the world of film and television isn’t so much of a negative thing. If anything, the unity of the fans, against a corporation like Netflix, displays the power of the audience.

While some may debate the value of popular television, this move by fans is, more importantly, an indication of the power of stories and the content that move people to protect those stories if they have to.

Sense 8 follows the lives of eight persons who are all born at the same time in different parts of the world.

They are sensates, people who are connected telepathically and live the experiences of the people in their group or cluster. Each cluster has a mother who gives birth to them. Call her a second mother, one who gives them their sensate quality since they all have real birth mothers.

Each of the characters comes from a different city–Chicago, San Francisco, Nairobi, Mumbai, Berlin, Reykjavik, Mexico City and London–though the locations for filming extend beyond just these eight. Apart from its sometimes quirky editing (the introduction to the episodes is worth looking at) and R-rated scenes in some instances, the core of the series is its take on difference.

Comments on the divisiveness of tribal relations in Kenya that produces divisions among people even though they belong to one country; the LGBTQ representation which comments on the discrimination faced by people of such orientations; capitalist ventures that see the exportation of substandard products to countries that are ignorant of the fact that they may be importing medicines for instance that are on the verge of their expiry dates, are just some of the major issues at hand.

The telepathic connection between the characters gives these issues more weight, for shared experiences magnify sadness and injustice as they do joy. In Season 2 Episode 2 a scene stands out that, in a sense, captures the entire series.

When Lito, one of the sensates, a gay man who happens to be a public figure, openly declares his sexual orientation it comes with repercussions for his career. While the media in Mexico plays on his distress, Capheus the bus driver is under similar scrutiny in Nairobi.

In his case, discrimination comes in the form of racial prejudice.

Capheus drives a bus he calls “Van Damn.” He is an avid Van Damme fan for to him, Van Damme’s films are about courage.

It’s a simple fact for him but not for an interviewer who believes that the films glorify the white man’s courage.

“What does courage have to do with a man’s skin?” he asks his interviewer.

A question is then posed to Capheus as it is to Lito – “Who are you then?” “Who am I?” Each character repeats the question and we now see that discrimination is a universal ill.

The questions raised in response now begin to echo from city to city through the voice of each character and it is worth quoting from the scene: “Do you mean, where from? Do you mean, what I’ve done? Do you mean what you see? Do you mean what I see, what I’ve seen, what I fear, what I’ve done. Do you mean who I love? Do you mean what I’ve lost? Who am I? “I guess who I am is exactly the same as who you are. Not better than, not less than. Because there’s no one who has been or will ever be, exactly the same as either you or me.” The answers are non-linear –given the nature of the echo–though I may have presented them as such.

We can detect a linearity with the punctuated “Do you mean…?” but this is as much as we can get.

The non-linear injects a sense of the thought process that takes place when faced with a question that cannot be pinned down to one answer.

It is a deeply philosophical question and a caption that features on a Sense 8 poster “I am We,” can serve as a possible starting point for those wishing to c o n t emplate the question in relation to themselves.

And with that, I eagerly await the finale in 2018.