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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, November 30, 2015
Planning is everything for last minute Christmas shopping in G/town By Rabindra Rooplall THE season is here, with its wonderful anticipation and all-pervasive feeling of bonhomie magically charging the atmosphere. Of all the holidays in a calendar year, Christmas is easily the most exciting. You may be one of thousands of Guyanese who wait until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts; or you may not know exactly what to get for whom; or sometimes you may just have so many people to buy for that you never seem to get finished without the last-minute headaches. Amidst the annual Christmas cluster in Georgetown, which is prompted by last minute deals, discounts and just the entire social aspect of being in the City at that time of year, here are some ideas for how to avoid the last minute fluster. This advice is based on a cumulative compilation based on women who were willing to share their opinions on condition of anonymity.
local store in Guyana who were smart enough to have sponsored ads circulating, making things easier for consumers. Resolve to spend more time in preparation and less in the actual shopping.
BE PREPARED Preparation is the key to avoiding holiday stress. If you’re not the type that has a schedule or notepad in front of you and plot out what would be the best days and hours to do your holiday shopping, then there will be last minute blunders; and on many occasions you will end up spending over your budgets and still not getting what you really wanted. Try to avoid peak shopping times and overcrowded holiday spots. Early morning weekday hours during the
beginning of the week are a good time to avoid crowds. KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY WANT Window shopping and wasting time can increase stress when shopping actually begins, so going from store to store looking for that one right gift won’t really solve the issue. Simply check your local newspapers for advertisements that interest your appeal, and budget for that gift; or, better yet, Facebook has everything under the sun being advertised; yes, and there are those
DON’T HAVE ENOUGH CASH? Many may not have the extra cash for the holidays, but there are homemade gifts that are actually heart-warming, once given sincerely, since they are more personal and unique than commercial gifts. Thus the appeal and memory can last from year to year. For example, organising the compilation of family photos and making an album is priceless; having children compile songs they sing on a CD for a loved one is also unique; or simply making a dish or a picture frame for someone who would appreciate such is amazing; or buying those gift vouchers that are also tangible. In addition, consider gym memberships, flowers and
chocolates delivered to the address of the recipient. Trust me, it works. INTERNET SHOPPING CRAZE Some people are notoriously difficult to buy for. If you are faced with buying a gift for the person who has everything, perhaps the easiest method for avoiding stress is simply to ask them what they want, and go to ZoOn Online Shopping in Georgetown, PAS Cargo online shopping in Waterloo Street Georgetown, or one of the innumerable online sources to shop from. However, there are a lot of scammers out there, so I would advise consumers to buy from reputable and trusted or well-established online stores or marketplaces, and ensure that sellers or merchants have a good reputation and track record. If you see deals or offers that are too good to be true, then they probably are; try and avoid them. Shoppers are often tempted into taking up unbelievable offers, and in
doing so, purchase a product that never arrives; or they inadvertently divulge their private and financial details to scammers. When purchasing online, always make sure you’re using a secure payment method at the checkout. This will ensure that the information being sent in the transaction is encrypted and can’t be intercepted. You can confirm that an online store’s checkout is encrypted by making sure there is a little lock icon visible in the address bar, followed by ‘https’ and not ‘http’. Many people have been scammed locally. You might receive an unsolicited email saying that you’ve received a prize in a competition, or a parcel that needs to be delivered, but to receive it you first need to pay an administrative fee or extra postage. Be very wary! Don’t give out any details or pay any fees upfront to claim a ‘free’ item from someone via an unsolicited email, message or phone call.
Young pilot recalls trauma of spotting Kaieteur jumper By Shauna Jemmott A YOUNG pilot has credited his military training for holding his ground during a testing experience when he was the first to spot the body of the woman who recently plunged to death at the world-famous Kaieteur Falls, utilising his binoculars as he hung off a nearby cliff. Captain Gerry Gouveia Jnr said he had never before experienced such trauma and believes that a woman in the worst state of distress could have been met somewhere else along the path of depression if officials had found it vital to reach out. On November 21, Roshinee Pagwah, 21, of Reliance Abandon, East Canje, Berbice, plunged to her death over the 741-foot Kaieteur Falls around 11:00 hrs, and was later confirmed dead by personnel of the Ministry of Tourism. The media reported that she had stopped and took a long, thoughtful look at the Kaieteur Falls just moments before running for the fatal jump. The Guyana Chronicle reported the following day: “According to Tremayne Junor, Roraima Airways Marketing and Public Relations (PR) Assistant, who was pres-
Captain Gerry Gouveia Jnr
ent at the scene, the young lady appeared to be very reserved during the trip to the world’s largest single-drop waterfalls.” The story further stated that Pagwah had travelled alone and had appeared “withdrawn from the group” of 11 persons, which included two tour guides, a Kaieteur ranger and a staff member of Roraima Airways, Junor. The passengers were taken on a Roraima Airways flight, piloted by the young Gouveia, for a day view of the Kaieteur known for being the world’s longest one-drop falls, pouring 741 feet into its gorge. “It was definitely shocking,” Gouveia told the
Chronicle. He stopped during his busy schedule preparing for the final send-off of their company’s Chief Pilot Alvin Clarke, who died of cancer earlier that same morning in his brother’s bed in Canada, while visiting there for medical evaluation. He said hearing that a passenger had plunged over the waterfall was one of the worst things he has ever heard since he had become a pilot. “When the girl [staff] was running up to me, I figured maybe she was bringing me some food. When she told me [what had happened] I was in shock,” he recounted. “She had to say it two or three times and when it registered, I just started making my way down to the falls because I knew if there was nothing I could do for her, I needed to help my other passengers who were down there. So I was lucky enough to be down there within minutes of the event and the passengers had just made it up to the guest house.” “I’m not sure if it was the military training, [but] a different part of me took over. Emotions weren’t a part of it. It was very mission-oriented. So I made sure everyone was ok and I checked on them and assigned one of the tour
guides to take them back up,” he said. He said he then took the only man who saw the entire episode and they retraced the steps. “And that’s when I started my look for her.” Gouveia Jnr, along with a small number of tour guides and colleague Captain Emil Jahan were at the side of Kaieteur with binoculars searching for the body, and “then I finally found the body, identified that it was her and then I had the tour guides track her location.” However, he said the experience was not “very emotional” but was “definitely a
very mission-oriented experience.” At 28 years old, he had already spent close to eight years in the Canadian military, both in Infantry and Airforce bases, and has a tendency to switch personalities in an emergency situation with the soldier being foremost. He flew in Canada for five years before returning home and has been a pilot employed with Roraima, flying into the jungle of Guyana about a year now. “That kind of training, it sticks with you. When these kinds of emergency events happen a switch goes off
and you start thinking objective-oriented and mission-oriented.” He believes Pagwah’s life could have been saved if Guyana’s mental health systems had prevented it. “It is just unfortunate that our mental health systems in Guyana could not have prevented this. There’s only so much you can do on the receiving end at the falls itself, but if someone is determined you have to get to them long before they actually make the decision,” he said, adding that, “We could have gotten to her sooner.”
Murder charge awaits hospitalised man THE Paradise, Essequibo Coast man who reportedly murdered his 24-yearold wife last Saturday and later attempted suicide is likely to face a murder charge if he makes it out of hospital alive. Vishnu Narine, 25 years, reportedly stabbed Malini Narine to death following a domestic dispute and then used the same
knife to inflict a wound to his neck. The incident took place at the couple’s Paradise, Essequibo home. Police Commander Kevin Adonis said yesterday that based on information received, the couple had a heated argument and Narine advanced to Malini with the kitchen knife and stabbed her. When police investiga-
tors arrived at the scene, they found Vishnu lying on his wife’s body and after it was found that he was alive, they rushed him to the Suddie Hospital where doctors are trying to save his life, as he remains under police guard. The man who is reportedly an alcoholic and his wife were home alone at the time of the incident.