See inside: Georgetown’s fading wooden architecture ► Page
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The gift of vision VIII ► Page
A Community’s Pride ► Page
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Tourists trekking uphill to Santa Mission
Santa/Aratak villagers driving community’s tourism
Best in the Field
Kwakwani’s football gem, Jalade Trim
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Editor’s note
This week, you will find the theme of community resonating throughout our stories, and each of them will highlight the ever important point that a sense of community is often times paramount for the success of people, particularly the youth. A sense of community is a feeling of belonging; a shared belief that a person’s goals will be met through a collective, supportive effort. It is this sense of community that has led the residents of Santa Mission to invest in highlighting the tourism potential of their village; that encourages a 12 year old Kwakwani footballer to continue to pursue her dreams, with the confidence that she will receive various types of support as a result; that
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
The power of community pushes one or a group of spirited individuals to spend countless hours ensuring that the children in their communities have engaging, fun activities to partake in during the August Holidays. Indeed, a sense of community is one way in which human beings continually come together for the betterment of their own people, and it is this type of togetherness that may very well help to foster a deeper appreciation for what a cohesive effort can achieve. So as you indulge in your Sunday reading, we hope that this edition which focuses on this ever important concept, will not only entertain you, but inspire you in some way.
Best in the Field
Kwakwani’s football gem, Jalade Trim By Rawle Toney
AT five-years-old, Jalade Trim, who hails from Kwakwani (Region 10), fell in love with the sport of football when she first saw Brazilian great Neymar da Silva Santos Junior on television. Seven years later, at just 12 years old, Trim was a starting forward for Guyana’s National team when she featured for the Lady Jags against Barbados in their opening game of the CONCACAF Women’s U17 Caribbean Qualifier Tournament. Guyana would lose 5 – 1 in a more than spirited performance, but, it was Trim’s brilliance and flamboyance that made her the star of the match, especially since she was the smallest in size and youngest in age among the players on both teams. Trim celebrated her 12th birthday in June and when she stepped on the pitch at the Leonora Track and Field Centre, she became the youngest player, both male and female, at all levels, to ever play for Guyana; an accomplishment she’s not too excited about, since to her, it was all part of fulfilling a dream and emulating her idol Neymar Jr. “My favourite player is Neymar. I practice all his moves by watching highlights of his games on YouTube. I try to watch as many games as possible,” she said. “ Why Neymar? Because I read a lot about him and how he always spoke about becoming a star and playing for Brazil, becoming the best player in the world. I think he’s humble and remember
ly, and I fell in love when I saw Neymar played. But my mother also encourages me to play and keep playing. My favourite sport is football; I really don’t know to play nothing else properly.”
seeing him as a child just like me, small, but very skillful and everyone was bigger than him. So…he inspires me.” During a sit-down with the Pepperpot Magazine at the Ramada Hotel, where the Lady Jags are encamped, Jalade said that it feels great being on the national team with girls who are both bigger and older. “I would like to make good use of this opportunity to play football at the highest level and follow my dreams,” she said. “I remember watching a video where Neymar said to always believe in your dreams. He said that you should believe that you can become a star and work hard and you will, so here I am, trying to become a star and live my dream to be the best player for Guyana and maybe one day, in the world.” According to Trim, her mother, Finola Parvattan-Trim was once a player, “but she had to stop playing because of a bad back. So I was exposed to the game by her, real-
COMMUNITY SUPPORT In Jalade’s community, located in the Berbice River, sports are treated like a religion. In fact, Kwakwani has produced some of Guyana’s most talented youth basketball and football players. “The people in community are really into football and they really support me, always encouraging me to keep playing, stay in school and do Kwakwani proud. They look out for me and so on,” Trim explained with a smile. When contacted, Finola stated, “No matter what, when I couldn’t find this girl, she’s always behind a football. And when she started playing at a tender age, Coach Jimmy (McClean) was very instrumental in helping to shape her. He assisted in getting people to sponsor stuff for her; gears and so on and unto this day, he still assists and I’m very grateful.” Finola added that football is a “family thing” and that talent and interest in the sport have been passed down from her own grandfather. “So I wasn’t too surprised when she started following the game, watching it on TV, on the internet, you know, but I’m very proud of her,” Finola said. JALADE’S DREAMS Meanwhile, Jalade is adamant that she’s
going to be a star one day. “I see myself travelling the world, playing for a big club and following my dreams,” she said. Asked about her plans if things fall through in the sport, Trim said, “If football doesn’t work out, I’ll become a doctor, because my mother always tells me education is important because you never know what the future holds.” Reflecting on her first international match, the amiable young player said, “I was a bit nervous because everyone was bigger than me and looked like they could bully me, but then I settled in and did my thing. After the game, everyone was impressed, I really didn’t see it like that, I just went out and played the way the Coach (Akilah Castello) asked me to; did the things she wanted and try to help Guyana win The team played well, it was not about me. Everyone was glad that we played well and that’s what mattered to me more than what people thought about my skills.” Trim recounted that whenever she travels to play, people, more so those from the opposing team would laugh at her height and size, assuming that she would be an easy tackle. “But then when the game starts, it’s another story because they see that not because I’m small, it means they could take advantage of me. It’s just like Neymar when he started, people thought he was too small, but he was just too talented.” Looking ahead, Trim intends to work on her craft with the help of Coach ‘Jimmy’, prepare for life as a First Form Student at Kwakwani Secondary and become the best female player Guyana has ever seen.
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
III Tourists arriving at Santa Mission
A Community’s Pride
Santa/Aratak villagers driving community’s tourism By Ravena Gildharie
by cool the black waters of the Kamuni and Pokorero Creeks. “The huge silk cotton tree or as the locals call it ‘Kamaka Tree’ stands tall up the white sandy hill of the Mission, overlooking the savannah and Itea palm forest. Bird life is bountiful and gives persons who are keen on nature and wildlife photography an easy access opportunity,” highlighted Patterson, who hails from one of the largest ancestral families of Santa Mission. He is also co-founder of Guyana’s first indigenous restaurant, Tuma Sàlà based in Georgetown.
COMMUNITY-based tourism has blossomed in Guyana but is mostly led by private individuals and tour companies often distanced from the areas they showcase. Recognising that they were not gaining fully from such ventures, the residents of the Santa/Aratak village in Region Three embarked on their own tourism drive by developing an initiative which was led by the village council. Devised as a community-led approach model to cultural and heritage tourism, Santac Tours and Travel is fully owned and op- MARKETING erated by the Santa/Aratak Village Council. According to Patterson, the community It aims to promote and preserve indigenous knowledge and skills while boosting residents’ liveli- Boat ride up the Kamuni Creek to hoods and enhancing individual Santa Mission professional development, especially in the tourism and hospitality service. While Toshao Aubrey Samuels oversees the entire operation, Senior Councillor and Treasurer, Juliet Gomes is the appointed Tourism Coordinator, who organises the tours and ensures that there are adequate cooks, housekeepers, boatmen and guides during each tour. There is also a special tourism committee involving teachers and other prominent villagers while resident Michael Patterson serves as a technical advisor. “Santa Mission remains an easy access tourism destination for many groups of visitors to the country but had struggled to fit into the wider national tourism drive due to the fact that the visiting groups usually booked directly with the more established tour companies, some of which just offer a side tour and stop-over as part of their initially planned to establish a Georgetown overall package,” Patterson told the Pepperpot office and have a representative there to Magazine in an exclusive interview. market the venture while sales letters and “Even the government ministries and the fliers were distributed among tour agencies, agency responsible for tourism development schools, government ministries, churches and usually prefer to use/book directly with the elsewhere. Activities promoted include day more established operators, making it very and overnight tours, fun days, which are ideal challenging to contribute meaningfully,” he for family or staff, traditional hunting/fishing added. sport, Amerindian heritage celebrations, traSituated several miles up the Kamuni ditional craft festival and exhibitions, church Creek, a tributary of the Demerara River, San- excursions and educational expeditions, boat ta/Aratak is an Amerindian reservation cur- rides and family reunions. rently home to over 350 residents who depend “Tourism revenue is seasonal…while mainly on lumbering, handicraft and tourism. community residents would like to see immeIt is promoted as a ‘peace and back-to-nature’ diate returns on this investment, the challenge destination given the serenity, surrounded remains to demonstrate that this tourism ven-
Santa Mission is home to some of the most skilled handicraft producers
ture will succeed,” Patterson pointed out. However, he noted that there are two resorts that border the community and which enable craft producers to market their handicraft year round. Employing a full-time advertising team to continuously market the community as a tourism destination is also another setback. Currently, Patterson volunteers on a part-time basis to promote Santac Tours and Travel using mainly social media. However, he underscored that “this will need to change in order to make this initiative a more successful business enterprise.” There are plans to use the village office as the new operating location and to hire and train a full-fledged tourism team to implement marketing and drive the initiative forward. The community intends to fund this operation from the revenues it gets from supporting nearby resorts. It is envisioned that former residents would return to the area to invest and/or built retirement homes as the community develops and its tourism booms. This summer, the community hosted the Patterson Family Union, the first of its kind staged in the village and an event that attracted over 100 members from several generations, including people from the Diaspora and locations throughout Guyana. It was held from July 14-16 and engaged members on a community tour to the burial site of the Pattersons’
fore parents, cultural show and bon fire, family devotion and spiritual upliftment, introduction to the Patterson Family Tree and the history of Santa Mission as well as other social and bonding sessions. FAMILY REUNION Patterson said the hosting of a family reunion in the village had long been just an idea Turn to page X ►►►
up until last month. “The community was built on the sacrifice and commitment of our fore parents…The passion to make this a reality this year was based on the fact that the Village Council had requested assistance from me in documenting the history of Santa/Aratak Mission. As such begun to unfold, the essence of our fore parents and their contributions toward the development of this community further endorse the idea to become a reality,” Patterson explained. The response and support, he said was tremendous as long-lost relatives and old friends got the opportunity to catch up and rekindle their friendships. It also educated members on their ancestors’ contributions to the community’s existence and development and reaffirm the importance of Santa Mission’s rich history and cultural awareness for both older and younger generations. “The long term objective as a family from Santa Mission is to preserve our rich history
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Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
FILES E S A C COURT
Judge’s omission of ‘alibi defence’ in Robbery summing-up – fatal TWO Robbery with aggravation appellants, Samaroo and Ezaz whose ‘Alibi defence’ was inadequately put to the jury by the trial judge in summing up, resulting in the jury returning verdicts of guilty in 1953 against both accused. The accused who were sentenced to imprisonment appealed the decision. The Appellate Court, constituted by Chief Justice Bell, Justice Boland and Justice Wills, heard the appeals. Their defence at their trial was an alibi. They appealed on the grounds that their defence was not adequately put to the jury by the trial judge in his summing-up. Allowing the appeals, the Court held: It is of paramount importance that the judge in his summing-up must fairly put an accused’s defence to the jury, and as that had not been done in an otherwise careful and meticulous summing-up the convictions and sentence must be quashed. B. O. Adams for Appellants. G.M. Farnum, Solicitor General for Re-
spondent. At the conclusion of the arguments, the judgment of the Court was delivered by Chief Justice Bell. According to C.J. Bell: These appeals, which were heard together are appeals against convictions and sentences. The appellants had appeared before the judge and a jury on charges of robbery with aggravation . Learned counsel for the appellants argued a number of points. He abandoned two of the points recorded in the grounds of application for leave to appeal. We are against him on two other points, namely, that there was no proof of what the grounds of appeal call ownership, and that the possession of the stolen goods, the money, was not fully established. We are against the appellants on those two grounds. The main grounds argued were that the learned trial judge failed to include in his summing-up the defence as led and that the learned trial judge failed in his
summimg-up to deal fully with the evidence of the prosecution, particularly with the cross-examination of the witnesses. We have had the benefit of considerable argument by learned counsel for the appellants, to which the learned Solicitor General replied. Now as regards this particular case, we have come to the conclusion that in an otherwise meticulous and careful summing-up by the learned trial judge, who is careful and meticulous, it cannot fairly and reasonably be said that the defence of either of the appellants was put to the jury clearly or in such a way that their attention was sufficiently and emphatically drawn to the nature of that defence. It cannot be enough, we feel, merely to assume that because the jury had hear both sides of the case they are cognisant of the defence which is put forward. Something more than that is necessary. Something must be done to emphasise to the jury the defence which an accused person is
By George Barclay
offering. Now unquestionably, throughout the learned trial Judge’s summing-up he did make reference to statements which had been made by the two appellants, but we are of the opinion that he did so for purposes other than the purpose of putting the defence to the jury in the way we feel it ought to be put . It would not “be enough, we feel, to say: “Well, when these statements were being dealt with by the learned trial Judge it must have must have been apparent to the jury that the statements raised the defence of an Alibi in each case.” Something considerably more than that was required in our view, so we are left in the result with the view that at no stage can it be said that the defence, as put forward by the appellants, was sufficiently, clearly and emphatically put to the jury and we are forced to the conclusion that that very vital principle has been infringed.
A school boy’s love letter The agony and the ecstacy By: Abdool A. Aziz GROWING up, he always had an interest in girls. He regarded them as roses, but he was a macho guy. So at 13, he met a school girl while visiting her school and was smitten. ‘Puppy Love’ was in the air. He got up past midnight and tore out the middle page of his exercise book and penned her a love letter. Though his eyes burned from the smoke of the bottle lamp, he wrote as his heart fluttered in joy. The next day, he took his pocket money and posted the letter to his beloved Juliet at her school three miles away. In less than a week, the letter returned. Not to him but his headmaster. The agony begun. This Principal was never married. A chauvinist, he viewed the love letter with scorn. The boy was dragged to the stage and in front of the entire school, the crony read the letter aloud. In rage, he snapped: “Look at the wicked fellow. He wrote this love letter to an innocent teenager. For that I’ll bench him. You want to hear the words of the despicable letter?” The whole school in unison said “Yes!” In disgust the headmaster read: “Hello my loving, darling, sweetheart, honey bunch. I love you. You are so sweet, like an angel…” He stopped, wore a sour face and said “Put him to shame!” The Assembly laughed to scorn. “Bring him and drop his pants, get me the leather!” The weapon was hidden in a teacher’s bag. Having heard of the benching, she felt it was too
much punishment for a simple misdemeanor. The headmaster was cruel, he believed in the rod. Most of the boys who were pulled on to the stage and whipped, either fainted, wet their pants or bled. But this lover boy would not subject himself to pain. He fought off his restrainers and bolted out the school, never to return. He summoned some courage to break the incident to his father who was in management of the school. His dad marched to the school and confronted the merciless head. He was told to abandon the benching and treat the kids more
humanely. If not, he will face a transfer, he reluctantly complied. The student was sent to a secondary school. Juliet attended that very school and the ‘puppy love’ blossomed into a mature relationship. Four years later they got married. Among the many guests at the blissful ceremony were the two headmasters. Juliet’s HM was divorced, lost his wife from selfish behaviour. His HM hated women, and he came for the food. They were not happy to see their nefarious act brought so much joy to a young couple. As the presents were being received, his HM gave the letter to the bride. Just then, an alumnus came up and said, “Hello loving darling, sweet-heart, honey bunch.” The groom got irritated. That nick-name stuck with him for life and he hated it. The bride said, “Why he said that, why are you so upset?” He didn’t answer. He looked at his HM, he set it up – that devil. Then the bride reached for the letter. She laughed aloud “This letter was for me?” She asked with joy. The groom said, “Yes my love, also I am for you in reality.” I lifted my soulmate and took her over the thresh hold and we lived happily thereafter. The two cronies went away feeling ashamed. A simple love letter. Much ado about nothing. Is it a crime to love? Doesn’t love conquer all? Let the bud of your ecstatic feelings blossom into a flower of internal joy. Travel down the star studded avenue of a blessed union. I transformed those flattering words to sweet embrace.
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
V
#SupportCreativity
By Subraj Singh
The Guide to ‘Who’s Who’ in Guyana’s Drama Contingent at CARIFESTA XIII
THE one rule that theatre students are taught as being the most valuable is the one which states that no one individual in a group of actors is more important than another. Every person involved in a production – the lead actor, the director, the stage hand, the production manager, the lights guy, and everyone else has the same amount of importance and relevance because without that individual and their specific set of skills, the production would be missing a vital component and, therefore, it would be impossible to perform the play or impossible to perform it in a way that would showcase the best of what it has to offer. Theatre is built on teamwork and everyone is worthy, everyone is important, everyone is essential for success. However, sometimes, especially in media coverage, some people get lost and some people are left out. News reports and articles on account of time and the limited space allocated cannot take into consideration everyone who contributes to a production despite the tenet elaborated upon above which stated that every person involved is important. It is for this reason that I intend to use this space to present the names of every member of Guyana’s Drama contingent who will be representing the country at CARIFESTA XIII next week in Barbados. Each member of this team belongs to the National Drama Company (NDC) and they are each unique in their own way, coming with a specific set of skills and talent that allows one to feel a certain confidence when working with them or watching them perform – a confidence that encourages the viewer to believe that Drama will survive; that it will prosper. The NDC will be staging four plays at CARIFESTA XIII: Masque, Baccoo, Ole Higue, and Queh Queh. Below is the team who will be performing these pieces: Tashandra Inniss – will be playing the fierce indigenous warrior-princess, Kita, in Masque. Inniss, quite bold and strong herself, will have no problems bringing the fire and energy that is required for Kita. She won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 2016 National Drama Festival Award for playing the role. She also appears in Ole Higue in the principal role, in Baccoo, and in Queh Queh as the bride, Xuela, whose wedding night goes awry. Nicholas Singh – has the distinction of being one of the few actors, if not the only one, to gain a nomination for acting at the National Drama Festival awards for a role that does not require him to speak a single word. For the role of the mute, Tanna, in Masque, he has to rely more on his movement, physical strength and facial expressions to convey emotions. He also plays Johno, the brother of the groom, in the musical, Queh Queh, and is one of the three baccoos in Baccoo. Mikel Andrews – is primarily known as a dancer. He has appeared in many dance shows over the past few years and stands out on account of his form and agility. Andrews was also among the first batch of students to graduate from the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama. His dancing skills will
be put to use in Queh Queh and his acting abilities will appear in Masque. Andrews Taneka Caldera – plays the quintessential Guyanese grandmother in Baccoo, using her own experiences as a young woman to warn her granddaughter about the perils involved with coming into contact with a baccoo. She also plays a slave in Masque and one of the guests who attend the ritual in Queh Queh. Caldera is a teacher who tries to actively involve her students in theatre. Ayanna Waddell – is the narrator who brings Baccoo directly to the audience, incorporating them into the story about one of Guyana’s most popular mythical creatures. In Ole Higue, she is a part of the group of actors who use various postmodernist techniques to constantly shift, using their bodies and changing from role to role, playing both characters (such as schoolchildren) and inanimate props and set pieces (such as a bed or window). She also stage manages Masque. N i c o l a Moonsammy – is an award-winning actress, writer and director. For this year’s CARIFESTA, she has directed Baccoo, incorporating various aspects of Caribbean theatre (such as drums, a narrative timeline that is constant flux, etc.) in order to highlight the themes in the play. Moonsammy also makes for an intimidating warrior in Masque, especially when she uses her spear, and is among the original group of actors who developed Ole Higue under the guidance of Al Creighton jr., the director of the play. Nirmala Narine – is a popular actress who is known as much for her impeccable comic timing in a variety of social comedies as much as she is for her versatility when it comes to theatre that deals with the tragic or is experimental in type. She appears in Bacoo and Queh Queh, and also functions as one of the few characters in Masque whose morality, ambitions and goals are not so ambiguous. Her portrayal of the innocent village-healer, Mara, brings a softness to a play rife with violence and anger. Keon Heywood – is a man of many talents. He is an actor, dancer, director, mentor, poet and singer. Heywood will be reciting some of his well-known spoken word pieces, particularly those which address Guyana and
the environment to audiences in Barbados. He will also appear in Masque. Esther Hamer – has choreographed all of the dances in Masque, Baccoo, and Queh Queh. She has also designed most of the costumes for these plays. As an actress, she will be playing the lead role in Masque, portraying Rhona – the dead wife of the village chief. It is a role that calls for much agility, dance-skills, and physical strength – all of which Hamer possesses. She also directs Queh Queh, having conducted much research to ensure the tradition is represented authentically. Le Tisha Da Silva – plays Annabel, the white woman captured by the tribe in Masque. Da Silva is an actress who is continuously rising as one of the best new talents in Guyanese theatre and the range of plays going to CARIFESTA allows to demonstrate both her range and dedication to her craft. One of the reasons why she was chosen for the role of Annabel was her ability to convey well characters with various aspects to their personality. She also appears in Queh Queh as one of the guests. Ackeem Joseph – appears in all of the plays going to CARIFESTA. His role as the blind chief in Masque is particularly difficult because he has to wear a blindfold that renders him unable to see most of what is happening on the stage. That added to the dance that is required for Queh Queh, the timing needed for Ole Higue and the sheer force of acting required to convey a baccoo in Baccoo ensures that he will be kept very busy in Barbados. Kimberly Fernandes – appears as a war-
rior in Masque, and as the young version of grandmother in Baccoo. Her acting and dancing skills are also represented in Queh Queh, where she plays Noni, the sister of the bride and in Ole Higue. She is one of those actresses for whom acting seems effortless. However, Fernandes is a dedicated worker and puts a lot of effort into ensuring she does her best always. Onix Duncan – is a model, actor and director. He plays the groom who is much more than he appears to be in Queh Queh and is the third and final baccoo in the play being directed by Nicola Moonsammy. His role in Masque is one that requires him to carry an actress on his back and around his neck for extended periods of time, and definitely indicates the gruelling nature of the rehearsals and the dedication, power and passion the actors have for their craft. Mark Luke-Edwards – is a well-known actor who will be playing the vital role of the Tutor in Queh Queh. The Tutor is the head of the queh queh ritual, and this role presents a rare opportunity for Luke-Edwards to demonstrate both his singing and dancing capabilities. It is a new and exciting role for him and he will undoubtedly be great at it. Luke-Edwards will also be seen in Masque and Bacoo. Sonia Yarde – is no stranger to the Guyanese stage. Undoubtedly one of the most popular actresses in the country, Yarde has made a name for herself in local theatre. She is well-versed in a number of plays and this year sees her participating as the violent daughter of a plantation owner in Masque and the narrator in Ole Higue. Her role in Ole Higue is one that she originated since 2014 when, as a student of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama, the play was developed. Lists such as these are important. While compiling it I wondered if fifty years from now, when someone wants to know who represented Guyana in the past at CARIFESTA, whether they would be able to get a list from the Department of Culture. In case they cannot, this one will be of some help. This list serves as a reminder of some of the people who are currently working hard into the night so they can represent Guyana internationally, so they can promote Guyanese culture, and so they can remind all of Guyana that we in the arts are a force to be reckoned with.
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Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
New species discovered in Guyana
GUYANA is a biodiversity rich country. An estimated 8,000 species of plants and 1,800 species of amphibians, birds and mammals (Guyana’s Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) can be found here. Our highly forested land area has served to keep much of our biodiversity untouched. However, because our biodiversity is highly understudied, gaps in information exist. Among the factors that have contributed to the lack of studies on our biodiversity are in- accessibility and high cost to gain
access to our hinterland. Despite this, new discoveries are made from time to time of new species right here in Guyana! Among some new species discovered over recent years are: Carapa akuri – a tree species belonging to the Mahogany family (Meliacea). It is considered to be endemic to Central Guyana. The specific nickname akuri is used by the Macushi tribe as a name for the red-rumped agouti, which is likely the main seed disperser of Carapa in Guyana. Gonatodes timidus – a new species of lizard. Research done, found that this lizard is currently found only at the base of the Iwokrama Mountains. Intensive surveys
in several surrounding areas have never recorded a species matching this description, and it may well be endemic to the Iwokrama Mountains. The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective timidus meaning “shy” or “fearful”. It refers to the tendency of individuals of this species to avoid being seen by hastily escaping between rocks, making them very difficult to collect. Microcaecilia iwokramae (Caecilita iwokramae) ? a new genus and species of the9 lung-less caecilian. The single known specimen was found in mixed low-stature scrub forest on high hills. Although its ecology is poorly known, it is presumed to be a terrestrial species, as are other members
of the Caeciliidae family, and to breed by either laying eggs on land or by direct development. Specimens could be found by digging soil, particularly under rotting wood or leaf litter or between the buttress roots of trees. Allobates amissibilis – a new species of frog named – Latin for “that may be lost” in recognition of its home, which was the setting for British author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 book, The Lost World. The frog was discovered near Turu Falls, a waterfall at the foot of the Iwokrama Mountains. Kaieteurosaurus hindsi - a lizard named after the former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, was discovered at the
Kaieteur National Park. Kaieteurosaurus hindsi, is a small terrestrial lizard just about 10 cm in length that belongs to the Gymnophthalmidae family. The suffix “saurus” means lizard, hence Kaieteurosaurus can literally be translated as “lizard of Kaieteur”. The species name, hindsi, was dedicated to Mr Samuel Hinds, who the discoverers said played an integral role in facilitating the research in the Kaieteur National Park. Rivulus mahdiaensis, a new killifish species, was named after the village Mahdia, near to where it was discovered. It was found in Blackwater Creek, a tributary of the Potaro River near Mahthedia, Central Guyana.
The discovery of these new species is indeed a boost to the country’s profile. Their discovery should serve as motivation for other researchers to take up the challenge of exploring Guyana’s hidden treasures which, once discovered, can lure more and more visitors to this beautiful land, contributing to the development of our sustainable tourism package. You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit. epaguyana@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Microcaecilia iwokramae Kaieteurosaurus hindsi
Carapa akuri
Allobates amissibilis
Gonatodes timidus
Rivulus mahdiaensis
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
VII
How about a veneer? ALTHOUGH dentists speak of permanent fillings, crowns, and bridges, it must be remembered that the only permanent thing we do is extract teeth. When you consider that teeth are subjected to great chewing forces, to acids in foods and drinks, to rapid temperature changes, to brushing abrasion, to attrition and erosion, and to attack by bacteria it is a wonder that any restoration lasts more than a few months. Yet most of the composite or plastic (silver amalgam) fillings will last over 10 years, and crowns and bridges that are properly made will last 15 years or longer. Bonding and veneering will also last many years, but they are most subject to wear and fracture than a well-constructed crown. The big disadvantage of veneering over crowning is based on the Hippocratic mandate for a doctor to do the least possible harm. Veneering requires very little alteration of the natural tooth. Sometimes a composite veneer requires only etching prior to application. More often a small amount of enamel is removed to reshape the tooth. Although etching sometimes makes teeth sensitive, the risk of irreversible nerve damage is small, and re-veneering can be done with minimal additional trauma. Not so with a porcelain crown. If the nerve is damaged by over grinding or if the crown is done poorly and gum line decay penetrates to the nerve, root canal therapy becomes necessary; if that fails, the tooth is lost. Also, each time a tooth is recrowned, it is subjected to more grinding and new potential nerve injury and degeneration. That is why I never do porcelain crowns nor do I recommend that. The disadvantages of veneering relate to colour stability, physical strength, and irritation of the gum. Composites and plastic tend to discolour when exposed to sunlight. The outer surface will inevitably wear, and as it does, it becomes dull. But as noted above, the veneers can be redone easily. Porcelain
veneers are colour stable because the colour is fused into the ceramic material, but porcelain is more fragile than composites and plastics and can fracture under a heavy bite. Composite resins are best used to restore fractured and worn incisal edges of upper front teeth but are prone to failure when used on the lower front teeth. The reason is that the upper incisal edges overlap the lower teeth and are not subjected to excessive pressure. The incisal edges of the lower teeth jut up, into, and against the hard inner surface of the upper teeth on swallowing, chewing, grinding, and clenching. Restoration of these surfaces with composite resins cannot be expected to last long. No matter how good the veneer, it is a foreign substance, and when it contacts the gum tissue, the body treats it as such. Even if thin, it is still likely to thicken the tooth slightly since a certain amount of material bulk is essential for strength and colour. When the tooth is thus thickened, the gums often become red, puffy, and bleed easily – marginal gingivitis – or the tissue may actually be stimulated overgrowth – hyperplasia. Thus, an attempt at improved appearance may result in impaired unsightly gingival tissue. The cure for minor irregularity or discoloration of teeth may not be worth the disfigurement it may create. Before deciding on any of these esthetic procedures, be sure you are dealing with a problem serious enough to warrant a dentist’s intervention. As a rule, dentists do not guarantee their work. Guarantees are both unethical and impractical since success is dependent not only on the dentist’s skill but also on the patient’s response to treatment. Nonetheless, most dentists back up their work with an unwritten guarantee of sorts. If for exam-
ple, a filling falls out within a few days or weeks of placement, a dentist usually replaces it free of charge. This should happen only rarely in a good dental practice. If a more costly service such as a porcelain bridge fails in a short time, many dentists adjust the fee for replacement even if the failure had nothing to do with the quality of original work. As an act of goodwill, the fee may be reduced significantly or the laboratory cost alone passed on to the patient. Since veneering is so expensive, you should ask about your own dentist’s policy regarding early failure. Some dentists redo the veneers at 50 percent of the original cost if the need arises within a couple of years. Or you might be charged only the laboratory fabrication cost. Though dentists are not obliged to guarantee the results of their work, and should not be expected to, most have a goodwill policy in the event of early treatment failure. My own policy towards my patients is based on what I would like for myself if I were the patient. But generally, just what this policy is may be a factor in choosing between one dentist and another.
The gift of vision VIII
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
The intricate technique of Corneal Transplants By Svetlana Marshall FOR many years, 67-year-old Jasoda Rajkumar had known that there was something drastically wrong with her right eye. It took her several years before she was diagnosed with Cataract – an eye disease that causes the lens of the eye to become cloudy preventing clear vision. However, it was only in March 2017 that she underwent a surgery at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital to remove the Cataract with high hopes of being able to see clearly again, but the situation worsened when the cornea in her right eye was damaged during the surgical procedure. The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped surface of the eye that helps it to focus. “It wasn’t so bad, but when I did the surgery, I couldn’t see at all in meh right eye,” the Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) woman said as she sat on a bench outside of the Eye Clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC). Rajkumar’s case, however, is not unique to the Health Sector, according to US-based Corneal Transplant Specialist, Dr. Joseph Pasternak. In an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine during his recent visit to Guyana, Pasternak said
the outside of the eye.”. It is said to be the fourth cause of blindness globally after cataract, glaucoma and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Zooming in on Rajkumar’s case, Dr. Pasternak said that late detection and subsequent removal of cataract very often result in damages to the cornea. “Some patients are not getting their cataract surgeries early enough. The cataract gets denser, harder and harder, making it more difficult to remove. The more difficult for it to be removed, the more complications there are,” he explained. “So the cloudy cornea is a complication of the cataract operation that shouldn’t cause the cornea to get cloudy but often does because in moving the cataract, it causes damages to the cornea.” In his estimation, approx-
imately 20 percent of the people who undergo surgeries for cataract, experience Corneal Visual Impairment.
that cataract surgery is one of the many reasons that cause the cornea to fail. The World Health Organisation (WHO), notes that: “Corneal visual impairment encompasses a wide variety of infectious and inflammatory eye diseases that cause scarring of the cornea, the clear membrane that covers
OTHER CAUSES Early detection of cataract and early surgeries would reduce the number of persons with Corneal Visual Impairment, Dr. Pasternak said. But this surgical procedure is not the only reason that causes the cornea to become cloudy. Injuries, allergies, Keratitis, Keratoconus are among the conditions that also affect the cornea, he pointed out. It was trauma that caused 26-year-old Elitizen Grant to rupture his cornea. “He got a kick in his eye. He was playing with his nephew and he got kick straight in his eyes and he didn’t take it for nothing because the eye was alright,” Grant’s mother, Simone, recalled. The incident happened more than one year ago but it was only in June 2017 that the poultry farmer realised that his right eye was infected. “I had the red eye and from that I got this infection. It started running a set of cold,” Granted posited. After seeking medical attention at the GPHC Eye Clinic, the Williamsburg Corentyne farmer was informed by the doctors there that his cornea was torn. “They stitch it up for me but then I rubbed it and it loose out.” The blurriness in his right eye had gotten worse. Grant’s case, Dr. Pasternak said, was alarming. Contents of the eye including the pupil and iris were bulging out of the sac where the cornea had melted, the Cornea Transplant Specialist explained. “I was not expecting it,” he said.
While Rajkumar and Grant’s injuries were ‘man made’, 12-year-old Babita Kanhai and 26-year-old Shelana Britton were both diagnosed with Keratoconus – the thinning of the cornea. The National Eye Institute (NEI) explains that “Keratoconus causes the middle of the cornea to thin, bulge outward, and form a rounded cone shape. This abnormal curvature of the cornea can cause double or blurred vision, nearsightedness, astigmatism and increased sensitivity to light,” NEI states. The Essequibo Coast student and the Bartica resident were experiencing blurred vision. Bringing relief At the end of July, 2017, the Subraj Foundation, which is based in the US, teamed up with the GPHC’s Ophthalmology Department to conduct 16 corneal transplants either to restore vision, reduce pain or to save the eye. Rajkumar, Grant, Kanhai and Britton were among the batch of patients from the GPHC Eye Clinic who benefitted from the surgical procedures. According to the WHO, public health prevention programmes are the most cost-effective means of reducing the global burden of corneal blindness, however, once the cornea has been damaged, surgery by grafting of the cornea (corneal transplant) is currently the only curative treatment. A corneal transplant is a surgical procedure designed to replace part of the cornea with corneal tissue from a donor. It was, however, noted by WHO that access to this surgery has proven to be very difficult, even in developed countries, due to the lack of donors. Here in Guyana, the corneal transplants were made possible by the Subraj Foundation with collaboration from GPHC and Eye Banks at no cost to the patients. Dr. Pasternak, who had formed part of the US based team led by Dr. Rahul Jindal, explained that the corneal tissues were secured from eye banks in the US and brought to Guyana through the Subraj Foundation for the transplants to be done at the GPHC. After screening approximately 60 candidates, Dr. Pasternak conducted the 16 corneal transplants between July 25-30 with assistance from the Head of the GPHC Ophthalmologist Department, Dr. Shailendra Sugrim and another local ophthalmologist, Dr. Celeste Hinds. He explained that of the 16 corneal transplants conducted, two of the surgeries were conducted with the intention to save the eye; three to reduce pain with the understanding that vision may or may not be restored; and 11 were done with the intention to restore vision. THE RESULTS Assessing the various cases, the Transplant Specialist disclosed that Grant was one of the two persons that will not be able to see following the surgery since the primary objective was to save the eye. “He (Grant) may never be able to recover his vision because of the severity of the damage… The psychological impact of losing the eye is so dramatic, so we always try to save the eye even if there is no visual potential,” Dr. Pasternak explained. “Three are doing it for pain control knowing that their visual potential is limited but the vast majority of the patients that we have selected, we selected them because they have the potential to see better,” he added. Turn to page IX ►►►
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
IX
‘Value for money’, always
AS part of consumer education, we will be carrying more articles on Consumer Rights and warnings against those who supply goods and services in a dishonest, careless and sub-standard way. This week we will touch on two such topics:
PUC Order #2/2017 GTT will have to pay the subscribers a compensatory credit for every day they have failed to repair their telephones. This took effect from 1st August. Subscribers must start asking for their compensation via PUC. (iv)International Calls. By PUC Order TELECOMMUNICATIONS #2/2017 international calls were slightly re(i) By a ruling of the Public Utilities duced in cost. The reduction was what GTT Commission (PUC) several years ago, the asked for since the PUC and the other major telephone has to make 8 rings at least before stakeholder, the Consumers, had always voicemail is activated. As soon as voicemail wished GTT would make its rates competiis activated, the caller is charged for a call. tive with OTT providers like Internet cafes. But both telephone companies have programmed their systems that voicemail comes CONSUMER DURABLES on immediately or long before 8 rings and the AND WARRANTIES consumer is unfairly and unlawfully charged With the advent of the free market, confor a call. In this way, the companies are sumer durables such as washing machines, illegally exploiting the consumers at millions refrigerators, gas stoves, toasters, microof dollars per month. We have brought this waves and such other consumer durables consumer exploitation to the PUC’s notice came to be imported from various parts of and they will be taking corrective action. the world and not from the traditional ex(ii) Replacement of telephone instru- porters in Europe and North America who ment: GTT from the time they were given a supplied brand-name products of high stanContract and Licence to operate the landline dard. East Asia was the chief import market service in Guyana, replaced faulty instru- and the attraction for local importers was the ments as of course without any charge to cheaper prices. Quality and durability of the the subscriber. Recently, in breach of their products imported were not a consideration. contract, they illegally began to extract payIndia, where Western standards are acment from subscribers. The PUC by Order cepted as the norm and where many of the #2/2017 reiterated the position that GTT has well-known Western companies operate and to replace faulty instruments without charge whose growth resemble China’s, does not to subscribers. Telephone subscribers must, concentrate on the export trade as East Asia therefore, reject any attempt by GTT to does. Instead, the Indians concentrate on charge them for replacement of telephone satisfying their own huge market. Thus Ininstruments. dian consumer durables are rarely imported. (iii) Delay in repairs - Compensatory In Guyana, a few big stores still stock credit by GTT. In recent years, unlike Western brand-name products but most of in their earlier years, GTT has taken to the smaller and middle-sized stores sell East neglecting repairs to landline telephones. Asian imports. East Asian consumer duraSubscribers have often complained that their bles, with some justification, are regarded telephones have been out-of-order for a year as inferior to Western-made products and and more. When the Company was first though they are sold at cheaper prices, in established here, telephones were repaired the final analysis, they do not provide value within the regulatory 3 days. Consumers for money. are of opinion that the poor repair record But ordinary folk are attracted by the could be attributed to poor management and lower prices and are not acutely conscious also the attempt to force consumers to use that they are buying an inferior product the far more expensive cell phones. The which may be completely useless in a short PUC, Consumers and the Government have time or may be plagued with repair woes. tried without success to have GTT repair The sellers of such sub-standard durables telephones in a reasonable time. Now, by give warranties for one month so as to escape ◄◄◄ From page VIII
Rajkumar, Kanhai and Britton were among those who underwent the surgeries with the intention of having their vision restored. Though patients were allowed to go home after their surgeries, it would take approximately one year before they fully recover. Dr. Sugrim, in a separate interview, told the Pepperpot Magazine that on a daily basis the Eye Clinic sees between 200 and 300 patients. On a given day, he said there are usually about patients with cornea related issues. According to him, every year, there are approximately 50 to 75 patients who would require a Corneal Transplant due to their corneas being damaged, however, only a limited amount of these patients have been able to undergo these surgeries. Today, GPHC has collaborated with the Subraj Foundation to carry out a total of 57 corneal transplants since 2015. PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
To create greater access to the corneal tissues, the Subraj Foundation is analysing the possibility of setting up an Eye Bank here in Guyana to meet the needs of those patients desperately in need of Corneal Transplants. Head of the Subraj Foundation, Tony Subraj, who took up the mantle upon the passing of his father George Subraj – the founder, said if an eye bank is established here in Guyana, the foundation in collaboration with GPHC would be able to carry out more transplants per year. According to Subraj, he has already started to engage members of both sides of the National Assembly with the hope of effecting the necessary legislative changes to allow for an eye bank here. Dr. Sugrim said that once the necessary legislative framework is put in place, the eye bank can be established within a period of two years. He added that Dr. Hinds, who has recently returned to Guyana after completing a three months fellowship which focused on the cornea, has been mandated to lead the team that will assist with formulating the legislation.
the Law which prescribes that if there is no warranty, then a six-month warranty takes effect. And for the month, they have no intention of honouring the warranty since they have no repair shop or do they engage technical persons to repair defective machines they sell or do they import spare parts. As consumer advocates, our advice would be that consumers should try to buy the better product though it may require more immediate financial sacrifice. They will have a longer warranty which could be honoured since there would be repair help
available as well as spare parts. There would also be not much delay before repairs are effectuated. We would, therefore, reiterate that consumers should avoid buying at a cheap price and risking losing what they have paid for the item. A number of the big stores offer hire-purchase facilities. Hire-purchase contracts as they are in Guyana at the moment are largely in favour of the companies and not the purchaser. We would advise purchasers to avoid hire-purchase, even if they have to make some sacrifice.
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By Francis Quamina Farrier THERE are some cultures in which the work and achievements of the ancestors are always uplifted. This is so, to some degree, here in Guyana. I mention this because over the past weekend, there were two instances when the work of the ancestors of two of the oldest Christian Churches in this country, were celebrated. The Smith AME Church at Lots 3 and 4 Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three, celebrated its 145th anniversary with events which included a Tea Party and Hat Show, which was organised by the Young People’s and Children’s Departments of the church. The Smith’s AME at Vergenoegen, is the mother church of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Guyana, and has a long history of Christian-African traditions in Guyana. The other Christian Church which observed a special anniversary last weekend, was the Christian Mission, located on Camp Street, between Regent and Charlotte Streets in Georgetown. The congregation held the 125th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service at the Theatre Guild Playhouse last Sunday. The original building where services were held was located at the north-eastern corner of Camp and Charlotte Streets. ◄◄◄ From page III
from the community. It was mentioned that our great grandmother–Mathilda, had a pot that was never out of meat and that it was shared with visitors and guests and always had to give. That in itself speaks of the rich cultural
Santa Mission has a rich history
Guest house at Santa Mission
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
An iconic three story wooden structure, it was demolished two years ago. The plot where it stood for over a century remains empty at this time. A new modern concrete building is planned to be constructed there. However, long before its demolition, a small church was constructed north of it, almost a hundred years ago, and serves well as the place of worship by the members of the Christian Mission body. Because of its small size, the Anniversary Thanksgiving Service was held at the Theatre Guild Playhouse in Kingston, Georgetown, which was packed to capacity. The two anniversaries give testimony to the contributions of Christians of African Heritage, who have kept the faith and who have sojourned on through the good times and the bad times, for well over a century. The ancestors have, since the nineteenth century, done their work for those now in the vineyard, and it is those- here and now- who reap the fruits of their labours. What was of special note at both celebrations, was the age range of those in attendance; from babies, to youths, the matured and the elders, all praising God for the legacy of the ancestors, and what they hope their descendants will celebrate a century from now, when they too, become ances- The historic Christian Mission church on Camp Street in Georgetown, bedecked with flags and buntings for the 125th anniversary tors.
value of our family,” Patterson said. He noted that while there was no official or formal planning, members were contacted via social media mainly Facebook and Whatsapp and relatives quickly embraced the idea of volunteering to pull off the event. Initially, it was intended to be held at the Timber-Head Resort,
but due to initial feedback from members, it was hosted at Santa Mission instead. “A very affordable budget for such was developed and had catered for transportation, meals, accommodation, jerseys and other Patterson souvenirs, activities, and other components,” Patterson related. He noted “the meals and catering service provided by the community was excellent and comparable to that of the Marriot. The social gathering and the devotional time were also highlighted as great and we all look forward to the next event.”
Santa Mission is a picturesque community
A view at Santa Mission
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Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
XI
Happiness Happens ACCORDING to my fun calendar, last Tuesday was known as ‘Happiness Happens Day”. THIS was perfect timing as last week, many of my clients told me they simply don’t feel happy and they don’t understand why. That they wish there was some kind of happy pill they could take; that they are just going through their daily routines feeling “blah”. Sadly, I have a feeling that many of you feel this way. I hope this piece brings you hope as well as the motivation to do what may be necessary to feel happier. Personally, being happy is not effortless for me; it takes some work- even though I had/have everything I could ever want. I was always jealous of the people who looked naturally happy. However, over time I realised that I was given the opportunity to actually achieve happiness and therefore, the intended outcome would feel even better. SO, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS HAPPINESS? It is traditionally defined as a state of contentment or a state of well-being. A ‘happy’ person will frequently feel joy, excitement and a whole other range of positive emotions Notice, here, which I mentioned to my clients, that what causes happiness is completely open to interpretation. That everyone has a different definition of happiness. What makes one person happy may not for someone else and what the world shows us should make us happy doesn’t have to. It is important to remember that no one is happy all of the time. No one is immune to life’s stresses but there are definitely people who can handle them better. You probably see them often and are jealous, wishing you too could find joy in the simple things. Well, you have to find your own level and definition of happiness and here’s the best part – it’s completely possible. It is more difficult than ever because our modern lifestyle almost promotes unhappiness while we are surrounded by the concept of happiness. The most common thing in our generation is social media which undoubtedly causes people to be dissatisfied with their own lives. It causes everything from envy to eating disorders. On the other side, our days are filled with constant reasons to ‘be happy’ – from holidays to music to TV shows. It’s rare that we see our favourite artist or actor talking about having bad days. I did some research about what makes people happy. In the last few days, I have applied some to my own life. While it is too soon to tell, I have a feeling that my days will brighten more. I will also share what specifically worked for me. There are many factors which promote happiness. These include gratitude, forgive-
ness, humility, a strong support circle and over all life-satisfaction. There is also lots we can do to promote our own happiness. The first thing, of course, would be self-love. I personally don’t believe anyone can be happy unless they like who they are. They must like the way they look, think and behave- for most of the time anyway (no one will all the time.) Compliment yourself every day- find three new things you like about yourself every morning and tell yourself in the mirror. Believe me, eventually, some days you’ll find more than three. Start with the basics. Eat, sleep and exercise well. We know by now what all three of these things do for our overall mental health. Consume more milk or anything dairy for that matter as it contains tryptophan which helps create serotonin (the happy hormone) in the brain. A memorisation and sleep study done on sleep deprived university students in the United States found that of the words asked to memorise, sleep deprived students would remember 81 percent of negative words such as ‘cancer’ and only 31 percent of positive words such as ‘sunshine’. Research shows that the effects of exercise continue to stimulate our brains up to 12 hours after the workout. Remember this can mean any physical activity that appeals to you. Do not treat bad feelings with ‘external treats’, that is, treating sadness with food, alcohol, cigarettes etc. It may feel better for a minute but the feelings of guilt and loss of control will last for weeks. Do other things that promote your self-esteem (you know what works for you). Base your self-esteem on your levels of kindness and motivation rather than your looks or how many possessions you have. Have a healthy level of self-esteem and pride. Unhealthy levels of both of these things lead to hyper focusing on what people think of you- a huge source of unhappiness. Practice the mindfulness meditation (that I keep talking about) which was invented to promote personal and situational acceptance. Make a list of realistic short and long term goals for yourself as these add a sense of purpose and meaning to your lives. Watch your abilities and potential at work and celebrate any little victory. Try and change your thinking to positive thinking. This is possible and necessary as negative thinking has the ability to change your entire mood and behaviour in any situation. Everyone thinks that we simply feel and behave how we do- that that’s who we are. However, it’s a process that happens so fast that we cannot see there is a pattern- one that we can actually change. For example, if you meet someone at a party and they seem (to you) to not be showing enough interest in you, your individual thinking comes into play. Your first
thought (if it’s negative) would be thinking this person does not like you and is being super rude about it. This thinking will automatically trigger a mood which will then be anger or embarrassment (based on your initial thinking). This mood will then trigger a behaviour which in this case will most likely be to walk away or to be rude to them. Then, you will automatically rate it as a bad experience. However, did it have to end that way? If your first thought gave the person (and yourself) the benefit of the doubt, your first thought could have been – ‘maybe they are shy’ which would have triggered a different mood such as empathy and a different behaviour such as trying harder to make them feel more comfortable. It is the exact situation just a different outcome that came from more positive thinking. Engage in some acts of kindness. Research shows that making someone else happy also makes you happy. Make a good support system and when I say a good support system, I don’t mean the people who will drink with you when you’ve had a bad day. Here in Guyana, almost anyone would take a drink with you. I mean those you support and encourage you when you are down; those that are a positive influence on your life. Be more social with these people; there is a reason why solitary confinement is a punishment. I personally believe the people in your life should be about quality rather than quantity (I have like 3 real friends). You do not need a large number of people for your social support to be efficient. Plan things in advance – sometimes the anticipation of something is just as good as the event itself. Travel if you can! People always say that happiness comes from experiences and not possessions. Go into nature. This was a surprise to me (because I hate insects) but I recently realised that my brain associates nature with peace of mind. Also, live performances significantly lift my mood. Seeing anyone reach their potential and sharing their gift seems to make me incredibly happy. This should give hope that it is never too late to discover something new about yourself. Listen to beneficial music- this is vague because music can make or break our moods and the type completely depends on the person. You will know what benefits you. Pray to whatever higher power you believe in. Research shows that religion and spirituality increase happiness and feelings of well-being. Take a ‘selfie’! The next someone tries to judge you for it, you tell them that a 2016 study determined that people who take ‘selfies’ are more happy and confident. Actions don’t have to only follow feelings, feelings can follow actions. Go beyond small talk. Anyone who
knows me well knows that I really dislike small talk. Like please don’t come around me if you’re going to talk about the weather or the recent sports game/match. Instead, when someone tells me their fears or teaches me something and allows me to teach them something, it makes me so happy. Try it. Go through old photo albums if you have good memories. Good memories bring just as much happiness as current situations- sometimes even more as we do not always appreciate things at the time they are happening. Start a new activity and develop skill it in. This could be anything from arts and craft to a sport. “Excellence in anything increases your potential in everything” is one of my favourite quotes. We’ve heard of ‘Fake it till you make it’. The Facial feedback hypothesis and findings support this popular statement. They found that when you fake a smile, you will soon after feel better and start naturally smiling. Do not be afraid of ‘negative emotions’ such as anger or sadness. It may sound strange but having a good cry when you need to will improve levels of happiness in the long run. Finally, as this is the hardest one, it is okay to sleep things off. People always say don’t go to bed angry, which makes sense. However, if you handle every situation on the spot, with anger or any other emotion, how effective is that really? Take some time to cool off. While genetics do play a part in overall happiness, some studies show as much as 40 per cent, I do believe that one can still pursue happiness. View happiness as a commitment, a new lifestyle; A habit based on relentless pursuit and determination. Do you want to start small? Just go outside- Vitamin D alone increases sleep while decreases feelings of sadness. Remember that it is okay to not feel happy all the time. This is normal and actually beneficial. If you felt happy all the time, those special happy moments won’t feel special anymore. We won’t have anything to strive towards. Thank you for reading and please send in any topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com. Also please remember when you can come see me. Georgetown Public Hospital: MondayFriday – 8am- 12pm Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department Drug and Alcohol group meetings Mondays 4:00pm Good mental health group meetingsWednesdays 4:00pm Suicide Prevention Helpline Numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896 Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!
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Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
#SupportCreativity
How to spot an art scam JUST over a month ago I received an email from someone enquiring about purchasing my artwork. The person? Well, he identified himself as Anthonio Jack from Oregon using the email address anthonioj123@ gmail.com. In all the years since I’ve had my own, I’ve come across “real” persons with much stranger email addresses so I didn’t give his a second glance (besides, it was in my inbox and not spam folder). Instead, I was more intrigued by the subject of his email, “ARTWORK NEEDED.” Although I noticed a few grammatical errors, for the most part, his English was comprehensible. There weren’t any glaring signs of the muddled language we’ve come to associate with online scammers. I’ve read worse emails from “real” people, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and continued reading. His story seemed believable enough: he saw his wife browsing my website (which was up and running at the time) and decided to surprise her by purchasing a piece or two to celebrate their anniversary. At this point, there were no major red flags but I still hadn’t allowed myself to get excited by the idea of this stranger discovering my work online and wanting to add it to his “collection.” I was a bit skeptical but I played along. What followed was a series of exchanges over a month, with me mostly apologizing for my delayed responses since I had just started my most recent residency and was preoccupied with that. It wasn’t until I casually mentioned these exchanges while in conversation with another artist and he disclosed a similar experience that I decided to do some research into this Anthonio Jack character. Reflecting on our correspondence now, perhaps I was more taken with the idea of someone being excited about owning my work than I was with the idea of receiving money for my work. Maybe it was a mild case of ego stroking as well. Whatever it was, Mr Jack made sure to include just the right amount of details about his “personal life” to humanize him and make the whole story believable. He was married, his wife loved art, they were moving etc. I was a bit surprised by his decision to share so much of his life with me, a perfect stranger, but I dismissed it as polite conversation. I’m not ashamed to admit that I have “fan-girled” a few times myself and in those moments per-
haps disclosed more than I probably would on a regular day. Nervous energy could make a person do strange things. And so our correspondence continued. Days or sometimes even weeks would go by before I got a chance to respond to his emails but he would almost always respond within the same day. While this also made me go “Hmm,” I chalked it up to him being really excited to own my work. It was nice to meet someone who felt so passionately about collecting art. I would later learn that the urgency I detected was indicative of something else altogether. Prior to my investigation, I had already sent a portfolio of selected works for him to consider, four to be exact. Admittedly, I thought it strange that after I sent a Dropbox link with the images and view only access, he insisted on receiving them as an attachment in the email instead. I’m always nervous to send anyone images of my work for fear of it being stolen or used commercially
without my permission. But I do understand that it’s a large part of the risk you take once you make that decision to post your work online, even if your work is protected by copyright laws. Nothing is safe on the Internet. So with that in mind, I opted to send him a PDF document. Our correspondence continued and he selected two of the four pieces I imagined his wife would appreciate. He even insisted on paying more for each piece saying, “I think it’s worth it anyway.” I was flattered but at this point, those red flags were getting harder to ignore. A quick Google search the next day opened my eyes to a scam that has been going on for years. After considering my options, I decided to have some fun with Anthonio. I sent him a message requesting a Skype session saying how excited I was to meet my collector and explaining that we could use our meeting as an opportunity to discuss shipping, insurance etc. I was incredibly disappointed when our
line of communication went cold. It’s been a month since I last received word from Anthonio but I’m hoping he returns from his “training voyage to the North Atlantic Ocean” soon so we can continue this conversation. At this point, you must be wondering how the scam works. Well, from the research I was able to do I found out that it could work several ways. In some cases, they ask you to transfer the shipping cost to them up front before sending you the full amount of money. I didn’t get this far with Anthonio but this would’ve been another major red flag. The most popular route taken, however, is for the scammers to “overpay” the artist and request that the artist forwards the extra cash to their shipping company. Since they would’ve “overpaid” the artist with a check, if the artist were to send the extra cash then they would be sending it from their own bank account, granted they have enough money in their account to clear that amount. International checks take about sixty days to clear and the scammer would be counting on you to make the transaction before the bank discovers that the check is, in fact, fake. I’ve read that in some cases, the bank would reverse the transaction leaving the artist to pay the negative balance. It should never get this far. So how do you protect your work and prevent yourself from falling victim to scams like this? Well, you have to know what to look for. Below is a list of things to look for in an art scam: ► Suspicious looking subject line and/or email address ► Grammatical errors ► Complex back-stories about their family, job etc. ► Huge price range (for example, saying they’re looking for artwork between US$1000 and US$20,000) ► Willingness to pay more for the piece ► An unusual sense of urgency ► Volunteering to handle shipping or passing that responsibility on to their “shipping agent” Every time these scammers are exposed they get even more creative with their schemes, so it’s important to be vigilant. Always reserve some amount of skepticism whenever someone enquires about your work online, particularly if it’s someone you’ve never met. If it seems too good to be true then it probably is.
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African heritage and Afro–Guyanese youth By Zena Henry “A MAN without knowledge of his culture is like a tree with no root. He is almost baseless and has no gauge on where he has come from, and to a great degree, this makes it difficult for him to ascertain where it is he is going.” These are words of Administrator of Museum of African Heritage, Jenny Daly, who said that she is keen on teaching young Afro-Guyanese about the great legacy of their ancestors. During an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine, Daly said that much more has to be done about educating the young people of African descent about their history; that is, prior to the enslavement of African people and their involuntary removal from the continent and the grave events that later followed to ensure liberation and equal rights. Daly is adamant that for a young person of African descent to truly find their place in society, they must have some idea about their past. She believes that this aspect of knowledge is severely lacking in Guyana. As part of its mandate, the Museum of African Heritage is tasked with keeping the rich cultural history of Africans alive. Located in Barima Avenue, Bel Air Park, the museum continues to be a base location from which persons of African descent can get information relating to the land of their ancestors and culture. The museum is filled with cultural pieces; sculptures, souvenirs and other exhibits, and provides a wealth of informative materials. Acknowledging the recently celebrated African Emancipation Day celebration just over a week ago, Daly told the Guyana Chronicle that the museum continues to find ways to use its assets to impart the history of Africans on its younger generation. As a regular feature, the museum hosted another summer programme which concluded Friday. The programme which was held from August 7 to 11 saw young children taking part in special events that increase African consciousness. These included Afro-centric arts and craft among others. Daly said that persons should be encouraged to visit the museum at this time especially as Guyana is part of the Caribbean’s region-wide claim for reparation from European territories. Caribbean nations like Guyana are in the process or have completed the compilation of historical data as evidence of the atrocities committed during slavery in their respective countries. The information will be used should the Caribbean colonies take their former slave masters to the World Court. Daly pointed out that the Guyana Reparations Committee, which is chaired by Eric Phillips is housed at the museum and is regularly providing information to the museum and the public based on their findings. The Guyana body has so far unearthed loads of information, some which even contradicts what Guyanese have been told about some events that occurred in the country. It includes slave labour, construction, death tolls and even the presence of Africans living in Guyana prior to the enslavement period. Daly agreed however that the topic of racism/white supremacy is one that must be spoken of more often. She agreed further that one of the criteria for slavery was having dark skin. And from that, “all manner of things were done to us.” The legacy of racism/ white supremacy which is still evident today involves the hate and denial of rights for people given how dark their complexion is. Following slavery, in places like the United States of America, people of colour had little to no rights which sparked several movements like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NACCP), the Black Panther movement and those by individuals like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Daly pointed out that the legacy of racism has caused dark
skin to be akin to being cursed in many countries around the world. She said there are many unjust negative portrayals of black people in the media, and that poor information is having a devastating impact on young black children in many cases as they do not see themselves as worthy. “I try to tell them of the power they have,” Daly said. “I tell them we are powerful people that we have a great history and it is only us that can make it better.” The Administrator said she is aware that young people need more information on their history and an earnest effort must be made to help
provide them with it. She suggested that the confidence of the young needs boosting and that cannot be done if they have a negative image of themselves. She agreed that young people must become interested in knowing themselves and their history and believes that the research of scholars like Guyana’s very own historian, author and Professor, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, is a good start in re-educating African descendants who continue to feel the effects of slavery; abolished less than 200 years ago.
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Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
Bring on the Funkk! Trinidadian Afrofunkk designer – Charlene Sheppard-Duncan WHILE walking with her mother in the streets of Trinidad, an interesting sight caught the eye of 10-year- old Charlene Sheppard. It was a woman on a bicycle, eccentrically dressed in bright-coloured vintage clothing. Her head was cleanly shaven and her eyebrows were drawn on in high arches. Young Charlene could not take her eyes off the woman and the little girl watched her until she rode out of sight. The woman’s avant garde sense of style represented a type of boldness that Charlene knew, even at that tender age, that she wanted to emulate.
Charlene later found out was well-known Trinidadian designer and style icon Yoko Fung- epitomised. “Ever since that day, I thought about Yoko Fung; I couldn’t get her out of my head,” Charlene told the Pepperpot Magazine. “After that, I moved to the US and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with the vision of Yoko in my head. I wanted to feel like that, look like that.” Specialising first on jewellery design at FIT, Charlene later switched to fashion design. “It was a struggle going to school here, living o n your own… when I was fin-
Charlene Sheppard-Duncan, Founder of AfroFunkk
Charlene later used that inspiration infused in her as a young girl, to help to mould the woman that she is today. Now, a successful fashion designer, Charlene Sheppard-Duncan has developed her brand AfroFunkk to represent boldness, uniqueness and sexiness; all the things that she believed the woman on that bicycle – who
ished, I started working odd jobs as a nanny; I was trying to figure it out. I was the nanny for a designer for Danskin and then I started to do my own thing. I started to sell at the street markets in New York,” she said. At first, she was just doing jewellery, afraid to take the risk of putting her own style out there, but then her Trinidadian influence came to the rescue. “My mom- who was back in Trinidad- would paint fabrics and send it to me. My mom use to design handbags and those things, you know how Caribbean parents are always hustling- so when she sent the fabrics, I would turn them into dresses and that’s how I started
little by little,” she said. She first traded under the name Charlene Sheppard Duncan, New York, and her line was sold in a few stores in Harlem, New York and Los Angeles. After a short pause, Charlene picked back up her designing and it was then that she was inspired to rebrand her line under the moniker AfroFunkk. One look at Charlene’s collections would tell you that her style is anything but ordinary. Filled with vibrant colours, bold prints and a curious mix and match of pieces and accessories, AfroFunkk is certainly a line for the woman who dares to think (or dress) outside the box. “You see a lot of my personal style in my designs but a lot of people think that I am weird. In Trinidad, I get a lot of that, but it doesn’t faze me because it makes me feel normal; that’s my normal. My style is all about funk- the music I listen to, the clothes I wear- that’s how I came up with the name. It represents the way I feel when I am in my garments,” she said. But don’t be fooled by the seeming connection to the African race. Charlene admits that the prints, fabrics and overall designs are inspired by and are worn by customers of all races. “My number one customers are Japanese…I don’t want it to be misleading because it is called ‘Afro’. I don’t want to put myself in that box. I do my own prints but I also purchase prints from Africa – I work with a lot of tribes there- as well as India and other parts of Asia,” she said. Charlene admits however, that her different style does come with its challenges, and that includes sometimes being treated as though she does not belong to the Caribbean. “When I am there, they are not used to me and they tend to think that I am crazy and weird,” she said. This reaction, she admitted, is sometimes experienced with regard to her clothing. In 2005, Charlene placed her clothing in the ‘Shh… Boutique’ which was owned by one of her friends, Antoinette Rodriguez. “I wanted to introduce them to a different style, but it wasn’t so well received by them because it wasn’t short and tight and clingy, but it worked for some people,” she said. Her brand was sold in the boutique up until 2015. Turn to page XVII ►►►
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Georgetown’s fading wooden architecture
By Ravena Gildharie
St Andrew’s Kirk
FROM well-planned thoroughfares, Georgetown once boasted the most picturesque timber architecture; a City with prolific concepts and styles from foundation to the roofs of almost each building, and distinctive of its architect. Much detail even went into the design and construction of surrounding fences and railings of stairways and bridges. Today, we are witnessing this iconic characteristic evolving into a bustle of concrete, steel and glass fabrications that leave much to be desired in terms of architectural talent that can impress future generations the way Cesar Castellani, John Bradshaw Sharples, Joseph Hadfield and others from the 18th and 19th centuries did. The works of these men live on today in charming historical remnants such as the Public Buildings, Victoria Law Courts, Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Walter Roth Museum, Moray House, St. George’s Cathedral, Red House, City Hall, St Andrew’s Kirk and others, as well as a few private residences particularly in Queenstown and Kingston. Undeniably though, Georgetown’s famed wooden architecture continues to fade; much of it having been City Hall view from Avenue of the Republic
destroyed by fire and others being pulled down without haste as part of the City’s growing commercialisation and contest for ideal business spots. While this is happening unnoticed by many, there are a few persons who are saddened by the apparent lack of inspiration and consideration for architectural designs and constructions of both public and privately-owned structures. Retired civil engineer Egbert Carter, age 74, grew up in Georgetown from about age seven and has been very impressed by not only the engineering aptitude but the artistic skill and details captured in some of the largest
and most-admired wooden structures erected in the city, dating back to colonial times. He described Georgetown as “a beautiful city with fascinating architecture details that were out of this world.” However, in his view, the St. Stanislaus College on Brickdam built in 1926 and designed by John V. Mittelholzer, a Guyanese architect of British Guiana, marked the end of Georgetown’s prominent and prolific architectural heritage. “It was mostly Victorian-style architecture punctuated by local and modern styles but Sharples, Castellani and Mittelholzer kept function and form relevant,” Carter said during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine at his East Bank Demerara home, where he shared an elaborate pictorial and detailed-research presentation on ‘Old Georgetown – from the late 18th century to early 19th century.’ One of Guyana’s most reputable engineers, who also sits on the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CPHA) Board, Carter believes that the construction of houses and other buildings today is based on a ‘copy-cat’ style, lacking creative ingenuity. This is perhaps due to the client-based demand for cheaper costs and longevity that can be delivered in the quickest time span.
As a historical heritage and cultural activist too, Carter lectures voluntarily at Moray House, guided by his wealth of engineering experience and backed by extensive research. Reflecting on the age-old architecture, he pointed out that it was evident that “much detail went into planning, architectural design and construction of most of the buildings” situated around Georgetown. Buildings including businesses were constructed at least two to three feet above ground level with each having a three-step stairway at the entrance. This was a precaution against flooding. Built predominantly of timber, Carter observed that the homes were designed with peaked roofs that created a relatively cool atmosphere with open bannisters featuring spindles that allowed breeze to openly enter and circulate in the houses. Bedrooms were particularly situated on the eastern side of the houses, ideal to capitalise on the trade winds while the roofs were covered by mostly Wallaba shingles. Windows were the popular Demerara shutters. PROMINENT ARCHITECTS AND SOME WOODEN MARVELS From a façade of highly-pitched roofs and ceilings, wooden latticework and Demerara Shutters, one can distinguish Castellani’s signature styles as he was seemingly very conscious of his environment, which influenced his designs. Born in Malta, Castellani is believed to have emigrated to British Guiana sometime during 1860 with a group of Italian priests. His creativity is noted in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Castellani House on Homestretch Avenue, the vaulted ceiling at the Public Buildings, the Brickdam Police Station and the Palms Geriatric Institution on Brickdam. Castellani also added his touch to the towers of the previous Sacred Heart Church, destroyed by fire in 2004, and the ceilings at the Public Buildings, another classical feature of Georgetown’s architecture. It was designed and built by Hadfield nestled on a foundation of greenheart logs and limestone, laid in 1829. The structure is described by the National Trust of Guyana as “an excellent example of 19th Century Renaissance architecture, stuccoed to resemble stone blocks.” It is one of two doomed buildings that exist in the city and even the original fence boasted ironTurn to page XVIII ►►►
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The importance of teamwork I HAD a very hectic but interesting week and was surrounded by a lot of young people. I attended the Come Alive Network Youth Conference with two of the foundation’s youth leaders, Sadia Smith and Sasha Castello. I assisted in facilitating the fabric art session at the Giving Hope Foundation Bereavement Camp and was re-energised by the talent displayed. The talented Andy Cummings who won Designers Portfolio 2012, also assisted in guiding the children. One of the highlights was definitely having a movie day in the middle of the week. Not many people will succeed in distracting me from my work, especially midweek. A few times during the year a number of children (age five to 16) from the orphanage come over to my home for the day and we do fun things. I have two biological daughters, but I have many children. It was so relaxing and it certainly added so much peace to my day. Maybe I had too much relaxation, because after
they left I watched a few old episodes of Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I decided to start this column, then I realised it was time for Wednesday night’s church. I saw the most amazing moonlight as I was leaving church after a meaningful service. I took a few seconds to thank God for affording me this opportunity, because we take these simple pleasures for granted. Last week, I promised to continue the importance of teamwork. Another very important Law of ‘Countability’ is that teammates must be able to count on each other when it counts. Stanley C. Gault said, “We don’t work for each other, we work with each other.” This is the essence of ‘countability’ -- the desire for teammates to work together toward common goals. Team members who can depend on each other only during easy times have not developed ‘countability.’ One of the greatest compliments is being counted on.
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
Beyond the Runway with Dr. Sonia Noel
... Inspiring lives through fashion Ask yourself if your integrity is unquestionable; if you perform your work with excellence; if you are dedicated to the team’s success; if you can be depended on every time; and if your actions bring the team together. ● For team leaders, here are some suggestions from William Cohen: ● Develop pride in group membership. ● Convince your group that they are the best. ● Give recognition whenever possible. ● Encourage organisational mottos, names, symbols, and slogans. ● Establish your group’s worth by examining and promoting its history and values. ● Focus on the common purpose. ● Encourage people to participate in activities together outside of work. The formula for Countability is Character + Competence + Commitment + Consistency + Cohesion = Countability. Some of the other laws are The Law of the Price Tag. The team fails to reach its potential when it fails to pay the price. Here are the four truths about The Law of the Price Tag: ● The price must be paid by everyone. ● The price must be paid all the time. ● The price increases if the team wants to improve, change, or keep winning. ● The price never decreases. When it comes to the Law of the Price Tag, there are only two kinds of teams who violate it: Those who don’t realise the price of success, and those who know the price, but are not willing to pay it. Sacrifice, time, commitment, personal development, unselfishness -- these are some of the prices we pay for team success. The Law of the Scoreboard: the team can make adjustments when it knows where it stands .The scoreboard is essential to understanding. It provides a snapshot of the game at any given time. The scoreboard is essential to evaluating. The scoreboard is essential to decision-making. The scoreboard is essential to adjusting. The scoreboard is essential to winning. When you know what to do, then you can do what you know. Last year on this date I was preparing with great excitement to join the John Maxwell Team Certification Programme after going through the online university. It was part of my growth plan and I am enjoying this intentional growth journey. I can never forget that feeling I experienced when I saw my Guyana flag among the over 100 flags from around the world, knowing it was there because of my presence. I can honestly say that programme has changed my life in a major way, because it added so much value to me and my programmes. What plan do you have to grow you or your team? Send us your feedback to beyondtherunway1@ gmail.com and visit our FB page beyond the runway as we continue this journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
folklore
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
ONE, TWO, THREE RED LIGHT! MOONLIT nights in some communities in the countryside are fun-filled, especially for the youngsters. Sometimes things can go from fun to fear. Here is a story that did just that: The younger children giggled and frolicked, glad for the freedom to enjoy the outdoors after dark. The youths stood around in a group chatting and gesticulating. The mature folks sat sipping their drinks and spoke of times past. It was Friday night in Golden Apple Valley. A brisk breeze pushed and tugged its way through the small village. Piercing bird calls rang out. The frogs made sure they were not silent participants. The only people not outside were those who were bedridden. As the evening passed, the children began running further and further from the comfort of the light. Noise increased. Suddenly, all the children raced back to the light. Something had frightened them. Some said they saw a strange shape, others heard a scary sound. There was one who swore he saw a green monster. The younger ones decided to remain in the light. This new development caused great amusement for the older children. They saw this as a challenge. They were fearless and would prove it. They began to taunt and dare each other about being afraid of the dark. Most of them felt certain that there was no such thing as a ‘jumbie’. To emphasise their lack of fear, they decided to play games in the dark. There would be no children here to disturb them. Their game of choice was ‘One, Two, Three, Red Light’. This game is played by a number of players. One player stands about 20 paces away from the others with their back to the others. They then shout “One, Two, Three Red Light”. They turn around immediately and try to catch another player moving in his/her direction. If the player is allowed to advance far enough he/she could tag the caller who, in turn, becomes caller themselves. But during this particular game, something radical went wrong. The game began and everyone was having fun. The caller shouted “One, Two, Three, Red Light!” She turned quickly to see if anyone was moving. A boy was and he was sent back to the starting line. Meanwhile the others were moving nearer and nearer to the caller each time. She turned back and called. Soon another girl was able to tag the caller. The caller joined the ranks and the tagger became the caller. It was while this new caller turned to call that all the players sneaked off and hid. The caller would get quite a shock. They themselves were in for quite a thrill. ◄◄◄ From page XIV
By the time she took AfroFunkk to Tobago Fashion week later on though, Charlene said that there was some change toward the reception of her style, leading to it being well received. She later participated in the Emancipation activities and even launched a Christmas edition. Later on, she held a cocktail edition but, once again, was given a hard time by the locals, who felt that she wasn’t ‘Trinidadian’ because she didn’t grow up there and because she currently lives in the US. At that show though, she met up with her muse Yoko, who disclosed to her that people made fun of her style as well. “I don’t live for society, I live to make myself comfortable. I’m not any less Trinidadian than those in Trinidad... I learned to be an individual from a very early age and I love Trinidad because that is where I am from,” she said. Charlene’s 2017 collection is titled “Warriors walk alone” and was launched late last year. The collection is inspired by her travels and her adventures that she has encountered along the way. She is currently working on her 2018 collection which will be launched later this year. In the meantime, Charlene continues to represent for the daring, funky Caribbean girls whether they were born or have roots in the Caribbean.
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By Neil Primus
The caller with her back to the players shouted, “One, Two, Three, Red Light! She spun quickly and peered into the dark to see if anyone was moving. There was no movement detected among the players. Yet, there were players and more than those who had started the game. The only difference with the players was some were hiding in the dark and these belonged to the night. The caller made her second call. She cheated and turned early. She wanted to send some of them back. No one moved. For once they were very good at freezing in position. She still
could not make out any faces even though they were creeping closer and closer. She called for the third time. Meanwhile, her friends hiding nearby were puzzled by the fact that she was still calling. Who was she playing with? Did the smaller kids brave the darkness and join the game. They decided to find out. Sure enough, as they approached, they noticed a bigger group of players. These players were strangely dressed and looked odd even in the darkness. They even moved with fascinating speed. “Who is yo all?” she asked. None of the players bothered to turn around. All the heads made a full 180 degrees turn. The faces looking back at them came straight out of a horror movie. Screaming a warning to the caller they bolted for the safety of the light and the protection of the elders. How humiliating they felt when the smaller children began laughing at them. The older folks were not laughing. They looked at each other in that knowing way. Then Uncle Basil chimed in “Bring de large on de table inside.” It was fetched. He poured a drink for each drinker then poured a generous amount on the ground. “Leh we mek a toast to those who have gone home,” he said. Figures of the uninvited players began to fade. Giggles, Laughter, Whispers, Silence!
XVIII ◄◄◄ From page XV
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
done by Father Ignatius Scoles featuring a Gothic Revival style built in a rectangular shade in timber with three floors. Prominent features included the towers with wrought-iron correlations and the hammer beam roof. Similar cast iron designs, particularly in the form of
work detail support while the gate featured a box column ironwork. Hadfield also designed the St Andrew’s Kirk, said to be Georgetown’s oldest building. The architect noted mostly for cast iron-work especially in stairs and balconies was Sharples, who was born in the colony to a British architect/ builder and an ex-slave woman. His design in houses also features steep gable roofs and carved doors. Some of these still standing today include the Walter Roth Museum on Main Street and Sharples’s House on the corners of Anira and Oronoque Streets, Queenstown. Sharples is mostly recognised for carrying out one of the largest contracts of that time to build all of the railway terminals, bridges, stores and other railway projects from Georgetown to Rosignol. Other famous wooden marvels include the St George’s Cathedral, currently under repairs; and the City Hall, intended for massive rehabilitation as part of a planned $200 million restoration Georgetown Magistrates Court project. The architectural design of City Hall was designed by Cesar Castellani
St George’s Cathedral designed by Arthur Bloomfield under repairs at present
arches, had been noted on bridges that connect South Road and Croal Streets, and along the Avenue of the Republic. The St George’s Cathedral is another architectural marvel ranked among the tallest wooden buildings in the world. It was designed by British architect, Arthur Bloomfield, with mainly Gothic arches, clustered columns and flying buttresses. It is the fourth St George’s built by the Anglican Church and was opened in 1893. Currently, the building is under repairs as customary to maintain this massive wooden edifice for future generations. SHIFT TO CONCRETE, STEEL AND GLASS Such constant maintenance of timber structures over the years has been responsible for the gradual change in the façade of most of the city’s architectural wonders. This is also one of the factors that are influencing the shift from timber construction to more affordable and stronger modern materials such as concrete, steel and glass. Marcel Gaskin and Associates Limited is one of the most prominent engineering and architectural design firms operating for 28 years. The firm has designed and supervised construction of some of the largest structural and engineering projects including city businesses like Citizens Bank New Building on Camp and Charlotte Streets, Marian Academy on Carifesta Avenue, Queenstown Masjid and reconstructed Sacred Heart Church on Main Street. This firm also designed Giftland Office Max Shopping Mall, the National Public Health Laboratory and the Diamond Service Station and Fast Food Court. Managing Director Marcel Gaskin explained to this publication that his designs are based on client demands and mainly features the use of concrete, steel and glass, most of which are imported. This is in stark contrast to previous constructions that predominantly utilised local timber and clay bricks. However, Gaskin pointed out that the modern materials are more durable and add to the longevity of the structures which can last three to four years without maintenance. The use of aluminium cladding is rapidly gaining popularity as is available in pre-painted styles and easy to clean with little or no maintenance required over time. Though inspired by modern designs observed during his travels and from the internet, Gaskin pointed out that there is very little room for architectural creativity given the fixed demands of clients. Very little attention is given to style, rather it is which design can be most economical and faster to build. He, too, noted that properties boasting the most charming wooden architecture are highly priced not due to design, but location and business owners waste no time in pulling it down to erect modern structures. Globally, modern architecture is based on the evolution of new building technologies and materials that can create stronger, taller and lighter buildings. Modern features include expansive floor to ceiling glass and limited ornament where decorative mouldings and elaborate trim are eliminated or greatly simplified, giving way to a clean aesthetic where materials meet in simple, well-executed joints.
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Building leadership through the Youth Parliament
THE third edition of Guyana’s Youth Parliament took place this past week with 40 secondary students from across the country who got direct exposure to the law-making process and witnessed firsthand one of the highest arms of Democratic administration upheld by the National Assembly. Staged for the first time in a one-week format from August 6 to 12, 2017, the initiative engaged the youth in a comprehensive interactive, educational and fun-filled schedule aside from the parliamentary debates that characterised previous sessions. It was staged under the theme “Our Generation, Our Voice to Inspire, Encourage, Impact.” On August 10, the youth parliament debated four motions at the end of which the government side of the house emerged winner of the 2017 debate. Guyana’s Education Minister Nicolette Henry led the panel of judges which included Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Hack and Dr Valerie Leung. “You all are winners in your own right and we noted that you displayed intelligence, confidence and communication skills,” Henry told the youth. ‘Public Health Minister’ of the winning team, Tyriq Scott was awarded best debater while ‘Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister’ on the opposition side, Sherlyn Semple was awarded best speaker. During the debate, the government side successfully defended capping of CSEC subjects, combating suicide and the establishment of a local oil refinery. These motions were brought by the opposition side of the House. Parliamentarians unanimously supported the government’s motion for the United Nations Secretary General to move to the International Court of Justice to settle the longstanding Guyana/Venezuela border controversy. Earlier on August 8, the youth parliamentarians elected Nia Williams as ‘Prime Minister’ to lead the government side against the opposition led by Zóé Sills. Tyrese Johnson was elected speaker of the sitting. The 2017 Youth Parliament included a formal opening ceremony, interactive motivational sessions with current Parliamentarians from both sides of the House, research and rehearsals exercises, a movie night, a glamorous dinner reception, a tour of Georgetown and an award ceremony. “We are moulding future leaders here… and we are always evolving by building on past
Sabrina Cyril of Sand Creek secondary preparing her presentation for debate
Participants at youth parliament 2017 (Parliament photo)
experiences to make it a more well-rounded initiative,” coordinator of the Youth Parliament Jocette Bacchus told this publication. She noted the initiative as a tool to motivate and drive team spirit among the youth by involving them in parliamentary democracy, build self-confidence and leadership capability and promote public speaking. Offering practical experience to the youth, the programme educates students on principles of a democratic constitution and helps them understand the mindset, decorum and skill required of those in such fora. Bacchus said it was Speaker of the National Assembly, Barton Scotland’s idea to extend the initiative beyond one day and to make it more exciting for a lasting impression on the minds of all participants. Youth Parliament, popular among Commonwealth nations, was first held in Guyana in 2000 and continued up until 2013. It was resuscitated in 2015 with support from the Education Ministry which ensures requests for participants meet all secondary schools and that the criteria of the programme are met. In previous years, there were representatives from the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) and the Ptolemy Reid Institute. This year, it involved students from nine schools across all Administrative Regions except Region Two and for the first time, there were participants from at least two private schools. The students were also joined by some of their teachers. The Pomeroon/Supenaam representatives reportedly suffered transportation setbacks. There were participants from schools such as Port Kaituma Secondary in Region One, Apex Academy in Region Four, Novar Secondary in
Region Five, Paramakatoi Secondary in Region Eight and the McKenzie High School in Region 10. PARLIAMENTARY EXPOSURE Fifteen-year-old, Koby John of Three-Mile Secondary in Region Seven told Pepperpot that he was overjoyed to have been chosen to be part of this year’s Youth Parliament as he was not a debater like most of the students selected from various institutions. He described the experience as “very informative” where he “met a lot of interesting people and learnt a lot about Guyana’s constitution especially through the research process.” He took on the role of ‘Shadow Education Minister’ to debate limitations on CSEC subjects. Sabrina Cyril of Katoonarib in Region Nine, and a fifth-form student at Sand Creek Secondary in the Rupununi, said she was proud to represent the Indigenous People’s Affairs in her debate on the border issue. The experience, she noted, was important to her as a hinterland student since it improved her knowledge and helped build her skills at debating. She previously contested in the JOF Haynes Debating Competition and is gearing up to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations next year. Ruth Wilson of St Joseph High School in Georgetown has also led her school’s debating team as the first speaker. At Youth Parliament 2017, she debated oil and gas as ‘Shadow Natural Resources Minister’. “The experience has been challenging, but I am always up for a challenge. I met a lot of new people and we got to share ideas and to work as a group…I think it is important for us to experience Parliament this way, being able to voice our opinions and realising that our voice matters. It gives us the freedom to express ourselves and this is one of the main aspects of the rights of the child, and I hope every child can be made aware of this right,” Wilson outlined. Shimram Ram of Berbice High School, Region Six, also hopes to use this parliamentary initiative to up his debating skills while Cassidy Burnett of Zeeburg Secondary in Region Three, said her presentation on suicide allowed her to highlight a critical social issue affecting the country’s young people. Back in 2015, Eden Corbin was a student of the Bishop’s High School’s Sixth Form when he took part in Youth Parliament. Driven by the role and importance of the initiative to national youth development, he was this year’s assistant coordinator and one of six mentors for the youth parliamentarians. “This programme equips you with the type of knowledge that changes your outlook and you begin to see things differently. I came here in 2015 and when I shared the experience with my friends, many of them were eager to come and be part of the process too so it’s catching on like wildfire,” related Corbin, now a student at the University of the West Indies. IMPACT ON YOUTH He explained that the programme exposes youth to the parliamentary arena in a way that
Tyrese Johnson served as speaker of the 2017 youth parliament
teaches them to think analytically and not to accept things the way they are. “It builds capacity and changes your whole mindset,” he highlighted. University of Guyana student Anthony Judah Jordan participated in the 2015 Youth Parliament from the Christianburg Wismar secondary and related to the 2017 participants: “After occupying the seat of ‘Shadow Finance Minister’, my desire to serve Guyana politically was birthed and [created] a passion on the inside that caused me to pursue International Relations at the University of Guyana.” He added, “Youth Parliament 2015 was a major catalyst of change in my life, it impacted my ideological perspective of my country and helped me realise that I possess the potential of being a great asset to my beautiful country, Guyana.” For Shawn Shewram, who previously attended St Roses High, the experience at Youth Parliament 2016 was “electrifying.” “From the many enlightening presentations given by persons holding high positions, to the bonding sessions among students while preparing speeches; and even to the farewell evening function, it was all laced with something distinctly refreshing from other similar events I have participated in,” Shewram indicated. Public Relations Officer (ag) at Parliament, Yannick December explained that the activities of Youth Parliament 2017 included a special ethic and parliamentary decorum training administered by Minister of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes. The youth also got the opportunity to participate in the Guyana leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay when it passed through Georgetown earlier in the week. He said it was intended that the participants would return to their schools and share with other students and youth from their areas, the experience and knowledge gained. He highlighted that past youth parliamentarians have been instrumental in helping to organise meetings during the Speaker’s Community Outreach Programme. The award ceremony was another feature added to the 2017 edition with prizes including a plaque, laptop and inscription of the awardee’s name to be mounted at the Parliament Building.
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‘Queen of Pan’
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
Jovanka Williams ‘pans’ her way to the top
By Abigail Brower
YOU may have never heard about Jovanka Williams before, as the young, talented musician who has been steadily making her mark as a force to be reckoned with on the steel pan over the past several years. Now, as Jovanka prepares to represent Guyana as part of the delegation that will be attending CARIFESTA XIII, the young ‘pannist’ is excited that her talents will be showcased while allowing her to tell part of Guyana’s story through her artistic talent. A bubbly personality, Jovanka during an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine, talked about her early encounters with music while growing up in Queenstown, Georgetown. “As an only child, I usually get a lot of attention from my parents,”
National Steel Orchestra performing in Haiti 2016
Grand Market Day – Haiti
National Steel Orchestra performed in Haiti
Jovanka said. “I’m their pride and joy. We travel, pray and eat together as a family and most importantly they always give me moral support in both my academic and career life.” She recalled that education in their home was a number one priority. “Any task that was given had to be completed in a timely manner,” she said. The 26-year-old, who was exposed to music at an early age, noted that her career began at the tender age of six, at the St. Gabriel’s Primary School which she attended; “Jovi” was always the curious girl. “Just seeing and listening to the other children and being around them Williams recalls “I don’t know what exactly took place at that time but something struck me to be a part of it.” Her mother Irene Williams encouraged her to take steel pan as a career after performing at a Church concert, and the turning point she added, was the overwhelming response that came from the crowd “It was really welcoming and they had really loved what I was doing.” The steel pan veteran did not come from a musically inclined family; “It was like a seed planted in me,” she said. She was granted the opportunity to be close to music not only through her primary school but with the help of her mother’s cousin, Sydney Marshall, who is also a musician, and who is the only known family member that is affiliated with music. What drives Williams is her faith and dedication to delivering music that will make her audience happy. “Even though you don’t know the people in the audience personally, the audience is like your friends and family, they are always dancing or rocking and even singing which motivates my team and me to keep on playing,” she said. Over ten years of working experience in the music industry as a performance artist, Williams is keenly focused on the artsboth as a pan player and a music teacher, her employment has been on the periphery of music, allowing her to take care of Turn to page XXXII ►►►
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Blossoms of Guyana Spreading joy, one school at a time IN 2009, Guyanese born Sharon Bollers, her sister and a few close friends got the idea to form an organisation that would positively contribute to Guyana. Sharon had moved away from her homeland for more than two decades, and felt that having been gifted with many opportunities while abroad, it was time to give back. And so, Blossoms of Guyana was born. The non-profit organisation started out by working with local organisations such as the Guyana Red Cross and the Drop in Centre on Hadfield Street ( before it was destroyed by fire) but later started to work with schools directly by providing them with books, teaching supplies, computers, equipment and other items. “It was something I always wanted to do,” Sharon told the Pepperpot Magazine. “I grew up seeing my mother being involved in local organisations here. I saw her do a lot of volunteer work and
community service, so it was something that was laid in me and when the opportunity came up, I just knew it was a chance to give back and do something I always had a passion for.” Now, the efforts of the organisation see Sharon returning to her homeland quite often to work with schools. Most recently, in April, Sharon and a group of colleagues came home and completed several projects including donating books to the Timehri Primary School Library; donating books, school and teaching supplies to the Golden Grove Secondary; as
Sharon poses with students and teachers at the Timheri Primary School during her last visit to Guyana
Sharon(left) with Blossoms of Guyana fellow member Damian Bascom and the Head teacher of St. Agnes Primary school
well as donating books and conducting renovations at Houston Secondary. Sharon said that her goal is to return to Guyana at least once a year to conduct similar activities. For Sharon, community service plays a big part of her life and gives her a deeper appreciation for the work that she does. “The more I work with the organisation, I feel like it has given me a chance to really learn about Guyana because you have to understand what are the needs; what’s going on; how the education system works; how it relates to government,” she said. “It makes me pay closer attention to what’s happening in the country beyond just visiting. It’s not just wanting to see the country improve and develop but in my own small way I am helping to be part of that process.” Sharon attests that community service is the crux of her life, and has therefore also weaved its way into her professional endeavours. She recently began working with a nonprofit organisation which focuses on creating community and economic development in underserved areas. And while work and her other activities can sometimes become overwhelming, she said that she balances these things well. “It’s really just about being aware that work/life balance is important to me so I have looked for companies that align with my values and they promote work/
life values within the organisation,” she said. “Someone once told me you don’t it 100 percent all of the time. You just have to go back and forth and ensure that you don’t become overwhelmed, so my advice [to others] would be to first look at the organisation that you’re applying to- how much time you have to dedicate. And if work/life balance is important, try to pick a company that supports it.” She added that it is also important that persons pay attention to when they are becoming tired, stating that they should always have an outlet to help reduce the stress. For her, of course, it’s community service. It is activities like these that help Sharon to remain connected to her country, but she added that having the majority of her family back here, too, adds to that feeling. “It gives you a sense of pride to have some place where you are from and have a culture you’re connected to and a history and especially coming here to the US, it’s not my direct lineage or history so it’s good to have that history and culture and know it … I even see my little nieces and nephews, they love all things Guyana even though they were born here,” she said. This connection is especially cherished by Sharon given the tendency of many immigrants to often times become distant from their home, but that is not something she intends to do.
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Equitable and quality education for all Guyanese EDUCATION is the foundation on which the current administration is building what it envisions as an economically strong, technologically advanced nation with strong social services that allows all of its citizens to benefit from its vast resources and enjoy that good life. This is reflected not only in its budgetary allocation this year of $43.1 B to the sector, but its commitment to ensuring that the problems faced by the sector are tackled at the core, beginning from early childhood through to university. President David Granger has called on every Guyanese to adapt the DELIVERY OF every child in school policy as our mantra and do what we can to QUALITY EDUCATION ensure every child gets to school and stays in school President David Granger since taking office in 2015 bountiful, beautiful nation. We want a system that would has emphasised the every child in school policy. Even as extend access to the information super highway to support Government works to create the environment, where regard- the education of our entire nation. The Constitution of the less of the economic situation, Guyanese children can attend Cooperative Republic of Guyana, our supreme law, prescribes school, the President has also called on every Guyanese in in Article 27 it is the duty of the state to provide education communities, neighbourhoods and villages across the country that is designed to reflect the cultural diversity of Guyana to adopt this policy as our mantra and to do whatever we can and disciplines that are necessary to prepare students to deal to ensure every child gets to school and stays in school. with social issues and to meet the challenges of a modern Education, the Head of State believes, will unlock the technological age.” potential of young people to be not just employable but job The Government of Guyana has and continues to implecreators themselves, who can innovatively use the country’s ment various programmes at all levels to ensure that education resources to build their own wealth. Speaking at the Ministry services are accessible to all and those in difficult economic of Education’s Awards Ceremony on October 29, 2015, the situations are not left behind. The Mid-Year report recently President said, “We want in our entire Education system released by the Ministry of Finance shows that Government a function that would produce citizens of quality, citizens continues to increase the catchment of the school feeding that would be happy to remain here in Guyana to build our programme. The hot meal initiative currently reaches 22,475
students across 165 schools in the hinterland and, by the end of 2017, it is expected that an additional 2,616 students from 47 hinterland schools (nursery and primary) will benefit. The breakfast initiative under this Programme is on-going in 36 schools on the coastland, and expansion will continue in the second half of the year as well. All these are in addition to the President’s Five Bs Initiative, which is aimed at providing boats, buses, bicycles, breakfast and books to school children, giving way to easier access to school and other basic school needs for many students across the country. The Five Bs Initiative quickly became a widespread success, gaining momentum and donations from the business community and allowing the administration to take the programme all across the country. President Granger has said that the initiative will pay dividends for the development of the regions in which they operate: to improve education, to improve access to jobs and to assist the youth in participating in enterprise. To support the every child in school policy, Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry said that the Ministry is ramping up programmes that ensure school attendance. “In addition we have home visits, which are conducted with the intent of keeping children in school. Parents are made aware of the importance of sending children to school regularly and punctually. Parents are also made aware of the consequences of not sending their children to school and the consequences and penalties in keeping with the Education Act, Chapter 39:01. Special coaching and counselling sessions are also implemented and in special cases particular attention is paid to students and parents,” she said. The development of a quality education system is the result of many factors and following consultations across the country, it was recognised that facilities with adequate space, clean water and proper sanitation facilities, support services which include school feeding, and other forms of economic assistance, screening programmes and welfare services are necessities. These and others prompted to Government, through the Education Ministry to implement programmes to ensure that Guyanese students are able to be in schools. PROGRAMME FOR EMERGENCY EDUCATION REFORM (PEER) A critical area for intervention in the education sector has been the poor performance in Mathematics, which prompted the Government to develop a seven-point proposal, known as the Programme for Emergency
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017 Education Reform (PEER), to address this deficiency. And while findings have shown that from 2016 to 2017, the pass rate of students sitting for Mathematics at the NGSA has risen from 13 percent to 45 percent, the reality still remains that more than half of all students lack the basic foundation needed to excel in that subject area at the secondary level. During the first half of this year for PEER, $66 million has been spent on training; $62 million on learning materials; and $40 million on the hiring of coordinators and monitors. For training, 548 Grade Six teachers, 452 head teachers, and 51 coordinators and monitors were trained in the area of content and methodology, during the first half of the year. According to the Finance Ministry’s MidYear report, preliminary analysis of the results from the 2017 NGSA has indicated that efforts, at all levels, including Government, community, and family, have begun to make a positive President Granger takes a moment to look impact. While PEER is a targeted intervention, through one of the students’ exercise book Government began the process of system- during a tour of President’s College ic overhaul with the rolling out of the Guyana We must abort the dangers of children being separated along Education Sector Improvement Project (GESIP). The initial lines of gender, along lines of social class or along lines of package, as part of the education reform process, will include geographical location,” the Head of State said. integrated curriculum reform of Mathematics at the primary The Ministry’s vision is for there to be improvelevel. This process is expected to be repeated for Mathemat- ment across the board, with students from Barima-Waini ics at the secondary level and English at the primary level, (Region One), Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven, Potaro-Sidrawing on lessons from the initial phase. At the tertiary paruni (Region Eight) and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo level, focus will be on strengthening teaching capacity. (Region Nine) showing improvement in all the subject areas. The Ministry also undertook a massive Public Relations Minister Henry said that the Government has been working campaign seeking the involvement of all stakeholders, tirelessly to improve the educational landscape nationwide including teachers and parents as Chief Education Officer adding that one of the first challenges that it faced and sought Acting, Mr. Marcel Hutson explained, “the literature is clear, to address was that of the glaring inequality in the education where there is parental involvement, where there is maximum sector. She explained that the problems facing the hinterland support from the communities, education tends to be in a and other rural communities have to be looked at from a broad better position in terms of delivery and so we had what you perspective where the community, parents, teachers, students call text blasts… We had street clinics; persons went into and the Ministry are involved. the streets [and] in certain areas we had Mathematics clinics The Hinterland Education Improvement Programme and so forth. We had stickers placed on cars. We had radio (HEIP) is geared at providing the same quality of education advertisements.” in the Hinterland as that on the Coastland and according to the Another critical component of this programme includes Education Minister, “we believe that with the implementation the acquisition of resources such as books, charts and games of this programme we will see improvement. So component to make Mathematics fun and easier to learn and to change one speaks to improving the quality of teachers education the traditional perception that it is a burden or a subject to be in the Hinterland, which will see us providing continuous feared. Mr. Hutson described the response to these methods professional development proas amazing and credited the turning around to this new and grammes geared at addressing improved system, which will be constantly reviewed and teachers’ weakness and tailored updated to meet the changing needs of Guyanese students to incorporate teaching in multiacross the ten administrative regions. grade settings.” In addition, $125 million was allocated as consultation Speaking on one of the likefees to the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) for per- ly problems faced by hinterland formance improvement at the primary level. A contract to students; the suitability of curprovide technical assistance in the preparation of assessment ricula, Minister Henry said that papers for Grades two, four and six and the provision of the Curricula has to be aligned professional consultancy services for capacity building for with National Examination officials of the Ministry of Education. Minister Henry noted needs and community needs. In that “teachers, subject specialists, test development officers addition, physical infrastructure developed the test items with the technical guidance from the for accessibility and comfort of Caribbean Examinations Council. The team sought to address students and teachers has to be key areas such as item construction, weighing of the items, addressed. “Component three sampling and other psychometric elements. Candidates were is more or less improving phystested in four subject areas; Mathematics, English, Science ical facilities and so that will and Social-Studies.” see us improve facilities such as dorms, classroom space and BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN HINTERLAND AND construction and rehabilitation COASTLAND of teachers’ accommodation in National data shows that there is a stark disparity between the Hinterland,” The Minister academic performance on the Coastland and the hinterland said. with the latter producing below the national average. An Ultimately, Minister Henanalysis of data relative to the NGSA results for 2016 ry has accepted that these disshowed that the hinterland regions performed poorly at the parities have contributed sigexaminations, and this, along with other factors prompted nificantly to the state of the the Administration to call for an emergency intervention in country’s education sector, but the area of Mathematics. The study conducted, will serve with ministerial intervention, as a baseline and once proven effective would be expanded teachers and monitors were reacross the country with the hope of bridging the existing gap cruited with the aim of reducing The administration is committed to reducing this dispari- the challenges facing the stuty. This falls in line with the Head of State’s policy position dents and teachers in the hinterof ensuring infrastructural links between the hinterland and land. These challenges included the coastland, equitable access to services of the state across fewer classroom hours than the country and equal opportunities for all Guyanese. those in the coastal regions, due “As President of all Guyana I would like to see that in ev- to the lack of trained teachers, ery single region of this country we have a secondary school limited teacher accommodation that can be described as top, not only top five but top ten… and insufficient teaching aids. I am afraid that if we do not correct these faults between Given the findings, of a Coastland and Hinterland, between Georgetown and rural comprehensive programme inareas, we will develop a form of educational ‘apartness’… volving ministerial intervention,
XXIII launched in the Hinterland, the Ministry of Education recognised that the situation in the Potaro-Siparuni Region, (Region Eight) was very poor. While the placement of trained teachers in those areas will address some of the problems, Minister Henry said it will not eradicate them entirely. “It is really to strengthen management and supervision in the hinterland and that of course has to do with the support and training of education officers, which also touches to a great extent on communication, which would require improvements in facilities and equipment and transportation also is important if you are speaking about supervision and supervision would impact greatly on the issues of monitoring and evaluation… [that] component is perhaps the single most important if you are talking about programme results and achieving deliverables,” the Minister said. Speaking during the release of the 2017 NGSA results, Mr. Hutson said that it was recognised during the implementation of the emergency Mathematics Intervention that some of the schools in the hinterland operated under peculiar circumstances, prompting the Ministry to conduct a diagnostic assessment with specialised treatment for schools there. The Ministry also undertook a massive Public Relations campaign seeking the involvement of all stakeholders including teachers and parents. “We trained over 1,000 teachers in the area of content and methodology. Secondly, we facilitated fortnightly cluster meetings with private schools and public schools…and thirdly there was a recruitment of Mathematics Coordinators and Administrators for all schools. We had special persons identified and paid substantially to monitor our schools to ensure that what we taught our teachers, those things were actually implemented in the classrooms,” Mr. Hutson pointed out. In addition, some hinterland communities, particularly in Indigenous communities, speak traditional languages, resulting in language barriers which hinder either the students or teachers from the coastal regions from understanding. Minister Henry said the Ministry’s Department of Culture is in the process of addressing this with plans to implement a language programme, where teachers and other educators would be trained in the Indigenous languages to allow for better communication.
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Changing lives through education, sport and culture The Buxton Youth Developers’ Summer Activities By Gibron Rahim Youth are the foundation of every society with a hope for a brighter future. They are the caretakers of the legacy of those who came before them. For this reason, investment of time and resources into their growth and development is essential. This becomes particularly crucial during vacation periods when youths are away from school for extended periods of time. The ongoing ‘summer’ vacation presents one of these occasions. The Buxton Youth Developers (BYD) provides educational, sport and cultural activities for the young people involved in their programmes, not only during this vacation but Some of the programme’s youths at play this past week throughout the year. The BYD has come a long The very young are catered for at the way from their beginnings ten years ago. As Vigilance Community Centre ground with was reported in last week’s Pepperpot, the swing sets, amongst other playground equipgroup has grown from an initial membership ment. There is also space and equipment of 30 children to one with over 200 aged beavailable for volleyball, football, rugby and tween 5-16. At the centre of the programme’s lawn tennis. Table tennis tables are available activities are the literacy centre building and the Vigilance Community Centre ground. Le- indoors at the centre itself. Sports commence nox Shuffler, patron and strategic planner at 14:00hrs during this vacation period and of the BYD, revealed that the ground was continue throughout the afternoon. Founder initially not suitable for use. “The ground and general administrator, Robin Phillips, was water,” he told the Pepperpot Magazine. was sure to indicate that sports are an every“The slightest rain was water.” However, day part of the programme throughout the approximately four years ago, efforts were year. Shuffler indicated that Phillips himself undertaken to fill the ground with sand with spends afternoons at the ground where he disthe ultimate goal being a beach games facil- tributes equipment and counsels and mentors ity. Beach games are cost effective and are the children. The results of the sports training the becoming popular among athletes. Playing on youths receive are evident in the successes sand builds strength and speed and is thus a they have had both locally and internationpopular method for training. And rainy weathally. Five members of their female football er no longer hampers the use of the ground. team were selected to train for the national team. Two female members were selected to BYD AND SPORT The ground is open to all, not just mem- represent Guyana at wind ball and athletics in bers of BYD. The community and schools 2008. Members of the BYD have represented have been encouraged to utilise the ground. Guyana at regional and international table “We are developing it for everybody,” Shuf- tennis tournaments. At a youth event hosted fler explained. “This is development for all.” last year by the Guyana Lawn Tennis AssociTheir role is to ensure that everything runs ation (GLTA), Kemo Prince of the BYD was among the top four. BYD Member Aneka smoothly while the ground is being used. Phillips has represented Guyana at the North A tutoring session in progress
cautioned though that it is important to remember that community development is not an overnight process. “There’s no shortcut,” he said. What he has noticed are positive changes in the behaviour of the youths. Over time, they learn to be disciplined. And perhaps more fascinating is the fact that those who have been in the programme longer try to teach new members positive behaviours. The programme’s design, according to Shuttler, is one of creative thinking with collective effort and commitment. Among the strategies used is
The BYD’s young lawn tennis players (All photos courtesy of Robin Phillips/BYD)
American Teams Table Tennis Tournament in the United States and at the Inter-Guiana Games. Phillips noted that being part of the BYD is a great experience. The programme has helped her to become more involved in sports and provided positive social interactions. She has learnt values and self-respect and has gained the understanding of winning and losing with grace. BYD AND EDUCATION Education also features prominently within the BYD’s goals. This focus has not changed, even with school vacations ongoing. One of their primary focuses during this period is the students who will be writing the Grade Six Examination next year. Shuffler indicated that there are 13 youths who are preparing to sit the exams. They are being tutored in the four subject areas of Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies with the goal that they are able to perform to the best of their abilities when the time comes. One of the past success stories of the BYD in this area is Alpino Peters. Shuffler related that Peters passed through the programme, wrote the examination and secured a place at Brickdam Secondary. He went on to write ten subjects at CSEC where he obtained three Grade Ones, six Grade Twos and one Grade Three. The programme’s successes must definitely not be taken for granted. Shuffler
that of ‘read and play’ where learning and sports are connected. He repeatedly emphasized how much credit for the programme’s success goes to Phillips for his tireless efforts from the founding to the present. He also mentioned that the ‘train system’ is part of the programme’s strategic plan. Using this system, “we can all get onboard,” he said. Just like a train, he explained, the passengers may have different views but they are all heading in the same direction. “What I’m suggesting is that we do not take away the motivation of anybody.” Collaboration then is a part of the BYD’s approach. The Buxton Youth Developers is having a positive impact on the lives of their young members. Their successes are a clear indication of this. Nevertheless, funding is crucial to the work of the BYD. Shuttler explained that development requires time, effort, resources, passion and patience. “Without finances, all these things will start to wane,” he observed. Later, he related his experience of encountering one of the programme’s former members at the Marriott. The young man, nicknamed ‘President’ due to his childhood aspirations, was an employee there. This is undoubtedly one of many positive outcomes. It is undeniable that the Buxton Youth Developers is changing lives for the better.
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A niche for youths Guyana’s National Under 17 Football Coach and Youth Leader, Sampson Gilbert, AKA “Benayah” founded the Cavel Foundation Youth OrganiSation (CFYO) in 2015. CFYO was named after Benayah’s son, Cavel Gilbert, who was struck and killed by a vehicle in June of 2013, on Mandela Avenue and Pineapple Street. He was only 22 years old. Perhaps, that is why the Founda-
tion aims to help with the development of youths, through recreational and mentorship programmes conducted by Benayah himself during the August holidays. These activities occur at the CFYO youth camp located on Mandela Avenue and facilitate some 40 children Monday to Friday from 10:00hrs to 15:00hrs. T h e C Y F O y o u t h c a m p i s s a i d
Coach Benayah and Members of His Youth Camp
to be one of the most vital initiatives that have come out of the East Ruimveldt community in the past decade. Many residents believe it plays a fundamental role in the coordination and advancement of young people; it is a simple solution
to many of the community’s problems. Whether it’s the decrease in the percentage of school dropouts, criminal activities, domestic abuse or merely being a support Turn to page XXX ►►►
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for children with a background of neglect, the CYFO offers aid directly and indirectly. The camp offers a safe place where children from ages seven to 14 could spend a few hours daily, learning various self-development skills through football or a one-on-one conversation with Benayah. Benayah has dedicated a great fraction of his life towards the development of his community and was deemed an influential figure by residents of East Ruimveldt. He is an honourable member of the Guyana football scene and has obtained an outstanding track record for his impeccable contribution toward this front. His contributions on and off the field are respected and glorified by many past and present football players, both from the national teams and the football clubs here in Guyana.
THE DRIVE BEHIND THE INITIATIVE When asked about the reasons why he has dedicated his time towards this scheme through personal funding and ongoing presence, Benayah said: “As a child, I grew up only wondering about these kinds of things, so providing this opportunity to these kids, was like providing it to my younger self.” He added that his dream is not only to coach and to develop football players, but more so to help with the development of individuals, who can contribute to society positively: the honing of self-esteem, dignity, character, and the reassurance that the ghetto does not define who you are and who you become. Meanwhile, Shaquon Favorite, a young man of 12 years, apart of the Guyana National Under 13 football team and a member of the CYFO youth camp expressed
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just how important attending camp was to him. “I like coming here every day because ‘coach man’ teaches us how to discipline and how to respect others,” Shaquon said. He added that his parents were happy that he was a part of something uplifting; he could improve his football skills, stay out of trouble, build character, and keep busy during his summer break. The Cavel Foundation Youth Organisation will continue its summer camp until Friday, August 25, 2017, and will restart in July 2018. Benayah added that he would continue to be dedicated and urges young people who do not have anything to do during the day, to visit the camp. If anyone is seeking information about being apart of this positive programme they can contact Benayah through his email BenayahLevi@yahoo.com or his contact number +(592) 682-6416.
Coach Benayah Talking With Members Of His Youth Camp
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herself through earning a living. Success was initially thrilling for Williams as she landed a job as a music instructor at the Republic Bank Annual Summer Camp for young people between the ages of 14-25 years. She taught for a few months at School of the Nations, spent three years at the Bishops High, where she used the opportunity to pass on her legacy to one of her students who is now the steel pan instructor there. Jovanka is currently teaching at the North Georgetown Primary School as the music teacher. “I love teaching people, especially children how to
play steel pan in school; it is really an enriching experience for me. Steelpan is such a fascinating instrument, despite the common myth about the steelpan profession who believe that ‘steelpan is a poor man thing’,” she said. In bands I’ve played for such as the Parkside Steel Orchestra, I’ve had colleagues who were law students, doctors, pilots and even engineers. But as a teacher, I never knew who I would have been getting in my class. When I took the offer to teach at the summer camp, I’ve dealt with children with different personalities and attitudes, but that never stops me. Working with children especially young girls,
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
who usually you don’t find getting involved in playing steel pan according to Williams is what she like challenging herself with. “I love to make people feel included and feel they are a part of something. The scholar and veteran pannist in spite of her age has participated in several competitions before, both locally and regionally, including the Panorama International Competition in Barbados. She participated in several categories and copped the second position in the duet category. That year Guyana placed second overall. She also formed part of Guyana’s delegation in Haiti at CARIFESTA XII As Williams shared her reflection and experiences and views on pan, she proudly placed emphasis on saying that she’s the best female steel pan player in Guyana and this is something she is definitely proud of. Her influences include famous Len “Boogsie”
Sharpe, the famous steel pan player from Trinidad and Tobago, as well as our very own musicians Andrew Tyndall and Colgrain Whyte. Commenting on the need to encourage young people to get involved in steel pan music, she noted that progress doesn’t come so easily and quickly and that there were times when she thought about giving up on her music career. “But what kept me going day in day out, was that changes are inevitable. As musicians, we are looking for handouts, but we do expect our hard work to pay off and our responsibility to be rewarded. Music is like therapy and it helps me to focus, the thing with steel pan is that if you have a flair for it, you will be outstanding, but even if you don’t with determination and practice you can strive for perfection,” she said.
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
Homemade Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients: 2 to 3 tbsp Cocoa powder 1 1/2 lbs Sugar 1 oz Margarine 1 tin Condensed milk diluted with the same amount of water 1 tsp Vanilla essense Method for preparing: ► First sift the cocoa powder and it to the sugar. ► Melt the margarine in a non-enamel pot. ► Now add the sugar and cocoa mixture, and milk in the pot. ► Place on moderate heat. ► Then constantly stir until sugar is melted. Important! Do not allow the mixture to boil before the sugar melts. ► Allow to boil for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. ► Test the mixture by dropping a little into cold water, at this stage it should form a soft ball. ► Now add essence, and remove from heat and beat well until the mixture thickens and begins to leave the side of the pan. ► Pour into a greased Swiss roll tin. ► Lastly, when cool, but not hard, cut into squares. This easy chocolate fudge recipe serves about 15.
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Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
Chronicle Pepperpot August 13, 2017
Aries Changes could be in the cards early this week, and they could affect the social groups or people you hang out with. Certain friends may leave your circle, but others will join over time. You could also benefit from some downtime and pampering if you need to recharge your batteries, so think good food, more rest, and a chance to unwind. As Mercury enters its retrograde phase, it might also be a good idea to back up important documents and files. Taurus Tensions could emerge that are related to your work/life balance and your relationship between your family and worldly responsibilities. This can be an opportunity to clear the air and explain to others more about your intentions. Even so, you might need to make a radical decision concerning your job or a personal ambition. It’s also possible that events could alter your plans anyway, and new opportunities may become available as a result. Time spent in good company can help you feel more upbeat. Gemini This week, feelings could reach a peak and be a cause of intense discussion. If you and another can’t see eye to eye, matters could intensify, with the possibility of a falling out. But if you can approach this more sensitively and be willing to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, a more positive solution may be found. Communicative Mercury, your guide planet, turns retrograde at the end of the week, which could be a cause of misunderstandings if you aren’t careful. Cancer A financial matter may need attention, particularly if it’s something you’ve so far avoided. With a lunar eclipse across your money axis, you might need to make a swift decision or take action to settle a key matter. However, this can also be a turning point for you and perhaps an opportunity to reorganize your affairs. On another note, it might be wise to check the details, particularly when signing anything important, as interactive Mercury turns retrograde on Saturday. Leo With a lunar eclipse early in the week, relationships could go through a period of instability. Feelings that have been held back may come out into the open, and this could encourage you or another to make a key decision. If you can wait a few days until things calm down, you’ll find it easier to make the best choice for you and others. And while you’ll do better if you can be firm with others, a compassionate aspect could see you being very flexible. Virgo Something may need to change, and with a powerful lunar phase showing up today, it could be your routines, habits, and daily schedule that need to alter. With a strong focus on a more secluded and spiritual sector of your chart, the current setup could encourage you to step back and see things in perspective. An event may have disrupted your routine, and now you need to make alternative arrangements. Whatever the situation, take your time before making a key decision. Libra Your approach to leisure activities and your social life could change this week, and the change may have been brewing for some time. You may be looking to move in new circles, make new friends, or involve yourself in activities that can harness your creative potential. To do this, you might need to move away from situations that no longer serve you. Don’t feel guilty. The cosmos is encouraging you to say goodbye to one chapter of your life and hello to another. Scorpio It may be decision time this week, and this could involve tension with family members concerning career plans or a key ambition. This matter may have been bubbling away beneath the surface for some time, but now it could come out into the open. This can be a good time to clear the air, even if doing so involves some complex conversations. With interactive Mercury spinning backward from the end of the week, it would be just as well to approach this carefully and sensitively. Sagittarius If a certain matter has brought up objections in the past, these could intensify over the coming week. You could be locked into an argument that causes a rift with another if you aren’t careful. But this event could also encourage you to take a closer look at your opinion. It’s an opportunity to put yourself in another person’s shoes and see things from their perspective. Doing so could make quite a difference to the outcome of future conversations. Capricorn At the start of the week, you may sense that something needs to change, and you may have felt this way for some time already. Over the coming days, this urge could grow stronger and possibly encourage you to take action. Doing so could be a relief and a release, even if it’s a little bit uncomfortable to let go of a very familiar situation. However, if it no longer serves you, you are certainly doing the right thing. Aquarius If one relationship has been under pressure for some time, this is when things could come to a head. A lunar eclipse in your sector of relating means that feelings could erupt and lead you to make an impulsive decision. If you can refrain until your emotions are more settled and you can see the lie of the land, you may be able to make a more informed choice. Quicksilver Mercury turns retrograde at the end of the week, so you’ll need to tread carefully. Pisces Health and well-being may be very much on your mind, as a potent lunar phase could encourage a fresh start. A wellness issue or the sense that something needs to change regarding your overall health could act as a catalyst. Other people may have advice for you, but it would be better to seek the services of a personal trainer or health professional that you trust. You’ll want to feel as positive and energized as possible going forward.
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English THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
reat things are done when men and mountains meet, This is not done by jostling in the street. WILLIAM BLAKE (1757-1827) MS. Notebooks, 1800-03, p. 43 STUDY SUCCESS Dear Student, Formulating paragraphs in dialogue becomes an art over time. Choosing a character’s exact words and his manner of speaking often heightens a story’s reality to the reader. Make dialogue capture the way people actually speak: sometimes they finish sentences, sometimes not; sometimes speak fluently, sometimes not. They start and stop, and pause; sometimes people interrupt other people’s speech. Most speak according to age, education, experience, character, and background. Following dialogue punctuation and paragraphing rules
also enhance your story action. Be wise. Love you. THE PASSAGE Number One Finally the night was quiet except for Nita’s high-pitched sobbing. “You’ve killed my father!” Sarah crept from the hall to the living-room window to see if her husband was all right. There was the sound of crickets, then a hushed, “Open the door.” Lee rushed in from his sanctuary behind the car. Sarah threw her arms around him.
“You’ve got to stop now. It’s time to let somebody else do something.” Lee held her by the shoulders and said, “That attitude is what’s wrong with West Perrine.” No arrests were made. Shortly afterward Lee told Sarah about a vision. “Can you imagine,” he said, “all the churches in the neighbourhood marching together? Can you see the churches giving up a morning to march up Homestead Avenue to let the drug pushers know we won’t take it anymore?” Sarah stood transfixed. “Would they do that?” “They’ve got to,” Lee answered. “We’re going to lose this neighbourhood unless we can get these churches together.” One March evening last year, as Lee went about his usual closing routine, a young man sat on a bicycle outside the store, his pet bulldog at his side. Lee came out to pick up trash in the parking lot. At that moment, a man wearing camouflage clothing stepped around the corner. He pulled out a semi-automatic weapon and began firing. The dog took the first hit. Then the young man on the bicycle fell, critically wounded in the spray of bullets. Lee turned to face the gunman, and a bullet knocked him down. Another man emerged from the store and began shooting Lee as he lay motionless on the pavement. When it was over, the man everyone called “Mr Lee” lay in the litter-strewn parking lot. He was dead, 12 days from his 52nd birthday. Number Two The eviction crew works thoroughly, relentlessly. A coffee table sails out of the house, lands in the yard and breaks a led. “Stop it,” the owner screams. “I will call the police . . . this is criminal. You must pay for this.” He struggles with the hired hands, three convict-type bullies. “You have broken my table, you . . . you . . .” “We will fix that,” the landlord says from a distance. “Soon as you pay.” “You have no right to raise the rent,” the tenant complains. “No right at all.” Dressed only in a vest and pair of ragged trousers the bank clerk looks pathetically comical. They must have caught him in bed. “You know how much tax I have to pay today?” the landlord argues. “And the price of water . . . and the price of electricity . . . and the cost of fuel to come here and collect? Then you talk of right, huh. The price of food?” “I also eat,” the bank clerk complains. “That is your problem,” the landlord shrugs. “Everyone else is paying the new rent,” his hands sweep round to indicate the stupefied onlookers and the double-locked
doors. FORMATING DIALOGUE IN A STORY There are rules that govern what is to be done when characters speak, and the story moves on 1. The characters’ exact language should be in quotes, and the reader should know who is speaking. Especially when there is a dialogue scene with a lot of information being passed on. 2. Each speaker gets his or her own paragraph; a return and indent. This mimics real conversation, indicating pauses and so forth. Example: “You have broken my table, you . . . you . . .” “We will fix that,” the landlord says from a distance. “Soon as you pay.” 3. Always use a comma at the end even if the line of dialogue sounds like a sentence, and punctuation always inside quotation marks. Example: “She sorts out her garbage,” observed Desiree. 4. Punctuation must always be inside quotation marks: Gregory said, “I wish I had accepted her wedding invitation.” “What’s wrong with you?” he asked. 5. Use “said,” “he said,” she said,” and variations, but not too much. Do not make variations too repetitious. Use these ascriptions/ credits/ tags at the start of quotes, in the middle, or at the end. Do not overuse tags. They get in the way of the reader’s understanding about who is speaking. Observe that a comma is used after an ascription (She said,) when introducing a quote. 6. If the character is not tied to the quote, then the quote is a sentence and the action is a new sentence. Example: Desiree finished her sorting. “There it is.” 7. If you show who is talking in the middle of a quote, then the whole statement is one sentence. Example: “Can you imagine,” he said, “all the churches in the neighbourhood marching together . . .?” Something to Do 1. Read the two extracts above containing dialogue. Together with your study partners describe each form and purpose of writing. 2. Give specific responses to the following: a) What would the second scene have been like had the writer not resorted to dialogue? b) What have you seen the dialogue do for the description of the action? 3. Seek and find different passages with examples of dialogue punctuation spoken about in the rules given above. Copy some for reference. 4. a) Write a scene where the choice of dialogue enhanced the description of action. b) Find past work where dialogue improved action, and reader interest.
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Bollywood news
A VISIT TO THIS TOILET IS A MUST ers yet another topnotch performance. Half a star in the rating is rightfully his. Bhumi is perfect in her rendition of the feisty Jaya and Divyendu is a terrific comic. The presence of veterans, Pandey and Kher, is unmissable. The screenplay is peppered with loads of LOL moments balanced correctly with emotional outbursts. As bonus, you get a hummable soundtrack with Hans Mat Pagli, Bakheda and Gori Tu Lath Maar. So whether you have pressing matters to attend to or not, please take a detour to this toilet. Each of us needs to raise a stink about what our countrymen do in the open.
STORY: Go-getter Keshav (Akshay) serenades liberal-thinker Jaya (Bhumi), a woman from his neighbouring village in Uttar Pradesh. They marry but it doesn’t strike Keshav to tell her that his house doesn’t have a toilet. This then becomes the grounds for Jaya to file for a divorce. REVIEW: For most of us who take the toilets in our homes for granted, the burning issue of 58% Indians practising open defecation could be a flush-worthy concept. But, director Shree Narayan Singh holds up a mirror to society, showing us how our superstitious villagers, lazy administration and corrupt politicians have actually converted India into the world’s largest shit-pond. Women especially, are treated more insensitively than cattle! This film is a satirical take on the age-old ‘tradition’ of seeking fields to relieve ourselves. Mercifully it steers clear of being a documentary on sanitisation. Instead
TEPK is a robust love-story striking a balance between entertaining and educating. Writer-duo Siddharth-Garima take us through this eye-opening journey of how we need to build toilets for our women (if not a Taj Mahal) through dramatic conflicts between the lead couple — Keshav and Jaya, followed by those between Panditji (Sudhir Pandey) and his older son. The easygoing equation between two brothers, Naru (Divyendu) and Keshav is also delightful. Not to forget the protagonist’s war against his entire village for a latrine. Every characteristic of rustic UP life is captured through the ubiquitous sarpanch and the naughty Kaka (Anupam Kher). The second-half borrows the template for films that address causes and allows for some lecturebaazi. A 10-minute snip here would’ve helped the focus stay sharper. Akshay is the backbone of this satire. His inner journey as an actor pays dividends and he deliv-
SRK SEALS IT WITH A KISS STORY: After a month-long tour of Europe, Sejal (Anushka) is just about to board her flight to India, when she realises that her engagement ring is lost. In quest of the object, she hires the same tour-guide Harry (Shah Rukh) and together they set off visiting the exact same spots that she and her family visited— in the hope of finding the heirloom. Of course the journey proves to be much more… REVIEW: The plot is wafer-thin and it’s been done to death by none other than Imtiaz Ali in each of his earlier films—be it Jab We Met, Cocktail (writer) and Tamasha. It’s the routine girl is engaged elsewhere story but she discovers half-way through that her soulmate is someone other. In this case, Sejal is engaged to Rupen but actually ends up falling for Harry. Let’s give the devil his due, Imtiaz’s films do coax and cajole you to take a journey inwards instead of just doing the peripheral one. But in this film, the soul-searching bits between the leads don't quite add up. What makes this film watchable though is the presence of Shah Rukh and
Anushka both of who are in top-form in their Punjabi and Gujarati `impersonations'. In fact, SRK is like old wine, the more he matures, the better he romances. Boy, when he seals it with a kiss, he’s irresistible! The music is average but Radha will definitely get you to attempt a bhangra-garba mix at your next house party. However, sound advice would be that you actually buy yourself a tour ticket to Europe and soak in the sights for real. Of course, if you’re in the mood for a cheaper option of touring the continent, buy yourself a JHMS ticket and get transported to foreign destinations captured efficiently by cinematographer K U Mohanan, In this case, there’s the added advantage of a Punjabi `munda’ playing your friend, philosopher, lover and guide. The journey from Netherlands to Nur Mahal treats you to an opera, pole-dancing and SRK in every frame. Despite it all, you’re tempted to tell the filmmaker that the script of this travelogue that seems to have gone missing, could perhaps be languishing in his own backyard.
Entertainment
Taylor Swift & Former Radio Host Head To Court Over Groping Claim Taylor Swift and her support team didn't call police after she said she had been groped by a Denver radio host during a photo session before a concert. Instead, they called his boss, and David Mueller lost his job. The disc jockey later sued the singer-songwriter, saying he had been falsely accused and wanted $3 million in damages. Swift countersued, claiming sexual assault, setting up a civil trial set to begin Monday in federal court in Denver that will largely turn on who the eight-member jury believes. The lawsuits provide differing accounts of backstage events before Swift performed at a 2013 concert at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Swift tried to keep the situation "discreet and quiet and confidential" and was upset by Mueller's claim that "for some reason she might have some incentive to actually fabricate this story," her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, has argued in court. Swift is seeking a verdict that awards her $1, while hold-
ing Mueller responsible and "serving as an example to other women who may resist publicly reliving similar outrageous and humiliating acts," her lawsuit states. Some entertainment attorneys say celebrities often want to address such situations outside court. "Once celebrities decide to take legal action, it's going to hit the press, they're going to be called as a witness and they have to spend time with that," said Tre Lovell, a California-based attorney who represents production and entertainment management companies. "They don't necessarily want that. They want to focus on their career, their brands, their sponsorships. They have a whole revenue stream that's at stake," Lovell said. With a lot at stake, Michael Niborsky, an attorney whose firm represents Bruno Mars and Kanye West, said Swift "is particularly well-suited to represent women's rights, female empowerment and not taking this kind of behavior." Mueller, then 51, was a morning host at a Denver coun-
try-music station when he was assigned to attend Swift's June 2, 2013, concert. Swift, then 23, was touring in support of her "Red" album, with hits such as "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." Mueller and his girlfriend lined up backstage with other fans for a meet-and-greet with Swift and entered a curtained enclosure where they spoke briefly with the singer-songwriter. A security guard and at least two other Swift team members were present when it came time for a photo. Mueller said he jumped into the picture at the last second. Mueller said Swift was cordial as he and his girlfriend left. He went to his car to drop off an autographed photo then returned to the arena, where he was confronted by Swift's security guard. In court documents, Swift said, "He took his hand and put it up my dress and grabbed onto my ass cheek, and no matter how much I scooted over, it was still there." PHOTOS: Taylor Swift's Street Style She said she met and greeted other fans, then reported the incident to the guard and a photographer. Mueller denied inappropriately touching Swift and said he told the guard: "Please call the police. I didn't do anything." Under local law, such an act would merit a misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual conduct, which carries a maximum possible sentence of two years in jail. After escorting Mueller out of the arena, a member of Swift's team called Mueller's boss and asked that appropriate action be taken. The radio station interviewed Mueller and fired him, citing a morality clause in his contract that allows his employer to fire him for conduct that could reflect unfavorably on the station or its sponsors, court documents say. The documents also say a representative of the station said Mueller had changed his story from not having touched Swift to possibly touching her incidentally or accidentally. Mueller's attorney, Gabriel McFarland, argues that Mueller may have been misidentified after someone else touched Swift. He also says the security guard did not react to anything during the backstage meeting and that as many as 20 other people took photographs with Swift after Mueller left. The trial is being held in U.S. District Court because the Mueller and Swift live in separate states and the matter involves a claim for damages higher than $75,000.