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Surviving the Guyana savannahs ‘naked and afraid’ Page 3

2 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Feature

ties offer for ready sale. The number of cattle in the country in 1921 was estimated to be 122,886, the number of horses 1,762, sheep 20,602, and pigs 12,312.”

By Dmitri Allicock

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attle, cowboys and horses, creeks, rivers, wooden bridges, swamps, rain, mosquitoes, jaguars and snakes are the ingredients for a great imaginative western movie. These can also be found in stories on the movement of herds of cattle on the famous Rupununi Cattle Trail to the coastal marketplace of British Guiana.

On the hoof, cattle were driven along a cattle trail that wended its way from Annai in the Rupununi savannahs through rough terrain to the Yawakuri savannah on the Berbice River, covering a distance of at least 120 miles. At the end of the journey, the cattle were exhausted and wasted.

In 1919, the trail was successfully completed and the first head of cattle was driven over it in 1920.

A glance at the map of Guyana reveals that the 5,000 square miles of the prime savannah lands of Rupununi is located in the isolated deep south- west of Guyana. In the early ranching period, there was no way to reach the Guyana coast with cattle and no market at all except in Brazil where demand was uncertain and

On the trail in the late 19th century

Entrance to the Rupununi cattle trail circa 1920

values low. Transportation was a serious problem and waterfalls interfered with river transport. Highways and railways were non-existent, and construction through the forests and swamps was cost prohibitive.

The New York Times of Oct. 21, 1917 noted, “A reduction from 4 weeks to one on the time necessary to transport cattle from the interior of British Guiana to the coast will be affected by the construction of a cattle trail

from the Annai Savannah on the Rupununi River to the Yawakuri Savannah on the Berbice River, a distance of 120 miles. A loan of $60,000 for the purpose has been authorized by the Combine Court of British Guiana accordingly to a report from the Consul George A Chamberlain, station in Georgetown. Work upon the trail is to begin at once and it should be ready for use early next year.”

The publication further added, “There are at pres-

ent about 35,000 heads of cattle in the savannah in the Rupununi district, and it is estimated that over 1000 head will be taken over the proposed trail yearly to the Berbice River, and hence transported to the coast for the local market and for export. It was further stated in the court that there was 150,000 head of cattle on the Brazilian ranches near the British Guiana border, and that transportation to the coast would be less expensive by this trail that at present by Manáos and

The trail was the brainchild of pioneer, H.P.C. Melville, born 1864, former commissioner of the Rupununi district who owned Dadanawa Ranch in the 1880s and felt that the construction of this trail could convey Brazilian cattle and horses to British Guiana’s coast and be utilised as an outlet for the large and rapidly increasing herds of local cattle grazing on the savannah.

The market to the Guyana coast was opened with the development of the cattle trail through the forest just at the end of World War I. The trail was very difficult to traverse, particularly in its early years because of the swamps and long distances without proper feed in the tropical jungles. Losses were extremely heavy and profits small, if there were any.

Frequent attacks by jaguars, swimming the Essequibo, parasites and disease took a toll. This trail was somewhat improved

Teams of workers and contractors, many from Upper Demerara, had the task of maintaining the trail free of bush, keeping wooden bridges safe and wire fencing along its path. This bush trail became an access into the heart of British Guiana, and traffic went both ways.

The 1930s and ‘40s

During the depression years of the 1930s, cattle scarcely paid the cost of driving them to the market, and ranching became a moderately profitable undertaking due to the more favourable markets during and after World War II. After the close of World War II the country was opened to air traffic. With some aid from the colonial government, landing fields were developed and regular traffic by the-then Guiana Airways Company was established. Regular shipments of beef from the Rupununi to Georgetown by air began on July 9, 1948.

Despite the high cost of airlifting beef to coastal markets in some quantities, it succeeded due to low production cost. The war years and moment of prosperity for the arduous Rupununi Cattle Trail came to an end with the birth of air transport, and in 1953 was per-

The jungle has reclaimed some parts of the trail

other places where markets were available. This trail will also make access to the interior of the colony for other purposes much easier.”

A 1924 British Guiana report stated, “There are very extensive savannahs tracts in the far interior on which at present cattle are being raised. With the provision of the Rupununi Cattle Trail in 1920, it is possible that this region will become the important cattle-raising section of the colony.

Horses are raised in some numbers on the plantations and farms of the coastland.

There is, however, the possibility of considerable development in this undertaking when suitable opportuni-

in the preceding years and death losses were not as great but weight loss was severe and only the strongest and most rugged cattle could hope to make the trek to the grasslands between the Demerara and Berbice rivers.

One branch of the historical cattle trail ended on the eastern shore of the Demerara River near the mouth of Arakawa CreekLinden today. A stelling was constructed and herds of “cattle were loaded onto the steamer and punts for transport to Georgetown.

The trail supplied fresh beef to the local market of Upper Demerara and supplemented other local livestock.”

manently closed.

Parts of the cattle trail have been upgraded into a fair weather track over the years, and serve as a road to Brazil through the town of Linden, ending at Lethem.

The jungle has reclaimed other parts of the trail. Iron pegs, which once marked the trail, can still be found buried in the dense growth.

Rotting greenheart bridges were still present as late as 1982. Piling remnants of the loading dock alongside the Demerara can still be found today.

And so went this oneof-a-kind Rupununi Cattle Trail into the annals of Guyana’s history.

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine

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Times Feature

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or Zack Buck, an American extreme survivalist/outdoor educator, surviving “naked and afraid” in Guyana’s savannah is an experience he will always cherish.

Zack was a participant of the Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” show, a reality show where two complete strangers - a man and a woman - meet in a very unique way. The pair

Africa because I misheard production. It turned out to be a beautiful country of jungle and tropical grasslands known as the Rupununi Savannah.

Sunday Magazine: When you learnt you were coming to Guyana, what was your reaction?

Zack Buck: At first, I thought I was going into the jungle and that concerned me. The insects in the jun-

Zack Buck

is stranded in a dangerous, desolate location in various parts in the world, without food and water, and completely naked.

Each episode follows the two as they attempt to survive on their own for 21 days, with nothing but one personal item each and the knowledge that the only prize is their pride and sense of accomplishment.

Because there is no other choice, the couple quickly gets to know each other - and their surroundings - and hope that their instincts, survival skills and stamina serve them well.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Zack narrated his experiences of surviving in Guyana’s savannah.

Sunday Magazine: What prompted you to do the “Naked and Afraid” show?

Zack Buck: I made the decision to do the show because it sounded like a good adventure to test my survival skills and learn about myself. Tribes in North America would go on vision quests to gain insight on life under similar conditions of starvation and enduring the wild.

Sunday Magazine: Before coming to Guyana, did you know anything about the country or heard of it?

Zack Buck: I had no idea where Guyana was before looking it up online. I thought at first they told me I was going to Ghana in

gle seem to pack more of a punch. With Guyana being over 80 per cent jungle, I figured I would be there. It turned out I was wrong and was dropped off in the savannah where the heat was an issue.

Sunday Magazine: Did you have a partner?

Zack Buck: I had a partner on the show that I had never met until we were both

her family.

Sunday Magazine: When you arrived in the country, what were your thoughts?

Zack Buck: My first thought on Guyana was that the food was different from American food, which messed up my stomach. The means of transportation was different as well. I travelled on a small, eight-person propeller plane to Lethem and then drove on an unmarked road to our destination.

Looking down at the jungle from the plane, I could only imagine how harsh the conditions were.

Sunday Magazine: Which area were you dropped off?

Zack Buck: I was dropped off in the Rupununi Savannah.

Sunday Magazine: What was required surviving in that area?

Zack Buck: The challenge required me to survive for 21 days with only a few items and then hike to an extraction point many miles away for my pick up. I didn’t have food, water, clothes or shelter to start. I had to improvise and overcome the odds hoping to work with nature and not against her.

Sunday Magazine: Did you survive for the specified time?

Zack Buck: I survived the full 21 days despite having a partner that quitted early and a 102.8 fever on day 20. I hope to do the challenge again someday. The new challenge for finishers is 40 days long that I hope to take on.

Sunday Magazine:

Proudly showing off his Guyana hat

stripped down naked and told to survive. Her name is Afften from Chicago, Illinois.

She describes herself as “a little ball of awesomeness”.

Out of the 21 days we were supposed to survive, she left on the morning of day seven because she wanted to see

Were you able to tour Guyana after the show?

Zack Buck: I did not get to tour the waterfalls or rivers after I was done because I was so sick. My mind was on food, and despite being told to take it easy by the medic, I ate a whole bucket

Zack Buck bares all on Discovery's 'Naked and Afraid' in Guyana (Discovery photo)

of chicken and tub of chocolate ice cream the two days following the end of my challenge. I lost 28 pounds, but have gained it back since.

Sunday Magazine: Would you ever come back to Guyana to visit?

Zack Buck: I would love to come back to Guyana again someday! I want to visit the jungle and see the amazing waterfalls as well as see if my lean-to shelter is still standing.

Sunday Magazine: Our indigenous people, the Amerindians, survive living every day in the savannah where you were. What

would you say about that?

Zack Buck: The Amerindian people know more about where I was surviving than I did. It would be a great experience to ask them questions and learn how they survive compared to what I did. I am sure they would say the same thing to me if they came to the desert of Utah or woods of Missouri to survive. Going to a place where the resources are different than you are used to is a real challenge making you improvise and adapt.

Sunday Magazine: What did you learn from this experience?

Zack Buck: It was very nice to get home and see my family after the adventure was over. I learnt a lot about myself and appreciated even more what I have in life and the basic needs of survival: food, water and shelter.

Zack is not the first person to survive Guyana’s harshest terrain on the show “Naked and Afraid”.

For videos on the shows of Zack and others in Guyana, visit http://www.discovery. com/tv-shows/naked-andafraid/ or log on to www. zackbuck.com for his tips on being a survivalist. (Cover photo: JMBroscombe)

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Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Feature

U

S-based Guyanese Kwasi Fraser is the first black Mayor of Purcellville, a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. He recently completed his first year as mayor and is in his second.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Fraser credits his Guyanese upbringing and culture for being a successful mayor; a post he never envisioned himself taking up.

Sunday Magazine: Where in Guyana are you from?

Kwasi Fraser: I was born in Georgetown, Guyana. My father, however, was a dispenser, and we were privileged to reside in several areas of Guyana, including Lethem, Ana Regina, Parika, and Buxton, where my mother was born and our final residence prior to migrating to the United States. We migrated to the United States in 1982.

Sunday Magazine: What are your academic qualifications?

Kwasi Fraser: I possess a Bachelor of Engineering

degree from Stony Brook University and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Rutgers University. I also earned an Executive education Certificate from Harvard University and a Project Management Certificate from George Washington University. My professional certifications are Certified Project Management Professional and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Sunday Magazine: What motivated you to run for Mayor?

Kwasi Fraser: I was motivated to run for Mayor by my desire to serve and to make a difference in my community. I believed that my academic, professional, and life experiences had prepared me to foster greater fiscal responsibility, transparency, citizen engagement, and wise growth for our town. My decision was be a spectator or a leader, and I felt equipped and empowered to lead.

Sunday Magazine: Were there any challenges you faced becoming the first

black Mayor of Purcellville?

Kwasi Fraser: The key challenge that I face is obtaining buy-in and support from other council members, especially those members who were loyal to the prior administration and did not see my brand of change as necessary. My supporters who enabled me to win 61% of the vote will continue to see that margin as a mandate, but I am constantly reminded that 39% of those who voted did not vote for me.

Sunday Magazine: As Mayor, what are some of your responsibilities?

Kwasi Fraser: I lead council meetings and ceremonial events, appoint individuals to special committees and boards, serve on regional advisory boards, sign checks, assess and recommend business development opportunities, vote, and engage our citizens and businesses for feedback and insights.

Sunday Magazine: Are you married?

Kwasi Fraser: I am married to my college sweet-

heart Angela, and this year marks our 18th wedding anniversary. We have three children: Darius, Naomi, and Jeremy.

Sunday Magazine: Did you ever envision yourself becoming a Mayor?

Kwasi Fraser: When I moved to Purcellville, I never envisioned I would run for or become mayor. In fact, I had never contemplated entering politics based on my perception of the inefficiencies and bureaucracies that exist in government, with wasted efforts on meaningless matters and long cycle times to make decisions. However, as I evaluated the critical needs of Purcellville, I saw myself as a change leader and ultimately becoming the mayor of our town. When I prevailed, I was surprised by the substantial margin of victory.

Sunday Magazine: Did your Guyanese roots contribute to you being an effective mayor?

Kwasi Fraser: Yes, watching my parents invest in and raise chickens to supplement our income,

Kwasi Fraser

planting a vegetable garden, and having my mother bake goods and place in paper bags for me and my siblings to distribute to those less fortunate in our neighbourhood in Guyana left an indelible impression on me to work hard, to lead, and to serve others.

Sunday Magazine: What's your advice for youths who may want to pursue politics?

Kwasi Fraser: First, identify issues or concerns in your community that you firmly believe need to be addressed, then ask how you can use your abilities and experiences to tackle those issues or concerns. Second, realize that you don’t know everything and as such continue to pursue knowledge.

Third, be humble and a good listener to those you would like to serve.

The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter

Venus and Jupiter over the Georgetown, Guyana skies on June 30, 2015 (Photo by LJ Hernandez)

O

n June 30 at dusk, Venus and Jupiter appeared close in skies of the western hemisphere. The planet named after the Goddess of love, Venus, and the planet named after the God of Thunder, Jupiter, were gradually approaching each other for the last few weeks, creeping toward their closest point: 1/3° apart.

While it may seem close in the sky however, in reality, they were around 670 million kilometres (416 million miles) apart in space.

The planets also appeared similar in size, but Jupiter is actually the largest planet in our solar system and Venus is smaller than Earth. It is because of their relative distances that they appeared to be of a similar size when viewed from Earth.

This converging in the sky is known as a conjunction. A conjunction between Jupiter and Venus is not unusual; the duo was last seen close together in the sky on Aug 18, 2014.

Venus and Jupiter have scheduled another date for the morning of Oct 26, 2015. On this day, they will be separated by 1°. And if you still can't see this meeting, then next year, on August 27, the planets will reunite once again. Here they will be separated by a stunning 0.1°.

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President David Granger with other Caricom leaders at opening of the 36th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community

ARICOM Day commemorates the treaty establishing the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and is observed annually by all CARICOM countries, though not necessarily on the same date of the year.

The establishment of the Caribbean Community and Common Market was the result of a 15-year effort to fulfil the hope of regional integration, which was born with the establishment of the British West Indies Federation in 1958. The West Indies Federation ended in 1962 but its end may be regarded as the real beginning of what is now the Caribbean Community.

With the end of the Federation, political leaders

in the Caribbean made more serious efforts to strengthen the ties between the islands and mainland by providing for the continuance and strengthening of areas of cooperation that existed during the Federation. Further, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago both attained independence in August that year and with it the power to control their own domestic and external affairs.

In announcing its intention to withdraw from the Federation, the government of Trinidad and Tobago proposed the creation of a Caribbean Community, consisting not only of the ten members of the Federation, but also of the three Guianas and all the islands of the Caribbean Sea - both independent and non-indepen-

dent.

To discuss this concept, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago convened the first Heads of Government Conference in July 1963, and attended by the leaders of Barbados, British Guiana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

At this conference, the participating leaders of the four Caribbean countries all spoke clearly of the need for close cooperation with Europe, Africa and Latin America.

In July 1965, talks between the premiers of Barbados and British Guiana and the chief minister of Antigua on the possible establishment of a Free Trade Area in the Caribbean resulted in the announcement of definite plans to es-

tablish such a Free Trade Area. In December that year, Heads of Government of Antigua, Barbados and British Guiana signed an agreement at Dickenson Bay, Antigua, to set up the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA).

The new CARIFTA agreement came into effect on May 1, 1968, with the participation of Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. The original idea to permit all territories in the region to participate in the association was achieved later that year with the entry of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts/Nevis/ Anguilla, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent in July, and of Jamaica and Montserrat on August 1, 1968. British continued on page 5

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 5

Times Women

G

uyana-born Soyini George is the designer, founder and owner of the Washington, DC,USA handmade baby clothing and accessories brand, Yinibini Baby.

The product’s success is perhaps partly because of her Guyanese heritage, rooted in her family since, as a little girl growing up in Guyana, Soyini’s learned to sew from watching her Great Aunt Jean weave her scissors through fabrics and gather them together to create stylish clothing.

The website Guyanesegirlsrock states this was just the beginning of Soyini’s love for art, design and colour. One year after graduating from college, and with US$100, a dining room table and tons of motivation, she started the Yinibini brand of clothing and jewellery for women

cus was switched from women’s clothing to accessories and clothing for babies in what she called was a “wonderful and natural expansion of the line.”

Yinibini Baby clothing and accessories are all hand-sewn and made of cotton, organic cotton, cotton blend and bamboo blend fabrics. The collection includes blankets, onesies, booties, bibs, burp cloths, dresses and more.

Soyini draws inspiration for colour, texture and patterns from memories of her (Great Aunt Jean’s husband) Uncle Reggie’s garden.

“He took pride in his garden, and the vibrant colours, textures and patterns of the fruits, flowers and vegetables still lingers in my mind”, Soyini reveals.

She applies the same meticulous care and love to all of Soyini in her studio

Organic bib from her “Too Tall Birdie and Friends” collection

in 2006.

The origin of the name “Yinibini” comes from the last four letters of Soyini’s name (Yini) + bini, which means ‘good girl’ in Guyanese creole.

In 2010, the brand’s fo-

her delicate pieces.

She also notes that life in the Caribbean influenced her appreciation for colour, nature, design and movement in her pieces.

Soyini’s work has not gone unnoticed in her home-

town of Washington, DC. Yinibini Baby was voted Washington City Paper's, Best of DC, Readers' Poll, 2nd Place, 2011; Washington City Paper's Best of DC, Best Local Crafter, Readers' Poll, First Place, 2012; Washington City Paper's, Best of DC, Runner Up, Readers' Poll, Best Local Crafter, 2013; Washington City Paper's, Best of DC, Readers' Poll, First Place, Best Local Crafter, 2014. She also won the 2014 Clifton Day Judges Award from the Clifton Betterment Association.

In 2014, Yinibini Baby was also named a finalist in the Martha Stewart American Made Awards.

American Made spotlights the maker, supports the local, and celebrates the handmade. The program is made up of people and communities that have turned their passion for quality craftsmanship and well-designed goods into a way of life.

from page 4

Honduras (Belize) became a member in May 1971.

At the seventh Heads of Government Conference in October 1972, Caribbean leaders decided to transform CARIFTA into a Common Market and establish the Caribbean Community of which the Common Market would be an integral part.

At the 8th Heads of Government Conference of CARIFTA held in April 1973 in Georgetown, Guyana, the decision to establish the Caribbean Community was brought into fruition with the consideration of Heads of Government of the draft legal instruments and with the signing by 11 members of CARIFTA (the exception being Antigua and Montserrat).

The Accord provided for the signature of the Caribbean Community

Treaty on July 4 and its coming into effect in August 1973, among the then four independent countries: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

The Georgetown Accord also provided that the other eight territories Antigua, British Honduras, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Montserrat, St. Kitts/ Nevis/Anguilla and St. Vincent which signed the Accord would become full members of the Community by 1 May 1974.

The Caribbean Community and Common Market was established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed by Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago, and came into effect on August 1, 1973. Subsequently, the other eight Caribbean territories joined CARICOM.

The Bahamas became the 13th Member State of the Community on July 4, 1983, but not a member of the Common Market.

In July 1991, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos became Associated Members of CARICOM, followed by Anguilla in July 1999. The Cayman Islands became the fourth Associate Member of the regional grouping on May 16, 2002, and Bermuda the fifth Associate Member on July 2, 2003.

Suriname became the 14th Member State of the Caribbean Community on July 4, 1995.

Haiti secured provisional membership on July 4, 1998, and on July 3, 2002 was the first French-speaking Caribbean State to become a full member of CARICOM.

Yinibini Baby’s products are available in several stores across Maryland, Washington DC, Ohio, Florida and Virginia, and are also available in selected online stores. Soyini’s dream is to open her own brick and mortar store in the Washington DC area.

“I'm involved in the entire process, from start to finish. I research the fabrics, pick fabrics, design, cut, measure and sew.

I take pride in my work, and handle each piece with the best of care, so y o u know

you are getting the best!”

Soyini states in her yinibinibaby blog.

All of the clothing and accessories are all handmade or screen-printed and /or block printed by hand.

According to herbanlifstyle, which named her their March 2014 Artist of the Month,

Yinibini hooded-blanket

Soyini says that her original illustrations are based off of childhood stories and memories.

Soyini went through a rapid growth spurt as a child, and so became much taller than her classmates.

This was the inspiration behind the “Too Tall Birdie and Friends” illustrations that can be found on onesies and the Organic Reversible Bib. Her affinity with art and artists goes back years, as she was once Outreach Specialist for the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum where, making visits to the studios of artists, she sought local artists for the museum's exhibitions and programming.

While in Guyana she attended Queen’s College up to 1985 before migrating.

She lived in Dominica and is now a native of Washington D.C. USA. Soyini is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, MA, USA with a degree in Art and Graphic Design and Visual Communication, though she still considers herself “self-taught.”

6 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Book World

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

(Extract of an interview with Ms Beryl AdamsHaynes, author of “Plaisance: From Emancipation to Independence and Beyond”, Georgetown, Guyana, July 2010. Adams-Haynes was born in Plaisance and was an educator for many decades. She was honoured with the Medal of Service for her outstanding contribution to society.)

PP Our history was first recorded by the Europeans colonisers who did take a certain amount of licence with the fact and that history was so written to show the Europeans in a good light. But it is a matter of pride that more and more scholarship on our history written by our own people is turning up, rewriting that initial and sometimes flawed history. Our history is important. Recording and righting that flawed history is imperative. What were the factors leading up to the research, writing and distribution of this book?

BAH The idea came to me some years after I remigrated and discovered by chance that Plaisance was bought by freed slaves,

this discovery came late in my life. I started talking to older folks in the village and found out that no one has ever approached them for such information. Then again not many of them, the older folks, knew much about our ancestral history.

The inspiration came from the situation of them not knowing; me not knowing and the question of how will the younger ones know; and that’s what set me on the path of research, documenting and finally the book.

PP Research material on Guyana in Guyana is not easy to obtain; I am a researcher on Guyanese Literature and a sort of quasi-historian so I know the difficulties in getting information, cross-referencing etc. Tell us about your research stages.

BAH The research stages as you said before were not easy, it was an uphill task. I started here at the archives and the library finding very little information on Plaisance. You may come across an articles running into many pages with just a mere reference – one line, a few words - on Plaisance.

Thanks to my children who are still in London and who

were feeding me with some amount of information as to websites that would be useful. The bulk of the material for happenings in the village from the 1920s onward came from the older folks. I contacted many villagers who provided information up to recent times. Some prominent Plaisancians were listed in the earlier manuscript.

The idea of the annexes came from my editor Dr. Laurence Clarke a prominent Plaisancian. To get information as to what some of our villagers (as you must be aware most of our people are residing outside of Guyana) were doing, assistance was sought from villagers abroad who were enthusiastic and excited about this long awaited publication.

PP Much of our history, in various forms, is stored in foreign archives…

BAH Yes, I know that now, researching, cross referencing, documenting and finally the end product took some six years, not continuously, before it finally came to fruition. When I set out to write the history of Plaisance, I didn’t set out to do this [showing the book], I set out to write a few pag-

es, a twenty-five-page document perhaps for my own satisfaction but it took on new dimensions and has taken off in way beyond my expectations.

Let me explain: when I came back home, Plaisance never celebrated Emancipation at village level. I got together with other villagers and one thing led to another and the birth of our Emancipation celebrations began twelve years ago. This led to an awakening of our villagers and their quest for knowledge of our history.

PP It would be a good time to talk about the history of Plaisance and the village system.

BAH In the beginning it was not easy. There was friction as persons jockeyed for the better plots to build; remember some 65 persons bought the plantation and all of them couldn’t live or build in the same area.

Assistance was sought from the government (plantocracy) to help put their affairs in order. There were also problems of flooding, sani-

develop it and call it their home. Plaisance has produced and will continue to produce many outstanding citizens: both local and of international stature.

Right on our doorstep is the first female judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice, a trail blazer Madam Justice Desiree Bernard; Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos; Director of World

cultural awareness.

Now we have a book in which you have put a lot of hard work to bring the history of Plaisance to the fore, very commendable but here’s my pet peeve: are our young people reading?

BAH That is one of our problems – reading.

Lack of reading could defeat the purpose of the book.

We - various committees -

tation, drainage, difficulties collecting rates and taxes and other woes…but those problems were overcome to an extent, leading to better life style.

PP That’s the past, let’s look at the present Plaisance, to those who have endured and have made and are making significant contribution.

BAH The Plaisance of today is different from the Plaisance I grew up in and even more different from the Plaisance of our ancestors who worked so hard to

Bank (Sudan, Africa) Dr. Laurence Clarke; Prof.

Denis Benn who heads the Michael Manley Institute, Mona Campus; Dr. Imran Ali; Eddy Grant international recording songwriter and artiste; Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Braithwaite former world boxing champion; Nizam Ali, Chartered Accountant and many others.

PP Many of these achievements came about because of three main factors mentioned in your book: deep roots in the church, education, and political and

have planned to go into the schools, to read extracts and do other related activities …

PP Making that connection with the youths is crucial and I hope you succeed for it would benefit your community of Plaisance and eventually the country.

Congratulations again on gifting us this important scholarship, which is already going into a first reprint.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

The book "Plaisance - From Emancipation to Independence and Beyond" by Adams-Haynes

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 7

Times Heritage

Upon learning that Clara was with her brother when the ship sank, and not knowing if either one or both were killed, Mary Ramdeholl sent a cablegram to her son with the four words: “Be Brave - Trust God”. The phrase became the title for the re-dedication and 75th anniversary celebration plaque on a wall inside the church

I

Restored interior of the church

n 1915, the Canadian Mission established the Berbice High School in New Amsterdam, British Guiana as a school for boys.

Five years later, in 1920 a separate building was erected on the site of the current Berbice High School, as a school for girls.

In its first year, Clara Ramdeholl was one of the 10 girls to first attend the “girls’ school”. She graduated in 1925 at age 16 and

began teaching there until 1932 when, at 23-yearsold, she left the colony for England to study law.

Admitted to the Inn at Middle Temple in England on Oct. 12, 1932, Clara was called to the Bar Nov. 17, 1939. At the time, she would be only the third qualified female barrister from British Guiana after Gladys Sarran (1930) and Iris DeFreitas (1897).

Her call to the Bar would

be in absentia however, as Clara and her brother Cecil, who had become a doctor, had already left England Nov. 14, 1939 to embark on the steam ship “S.S. Simon Bolivar”, to travel to Amsterdam, Holland en route to British Guiana.

Clara had not seen her parents since she had left, and her father had not long earlier passed away. With her brother Cecil on six months leave, she took the opportunity to return with him to British Guiana.

However, on Nov. 18, 1939, the “S.S. Simon Bolivar” was sunk by German magnetic mines.

Despite surviving the sinking ship, Clara lost her life after the lifeboat they had

American B-18 Bolos of the 12th Bombardment Squadron in flight over British Guiana (1943)

Bartica Grove, Bartica, circa early 1900s

managed to reach capsized and she was forced to endure the frigid waters of the North Sea, despite desperate attempts by her brother to keep her alive.

Her body was declared lost at sea.

Not long after, the Canadian Mission asked her mother for permission to dedicate a church they planned to build within the school’s compound, in Clara’s memory. It would come to be in memory of both Clara and her father, Robert Ramdeholl.

The tragedy of the Ramdeholl family sadly did not end there. Clara had apparently planned her return as a surprise for her mother, Mary Ramdeholl.

Discovering that Clara was aboard the “S.S. Simon Bolivar” and did not survive led to illness from which she never recovered. Mary died within months of Clara’s death, and indeed her husband’s.

The newly built church was formally named the Ramdeholl Memorial Guyana Presbyterian Church, and was dedicated at a service on April 15, 1940.

The church building remained in the school’s compound until Guyana became independent and there was a mandatory separation of church and state. It was then moved across the street to its current Lot 22 Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam location.

With the building showing signs of its age, the Ramdeholl family now abroad began a fundraising effort for its restoration. On Dec 28, 2014, rehabilitation works were completed and a re-dedication ceremony was conducted at the church.

The Ramdeholl Memorial Church is featured in the New Amsterdam Heritage Trail, a 2015 publication by the National Trust of Guyana that hopes to enrich future generations with knowledge of their Guyanese heritage.

(Photos: ramdehollmemorialchurch.wordpress.com) (Cover photo: The renovated Ramdeholl Memorial Church)

Clara Ramdeholl (1909-1939)

The church before its restoration

8 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Travel & Tourism

Visit the highest community in Guyana

Aerial view of Kurukabaru village

W

ith a population of 4,500 persons, and rising some 3,000 feet above sea level, the village of Kurukabaru is in fact, the highest settlement in Guyana.

A picturesque destination, Kurukabaru, located near the North Pakaraimas in Region 8, is higher than Paramakatoi, and is ideal for tourists who want to explore untouched na-

ture in Guyana.

The wind at Kurukabaru is said to howl continuously, and the nights there are extremely cold. Even the hardiest hinterland dwellers great-

ly respect the cold temperature at Kurukabaru, especially at nights.

In deference to this aspect of life on this highland plateau, some have renamed the

village “Coldkabaru�. (Photos by Michelle Kalamandeen.

Visit Michelle Kalamandeen Photography on Facebook to see more wonderful photos of beautiful Guyana)

Village hut with Catholic church in the background

Traditional thatch roof and clay house

The benab before entering the village

Trail leading to the village

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

W

hile fasting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is due to spiritual beliefs, many of us choose to fast with the belief that it benefits our health Numerous recent studies have suggested that intermittent fasting - abstaining or reducing food and drink intake periodically - can be good for us, making it one of the most popular diet trends worldwide.

"Studies of intermittent fasting show that not only do people see improvements in blood pressure and their cholesterol levels, but also in their insulin sensitivity," says Dr. Michael Mosley author of “The Fast Diet” books.

One study, conducted by Dr. Valter Longo and col-

leagues from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, found longer periods of fasting - 2-4 days - may even "reboot" the immune system, clearing out old immune cells and regenerating new ones - a process they say could protect against cell damage caused by factors such as aging and chemotherapy.

Since the body is unable to get its energy from food during fasting, it dips into glucose that is stored in the liver and muscles. This begins around eight hours after the last meal is consumed.

When the stored glucose has been used up, the body then begins to burn fat as a source of energy, which can result in weight loss.

As well as aiding weight loss, Dr. Razeen Mahroof, of the University of Oxford in the UK, explains to Medical News Today that the use of fat for energy can help preserve muscle and reduce cholesterol levels.

"When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it

can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged," the USC’s Dr. Longo explains.

However, according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), there are numerous health risks associated with intermittent

fasting.

People who fast commonly experience dehydration, largely because their body is not getting any fluid from food.

As such, it is recommended that during Ramadan, Muslims consume plenty of water prior to fasting periods. Other individuals following fasting diets should ensure they are properly hydrated during fasting periods.

Fasting can also cause heartburn; lack of food leads to a reduction in stomach acid, which digests food and destroys bacteria. But smelling food or even thinking about it during fasting periods can trigger the brain into telling the stomach to produce more acid, leading to heartburn.

While many nutritionists claim intermittent fasting is a good way to lose weight, some health professionals believe such a diet is ineffective for long-term weight loss.

"The appeal is that [fasting] is quick, but it is quick fluid loss, not substantial weight loss," says Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Weight Loss Management Center.

"If it's easy off, it will come back quickly - as soon as you start eating normally again."

While intermittent fasting may have health risks, nutritionists claim it can be good for us if individuals consult with their doctors before adopting such a diet, and adhere to it correctly.

Preventing memory loss in the elderly

T

hough memory loss is often associated with older age, scientists have discovered that memory doesn't necessarily diminish with time.

Recent medical research has shown that preventing memory loss can happen with the right combination of physical and mental activity, and in some cases cognitive decline (or memory loss) can be delayed or even prevented.

Dr. George Rebok, a professor of psychiatry in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, speaking to elderly care website, aplaceformom, says that memory loss first affects everyday activities, like the ability to remember appointments or the names of other people, particularly people one has recently met.

In addition to the loss of physical brain mass, scientists have developed a number of theories to explain why memory changes with age. With increasing age, there is simply more infor-

mation stored in one's brain, making it more difficult to access.

Another explanation suggests that some memory loss is affected by lifestyle changes later in life. Without daily work or regular activity, much of the mental data stored in the brain no longer has a meaningful structure to support it. In turn, that information can become far more difficult to access.

But in spite of all these explanations for memory loss, the fact is that not all seniors lose memory at the same rate-or even at all.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about memory loss is how it affects different population groups.

Even identical twins who share the same genes have been shown to experience cognitive decline at different rates, which suggests that memory loss is affected by our environment at least as much as by genetics.

People with high levels of education or whose jobs require complex mental func-

tions-doctors, engineers, and university professors, for instance-are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.

"People with higher education and intelligence have more brain connections, and therefore, have greater brain reserves," Dr. Zaldy Tan, a professor at the Harvard Medical School Division of Aging says.

"Their brain can take more hits, so to speak, before they develop dementia, whereas people with less reserves can take less hits."

In his book "Age-Proof Your Mind: Detect, Delay, and Prevent Memory LossBefore it’s Too Late" Tan cites a number of leisure activities as particularly effective in helping the brain protect itself against mental decline: Reading Regularly: In an age when people spend so much time passively watching television, reading provides an opportunity for active mental engagement.

And such habits as making predictions about a story's plot and recalling details from what was read can further enhance the benefits of reading on one's memory.

Playing Board Games: An avenue for much-needed social interaction, board games also encourage critical thinking.

Playing Musical Instruments: The mental discipline required learning a new hobby or skill helps ensure that more areas of the brain remain active.

Dancing: For those who are physically able, dancing provides a combination of physical and mental activity, especially the hard work of remembering all those dance steps!

Doing Crossword Puzzles: Tan notes that someone who completes the New York Times crossword puzzle four days per week reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 50 per cent compared to someone who does the puz-

zle only once per week.

In addition to simple everyday activities, another option for preventing memory loss is the practice of memory exercises.

It should be noted that increased mental activity is no cure-all. For some people, cognitive decline and dementia will occur, regardless of educational

background or mental lifestyle. But for many people who adopt a direct approach to mental activity, preventing memory loss can work.

10 Times Sunday Magazine

July 5, 2015

Times Fashion

W

hat started as a mere thought from compliments

received from others, was eventually launched as Nachle Designs for Sickle

Designers Melicia Partab & Hashim Alli

Cell Anaemia awareness Campaign in 2014, with the first line called 'Yours & Hers'.

Today Nachle Designs has already added another two collections under its umbrella: ‘Dotted’, and most recently ‘Elite’.

These unique Western and Eastern fusions bring a creative touch to everyday fashion. The duo designers of this well conceptualized designers' line are no stranger to the entertainment industry. With the diverse knowledge and experience in the performing arts arena, Hashim Alli and Melicia Partab pooled their creativity together to establish Nachle

Designs.

Upholding the standards of simplicity and elegance Melicia decided that her twist of sophistication is that of comfort, which is her hidden secret for the collections.

On the other hand, being sleek, trendy and confident, Hashim decided that a blend of colours and styles are his key elements.

These the duo, who never fails to impress, combined to create Nachle Designs.

For more information, check out Nachle Designs on Facebook.

guyanatimesgy.com

C harlize Theron is a South African and American actress, producer and fashion model.

She has starred in several Hollywood films, such as “The Devil's Advocate” (1997), “Mighty Joe Young” (1998), “The Cider House Rules” (1999) and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015).

Theron received critical acclaim for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in “Monster” (2003), for which she won the Academy Award, Silver Bear, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress among several other accolades, becoming the first South African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category. She received further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance in the sexual harassment-themed drama “North Country” in 2005 and a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance in 2011 comedy-drama “Young Adult”. In the late 2000s, she moved into the field of producing, both in television and film. In 2006, she produced the documentary “East of Havana”. In 2008, she starred in “The Burning Plain” and served as an executive producer. In 2014, she produced and starred in “Dark Places”. In 2012, she played Queen Ravenna in “Snow White and the Huntsman” and Meredith Vickers in “Prometheus”, both of which were box office successes.

guyanatimesgy.com July 5, 2015

Star Times Hollywood

Times Sunday Magazine 11

12 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 5, 2015

Times Hollywood

Bobbi Kristina

Prosecutors readying murder charges

Revealed: Jennifer Lopez May be Cause of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner's Divorce

P

rosecutors have geared up interest in the Bobbi Kristina case, because it appears she's about to die and it would turn the case into a full-blown murder investigation ... with her boyfriend, Nick Gordon, as a person of interest.

The family's decision to take Bobbi Kristina off life support signals that Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown's daughter is about to pass and the D.A. has already taken notice.

The Fulton County D.A. tells TMZ, “In view of the new circumstances regarding the health status of Bobbi Kristina Brown, we will be reviewing the case with greater interest."

TMZ broke the story ... police opened a criminal investigation shortly after Bobbi Kristina was found last January submerged in

a bathtub. As it reported, bruises were found on her body and police suspected foul play, and began investigating her Gordon.

'Dukes of Hazzard' Star Rips TV Land for Dropping Show: ‘Can't We All Just Watch TV?’

A

ctor-filmmaker Ben Affleck and actress Jennifer Garner reportedly split after 10 years of marriage because of singer-actress Jennifer Lopez.

The A-list couple announced their divorce on June 30 - just a day after their

tenth wedding anniversary. FemaleFirst. co.uk quotes one of the couple's friends as saying that one of the reasons for the breakup was Ben Affleck's continued friendship with JLo, with whom he was formerly engaged.

"Everyone is talking about JLo and Ben and saying it's inevitable they will get together again at some point. We call them the Richard Burton and Liz Taylor of Hollywood," the friend said.

"They were pretty flirty at the Oscars and have stayed in touch over email. Jennifer Garner never liked it," he added.

Ben Affleck's drinking habit is speculated to be another reason for the collapse of the couple's marriage. The actor who quit drinking after a spell in rehab in 2001, started boozing to get into character for his role in Gone Girl. He also missed Jennifer Garner's birthday in April.

The friend explained, "This has been on the cards for some time - it's a miracle Jen hung on so long.

She has really tried but recently Ben has been back to his old self. He was drinking again while filming Gone Girl and has been gambling loads too."

The actors have three children together - Violet (9), Seraphina (6) and Samuel (3). (moviesndtv)

Diddy Avoids Felony Charges in UCLA Arrest

T

J

ohn Schneider is blasting TV Land for its decision to erase from its schedule — due to its depiction of the Confederate flag — reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard, the wholesome show that made the actor a teen idol in the 1980s.

“The Dukes of Hazzard was and is no more a show seated in racism than Breaking Bad was a show seated in reality,” Schneider told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday.

TV Land confirmed Wednesday that it pulled the show in the aftermath of the June 17 shooting in Charleston, S.C., perpetrated by Dylann Roof, who was a fan of the Confederacy, known in the 19th century for its defense of slavery.

Schneider says his residuals from the show “have never been much to write home about,” but he would like the show to persist because of the old-fashioned values it promotes, such as honesty, courage, chivalry, rebelliousness and the like. Those who seek to malign the show because the famous car

it featured had a Confederate flag painted on the roof are missing the point, he says.

“I am saddened that one angry and misguided individual can cause one of the most beloved television shows in the history of the medium to suddenly be seen in this light,” Schneider said Wednesday. “Are people who grew up watching the show now suddenly racists? ...’”

A week ago, Warner Bros. said it would no longer license models of the Dukes of Hazzard car, known as the General Lee, unless the licensees stripped the Confederate flag from the car’s roof, and Schneider similarly weighed in on that decision.

“Throwing this particular baby out with the bathwater seems reactionary and overly PC to me,” Schneider told THR last week.

“If the flag was a symbol of racism, then Bo and Luke and Daisy and Uncle Jesse were a pack of wild racists, and that could not be further from the truth.” (Hollywood Reporter)

Marc Jacobs cops to posting pic of nude rear on Instagram

S

uper-star designer Marc Jacobs accidentally posted a nude selfie (from the side, below the neck) to Instagram earlier this week—the accident part becoming apparent when the pic vanished moments later.

So of course Jacobs got heat for that, because what don't people get heat for these days, and the screengrab made the rounds online.

The fashion-industry titan decided to just admit to what the world already knew

by returning to the scene of the crime—his Instagram account—and chiming in on a comment thread. "...yeah. I accidentally posted a pic of my bare ass and took it down," Jacobs wrote in a thread grabbed for posterity by Paper Magazine. "I was flirting with someone I met on Instagram. Meant to send it by DM. Oops, my mistake. I apologize to anyone it offended. I'm a gay man. I flirt and chat with guys online sometimes. BIG DEAL!" (eonline)

he Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has declined to file felony charges against Sean “Diddy” Combs for a confrontation last month at the University of California, Los Angeles, where his son plays football.

District attorney spokesman Ricardo Santiago said Thursday his office has decided instead to turn the case over to the Los Angeles city attorney’s office.

The DA’s office investigates and prosecutes serious felony cases, while the city attorney’s office could consider lesser misdemeanour charges.

The 45-year-old Combs was arrested June 20 at UCLA’s athletic facilities for an alleged assault in which police say he wielded a piece of weight-room equipment.

The hip-hop mogul says he was defending himself and his son.

Combs was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and making terrorist threats. (Access Hollywood)

Eva Mendes, Ryan Gosling’s relationship on the rocks?!

I

hear there may be trouble in paradise for Gosling and his baby mama Eva Mendes, with whom he welcomed his first child, daughter Esmeralda Amada, in September.

Apparently, the actors are living separate lives, rather than nesting with their infant. Mendes, 40, is

said to be struggling with newfound mommyhood in Los Angeles, acting almost like a single parent, while Gosling, 34, is across the country in Georgia filming The Nice Guys.

An insider said, “It’s more than just run-of-themill stress that comes with having a newborn. They’re

barely talking.”

Supposedly, Mendes has pushed Gosling away and even declined to fly to Atlanta with the baby to see him on set. Instead, the actor jets back and forth to spend quality time with his little angel.

EM has been vocal about being exhausted in her new role as mother, admitting that she is relying on grandmothers and aunts to help take care of the baby, as opposed to a nanny.

The couple hasn’t been snapped in public together in about a year, but let’s be frank. That’s not really an indication that something is rotten in their relationship. They purposefully remained out of the spotlight during Mendes’ pregnancy so they could protect the privacy of their daughter, knowing that she would grow up in the spotlight by virtue of her parents. (gossipgirl)

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

M

ahesh Babu is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work predominantly in Telugu cinema. Babu had his film debut as a child actor in Needa (1979).

His first leading role was in the film “Rajakumarudu” (1999). In 2011, he starred in “Dookudu”, which had the largest worldwide opening for a Telugu film. The film was released to 79 screens in the United States. The Los Angeles Times quoted the film as “the biggest hit you've never heard of”. He then starred in “Aagadu”, which became the highest opening weekend Indian film in U.S. box office beating Bollywood films like “Krrish 3” and “Kick”. The actor has won seven state Nandi Awards, four Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Awards, two CineMAA Awards and two South Indian International Movie Awards.

He was ranked 30 on Celebrity 100 list

by Forbes India in 2014. In 2015, Babu started his own production company, G. Mahesh Babu Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.

14 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 5, 2015

Times Bollywood

Chopra: Actors not Hema Malini injured in Priyanka responsible for product quality car crash; child killed A

B

ollywood actress and MP Hema Malini has been injured in a car accident in which a fouryear-old girl has died, police said.

The child was a passenger aboard a hatchback car that was involved in a collision with the actress's Mercedes on Thursday night in Rajasthan state.

The MP from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, was taken to hospital with

minor injuries.

The driver of Ms Malini's car has been arrested, police said.

"Hema has injuries above her eyes, on her back and legs. I drove her to the hospital in my car. She was in pain," state lawmaker Shankar Lal Sharma told reporters.

"One girl child has died in the accident," he added.

Other passengers in the hatchback and its driver were injured and taken to

hospital, the Press Trust of India quoted a local official as saying.

Television images showed Ms Malini, 66, holding a handkerchief to her bloodied forehead.

According to the BBC, the actress has starred in nearly 150 films, including hits such as Sholay, Seeta aur Geeta and Johnny Mera Naam.

At the peak of her career, she was nicknamed "Dream Girl" and starred in a film of the same name.

News of the accident has been trending on social media in India with many writing in to express their concern for the actress.

Most, however, are criticising Ms Malini's driver, accusing him of rash driving.

Meanwhile, the Times of India reports that the father of the dead child stated that his daughter may have survived if she was taken to the hospital with the Bollywood star. He also said that Malini never once “enquired about our child�.

ctress Priyanka Chopra defended Bollywood actors brand endorsements in the light of the recent Maggi controversy and said today that ensuring products are good for health is the sole responsibility of the companies concerned.

"When we sign any contract to endorse any product, it is the responsibility of the company to ensure that whatever information is given about it is true as well as legal in all aspects.

"Actors can't be blamed for it since the government has approved it and given license to these companies," Priyanka told reporters here when asked about junk food and the recent controversy about a particular product.

Priyanka, 32, who happens to be UNICEF's "goodwill ambassador", engaged with adolescents in Bhopal to highlight the importance of anaemia prevention and discuss important issues affecting them including nutrition.

When she was asked whether Bollywood actors would continue to endorse junk food, the actress said, "If I come to know that the product is bad, definitely I won't do it. But actors can't be held responsible for it because it was approved by the government".

She also suggested that if people come to know about any product that it is

bad, they should stop consuming it on their own.

Speaking about adolescents, she said, "Anaemia is a key health concern facing young girls and boys across the country but it is something that has a simple, workable solution. A blue iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablet once a week and deworming tablets every six months".

(Times of India)

My daughter off limits for Worked in Certified Adult Films, Not SoftPorn: embattled Pune Film Institute Chief public: Abhishek Bachchan

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ajendra Chauhan - best known for playing Pandav king Yudhistir in a long-running TV version of the epic Mahabharat - told NDTV that he is "capable" but has been "misjudged by biased opinions," and that the protests against him will not compel him to resign.

Oscar winner Resul Pookutty has joined the growing ranks of those protesting against little-known actor Gajendra Chauhan being appointed to head the country's top film institute, but the man at the centre of the storm remains unruffled.

"Don't judge me by my body of work," he said.

Mr Chauhan's critics say there isn't adequate body of work to qualify him for chairman of Pune's Film and Television Institute of India or FTII. Students at the prestigious film institute, who are up in arms, say that Mr Chauhan's ineligibility is compounded by the fact that the actor's work on screen includes films like Jungle Love and Khuli Khidki, which they allege are "soft-pornography."

An indignant Mr Chauhan today sought to clarify that he has worked in "certified adult films, not soft-porn."

Protesters have also alleged that Mr Chauhan owes his appointment to his status as a BJP worker. He had campaigned energetically in last year's national election,

Actor and BJP Member Gajendra Chauhan

which installed the Narendra Modi government led the BJP, at the Centre.

"God sent Lord Ram and Narendra Modi to bring change," Mr Chauhan said today.

Resul Pookutty, an FTII almunus who won the Oscar for best sound mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire, said about Mr Chauhan's appointment, "I think that it is cheating. A government cannot cheat its people. To me at a philosophical level the whole appointment is politically motivated and also the fact that there is no academic credentials that have been taken into consideration," he said.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had invited FTII students, on a strike now for three weeks, for talks Friday.

A

ctor Abhishek Bachchan gave a fan a piece of his mind for sharing a meme about his daughter Aaradhya.

On the Twitter incident that happened in June, Abhishek stated that his daughter is "off limits" for the public.

"My family is strictly off limits. I do understand that my parents and my wife are public figures but

my daughter is strictly off limits. I'm not here to talk about her. Nor do I appreciate anyone making detrimental comments about her," he said at the trailer launch of "All Is Well".

Irked with the post that one of his fans posted about Aaradhya, Abhishek tweeted: "Don't like my movies?

That's cool. Will work harder to make movies you like.

Bringing my daughter into

it is NOT cool."

However, Abhishek had some positive comments to make about social networking.

"If you are on a public platform, you have to be ready for the brickbats and the bouquets. I always take feedback in my stride and if they make any negative comments, I definitely take notice of it to see how I can improve myself," he said.

"If you're on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, these things are going to happen and it's healthy, fine and fun most of the times," he added.

The actor will be next seen in "All Is Well", which is an upcoming family drama film. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Shyam Bajaj and Varun Bajaj and co-produced by Ajay Kapoor. (santabanta)

'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' faces trouble over its title

A

group of rightwing Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal protested against Salman Khan's upcoming Eid release "Bajrangi Bhaijaan".

Raising slogans, the group demanded that the film's title be changed as it hurts Hindu sentiments.

They threatened to launch a massive protest and stop the screening of the film unless the movie's title is changed.

This comes close on the

heels of a PIL against the film by a local from Chitrakoot, UP. He has sent a legal notice to Salman, Yash Raj Films and director Kabir Khan demanding that 'Bhaijaan' be removed from the title, besides dropping other objectionable scenes.

Salman's Eid release will see the actor playing a Bajrang Bali devotee who takes on the task of returning a little girl to her family in Pakistan.

The highly anticipated movie, which marks the reunion of Salman and Kabir after their 2012 superhit action film "Ek Tha Tiger", will be released July 15.

According to a DNA report, it has been revealed that the film is not about 'love jihad' at all. While the film has been embroiled in controversies over its title, the report claims that the film doesn't veer towards the topic of 'love jihad' at all.

guyanatimesgy.com

July 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending Now

Star of the week

Brooches are back!

F

orget about the prehistoric idea of brooches being your grandmother’s favourite accessory. Turns out, she was on to a great fashion trend long before you were.

At the Fall 2015 collections for Prada and Balenciaga, both Miuccia Prada, who favoured flower power, and Alexander Wang showed us how fun crystalized clusters could be, while Edun and MSGM went retro modern. Dolce & Gabbana favoured the more the merrier, as Oscar de la Renta and Kenneth Jay Lane found inspiration in nature.

The general idea seemed to be to bring the brooch from its antiquated stereotype into more modern and playful accessories not just by their designs but also placing them in unexpected context.

Edun Fall 2015

Oscar de la Renta resin flower brooch

MSGM Fall 2015

S

Shivanie Latchman

hivanie Latchman is a resolute beauty. As a vibrant, young entrepreneur, Shivanie is proud of her assortment of achievements. She is a successful proprietor of a leading convenience store within her community, a marketing representative for MTV Channel 14/65, television host/producer of “Entertainment Buzz”, a programme designed to highlight the rich and diverse talents of Guyanese entertainers, and the founder of the dynamic dance group, Ishara Dance Troupe. As a youth activist, Shivanie assists her community and youths whatever way she can. She served as an executive member for the East Bank Building Social Cohesion Youth Group. Shivanie continues to collaborate with numerous charity organisations, both local and overseas, to help in fundraising efforts.

Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2015

Prada in Vogue

16 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 5, 2015

Times Art

A

rtist Ashona Pardat gets lost in a Disney world when she’s transforming her bare walls into colourful displays of

Painting of Snow White

princesses and fun characters.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Ashona said after

completing secondary school she fully pursued her passion for art.

“Art was never a subject of interest in high school. I actually chose to go in the business stream. After finishing school, lying on my bed and gazing on the plain walls in my room, I decided to do some painting on them.

I did cartoon characters and they looked so good that my friends doubted me. They told that I didn't paint them on my own. I decided to do Ashona posing at home with her work them openly on the outside walls of the house so they get any formal training in made no time for books. could see me doing it and art. I was born with this tal- I was more interested in still they were doubtful, feel- ent. During my school days sports than art,” she admiting it to see if it’s a sticker. I never realized it [talent] ted.

That’s when I realized my -maybe because after comThe budding artist’s talent and started to pursue ing home from school in the plans are to keep honing her art even more,” Ashona re- afternoon I was always in talent and creating her own called. a hurry to play cricket and cartoon characters.

She stated that she invests all her talents into her work because she wants it to look “perfect and attract attention, which it does every time”.

Art, according to Ashona, allows her to express herself and develop her talent. Her area of interest is painting mostly cartoon characters because she loves how colourful and fun they are.

“Art helps me to express my emotions and I’m developing my talent also.I didn't

“It’s good to try doing every little thing that you can because you never know where your hidden skill lies,” Ashona noted.

For more information on the artist, email ashonapardat@yahoo.com

Detailed artwork of Cinderella

Artwork done on a wall of cartoon characters Pooh and friends

Completed artwork of Ariel

Working on an artwork of Disney character Ariel

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 17

Times Tech

Reviewers Sing Apple Music's Praises A

pple rolled out its new subscription music streaming service Tuesday, June 30, and it has been getting mostly raves from reviewers.

"Apple has built a handsome, robust app and service that goes well beyond just offering a huge catalogue of music by providing many ways to discover and group music for a very wide range of tastes and moods," wrote Walt Mossberg for Re/code.

The ability to discover new music in Apple's offering also received praise from Christina Warren at Mashable. "Much of the Apple Music experience really is Beats Music. And this is a good thing," she wrote.

"I always thought Beats had the best discovery mechanism of the streaming ser-

Tech BYTE

A

G

Tech news

S The dial on the inside of the temple arm used to switch between magnification rates (Credit: Ben Coxworth/Gizmag)

Putting it simply, the company says its AdlensFocuss glasses provide an experience similar to wearing single vision lenses, but with a much greater focal range.

The company launched its AdlensFocuss eyewear in the US at the start of June and was showing its wares at CE Week in New York last week.

The glasses are available in four different frame styles, each of which comes in a choice of six finishes and colours, with prices starting at around US$1,000.

screen real estate.

Chrome also offers quicker access to Gmail, built-in language translation, integration with Chrome apps and other features that likely appeal to Google users.

Nevertheless, IE is still at the top of the pack, with a 58.1 percent share of Web traffic for June, up slightly from 57.8 in May. Over time, IE's share has been relatively flat, according to Net Applications, as the real battle has been between Chrome and Firefox.

However, says CNET, despite its dominant market share, IE is getting long in the tooth and even Microsoft seems to be losing faith in it.

The Windows 10 operating system, which arrives for consumers at the end of July, will offer an alternative browser called Edge.

Among specific browser versions, Internet Explorer 11 was tops last month with a Web traffic share of 27 percent, followed by Chrome version 43 with 17.5 percent and the aging IE 8 with 13.5 percent.

Google under fire for offensive mislabelling

earch giant Google is under fire after its Photo app offensively mislabelled a user's photos. It points to another challenge Silicon Valley companies have to face when developing next-gen tech: sensitivity.

Jacky Alcine, a Web developer who is black, took to Twitter to say Google's Photo app, released in May, labelled a picture of him and a friend as "gorillas.' The label showed up in a feature that automatically categorizes photos, like cars or beaches, so they are more easily searchable.

"My friend's not a gorilla," Alcine tweeted. He didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

This isn't the first time algorithms have messed up in ways people have found offensive. When Yahoo overhauled its Flickr photo storage app in May, the company added similar features that automatically add tags to photos. The algorithm tagged a photo of a black man as an ape, and concentration camp photos got tags like "jungle gym" and

Tech news

Chrome outpacing Firefox in desktop browser market C

oogle's Chrome keeps gaining in popularity over rival Firefox, which has failed to garner much in the way of users as seen in Web traffic numbers recorded by Net applications.

Google's desktop browser owns more than a quarter of all Web traffic, according to the latest stats from Web tracker Net Applications.

For the month of June, Chrome's share of Web traffic across the world rose to 27.2 percent from 26.3 percent in May, 25.6 in April and 24.9 in March. During the past year, Chrome's share has shown a significant rise from the 19.3 percent in June 2014.

According to tech website CNET, Chrome’s rise may be because Google's browser has long been considered cleaner and less bloated than Microsoft's Internet Explorer and even Mozilla's Firefox. By default, Chrome eschews menu bars, toolbars and other items that chew up valuable

version of iOS boots up, a new Music icon will appear on the quick access bar at the bottom of the screen.

Users interested in trying out Apple Music can do so free for three months.

After that, it will cost $9.99 a month for a single user or $14.99 for up to six users.

(Tech News World)

Apple Music screenshots

AdlensFocuss eyeglasses switch focus with the twist of a dial

few years ago, UK-based Adlens developed self-adjustable glasses designed to let those in the developing world dial in their ideal magnification level – no optometrist required. Now the company is bringing the technology to the developed world as an alternative to bifocals.

Instead of looking through a different area of the lenses (and tilting your head forward and back) to switch from near to far objects, the magnification of the AdlensFocuss glasses is adjusted by a small dial on the arm.

Manipulating a small dial on the inside of the temple arm squeezes the lenses together or pushes them apart, altering the magnification rate. This allows the glasses to instantly switch between three different settings – distance, mid and reading – that are pre-set with the user's prescription.

Adlens calls this technology Variable Power Optics (VPO) and says it provides four times the viewing area of the best noline bifocals, which require the wearer to move their head around to find the focal sweet spot.

Tech BYTE

vices," Warren continued.

"With live radio, human curated playlists and access to your iTunes purchase history, I'm really liking Apple Music."

Apple on Tuesday pushed Apple Music to the company's faithful in iOS 8.4, an upgrade of its mobile operating system. When the new

"sport."

After Google learned of the incident with Alcine's photo, the company apologized immediately and tried to fix it.

"We're appalled and genuinely sorry that this happened," a Google spokespersonsaid, "There is still clearly a lot of work to do with automatic image labelling, and we're looking at how we can prevent these types of mistakes from happening in the future."

Smartphone 'kill switch' law takes effect in California

alifornia is now smartphone "kill switch" territory.Starting July 1, smartphones sold in the state must come with software that lets users lock a stolen phone so it can't be used, making it harder to resell.

Crime statistics show the tech is already working.

The so-called software is designed to make stealing smartphones essentially pointless by

allowing owners to remotely lock their device so no one can use it.

The technology, which includes Apple's "Activation Lock" and Google's "Device Protection," has become a key selling point among phone manufacturers that offer peace of mind to protect customers' information if a phone is stolen, and hopefully discourage thieves from stealing it in the first place.

In the past several years, government officials have noticed an "epidemic" of phone thefts, particularly in large cities. Thieves often steal phones and sell them to cartels and shops that often ship them to willing customers overseas.

The technology industry's answer has been to create software that responds to a theft by requiring users to input a passcode before it can be unlocked or restored to factory settings.

The technology looks to be working: In 2013, 3.1 million Americans had their phones stolen, according to a study published by Consumer Reports last month. Last year, that number fell to 2.1 million, according to the report.

The bill, which was sponsored by California state Sen. Mark Leno and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, received some pushback from the wireless industry before it was passed.

The industry argued a kill switch could be exploited by hackers, but supporters of the law have questioned the motivations of mobile carriers, which have lucrative deals with insurance partners.

California is the second state to mandate kill switch software. Last May, Minnesota was first to pass a kill switch bill, but that law does not require the feature come turned on as the default setting when a consumer initially sets up his or her new smartphone -- a distinction supporters of the California law deem very important.

18 Times Sunday Magazine

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JULY 5, 2015

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Whether you have a small or large formal dining room or outdoor space, adding a bistro set makes for an intimate dining experience.

Ingredients Cooking spray 1 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 (16-ounce) package broccoli

florets 2 1/2 cups per cent reducedfat milk 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)

A bistro is defined as a small casual and inexpensive dining setting experience, adapted from the original, small Parisian outdoor cafes or restaurants into homes or their gardens

Method Bistros are defined by the food they serve. Their simple, homecooked menus are usually from French, Italian or more recently Asian home-cooked meals, which led to the traditional terms French Bistro or Italian Bistro

Heat a large non-stick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sautĂŠ 3 minutes or until tender.

Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended.

Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper.

Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Serves 6 (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

GREATEST KITCHEN TIPS

P

otatoes soaked in salt water for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly.

When making a tomato based pasta sauce, add a little grated or ground carrot. It adds a small element of sweetness and reduced the acidic, sourness of tomatoes.

If you want to give salad a subtle garlic flavour, rub a cut garlic pod on the inside of the salad bowl before you toss the salad.

To ensure that your pasta absorbs the flavour of the sauce, don't cook the pasta in advance. Toss it in the sauce immediately after the cooking liquid is drained. Cooked pasta absorbs flavour best when hot.

In many homes, a bistro dining area, following the style of the original bistros, is added in the kitchen, in addition to a formal dining room

T

HOME HELP

o clean your washing machine, fill your washer with warm water and add a gallon of distilled vinegar. Run the machine through the entire cycle to unclog and clean soap scum from hoses.

To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it up.

To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar.

For whiter cotton socks, boil in water to which a lemon slice has been added.

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JULY 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

jokes

A

family had twin boys whose only resemblance to each other was their looks.

If one felt it was too hot, the other thought it was too cold. If one said the TV was too loud, the other claimed the volume needed to be turned up. Opposite in every way, one was an eternal optimist, the other a doom & gloom pessimist.

Just to see what would happen, on the twins' birthday their father loaded the pessimist's room with every imaginable toy and game. The optimist's room he loaded with horse manure.

That night the father passed by the pessimist's room and found him sitting amid his new gifts crying bitterly. "Why are you crying?" the father asked.

"Because my friends will be jealous, and I'll have to read all these instructions before I can do anything with this stuff.

I'll constantly need batteries, and my toys will eventually get broken," answered the pessimistic twin.

Passing the optimist twin's room, the father found him dancing for joy in the pile of manure. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.

To which his optimist twin replied, "There's got to be a pony in here somewhere!"

T

here was this guy watching T.V. and he heard a knock at the door. So he got up to get it, and when he opened the door,all he saw was a snail.He picked it up and threw it as far as he could.

Three years later he was watching T.V. and someone knocked at the door,so he got up to get it, and there wasthe snail. The snail looked up at the guy and said,"What in the heck was that for?"

T

wo men were walking home after a Halloween party and decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery just for laughs.

Right in the middle of the cemetery, they were startled by a tap-tap-tapping noise coming from the misty shadows.

Trembling with fear, they found an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at one of the headstones.

"Holy cow, Mister," one of them said after catching his breath. "You scared us half to death -- we thought you were a ghost! What are you doing working here so late at night?"

"Those fools!" the old man grumbled.

"They misspelled my name!"

Daffy Definitions Avoidable - What a bullfighter tries to do.

Baloney - Where some hemlines fall.

Cadillac - Lack of cattle.

Dieting - The penalty for exceeding the feed limit.

Eyedropper - A clumsy ophthalmologist.

Flying Saucers - The wife is on a rampage Gossip - 24-hour teller.

Holy Smoke - A church on fire.

Dialogues Sailor: I was shipwrecked, and lived on a can of sardines for a week.

Captain: My, weren't you afraid that you'd fall off?

Teacher: What do letters B.C. mean?

Pupil: Before Calculators.

Teacher: Say, you can't sleep in my class.

Student: I could if you didn't talk so loud.

R

ecent publications by the American Psychological Association and others suggest that well developed joint custody arrangements are often best for helping children survive the impacts of divorce.

Like all good parents in a divorce situation, you want what's best for your children, so you decide to try the joint custody approach.

How do you as dad successfully coordinate the scheduling, parenting and other challenges of share custody?

1. Put the children first.There will be times you and your ex-wife need to compromise. While, for example, you agree to have piano lessons on "her days," there will be times the lessons have to be moved to "your days." Understand and accept the realities of parenting and be flexible. Make sure that the needs of your children are more important to you than your convenience and schedule.

2. Don't just take the "Disneyland Dad" approach. The "Disneyland Dad" is one who makes sure the kids only have fun when

they are with him and leave the hard parenting to the mothers. Take an active role as a parent and show interest in your child.

Help with discipline and schoolwork, and volunteer.

3. Communicate with your ex. Next to putting kids first, the best thing you can do is to keep the lines of communication open.

Keep talking to their mom and keep her in the loop. Whether or not you can still stand your ex, you need to for the children's sake.

Make sure you both know what is going on in their lives.

4. Don’t have your children choosing sides. Always show respect to your children's mom in their presence, no matter how bad you feel she treated you.Children can and should love both their parents in a shared custody situation. They should not have to choose.

STORY TIME

O

nce a cap-seller was going to sell his caps in a village market. He was going through a forest. He was carrying a basket of red caps on his head. He got tired in the heat of the sun. He lay down under a tree to take rest. He put his basket on the ground. He fell asleep.

There were monkeys on that tree. They came down and took the caps. Then they

By Grammar G

Reflections England, Awake!

A beautiful great lady, past her prime, Behold her dreaming in her easy chair; Grey robed, and veiled; in laces old and rare, Her smiling eyes see but the vanished time, Of splendid prowess, and of deeds sublime.

Self satisfied she sits, all unaware That peace has flown before encroaching care, And through her halls stalks hunger, linked with crime.

England, awake! from dreams of what has been, Look on what IS, and put the past away.

Speak to your sons, until they understand.

England, awake! for dreaming now is sin; In all your ancient wisdom, rise to-day, And save the glory of your menaced land.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

climbed on the tree. When the cap-seller woke up, he was surprised to see that monkeys were wearing his caps. He became sad. He thought of a plan.

He threw his own cap on the ground. The monkeys also threw down their caps. He collected his caps and went away.

Moral: Wit works where strength fails.

Grouping groups

M

any of us may know A caravan of camels some collective nouns; A clowder of cats some more than othA drove of cattle ers. Collective nouns are said A gang of elks to have been popular during the A convocation of eagles English Middle Ages and were A gaggle of geese important to learn not just as a A murder of crows sign that you had some culture A cloud of grasshoppers and good breeding, A skulk of foxes but also because it was important during those times, when hunting was the main means of a food supply.

S c h o l a r s though are still undecided and divided on the idea that it was medieval hunters who came up with these terms, but A kindle (of kittens) was around long they do provide before the digital reading device some entertaining descriptions today.

The Cambridge English A peep of chickens Dictionary defines a collective A troop of monkeys noun as a noun that describes A knot of toads a group of things or people as a A parliament of owls unit.

Besides a swarm of bees But it was not just animals (which also includes a bike; that were given collective nouns; drift or hive of bees), see how consider a misbelief of paintmany from this animal list you ers; a tabernacle of bakers; a may know - or believe… sentence of judges; a melody of harpers; a shuffle of buAn army of ants reaucrats; a rash of derma-

tologists; a party of friends or a faith of merchants.

As the dictionary defines, there are collective nouns for things from those we commonly use to the not so common. Some are from medieval times and some are more modern:

A quiver of arrows A library of books A soufflé of clouds A cluster of diamonds A cocktail of drugs A pantheon of gods A rainbow of reasons A hug of teddy bears Collective nouns can be either singular or plural, depending on context.

20 Times Sunday Magazine

JULY 5, 2015

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Times Sunday Puzzle

Each pair of hints below relates to two words. One of the words is the other one spelled backward. Example: married, moisture. Answer: wed, dew.

1. light source, rodents 2. dwell, wicked 3. retain, sneaking look 4. weapons, tight fit 5. portion, catching device see solution on page 23

2

5

2

6 7

1

6

7 8

9

3 4

8

2

3 7

2

8

7 5

5 4

1

Daily Sudoku: Sun 28-Jun-2015

see solution on page 23

7 5 6

8 3 4

1 9 2

9 2 1

5 4 8

6 7 3

2 6 5

3 1 7

4 8 9

3 9 4

1 2 5

7 8 6

6 5 7

9 3 2

4 1 8

8 4 3

5 6 9

2 7 1

1 2 8

9 6 7

5 3 4

8 4 3

6 7 1

2 9 5

7 1 9

4 8 2

3 5 6

Daily Sudoku: Sun 28-Jun-2015

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2015. All rights reserved.

5 9

2 7

3 1

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2015. All rights reserved.

5

hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

see solution on page 23

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JULY 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 21

Times Kids

T

Creature Corner he YacarĂŠ caiman (Caiman yacare) is similar in appearance to the spectacled caiman, and reaches a maximum adult length of 3 metres (9.8

feet).

It can be found in central South America, including north-eastern Argentina, Uruguay, south-eastern Peru, eastern Bolivia, central/south-west Brazil, and the rivers of Paraguay.

Once heavily hunted for its valuable skin but now protected, the YacarĂŠ caiman is found in incredibly large populations within the Brazilian Pantanal.

Some 10 million YacarĂŠ caiman can be found there, representing what is quite possibly the largest single crocodilian population on Earth.

Adults feed primarily on a wide variety of fish and birds, with the occasional capybara taken by larger individuals. Their love for piranha fish especially, has given them the nickname the piranha caiman.

Their relatively small size makes them a potential prey of the jaguar and anaconda.

GEOZONE

Tropical and Temperate Rainforests

Maze Daze

Location of tropical (dark green) and temperate (light green) rainforests in the world

T

here are two types of rainforests on Earth: tropical rainforests and temperate rainforests.

They are called rainforests because they receive a high amount of rainfall throughout the year. Both tropical and temperate rainforests are lush with dense vegetation, and wet.

Tropical rainforests lie between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, through which the equator runs. Temperate rainforests can be found along some coasts in temperate zones.

Unlike the tropical rain forest which has a warm, stable climate, the temperate rainforest has seasonal variation, with high summer temperatures and near freezing

winter temperatures.

Fifty seven percent of all tropical rainforests is in South America, with the largest and most well known Amazon Rainforest. Other tropical rainforests are located in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands (25 per cent of the world's tropical rainforests) and West Africa (18 per cent).

The largest temperate rainforest stretches for some 1,200 miles along the North American Pacific coast.

Smaller temperate rainforests are on the southeast coast of Chile in South America. A few other coastal strips with temperate rainforests include small areas in Norway, Japan, New Zealand, and southern Australia.

Colouring Fun

please see solution on page 23

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order.

Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

World of Wonder EXPLORING THE REALMS OF HISTORY, SCIENCE, NATURE & TECHNOLOGY

22 Times Sunday Magazine World of Wonder

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JULY 5, 2015

EXPLORING THE REALMS OF HISTORY, SCIENCE, NATURE & TECHNOLOGY

The Ancient Egyptians

By Laurie Triefeldt

PART ONE OF FOUR — COLLECT ALL FOUR AND MAKE A GIANT POSTER

Across the globe, different cultures and religions have developed unique stories or myths to explain the mysteries of the natural world. From gods and heroes to tales of creation, a surprising number of cultures had symbols and themes in common, even when they lived oceans or centuries apart. Myths have been handed down through history, and it is important to respect the religious beliefs associated with them.

The Greeks and Romans

The Greeks and Romans shared many deities (gods and goddesses) and myths. These ancient gods had some very human characteristics, and their stories were full of drama.

The classics

Myths played an important religious role in many societies and were often considered sacred. Icarus wore wings that melted when he flew too close to the sun.

Roman roots There is an ancient story about how the city of Rome came into being. Romulus and Remus were twin brothers raised by a wolf. The brothers argued, and Romulus killed Remus. Then he built the city of Rome on the Tiber River.

Nekhbet was the vulture goddess of Upper Egypt.

Wadjet was the cobra goddess who looked after Lower Egypt.

Neith was the great Egyptian mother goddess.

Horus Sky god

Hera was the jealous sister and wife of Zeus.

Human heroes were often as important as the gods in Greek mythology. Some heroes were half-god and halfhuman, while others were entirely mortal. Jason, Theseus and Oedipus were famous Greek heroes.

Borrowing The Romans borrowed many of the Greek deities and gave them new names.

Greek

Roman Position

Aphrodite Venus love Ares Mars war Artemis Diana hunting Athena Minerva wisdom Dionysus Bacchus wine Eros Cupid love Gaea Terra earth Hera Juno marriage Hermes Mercury travel Hypnos Somnus sleep Hades Pluto underworld Poseidon Neptune sea Zeus Jupiter king of gods

Animal gods Many of the Egyptian gods took the form of animals that lived in or along the Nile. Sebek was a crocodile god who symbolized strength and skill in battle. Khnum was a ram-headed god who created mankind on a potter’s wheel with clay from the Nile. Apis was a bull-god, often described as the reincarnation of the god Ptah. Ptah was the god of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis; he is credited with creating the world.

Some Egyptian deities

Zeus was the king of all the Greek gods.

Bastet was a cat goddess, and an Egyptian goddess of protection.

Almost a god

The Nile River played an important part in the myths of ancient Egypt. Death is a common theme in Egyptian myths, as the ancients tried to come to terms with their vulnerability and mortality. Scholars believe that Egyptian mythology influenced the myths of many later cultures.

Isis Osiris Mother, God of wife the dead

Re

Amon-Re

Sun god

Chief god

Ares was the Greek god of war. He was the son of Zeus and Hera and the lover of the goddess Aphrodite.

Fetish figures are still used in parts of Africa today.

These icons protect an individual or village from evil spirits.

Pegasus, the winged horse, was born from the blood of the slain gorgon Medusa, who had snakes on her head instead of hair.

Psyche was a beautiful human princess. Aphrodite sent her son Eros to cast a spell on Psyche, but he fell in love with her instead.

In Greek mythology, centaurs were half man and half horse.

Modern Shona sculpture “River god”

by Richard Mteki from Zimbabwe

Africa

African myths reflect the diversity of its peoples. There are as many myths as there are regions, languages and tribes. Nature, ancestor and creation myths tend to dominate many stories.

Eshu is a god of the Yoruba people of West Africa.

Medusa

It’s Only Natural

Kuba mask, Congo African masks often represent mythological characters and play a vital role in many initiation rites.

Wood sculpture of an African thunder god

Eshu is associated with opportunity and messages. He carries questions to the gods and helps people at a crossroads make decisions, but his sense of humor can cause trouble.

The peoples of Africa have a strong sense of nature, and many of their gods and myths reflect this connection. The sky, sun, rain, mountains and rivers are often represented.

Another theme of African myths is the idea of a creation god who is very unhappy and disappointed with mankind.

Many African myths describe divinities that live in temporary homes called fetishes. A fetish can be a simple stone or an elaborate carved image. Some fetishes are thought to bring good luck.

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JULY 5, 2015

Times Sunday Magazine 23

World Times

Brazil welcomes close to 2,000 Syrian refugees A ccording to information from the Brazilian Ministry of Justice’s National Committee on Refugees (Conare), 1,894 Syrian refugees are sheltered in Brazil, whose total refugee population is 7,948.

Syrians make up 23.83 per cent of them, followed

by Colombians, Angolans, Congolese, Lebanese and Palestinians.

According to ANBA, the Brazil-Arab News Agency, in September 2013, Conare passed a resolution to facilitate the entry of Syrian refugees in Brazil, reducing the number of documents required.

The Brazilian diplomatic representation in the asylum-seekers place of residence gives them a

Jehad Alhafi fled the Syrian civil war and came to São Paulo, Brazil, to start a new life. His family joined him two months later. Here he enjoys a Sunday afternoon with his family in São Paulo's downtown Ibirapuera park. Six months after moving to Brazil he has already started a small business, enrolled three of his children in school, and has plans to send his oldest to law school next year.(CS Monitor)

A Toshiba’s “scorpion” crawler

fter a “snake” robot became the first of its kind to go into the ruins of one of the three wrecked reactors in Japan to look at melted nuclear fuel inside, a second robot, which raises its tail like a scorpion and is called the “scorpion” robot, is scheduled to crawl into the No. 2 reactor’s primary containment vessel.

Electronics company Toshiba, hopes that their robot, which is 54 cm long when it is stretched,will head

90-day tourist visa and, on arrival, they apply for shelter. The application is reviewed by Conare, which either approves or denies it.

The issues posed by a new language and culture clash are some of the challenges Syrian refugees encounter in Brazil – but not the only ones or the biggest. Here, they enjoy the same rights granted to any foreigner: they are allowed to study, work and apply for documents.

Along their journey, they experience the same problems the Brazilian population does.

Paperwork requirements when applying for documents and setting up businesses, and lack of safety are some of their

into the plant at the end of August.

According to Japan Today, officials hope the robot can see the fuel in the pressure vessel in the middle of the reactor. The fuel hasn’t been located exactly and studied because of the fatally high radiation levels nearby.

In April, the “snake” robot was sent inside the worst hit No. 1 reactor but was unable to spot melted-fuel debris there and “died” after three hours due to radiation levels.

This time, the “scorpion” crawler,

complaints.

Despite complaining about the troubles they face, refugees also praise the country.

“All of them acknowledge the opening that Brazil offered and point out the peacefulness to be able to restart their lives here. They say they feel welcomed”, says the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Brazil, Luiz Fernando Godinho.

International aid organizations are urging more countries to take in Syrians. The vast majority of the estimated 3.6 million who have fled are living in five countries near Syria; Lebanon and Turkey each host more than a million refugees.

which uses its scorpion-like tail to lift up a camera that can help investigators get an exact location on the fuel, will enter through a duct designed as a passageway for fuel rods.

It has been four years since an earthquake and a tsunami devastated much of Japan's Pacific coast and left the Fukushima nuclear power plant a dangerous ruin. Investigators are still trying to get a good look at the dangerous nuclear fuel left inside the three reactors that melted down.

Brain Teaser Answer 1. star, rats 2. live, evil 3. keep, peek

SUDOKU

4. guns, snug 5. part, trap

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

A

Malaysian minister dismissed some recent controversy in the country’s social media regarding the dress code for persons entering government agencies and departments.

On Thursday July 2, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, questioned why the dress code for people who go to government departments and agencies is being hotly discussed, especially on social media.

His comments followed a Facebook post by a woman who was asked to wear a sarong at the branch office of the Road Transport Department

(RTD) recently. She was considered not to have observed the dress code set for members of the public who go to RTD counters, and so was requested to wear the sarong.

According to The Malaysian Insider, he told reporters at the Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur that (the dressing) was not a problem if she was only going to the payment counter.

"However, if we are going to a government department office, we have to wear appropriate clothes... no need for official wear. This is Malaysia, and not Europe, and even in Europe, there are rules."

Malaysian Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim

He said too that the code was a hot topic especially on the social media, as though it had never been imposed before.

THE PHILONOIST

B

esides the 1934 song “Blue Moon” by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, a blue moon is a calendar expression meaning a full moon that occurs as the second full moon in a given month.

The term came about by mistake when an amateur astronomer in 1946, writing in the Sky & Telescope magazine, misinterpreted the reference to a blue moon in a 1937 edition of the Maine Farmer’s Almanac.

The almanac had since the 1800s, referred to the third full moon in a season, which was a rarity, as a Blue Moon. The magazine writer interpreted this blue moon to be the second full moon in a calendar month, and the term stuck.

In truth, a lunar month, which is the average interval between full

This photo of a blue moon was taken on New Year's Eve 2009. The blue refers to its rarity not colour (Photo: livescience)

moons, is 29 and a half days, while a calendar month is 30 and a half days; so two full moons in the one month, though possible is actually rare.

Astronomers note that a blue moon generally happens 41 times every century, or roughly once every 2.7

years. According to their calculations, the next blue moon would be July 31, 2015, following a July 1, 2015 full moon.

The first use of the expression though, was in a 1528 book where a blue moon referred to something that would never happen. In the 1700s there was the saying, “I’ll marry you when the moon is blue”, which meant there was no chance of marriage.

Over time, the saying became “once in a blue moon”, meaning something that rarely happens.

A literally blue moon did happen in 1883 when enough smoke and dust was present in the atmosphere to make the moon seem blue, following a volcanic eruption in Indonesia. It happened again in 1950 when smoke from Canadian bush fires filled the air.

24

Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JULY 5, 2015

Fun Times

Archie

Deception is apparent.

Someone near to you will try (March 21April 19) to hold you back or take advantage of you. Make sure that you are given credit for your input and achievements.

ARIES

With your ability to deal with people on all levels, TAURUS you should consider running (April 20for a position of leadership.

May 20) Your strong sense of fair play would make you an excellent candidate.

GEMINI Don't jeopardize your rep(May 21- utation at home or at work by June 20) participating in a gripe session or spreading gossip. For now, you are best off keeping your opinions to yourself.

CANCER

Work hard to reduce your debt load. You will move (JULY ahead much faster if you don't 5-July 22) have money preying on your mind. Keeping track of minor expenditures will help you cut costs.

LEO Take a moment to reflect.

(July 23- You do so much for others that Aug. 22) you deserve a little time to reassess your situation and find solutions to whatever isn't working for you.

Dilbert

If you need a change, VIRGO make it happen. If you face (Aug. 23- facts head-on, you will quickSept. 22) ly see what you need to implement in order to get ahead.

Look, see and do.

Turn over a new leaf.

LIBRA Apply the finishing touches (Sept. 23to overdue projects. Putting Oct. 23) things behind you will help build confidence, enabling you to face the future with optimism.

Peanuts

Pursue your own interests.

SCORPIO Catch up on your reading, or(Oct. 24Nov. 22) ganize your personal papers or take a day trip. Group activities are likely to end in disappointment.

Use your discretion if you SAGITTARIUS face a difference of opinion (Nov. 23when dealing with someone Dec. 21) in charge. You may not want to back down, but avoiding an argument will be necessary.

Expect to feel emotional-

CAPRICORN ly troubled. You want to help (Dec. 22others, but there will be tasks Jan. 19)

Calvin and Hobbes

you are not capable of doing.

Consult a trusted adviser for assistance before you proceed.

Nurture personal relationAQUARIUS (Jan. 20- ships by using incentives to get Feb. 19) everyone to pitch in and help get chores out of the way so you can spend quality time together.

PISCES You will be disappointed to (Feb. 20- learn that someone you trustMarch 20) ed has let you down. Keep your ideas and plans a secret, and don't share any personal information.