Guyana Times Sunday Magazine

Sunday

Times March 13, 2016

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Times Feature

Georgetown Seawall (K S Moses photo)

W

hile the lyrics of our national anthem sing of the “Green land of Guyana”, the coastal plains would not be included if it were not for the seawalls, or what Phillip Allsopp calls “Guyana’s ‘Great Wall’”.

With a history of constant struggle to prevent the sea from inundating the low-lying coastlands that most of the population inhabits, the construction and maintenance of the seawalls was – and still

remains – a vital and necessary battle for a country whose economy depends upon the fertile lands lying behind.

The sea has already reclaimed lands. A 1792 map of Fort William Frederick, then a Dutch Fort sited where Battery Road in Kingston now lies, showed two estates: Sandy Point and Keirfield which were situated north of present day Eve Leary.

However, within 12 years, both estates were no longer

evident; both reclaimed by the relentless Atlantic.

The Fort William Frederick garrison, which continuously faced the threat of flooding, awakened the authorities to the need for a sea defence. However, serious efforts were not undertaken until the period 1844-1847 when the area now known as Georgetown experienced a real danger of disappearing beneath the ocean, resulting in the residents of Kingston and Cummingsburg petitioning the authorities to do something urgently to protect life and property.

According to Allsopp however, both the Royal Engineers and the Colonial Office became locked in a fierce dispute over who was responsible for funding the venture. It was only when the health officer of the town reminded them that the abattoir and possibly the lighthouse could be overcome by the Atlantic with “catastrophic results” that the

Georgetown Seawall, circa 1900

bickering subsided.

Then, in 1853, the spring tides and strong north winds destroyed 180 feet of sea wall as tons after tons of granite sank in the mud or washed out to sea as continuous breaches occurred.

Again however, it was not until the 1855 flood from Kingston to Ogle, called the “Kingston Great Flood” by the historian James Rodway, that the colonial civil engineer was given full authority and funds to improve the defences.

On January 11, 1855, the colonial civil engineer reported that the waters had been very high, and within a week the tide had created more destruction of the inept defences than it had done in six months. With thousands of tons of stone washed away, it became obvious that urgent measures were needed to save

of a seawall up to Kitty, and later, on Siccama’s advice, a continuous wall from Kitty to Camp Street using his design after a previous start in 1872 had slid back into the ocean.

This was completed in 1882.

Since the coastline includes not only Georgetown and its environs, villages along the coast were also subjected to periods of intense flooding: the Plaisance front dam was once destroyed, inundating the village, as were some other East Coast villages such as Buxton, Friendship, and Bachelor’s Adventure.

In addition, a West Coast Demerara estate called Best was earlier reclaimed by the sea; Leguan and Wakenaam islands also show signs of reclamation in that at low water one can see evidence of roads

Seawall at Buxton (Amanda Richards' photo)

the town.

But by February 17, 1855 it was too late. Two days of spring tides and fierce surf rushed in to overwhelm sea defence embankments. The military barracks and the adjoining Kingston suburb were inundated with as much as five feet under water in some areas. The coastline from Thomas Lands, then known as Plantation Thomas Lands, to Plantation Ogle was not spared either, and the public road was flooded twice a day.

It was also reported that on March 17 the sea had reached the railway which now became the ad hoc sea defence, and the Lamaha Canal

once used by the inhabitants of the area.

During a breach on the Essequibo foreshore at Perth in 1956, remains of coffins were revealed from a cemetery that once stood there.

Over time the seawall was eventually extended all along the coast, with work continuously necessary to maintain its defence against encroachment and the dangers of loss of property, livelihoods, and lives.

According to Guyanese anthropologist, Dennis Williams, the Guyana shoreline was much further northwards than presently, but be-

Immigration Depot, Seawall, Georgetown, circa 1900s

exit was salted. Such was the state of affairs that all the colonial energies and funds were being spent pushing back the Atlantic Ocean.

This continued for a number of years: from 1856 - 1872 it was the threat of encroachment at the Thomas, Kitty, and Bel Air Plantations.

It was the Dutch engineer, Baron Hora Siccama, who, as acting colonial civil engineer between 1872 and 1882, and later consultant between 1882 and 1891, introduced the mud dam faced with stone design that became a “cheap and effective means of defence” against the relentless ocean.

The great Kingston flood resulted in the construction

cause of the warming of the earth as the Ice Age ended, “glacial meltwater caused a gradual rise in the level of the world’s oceans…, and ocean levels rose worldwide.”

Now modern scientists speak of this phenomenon intensifying due to global warming, and Guyana’s “Great Wall” faces new challenges in the years ahead.

In the words of Allsopp, if it wasn’t for our sea defences, there would be little life on the coastal plain except bird life and courida trees, for it would long ago have retreated to higher land where Bartica or Wismar would have staked their claims to be our capital city.

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MARCH 13, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

Workers take a break during the construction phase of the benab (LJHernandez photo)

S

ince the 1972 construction of the Umana Yana, one of Guyana’s most well-known buildings, and a national landmark, fire has claimed the building at least once before.

Sadly, on Sept. 9, 2014 this national treasure was once again completely destroyed in a fire reportedly of electrical origin. After more than a year, the Uama Yana is once again rebuilt; this time by 36 men from the Wai Wai village of Massakenari, in Region Nine.

Speaking in an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, contractor and Toshao Paul Chekima, who said that his uncle is the Wai Wai chief Elka who, along with others from the village, had built the original structure, explained that the rebuilding of the structure began Feb. 2, 2016, and was completed just over a week ago on March 6.

“Because the initial structure was built by the Wai Wai, we, of the same tribe, were selected to rebuild. The special techniques of weaving were passed down from

on boat, foot and tractor, courageously facing treacherous waters and other tri-

Intricate weaving

smooth hard finish by the Wai Wai who stomped the ground, feet unshod, moving rhythmically forward, backward and round and round as in a sort of tribal dance.

Sand was then placed over the area and a concrete foundation slab; complete with holes for the insertion of the poles was laid to protect the structure from dampness, given the nature of the shallow water table of the coastal soils.

Poles straight as arrows,

erations in the construction of buildings.

Unlike the traditional Amerindian building, nails were used to secure the roof against wind pressures - given its location.

After only 80 days, the Umana Yana, which means “the meeting place of the people”, was completed. On August 8, 1972, the flags of more than 80 nations fluttered proudly along the eastern edge of the Umana Yana’s compound as the

Men working to complete the national treasure

als to get to Georgetown.

Speaking on the need to preserve the new Umana Yana, Toshao Chekima’s advised that there is need “to be much more careful when installing electrical wires, because, after all, it is made from materials that are not fire proof.”

Contractor and Toshao Paul Chekima

our ancestors. These techniques are now being taught in the school in our village.

We brought most of the materials to rebuild Umana Yana from our village and other Amerindian villages.

We have woven the miina [special leaves] to make the roof,” Toshao Chekima revealed.

Toshao Chekima and one of the contracted skill men, Donny, spoke of the team’s challenging travel from their village to the capital city to rebuild one of their country’s national treasures.

Their feat, he mentions, included travelling for days

for the duration of their job rebuilding the Umana Yana, the men relaxed within

Guyana, as host to the prestigious event, was unable to afford the construction of a brick or concrete building, and time would not permit the erection of a new wooden building. In light of these constraints, the committee was enthused at the idea of an Amerindian benab.

The lawns of the former Mariners’ Club, at the northeastern end of High Street where it met with Battery Road, was selected as the ideal location for the benab that was to be constructed in the classic pattern of benabs built at Konashen by the Wai Wai people.

The Ministry of Foreign

Donny confessed that he looks forward to getting back home after spending more than a month away from his family. He added that he is eager to spend quality time with his three children and indulge in the delicious meals cooked by his wife.

When this publication visited the Amerindian Village at the Sophia Exhibition Centre where the team is being accommodated, hammocks were strung up.

While many Guyanese can’t imagine sleeping in hammocks for a long while,

them, after the day’s work, listening to music and chatting with each other in their temporary home.

The beginning

In 1972, members of the Non-Aligned Movement and Third World Nations chose Guyana as host of the first meeting of the Non-Aligned Nations. This was the first meeting of its kind to be held in the hemisphere.

Hosts of previous meetings had staged their affairs in buildings that can only be described as “glittering showcases”. A committee of government officials was assembled to identify a building to accommodate the conference.

Affairs was charged with the responsibility for the construction of the benab, with the assistance of the then Department of Interior Development.

The materials and work force were to be secured from the interior. Wai Wai chief Elka and around 60 Amerindians were recruited for the task. An architect was then commissioned to prepare plans for the building that would house the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Non - Aligned Nations.

A circular area of the lawn, about 26.8 metres in diameter, was cleared of grass and excavated, the soil levelled and compacted to a

Close-up of the roof

round wood saplings, vines and lush green troolie fronds culled from palm trees growing in profusion in swamp lands upriver were used by the Wai Wai. They climbed the smooth poles with remarkable agility, sat astride the round wood grids, or hung bat – like with legs high above the ground to secure the materials, utilising the techniques used by their countless gen-

meeting of the Non – Aligned Nations commenced.

The Umana Yana remains a powerful reminder of the diversity of our culture and evidence of the priceless knowledge and skills of our indigenous people. (Photos

by Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. Information on original Umana Yana by National Trust) (Cover photo: The completed Umana Yana benab)

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Times Feature

Dr Areefa Alladin advocates for healthy kidneys, especially for children

T

he Kidney Foundation of Guyana (KFG) was launched on World Kidney Day, March 10, 2010 at Herdmanston Lodge. The process was initiated by Emeritus Professor George Nicholson, UWI, an eminent Guyanese nephrologist.

He influenced a small core group - Vic Insanally, the late Hugh Cholmondeley, Terry Holder and Laurie Lewis (who was diagnosed with kidney failure); along with Joseph Singh, Deen Sharma, Claudette Harry,

Asafa George, Yolande Foo, Arleigh Rutherford, Surendra Persaud, Donald Trotman and Gail Robinson, to form the KFG. The foundation supports national health-care efforts aimed at reducing illnesses caused by hypertension, diabetes and obesity and to encourage partnerships that mobilize financial and other resources to assist individuals who suffer from, or are susceptible to, chronic kidney disease.

Furthermore, the foundation seeks to enhance official health capacity by assisting at-risk persons, patients and their relatives to access advice on managing their condition, to work with similar groups and exchange information and advice.

Full membership to the foundation is open to anyone over the age of 18, while associate membership is open to public or private agencies that provide haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis services, as well as corporate entities, desirous of supporting the work of the Foundation.

Currently, the management committee consists of a chairman, Major General (ret’d) Joseph Singh; Dr Claudette Harry who is the secretary/treasurer; Dr Surendra Persaud, chairman Public Awareness Committee, and members Dr Deen Sharma, Gail Robinson,

Yolande Foo and Dr Areefa Alladin.

Other members include Andrew Boyle, Asafa George, Arleigh Rutherford, Prof George Nicholson, Glynis Alonzo Nestor, Cindi Marks and Claudia Hinds.

The foundation was started based on Prof Nicholson's concern of the high incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) brought on by hypertension, diabetes and poor lifestyles, leading to the disease, and the need for dialysis, which at that time was not affordable and led to end state renal failure and death.

Additionally, it was founded to fulfil the need for public education and collaboration with the Ministry of Health, PAHO, community health workers, the media and other organisations.

KFG is funded by membership subscriptions, through contributions by corporate sponsors and fundraising, as well as pro bono work by members and the Foundation’s support volunteers.

“There is no cure for CKD, although treatment can slow or halt the progression of the disease and can prevent other serious conditions developing. The answer is therefore to prevent kidney disease. This can be done by following these simple steps: keep fit and active; move your

Emeritus Professor George Nicholson

feet (walk, run, swim, dance, and hike, take the stairs); keep regular control of your blood sugar level; monitor blood pressure; eat healthy and keep weight in check; maintain a healthy fluid intake; do not smoke; do not take over-the-counter pills on a regular basis; do not take anabolic steroids, vitamin D and other substances that can calcify the kidneys; do not use proteins in large quantities, since this can cause kidney stones. All these should be done from childhood,” Dr Claudette Harry outlined in

an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Dr Harry also stated that high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes are the most common causes of kidney disease. She added that “obesity and overweight are known to be powerful indicators of the tendency to develop diabetes”.

“High blood pressure causes just over 25 percent of all cases of kidney failure. Diabetes has been established as the cause of around 33 percent of all cases of kidney failure and is the commonest cause of end stage renal disease in most developed countries. Diabetes is also the primary cause of illnesses suffered by nearly one half of all Guyanese patients who experience severe kidney failure,” she pointed out.

According to the doctor, in 2000, the World Health Organization studied the prevalence of diabetes in Guyana and found this in just over 3 percent of the population. The projection was that this would almost double by 2030. The survey also found that in the 30-year-old population one in every 4 women and one in every 12 men were obese or overweight.

Dr Harry mentioned that at the time of the foundation’s launch, there was one dialysis centre. However, there are now five centres providing outpatient treatment and the Georgetown Public Hospital currently offers inpatient treatment.

This is an indication of the number of persons who are undergoing dialysis treatment. The number in need may well be way above that.

“We are intensifying the foundation’s public awareness and education on care of the kidneys and especially of parents in caring their children's kidneys by avoiding poor eating habits and emphasizing regular health checks and exercise; adopting healthy lifestyles; collaborating with the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education, NGOs and civil society organizations to expand partnerships and national outreach using an interactive website and the media (including social media); expanding KFG's membership; and fundraising to carry out the plans of the KFG,” Dr Harry mentioned.

For more information on KFG, visit www.kfg. org.gy

guyanatimesgy.com

MaRCH 13, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

The ladies of WASD

Exhibitors at the WASD exhibition held at Pegasus

T

he Women's Association for Sustainable Development (WASD) was founded a year ago by veteran Guyanese designer Sonia Noel to “provide a sisterhood and empower women”.

WASD’s objectives are to provide a forum for business and professional women to relax, renew and rejuvenate, while providing support and mentorship to youths and members of the organization; to provide an environment conducive towards the formation of a sisterhood dedicated towards the development of self, family, society and country; to harness the skills and talents of professional women through networking and the exchange of ideas to create an advanced society; and to organize and build strong, confident, intelligent and empowered women who

are committed to the task of building a progressive society.

Recently, the organization held the Woman in Business Expo at the Pegasus Hotel. In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Noel said the event “was indeed a resounding success”.

“To see the massive turn out is to recognize the need for niche market activities like this one. The wide range of business enterprises represented attest to not only the determination of women, but proclaims the scope and range of women's entrepreneurial drive. From art and fashion to craft and confectionery, from make-up and hair needs to salon and spa services, from immigration services to janitorial services, from destination marketing tours to business/financial services, from home

decor options to culinary packages, the full spectrum of creative business alternatives were evident at the expo. The Women's Association for Sustainable Development can surely feel proud of this pioneering initiative,” expressed Noel.

WASD also recently met with Ambassador Mordehai AmihaiBivas of Israel. The meeting was held at the Pegasus with women manufacturers, service providers, arts and craft producers as well as farmers. Ambassador Mordehai Amihai-Bivas and Mr Braithwaite (a US-based Guyanese businessman) expressed how impressed they were with the women at the exhibition and promised to assist in the empowerment process through their respective offices.

Noel mentioned that WASD plans on having numerous developmental projects for small businesses and communities throughout the year. Recently, she and other members visited the women prison in Berbice where they conducted a motivational session. Noel said the aim behind this project was to “give the women hope that there is life after prison and the need to be strong and hopeful”.

Local actress Sonia Yarde did a dramatic piece for the ladies at the Berbice women prison as part of this outreach activity. The WASD team was also able to spread hope and love to the men at the Berbice

prison.

These activities by WASD were all part of its celebration of International Women's Day. On February 19, 2016, the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development officially launched its Linden chapter at the residence of Francine Major in Amelia’s Ward.

The Linden chapter members are Setra O’Selmo (president), Crystal Lam (secretary), Maureen Muss (treasurer), and Francine Major (committee member).

Noel, executive president of the national chapter, and three members of the executive committee (Lucria Rambhlack, Akilah Flo Bourne and Margo Boyce) were in attendance at the inaugural event.

The highlights of the evening featured poetry, dance and fashion displays by young and extremely talented designers, including the Linden Barber and Beauty Supply Association, which treated guests to an exquisite line of clothing made from hair.

Noel in her remarks stated that the women of WASD have the opportunity to help transform the lives of women and communities in Guyana. She stated that “empowered women have the confidence, vision and resolve to transform their lives and that of their families as well as communities where they live and serve”.

“WASD is the beginning of a love

One of the female inmates at the Berbice prison interacts with WASD's founder Sonia Noel

revolution that is taking Guyana by storm. Today it is Linden; tomorrow it will be another community.

WASD is the agent of social change throughout our nation,” Noel declared.

According to Noel, WASD will soon launch its Berbice chapter, something herself and team are proudly looking forward to.

For more information, visit Women's Association for Sustainable Development on Facebook.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Times Book World

God-Nature whispers impishly; ’Tis time to live anew.

Rajkumari Singh (1923-1979)

By Petamber Persaud

T

he season of Phagwah is here again,ushering in spring time;a new year according to the Hindu calendar (see previous article “Calendars and their literature”).

The first poem I came across on the subject,written by a woman writer,stalled any further search long enough for the theme of International Women’s Day, “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality” to broaden a smile on my

computer screen, giving further validation to my ongoing campaign of offering effective treatment to women writers.

First let’s enjoy an extract of the poem: Phalgun

By Rajkumari Singh There is a cool caress In the breeze that hails the Spring.

Young leaves rustle joyously And birds trill on the wing…

The last line reads it is time to live anew. New approaches to old habits and new approaches to old treatments of women. All of which brings me to a remarkable woman, Rajkumarie Singh.

Crippled by polio from early childhood, Rajkumari Singh beat overwhelming odds, leaving behind a significant legacy of a life well lived - functioning as a captain in the Guyana National Service, a Para-military organisation, establishing herself as the first recognised East Indian woman writer in Guyana, pioneering and enhancing the slighted “coolie art forms”, raising eight children of her own and becoming the “surrogate cultural and artistic mother to younger writers and artists”.

Poetess, playwright, broadcaster, feminist, political activist, Rajkumarie Singh was born in 1923, in Lamaha Street, Georgetown, daughter to the eminent social reformer, Dr. Jung Bahadur Singh, and cultural activist Alice Bhagwandai Singh. Her father founded the Maha Sabha and was president to the British Guiana East Indian Association for a number of years,and her mother founded the British Guiana Dramatic Society and the Balak Sahaita Mandalee, a child welfare organisation.

The Singh clan is a literary and culturally gifted fam-

ily running into third and fourth generations of playwrights, poets and performing artistes.

As early as the 1940s, still only a teenager, Rajkumari Singh was making her mark on society as a member of the British Guiana Dramatic Society promoting the right and duty of the East Indian to maintain their cultural identity.

In her poem “Per-Ajie”, she paid what Jeremy Poynting described as “special homage to the steadfastness of Indian Women, whose virtues she saw as central to the character of the Indo-Guyanese as a people”: I can see/How in stature/ Thou didst grow/Shoulders up/Head held high/The challenge/In thine eye

And she was successful, according to Vibert Cambridge, in demystifying “the aesthetics of Guyanese of Indian ancestry”, leading to a greater appreciation by others.

Rajkumari Singh, like her parents, was a pioneer and pacesetter, founding a Writers Association, the Messenger Group, the School for Handicapped Children, and the Guyana Cooperative College.

She was also a quality team-player as seen in her role as a Vice-Chairman of the National History and Arts Council, as a member of International P. E. N. (Guyana Group) and in her support for the Annandale Writers’ Group.

In May 1973, she supported her son, Gora Singh, who presented Heritage, a day of poetry, song, dance

meditate, and celebrate, to contemplate and to write.

Her home was a cultural centre for Georgetown and it is a fitting tribute to this indomitable mother-figure that the Rajkumari Centre for Indo-Caribbean Arts & Culture was established in New York.

She was actively involved in a number of social, educational and religious organisations, some she cofounded like the Guyana Wheelchair Association and the Council for the Affairs & Status of Women in Guyana (CASWIG).

She was deeply involved in the Children’s Convalescent Home, Balak Sahitya Mandalee, Dharma Shala, the Red Cross and other service organisations.

From 1947 to 1964, she did broadcasting on Radio Demerara and British

Dr Jung Bahadur and Mrs. Alice Bhagwandai Singh, her parents

Rajkumari Singh was a versatile political creature, concerned about the welfare of women. During 1960s, she was made a member of the commission that investigated the racial savagery and sexual brutality meted out to East Indian females during the civil disturbance at Wismar in 1964.

This led her to posit that there must be better understanding and greater tolerance between blacks and Indians. So she joined the Guyana National Service, believing that Indians must be part of the mainstream or become voiceless.

While she was part of the Cultural Division of the Guyana National Service, there was “a brief period of visibility of Indian artists and writers, which stimulated a small explosion of Indo-Guyanese writing”.

This led to the formation of the Messenger Group that put on several public shows and produced the journal Heritage in order to draw public attention to the “coolie art forms”.

and drama to mark 135th anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Guyana.

In 1960, she published “A Garland of Stories” exploring various themes like racial prejudice and racial integration.

In 1966, she won the prize for the best radio play with “Roraima”.Her other plays are “Hoofbeats at Midnight”, “The Sound of her Bells”, “A White Camellia and A Blue Star”, and “Bohemian Interlude”.

In 1971, she published “A Collection of Poems”, which tells of her perception and true feeling about issues affecting her. That collection was dedicated firstly to her parents “as a token of gratitude for bequeathing to me and mine the beauty of their lives”, and to her “pied playmates” including Rooplall Monar, Gushka Kissoon, Marc Matthews, Sheik Sadeek, A. J. Seymour, Martin Carter, Doris Harper-Wills, Lynette Dolphin, Mahadai Das….

Those were some of the people that found an oasis in the home of Singh to meet,

Guiana Broadcasting Service. She also did broadcasting for the BBC between 1958 and 1959.

In 1970, she was honoured by her country with the Golden Arrow of Achievement (A.A.) following the footsteps of her illustrious parents; her mother was made a MBE and her father CBE. In 2002, Rajkumari Singh was among the first Guyanese to receive the Wordsworth McAndrew Award, New York.

In 2005, The Guyana Annual under the editorship of Petamber Persaud has established The Rajkumari Singh Writing Poetry for Children Competition.

Her poetry output is small but poems like “PerAjie” and “Days of the Sahib” can be found in numerous anthologies.

Rajkumari Singh died in 1979, leaving a distinctive mark on Guyanese imaginative literature.

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

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 13 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

(CONCLUSION)

T

he three companies: British Guiana Timbers Ltd., Willems Timber and Trading Co. Ltd. and Charlestown Sawmills Ltd. are described as having laid the foundation for the mid-20th century’s, ‘Golden Age of greenheart’ in Guyana. van der Hout writes that with better mechanisation and improved access to the heavily forested interior regions, “By 1957, there were 104 woodcutting leases, covering nearly 860,000 ha, and 92 sawmills. The output of timber was 210,000 m3 per year, of which 63 per cent was Greenheart. About 50 per cent of all timber was exported; some 90 per cent of which was Greenheart.

These levels of timber output and export were maintained up to 1974.”

Hill, in his book at the turn of the century (19011902) noted that it was the construction of a railway– although only a few years old at the time – between the upper reaches of the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers, con-

Timber being prepared by Asian company in Guyana, Barama. Forests are logged in a manner such that harvesting does not result in a break in the overall rainforest canopy, states the Guyana Office for Investment website

necting the navigable portion of the Demerara River with the portion of the Essequibo Riverabove the dangerous falls that practically bar all further navigationin this river, which helped open up large forests of greenheart, mora and wallaba timber.

In 1959 local company Toolsie Persaud Limited, a self-described pioneer in the development of Guyana's timber sector, began its logging and sawmilling operations. British Guiana Timbers Ltd, which had become nationalised as Guyana

Main Street, Georgetown, 1910 (Andrew Jeffrey photo)

East Street, Georgetown, 1910. This area is now filled in to accommodate a car park (Andrew Jeffrey photo)

Timbers Ltd, would be once more privatised in 1992 and renamed Caribbean Resources Ltd. Moving into the late 20th century, concerns began to mount regarding the sustainability of greenheart resources.However, more areas were soon opened up for logging, developing from manual or cattle haulage to industrial era steam, gasoline, trucks and semi-trailer technology, along with chainsaws and wheeled skidders;consequently, greenheart production continued.

This opening of new areas whenever supplies seemed in danger of becoming exhausted, says van der Hout, helped at the time to release “pressure to regulate timber harvests” in the country.

In 1979, the Guyana Forestry Commission was established to replace the Forest Department. It is the government agency responsible for the administration and management of the 13.6 million hectares of land classified as State Forest.

However a poor national economy led to a decline

in revenue in the industry and the Guyana Forestry Commission soon found its activities “limited to the issue of woodcutting licenses, the occasional adjudication of boundary disputes, and the assessment and collection of revenues.”

In the 80s, Forest Regulations were amended, aimed at improved forest management.

According to van der Hout, it was the declining Asian and African timber market of the 1990s that led Asian timber companies to establish themselves in Guyana, among other South American countries, and in 1992 one such company established a large plywood mill which saw a shift from sawn timber to plywood species production.

This shift towards plywood species raised the number of readily marketable species from a handful to about 25. The most important plywood species is Catostemma commune (Baromalli).

However, the arrival of foreign owned companies, he adds, also led to a recovery of the production of Greenheart.

After 1996, the-then languishing Guyana Forestry Commission saw an Institutional Strengthening Programme that sought to improve the services and performance of the Commission.

One of the Forest inventory procedures produced by this initiative was the log tracking system, introduced in 2000, which can provide evidence on the legitimacy, location and magnitude of forest operations, including those in state forests, indigenouslands and private properties.

Guyana also started working on a national forest certification initiative in that same year, which was finalised in 2005.

Currently, 120 species of timber are logged in various forms, with 12-15 of these on a commercial scale.

The most sought after species include Greenheart (Colubrina arborescens or Chlorocardium rodiei), Mora (Mora excelsa and Mora gonggrijpii), Baromalli (Catostemma altsonii), Purpleheart (Peltogyne spp), Crabwood (Carapa guianensis), Kabakalli (Goupia glabra), and Wamara (Bocoa prouacensis).

The Demerara Essequibo Railway in British Guiana. Referred to as the light Railway line, it was 18 ¾ miles long

Logging Bulletwood in Berbice.

According to the GO Invest website, approximately 52 percent of State Forests have been allocated to timber harvesting concessions

8 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 13 , 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Travel & Tourism Vista of the gorge

G

uyana Times Sunday Magazine features this week breath-taking views, by Guyanese photographer Michael C Lam, of Chiung Falls, which can be seen in Kato, Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni). To see more of Lam’s scenic photos of Guyana visit www.

TheMichaelLamCollection.com Distant view of the Falls

Cascading Chiung Falls

Refreshing rapids

Spectacular view of Chiung's gorge

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 13 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

I

f you’re living a generally unhealthy lifestyle, you’re probably clued-in.

Most of us are aware that we shouldn’t be shovelling garbage down our throats at every opportunity, reaching for sodas, completely ignoring our bodies’ primal urges for exercise — but we do it anyway.

And we somehow are able to shut down the nagging voice in the back of our minds that tell us to knock it off and get ourselves into shape.

The message may come from our conscience, or even a doctor; we’ll still pretend that everything is OK. Even if those around us — friends, family, or co-workers — can clearly see that we’re hurting ourselves.

“Unhealthy” is an incredibly vague term, and can really refer to a lot of things. If you’re overweight, you may be considered unhealthy. The same may be true if you’re underweight or simply have a poor diet.

But what the word “unhealthy” is truly striking at is that there are some serious concerns to our overall physical and mental integrity. Concerns that need to be addressed, otherwise we may see our lives end years before they should.

Or, if we are able to survive, our quality of life could drop significantly.

So the question becomes how to tell if you’re unhealthy. Again,

be an indication that some aspects of your life need adjusting. Whether it be that you’re eating the wrong foods, ingesting too much caffeine late in the day, or not expelling enough energy during the day, not being able to sleep presents an issue — which cascades into further issues.

3. You have bodily waste issues

you probably already know — and the people around you do as well.

There are a number of ways that it manifests itself, too — ways that people can tell you’re unhealthy, just by looking or talking to you.

Or, in the case that you’re somehow unaware that your choices are harming your health, these manifestations could be a clue — they may present an eye-opening revelation that it’s time for change.

Here are seven tell-tale signs that you’re unhealthy, and that it’s time to do something about it.

1. You have bad skin

The quality of your skin is a sure-fire way to get a reading on your overall level of health. Of course, some people struggle with skin issues like acne and are otherwise perfectly fine — but skin quality can clue you in to some bigger problems. A poor diet can really impact your skin quality, and if you’re noticing blemishes like stretch marks? Well, that should tell you that something is wrong.

2. You can’t sleep

Not falling asleep at night can

Yes, it must be mentioned. Take note of the colour of your urine, and even how frequently you’re going No. 2 — those could both provide important insight into the state of your overall health. Since you’re going to ask, your urine should be a pale yellow colour — and hopefully odourless.

As for your bowel movement frequency, there’s a wide range. But if you’re going regularly, you’re probably fine.

And don’t ignore the grimy details during your investigation.

4. You rely on lip balm

If your lips are constantly chapped, and you find that you can’t live without lip balm, that’s your body’s way of telling you that something’s wrong. Specifically, your lip condition is an indicator of your vitamin levels. If your lips are chapped, you may be vitamin strapped — so diversify your diet,

and get the nutrients you need.

5. Your nails are gnarly

Your finger and toe nails can also give you a heads-up if you’re unhealthy. You’re going to want to be on the lookout for ridges, discoloration, and bumps — all of which should be red flags. Your nails can tell you a lot about your overall state of health, so if something is strange, don’t ignore it.

6. You’re always hot … or cold

Icy feet and hands aren’t normal. Yes, there could be environmental factors at play, but if you’re consistently finding that your extremities are ice cold, it can be a sign of cardiovascular problems.

Specifically, cold hands or feet might mean that you’re having circulation issues, and that your body isn’t getting blood where it needs to go. If this is a chronic issue, have it checked out.

7. Your thinking isn’t sharp

It’s becoming quite clear that our cognitive ability and brain health are closely tied to our physical condition. That means that obesity and elevated levels of body fat can have a significant impact on our ability to think and reason. It’s kind of scary, but also a very promising area of research.

So, if you can’t formulate a potent thought, it may be a sign that it’s time to drop some weight.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 13, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Fashion

D

uo Collection was founded by Guyanese designers Nadia Thomas Winter and her niece Natalya Thomas.

One of their most applauded collections, Ego Splash, is currently making waves regionally and internationally.

The collection, with its bright colours and prints, is perfect for those who yearn for comfortable clothing. The styles are effortless, elegant and fresh. This line offers swimsuits and readyto-wear outfits for women and young girls.

Duo Collection launched its collection in Guyana in December 2014. Nadia, an artist-designer- educator, has been in fashion for numerous years, and Natalya is a designer as well as the coordinator for Guyana’s Miss Guyana World.

The designers’ collections include women’s ready-to-wear clothing, business wear, evening gowns, wedding dresses and swimsuits. They also design and create uniforms for various companies.

Nadia and Natalya are presently working on a few projects in their studio based in Guyana. The designers hope to launch their new collection at their fashion show scheduled for December 2016.

For more information, visit Duo Collection on Facebook.

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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14 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Hollywood & Bollywood

Kate Middleton slammed by PETA for reportedly wearing fur gloves

K

ate Middleton has been criticised by PETA for reportedly wearing a pair of fur-lined gloves while skiing with her family in the French Alps.

The Duchess of

Cambridge appeared in a series of photos from the family’s private holiday last week and while the world gushed over how adorable ski bunnies Prince George and Princess Charlotte

looked in their attire, animal rights group PETA were looking at Kate’s gloves.

According to PETA, Kate was wearing Restelli Guanti gloves in the photos,

which are lined with possum fur – however, this has yet to be confirmed.

The black ski gloves, which are worth £295/ US$565, have apparently been worn by Kate since

2008, but PETA claims they will be contacting the muchloved royal if they are indeed made from possum fur.

“If the gloves are indeed made of real fur, we’ll be contacting Kate, who we imagine is unaware that possums killed for their fur are often caught in bonecrushing steel-jaw traps,” Mimi Bekhechi, the director of PETA U.K., told E! News.

“Animals who are not killed outright by these de-

vices can endure horrific injuries and languish for days before eventually dying of hunger, thirst or blood loss.

Some trapped animals, especially mothers desperate to return to their young, chew through their limbs in a frantic attempt to escape.

“Since so many humane, warm and fashionable fabrics are readily available, there’s no need to wear fur ­possum or otherwise,” Mimi said. (Yahoo)

Priyanka inspires Goa women cops

A

ctor Priyanka Chopra may have made it big internationally as an FBI sleuth in television serial Quantico, but for Goa policewomen, it is her role as spunky cop Abha Mathur in “Jai Gangajal” that has captured their imagination.

Speaking to reporters after attending a free screening of Prakash Jha’s latest film “Jai Gangajal”, where Chopra plays a feisty cop, a Superintendent of Police in the badlands of North India, policewomen in Goa were both enamored and inspired by the sense of leadership displayed by the fictional SP Mathur.

“Women are empowered from within. Whether the system supports or not, at the end women will decide the course of our lives,” Superintendent of Police (Anti-Terror Squad)

Priyanka Kashyap said, after the film screening organised in a cinema hall in the state capital.

“Women in leadership roles bring in healthy changes to the system and bring the much required change that the ‘system’ needs.”

The special screening for women police personnel was organised by the Panaji Riviera chapter of the Rotary club.

Police Sub Inspector Reema Naik, who also attended the Jai Gangajal screening said that the film was an inspiration for a police-woman like her.

“We have to stick to the truth and stand ground.

The worst that will happen is that you will be transferred, but that is better than going against your conscience,” she told reporters.

(Hindustan Times)

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MARCH 13, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending Now

Star of the week

From frayed to frilly, day to night, there is a reason why denim is everyone’s fave fabric. Get inspired for your next denim ensemble!

Give your jeans a feminine touch with some added floral embroidery.

They are bound to make a blooming good statement.

Dungarees are definitely the way forward.

Taylor Swift rocks this style with ease.

Go girly by wearing a denim dress.

Perfect for a casual day look.

Work that double denim!

A denim tee is perfect to throw on with a pair of jeans.

Divya Yabindranauth is an aspiring model, humanitarian, individualist – and dreamer, who is eager to represent Guyana on an international platform. The 20-year-old was raised in Tucshen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, but later migrated to the United States, at age 13. Presently, she resides in Houston, Texas with her parents and two younger brothers. Divya currently works as an administration assistant at W-Industries, while she simultaneously pursues her degree in Business Management. In her free time, she makes frequent visits to children at local area hospitals, and engages in outreach programmes through her church. Additionally, the philanthropist has been a part of the Saving Hands Emergency Aid, Inc., where she helps resource financial aid and medical treatment for individuals in dire need of medical care. Divya said she is truly honoured to be selected as the regional ambassador for Region One – Barima/ Waini in the 2016 edition of the Miss World Guyana competition.

Consequently, she will use every opportunity given to her to continue to help others. For more information on the beauty, visit Barima-Waini on Facebook.

Definitely make a statement in this jumpsuit.

Do denim with grownup elegance and absolutely smash the smart/casual dress code.

Forget about the denim mini skirt, it’s all about the midi skirt. When matched with a floral shirt and heels, you have yourself the perfect 80s look.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 13, 2016

Times Art

T

he National Collection at Castellani House is a sanctuary for the many artistic sculptures done by Guyana’s most notable artists.

Almost all of the sculptures in the National Collection are made out of wood, arising from the fact that accessibility to material is a necessary criterion for artists, and no doubt wood sufficed in this heavily-forested land.

It is also evident that sculptures in the National Collection predominantly emulate the human figure, ranging from the representational to the abstract in all manner of expression.

The oldest known Guyanese sculptor, Cedric Winter (1902-1974) is yet to be represented in the National Collection. The oldest-dated sculpture in the National Collection is “Spirit Guide” by the self- taught artist Philip Moore (19212012), referred to as the doyen of the Guyanese art world.

This piece was carved in 1947, almost two decades after the first Guyanese art ex-

"Bondage" Linden Maxwell (1993)

hibition in 1929 during the colonial period. While infused with spiritual motivation and self-realization of his African

"Mother and Child" Omawale Lumumba (1995)

ancestral homeland - a place where he never set foot – Moore’s sculpture embodies Guyanese mythology, folklore

and creole culture.

The grand exhibition in 1931, organized by Barbadian artist living in Guyana, Goldie White, nurtured an art group- the British Guiana Arts & Craft Society (BGACS). The group comprised of locals and foreigners and staged annual Christmas art exhibitions.

The group eventually gave birth to the Guianese Art Group (GAG) in 1944. Philip Moore was among those exhibiting with the BGACS in the latter 1940s.

The acclaimed “Father of Guyanese Art”, E. R. Burrowes, also of Barbadian heritage, left the BGACS and formed the Working Peoples Art Class (WPAC) in 1948 which existed for almost two decades until 1961. It was the first group of its kind that was structured in a way geared towards an art education process. During this time, the group members excelled, earning scholarships to Europe.

It was this group that decided the future of Art in Guyana.

While they were all painters, a few attempted sculpture, including E. R. Burrowes.

Burrowes’ alabaster miniature sculpture “Pomona”, in the National Collection, is truly a treasure.

Burrowes, after returning from his European scholarships pursuing studies in art, had developed his sculptural techniques to an extent that allowed him to execute large work such as the monument to the labour leader Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow

in 1964.

Two notable members from the WPAC, who earned scholarships, are Stanley Greaves and Denis Williams.

Greaves, who majored in sculpture, on his return, pursued painting relentlessly to such a degree of unimaginable distinction that his sculpture almost became dormant.

“Standing Figure”, also part of the National Collection, exemplifies the excellence which typifies both his sculptural and painterly work. Williams, who studied painting, later went on to broaden his area of studies when he pioneered the fields of archaeology and anthropology in Guyana. Williams, however, continued the trend of art groupings when he founded the E.R. Burrowes School of Art in 1975, which still functions as a formal institution responsible for the output of outstanding sculptors.

The self-taught sculptor Campton Paris, like Philip Moore, also enjoyed participating in the BGACS exhibitions during the 1940s. His sculptures, in the National collection, exemplified by his relief series of Caribbean writers, tell clearly of the interest in representational imagery which prevailed during his time especially among painters. Abstract art was not an option for him.

Parris gave way to Gary Thomas, who won numerous

1972.

Using the human form as the basis for distortion and variation combined with the technique of ‘holing’ and a smooth finish, Thomas was able to create dynamic compositions and movement in wood. Many of his titles, such as “Retrogression”, were never extraordinary or superficial but rather simple reflections from his secular life.

Among those influenced

by Thomas is the remarkable Sealey family - father, four brothers, one sister and a brother-in-law of the third son Andrea Sealey. The largest known artist/sculpting family in Guyana, they are all completely self-taught except for the sister who went on to formal training at the Burrowes School of Art. Andrea Sealey's fortunate state patronage by the late President Desmond Hoyte, sees his piece “Untitled” (Figures in Motion) becoming a part of the National Collection.

Omowale Lumumba, a master of design in the neoprimitive style, worked alongside Gary Thomas. These artists seemed interested not in the perfect form but in the perfect distortion which penetrates through mere outward appearance to the essence.

Simplification, narration, schematization and condensation are characteristics of their style and are frequently seen in the works of artists such as Ernest Van Dyke, Andrea Sealey and John Clowes, who came under their direct influence.

D e n i s Williams referred to these sculptors as the “country boys” and dubbed them the “Village Movement”.

Today, their style and technique echo in the work of artists like Ras lah and Marvin Phillips, who help to keep the movement alive on the Main Street avenue in Georgetown.

W i n s t o n Strick, artist of the era of Gary Thomas "Wilson Harris" Campton Parris (1976) and Omawale Lumumba, studnational awards including ied Architectural Drafting the first prize for sculpture and Fine Arts in the U.S. in the recent Guyana Visual He worked in a style that Arts Competition (2012). stressed a kind of illusionism Self- taught under the guid- rather than mass. His subance of Denis Williams, jects range from simple digThomas came onto the scene nified genre and figure studduring the exciting peri- ies to landscapes, all with an od that began at the end of emphasis on abstraction.

TO BE CONTINUED. the 1960’s and saw Guyana (Text by Castellani becoming a republic and House’s curator Ohene the birth of the Caribbean Koama) Festival of Arts (Carifesta) in

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 13, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Apple: FBI could force us to turn on iPhone cameras, microphones

A

pple’s head of services warns that the precedent set by the San Bernardino case could lead to company being forced to turn users’ smartphones into surveillance devices.

If the FBI wins in its case against Apple to help it unlock the

San Bernardino killer’s iPhone 5C, it won’t be long before the government forces Apple to turn on users’ iPhone cameras and microphones to spy on them, says Eddy Cue. According to Apple, making the modifications necessary in this case would set a dangerous prece-

dent in offering backdoors into users’ smartphones.

“Someday they will want [Apple] to turn on [a user’s] camera or microphone. We can’t do that now, but what if we’re forced to do that?” Cue said to Univision.

“Where will this stop? In a divorce case? In an immigration case? In a tax case? Someday, someone will be able to turn on a phone’s microphone. That should not happen in this country.”

The FBI is trying to access the locked iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers and insists it needs Apple’s assistance due to the software protections built into iOS, which require Apple’s unique signature.

Security expert and NSA surveillance leaker Edward Snowden believes that the FBI can unlock the phone, while other security re-

S

R

esearchers at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech) have created a miniature fuel cell they claim not only provides enough energy to keep a drone in the sky for over an hour, but may well

slippery slope.

The case will come to a head this month when Apple and the FBI go to federal court to contest the order.

Tech NEWS

Tech BYTE

tudents at Nativity of Mary School in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA are taking a field trip to many places around the world and it isn't costing the school a dime.

A report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper states that students look through Google cardboard virtual reality headsets and are instantly transported to Australia, Brazil and Singapore, to name a few.

The virtual reality app has 100 destinations as part of the pilot Google Expeditions Pioneer program, as well as talking points for teachers for each location.

Nativity of Mary is one of 100 schools in Minnesota that will get to take part in the pilot program.

Eighth-grader Alex Knoll got a view of life as a Syrian refugee. Fifth-grader Tatiana McKay looked up close at the tundra.

"It was cool because then we get to learn instead of just reading through books,” said McKay. “We actually get to see what it was like."

Google provides headsets and Wi-Fi as well as sends along a

searchers have said that for Apple to modify the iOS software of the iPhone 5C to allow the FBI to guess the passcode via a machine, without losing data, would be a

A

representative to help with training and any other questions that might come up during their virtual field trip. The company sug-

find applications in powering everything from smartphones to cars in the not-too-distant future.

Developed by Professor Gyeong Man Choi and his Ph.D. student Kun Joong Kim at Postech, the new solid oxide fuel

gests limiting the experience to 20 minutes at a time because it is so realistic.

nursery in Amsterdam, Netherlands has won a case against Google in a civil court in the city this month, in which Google was not only forced to take down several negative fake reviews that appeared on Google sites, but also disclose the details, such as IP addresses, of the people who posted the reviews in the first place.

The lawyer for the nursery, Paul Tjiam of Simmons & Simmons, believes this is the first time that the search giant has ever been forced by a court to reveal contact and registration details of fake reviewers.

Google so far has no comment on the case. “We’ve received the ruling and are reviewing it but nothing else to share at this time,” a spokesperson told TechCrunch in an email.

The nursery (whose name was withheld in the ruling) filed its suit

cell (SOFC) is claimed by the researchers to be the first to use porous stainless steel in combination with thin-film electrolyte, all brought together using a technique known as tape casting-lamination-co-firing.

Allied with electrodes of low heat capacity, this amalgamation not only results in increased performance, but also in higher longterm durability.

Drones are being utilized in everything from parcel delivery to search and rescue, but their limited flight times are restricting their ability to travel great distances or stay for extended periods of time in the field. Simply adding more batteries, however, affects flight characteristics and reduces the load the drone can carry.

The miniature fuel cell is said to be able to keep drones aloft for over an hour, and phones charged for a week.

reviously grounded due to a faulty seismometer, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) Mars lander is now scheduled to lift off during a launch window that starts on May 5, 2018 for a landing on the Red Planet on November 26, 2018.

On December 22, 2015, NASA abandoned the original March 2016 launch date due to a persistent leak in the vacuum chamber of the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) that would have rendered the instrument useless by the time it reached Mars.

The reason for the two-year delay is that, unlike missions to Earth orbit, which have launch windows that can recur every day, and ones to the Moon that can recur monthly, planetary missions involve a complex ballet of

against Google after it received harassing reviews for more than six months. The reviews, which were posted via Google+ and visible when you searched for the nursery on Google Maps, claimed among other things that the nursery was harming children.

After the judge in the case, CM Berkhout, determined that the reviews were indeed fake and damaging, he mandated Google take down the reviews.

It seems from the court documents that the requirement to provide details about the reviewers was made so that the nursery could confront the reviewers in a court of law, should it choose to do so, to dispute the reviews.

The ruling highlights the challenges for a search platform like Google when navigating questions of freedom of speech and more recent developments that touch on user privacy.

P

Artist's concept of the InSight lander on Mars (Credit: NASA)

two bodies revolving about the Sun. For missions to Mars, the best conditions only appear during a period of a few weeks every 26 months.

NASA says that the unmanned spacecraft will remain in storage with Lockheed until the SEIS experiment is tested, and launch preparations resume in 2017.

18 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 13 , 2016

Times Home & Cooking

guyanatimesgy.com

Recipe of the Week

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked long grain rice 1 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 medium onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely minced 1/2 lb. hamburger meat Salt and pepper 1 head of green cabbage 1 can tomato sauce

D

ecorating accessories are not just for indoors. For many homeowners, accessorizing the garden is a design trend that never goes old. Turn your outdoor space into the perfect place with these outdoor décor ideas…

Garden accessories provide that extra bit of relaxation.A cascading garden fountain is accessorized with elegant statues

Method

Cook the rice according to package instructions.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Remove the core of the cabbage with a sharp knife and remove any damaged outer leaves. Add the head of cabbage to the boiling water.

Once the leaves start to soften, use tongs to gently peel away the leaves, trying hard to keep each leaf whole. Blanch cabbage for about 5 minutes until leaves start to soften. Remove cabbage from the heat and strain in a colander.

To make the filling, add olive oil to a large frying pan. Sauté onion over medium high heat about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the hamburger and cook until brown. Salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and mix hamburger

Topiaries can make a focal point of interest when accessorizing your garden

K

eep apples cold - they lose flavour and crispness almost 10 times faster at room temperature.Apples absorb odours.

They emit ethylene gas, which causes other fruit to ripen quicker.Blend apple juice with mashed fresh fruit, yogurt, and chopped ice to make a fruit smoothie.

Bananas are sensitive to cool temperatures and will be injured in temperatures below 55 °F. For this reason, they should never be kept in the refrigerator.For a cool refreshing treat, cut a banana into chunks and put in the freezer. Take out in a couple of hours and enjoy.

I

Grouping planters as accessories for your garden can follow the same asymmetrical principles as indoor decor

mixture with cooked rice in a large bowl.

The key to this dish is to really add flavour with salt and a generous amount of pepper to taste– don’t undo this step or you will have bland cabbage rolls.

Once the cabbage leaves are cool, add the filling. Use as many of the cabbage leaves as possible until you get to the centre of the head of cabbage, where the leaves are white and too small to use. If desired, you can carefully cut away the large centre vein from each leaf.

Spoon the filling into each leaf. Place the rolls touching each other into a 9x 13 casserole dish. Pour the can of tomato sauce over the top.

Cover tightly with foil. Place in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours or 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Serve warm.

Makes about 12 rolls.

f your plastic ice trays are covered with hard-water stains — or if it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned them — a few cups of white vinegar can help you in either case. To remove the spots or disinfect your trays, let them soak in undiluted vinegar for four to five hours, then rinse well under cold water and let dry.

To get a thermos bottle clean, fill it with warm water and 1/4 cup white vinegar. If you see any residue, add some uncooked rice, which will act as an abrasive to scrape it off. Close and shake well.

Then rinse and let it air-dry.

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 13 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

W

JOKES Someone really stinks

A young couple is on their honeymoon.

The husband is sitting in the bathroom on the edge of the bathtub saying to himself, "Now how can I tell my wife that I've got really smelly feet and that my socks absolutely stink? I've managed to keep it from her while we were dating, but she's bound to find out sooner or later that my feet stink. Now how do I tell her?"

Meanwhile, the wife is sitting in the bed saying to herself, "Now how do I tell my husband that I've got really bad breath? I've been very lucky to keep it from him while we were courting, but as soon as he's lived with me for a week, he's bound to find out. Now how do I tell him gently?"

The husband finally plucks up enough courage to tell his wife and walks into the bedroom.

He walks over to the bed, climbs over to his wife, puts his arm around her neck, moves his face very close to hers and says, "Darling, I've got a confession to make."

She says, "So have I, love."

To which he replies, "Don't tell me – you've eaten my socks."

Engineering

Story goes: “Jack & Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water, Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.”

Engineering reference book says: “2 humans ascended a certain geological protuberance to collect hydride of oxygen whose quantity is not specified. One member Jack, of rapid irregular disturbing movements encounters fatal logical gravitational error leading to complete disarray. Other member named Jill whose scope lies within disarray, descends down the geographical protuberance at an acceleration, whose magnitude is controlled by the force of gravity.”

Out of court settlement

Two neighbours were always fighting and arguing, and eventually they ended up in court.

After listening to evidence from both sides, the magistrate said, "I feel sure that this can be settled amicably. Shake hands with each other, and say something for good will."

One neighbour turned and shook the other neighbour’s hand and said, "I wish for you what you wish for me."

"See, Your Honour?" said the other neighbour. "He's starting again!"

Public Announcement

The minister of a city church enjoyed a drink now and then, but his passion was for peach brandy. One of his congregants would make him a bottle each Christmas.

One year, when the minister went to visit his friend, hoping for his usual Christmas present, he was not disappointed, but his friend told him that he had to thank him for the peach brandy from the pulpit the next Sunday.

In his haste to get the bottle, the minister hurriedly agreed and left.

The next Sunday the minister suddenly remembered that he had to make a public announcement that he was being supplied alcohol from a member of the church.

That morning, his friend sat in the church with a grin on his face, waiting to see the minister's embarrassment.

The minister climbed into the pulpit and said, "Before we begin, I have an announcement. I would very much like to thank my friend, Joe, for his kind gift of peaches... and for the spirit in which they were given!”

e all may have our own parenting plan for guiding our children to besuccessful and self-sufficient. But recent research shows there’s a right and wrong way to get your child to want to succeed.

1. What is your first reaction when your kid brings home an A grade?

“You’re so smart!” Naturally. But in a study of elementary school children, researchers showed that telling kids they were smart not only made them less inclined to work hard, it also decreased their performance on tests, and literally made them miserable when faced with a challenge.

Instead, researched discovered that telling children they “worked so hard,” when they succeeded made them more likely to take on challenges and actually enjoy them. Plus they continued to improve their problem-solving skills.

When your child accomplishes something–from scoring a goal in football to memorizing all his vocabu-

lary–tell him how hard he must have worked to do that.

2. Money is a great motivator, right? After all, it’s the reason why we get up and go to work every day. But

the connection between cash and accomplishments isn’t so simple, especially when it comes to your child. (TO BE CONTINUED)

STORY TIME

The Few

T

en old men decided to celebrate the New Year with a big crock of hot sake wine. Since none of them could provide for all, they each agreed to bring one jug of wine for the large heating bowl.

On the way to his wine cellar, each old man thought, "My wine is too valuable to share! No one will know. It'll never show.

It'll still be fine. I'll bring a jug of water instead of the wine."

And so when they gathered with the jugs they brought, all ten old men poured the contents of their jugs ceremoniously

The easy roads are crowded, And the level roads are jammed; The pleasant little rivers With the drifting folks are crammed, But off yonder where it's rocky, Where you get a better view, You will find the ranks are thinning And the travellers there are few.

into the big bowl and then looked sheepishly at one another as they heated and poured hot water for all. (A Tale from Japan)

But the steps that call for courage And the task that's hard to do, In the end results in glory For the neverwavering few.

By Grammar G

A

rebus is a picture representation of a name, work, or phrase, with hidden meanings to solve from the pictogram. These are called Rebus Puzzles.

The word "rebus" comes from the Latin phrase Non verbis sed rebus” which basically means “Without words but with the help of things”.

One of the most well-used rebus – if not well-known as a rebus puzzle – is “I ♥ you” (pronounced “I love (heart) you”).

Rebus uses letters, numbers, musical notes, or specially arranged words, and there are several main ways in which a rebus puzzle might encode its solution. Here are a few…

Some puzzles use position: In the above example, MAN is in

Edgar Guest MOON, so it is the “man in the moon”.

Others may encrypt with highlight-

1.

2. ing: In this example above, the arrow points to the first AID word, and thus the answer is “first aid”.

Some may be related to direction: Here the word WAKE is printed in an unusual direction. A word spelled in any direction other than our usual left-to-right it is generally relevant to the solution. The example illustrates “wake up”.

Some can be more difficult than others. Try these on your own for fun:

3.

+h 4.

S

3=m

(See page 23 for answers)

20 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 13 , 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Sunday Puzzle

When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still have a valid word.

Example: Begin - Heavenly body. Answer: Start - Star 1. Attract or please through personality To burn; scorch 2. Giving out moderate heat - Conflict between nations 3. Kingdom; domain - True; genuine 4. Solid, hard; fixed in place - Type of evergreen tree 5. Remove from the surface; glide on a surface - Narrow runner for gliding on snow see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

T

he Neotropical pygmy squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus) is the one of smallest species of tree squirrels commonly referred to as ‘Flying Squirrels’.

They are called flying squirrels because they can glide from tree to tree – which is not exactly flying the way birds can fly.

The pygmy squirrel averages just about 10 cm (3.9 in) long, with an 11-cm (4.3 in.) tail; adults weigh 30 - 48 grams (1.1 to 1.7 oz.)

GEOZONE

They have a sporadic range from Amazonian Peru and Brazil, northeast to the Guianas, where they prefer the upper canopy of lowland rainforests.

The Neotropical pygmy squirrel is a diurnal squirrel: it spends its day in the high canopy where it would eat the barks of trees, which provide the squirrel with sap, or plant tissue under the bark called cambium.

Maze Daze

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 please see solution on page 23

digits 1 through 9.

T

he sun is 150 million km (93 million miles) away from the Earth and close to five billion years old.

Heliophysics is a relatively new term for the study of the Sun-Earth connection.

The sun is one of more than 200 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.

There are many more galaxies in the universe.

During a single second, the sun

(NASA)

converts 4 million tons of matter into pure energy.

The sun rotates on its axis approximately once every 27 days.

The sun and its atmosphere consist of several zones or layers. From the inside out, the solar interior consists of the core, the radiative zone, and the convection zone.

The solar atmosphere is made up of the photosphere, the chromosphere, a transition region, and the corona.

22 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Exploring the realms of history, science, nature and technology

By Laurie Triefeldt

It is sometimes said that everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, especially places with large Irish communities. Every year on March 17th, millions gather to honor the Irish patron saint, St. Patrick. The celebrations are marked by green clothing, parades and parties.

The shamrock

The man

The shamrock as a symbol for St. Patrick’s Day comes from the story of St. Patrick using it to illustrate the Holy Trinity. Belonging to genus Trifolium, this three-leafed plant was sacred to the Irish pagans as a symbol of spring. The shamrock is probably at the root of the green color theme of St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born around A.D. 385. His name was Maewyn Succat, the son of wealthy Romans living in Britain. Maewyn was kidnapped at the age of 16 by Celtic raiders and sold into slavery in Hibernia (Ireland). He worked on a lonely mountainside as a shepherd. It was during this time that he began to think about religion and have visions. After six years, he escaped to a monastery in France, where he was educated and later ordained as a priest.

According to tradition, four-leaf clovers (which are very difficult to find) bring good luck, especially if found accidentally.

He changed his name to Patricius and returned to Ireland as a missionary in A.D. 432.

In addition to converting pagans to Christianity, Patrick established schools and introduced the Roman alphabet and Latin literature to Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally a day for spiritual renewal and special prayers for missionaries around the world.

The myth One of the most famous legends told about St. Patrick is that he banished all the snakes from Ireland. While it is true that there are no snakes in Ireland, St. Patrick had little to do with it. “Driving the snakes from Ireland” is a metaphor for ending pagan practices.

Food traditions Besides drinking green beer and other beverages, St. Patrick’s Day also features traditional Irish food. Some people serve an Irish breakfast of sausage, black or white pudding, fried eggs and fried tomatoes. The most famous St. Patrick’s Day meal is corned beef with cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Shepherd’s pie and soda bread are also popular holiday options.

The shamrock is a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day. Its name comes from the Irish “seamróg,” or “little clover.”

The celebrations

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland Statue of St. Patrick

St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday, so many Irish attend mass before the parties begin.

St. Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston.

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City in 1762. Today, the New York parade is the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade, with more than 150,000 participants.

Parade observers are supposed to wear green, or they risk being pinched.

Some cities paint their roads green. Chicago dyes its river green for the festivities. The White House fountain is also dyed green.

In some places, the celebration includes the planting of peas. (Their color is right, and time of year is perfect for pea-planting.)

Because all things Irish are associated with St. Patrick’s Day, the elusive leprechaun has also joined the fray.

Leprechauns are small Irish fairies, about two feet tall. They carry a big stick called a shillelagh. According to legend, these little shoemakers can be found by following the sound of their hammering.Following a leprechaun may lead you to his pot of gold.

A St. Patrick’s Day toast “May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out.”

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 23

World Times

Ancient fossils show effect of With paint and imagination, humans on Caribbean wildlife old tires young again

N

early 100 fossil species found in a flooded cave on Abaco Island in the Bahamas reveal a story of persistence against all odds – at least until the time humans stepped foot on the islands.

Researchers say the discovery, detailed in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that human activities pose a threat to the future of island biodiversity, with modern climate change not necessarily being the most important factor.

“The results of this project provide another perspective on the ways natural and human forces have interacted over time and space," says Tom Baerwald, geography program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funded the research.

Scientists fear that activities like habitat alteration and the introduction of invasive species could pose the greatest risk to island species, says lead paper author David Steadman, ornithology curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The research will expand the picture of the species that disappeared when humans arrived versus those that survived.

For species that were lost at the end of the Ice Age, climate change, habitat change, and rising seas (with resulting smaller islands) may have caused their populations to become too small to remain genetically viable, result-

Recycling website, Upcycled wonders showed how old, used tires, which usually take up landfill space or are left to fill neglected yards, can not only be beautiful but, even better, functional with just some paint and the imagination...

Bones and shells of extinct tortoises were found with crocodile bite marks on them. Credit: Janet Franklin

ing in inbreeding.

Some of the species that persisted until people arrived were depleted by human activities that altered forest habitats.

The research also shows how quickly humans can modify habitats. Unlike during the Ice Age, modern climate change and other human-driven changes often go hand-inhand. (NSF)

Dragon tires. The neck and head are made from old plastic bottles

Bone DNA reveals humanity’s trek into South America

H

Answer

1. Big deal 2. Split level 3. Three (“tree” + h)

4. Games (Third letter for “gate” becomes m)

Brain Teaser Answer

1. Charm - Char 2. Warm - War 3. Realm - Real

4. Firm - Fir 5. Skim - Ski

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

umans settled in South America in a single wave of migration not long after their ancestors first crossed from Siberia into the Western Hemisphere during the last ice age, genetic evidence suggests.

The finding, based on DNA from the remains of five ancient humans who lived high in the Peruvian Andes, sheds light on the last major continental migration in human prehistory — and one of the least understood.

South America’s oldestknown human occupation site — the 14,600-year-old Monte Verde settlement in Chile — suggests that people quickly reached the continent after crossing the Bering land bridge one or two thousand years earlier, perhaps skirting the Pacific coast.

But some argue for a second migration. They use skeletal evidence to propose that the long, narrow skulls of South Americans living more than about 5,000 years ago differ too much from the rounder heads of more-recent inhabitants, and of living indigenous people, to represent one continuous population.

The five people from Peru were found to be descended from maternal lines that are common among modern and ancient indigenous people of North and South America.

The males’ Y chromosomes put them on a lineage that arose in the region around the Bering Strait some 17,000 years ago — the most widely accepted time and place for the original human migration into the Americas.

However, ancient human DNA from other parts of South America, such as the

Swan song. Artistic recycling of old tires

Old tires were used to create the donkey pulling the cart of flowers planted in another recycled tire

Amazon, may yet point to a second migration into the continent.

Research leader Lars Fehren-Schmitz, a biological anthropologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his team are now analysing full genomes from other South American sites to obtain a fuller picture of the continent’s past.

Ancient South American genomes may also show how humans adapted to the New World.Ancient genomes from the Americas may also reveal how humans adapted to shifts in diet — early Americans domesticated maize (corn), potato and other crops — and to diseases imported from Europe, such as smallpox.(Nature) Tire tea cup as a planter

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 13 , 2016

Fun Times

Archie

Work at being the best that you can be. Raising your (March 21self-awareness will help boost April 19) your confidence. Love is on the rise and will encourage you to socialize more.

ARIES

Gravitate toward unusual TAURUS entertainment. If you contrib(April 20ute your thoughts and suggesMay 20) tions openly, people will offer the same in return. There is much to learn and gain if you participate.

Don't give in when GEMINI (May 21- you should be doing your June 20) best to stand your ground.

Concentrate on building your assets, not on squandering what you have.

Spend time with people who share your concerns.

(June 21Collaboration will lead to a July 22) successful venture. Work in concert with someone you deem special. Love is highlighted.

CANCER

Rethink your strategy and LEO assess your situation before (July 23Aug. 22) you respond to recent events.

You'll do best working to improve yourself rather than trying to change everything and everyone around you.

Dilbert

Embrace the future with VIRGO (Aug. 23- optimism. Your determination Sept. 22) and focus on quality control will bring good results. A challenge will allow you to show off.

Love is in the stars.

Don't procrastinate when you should dig in and get things LIBRA done.

You'll feel much better (Sept. 23once you complete unfinished Oct. 23) business. Set your goal, stick to your budget, and plan something enjoyable as a reward for the hard work you endured.

Peanuts

You'll be drawn to people SCORPIO and places that offer some(Oct. 24thing different. A desire to Nov. 22) experience the unusual will be enlightening and will help you improve the way you live.

Accept change, but don't SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- be the instigator. Putting up Dec. 21) a fight will be futile. You are best off doing what you can to fix up your home and improve your health and appearance.

Calvin and Hobbes

A good investment will CAPRICORN come from an unusual source.

(Dec. 22Attending a reunion or delvJan. 19) ing into something you used to enjoy doing will spark memories and spur a renewal of old friendships.

Someone will challenge AQUARIUS (Jan. 20- you if you are secretive or unFeb. 19) willing to share. Do what's necessary to keep the peace, and start a project that will keep you entertained and out of trouble.

PISCES Evaluate your position, re(Feb. 20- lationships and next move.

March 20) Rely on your experience to help you make the best choice.

Love and romance should be a priority.