Guyana Times Magazine - Sunday, December 9, 2018

December 9, 2018

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Feature

P

lanning for Christmas begins months before December 25 and as one would know the star of the show is the literal breakdown and reconstitution of our homes – it involves repainting, redecorating and elaborate spending. It is the hallmark of the Guyanese Christmas and for many homemakers, the Christmas spirit only comes after the house undergoes a complete makeover.

It is an age-old tradition to ensure that the windows sport new curtains, the bedspreads are changed, and walls painted; new furniture and appliances along with extension to homes all form a part of getting into the Christmas spending. It is a wellknown fact that businesses thrive during the Christmas season as they should, since spending is massive. “For me, it is not Christmas until I see the house remodel. I am happy when I have new curtains and the house is looking all nice. It is the best feeling,� Janel Smith said.

Like Janel, many persons feel this way about Christmas and the remodelling of

their homes, since it is a time to show off and indulge.

Christmas time is a busy time because there are presents to be bought, food to be planned and cooked, and homes to be cleaned. The cleaning is maybe the most tedious aspect and since the spirit of the holiday season revolves around the family unit and togetherness, it is in this spirit that the entire family is forced to be involved. The children have to turn their rooms upside down while mommy directs the work. Daddy goes at it hard in the yard.

Carpenters move in as the extensions seeks to move full fledge ahead. Therefore, it is recommended that all homemakers spread out their Christmas cleaning over several days so that it will not feel like a burden. Or, if you are going to have a house full of guests at Christmas and a mess will be inevitable, it might be wiser to leave the more thorough cleaning for January and now only clean as much as it takes you to get into the Christmas spirit.

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DECEMBER 9, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

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Feature

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By Lakhram Bhagirat

hristmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and it is a time we use to reflect on the year we have had, along with focusing on family and giving to charity. It is a season that brings together people across boundaries as they all part take in the festivities. It is also a time where children are at their happiest and filled with anticipation as they wait to see what presents they find under the tree on Christmas morning.

Every part of the world has their unique spin on Christmas and how they celebrate the season. But the common factor is that the season focuses on family and charity. In Guyana, you know Christmas is around the corner when you hear the boom-boom boxes blasting “A rich man for Christmas” and grapes and apples being sold at giveaway prices.

You know it is Christmas when the pavements, particularly along Regent Street, Georgetown, are lined with new appliances as well as roadside vendors galore. The Christmas season is the busiest season for businesses, research has proved.

Every country has their own Christmas tradition, but I say, without bias, a truly Guyanese is the best Christmas. Nowhere else in the world will you wake up on a Christmas morning to the intense aroma of the pepperpot reheating on the

stove, with freshly baked bread to accompany the succulent meaty dish, and don’t forget the ginger beer. That tall glass of beige goodness with ice cubes floating brings together the entire dish.

In Guyana, Christmas is our version of Thanksgiving since it is food centred. Some people start their Christmas cooking weeks before December 25.

However, the traditional Guyanese Christmas does not start without the remodelling of the house and extravagant spending.

“We are breaking away more from the traditional Christmas, because I remember as a little girl what it was like. We had very little, but we always made it the best. We used to make Christmas trees by going in the back and cutting one of the bush and decorate it

with paper decorations. It was a time where friends came together and the KoolAid was enough for many of us,” Patricia Ramdass remembers.

She tells me that they would anticipate Christmas because it was the time when they would don their best pieces of clothing and eat lavishly. It was a time where they would dance past their bedtime and be merry with their friends. For her, that is what Christmas really is. It is a time for friends and family to come together and have the best time of their lives.

Speaking to the more traditional aspects of Christmas, Susanna King tells me Christmas is a time to go to church and commit to being a better person. The 69-year-old said that now people were more focused

on decorating their houses and overspending, adding that takes away from the true meaning of Christmas. “ I n Guyana, Christmas means that you get to eat pepperpot and bread, and garlic pork.

It is when we get a black cake and nice time. But it is a time where we have to remember the true meaning of the holiday and go to church and pray. We have to pray that God takes care of our sins and guides us to the path of success.

We have to embrace family and charity. We need that and that is what the traditional Guyanese Christmas is,” she said.

So however you celebrate Christmas, make time out for your family and ensure that you give something to charity.

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Sunday Times Magazine

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DECEMBER 9, 2018

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

I

n every part of the world, there is a unique tradition or thing associated with Christmas.

It is something that makes Christmas indigenous to that particular region and in the Caribbean, there is the ever-popular black cake that makes our Christmas uniquely ours. Every country puts its own spin on the Christmas staple. Be it the ingredients or the decoration, there are never two same-tasting black cakes, and over here in Guyana, the black cake has been a Christmas tradition at our celebrations.

It simply isn’t Christmas without a slice of perfectly moist black cake accompanied by a tall glass of perfectly chilled ginger beer.

These are two staples that make Christmas uniquely Guyanese and there are no signs of that changing despite the generational shift.

Now more than ever, young people are looking forward to that Christmas black cake and the seasonal ginger beer.

I can never decipher

whether it is the spirit of the season or just the amount of love that goes into making the black cake that makes it taste absolutely different during the holidays.

I mean, I have had black cake several times during the year, but the taste is not the same as the ones I have had during Christmas time.

Now let us delve into what really black cake is and how it is made.

For me, black cake is unique for its rich and fullbodied taste coupled with its chocolatey colour and dense texture. Despite being a dense cake, if prepared correctly, black cake is one of the moistest cakes you will ever eat. As we have established before, it is not Christmas without a slice of black cake, and the black cake is also one of the most sought-after cakes for weddings locally,

because of the fact that it can be kept for years on end.

My family is not really a black cake-loving family since they prefer its toneddown cousin – the fruitcake so the black cake was not an integral part of my childhood, but my adulthood sings a different tune. I vividly remember I was about 10 when my grandmother gave me my first piece of black cake and since then I was hooked. But I would not have another piece until I was about 16 and ever since I have been on a quest to eat

as much as possible.

If you’ve never had this cake, at first glance it may resemble a chocolate cake, but the deep dark colour comes from the main ingredient – dried macerated fruits. Trust me when I say that some people really take the fruit business seriously.

But what really do we mean when we say “fruits”? If you are a Guyanese, you already know what I am talking about, but for those who may not know what ‘fruits’ are, let me break it down for you. Carambola or five fingers, as it is commonly known, is picked, washed, cut into pieces and then u s u a l l y cooked with sugar and spices until all the liquid evaporates.

After that, it is dried and then blended into a paste which is used for baking cakes.

It is the star of the black cake, but has a supporting cast. People, like myself, would soak their fruits in port wine or dark rum for months or even years. I have had about five pounds of fruits soaking in rum and port wine for the past 16 months and I intend to use them in my black cake this year. However, some people would have fruits soaking for longer than that time.

The five- finger fruit preserve would be soaked with

raisins, prunes, maraschino cherries and a variety of nuts. Some people prefer blending the nuts and other dried fruits while others prefer them chopped.

The alcohol-soaked fruits coupled with the spices and citrus makes this cake a delight. So, I am going to share my version of a recipe I found a few years back.

If you have not soaked your fruits already, then have no fear you can begin the process today and by the time you are ready to bake on Christmas Eve, the fruits would be ready.

So roll your sleeves up and let’s get baking.

You will need: • 1 lb butter • 1 lb brown sugar (the high molasses content enriches cake colour) • 10 eggs • 4 lbs fruit mixture • 2 tsp high-quality vanilla extract • 1 1/2 lb all-purpose flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt • Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice and mace • One orange zest • 1 cup chopped maraschino cherries* • Nuts* • Cake colouring • Brown rum or port wine (cherry brandy works too) Now that we have all the ingredients, let us make the batter and bake. The first step is preheating your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then in a large mixing bowl, you will need to cream your

butter and sugar until the sugar granules are practically dissolved. Add in eggs one at a time, properly incorporating them because if not done properly the fat breaks and may curdle. After we have incorporated all the eggs, we will then add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix until combined.

We do not want to overwork the batter or gluten will develop resulting in a chewy cake as opposed to a soft melt-in-your-mouth cake.

With your mixer on low speed, incorporate the fruit mixture, spices, vanilla extract and orange zest. The colour of the batter will change from a pale cream to brown. To enrich that colour add 1/4 cup of cake colouring (be careful with the amount of cake colouring since too much will give the cake a bitter taste). At this point, you may add your additional maraschino cherries and nuts. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

After you have taken out the cakes from the oven, while still hot, douse with approximately 3/4 cup of rum or port wine and allow to soak.

Black cake tastes best after it has aged for about two days, but you have to ensure you add some alcohol to it daily since it would preserve it longer.

So this Christmas, be sure to try this recipe and enjoy your slice of Christmas goodness. (Photos are taken from Alicia’s Pepperpot blog)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

“Silent night, holy night All is calm and all is bright Round yon virgin, mother and child Holy infant, so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace.”

T

hat is how it always started. I remember it like it was just yesterday. The first time the carollers visited our small home. They were from the church my father attended and it was Christmas Eve night, mommy was in the kitchen hurriedly trying to finish baking a cake so the carollers would be able to indulge. It is one of my fondest memories of Christmas as a child, because I remember being immensely in awe of this group of people just singing at our doorstep.

My sisters and I crouched in front of the doorway with our father as we listened to the La Grange Fellowship Church’s choir, led by Uncle Aker (only name I

can remember), belting out Christmas carols like “Jingle Bells” and “Oh Holy Night”.

Looking forward to the carollers became a tradition for the next few years. It in-

volved my mother working herself in the kitchen earlier than normal so that she could have cake on the table when the carollers come around 17:00h. She would work harder earlier so that she could join us as a family unit to get into the spirit.

It was the one time for the

holiday season where we all felt at peace with ourselves as well as our surroundings.

I was too young to understand what I was feeling, but now looking back at the experience, I am grateful to have witnessed and experienced that peace. But that peace was short-lived as the

carollers stopped coming.

They stopped visiting after my father left our home and after a few years, Uncle Aker migrated from Guyana and carolling in Independence Street, La Grange on the West Bank of Demerara stopped altogether.

After a few years, the church would attempt to resurrect carolling, but that only lasted a short while.

Generally, throughout the country and further afield, the tradition of carolling is dying or has died altogether. I would have had the opportunity to spend a few Christmases in Trinidad where they have their unique form of carolling in the form of Soca Parang.

Because of their rich musical culture instead of the traditional Christmas carols, they come up with unique songs speaking to the culture of the Trinidadian spirit.

However, they also have the traditional carolling since it is a major focus of the Presbyterian Church.

Back in Guyana, the art of carolling is rapidly dying out, since most of the younger generation prefer the party scene as opposed to houseto-house carolling.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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DECEMBER 9, 2018

Feature

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hristmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature.

Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.

The traditional Christmas narrative, the Nativity of Jesus, delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in accordance with messianic prophecies.

When Joseph and Mary arrived in the city, the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the

Christ Child was soon born, with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then further disseminated the information.

Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid fourth century the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date that was later adopted in the East. Today, most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world.

However, some Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar, the day after the Western Christian Church celebrates the Epiphany.

This is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas

as such, but rather a preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is December 25.

Moreover, for Christians, the belief that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than the exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.

The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.

Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music and carolling, lighting a Christingle, viewing a Nativity play, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, pulling Christmas crackers and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, na-

tivity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.

In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many other aspects

of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

In Guyana, Christmas is the busiest time of the year for all businesses since people would do remodel and redecorate their entire homes.

It is a time when the furniture stores are buzzing with activities and the pavements are filled to capacity with roadside vendors as well as shoppers looking for a quick bargain.

Christmas in Guyana means new everything for most people. It means lavish spending. It means food for days but most importantly it means a time where value is placed on family and helping those in need.

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DECEMBER 9, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Health

Overview

An ear infection (acute otitis media) is most often a bacterial or viral infection that affects the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the tiny vibrating bones of the ear. Children are more likely than adults to get ear infections.

Ear infections frequently are painful because of inflammation and buildup of fluids in the middle ear.

Because ear infections often clear up on their own, treatment may begin with managing pain and monitoring the problem. Ear infection in infants and severe cases in general often require antibiotic medications. Long-term problems related to ear infections — persistent fluids in the middle ear, persistent infections or frequent infections — can cause hearing problems and other serious complications.

Symptoms

The onset of signs and symptoms of ear infection is usually rapid.

Children Signs and symptoms common in children include: • Ear pain, especially when lying down • Tugging or pulling at an ear • Difficulty sleeping • Crying more than usual • Acting more irritable than usual

• Difficulty hearing or responding to sounds • Loss of balance • Fever of 100 F (38 C) or higher • Drainage of fluid from the ear • Headache • Loss of appetite

Adults

Common signs and symptoms in adults include: • Ear pain • Drainage of fluid from the ear • Diminished hearing When to see a doctor Signs and symptoms of an ear infection can indicate a number of conditions. It's important to get an accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment. Call your child's doctor if: • Symptoms last for more than a day • Symptoms are present in a child less than 6 months of age • Ear pain is severe • Your infant or toddler is sleepless or irritable after a cold or other upper respiratory infection • You observe a discharge of fluid, pus or bloody discharge from the ear An adult with ear pain or discharge should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Causes

Middle ear An ear infection is caused by a bacterium or virus in the middle ear. This infec-

tion often results from another illness — cold, flu or allergy — that causes congestion and swelling of the nasal passages, throat and eustachian tubes.

Role of eustachian tubes The eustachian tubes are a pair of narrow tubes that run from each middle ear to high in the back of the throat, behind the nasal passages. The throat end of the tubes open and close to: • Regulate air pressure in the middle ear • Refresh air in the ear • Drain normal secretions from the middle ear Swelling, inflammation and mucus in the eustachian tubes from an upper respiratory infection or allergy can block them, causing the accumulation of fluids in the middle ear. A bacterial or viral infection of this fluid is usually what produces the symptoms of an ear infection.

Ear infections are more common in children, in part, because their eustachian tubes are narrower and more horizontal — factors that make them more difficult to drain and more likely to get clogged.

Related conditions

Conditions of the middle ear that may be related to an ear infection or result in similar middle ear problems include the following: • Otitis media with effusion is inflammation and fluid buildup (effusion) in the middle ear without

who are breast-fed.

• Seasonal factors.

Ear infections are most common during the fall and winter when colds and flu are prevalent. People with seasonal allergies may have a greater risk of ear infections during seasonal high pollen counts.

• Poor air quality.

infections spread to other tissues in the skull, including the brain or the membranes surrounding the brain (meningitis).

• Tearing of the eardrum. Most eardrum tears heal within 72 hours. In some cases, surgical repair is needed.

Role of adenoids

Adenoids are two small pads of tissues high in the back of the nose believed to play a role in immune system activity. This function may make them particularly vulnerable to infection, inflammation and swelling.

Because adenoids are near the opening of the eustachian tubes, inflammation or enlargement of the adenoids may block the tubes, thereby contributing to middle ear infection.

Inflammation of adenoids is more likely to play a role in ear infections in children because children have relatively larger adenoids.

bacterial or viral infection.

This may occur because the fluid buildup persists after an ear infection has resolved. It may also occur because of some dysfunction or noninfectious blockage of the eustachian tubes.

• Chronic otitis media with effusion occurs when fluid remains in the middle ear and continues to return without bacterial or viral infection. This makes children susceptible to new ear infections, and may affect hearing.

• Chronic suppurative otitis media is a persistent ear infection that often results in tearing or perforation of the eardrum.

Risk factors

Risk factors for ear infections include: • Age. Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years are more susceptible to ear infections because of the size and shape of their eustachian tubes and because of their poorly developed immune systems.

• Group child care.

Children cared for in group settings are more likely to get colds and ear infections than are children who stay home because they're exposed to more infections, such as the common cold.

• Infant feeding.

Babies who drink from a bottle, especially while lying down, tend to have more ear infections than do babies

Exposure to tobacco smoke or high levels of air pollution can increase the risk of ear infection.

Complications

Most ear infections don't cause long-term complications. Frequent or persistent infections and persistent fluid buildup can result in some serious complications: • Impaired hearing.

Mild hearing loss that comes and goes is fairly common with an ear infection, but it usually returns to what it was before the infection after the infection clears.

Persistent infection or persistent fluids in the middle ear may result in more significant hearing loss. If there is some permanent damage to the eardrum or other middle ear structures, permanent hearing loss may occur.

• Speech or developmental delays. If hearing is temporarily or permanently impaired in infants and toddlers, they may experience delays in speech, social and developmental skills.

• Spread of infection.

Untreated infections or infections that don't respond well to treatment can spread to nearby tissues. Infection of the mastoid, the bony protrusion behind the ear, is called mastoiditis. This infection can result in damage to the bone and the formation of pus-filled cysts.

Rarely, serious middle ear

Prevention

The following tips may reduce the risk of developing ear infections: • Prevent common colds and other illnesses.

Teach your children to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly and to not share eating and drinking utensils. Teach your children to cough or sneeze into their arm crook. If possible, limit the time your child spends in group child care. A child care setting with fewer children may help. Try to keep your child home from child care or school when ill.

• Avoid secondhand smoke. Make sure that no one smokes in your home.

Away from home, stay in smoke-free environments.

• Breast-feed your baby. If possible, breast-feed your baby for at least six months. Breast milk contains antibodies that may offer protection from ear infections.

• If you bottle-feed, hold your baby in an upright position. Avoid propping a bottle in your baby's mouth while he or she is lying down. Don't put bottles in the crib with your baby.

• Talk to your doctor about vaccinations. Ask your doctor about what vaccinations are appropriate for your child. Seasonal flu shots, pneumococcal and other bacterial vaccines may help prevent ear infections.

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Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 9, 2018

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DECEMBER 9, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

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10 Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Feature

D

ecember brings with it a lot of parties. From your office Christmas party to numerous other shindigs that requires you to look your absolute best. We have combined a number of looks to make you stand out and be the centre of attraction while feeling comfortable enough to dance the night away. These looks are easy to achieve, extremely high fashioned and some pieces may already be in your closet. So don’t be afraid to mix colours, textures and fabrics to create that unique look.

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NOVEMBER 18 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Ingredients

1 lb or about 3 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 lb or 2 cups sugar 1 lb or 4 sticks butter, room temperature 10 eggs 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tbsp orange zest 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp almond extract 4 cups fruit mixture

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease

Ingredients

6 eggs (hardboiled) 2 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature ¼ tsp Dijon mustard 3 tbsp mayonnaise ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/8 of tsp black pepper Salt to taste Parsley and paprika to garnish

Instructions

Slice eggs in half cross ways. Using a small spoon, carefully remove the yolk.

Set the whites aside. Place yolks in a bowl with cream cheese, Dijon mustard,

Ingredients

3 cups evaporated milk 1/2 can condensed milk (14 oz can) 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat milk,

and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

Set aside. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves; set aside.

Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix until fluffy and light in color.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to make sure egg is incorporated. Please don’t rush this step, adding the eggs too soon or too many at one time can cause the mixture to curdle or separate.

Next add fruits mixture, orange zest, vanilla extract and almond extract to mixture, mix until incorporated.

Add flour to wet ingredients, mix until smooth. Divide equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, b l a c k pepper and salt.

Using a mixer whip for 2-3 minutes, this will make the filling light and airy.

You can also use a fork but the filling will not be as smooth and creamy.

Place yolk mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe mixture into egg whites. If you do not have a pastry bag, you can use a small spoon to fill the eggs. Garnish with a parsley and a sprinkle of paprika.

do not allow to boil. Beat eggs and add warm milk gradually to eggs.

This is called tempering and prevents the eggs from scrambling when added to the warm milk. Add egg mixture to remaining milk and add vanilla. Pour into greased baking dish and sprinkle grated nutmeg over top. Place the pan in a larger pan filled with water and bake for 40 minutes.

T

he Christmas season signals the beginning of turning the house upside down and redecorating. The task is quite often hectic but the result is one of complete satisfaction.

Everyone loves decorating for Christmas so grab your garland and get ready because

these decorating ideas will surely fill you with Christmas cheer.

However lavish or simple your Christmas decorating may be, these ideas will help you bring the beauty of the holiday to every corner of your home.

Our favorite way to light up any season is a brilliant array of paper luminaries. Line them up along your front walkway, along your driveway, or scatter them around the yard for a bright, twinkling Christmas display that’s so simple and affordable to pull off. You can buy premade luminaries in bulk online, or make your own using white paper bags, pebbles, and batterypowered LED candle lights.

Pile on the plaid Plaid is not just for school uniforms and collared shirts. Use plaid as a theme for your Christmas decorations for a classic, old-school take on holiday cheer.

To avoid overloading on one pattern, don’t be afraid to mix and match plaids of varying sizes and scales. Start with a transparent plaid garland, and decorate with metallic, solid-colored ornaments.

The easiest and most budget-friendly way to incorporate plaid into your Christmas is by using the gifts under your tree as decorations themselves.

Choose 2-3 plaid patterned rolls of giftwrap, and 1-2 solid patterns in complimentary colors. Mix and match ribbons on each gift for a layered presentation of presents.

Create a formal and elegant Christmas centerpiece with romantic red roses surrounded by white tallow berries displayed silver vases made to resemble birch bark. Choose metallic silver vases, because they reflect the warm, glowing light from candles, the rich reds from flowers, and the patterns on table settings in an elegant, prismatic way. Add texture and dimension by tucking pieces of boxwood garland and sprigs of berries around the base of the vases.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

DECEMBER 9, 2018

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Puzzles

ACROSS

1 Grain husks

6 Ibsen’s -- Gabler 11 Bandleader Count -16 Sr. Iglesias

21 Flat

22 UFO passenger 23 Leaving breathless 24 Fridge maker

25 Ms. Massey of film 26 Mountain range 27 Cocoon dweller 28 Fur pieces

29 1051, to Terence 30 Ornamented

32 Aviator -- Post

34 Cost, informally 36 Foreshadow

38 Veld prowlers

40 Consumed

42 Followed the trail 43 “Night Moves” singer Bob 45 Is the chair

-47 Colorado’s Mount Blues” 49 Hoarder (2 wds.)

52 Runs into

53 Diet guru Jenny 54 Famous numero 57 Panelist -- Francis 58 Belly-dance props 59 Not our 60 Handy swab (hyph.)

61 Draws close

62 Salad bowl woods 63 Canary’s cousin 64 Subarctic forest 65 Motel of old

66 Hurtful remarks 68 Fat, to a chemist 69 Scrub, to NASA 70 Hamster’s digs 72 Rap music fan

73 Long skirts

74 Tenants’ payments 75 Girder (2 wds.)

77 Bailed out

78 Russian export 79 Wild felines

82 Leered

83 Hindu melody

84 Farm females

88 Ritchie of “La Bamba”

89 Mares’ offspring 90 Office supplies 92 Retainer

93 Decided on

94 Jostles

95 More hobbled

96 Ancient Rome’s port

98 Heavy metal

99 Quebec peninsula 100 Oui and ja

101 “Tijuana Taxi” trumpeter 102 Racket 103 Impudent 104 Intend (2 wds.)

105 Chums 106 “-- Street Blues” 107 Slip-up 108 Woman in white 109 Grads 111 Slug’s trail 113 Excises, as text 115 Slam -119 Destructive insect 121 Pastis flavor 123 Spiked the punch 125 Coq au -126 Twitches 127 Slanting edge 129 Ring up sales 131 Ill treatment 133 “Thereby hangs -- --” 134 Prow opposite 135 Veronica of “Hill Street 136 Martinique volcano 137 Ebbed 138 Search party 139 Water or rust 140 Escargot DOWN 1 Shinny 2 Phone response 3 Circumvent 4 Bog 5 Stop a train 6 Peter Wimsey’s lady 7 Novelist -- Glyn Finished off (2 wds.)

8 9 Ph.D., for example 10 Over again 11 Sentimental songs 12 Holds off for

13 “No --!”

14 Packing slip

15 “Yow!”

16 Shoving together

17 Kayaks’ kin

18 Hope or Jessica

19 Signed

20 W. Hemisphere alliance

31 Pool problem

33 Dublin-born poet

35 Win by -- - 37 Glacial formation

39 Harem owners

41 Sea nymph

44 -- & Young

46 Lampreys

48 Like a peacock

49 Sudden terror

50 Coliseum

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD -- ADJUNCTS (ADJUNCTS: AD-junkts: Additional and supplementary parts.)

Average mark 18 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 23 or more words in ADJUNCTS? TODAY’S WORD -- ADJUNCTS

adjust aunt daunt ducat duct dust jaunt judas

junta just cant cast tuna sand scad scan

scant scat scud scut stand stud stun

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

51 How trolleys go

78 Windmill blades

52 Substantial 79 Egg-shaped

53 Evert of tennis

80 Blue Grotto isle

54 Mohawk Valley city

81 Rocker -- John

55 Dr. Watson portrayer -- Bruce 82 Get-up-and-go

56 Fiery gems

83 Tybalt’s slayer

58 Cobra toxin

85 Over and over

59 Barely warm 86 Bizarre

60 Airline to Australia

87 Ushers’ quests 62 Helicons

89 Minor arguments

63 Deep- -- (discarded)

90 Tried a mouthful

64 Cistern 91 Firm

67 Helps with a heist

94 Phoenician deity

68 Does dock work

95 Moon landers

69 Fragrant wood

97 Earn a citation

71 Diva -- Farrell

99 Meadow feature

73 Pepper grinders

100 Cry of dismay

74 Toon rabbit

101 Crop up 76 007

103 Perplexed 77 Yawning

104 Eeyore’s creator (2 wds.)

105 Speck 106 Warp 107 Ocean crossers 108 Made like a boombox 109 Queen of the Misty Isles 110 Updated sextant 112 Rinses 114 Tropical resin 116 Palate part 117 American-born Japanese 118 Bow down 120 Recipe amt.

122 Canyon reply 124 Skips stones 126 Mandible 128 DDE milieu 130 Not stringent 132 London’s Big -See Solution on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

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pple’s iOS 12.1.1 update is now available to download, and it comes with some new improvements and fixes for some controversial iOS 12 changes. Most notably, FaceTime — which faced a lot of criticism from users for removing features like the ability to take Live Photos during calls, and making the ‘flip camera’ button harder to find behind a menu — has been tweaked. The button has returned to the main screen, on the bottom menu row along-

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oogle has announced that Chrome 71 has left beta and is publicly rolling out for Windows, Mac, and Linux, as spotted by 9to5Google. The latest version of Google’s browser was in the works over the past few months, touting features to help fight against abusive ad experiences by blocking manipulative ad designs and showing billing warning screens.

With Chrome 71, Chrome will filter expe-

side the Mute, Effects, and End Call button.

Other big features include dual SIM with eSIM support for additional carriers on iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, and a notification preview using haptic touch on iPhone XR. Bugs like issues with visual voicemail downloading, Face ID being temporarily unavailable, and broken predictive text suggestions on Chinese and Japanese keyboards have also been fixed.

(The Verge)

oogle has officially announced that it is shutting down Allo, ending the run of yet another failed Google chat app experiment. The news is not entirely unsurprising, given that Google had already paused investment in Allo back in April.

Back then, the head of the communications group at Google, Anil Sabharwal, noted that “[Allo] as a whole has not achieved the level of traction we’d hoped for.”

Allo will “continue to work through March 2019,” Google says, and users will be able to export their conversation history until then.

The timing for Allo’s pending shutdown is particularly apt, given that Verizon is set to officially launch RCS Chat on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL on December 6th. Unlike Allo,

full-screen rollover ads.

Users will have the option to turn Chrome 71’s filtering for abusive experiences on or off, but the likelihood is that most will not opt out. Google hopes that the more users upgrade and use Chrome 71, sites will be subject to better ad practices or risk losing a significant portion of revenue. Additionally, this means that Google, the company with the largest online ad network, is now the

T

riences on websites that fall under Google’s definition of abusive. These include web experiences that aren’t just limited to ads, such as auto-redirects that happen without any action from a user or trick-to-click experiences like a warning notification that actually leads to an ad or another website’s landing page. Sites that are reported to have abusive experiences will be given a 30day grace period to clean up their behavior before every ad on the site is blocked.

Google has been expanding the way it tackles bad ad practices for some time. Back in 2017, it announced that Chrome 64 would prevent websites from opening pop-up ads, tabs, and automatic redirects to new pages.

Separately, in 2017, Google said it planned to support the guidelines set by Better Ads Standards for what constituted a bad ad, which includes flashing, animated ads and

RCS Chat will be carrier-based in its implementation, and could finally give Google the sort of iMessage competitor it’s been looking for on Android for all these years, albeit through a service that won’t actually be run

by Google at all.

It’s also important to point out that RCS Chat is not the same thing as Google’s Hangouts Chat, the re-branded version of Google Hangouts designed for enterprise users that will eventually replace the classic Hangouts experience with something that looks similar to services like Slack. Google says Hangouts Chat and Meet, the video solution, will both be available to existing users “at some point”.

(The Verge)

same entity making decisions about what ads to block on the most-used browser.

Though Google says it anticipates this new policy will only affect a “small number of sites with persistent abusive experiences,” Google Ads is Google’s main source of revenue, which presents a potential conflict.

Along with abusive experience blocking, Chrome 71 will also present a warning about sites that try to bill you without your full consent or obfuscate a billing structure.

Additionally, Chrome 71 will mute sites that play sound automatically, a change that will be welcome for most that hate auto-playing videos, but unfortunately, it has the side effect of breaking older web games.

The desktop version of Chrome 71 is available now, and versions for Android and Chrome OS will be coming in the next few weeks. (The Verge)

he next chapter for Niantic’s Pokémon Go involves borrowing another popular element from the game series’s main installments: battling. The new trainer battles feature has been a long time coming. It was first teased with the game’s announcement more than three years ago, and it’s taken the company quite a while to get it in working shape. Niantic released some new details about the feature last week on Twitter, but at a recent press event in San Francisco, the developer broke down exactly how the new battle system will work when it launches globally later this month.

Essentially, trainer battles will be quick, roughly four-minute bouts between you and another player using three pokémon each, with the opportunity to switch between the three mid-battle. A short timer determines how often you can rotate those fighters. The other big factor will be the new leagues, with the choice between the great, ultra, or master leagues that determine how powerful the creatures you use can be, which are measured by the combat power (CP) rating.

Niantic says you’ll be able to earn up to three rewards per day by battling other human trainers, and you can also use battles to progress toward in-game medals and train your pokémon to become stronger. One of the rarest rewards from battling will be the elu-

sive Sinnoh Stone item, which can be used to evolve certain monsters into more powerful versions from the fourth generation of Pokémon games, support for which was added back in October. There will also be a training mode you can use freely throughout the day to practice and continue powering up your pokémon with no restrictions.

The battles will involve similar mechanics to raid battles, in which a series of taps initiates your basic attack and fills up your charge attack meter. Niantic is adding a new element here where you can unlock a second charge attack and choose between them, with energy being drained from a shared meter.

Niantic says that when the feature launches sometime before the end of the year, it will start with players who are at the max level of 40. But as it brings more server infrastructure online to handle the load, battles will be brought to lower-level players incrementally, and Niantic doesn’t expect the rollout to take too long unless it hits some serious snags. Like with trading, Niantic is restricting the battling feature to users 13 years of age and older, which is in line with restrictions for nearly every game, social network, and similar online product due to the US’s online child privacy protections.(The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Bollywood/Hollywood

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riyanka Chopra has changed her name on Instagram to Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The actor married singer/actor Nick Jonas in a lavish five-day event in Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace.

While her handle remains the same - @ PriyankaChopra - her name above the bio appears to have been changed.

Priyanka, who has over 30 million followers on Instagram, debuted her new name on Thursday. Unlike Sonam Kapoor’s husband, Anand Ahuja, however, Nick’s name remains unchanged.

The actor also shared a post on Thursday celebrating her inclusion in Forbes magazine’s list of the 100 most powerful women of 2018. “Thank you Forbes! Honoured to be a part of such an exclusive and illustrious

list of Power Women in the world for the second time.

It’s a reminder to stay hungry, keep pushing the status quo and continuing to do what I love. And on that note... back to work.”

Priyanka was ranked number 94 on the list, which is topped by German chancellor Angela Merkel and has four Indians.

Priyanka and Nick tied the knot in accordance with Christian and Hindu traditions on December 1 and 2. They also held a wedding reception in New Delhi on December 4, which was attended by PM Narendra Modi, among others. “Congratulations, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. Wishing you a happy married life,” the PM’s official Twitter account posted.

The couple was also involved in their first post-wedding controversy when an opinion piece published by The Cut called her a ‘global scam artist’ who’d conned Jonas into marrying her. The piece was met with vitriol online, led by Sonam Kapoor and Nick’s brother Joe, and Joe’s fiance, Sophie Turner.

The Cut apologised and took the piece down.

Priyanka also responded to the article, saying she did not want to react to such “random things”. Speaking to Hindustan Times, she said, “I don’t even want to react or comment. It’s not even in my stratosphere. I’m in a happy place at this moment. These kind of random things can’t disturb it.”

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ardi B has announced her split from husband Offset in an Instagram post Wednesday morning. The post, which included the caption “There you go...peace and love,” detailed the couple’s decision to call it quits.

“So everybody been bugging me and everything,” Cardi said in the video.

“And you know, I been trying to work things out with my baby father for a hot minute now. And we’re really good friends and you know we’re really good business partners and you know, he’s always somebody that I run to, to talk to and we got a lot of love for each other, but things just haven’t been working out between us for a long time.”

S

ridevi’s shocking death left an entire nation and millions of her fans bereaving world over. Every reference to the late actor, sees a range of emotions. In the past one year, her family members — daughter Janhvi Kapoor, husband Boney Kapoor and step-son Arjun Kapoor — have all spoken evocatively about her. Now, her brother-in-law and co-star in many hit films Anil Kapoor has spoken about the later actor.

Anil recently shot for an episode on Star Plus’ Dance Plus 4 called Sridevi Tribute. Speaking about Sridevi, Anil mentioned how every time he would

D

She also confirmed that the split is amicable and was mutually agreed upon.

“It’s nobody’s fault,” the rapper continued. “It’s just like, I guess we grew out of love.

But we’re not together anymore. I don’t know, it might

Crossword Solution

take time to get a divorce.

And I’m going to always have a lot of love for him because he is my daughter’s father and yeah.”

The couple, parents to daughter Kulture Kiari Cephus, secretly married last September in Atlanta.

The relationship has been public since early 2017, but the marriage wasn’t confirmed by the pair until this past summer. Offset responded to the rapper’s Instagram post with the comment: “Y’all won.”

Cardi B and Offset’s whirlwind romance was documented in a Rolling Stone cover story this summer as Cardi B was planning her baby shower. “People want to make fun of me, saying I’m the fourth baby mom,” Cardi said. “[But] I know I’m not having a baby with a shitty-ass man.”

“We really love each other,” Offset added. “She’s real. I wanted real. I also wanted successful.” (Rolling Stone)

meet her, he would always touch her feet. He did so out of respect for her as an artist irrespective of the place and occasion, a fact that embarrassed the late actor immensely and would feel awkward and would always ask him not to do so.

An article in Spotboye, quoting Anil, said how he would sit and watch her perform a scene even when he was not in the said scene only because she would enact each and every scene beautifully.

Recalling Sridevi, Anil was quoted as saying: “As an artist I feel blessed to have worked with Sridevi ji and she had a huge contribution to my career. She

eepika Padukone has made it to the top five of Forbes India’s 2018 list of richest Indians, becoming the first woman to do so. The newlywed actor, whose Padmaavat went on to break many records, raked in a phenomenal Rs 112.8 crore this year to become the highest-earning woman celebrity. Her husband Ranveer Singh is number eight with Rs 84.67 crores and Ajay Devgn ranks tenth on the list with Rs 74.5 crores.

According to the publication, there are 18 women on the list (which first came out in 2012) - down from 21 in 2017. Actors Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif and shuttlers PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal are part of the 100.

Maintaining his position on the top for the third time is superstar Salman Khan.

With earnings amounting to Rs 253.25 crore, the 52-yearold became India’s highestpaid celebrity on the list.

Priyanka Chopra lost her last year’s seventh rank (Rs 68 crore) and settled for No 49 with Rs 18 crore as earnings in 2018.

Apart from them, while India cricket captain Virat Kohli bagged the second spot (Rs 228.09 crore). He is the first sportsperson to make it to the spot, regularly dominated by a showbiz personality. Akshay Kumar held the third place with a total gross of Rs 185 crore.

With no release during the period under review, Shah Rukh Khan slipped from his number two position to No

was an actor with immeasurable talent who could fill the screen with her magic.

We shouldn’t remember her with sadness and rather celebrate her brilliance as a performer with love, affection and joy.”

Sridevi’s untimely death on February 24 this year at a Dubai hotel shocked the world. The late actor had been to Dubai to attend the wedding of Boney’s nephew, actor Mohit Marwah.

While the rest of the family had flown back to Mumbai, Sridevi chose to stay back for some shopping. On the fateful day, her husband Boney arrived from India and together that night they were to go for dinner. She was staying at Dubai’s Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel. She reportedly went to the washroom to get ready for the dinner but 15 minutes passed and she did not come out. Boney knocked on the door to check on her. When he got no response, he forced open the door to find the legendary actor lying motionless in the bathtub full of water.

(Hindustan Times)

13 after raking in Rs 56 crore this year.

Aamir Khan ranks sixth with Rs 97.5 crore, closely followed by his “Thugs of Hindostan” co-star Amitabh Bachchan at No 7 with Rs 96.17 as earnings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who raked in Rs 101.77 crore, was at fifth position.

Forbes noted that the period under its consideration was October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018. The cumulative earnings figure for 2018 amounted to Rs 3,140.25 crore, which is 17 per cent higher than last year’s Rs 2,683 crore. (Hindustan Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 9, 2018

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES

Think outside the box (March 21- when it comes to saving and April 19) spending. You can cut corners if you are clever in how you shop and handle your investments.

Embrace change and give TAURUS it your all. Work hard to im(April 20- prove your relationships with May 20) those who count and to offer something special to the person who always has your back.

Don’t let someone put craGEMINI zy ideas in your head. Stick to (MAY 28- the basics and what’s realistic June 20) and doable. Avoid a challenge that will make you fall short in more ways than one.

Make relationships your priority. Do something spe(June 21- cial for a loved one. Love and July 22) laughter will bring you closer together and lead to greater security. Romance is highlighted.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO A change of scenery will do (Aug. 23- you good. Make plans with a Sept. 22) loved one to bring out the best in each other and accomplish a lot on your to-do list.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Being the life of the party can have its disadvantages. Don’t neglect someone who loves you in order to entertain acquaintances you are never likely to see again.

Someone from your past will reach out or come to mind. A reunion will give you greater insight into your current situation and how to best improve your life.

Getting together with relSCORPIO atives to make plans for up(Oct. 24- coming family events will give Nov. 22) you a sense of belonging and pride. Your unique suggestions will make an impression. Romance is encouraged.

Disregard anyone spoutSAGITTARIUS ing untruths or meddling.

(Nov. 23Help those deserving of your Dec. 21) time and effort. How you react will make a difference and will affect your reputation.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don’t lose sight of what CAPRICORN loved ones want. Compromise (Dec. 22- will be what makes this a day Jan. 19) to remember. A surprise you plan for someone will secure your relationship.

Share your joy and make AQUARIUS changes that will help you (Jan. 20- bring what’s old and what’s Feb. 19) new together. Harmony should be your intent, and peace and good will should be the results.

Volunteer to do your part.

PISCES Whether you plan a function (Feb. 20- for youngsters or those less Mar. 20) fortunate or you help out at a soup kitchen, the people you meet will inspire you.