Guyana Times Sunday Magazine

Sunday March 12, 2017

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Collecting Guyana’s animal stamps Page 4

Page 10

Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s Holi Ustav

A festival of devotion Page 3

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Feature

W h i t e is a mixture of seven different colours hence it symbolises a little bit of the quali t y of each. It represents purity, cleanli-

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n Hinduism, colours play a very essential role in the religion as well as culture, and also have a deep and extensive significance, surpassing purely decorative values.

The majority of Hindu artists use different colours on the deities, as well as their dresses, to signify their qualities. The main colours used in Hindu religious ceremonies are red, yellow or turmeric, leaf green and wheat flour white, among others.

Red indicates both sensuality and purity. In Hindu religion, red is of utmost significance and is mostly used for auspicious occasions like marriages, the birth of a child, and festivals. A red mark is put on the forehead during ceremonies and important occasions. As a sign

Saffron is the battle colour of the Rajputs, the warrior caste

of marriage, women put red powder on the hair parting.

They also wear a red sari during marriage. Red powder is usually thrown on statues of deities and phallic symbols during prayers.

It is also the colour of Shakti (prowess). A red coloured dress is put on deities who are charitable, brave, protective, and who have the capacity to destroy evil.

Saffron is the most sacred colour in Hinduism. It represents fire and as impurities are burnt by fire, this colour symbolises purity. It also represents religious abstinence. This colour’s connotation has a sacred meaning for the Hindu. It is the colour of holy men and ascetics who have renounced the world.

Wearing the colour symbolises the quest for light. It is the battle colour of the

Rajputs, the warrior caste.

Green is a festive colour.

In Maharashtra, it represents life and happiness. For that reason, a widow does not wear green. Symbolising peace and happiness, green stabilizes the mind. The colour is cool to the eyes and represents nature.

Yellow is the colour of knowledge and learning.

It symbolizes happiness, peace, meditation, competence and mental development. It is the colour of spring and activates the mind. Lord Vishnu’s dress is yellow symbolising his representation of knowledge.

Lord Krishna and Ganesha also wear yellow dresses.

Yellow clothes are worn and yellow food is eaten at spring festivals. Single girls wear yellow to attract a mate and keep evil spirits away.

ness, peace and knowledge.

The goddess of knowledge, Sarasvati is always shown as wearing a white dress, sitting on a white lotus.

The Brahmin - the highest social caste - is associated with white. Hindu religious leaders cover themselves with white ashes to represent their spiritual rebirth.

White is also the colour of mourning. The other prominent deities would also have a touch of white on their dress. A Hindu widow would wear a white dress in mourning.

Lord Vishnu wears yellow symbolising his representation of knowledge

Blue signifies nature: the sky, the oceans, the rivers and the lakes. The deity who has the qualities of bravery, manliness, determination, the ability to deal with difficult situations, of stable mind and depth of

character is represented as blue coloured. Lord Rama and Krishna spent their life protecting humanity and destroying evil, hence they are coloured blue. (www.janih.com;

www.thoughtco.com)

A Hindu bride wears red at her wedding

Lord Krishna spent his life protecting humanity and destroying evil, hence he is coloured blue

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MARCH 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Feature

Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s Holi Ustav

Clouds of powder surround the crowd at a past Holi Utsav (Amanda Richards' photo)

Dance by the Dharmic Nrityasangh at the Phagwah Mela and Bazaar (Photo by Carl Croker)

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ince its inception, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha has initiated, crafted and sustained diverse programmes and events, which have catered to the needs of Guyanese. One such event is its annual Holi Utsav.

According to Dr. Vindhya Persaudin a previous interview with Sunday Times Magazine, when the Kendra, the original venue of Holi Utsav, was opened in 1991, it had the distinction of being the first Hindu academy in the Caribbean.

Kendra continues to be the hub for training people from all walks of life.

Classes are offered free of charge, which has been the same since it opened in 1991. In addition to being a training centre, the Kendra hosts many of the Sabha’s activities such as the Holi Utsav, Phagwah Mela and Bazaar, and Kala Utsav, including a number of conferences and seminars.

Persaud, who is the daughter of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s late founder Reepu Daman Persaud, explained that the reason Holi Utsav was moved from Kendra to the Everest Cricket Club Ground is due to an increase in people coming out to celebrate. She noted

that although the venue has changed, the actual format of the event’s activities has not.

This year’s Holi Utsav at the Everest Cricket Ground will start at 4pm on March 13. Admission is free and no alcohol is allowed. Other than the entertaining cultural programme, there will be performances by the Dharmic Nritya Sangh, top Guyanese singers, Daks New Generation Band, and Trinidad Cultural Group.

Additionally, chowtaal singing, tassa drumming, powder giveaways, Holi games and colour throws will be enjoyed throughout the afternoon. There will also be delicious sweetmeats to enjoy.

“Phagwah is celebrated by all; no one is excluded or confined in any way. We see people from all ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs celebrating with us. As people celebrate Phagwah, there are certain things that the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha would have been reiterating over the years.

When you’re playing, do so the right way. Don’t throw people in trenches; don’t play with people who don’t want to play: respect people’s wishes. We should remember the struggles of our fore parents to keep this fes-

The crowd at a past Holi Utsav held at the Everest Cricket Ground (Amanda Richards' photo)

tival alive in a way that is prescribed. So don’t deviate from that,” Persaud cautioned.

She added that the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha views Phagwah as a sacred festival and so it should never be polluted with alcohol. Persaud cautioned persons who use the name ‘Phagwah’ to advertise any event, to ensure it is alcohol free.

“There are a lot of events using the names Holi and Phagwah that are not in keeping with the guidelines of the event. They have associated our festival with vulgar things and we’re asking people not to use those names when keeping such events. Just as you respect your own festivals, you should respect others too.

This is not a fete; it is joyous and celebratory time and so do it in the right way.

Don’t defile it or degrade it by associating it with vulgar things. Phagwah is a unifying event and we want to keep it that way. On behalf of the Dharmic family, I want to wish all Guyanese Subh Holi!” Persaud declared. (Cover photo: Young dancers at the organization's recent Phagwah Mela and Bazaar that precedes Holi Ustav (Photo by Carl Crocker))

Young performers at the recently held Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s annual Phagwah Mela and Bazaar (Photo by Carl Crocker)

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Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Feature

Collecting Guyana’s animal stamps

The first Guyana stamps to feature prehistoric animals

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tamp collecting is a worldwide hobby – for some a serious hobby – where enthusiasts can find much to choose from, whether he or she decides to collect stamps of a certain topic or theme, certain types of stamps or all kinds of stamps in general.

There are many stamp themes, called thematic stamps or topical stamps, one can choose. From certain time periods or specific countries to commemorative stamps (limited edition stamps to observe events or anniversaries) and topical stamps such as Disney, famous people or

Christmas stamps, for example.

One of the most fascinating themes in stamp collecting is that of animals. Either animal-themed stamps or topical ones such as birds, mammals, fish, butterflies etc.; the choice can be virtually unlimited – even prehistoric animal stamps.

In Guyana, there is a collector’s stamp sheet of prehistoric animals, issued in 1991 to become Guyana’s first stamp sheet of prehistoric animals. Featuring 20 prehistoric animals and with a stamp value of $12.80, this 1991 edition is a colourful collection issued

for its appealing artwork.

In 1993, the year of release of the Hollywood blockbuster movie, “Jurassic Park”, many countries issued prehistoric animal stamps, including Guyana. Various prehistoric dinosaur species along with flying reptiles plodded or soared across the face of Guyana stamps of varying values.

Several other prehistoric animal stamps were issued in the early 2000, some of which are on sale at local post offices and can be used for postage.

Guyana’s animal- themed stamps are a remarkable example of the bounty in nature to be honoured on stamps.

Many birds in particular are often featured on our stamps.

The macaw and Harpy Eagle are two of the most recognised stamps issued by the post office here. The 5-cent and 25-cent blue and yellow macaw stamps were issued as far back as 1967, after the preindependence (1954) issuance of the 1-dollar Channel-billed toucan stamp.

Parrots and other macaws have also been featured on Guyana stamps over the decades, including as recently as 2015.

From the 15-cent Harpy Eagle stamp of the late 60s, the 35-cent Harpy Eagle stamp of the late 70s, to later overprints of the same images during the 80s, the iconic raptor has been featured on many of Guyana’s stamps.

The eagle was also featured in the 1990 ‘Rare and endangered wildlife of South America’ themed stamp sheet and in 2002, described as the UN Year of eco-tourism, the Harpy was again featured on a stamp sheet, with a value of $100. Many more native and non-native bird-themed Guyana stamps have since been issued.

In addition to birds, local and non-native animals, fish and other marine life stamps have been issued by the Guyana post office.These include a 1978 issue of the 15cent Giant Sea Turtle stamp and its 1983 overprint at a $60 value. There is also a Disney cartoon collection of stamps entitled ‘Mickey’s Animal Workers - Disney Characters at Work’ issued in 1995, each at a $30 value.

A stamp sheet of varying values, also issued in 1995, features the Lemon shark, Green Turtle, Sawfish and Stingray.In 1997, the year Britain transferred Hong Kong back to China, Guyana issued four $80- value stamps in a stamp sheet inscribed “Passage to Destiny”, illustrating mythological animals and a tortoise.

The Chinese New Year is regularly commemorated on Guyana stamps, perhaps one of the earliest being in 1995 for the Year of the Pig.

From prehistoric behemoths to modern day elephants in a Guyana stamp collection (1992)

More well-known stamps include fish postage stamps such as the pre-independence period (green) 72-cent arapaima stamp of the early 1950s.

In 1968 multi-coloured stamps of fish such as the (green) 6-cent patua (patwa), (grey) 1-cent sunfish and (aquamarine) 3-cent lukanani stamps were issued.

Butterflies are also commonly seen on Guyana postage stamps, including overprints.

Cats and dogs of the world have also been featured on Guyana stamps.

From the 1967, “Millie” the macaw stamp to the 2016 Golden Jubilee “Jaguar”

stamp, many more Guyana stamps featuring many other animals are available for experienced collectors and beginners to gather.

Try to get your hands on a recent “Stanley Gibbons Commonwealth Stamp Catalogue: Belize, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago” for more information. Or, do your research at a library, online at reputable stamp organisations, or contact the Guyana Post Office or the Guyana Philatelic Society. (Cover photos: ‘Parrot’ stamps ,‘Young ocelot on branch’ 1985 Wildlife Protection stamp and ‘Harpy Eagle’ 1990 stamps)

A butterfly Guyana stamp collection (1978)

A Guyana stamp collection of fish, birds and mammals of Guyana (1968)

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Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

Aminta Kilawan Narine

A social voice with deep cultural roots

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Being an advocate for her religion and the rights of people is what Aminta is passionate about

minta Kilawan Narine is an attorney, community activist, and writer.

Born in the Bronx, New York to Guyanese parents, Aminta’s passion for social justice manifests in various aspects of her life.

She writes a weekly column for The West Indian newspaper titled, “Civics, Culture, and Community Engagement”, in efforts to increase involvement and stewardship in areas such as politics and volunteerism.

Aminta uses her voice for multifold purposes: she is a spirited bhajan (Hindu songs) singer, but is also a vocal advocate for her com-

According to Kirk Semple from the New York Times, “Sadhana is seeking to strengthen the liberal voice in the Hindu population and become a flag-bearer for social justice and social action.”

A staunch believer in volunteerism and social justice for all, Aminta coled in 2013 six students on a service project to examine human rights issues experienced by Dominicans of Haitian descent.

In late 2015, she organized and led the ‘WeAreOne’ rally with elected officials and community leaders to protest a hate crime that was

Aminta with her husband, Rohan, who is also a community activist

munity. In 2011, she cofounded Sadhana to merge her passion for activism with her love of Hinduism’s progressive values. Since 2011, Sadhana has been working towards building a progressive Hindu movement in the New York City area, nationally, and beyond.

Sadhana is a coalition of Hindus worldwide wanting to assert a progressive Hindu voice into the public discourse of our times.

Sadhana is a mechanism and a platform for progressive Hindus to speak up and act for progressive social values and social justice. Members practice ‘sadhana’, or faith in action, by advocating for those social justice principles they believe are at the heart of Hinduism.

committed against members of a Guyanese family living in Queens, New York.

Aminta has also worked with on Habitat for Humanity projects and with programs for students in local schools.

Aminta’s advocacy goes beyond her immediate community. In response to the problem of littering at local beaches following the performance of Hindus rituals, Sadhana launched an environmental initiative known as Project Prithvi to clean up abandoned puja items, which are usually left on the shores. Their efforts did not go unnoticed, and in 2015 Sadhana was awarded by the White House for their commitment to environmental justice and making sure that the earth

was protected.

Through her position as Legislative Counsel to the New York City Council’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations and the Committee on Women’s Issues, Aminta drafts legislation, liaises with advocates and shapes New York City policy on an everyday basis.

Aminta graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor from Fordham Law School.

For more information on Aminta’s community efforts visit www.sadhana. org. (http://guyanesegirlsrock.org) Aminta (left) leads volunteers in prayer during a clean-up initiative (Photo by New York Times)

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

The Guyana Annual 2017

By Petamber Persaud

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In February, local literary activist and writer Petamber Persaud handed over a copy of the centenary edition to a representative from the National Library

he centennial issue of The Guyana Annual magazine was launched on Friday February 24, 2017, months after it was due to surface.

Over the hundred-year period, the magazine suffered many other misses and overcame ‘near death experiences’, surviving to beat the odds like good traditions would wont to do, perhaps imbued with a fighting spirit – a boon given at its birth during the tumultuous days of WW1.

According to Nigel Westmaas, ‘[d]uring certain periods, like the war years and local crises, the Annual would suspend and then re-

sume publication. Between 1962 and 1965 no Annual was published, presumably on account of the disturbances in those years, but it returned in Independence Year, 1966.’ The next issue to appear was in 1992.

Then in 1998, the magazine was given a new lease on life when it was resuscitated by Berbice-born Texas-based philanthropist, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh.

This new lease on life was characterized by several modifications in order to remain relevant.

Some of those changes included a tweaking of the name, expanding the literary competitions in or-

der to garner more reading material for children with the Rajkumari Singh Writing poetry for Children Competition, the Henry Josiah Writing Short Stories for Children, and the offering of trophies and prize monies to winners.

Some of those changes were effected by Vic Insanally – the magazine’s new publisher – and wide range of veteran and youthful editors including Allan Fenty, Charles De Florimonte, Ruel Johnson, Kojo McPherson and Petamber Persaud.

In many instances, the magazine was not published due to financial con-

straints and lack of corporate support. Never can it be said that the magazine did not surface due to shortage of contributions from writers, artists, photographers, specialist writers and academics.

Submissions were always in abundance, evidenced in the amount of material published, including more than 200 articles, in excess of 300 stories, over 500 poems, and scores of photographs, drawings, and scores of limericks. (Important to note that the unpublished material might be ten times the amount mentioned above).

Guyana can be proud of such vast store of archival material covering world affairs affecting Guyana especially during colonial times and every facet of life in Guyana. Importantly, the magazine held an international appeal, evidenced by reports that it was taken to other dominions of the Empire.

Other constraints included competition from rival magazines like ‘The Christmas Tide’ which was produced by the Argosy newspaper and ‘The Caribia’ produced by B. G. Lithographic, but they were not a perpetual concern for The Annual has outlived them.

Brigadier (retd) David Granger, now President of Guyana, writing in the 2004-2005 issue of The Annual declared that “[a] lmost all of the 130 magazines ever published in Guyana died” because “they were beset by problems of insufficient funds; rejection by the market; untrained staff; and inadequate material resources to maintain continuity” and also “the magazine has often been regarded as a vehicle for vested interests and, as a result, has been treated with hostility by those opposed to its ideas.”

Why continue in such an unfriendly climate? The following are some reasons for its continuance and longevity: Alan Fenty, declared that “writers, journalists, artists, cartoonists and photographers felt “arrived” when their work appeared in the year-end publication”.

P. H. Daly wrote that it was “the launching-pad for every Guyanese writer who eventually wrote his name into regional and international recognition”.

Ian McDonald said “every outlet for cultural creations like this one is a dream come true for some young person somewhere in this country yearning to express himself or herself and make a difference in our minds and imaginations.”

And Al Creighton re-

Cover of the centenary magazine

marked “the outlets and opportunities that it provides within the country remain immeasurable”.

The launch of the current centennial issue was delayed, perhaps a victim of many social factors including the recent general and regional elections and the perennial problem of financial constraints and shoe-string budgets.

But it’s here. And Dr. Singh,philosophizing in the preface of the current issue writes, said “it is more liberating to celebrate what you have rather than rue what you missed”.

The cover of the 2017 issue sets the tone for what’s to follow: Guyana’s Golden Jubilee of Independence Official Logo designed by Compton Babb; the 50th Independence Flag-raising Ceremony at midnight on May 26th 2016, with the hoisting of the colossal Golden Arrowhead measuring 50’ X 30’ on a 200foot flagpole; Berbice High School centenary; our profile of the year Sister Mary Noel Menezes, the ‘Jubilation Concert’, hosted by the Tina Insanally Foundation and attended by the President and First Lady, and Mashramani in New York.

So in this issue you would be treated to some jubilee moments like ‘Jubilation Concert’, ‘Hawley Harris’, ‘The Remarkable Lord Canary’, ‘Memories of that Month’, ‘Concerning

Hamilton Green and His Righteous, Circuitous Road to National Service’ and Profile of the Year – Sr Menezes.

Landmarks like the East Lothian building, Rose Hall Sugar Estate Library, the legendary Pomeroon River, and Mary’s Garden. There is also a timeline of Guyanese history, ‘Greetings a la Guyana’, Golden Years of Guyanese Literature, the Amazonia Poetry Competition, ‘what I expect of Independence’, Shakira Baksh; Imam Baksh winning the 2015 Burt Award for Caribbean Literature, and many other features celebrating Guyana and the pride of the people.

The magazine has not lost sight of its vital role falling betwixt news periodicals and the book.

For almost two decades, it was gifted to the public at (GUY)$1,000 per copy – despite value added materials and services to production cost.

One hundred years after it was launched, The Guyana Annual remains the only forum to offer an outlet and platform for emerging writers and creators of ideas.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s Happening: Coming soon a new pocketbook, “Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry”

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MARCH 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

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fter the abolition of slavery throughout the Empire in 1834, a number of Portuguese Catholics arrived from Madeira to work as labourers in the South American colony of Guyana. This was one of several publicly funded experiments to bring labour to the sugar plantations after the liberated black slaves proved reluctant to turn themselves into wage slaves.

While the labourers also included Indians and Chinese, a substantial number of the Portuguese soon established themselves in the urban retail trade, where they became the focus of resentment.

One evening in February 1856 a riot exploded in the centre of Georgetown, as many enraged and impoverished citizens broke into the small shops of the traders, to ransack and to plunder. Rioting spread to settlements along the coast

and up the Demerara river, with clashes occurring as far away as Essequibo and Berbice.

‘The town may be said to have been in open insurrection’, wrote the Governor, Sir Philip Wodehouse, ‘and the true character of the disturbances was at once revealed.’ Wodehouse was an energetic and vindictive colonial official, ordered home from Colombo by the House of Commons after the rebellion in Ceylon in 1848, but given a new posting to Guyana.

The riots were sparked off by the detention of James Sayers Orr (one source calls him John Sayers Orr), variously described as a ‘black’, ‘coloured’, ‘mulatto’ or ‘creole’ evangelical preacher who had recently returned to his native Georgetown after a long sojourn abroad.

He had been touring Britain, ‘the Protestant parts of Ireland’, Scotland Canada, and the United

James Sayers Orr was born in British Guiana in the early 1800s, his father, from Greenock in Scotland, was the wealthy co-owner of Plantation La Penitence, and his mother was of African descent

A native village on the road to Mahaicony, British Guiana

Georgetown Magistrate's Court, British Guiana

States where he was described as a fanatical antiCatholic preacher who also incited riots in these territories.

Nicknamed ‘the Angel Gabriel’ because of his habit of summoning his flock with the blast of a trumpet, ‘he purveyed an inflammable mixture of Protestant zeal, populist radicalism, racism, and appeals to patriotism’.

Orr’s powerful oratory, aimed against Catholics and the Portuguese, served to translate the black population’s sense of oppression into religious and racial terms.

Orr’s preaching, wrote the governor, had attracted huge crowds of town and country blacks, ‘blending together skilfully and amazingly. . . political and religious subjects in a manner calculated to arouse the passions of the black and coloured population against the Portuguese immigrants’.

Wodehouse had greeted Orr as a distinguished preacher, but he had second thoughts (as he wrote to London) when Orr began ‘walking about the Town and its vicinity, carrying a flag, wearing a badge, and blowing a horn occasionally at the corners of the Streets, followed by small groups of the rabble of the place’.

Wodehouse believed that a black mutual aid society was behind the rioting, and indeed a group existed that had tried, unsuccessfully, to establish creole shops that might have competed with the Portuguese. No proven link was ever found, although the subject was one of general discussion.

With tension rising in the town, the governor

banned all public gatherings. Orr sought to avert the ban by holding a meeting outside his mother’s house, but he was arrested and charged with unlawful assembly.

News of the arrest sparked off the riots, and the black population began attacking the Portuguese traders - the immediate cause of their resentment against the colonial system.

Wodehouse’s report noted that ‘men, women and children all joined in, and in some parts of the country every creole of the lower orders seems to have been one of the mob’.

A Wesleyan missionary introduced an unusual element, describing how a ‘large number of Vile and Abandoned Women’ had taken part in the riots, as well as ‘wild, rude and halfsavage children’.

Wodehouse also noted the participation of women: Nothing remained in the minds of the actors but the long subsisting hatred and jealousy of the Portuguese Immigrants from Madeira and the love of plunder, aggravated by the gross and brutal character of the female population, who have throughout the Colony taken a most active part in the Riots, and who are of course the most difficult to punish.

He did not understand that many women were simply searching for food.

Wodehouse crushed the rebellion with black troops from the Second West India Regiment. Reinforcements were summoned from Barbados, and offers of assistance from warships stationed in the Dutch and French colonies were gratefully accepted. Hundreds of whites and ‘respectable’ coloureds were sworn in as

special constables.

So many people were arrested that a special penal camp had to be set up. More than a hundred ‘ringleaders’ were fined and flogged, and then given three years’ hard labour in the cane fields.

This was the fate of Orr, who according to Guyana. org, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment with hard labour at the penal settlement in Mazaruni where he died in November 1856 (other sources say 1857) after suffering from dysentery.

A further 600 prisoners were discharged on condition that they worked on specific estates, signing a contract to provide six months’ work for each month of their notional sentence.

A more lasting punishment for the community was the imposition of a registration tax designed to reimburse the Portuguese traders for their losses.

Claims for damages of nearly $60,000, more than the colony’s annual budget, were accepted by the governor, and compensation was secured through a poll tax that bore heaviest on the poorer sections of society.

The population was resentful and expressed its anger towards Governor Wodehouse at every opportunity. When he left Georgetown on holiday in August 1857, he was pelted at the dockside with stones, cane stalks and offal.

Sailing away for the last time, in May 1861, for a fresh imperial posting in Cape Colony, he left at night without ceremony, ‘to avoid a salute of dead cats and dogs’. (Source: WorldHistory.biz)

Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse. Governor of British Guiana 1854 -1861

8 Sunday Times Magazine

MARCH 12, 2017

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Times Travel & Tourism

Swimming under the Canje Bridge in Berbice

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ettled by the Dutch West India Company in 1627, its capital was Fort Nassau which was abandoned by 1785 and a new Fort Andries built downstream to become today’s capital of Berbice, New Amsterdam. Berbice is also known as “The Ancient County, now a region of mixed eras, as old colonial buildings stand side by side with modern constructions and the traditional rustic way of life continues alongside the modern-day hustle and bustle. (Photos: LJH)

The historic ‘Fraser House’ with its 99 windows Fishing boats, Rosignol, Berbice

Tapir taxis waiting for passengers at Corriverton, Berbice

A common sight in Berbice: Moving house along the Berbice Highway

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Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

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hronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years. Each of your kidneys has about a million tiny filters, called nephrons. If nephrons are damaged, they stop working. For a while, healthy nephrons can take on the extra work. But if the damage continues, more and more nephrons shut down.

After a certain point, the nephrons that are left cannot filter your blood well enough to keep you healthy.

When kidney function falls below a certain point, it is called kidney failure.

Kidney failure affects your whole body, and can m a k e you feel very ill.

Untreated kidney failure can be lifethreatening.

It’s important to understand that early chronic kidney disease has no signs or symptoms, and chronic kidney disease usually does not go away.

The first consequence of undetected CKD is the risk of developing progressive loss of kidney function that can lead to kidney failure (also called endstage renal disease, ESRD) which means regular dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant is needed to survive.

The second consequence of CKD is that it increases the risk of premature death from associated cardiovascular disease (i.e. heart attacks and strokes).

Individuals who appear to be healthy who are then found to have CKD have an increased risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease regardless of whether they ever develop kidney failure.

Kidney disease can be treated. The earlier you know you have it, the better your chances of receiving effective treatment. Blood and urine tests are used to check for kidney disease.

If CKD is detected early and managed appropriately, the deterioration in kidney function can be slowed or even stopped, and the risk of associated cardiovascular complications can be reduced.

Causes of CKD

High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes are the most common causes of kidney disease. The high blood pressure causes just over a quarter of all cases of kidney failure. Diabetes has been established as the cause of around one-third of all cases and is the commonest cause of ESRD in most developed countries.

Other less common conditions include inflammation (glomerulonephritis) or infections (pyelonephritis).

Sometimes CKD is inherited (such as polycystic disease) or the result of longstanding blockage to the urinary system (such as enlarged prostate or kidney stones).

Some drugs can cause CKD, especially some painkilling drugs (analgesics) if taken over a long time.

Often doctors cannot determine what caused the problem.

Treating CKD

There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, although treatment can slow or halt the progression of the disease and can prevent other serious conditions developing.

The main treatments are a proper diet and medications, and for those who reach ESRD, long term dialysis treatment or kidney transplantation. In the early stages of kidney disease, a proper diet and medications may help to maintain the critical balances in the body that your kidneys would normally control.

However, when you have kidney failure, wastes and fluids accumulate in your body and you need dialysis treatments to remove these wastes and excess fluid from your blood, dialysis can be done either by machine (hemodialysis) or by using fluid

in your abdomen (peritoneal dialysis). In suitable patients a kidney transplant combined with medications and a healthy diet can restore normal kidney function.

Dialysis and kidney transplantation are known as renal replacement therapies (RRT) because they attempt to “replace” the normal functioning of the kidneys.

What can you do for your kidneys?

Keep fit and active: Keeping fit helps to reduce your blood pressure and therefore reduces the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Keep regular control of your blood sugar level: About half of

people who have diabetes develop kidney damage, so it is important for people with diabetes to have regular tests to check their kidney functions.

Kidney damage from diabetes can be reduced or prevented if detected early. It is important to keep control of blood sugar levels with the help of doctors or pharmacists, who are always happy to help.

Monitor your blood pressure: Although many people may be aware that high blood pressure can lead to a stroke or heart attack, few know that it is also the most common cause of kidney damage.

High blood pressure is especially likely to cause kidney damage when associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and Cardio- Vascular Diseases.

Eat healthy and keep your weight in check: This can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Reduce your salt intake.

The recommended sodium intake is 5-6 grams of salt per day (around a teaspoon).

In order to reduce your salt intake, try and limit the amount of processed and restaurant food and do not add salt to food. It will be easier to control your intake if you prepare the food yourself with fresh ingredients.

Maintain a healthy fluid intake: Although clinical studies have not reached an

agree- m e n t on the ideal quantity of water and other fluids we should consume daily to maintain good health, traditional wisdom has long suggested drinking 1.5 to 2 litres (3 to 4 pints) of water per day.

Consuming plenty of fluid helps the kidneys clear sodium, urea and toxins from the body which, in turn, results in a “significantly lower risk” of developing chronic kidney disease, according to researchers in Australia and Canada.

The findings, the researchers said, do not advocate “aggressive fluid loading”, which can cause side effects, but they do provide evidence that moderately increased water intake, around two litres daily, may reduce the risk of decline in kidney function.

mate, health conditions, pregnancy and breast feeding. In addition, people who have already had a kidney stone are advised to drink 2 to 3 litres of water daily to lessen the risk of forming a new stone.

Do not smoke: Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. When less blood reaches the kidneys, it impairs their ability to function properly. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 percent.

Do not take over-thecounter pills on a regular basis: Common drugs such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are known to cause kidney damage and disease if taken regularly.

Such medications proba-

It’s i m por-

tant to keep i n mind that the right level of fluid intake for any individual depends on m a n y factors includi n g gender, exercise, cli-

bly

do not pose signif-

icant d a n ger if your kidneys are relatively healthy and you use them for emergencies only, but if you are dealing with chronic pain, such as arthritis or back pain, work with your doctor to find a way to control your pain without putting your kidneys at risk.

Kidney health awareness

World Kidney Day is an annual international event, held March 9 this year. This year, World Kidney Day promotes education about the harmful consequences of obesity and its association with kidney disease, advocating healthy lifestyle and health policy measures that make preventive behaviours an affordable option. Source: World Kidney Day.org)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Fashion

N

achle Designs fuses unique Western and Eastern fashion to create contemporary pieces. The husband-and-wife duo of this well conceptualized designers' line are no strangers to the entertainment industry.

With the diverse knowledge and experience in the performing arts arena, Hashim Alli and Melicia Partab-Alli pooled their creativity together to establish Nachle Designs.

Upholding the standards of simplicity and ele-

gance, Melicia decided that her twist of sophistication is that of comfort, the secret of her collections.

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

Both designers work passionately to showcase their love for their heritage via the performing arts and fashion.

For more information, check out Nachle Designs on Facebook.

Sunday Times Magazine 11 MARCH 12, 2017

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Star Times Hollywood

M aren Morris is an American country singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released four studio albums. Her 2015 extended play, Maren Morris, charted on two Billboard charts. Her major label debut album, Hero, reached #5 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on Top Country Albums. Her debut single, "My Church", hit #1 on the Country Digital Songs chart in 2016 and reached Top 5 on the US Hot Country chart. Morris is the reigning 2016 CMA New Artist of the Year and was nominated for four awards, including Best New Artist, at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, where "My Church" won the award for Best Country Solo Performance.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Hollywood

Naomi Campbell addresses her Rihanna feud

O

prah Winfrey is proud to show off her smaller waist in the April issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. The 63-year-old TV personality reveals that she has lost 45 pounds since she joined Weight Watchers in 2015. "Nearing the 45-pound weight loss mark is a great feeling!" says Oprah.

Oprah suggests that the loss of her weight is the result of a lifestyle change instead of years of dieting.

"After spending literally years on more diets than I care to count, I finally made the shift from dieting to a lifestyle change," explains Oprah.

"Everyone is different, but for me what's worked is Weight Watchers...

Today I'm more conscious about what I eat, balancing indulgent things with healthier options."

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" host later explains that Weight

Watchers encourages her to take a holistic approach to health and fitness. "The folks at Weight Watchers called me in July and asked if I'd join

their team - help spread the message about taking a holistic approach to health and fitness," says Oprah.

Oprah later adds, "Everyone is different, but for me what's worked is Weight Watchers… Today I'm more conscious about what I eat, balancing indulgent things with healthier options," she says. Oprah adds, "I leave the table feeling satisfied - and to me, that's far more important than any number on the scale."

Oprah says that while some people can live without bread and pasta, she thinks that "it just doesn't make sense" to her. She later adds, "I wanted a plan for life, and here it was in the form of Weight Watchers.

For me, this is not a diet. It's a whole shift in perspective. So yes, for sure, I'm a bona fide convert." (AceShowbiz)

F

ans of Naomi Campbell and Rihanna have been left a little bit confused lately with rumours swirling that the pair have had a bust up, now Naomi Campbell has spoken out.

The supermodel was a guest on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” and the host decided to address the spat, which all started over a couple of unfollows.

Cohen read out a viewer's

tweet which called out the fact the pair had unfollowed one another on Instagram, asking on behalf of the fan: "Is everything Ok between the two of them?"

"Everything's fine," replied Naomi.

She continued: "I don't have beef, especially with black women that I think are powerful. We're out there doing the same thing, and doing the same struggle." (Glamour)

Michael Bublé’s son battles cancer

M

ichael Bublé has withdrawn from another hosting gig as his 3-year-old son, Noah, continues to battle cancer.

The 41-year-old has pulled out of the 2017 Juno Awards — Canada’s biggest music awards show — to take care of his son, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Our thoughts continue to be with Michael — we respect his ongoing commitment to his family and look forward to working with him again in the future,” Mike Consentino of Bell Media, the company broadcasting the show, said in a statement.

Bell Media officials noted in the statement that the “Home” crooner stepped down from the hosting gig to “focus on his family.”

Singer B r y a n Adams and comedian Russell Peters will rep l a c e Bublé, according to the statement.

This is not the first gig Bublé has pulled out of following his son’s diagnosis.

Just days after revealing his son’s illness last November, Bublé canceled a December performance at the BBC Music Awards.

Bublé was also initially tapped to host the 2017 Brit Awards in February, but about a month before the ceremony news broke that he opted out of the event to focus on his family.

The singer and his wife, Luisana Lopilato, revealed Noah’s illness in an emotional message on Bublé’s Facebook page.

“We are devastated about the recent cancer diagnosis of our oldest son Noah who is currently undergoing treatment in the U.S.,” the couple wrote. “We have always been very vocal about the importance of family and the love we have for our children.” (PEOPLE)

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MARCH 12 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Bollywood

Google India’s virtual exhibition celebrates Bollywood’s iconic actresses

T

W

orking in a Hollywood film has been “enriching” for Deepika Padukone.

“I use my film experience from here [Bollywood] in Hollywood. The reason I am able to do what I do in a film like ‘xXx: Return of Xander Cage’ and be applauded for it, is because of the experience I have had over here,” the actress said.

The “Bajirao Mastani” (2015) actor adds that she “might have had experiences or learnt things” in Hollywood that she might bring back to Bollywood. “But a film set is a film set, and nothing changes. The creative process is the same. I don’t look at them as separate careers. For me, it’s a part of the same journey,” she mentioned.

Deepika is “sure” that her stint “has been enriching in so many ways.”

“I may not realise that now, but maybe when I walk on to the sets of ‘Padmavati’, there will be a moment when I might surprise myself. It might happen in this film, or two years later. So, something that is taken out of this experience may translate into something much later on. Be it professionally or personally — travelling the world, meeting so many people, being ex-

posed to new cultures and just seeing their style of working — all of it has been enlightening,” she stated. (Hindustan Times)

he long-suffering mother embodied by actor Nirupa Roy, the wicked stepmother/mother-in-law played by Lalita Pawar, the tragic courtesan with a heart of gold played

by Meena Kumari, or the cosmopolitan Indian woman portrayed by Zeenat Aman.

These are some of the representations of women in Hindi cinema, in the years following India’s independence. The characters reflect the common perception of women in those times.

To mark International Women’s Day (March 8), The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru and Google Cultural Institute curated an archive of women in Indian cinema: from 1949 to 1984.

Titled Faces that Launched a Thousand Films, the exhibits include lobby cards (publicity material displayed in cinema lobbies) and stills of iconic actors, such as Meena Kumari, Sadhana and Madhubala. The accompanying text — written by Shilpa Vijayakrishnan, research and curatorial associate at MAP — explains the characterisation of women over four decades.

For instance, in the ’50s, women were represented as the cornerstones of the family in a patriarchal society.

It led to films being titled on the basis of the relationship.

Examples include “Mousi” (1958), “Majhli Didi” (1967), and “Suhag Sindoor” (1953).

On the other hand, there were vamps (often portrayed by actors such as Helen and Aruna Irani) in early Hindi cinema who performed song and dance sequences and were the precursor to the modern ‘item girl’.

While there was a demarcation between what constituted a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ woman, the lines began blurring in the ’60s, when heroines started playing both roles. For instance, Sharmila Tagore in “An Evening in Paris” (1967) plays the heroine and the

vamp. In the ’70s, Zeenat Aman played ‘liberated’ modern women (“Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, 1978; “Qurbani”, 1980). As the text that accompanies the picture mentions, they showed that “good girls could be unashamedly sexual while fulfilling all the requirements to ultimately become wife to the hero (sic).”

The exhibition’s reason for using lobby cards is to highlight a historical form of publicity that no longer exists. “Their distribution and circulation were carefully monitored at the time.

Unlike posters, they were often produced by some of the best photographers and art designers, making them fairly exclusive artefacts,” says Vijayakrishnan.

(Hindustan Times)

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MARCH 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Feature

Trending NOW

Star of the week

G

et your footwear on and put your best foot forward with the shoe trends of the 2017 Spring/Summer runway shows. From kitten heels to sky-high footwear, these shoes are made for getting noticed.

Nice kitty. Kitten heels are trending for the warm weather (Chloé)

M

elicia Partab-Alli is making a name for herself with her keen fashion sense, passion for beautifying and energetic dance moves. At 13, Melicia’s future changed when she became part of the local dance scene. Today, this accounting professional is a certified kathak dancer by the Indian Cultural Centre of Guyana and has displayed her expertise on many local stages. Her motivation comes from everywhere, with her creativity always being challenged with new and fresh concepts. This effervescent individual has over the years always delivered top rated performances, but a hidden talent was unleashed in 2012. It became an integral part of her expression through a colourful fusion of makeup she calls Eye Candy by Mel. Melicia believes that makeup is an “art of expression” and can “boost your self-confidence”.

Self-motivated and eager to explore different avenues within the industry, another interest was added to Melicia’s list of passions: designing. She launched her fashion label, Nachle Designs, a collection of stunning pieces, in 2014. A resourceful individual, Melicia assures that this is not the end of the road for her as she is now involved in pageantry, taking on the role as co-director for the Miss Global International Guyana pageant. Melicia believes in the willpower of positive energy and advises youths to “always have a focus point and never let their mind-set become cluttered with negativity; to always remember we are all authors of our life and every day we have the opportunity to write a new page.”

Flatforms are back and all over the runways this season (Dolce & Gabana)

Ankle-wrap shoes, with accessories from buckles to ruffles, are stepping out now (Dries Van Nooten)

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Art

Encouraging art for the environment

Aaron Gangadeen

Haymesha Persaud

he Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), developed by the United Nations, are the world’s time-bound and quantified targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions-income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion, while promoting gender equality, education and environmental sustainability.

For 2017, the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI) has chosen to focus on the seventh MDG, Environmental Sustainability, by using art to encourage youths and others to preserve their environments.

GBTI believes that policies, institutions, and strategies for protecting, conserving and enhancing natural resources should be strengthened to deliver an enabling environment.

In light of this, GBTI provided an avenue, via its Calendar Art Competition, for Guyana’s children to illustrate how we all can ensure environmental sustainability. The winning art pieces are showcased on the Bank’s 2017 calendar. The aim of this initiative is to encourage people to reflect on ways they can preserve the environment.

Twenty-seven schools across the administrative regions of Guyana were randomly chosen to participate in this year’s Calendar Art Competition. These schools were chosen based on previous years’ schools participation in the competition.

The theme “Ensuring E n v i r o n m e n t a l Sustainability”was chosen.

Additionally, this is in keeping with the Bank’s push for a ‘green’ economy.

Association.

Six winners emerged: Mya Hall, 13, and Rennata Nickram, 13, both from Bishop’s High School; Haymesha Persaud, 14, from Marian’s Academy; Aaron Gangadeen, 12, from Skeldon Line Path Secondary School; Somita Paul, 16, from School of the Nations, and Poonraj Lall, 14, from Anna Regina Secondary School.

Describing her artwork, Mya Hall said: “My poster depicts ways in which we can sustain the environment. It shows the planting of trees, recycling, saving energy and

T

Mya Hall

Aaron Gangadeen's art

Out of the 27 schools that were contacted, 12 schools submitted entries, which amounted to 106 art pieces.

North West Secondary School, Anna Regina

School, and Bartica Secondary School were this year’s participants.

The targeted age groups for the competition were 11-17 years old taken from Grades

Poonraj Lall

Multilateral School, Annandale Secondary School, Bishop’s High School, Marian’s Academy, School of the Nations, West Demerara Secondary School, Cove and John Secondary School (renamed Hope Secondary School); Patentia Secondary School, Skeldon Linepath Secondary School, Waramadong Secondary

Poonraj Lall's art

7 to 11, inclusive of the Sixth Form level. The students were required to send in their artworks along with a writeup explaining their artistic representation of the theme, “Ensuring Environmental Sustainability”. Three judges were chosen from the Burrowes School of Art and the Guyana Women’s Artist

Mya Hall's art

the use of solar panels.”

Haymesha Persaud pointed out that her “drawing illustrates changing our ways of doing things. If anything can be done without the overuse of resources, we can try to get the task done without wasting these resources”.

She added that her art piece states that “it is your choice if you want to make the world a better place”.

“The background of the scene [in artwork] is most-

Rennata Nickram

Haymesha Persaud's art

ly mountainous containing a bright red barn with magnificent hilly fields enriched with agricultural crops, which are grown neatly in beds. At the right side of the field is a beautiful blue lake where fishing is done. On the right is a temporary park closed due to cleaning which is done by the environmental agencies. In the centre of both parks is a majestic blue rapidly flowing river forming three waterfalls. In conclusion, this scene is magnificent and is associated with mostly everything in the ecosystem; big, small, colourful and most splendid landscape God has created on the Earth”, youngAaron Gangadeen added.

From School of Nations, Somita Paul noted: “Our environment and the world we live in have amazing abilities when we consider all the different kinds of organisms. The earth itself is capable of replenishing used up resources to sustain these organisms. However, mankind has pushed the limits of the earth’s ability to replenish because of the ever increasing rate of how fast we use these resources and it is damaging the environment. We are depleting millions of years’ worth of fuel in mere decades. It is not going to last forever. What will we do then? Well, the earth has provided us with an alternative using renewable energy resources; solar, hydroelectric and wind power. This is what I decided to be the focus of my poster. By implementing these three things in our

daily life, we can ensure that the environment is sustained in a way beneficial to nature.”

Thirteen-year-old Rennata said her poster “depicts people saving the environment by planting trees and flowers. Not only planting them, but taking care of the trees and flowers.”

Poonraj Lall stated in his description that “our environment reflects us. It is our home; therefore, it is extremely important to take into consideration our activities and how theyaffectthe environment. It is our duty to ensure a healthy, green and safe environment for all.

This can be done by ensuring clear water in drains, practising proper waste disposal; avoid contaminating the water with pollutants such as garbage. Clear water also contributes towards the survival of our marine species/ lives. Planting of trees alongside roadways can help to bind/hold the soil together to prevent the land from eroding. We can dispose of waste products by burying instead of burning as burning emits harmful gases such as carbon dioxide which becomes trapped resulting in air pollution and global warming. Let us practise these actions and we will definitely experience less environmental issues”.

The winners were given GBTI’s Early Savers Gift Voucher for the sum of GYD$20,000.

For more information, visit www.gbtibank.com (Information and photos by GBTI)

Rennata Nickram's art

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Sunday Times Magazine 17

MARCH 12, 2017

Times Tech

E

arly Tuesday, a new series of WikiLeaks leaks revealed the United States Central Intelligence Agency's efforts to hack iPhones. The leaks

Tech BYTE

A

detailed a number of iOS exploits that can be used to bypass security on devices. By Tuesday night, Apple said in a statement provided to TechCrunch that most of the vulnerabilities de-

tailed in the leaks have been patched.

“Apple is deeply committed to safeguarding our customers’ privacy and security. The technology built into

Flippy robot takes over hamburger station in California restaurant

t a Caliburger restaurant in Pasadena, California, Miso Robotics and Cali Group have taken the wraps off Flippy, a "collaborative kitchen assistant" that uses computer vision and deep learning to take over the job of grilling burger patties and leaving the chef to do the less ‘grease-spattery’ jobs of assembling the sandwiches.

According to Miso Robotics, Flippy is a low cost, stand-alone robot designed to be used in restaurant kitchens without the need for special modifications. It is designed to handle the tedious job of watching and flipping burger patties.

Not only doesn't Flippy mind spending hours in front of a hot, grease-spattering grill, but it can identify what is on the grill (including an intruding human hand), judge its degree of doneness, and transfer the burgers to the bun for a human chef to complete assembly.

In addition, it can adapt to and avoid bumping into its human co-workers for greater safety.

Flippy is still in the demo stage, but is scheduled to start work early next year before expanding into 50 Caliburgers worldwide in 2019.

today’s iPhone represents the best data security available to consumers, and we’re constantly working to keep it that way. Our products and software are designed to quickly get security updates into the hands of our customers, with nearly 80 percent of users running the latest version of our operating system.

While our initial analysis indicates that many of the issues leaked today were already patched in the latest

Tech news

I

iOS, we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities. We always urge customers to download the latest iOS to make sure they have the most recent security updates,” the company said in a statement.

Apple said its initial analyses indicates that many of the exploits detailed were patched in the latest version of iOS, and that it will continue to patch identified vulnerabilities.

The Cupertino company closed by saying that it always urges users to download and install the latest version of iOS to ensure that they have the most recent security updates.

The Vault 7 revelations aren't the first time the CIA has targeted Apple's mobile devices. In 2015 it was reported that the CIA worked on ways to compromise both iPhones and iPads.

(MacRumors)

World’s first mobile 3D printer house built on-site

n a world first, a residential home in Russia has been 3D-printed on-site with a mobile printer.It took only 24 hours and cost US$10,134.

The 38 m² (approx. 409 sq. ft) house in Moscow was built by Apis Cotr, a 3D printing specialistcompany based in Russia and San Francisco, using a mobile printer to print the homes on-site, which differs from other methods that usually involve printing separate parts off-site and constructing later.

The company's mission is to help financially disadvantaged people around the world

improve their living conditions by offering quick and affordable constriction methods at a high-quality standard.

Once the house has been completed, the printer is removed with a crane-manipulator, before the roof, interior fixtures and fittings, and painting are donemanually.

Its inventor, and company founder, Nikita Chen-yun-tai has said on the Apis Cor website he hopes "building a house will be as easy as pressing a "like" button" in the future.He also said that his company is ready to be the first to start building on Mars.

Once the mobile printer had completed the walls, it was removed with a crane manipulator to allow manual workers to come in and finish the job.

Flippy can transfer the patties to the buns (Credit: Miso Robotics via New Atlas)

T

France now raising drone-killing eagles

he French military has been training baby eagles to mature into natural drone-hunters with the ability to snatch the aircraft out of the air midflight, local press reports.

The drone-defence strategy actually follows the lead of Dutch police, who have taught bald eagles to capture drones that pose a threat to the public.

The military has carried out demonstrations showing the buzz of the drone triggering the birds' hunting instincts,

prompting them to swoop in, snatch them up and take them to ground.

The military is designing mittens made from leather and Kevlar (to guard against explosives) to protect the eagles' claws, and is currently conducting a 24-month testing program.

Capable of spotting a target 2 km (1.2 mi) away and flying at 80 km/h (50 mph), eventually the eagles will be perched high up in the Pyrenees mountains and scan the area for incoming threats.

Salman Khan may soon have own smartphone brand

T

he Economic Times reports that Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s Being Human charity is planning to launch a range of smartphones in India.

Khan recently registered the BeingSmart trademark for smartphones and has hired executives from Samsung and local giant Micromax to head the phone operations, the report added.

According to the report, the first batch of smartphones will be priced under US$300 and will try to rival offerings of Chinese

companies Xiaomi, and Oppo.

Smartphones priced under US$300 dominate the market in the country, according to research firm Counterpoint, says Mashable.

Lenovo, Xiaomi and other Chinese players have been increasingly offering smartphones with high-end specifications, often times similar to those of flagship smartphones by Samsung and LG at half, if not a third the price point.

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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MARCH 12, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

I

f you ever looked around a room in your home and thought to yourself that it can do with an update – but your budget is not that expansive, don’t worry because simple and inexpensive updates are available for any decor and any taste...

Ingredients 1 can chickpeas ½ red onion, chopped 1 clove garlic 1 small sweet potato ½ cup parsley

¼ cup chickpea flour 2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste) 1 tbsp honey ¼ tsp sea salt ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ lemon, squeezed

Decorate a plain wall with plates – it won’t take long and won’t break the bank either.

From old plates to souvenir dishes, there are many types to choose from. You can decorate according to a theme, colour or collection; the choice is yours.

Method Make your own art. You can frame and display your own art or your child’s art in a room.

Even photocopied art can look chic between two pieces of glass

Preheat oven to 350°F. Turn on a food processor; while it is running throw in the garlic clove so it is evenly chopped.

Add the sweet potato, parsley and onion to the food processor and pulse.

Open the can of chickpeas, rinse them and then add the chickpeas to the food processor.

L

Pulse the mixture so some of the chickpeas are being mashed and some are retaining their shape.

Take the mixture out of the food processor and place in big bowl. Add the chickpea flour and seasoning to the bowl. Mix well so the entire chickpea mixture is seasoned.

Form into patties and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Greatest Cooking Tips

ow heat is important for finishing egg dishes and simmering sauces, but keeping heat too low for certain dishes can lead to soggy food.

When searing meat, try to get the pan as hot as possible for a few minutes without any fat. After the pan has reached the proper temperature, add butter or oil and swirl it around in the pan. One more test before starting to cook meat is to drag the protein gently across the pan. If it sticks, the pan isn’t hot enough. Only after the meat has browned should you lower the heat and finish cooking.

Your dinner wasn’t burnt on the outside and raw inside because your stove is broken. It’s because your food was too cold. Take meat out of the fridge for at least 15 minutes (but less than an hour) before throwing it into the skillet.

If using frozen meat, let it defrost in the fridge—not on the counter—then do the same.

S Repurpose old furniture.

Rickety seating can be given a second life as bedside tables or, if the bottom half is cut off, even a shelf

Home Help

tore your fruit by lining your fridge drawers with bubble wrap; this will stop your fresh produce from bruising and at the end of the week there will be no wasted food. For the vegetable drawer, crumbled newspapers will keep veggies crisp.

Putting crushed bay leaves under the kitchen sink or at the bottom of doors and windows is a great way to deter cockroaches – apparently they hate the leaves.

Alternatively mop the kitchen and bathroom floors with a homemade bay leaf and water solution.

To easily clean up egg spills, all you need is salt. Just sprinkle a good amount of salt on any egg spill, and the egg will come right up instead of running away from the towel every time.

Pour cornmeal on fabric or upholstery to absorb grease stains. Apply enough to cover the soiled area and let it sit for a half hour, and then vacuum to remove the cornmeal mess.

guyanatimesgy.com

MARCH 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

D

JOKES

The things kids say! mother was struggling to get the ketchup out of the bottle when the phone rang. She asked her four year old daughter to answer it.

She heard her daughter say, "Mommy can't come to the phone. She's hitting the bottle."

A

A little boy asked his grandmother how old she was.

"39 and holding," she replied.

"Well, then, how old would you be if you let go?"

The ingredients God uses to make mothers “They get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.”

“God makes mothers out of angel hair and clouds everything nice in the world, and one dab of mean.”

What my mother needed to know about my father before she married him “His last name.”

“She had to know his background. Like does he get drunk on beer? Is he a crook? Does he make at least $900 a year? Did he say "No" to drugs and "Yes" to chores?”

Implements of Math Destruction t New York's Kennedy airport today an individual, later discovered to be a public school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a square, a slide rule, and a calculator.

The Attorney General believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a very fearsome cult, indeed", the Attorney General said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangent in a search of absolute value. They consist of quite shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, there are three sides to every triangle.”

“When asked to comment on the arrest, President Trump said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes."

A

He Broke Into Where? ou really have to wonder about this one. Why would a thief break into a courthouse? I guess when you're drunk your judgment is a little off, to say the least.

This guy pried open the sliding door to the courthouse and broke into the safe in the lobby. The only problem was that it's an antique safe and there was nothing in it. It was there only for display. In fact, it wasn't locked because the lock was broken.

He was caught when he again tried to pry open to door to get out. He was back inside the same courthouse a few hours later where he was arraigned on a charge of second degree burglary.

Y

o you have trouble getting your child to follow a regular schedule? Consistent routines and rules help create order and structure your day.

Routines and daily schedules help you and your child. You both know what to expect each day. Routines can also improve your child’s behaviour and your relationship with your child.

A family rule is a clear statement about behaviours that are never okay, such as hitting and running in the house. You can change your child’s behaviour when there are clear consequences for breaking the rule.

Consistency, predictability, and follow-through are important for creating structure in the home. Respond to your child’s behaviour the same way every time. When you are consistent, the behaviours you like will happen more often and problem behaviours are less likely to happen.

A routine is a set of steps you follow

the same way each time. This means that the day’s activities a r e predictable.

Morning routines,

for example, can help you and your child get ready to leave

the house on time. A bedtime routine can help your child sleep better and allow you more time for yourself. A dinner time routine can help your child eat healthy (no dessert before dinner).

If your child knows the routine, you will have fewer tantrums and power struggles during the day.

Establishing routines can help prevent temper tantrums. Many tantrums occur because children do not know what to expect during the day or do not want to do something they are asked to do. Routines take the guesswork out of the day’s activities. It may be helpful to teach your child the routine when you first start using it. A chart or night-time song that spells out the routine may be helpful.

Keep things positive. Reward and praise your child for following routines and rules. This makes it more likely that your child will follow the routines and rules in the future.

STORY TIME

T

he animals of the forest made a bargain with a ferocious lion that killed for pleasure.

It was agreed that one animal each day would willingly come to the ferocious lion's den to be his supper and, in turn, the lion would never hunt again.

The first to go to the lion's den was a timid rabbit, who went slowly.

"Why are you late?" the lion roared when the rabbit arrived.

"I'm late because of the other lion," said the rabbit.

"In my jungle? Take me to this other lion."

The rabbit led the lion to a deep well and told him to look in.

The lion saw his own reflection in the water and roared! The sound of his roar bounced right back at him as an echo.

"I alone am king of this jungle," he roared again.

His echo answered him, "I alone am king of this jungle."

With that, the lion became so enraged, he charged into the deep w e l l with a great splash!

The lion attacked his own reflection and was never heard from again.

By Grammar G.

F

rom clever witticisms to a groan-worthy joke, many humorous tales rely on puns or a play on words in the English language (when English is the native language of course); all most often making use of homophones – words that sound the same, and are sometimes spelt the same, but have a different meaning.

Newspapers throw one or two out ever so often.

But tabloid newspapers in particular find them useful for catching the eye of readers. (“Otter destruction” says a headline on a report of the decline of otters in a region, which plays on the words “Otter” and the phrase “‘Utter’ de-

struction”).

Shops also exploit puns to attract attention. Seen on a sign of an antique shop that sold, among other things, antique knights’ garments and traditional quilts: “Quilts for cold knights”. Business names employ a similar tactic: Phil D. Churn Milk Company Ltd. The use of wordplay for comic effect is seen in the use of the word “outstanding” and “out standing”: Q: Why did the scarecrow win a Nobel Prize?

A: For being outstanding in his field!

Then there is the joke that goes like this: “I was

wondering why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.”

The punchline centres on the two meanings of “hit”: a sudden realisation and a physical sharp and often painful sensation when something is thrown at you and comes into contact.Making use of homophones gives us an old favourite: Q: Why did the fly fly?

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done, But, he with a chuckle replied That "maybe it couldn’t," but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you’ll never do that; At least no one has done it"; But he took off his coat and he took off his hat, And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit, He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to prophesy failure; There are thousands to point out to you one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it; Just start to sing as you tackle the thing That "couldn’t be done," and you’ll do it.

---Edgar Guest A: Because the spider spied her.

The question plays upon the two meanings of the word “fly”; one a noun and the other a verb – “to fly." The answer relies on the fact that “spied her” – meaning “saw her” – sounds like “spider”.

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Times Sunday Puzzle

Camp Pineveiw's cook, Margaret Johnson, was just about to begin preparing the picnic lunch for all the campers. She already knew she needed to fill 55 bowls of the same size and capacity with the same amount of food. When she was done, she decided to read the guidelines for the picnic, just out of curiosity. The guidelines said: 1. Every camper gets their own bowl of soup.

2. Every two campers will get one bowl of spaghetti to share.

3. Every three campers will get one bowl of salad to share.

4. All campers are required to have their own helping of salad, spaghetti, and soup.

After some rapid calculations, Margaret was able to figure out how many campers were going to the picnic.

Can you? see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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MARCH 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

T

he Matamata Turtle (Chelus fimbriatus) lives in the river basins of northern South America, including the Essequibo, Orinoco and Amazon rivers where they prefer the shallow bottom of muddy, slow-moving bodies of water.

It is one of the world’s largest freshwater turtles, reaching up to 45 cm (about 18 in) in length, and 15 kg (33 lbs) in weight.

Matamata turtles eat mainly live fish but they will also eat amphibians, invertebrates

(such as insects and crustaceans), and small mammals and birds that may be in the water.

The matamata is noted for its unique way of catching fish: it opens its mouth with such a great speed that it sucks the fish in; then it shuts its jaws, expels the water then swallows the fish.

It is also noted for its snorkel-like snout and long neck which aid in breathing while walking at the bottom of its shallow water habitat.

GEOZONE

A

Savannah leading to wooded area in Rupununi

savannah (or savanna) is a flat area of land, called a plain, that is mostly treeless and covered with grasses. It is subject to seasonal rainfall.

It is said that the word “savannah” originated from an Amerindian word that was introduced to the West in a 1535 book

by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, a Spanish historian and writer.

Oviedo y Valdés wrote that the word was used to describe “land which is without trees

but with much grass either tall or short”. Later, “the term was used to describe the mixed trees and grass types of vegetation found in all tropical latitudes."

Savannahs can be found in areas such as Central Africa, America, and North and East South America.

Some types of savannah include oak savannah, equatorial savannah, tropical savannah and acacia savannah. A savannah is sometimes called “grasslands”.

Word Search

Please see solution on page 23

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

ABEER

BONFIRE

FESTIVAL

GOOD OVER EVIL

TRIUMPH

WATER

COLOURS SPRING

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MARCH 12, 2017

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Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

The strangest France orders Saint Laurent to things banned remove ‘degrading’ posters around the world F

Actress Claire Danes

W

hat might be innocuous and acceptable in one country could well land you in deep trouble in another.

From playing Scrabble in Romania to jogging in Burundi, East Africa – some countries around the world have forbidden a variety of unusual activities and goods.

People across the globe have come together to share on Quora the unlikely things that have been banned in their own country or places they have visited over the years.

It's true that all manner of arguments can spring up during a heated game of word game Scrabble.

But Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu was so opposed to the game he banned it entirely in the 80s."He described it as "overly intellectual" and a "subversive evil".

Today the ban is no longer, and the country now has

a Scrabble Federation and hosts tournaments for players.

In the East African country of Burundi, you jog at your peril.

Saiteja G R V, from Vellore, India, shared: "Lying right across the infamous Rwanda, Burundi has a history of ethnic strife. During the prolonged period of turmoil that ended in the last decade, it was common practice for the citizens to go jogging together in groups, partly to have one another as protection from the militia.

"But in March 2014, Pierre Nkurunziza - the president of the country, banned jogging based on the argument that people use the activity as a cover to plan subversive activities."

In 1998, American actress Claire Danes made a grave error when she criticised the capital of the Philippines, Manila.

After referring to the city as 'a ghastly and weird city' which 'smelled of cockroaches', every film starring Ms Danes was eradicated and the star herself was denied any future entrance.

Danes went on to make an apology but councillor Kim Atienza, principal author of the resolution and a son of Manila's mayor, dismissed the statement as disingenuous. It's unclear if the ban was ever lifted.

Brain Teaser Answer 30 campers

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

rance’s advertising regulator has ordered fashion house Saint Laurent to remove posters of extremely thin models in “degrading” poses after an outcry over their appearance around Paris.

The campaign features a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights opening her legs and another of a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool.

Stephane Martin, head of advertising regulator ARPP, told AFP Tuesday that his organization had received 120 complaints over the way the posters depicted women.

The authority bars all “degrading and humiliating” representations of people.

It has written to Saint Laurent asking them to “stop the use of these images, to withdraw them or to change them,” Martin said, explaining that a more detailed assessment of the campaign

People protest against the campaign in an Yves SaintLaurent shop in Paris on Tuesday.

(Photograph: Jacques Demarthon/AFP/Getty)

would be made Friday.

Britain’s advertising watchdog banned a Saint Laurent advert two years ago that featured an overly thin model whose ribcage was showing.

The latest campaign was created in-house by Saint Laurent, which is under

new young Belgian designer Anthony Vaccarello whose debut collection featured a dress that exposes one breast.

Saint Laurent has declined to comment. Ironically, the label made its name by putting women in men’s tuxedos, a gesture that chimed with the rising feminist wave

of the 1970s.

The poster campaign “ticks all the sexist boxes. The women are objectified, hypersexualized and put in submissive positions,” Raphaelle RemyLeleu from French women’s group Osez le feminisme (Dare to be Feminist), told AFP.

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Fun Times

Archie

Look over your personal papers. Take care of details (March 21that could affect your tax April 19) return or a medical matter that crops up. Visit someone who could use a pep talk.

ARIES

A surprise will make TAURUS someone happy. Sharing your (April 20- thoughts and plans will be May 20) met with positive feedback.

Commitment will result in greater personal and financial stability and security.

Social activities will leave GEMINI you feeling uncertain and (May 21questioning a friend, loved June 20) one or child. It’s best to clear the air rather than jump to conclusions and make a fuss.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Relationships are best dealt with openly and honestly. If you want something, ask for it, and if you are in doubt, say so.

Communication is the best way to reverse uncertainty.

Listen carefully when discussing concerns with a friend or relative. Before you proceed, understand the consequences that could develop if you get involved in a joint venture.

Do whatever it takes to counter someone trying to derail your plans. Trust in yourself and your skills to see matters through to completion. Don’t back down or give in to bullying.

LIBRA Keep your thoughts and (Sept. 23- emotions to yourself. Don’t let Oct. 23) anyone goad you into a debate that will leave you in an awkward position. When in doubt, stand still and say little.

Peanuts

Express your thoughts, feelSCORPIO (Oct. 24- ings and plans to someone you Nov. 22) want to team up with personally or professionally in order to make headway. Collaboration will lead to creative solutions.

Don’t let anyone pull you SAGITTARIUS into a discussion that will in(Nov. 23fringe on your privacy or poDec. 21) sition. Opt to mediate rather than comment and you will avoid being put in a compromising position.

Calvin and Hobbes

Personal paperwork, fiCAPRICORN nancial investments and (Dec. 22- health and legal matters Jan. 19) should be looked over and reviewed in light of pending changes. Staying on top of personal affairs will promote positive returns Emotional disillusionAQUARIUS ment will surface if someone (Jan. 20- isn’t forthright about the Feb. 19) way he or she feels. Ask direct questions and make decisions based on facts, not assumptions.

You can persuade others PISCES (Feb. 20- to see things your way. Don’t Mar. 20) worry about anyone with lofty ideas who opposes your plans. Stick to facts and action in order to come out on top.