Guyana Times Sunday Magazine

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Times February 7, 2016

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The Year of the Monkey Page 2

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Times Feature

T

he New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year. This year, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on February 8, 2016.

It is the Year of the Monkey.

The festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the New Year.

Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals, which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Monkey is the ninth animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Monkey will be in 2028.

Personality of the Monkey

People born in the Year of the Monkey are characterised as quick-witted, curious, innovative and mischievous, but it is also believed to be one of the most unlucky years in the Chinese calendar.

The general image of people in this zodiac sign is of always being smart, clever and intelligent, especially

The Year of the Monkey

Chinese dumplings

in their career and wealth.

They are lively, flexible, quick-witted and versatile.

In addition, their gentleness and honesty bring them an everlasting love life.

Although they were born with enviable skills, they still have several shortcomings, such as an impetuous temper and a tendency to look down upon others.

Lucky signs for the Monkey

Lucky numbers are 1, 7, 8; lucky colours are white, gold, blue; lucky flowers are chrysanthemum, alliums; lucky directions are north, northwest, and west.

Famous people born under the monkey sign include Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Dickens, Celine Dion, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Nick Jonas, Selena Gomez –

just to name a few.

Which Chinese Zodiac sign are you?

Your sign is derived from the year you were born in the Chinese lunar calendar.

The years below are a rough guide, but if you were born in January or February it may be slightly different as the N e w Y e a r m o v e s between January 21 and February 20.

Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960 Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961 Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962 Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963 Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964 Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965 Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966 Sheep: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967 Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968 Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969 Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970 Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971

Chinese New Year’s Day taboos

Practices to be avoided on the first day of the Chinese New Year: Medicine: Taking medicine on the first day of the lunar year means one will get ill for a whole year.

New Year’s breakfast: Porridge should not be eaten, because it is considered that only poor people have porridge for breakfast, and people do not want to start the year “poor” as this is a bad omen.

Laundry: People do not wash clothes on the first and

second day, because these two days are celebrated as the birthday of Shuishen (the Water God).

Washing hair: Hair must not be washed on the first day of the lunar year. In the Chinese language, hair has the same pronunciation and character as ‘fa’ in facai, which means ’to become wealthy’. Therefore, it is seen as not a good thing to “wash one’s fortune away” at the beginning of the New Year.

Sharp objects: The use of knives and scissors is to be avoided as any accident is thought to lead to inauspicious things and the depletion of wealth.

Going out: A woman may not leave her house, otherwise she will be plagued with bad luck for the entire coming year. A married daughter is not allowed to visit the house of her parents, as this is believed to bring bad luck to the parents, causing economic hardship for the fam-

Money is given to married couples, elderly and children in red envelopes with best wishes, such as good health and long life, printed on them

ily.

The broom: If you sweep on this day then your wealth will be swept away too.

Crying children: The cry of a child is believed to bring bad luck to the family, so parents do their best to keep children as happy as possible.

Theft: Having your pocket picked is believed to portend your whole wealth in the coming year being stolen.

Debt: Money should not be lent on New Year’s Day, and all debts have to be paid

by New Year’s Eve. If someone who owes you money, do not go to his or her home to demand it. Anyone who does so it is said will be unlucky all the year.

An empty rice jar: A depleted receptacle may cause grave anxiety, as the cessation of cooking during the New Year period is considered to be an ill omen.

Damaged clothes: Wearing threadbare duds can cause more bad luck for the year.

Monochrome fashion:

White or black clothes are barred as these two colours are traditionally associated with mourning.

Welcoming the New Year: According to tradition, people must stay up late on New Year’s eve to welcome the New Year, and then to let off firecrackers and fireworks to scare off inauspicious spirits and Nian, the New Year monster.

Giving of certain gifts: Clocks, scissors, and pears all have a bad meaning in Chinese culture.

Guyana’s celebrations

Speaking with Sunday Times Magazine, executive member of the Chinese Association of Guyana, Anyin Choo mentioned that a special treat around this time are the dumplings shaped like Yuanbao, gold coins representing prosperity. She added that sweets, such as Mao Fa and Yow Kok, and savoury snacks, such as Chinese dumplings, are also enjoyed.

“It is cust o m ary for vario u s Chinese families, friends and businesses to get together for a grand dinner to kick start the New Year. The dishes are quite different from what you would usually have during the year.

At the dinner there is a lavish dinner with chicken, pork and fish on New Year’s eve, which signifies that persons will have abundance in the New Year,” she explained.

Anyin noted that Chinese families “will not kill animals on the New Year because they do not want to start the year killing”.

According to the Chinese culture, blood is considered an ill omen, which will cause misfortunes such as a knife wound, or a bloody disaster.

So on the New Year, vegetarian meals are enjoyed.

She also pointed out that on the second day of the New Year money is given to married couples, elderly and children in red envelopes with best wishes, such as good health and long life, printed on them. This is called “lucky money”, which is given for prosperity.

On Feb. 7, 2016, the Confucius Institute, University of Guyana, would be hosting a Chinese festival at the Giftland Mall from 3pm to 7pm. There, patrons will get a chance to experience various aspects of the Chinese culture, including delicious food and performances.

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

One company finds Guyana’s interior a magnet for adventurers, and offers aid to its inhabitants as well

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Patrick Van De Velde

he Fronteering company specialises in organising volunteer overseas projects to preserve the environment, wildlife and indigenous people throughout the world, while giving volunteers a real and raw experience in some of the most beautiful and often remote places in the world to make a true difference. One of such places they venture to provide necessary aid is Guyana.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Patrick Van De Velde said that the Fronteering volunteering programmes started as part of a Canadian organisation in 2005 (known under a different name then), but has moved in to its own company since 2010.

Since the programmes expanded in countries outside of Canada, Fronteering started to get even more involved in adventure travel. Currently, it works in ten countries, which include Guyana, and plans on expanding to a few more destinations in the near future.

The name Fronteering is a word play between the words frontier and volunteering, as the organisation strives to provide volunteer experiences and adventure travel trips in some of the most remote and unspoiled destinations worldwide.

“With that in mind, we go out to find locations within destinations that we consider frontiers. While most countries have some nature left surrounded by civilization, we like to focus instead on destinations where civilization is surrounded by wilderness,” Patrick explained.

At the time Patrick started Fronteering, he was arranging mainly paid jobs for foreigners wanting to travel, work and, in some cases, immigrate to Canada. He said he loved dealing with people from other countries, who were also very much into travelling. But being an outdoor and adventure lover, he was not very interested in the jobs he was arranging, which were mainly in hospitality: working for hotels and restaurants. Patrick then got the opportunity to pick up and rebuild a volunteering programme. In 2010, at the age of 25, Patrick breathed new life into the programme and started Fronteering.

“I was born and raised in the Netherlands.

For my study, I moved to Canada in January 2007. I had to do an internship to graduate and I did this at an international exchange organisation. I received a job offer and lived in Canada until June 2015, after which I moved to Guyana where I currently live. I have always been interested in adventure and exploring, wildlife and nature. So around the age of ten, I found a book that described all the countries of the world. I

started to look for the most unspoiled countries left in this world. First, I looked at the countries with the lowest population density and highest percentage level of rainforest left. It turned out that there were only three countries left like this in this world: Guyana, Gabon and Papua New Guinea. I kept reading in to Guyana after that and set my mind to go there one day. Finally it happened in 2012 when we were starting our volunteering programmes and adventure travel trips here,” Patrick recalled.

He noted that “people do not realise how precious and unique a country like Guyana is, where its nature and wildlife have been preserved so well”. He added that he has seen “more wildlife in the interior of Guyana in one day compared to a two-week jungle trip in Brazil”.

Currently, all of Fronteering’s work is being done in the Rupununi, where its volunteering programmes work with Indigenous communities and ranches. The organisation also coordinates adventure travel trips together with these communities and ranches.

Fronteering’s volunteering programmes help Indigenous communities set up and support small scale sustainable eco-tourism so they have alternative ongoing form of income that, for the most part, still allows these communities to stay true to their way

Working with children in the Rupununi

of life.

“Within the Amerindian communities, we also provide teachers to help assist the schools in these remote areas, which often just have one teacher who has to oversee dozens of kids that vary in ages, from all elementary school grades. For example, one class would have kids from the age of five up to 12. We also try to set up activities and events for youths, run wildlife clubs to educate the children about the importance of the local wildlife, assist with wildlife research and so forth,” Patrick outlined.

Fronteering works with several ranches in the Rupununi savannahs to plan ecotourism. Patrick disclosed that the ranches of the Rupununi have been struggling, since they do not have the resources to deal with all the requirements and regulations to sell their meat on the coast or in Brazil. What this means is that they are “stuck with a very small market of the villages in and around Lethem.

“For this reason we help with the sustainable eco-tourism and sustainable farm-

A volunteer socialising with children in the Rupununi

ing. Through this, hopefully we can help sustain the unique Vaquero (cowboy) way of life in the savannahs of Guyana, where everything is still done and made by hand,” Patrick noted.

Fronteering’s plans for 2016 and onwards are to steadily develop its volunteering programmes, working with more communities, as well as increasing the number of adventure travel for tourists.

Notably, all of Fronteering’s volunteering programmes in Guyana are non-profit.

The programmes are supported financially by the profits garnered from other tourism destinations.

“Setting up Guyana as one of our destinations has been quite a struggle. It is difficult to promote a destination that is still completely off the radar as a travel destination. For example, we promote most of our programmes through Google. But how can you promote Guyana specifically when very few people search for it? We hope that the Guyanese government and its respective tourism related organisations will put more and more effort and funds in to putting Guyana on the travel market for people around the world. If more tourists come to Guyana and experience the amazing destination that it is, then everybody wins; especially if it is done in a sustainable and responsible matter. Guyanese people should be proud of their entire country; it is truly one of kind,” Patrick declared.

For more information, visit Fronteering on Facebook or email at patrick@fronteering.com

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Times Feature

Providing quality health care To aid institutions delivering health care in Guyana has been one of Health and Educational Relief Organization, Incorporated (HERO, Inc.) primary goals will facilitate the transportation of medical outreach teams around Georgetown, to Berbice and Linden. The public can come on board to support this aspect of the medical outreach activity scheduled for March 2016.

HERO-Guyana plans to establish linkages with other concerned groups to expand improved primary healthcare, including preventative healthcare and health educa-

tion services locally.

“Giving back to my country has been always been close to my heart, so to be able to do it gives me a sense of accomplishment,” expressed Lambert.

For more information on this organisation contact Dr. Andrea Lambert on 592-618-5403, Anije Lambert on 592-643-3973 and Vivienne Lowe on 592-231-3188.

Doctors during a medical outreach in Guyana

H

ERO, Inc was established in January 2000 and is a democratic, non-profit organisation comprised of a governing Board of Directors and volunteers.

HERO-Guyana, under HERO, Inc., which is operated in the USA, was founded in July 2014 by Dr. Andrea Lambert and co-founded

by Dr. John Mitchell in the U.S.A. It was recognised that to be able to effectively deliver high quality healthcare services on out-

reach missions, a local office of HERO, Inc. was necessary to deal with the ground work, hence, the birth of HERO-Guyana.

Several donations of medical equipment and medications were made and educational and medical activities, including surgical and dental, have been carried out in Regions Four, Six and Ten to date.

The last outreach was conducted in August 2015.

“Thus far, the organisation has created linkages with healthcare

facilities; mentoring of local physicians; procurement of building to conduct educational services in Mocha; by-in from Mrs. Granger to scale up Lusignan after school programme,” outlined Dr. Andrea Lambert in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Lambert said HERO would welcome donations (cash and kind) to jumpstart its literacy programmes in Mocha, East Bank Demerara, and Santa Rosa in Region One (North West District). Donations

Some of HERO, Inc

Affiance Sport Club Playing cricket to foster change

Team players pose with trophies in front of the pavilion they built

N

ot only committed to being the best cricketers, but the best at helping their community, the Affiance Sport Club is an applauded group of young men focused on effecting change in Essequibo.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine Kumar Kissoon, one of the members of the club, said that the Affiance Sport Club has worked tirelessly to not only be one of the best cricket teams in Essequibo and around the country, but to give back to their community - Affiance.

Over the years, the team has produced some of Guyana’s best under-15 and 19 players, such as Parmesh Parsotam, all-rounders Haimant Boodnie and Ganesh Mangal, hard-hitter Devindra Narine and two of the fastest bowlers on the Essequibo coast, Narine and Omesh Yougushur. The club has also hosted teams from Bartica, Lusignan and Berbice.

“With strong support from village residents, the team was able to build a pavilion, which can accommodate about 80 persons. It was the team’s desire to do so and we did it.

The club is also regularly involved in cleaning up of the village,” said Kissoon.

Not only are the members of the Affiance Sport Club focused on cricket, but serve as a support group for each other and youths from their village.

Affiance Sport Club supports the Taymouth Manor Primary School by donating to its sports activities and graduation ceremonies. The team has donated bottles of water for sports events and trophies for graduating students.

“Our focus is to provide a drug free zone for youths and to develop sports in Essequibo. We usually have fundraising events and also approach businesses for donations to develop our team and our community,” Kissoon noted.

The Affiance Sport Club’s future plan is to build a gym and a basketball court.

The Club would like to thank Imam Bacchus, Rakesh Hardware and Shadie Guinness Bar for always willingly support the team over the years. It is also grateful to kind-hearted individuals, such as Lalli Hemchandra and Teakumar Danny, who have supported the team tremendously.

To contact the Affiance Sport Club, call 686-1056.

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

Women of excellence and government organisations in New York City, including: the United States House of Representatives, the New York City Council, The American Council for Minority Women, and the Metropolitan Detention Facility, Brooklyn, for creating The Chrysalis Program, through which she teaches female inmates.

She has taught etiquette to military wives at the Fort Hamilton

She is very experienced at providing and teaching health care, self care and wellness to individuals across the United Kingdom, Ontario and North America.

Pamela still marvels at her ability to function under the pressure and stress of a very difficult and complicated labour, delivering a healthy 13 lb. 8 oz. baby girl while functioning as a pupil Midwife in the community of Bedford,

all the benefits of laughter, she trained as a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader and Teacher, started the first Happy Healthy Hearty Laughter Yoga club in the Niagara region and trained many individuals to become Laughter Yoga Leaders, including those who function as recreation therapists.

She has been helping individuals, members of the community, mental health care providers,

Phillipa Morrish (Photo

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by Mandy Duncan)

here are numerous Guyanese women who have received many accolades for outstanding achievements, proving that greatness can come from a small country.

Two women of such excellence are “etiquette boss” Phillipa Morrish and motivational speaker Pamela Tracz.

Pamela Tracz

Phillipa Morrish

Phillipa Morrish is a certified Social Protocol consultant and founder of Etiquette Training International, New York.

Since 1999, Phillipa has worked internationally with corporations, organisations, law enforcement officers and private clients to help them become leaders in their field. She also works extensively with teens, and has been an etiquette teacher at Fontbonne Hall Academy, Brooklyn, since 2003.

Phillipa’s desire to bring the same instruction to the students of Guyana has resulted in ‘Finishing School’ courses being taught annually to Guyanese high school students. She has conducted workshops since 1999 to clients in the United States and the Caribbean; ranging from the Office of the President, to hotel and restaurant staff in Guyana.

From law enforcement officers in Trinidad to hospitality students in Jamaica, she specialises in fostering a greater comprehension of differences in North and South American protocols.

A graduate of the University of Guyana and Universidat di Aruba, Phillipa earned a Bachelor’s in English in 1981. In 1998 she graduated from the Ophelia De Vore School of Charm, New York City; winning the coveted Miss High Achiever trophy. In 2010 she obtained additional social protocol training at the prestigious Minding Manners in London.

Phillipa has been honoured for her community service by several civic

Phillipa (center) receving her Pioneer Award

Military Base, Brooklyn, and has been honoured by the installation for her volunteer work on behalf of military families. In 2011 she was selected as one of Brooklyn’s Outstanding Women by the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

On October 26, 2015, the Merchants Association of Third Avenue Brooklyn honoured Phillipa with the Pioneer Civic Award.

The Pioneer Award recognises businesses that have remained true to the small town feel of Bay Ridge and to individuals who have worked on behalf of community wide issues. The honours were handed out during at a cocktail reception at the Bay Ridge Manor in Brooklyn, New York.

Phillipa has also cohosted several Monday Manners etiquette shows on Brooklyn Cable Access Television and currently writes a weekly column, “Etiquette Boss”, for the Home Reporter and Spectator newspapers in New York City.

Pamela Tracz

Pamela Tracz is a motivational speaker who was also born in Guyana.

Pamela started her teaching career at the tender age of 17. She later travelled to London, England where she completed her training as a Registered Nurse and a State Certified Midwife.

Bedfordshire.

With more than 36 years experience in nursing, she has demonstrated her ability in team leadership, team building, communication, personal effectiveness, listening skills and coping with stress.

She is a member of the Ontario Nurses Association and the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Pamela has been very instrumental in helping the Niagara Region Health Care services to cope with downsizing and change.

She has served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Hamilton Chapter and functioned as their president.

Pamela has delivered services at Christ Church Unity and other Spiritual Congregations.

Additionally, she is a competent Toast Master and has been winning competitions such as the coveted Silver Gavel Award and Speech contest at the Area and Division level.

The motivational speaker has given speeches and motivational talks about setting goals for success to Toastmaster organisations, community businesses and organisations.

Pamela believes that laughter is the best medicine. After reading about

retirement homes, nursing homes, and employees of many organisations reduce their stress levels, improve interpersonal relationships, self-confidence and increase their productivity because they are having fun at home and at work.

She enjoys opening seminars and conventions with energetic laughter and fun.

A Human Performance Improvement Consultant, she has given inspiration-

al talks to beauty contestants giving them the confidence and presentation skills they need to help them realise their goals.

She has also judged these competitions.

Pamela is Hamilton’s Woman of the Year in Communications. She is very dynamic, effective and enthusiastic using her leadership skills, techniques and humour to deliver presentations to her clients.

(http://guyanesegirlsrock.org; http://pamtracz.com)

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Times Book World

'Give the Ball to the Poet'

Racism in Caribbean Literature?

By Sasenarine Persaud

I

f anyone has any doubt that the literature of the English speaking Caribbean still reflects the, almost, endemic partiality – if not the racism – of the Caribbean and the continued projection of the Caribbean as a place of Afro culture, this latest anthology of Caribbean poetry should dispel this.

Perhaps, the critics and the professors of West Indian Literature, attempting to conceal these biases, would cry, “hyper-

sensitivity to perceived slights.” This anthology demonstrates, yet again, how real this bias is.

Almost three decades ago, this bias was highlighted in the Caribbean poetry anthologies of the time. Voiceprint comes readily to mind. Poetry Review in London was gracious enough to publish my piece pointing out this bias in the anthologies of that time as it related to the English speaking Caribbean. There seemed to be an abeyance and correction of sorts.

The operative word here is seemed.

Many still remember Viv Richards’ 1990 statement – a racist one many contend – when he was captain of the West Indies cricket team, that the West Indies was the only “sporting team of African descent” able to win against all international teams.

Such a statement by the white captain of any US sporting team would likely see riots in the US, and certainly the resignation, or removal of such a person from the captaincy of such a team – witness the recent resignation of both President and Chancellor of the University of Missouri.

And there is the current controversy in regard to the lack of Afro-American diversity in the Academy Awards – forget Asians, or Asian-Americans, who don’t take to the streets, or rock the boat. In total disregard for the Indians and all other ethnic groups of the West Indies, Richards was allowed to continue as captain.

He was even subsequently knighted by the British; a knighthood that never should have happened; perhaps, a knighthood that should be revoked pending an unambiguous apology from Richards.

None was ever offered, as far as I am aware. But who has ever heard of a knighthood being revoked, even of rogues and slave traders such as John Hawkins and Francis Drake?

Why is this relevant? A number of British and Anglo-American critics, academics, editors and publishers, who have, by and large, influenced and published most of the major literary anthologies of the English-speaking Caribbean, have been, and continue to be, collaborators in ‘dissing’ the Indians, and persons of other ethnic backgrounds, of the region.

There have been exceptions such as “Crossing Water” (1992), edited by Anthony Kellman. Perhaps, it is pertinent to note that for the purposes of this piece, the English-speaking Caribbean is used interchangeably with English-speaking West Indies, or simply West Indies, or Caribbean, and includes Guyana.

This former British colony, which is in South America, is not quite an “island” in that section of the Atlantic Ocean between North and South America, sometimes called the West Indian (or is that Caribbean? ) Sea. And, of course, the very title of this anthology echoes one of the things that bind the West Indies: cricket.

A cricket analogy is, also, relevant.

Let us look at the facts of this anthology. Give the Ball to the Poet, which is published by Commonwealth Education Trust Books, is a collaboration of the University of Cambridge and the University of the West Indies.

The anthology has three editors: two

from the University of Cambridge and one from the University of the West Indies, and includes fine illustrations by Jane Ray. Every poem is accompanied by a colour illustration/painting. Perhaps, some these illustrations could have been done by several of the fine painters from the region; Stanley Graves, Bernadette Persaud, Suresh Hanoman to name a few.

There are 90 poems in this anthology.

Only three are by Indian poets – four if we count one poet, who is of mixed parentage. If we exclude my poem (included almost at the last moment – a note on this later) and give the editors the benefit of the doubt (and assuming that the other two poets were not, also, included at the last moment as a result of my response on the composition of the project) – then this might well have been two poems out of ninety.

Perhaps, it is mere coincidence that of these, two poets, one is also known for his prose works on blacks in the UK and the slave trade; the other (deceased) known for her collaboration with the repressive, illegal, and (to be mild) Afro-centric regime that ruled Guyana with an iron fist for the first 26 years in the post-independence period, with the tacit approval of the rest of the Caribbean, until the first free and fair elections in 1992.

Three poems by Indians out of 90! Let me add a clarification that I would not want to be included in any anthology solely because of my Indian ancestry. Nor am I advocating that anthologies have ethnic, gender, religious, or geographic considerations as criteria unless the anthology is ethnic, gender, or, as in this instance, geographic specific; even so, if there is any one overriding qualification for selection, it should be for those subjective things we call craft and artistry and passion and appeal.

Within such parameters, anthologists have an obligation to make selections that reflect the diversity of fine voices – especially in the West Indies, where Indians have historically been marginalized and disenfranchised, and especially when such an anthology is being used in schools to represent the poetry of the region. (TO BE CONTINUED)

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

A brief history of the University of Guyana This was followed by Master’s programmes in Biology and Education in 1976, Chemistry and Economics in 1977, Political Science in 1978, and Geography in 1984.

A Graduate Diploma in Development Studies was also introduced in 1984.

From 1975, the University began accrediting programmes run by sister institutions in the

was given by the Cabinet for the abolition of mandatory National Service for students at tertiary level education institutions.

In the 1993-94 academic year the Semester System was introduced in the Faculties of Education and Social Sciences. This system was introduced to the remaining Faculties in 1994/95.

The New Building

Professors were installed.

Berbice Campus

One of the university’s most recent and significant undertakings was the formation of the Berbice campus. This relatively new campus, which became operational in 2000, was established with the intention of making university education more accessible to Berbicians, who previously

Prime Minister Forbes Burnham speaking at the UG deed handing over ceremony during Independence Week (1966)

T

he University of Guyana was established in April 1963 and began its operations in October of the same year with a batch of 164 students in temporary premises loaned from Queen’s College in Georgetown.

Programmes were at first confined to the Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. However, in 1967, a Faculty of Education was established and this

was followed by the establishment of the Faculties of Technology in 1969, Agriculture in 1977, and in 1981, the Faculty of Health Sciences, prior to the establishment of which programmes in Health Sciences were offered within the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

A Forestry Unit was established in 1987. In 2002, the Faculty of Agriculture was renamed the Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry.

In 2003, the Faculties of Arts and Education merged to become the School of Education and Humanities.

At its inception, only general degree programmes were offered by the University, but from 1966, Certificate and Diploma level programmes were introduced. The first graduate programme - A Master’s Degree in Guyanese and West Indian History was started in 1973.

Turkeyen Campus in its early years

Commonwealth Caribbean.

A Training Programme for Medical Practitioners was launched in October 1985.

Turkeyen Campus

The University occupied its present site at Turkeyen in October 1969.

The Booker Group of Companies provided 1450 acres of land for a campus at Turkeyen. The soil was turned by Prime Minister L.F.S. Burnham on May 24, 1966.

Construction work began

(ugbclibrary.uog.edu.gy)

Society provided funding for the construction of a 40-room Student Halls of Residence.

This building was opened on May 27, 1994 and houses students from the outlying areas of Guyana.

A second Halls of Residence was constructed on campus by the Beharry Group of Companies to house 44 students while a third, the Dennis Irving Halls of Residence, was built by the University at Goedverwagting, to accommodate an additional 46 stu-

endured the inconvenience of travelling to the Turkeyen Campus to pursue university studies.

In its early stages, the University of Guyana – Berbice Campus (UGBC) offered two-year undergraduate Certificate programme in Education (various options) and Diploma programmes in Accountancy, English, History, Marketing, Public Management and Social Work.

Degree programmes were subsequently offered:

Atkinson Airport 1952 (now Cheddi Jagan Int'l Airport)

University of Guyana Tain Campus, Berbice

Georgetown seawall 1930

Jan. 2, 1968, and the first building was declared open on February 24, 1970.

The tuition fee of $100 per annum was abolished in 1974. However, in the 1994-95 academic year the University introduced a Cost Recovery Programme.

Students are currently required to pay.

In 1975, participation in National Service was made a requirement for persons wishing to pursue programmes at the University; however, in 1994 approval

dents.

Over recent years, a number of new programmes have been introduced, including Masters Degrees in Administration, Bachelor degrees in Pharmacy, Optometry and Dentistry.

The University also certifies affiliated programmes.

In 2005 the meritorious position of Distinguished Professor was instituted.

Professor Clive Thomas is the sole holder of this distinction.

In 2009 the first Emeritus

the Degree in Agriculture and the Associate Degree in General Science (various options) were offered in the 2001 – 2002 academic year, and Degree in Public Management and Education, as well as the Post-Graduate Diploma in Education were offered in the 2002-2003 academic year.

The first graduation ceremony was held Nov. 2002 with a batch of ninety-three students. (Source: uog.edu.gy)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

febrUARY 7, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Travel & Tourism

Buildings in the village

A

The lower end of King William Falls (Photo by barbelblogger.blogspot.com)

poteri is located at the confluence of the ‘white’ Rupununi and ‘black’ Essequibo rivers, about two and a half hours, during high water season, from the administrative centre of Annai. The village is the most remote of the North Rupununi communities.

Apoteri is an old Carib village known since the days of Schomburgk and Im Thurn. It was a stopping point for travellers exploring Guyana’s hinterland in the early 1800s.

Today, Apoteri is known for its role in the balata trade. The village, of about 600 persons, is predominantly Wapishana, with Makushi and Patamona.

Its isolation, in part, has helped the village to continue maintaining a traditional way of life that includes farming, hunting and fishing.

Despite its isolation, the general culture of the people has changed from purely indig-

Apoteri seen from the river

Apoteri village hall

enous to a mixture of practices. The village now has two churches: Anglican and Christian Brethren. Other influences include music, food and fashion, brought back by those visiting other locations, especially Brazil.

But these new influences do not affect community togetherness. The villagers still work together on community self-help projects and celebrating special occasions. They also organize sport events with other communities, helping the people to remain connected, and promote positive relations.

One of the most scenic locations near the village is the King William Falls, located along the Upper Essequibo River. There you can enjoy a wilderness experience unlike any other in the world. (Information from projectcobra.org)

Plane lands at Apoteri airfield

King William Falls (Photo by dheapsfishingadventures.blogspot.com)

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febrUARY 7, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

Get happy

Eight toxic thoughts you need to get rid of I

t doesn’t matter how old you are – if you’re in your 20s or your 40s – if there’s negativity and worry infiltrating your self-concept, it’s up to you to do the mental work of cleaning up your act.

1. “I’m lonely.”

We keep hoping that love will make us feel happy, because we won’t be alone. The problem isn’t being alone; it’s being with yourself. The solution isn’t a partner; it’s to be happy when you’re in your own company.

Then if you find love, you won’t be demanding it to “fix” you or fulfil you. You won’t need anything from it.

You’ll simply enjoy it. And enjoying it without depending on it will keep that love from wanting to leave you because it feels trapped.

The practice of solitude is an important one that goes from uncomfortable to nourishing quite quickly. When you can spend time with yourself, you’ll start to enjoy your own company.

Tell yourself: “I enjoy and appreciate myself enough to be alone. I practice solitude.”

2. “I don’t like my body. My body isn’t good enough.”

First and foremost, good enough for whom? You? A guy? The media? This blank and generalizing question is infuriating.

Your one body is your one vehicle that holds your heart and your brain, that encases your soul, a soul distinct to you, a personality individual to you, and it’s all tucked safely inside this one body, this one temple that you are in charge of.

You can’t trade your body for someone else’s, so stop wishing for that through denial and self-hatred. You can, however, love and improve the one you have. This one body is in your care, just like a child. Feed it well.

Wash it. Cherish it. Let it rest and relax so you can take it out into the world.

Instead, say: “My body is a gift, not a right, and I cherish and appreciate it.”

3. “I’m not happy in my job/career.”

Honestly ask, and honestly answer: What skills do you have that will help others in a way that will also provide you with the satisfaction of knowing you’re part of a solution? What can you do to give back more?

They say that true happiness comes from giving, not receiving. Think less about the money and the work hours, and more about what kind of action will allow you to give your special traits and gifts to this very demanding world.

portion of your life to with joy and gratitude.

Stop waiting, and start going out and looking for answers yourself. Read books, study on your own, talk to people, do whatever you have to do. Stop asking the world to provide things to you, and start going out and looking for ways to give back to it, to create for it and within it, to volunteer yourself rather than waiting to be called.

Instead, say: “I eternally continue to follow my curiosity and passion.”

It might in fact be that your job isn’t the problem, but how you’re behaving within it, and how hard you’re striving for a goal you once saw there.

Say to yourself: “I focus more on what I give than what I receive. I practice humility.”

4. “I’m not lovable. I’m unworthy of affection.”

You’re the person who spends the most time with you. You’ve spent your whole life being you. You’ve seen all the things you’ve overcome, you’ve been through every bad day and every trial and tribulation. Plus, you’ve seen all the times you’ve shined and succeeded, too. You know you best of all. Sit with that a while.

What do you think of you?

You’re not others. You’re not anyone else but you. And you know you better than anyone else. So stop relying on other people who don’t even know you that well to be the deciders of what or who you are, what you’re worth. You decide that. And you run with it.

And when you decide that, you’ll see that you’re pretty great at being you.

You’ve been doing it a long time, and now it’s time to focus on being the best you.

Instead, say: “I give love to myself first, then others.”

5. “I don’t have enough money.”

Money is a real concern.

In fact, it’s one of the biggest contributing factors to a relationship’s demise.

The solution isn’t to get more money; it’s to get mon-

ey-smart, so that instead of acting from fear of depletion, you act from knowledge. If you ever avoid looking at your account because you’re terrified of what’s inside, then you’re acting from fear.

The only type of people who don’t worry about money are the kind that stare down the beast and figure out a game plan. Focus less on the amount, and more on wisely managing what you have.

Tell yourself: “I’m in control of my lifestyle.”

6. “Good things happen to other people, but not to me. It’s not fair.”

Life’s not fair. Haven’t they been telling us all that since grade school? Why are we still waiting for it to even out? Why not accept that it isn’t, and stop waiting for the magic to make us feel better about circumstances we’ve created for ourselves?

Taking responsibility for your current situation — your job, your relationship, your income, your health — means facing the fact that you have a lot of power.

You have the power to be healthier. You have the power to be a better partner, or find a better partner.

You have the power to move across the country or quit your job or write a book.

There will be absolutely no worse feeling than that of knowing you let fear keep you from doing something amazing. Your fear isn’t real. Kill the boogey monster. Live your dreams before it’s too late.

Tell yourself: “I embrace

my power to change my own life. I rise to the occasion that is my life.”

7. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life.”

Stop worrying about

finding a passion and start looking around at the things that already interest you. It doesn’t have to be your day job; it can be a hobby. It can be something free and something you devote a small

8. “I never get what I want in ___ (love, work, life, friendships).”

Nope, and you’re never going to just get it. It’s never going to magically come your way. This victim routine is such an overplayed record.

The truth is, you have to go get it. You have to do the work. There’s not much more that needs to be said.

You’re not a princess locked in a tower. Go out the front door and make it happen.

Stop playing the victim of your own life.

Instead, say: “I do what I must to get what I want.

I don’t wait for opportunity, I make them for myself.”

(YourTango)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Times Fashion

Celebration S

onia Noel Designs provides Sunday Times Magazine with a sneak peak of her stylish collection for men and women in celebration of Guyana’s 50th independence anniversary.

Noel gets patriotic with her soon-to-be released collection that will offer men and women several pieces that can be worn to any event for this year’s independence celebrations. The fashionable pieces showcase the colours of the Golden Arrowhead in various designs.

The collection offers chic t-shirts, jumpers, dresses, skirts, bandanas, scarves and much more. (Photos by Shiv Din. Models: Meleesa, Lucria and Royan)

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febrUARY 7, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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febrUARY 7, 2016

Times Hollywood

Ryan Reynolds defends his Mariah Carey has no plan to daughter’s ‘unusual’ name have kids with James Packer

R

yan Reynolds has defended the unique baby name he and Blake Lively chose for little James - named after his father who died last year.

“My father just passed away,” Reynolds confirmed to Good Morning Britain today, “but my daughter is named after him.”

The name James means a lot to Reynolds, and he’s unfazed by the fact that some people might think it’s weird to call a girl by a typical male name.

“In the spectrum of weird celebrity baby names,” he joked, “I feel like we’re not really breaking any new ground here.”

“I didn’t call her Summer Squash Meadowlark or something.”

Reynolds confirmed in March 2015 that he and his wife had named their girl after his late father, who passed away last October.

“It’s out there,” the actor said at the time. “It’s James. Everyone knows, and I told everyone who would listen before it was out there that I didn’t want to be the first guy screaming it out to the media because, as we know, little girls turn into teenage girls and little teenage girls sometimes scan through the archives and go, ‘Why did you do that?’”

Ryan Reynolds

(Glamour)

P. Diddy accused of arranging Tupac Shakur’s murder in new documentary

A

new story surfaced that P. Diddy was the one behind Tupac Shakur’s death. A former Los Angeles cop claimed in a new documentary that he cracked the mystery of Shakur’s death by finding out that Diddy was the mastermind of the decades-old murder.

The former LAPD detective Greg Kading said Crisps member Duane Keith Davis was offered $1 million

by Diddy to kill Shakur and his manager Suge Knight.

Davis’ nephew Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson was the one eventually execut-

ing the shooting which fatally wounded Shakur but only injured Knight.

The murder which occurred on a Las Vegas street in September 1996 remained an unsolved case.

Six months later, Diddy’s close pal Notorious B.I.G. was also killed in a shooting.

Kading, who led the task force that investigated the shooting, thought B.I.G.’s murder was a retaliation orchestrated by Knight.

Kading allegedly wrangled a confession from Davis who was afraid of being charged for a different crime. “If [Davis’] intention

was to just get away with it, so to speak, it would have been very easy for him to not include all the details that he did,” Kading told the Huffington Post.

In 2011, Kading wrote a book titled “Murder Rap” which was made as the basis of the documentary.

Meanwhile, Diddy, known as Sean Combs at that time, had denied his involvement in the past and said, “The story is pure fiction and completely ridiculous.”

The documentary, which will air on Netflix, was not the first to mention Diddy as the murderer. Back in 2008, L.A. Times also published a story of how Diddy’s boys shot Shakur five times in NYC outside a recording studio. The incident did not kill Shakur. The newspaper later retracted the story and wrote, “The Times has since concluded that the FBI reports were fabricated and that some of the other sources relied on - including ...a ‘confidential source’ cited in the FBI reports do not support major elements of the story.” (AceShowbiz)

M

ariah Carey is ready to marry James Packer, but she’s not ready to have kids with him. The “We Belong Together” hitmaker, who just got engaged to the Australian billionaire, revealed that she had no plan to have babies with her beloved fiance.

In an interview with Diana Madison, Carey opened up about her busy schedule as a mother plus a professional singer. The 46-year-old songtress was asked about how she could allocate her time for her children while she sometimes had to travel around the world and be away from them for a long time. “It’s hard,” she revealed. “It only gets harder, but you know what? We make it work and we do our best.”

Carey, who has 4-yearold twins Monroe and Moroccan from her marriage with Nick Cannon, also revealed that she didn’t have plan to have babies with Packer. She was afraid that welcoming another baby would make her kids jealous. “No, those are my two babies,” she explained. “I think they would be so jealous because they get upset when I pet the dog.”

The “We Belong Together” singer added that all that she wanted was to make her children happy. “I want them to be happy with whatever they do. I want them to be safe and protected and around good people,” she said. “But I want them

to be happy.”

As for her agenda in the coming years, it seems like Carey has no specific plan for her career. “I don’t know, somewhere singing, working, hanging out, doing the same stuff,” she stated.

(AceShowbiz)

Ariana Grande designs her debut high street collection

A

riana Grande is collaborating with high street brand Lipsy to launch her debut fashion collec-

tion.

The singer, who is also the star of Lipsy’s 2016 campaign, will create two fashion ranges - the first of which will launch in March with a follow-up planned for May, when Grande visits the UK. It is reported that the collection will include 20 pieces. Both Lipsy and Grande are known for their super feminine, playful style so the pairing is a good match, even if it does come as a surprise that the pop star didn’t choose an internationally known brand.

With a combined social media following of 115 million, the range won’t be short of eager shoppers. (Glamour)

Taylor Swift will launch her own Wiz Khalifa on Kanye West feud: mobile game later this year

T

aylor Swift will soon get her very own mobile game. The “Shake It Off” singer is teaming up with Glu Mobile for a “new, one-of-a-kind digital gaming experience,” which is currently slated for a global release in late 2016.

“We realize that Taylor and her global fan base expect a new and highly differentiated mobile gaming experience,” Glu CEO Niccolo de Masi said. “Glu is equally committed to designing never before seen gameplay elements that utilize Taylor’s unique creativity.

Accordingly, we will spend the required development time to ensure this innovation is achieved.”

The idea to create the game seems to come suddenly as the 26-year-old songtress previously shared that she wanted to be more spontaneous in doing things this year, unlike what she did in the previous years. “What I’m looking forward to in 2016 is not knowing what’s next. I’ve always planned my career a year or two in advance, and I refused to do that this time,” she explained. “1989 was such a huge chapter in my life and career, and it’s an exciting thought to let the story write itself now for a while.”

The company has previously released top games with Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry.

Becoming the first celebrity-based

‘I accept his apology’

W

game, “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” has had a massive success. The game garnered just over US$43 million in its first three months.

(AceShowbiz)

iz Khalifa has revealed that his feud with Kanye West is all in the past, after the “Yeezus” hitmaker apologized for going too far.

As previously reported, Kim Kardashian’s husband revealed on Tuesday, February 2, that he and Khalifa had buried the hatchet, tweeting out the announcement that “me and Wiz spoke yesterday. Great convo. All positive.”

“I think everybody was, but it’s cool. Like, everything’s cool. We spoke; it’s all good,” Khalifa said.

In fact, it seems like everyone involved is ready to put their spat behind

them, with Kardashian and Khalifa’s ex Amber Rose (who Kanye ripped into for her “stripper” past during his Twitter explosion) meeting up and having tea together just the day before.

“Her and Kim spoke and they’re all good too,” Khalifa revealed. “They spoke and it’s all good.”

“I’m like the Bob Marley of this,” Khalifa added, laughing. (US Magazine)

Sunday Times Magazine 13 febrUARY 7, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Star Times Bollywood popularly known as Madhuurima, is an Indian film actress. Her father is a mechanical engineer who served in the Indian Navy, before he began working as the general manager of the largest private shipyard of India.

Her mother had been working as researcher in the field of virology and as a content writer for multinational companies and later turned a novelist.

Madhurima holds a Bachelor of Laws degree. The actress is popularly seen in Telugu films. She made her Bollywood debut in “Toss: A Flip of Destiny” (2009). In 2012, she appeared in her second Bollywood film, “Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal”. In early 2015, she played the leading role in the very successful Telugu action film, “Temper”. She is currently working on two Telugu films scheduled for release in 2016.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

Times Bollywood Vidya Balan: ‘Women should be allowed to wear what they want to’

B

ollywood actress Vidya Balan believes that respect for women should not depend on the length of the clothes that they wear.

“It is important that one’s view point changes. Girls should be allowed to wear what they want to. Her honour is not related to their clothes. The respect for them

(girls and women) should not depend on the length of their clothes,” the 38-year-old actress told reporters at the Youth For Unity event here last evening.

“It is important for girls to stand on their own feet like boys. There should be no distinction between girls and boys. Even our world is moving to equal space,” the “Parineeta” star said. In case of eve-teasing, the National-award winning actress feels girls should act fearlessly.

“I think eve-teasing happens everywhere, at some places the incidents are more and some there are less. I have not experienced it after college. Girls have to be strong either (to) beat them up or abuse or yell,” she added. At the same time, Vidya feels proud for the achievements of women in every field.

“When I go for any event and I see more women I feel good that they are in the fore front. Today girls are everywhere and in every field,” the “Dirty Picture” actress added.

The “Kahaani” actress is happy being associated with issues related to women.

“I am doing my bit there is nothing else that I want to campaign for. Education, sanitation and women’s issues are the three areas about which I feel strongly. Whenever I get opportunity to be associated with such programmes I am there,” she added. (PTI)

Akshay Kumar: ‘I’m done proving things for people’

A

kshay Kumar got married to Bollywood actor Twinkle Khanna, daughter of Dimple Kapadia and late Rajesh Khanna, in 2001. Last month, they celebrated their 15th anniversary.

“I wasn’t just lucky to marry Tina. I was lucky to also get to be part of her amazing family that is as mad as she is. It just makes my life at home so much more enjoyable (smiles),” says Akshay, adding, “What I cherish the most is that now I am the one who takes care of them (Twinkle’s family). They have made me laugh more times than I can remember. I am so lucky that I get to come home to card games and giggles, instead of more stress (laughs).”

The 48-year-old has just delivered a big hit, “Airlift”.

At this stage, however, the actor insists that he is focusing on “just making people happy”.

“I have done my bit of proving things. I have battled life’s hurdles and I have chased my dreams. Now, it is time for me to ride the wave

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FEBRUARY 7, 2016

and see what life has to offer me. I’m happy to just be me, and go where the winds take me. I’m not running in any direction. I’m just enjoying the view,” he says.

Of late, Akshay has mixed up his film choices — he has done critically acclaimed movies as well as commercial potboilers.

“I have found a lot of happiness in doing critically acclaimed films… more than I thought I would experience actually. Though numbers are great for business, I love to love my work, whether it’s successful or not. Sometimes, one has to do something challenging to feel worthwhile in this rat race we call the entertainment industry,” he says.

Deepika Padukone’s ‘xXx’ look

H

ollywood action star Vin Diesel shared the first picture of him and Deepika Padukone shooting for their much awaited film “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage”.

Diesel, 48, took to Instagram to share Deepika’s look in the movie.

He also shared another picture of them together on Facebook.

Director of the film DJ Caruso also posted a picture of 30-year-old “Bajirao Mastani” actress, calling the shot “stunning”. “#academyaward winner #Russellcarpenter sets his 1st shot with @deepikapadukone. #xandercagereturns #xxx3 stunning ,” he tweeted.

In the third installment of the film, Diesel is back

as Cage who returns to the National Security Agency after an eight-year absence.

The film also stars Nina Dobrev, Samuel L Jackson, Ruby Rose, Jet Li, and Tony Jaa. It will release in 2017.

The actress has started 2016 with more power starting with the international project.

“In the few two or three interactions that I have had with him (Vin Diesel), he is just a very warm person.

He is very generous among most of my co-stars that I have worked with. I think it will be a fun experience working with him,” Deepika said of her maiden foreign project earlier. (PTI)

Shah Rukh Khan:

‘I have too many worries in life’

H

e is one of the highest paid actors of Bollywood, but there are things that even Shah Rukh Khan can’t buy.

The cine icon says he aspires to buy a plane, but is running low on funds as he has used them up to make films. “I want to buy a plane but I don’t have money. I put all my money in my films. I would really like to travel in a private plane because I can do a lot more work...

One day I will make sure I have enough money. But I don’t have enough money as I put in films. There is always a choice - buy a plane or make a film - so I make a film,” said Shah Rukh.

The 50-year-old star, who has earned epithets like “King Khan”, “Badshah” and “The King Of Romance”

after being part of the entertainment industry for over two decades, opened about his professional as well as personal life with his fans and by answering questions through #fame, a live video social platform.

When the superstar was asked about his “biggest worry” in life, Shah Rukh

said: “I have a lot of worries in life because when you are at this level and are doing such kind of work, then there are a lot of things you have to look at.”

“The biggest worry is that you have to be nice to everyone, care about everyone and think about everyone. There are days when I just want to say that ‘No, I don’t want to...somebody please take care of me’.”

“And you are always worried about making sure that if you are in a place, or you are meeting someone, then you don’t end up hurting someone. But there are days when I want to have no worries, no working worries.”

On the professional front, Shah Rukh is gearing up for two big releases – “Fan” and “Raees”. (IANS)

Pakistan ‘denies’ Anupam Kher’s visa

P Priyanka Chopra on presenting Oscar: (Hindustan Times)

‘Great to be counted among my peers’

H

er American television debut series “Quantico” seems to have put actor Priyanka Chopra’s career on an upswing in the west.

The actor who won the Favourite Actress in a New TV series award at the People’s Choice Awards for the TV show, is ecstatic with the new announcement that will put her on the same stage as that of Julianne

Moore, Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon.

It was announced that the actor would be presenting an award at the prestigious Academy Awards and her Twitter feed has been buzzing non-stop.

“I am definitely excited. There are such few presenters and to be able to share the same stage with them within six months of my being here, feels amazing. It’s great to be counted among my peers,” she said.

“The Academy Awards is the highest honour in America so I am excited to be a part of it.”

“Quantico” has opened a lot of doors for the actor in Hollywood but she believes that is true of any industry.

“When I first started out in India, people slowly started liking my work. Similarly, I am glad that my work in ‘Quantico’ is being appreciated and recognised. I do feel a lot has happened too soon but I am not overwhelmed with the entire thing because I am trained from one of the best industries in the world. It is not my first red carpet appearance or my first shot. I am experienced enough. But I am happy that everyone has been extremely welcoming towards me,” she says. (Hindustan Times)

akistan High Commission in New Delhi has reportedly denied a visa to actor Anupam Kher to attend Karachi Literature Festival, which was held on February 5.

Kher claimed that he has been singled out of the 18 delegates who applied for the visa. “I am very sad and disappointed that out of 18 participants, 17 were given visa and I was denied,” Kher told ANI. He later tweeted asking if his visa was cancelled because he has spoken about the tolerance debate in India or because he’s a Kashmiri Pandit.

However Pakistan High Commission has said Kher had not even applied for a visa.

“Anupam Kher has never submitted a visa application,” Pakistan high commission spokesperson Manzoor Ali Memon told Hindustan Times.

He added: “It may be clarified that the Pakistan high commission never received Mr Kher’s visa ap-

plication. So the question of issuing or denying him visa does not arise.”

According to reports, Pakistani officials rejected the visa citing security reasons.

Kher, who has just been honoured with Padma Bhushan by the Indian government, was to participate in at least two sessions and his name figured prominently in the festival schedule.

Confirming that he has not been issued a visa, Kher said that he was very sad-

dened by the development as he was looking forward to participate in the festival and use the platform to dispel misunderstandings in the minds of people there.

“We welcome their artistes in India. If there are objections to their performance at one place in India they are welcome at other places. But there is no reciprocity,” he said.

Kher said the visa denial has left the festival organisers embarrassed and they have apologised to him.

(Hindustan Times)

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febrUARY 7, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending 2015

Star of the week

R

ainbow freckles are now a thing. Faux freckles have been around for a while, but they’ve now stepped up their game with bright colours.

To get the look, you can use a mixture of liquid lipsticks and liquid eyeliners, but you can use pretty much whatever product you fancy.

So grab your nearest red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo or violet and give it a try!

is a singer/songwriter born and raised in Georgetown. His cadence is continuously evolving and far different from anything you would come to expect. Juke’s musical style is a fusion of contemporary and pop. Influenced by the soul, blues and hip hop styles of the 90s, this 21-year-old’s expression and lyrics, backed by his modern style of guitar playing, will cause you to stop, listen and feel his music. Although he has only performed live for three months at the OMG poetry nights and posted short covers on Facebook, Juke’s fan base has quickly grown, and continues to. As fans desperately plead for something to hold on to, Juke independently recorded, with producer Drew Thoven, his first single “Colour Me”, which, in its first week, garnered over 3,500 views on YouTube. Presently, Juke is working on “Colour Me” video with John Greene (the video’s producer and director). When the singer is not writing or singing, he is socializing and “out living the experiences” found in his music. Juke is a student, avid cricketer and a member of local charity group, Footprints of Today Foundation. “Colour Me” is scheduled to be followed by another single and then an EP comprising of four songs to be released in 2016. Stay tuned to his Facebook page, Juke Ross, for updates.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Times Art

Samantha Abraham develops her art form

A

young, talented artist, Samantha Abraham is well on her way to becoming one of Guyana’s most notable artists.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Samantha said she developed a passion for art since childhood.

“For as long as I can remember, I have been drawing. Since grade three or four, I remember drawing my first beach scene for a class assignment. I wanted to get every detail so right. This developed in me a passion for art,” she recalled.

While growing up, Samantha also became intrigued with tattoos and how unique they are. She observed the beauty in lines and colours of the tattoos. She was so enthused that she decided to pursue studies in art at E R Burrowes of

Art. Samantha graduated from Burrowes a year ago and is still honing her talent. She mentioned that she has discovered family members who are artists, some of whom have attended Burrowes. Her innate talent has helped her create applauded work, which deserves to be showcased for all to enjoy.

The artist said she enjoys painting galaxies, sound waves, music notes, which are all brightly coloured. She pointed out that she does not like to interpret her own work, but prefers people to make their own interpretations, which give her new concepts for paintings.

“My inspiration also comes from music: its beat and the movement of every sound. Art is my stress free zone. It is very therapeutic for

me. It is the one place where my mistakes can turn out to be beautiful and where your imagination comes to life,” she expressed.

Though she has never been part of any exhibition, Samantha hopes to one day be able to share her love for art by exhibiting at forums where she can interact with people and get feedback on her work.

Her plan is to study tattoo designing and to learn more techniques in becoming a better artist.

The young artist's advice to youths is to “never give up on art if you love it, but keep pushing on, keep getting better at it and continuously practice because art is amazing.”

For more information on the artist, call 652-5355 or visit Pepper Tiffie Abraham on Facebook. (Cover

Artist Samantha Abraham

photo)

"Maxine"

"Out Of This World I"

"The Wave"

"The Purple Landsacpe"

"The Second Wave"

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FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

iPhone 7 leak reveals significant design changes A

long with the controversial removal of the headphone jack, MacRumors has uncovered two more significant changes Apple will make to the iPhone 7, says Forbes.com.

Referring to MacRumors, Forbes reports that the iPhone 7 will feature the first truly flush r e a r camera since the iPhone 5S in 2013. This m e a n s that the iPhone 7 will not wobb l e when used on a table top, the camera ring will no longer be a continual point of impact when putting the phone down, and it

Tech BYTE

need to be kept on the edges of the iPhone 7, so it won’t be a 100 per cent uniform look.

While debate continues to rage about just how far Apple

will simplify case designs.

The only downside is MacRumors suggests the move means Apple will not be i m -

will take the iPhone 7 design, MacRumors does say it will retain the overall aluminium look and feel introduced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S.

w n ne t: ed o e credi s a b g r a e m rend ion. I com ne 7 format orbes. o h F n iP i a i v ign des umors R c a M

plementing its much hyped dual camera technology, though that could still feature on a third luxury iPhone 7 model.

MacRumors’ declares also that the iPhone 7 will do away with the unseemly antenna bands

on t h e rear of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S. This will result in a cleaner look.

MacRumors doesn’t say how Apple will pull this off, but if it relates to the ‘smart aluminium’ technology the company has been working on it could be more about disguising them than complete removal.

On the downside, the antenna bands apparently will still

Dutch police training eagles Google Play yanks to take down rogue drones Ad Blocker app

An eagle is seen gliding towards a drone in Rotterdam, Netherlands January 29. Dutch police are training the birds of prey to remove drones that pose a public safety threat (Newsweek photo)

T

he Dutch National Police are training the eagles to snatch rogue autonomous flying machines.

The law enforcement agency posted a video yesterday on YouTube highlighting its drone-snatching eagles on the hunt.

The deputy eagles are being trained to intercept “hostile drones from the sky.”

Capable of dive speeds of up to 99 miles per hour, eagles – properly instructed or not – can easily pluck mini aerial vehicles from the sky as if they were snacks.

The Dutch police’s goal is to steer tres-

passing drones away from airports and other areas where they shouldn’t roam, like if a drone is preventing an air ambulance from landing for example.

The training is being carried out with assistance from Guard From Above, a raptor-training firm based out of The Hague, with decades of bird-oriented training.

According to reports, the eagles are trained to specifically identify drones, snatch them out of thin air with their powerful talons, and then take the back to a safe area for a reward.

T

hree days after Samsung added adblocking support for its Android browser, Google pulled the first participating app from its store.

Adblock Fast from Rocketship Apps was downloaded 50,000-plus times before being unceremoniously yanked from Google Play, according to The Next Web, which cited an email sent to developer

Toyota kills Scion brand

T

oyota has decided to kill off the Scion brand and will rebadge its products as Toyota models beginning with the 2017 model-year.

Started in 2003 as a separate car brand targeted at younger buyers, they were sold with few options and fairly basic stereo systems under the assumption that most buyers would upgrade them.

According to USAToday, its quirky designs failed to catch on, and low gasoline prices made small cars a tougher sell.

Toyota envisioned Scion as an entry point for cost-conscious, young buyers.

In that respect, the strategy worked.

The average age of a Scion buyer was 36 years old, and 70 per cent of the brand’s buyers had never purchased a Toyota before.

But critically panned design choices — such as the cramped iQ mini car — set the brand on a path toward ir-

A 2012 Scion xb

relevancy for the average new-vehicle shopper. Carter acknowledged that the company failed to reach Millennial buyers through marketing.

Then, plunging gasoline prices crushed sales of the type of small cars Scion sells.

“It just never got traction and it

has been on life support for at least five years, if not longer,” said Peter De Lorenzo, a former auto marketing executive and editor of Autoextremist.com, in an interview. “But kudos to Toyota for admitting that it was superfluous and they were wasting a lot of money trying to make the brand survive.”

Brian Kennish.

“I reviewed Adblock Fast…and found that it violates section 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement,” the email said.

“This particular app has been disabled as a policy strike.”

The section in question, which references “prohibited acts,” requires that developers not distribute apps that interfere with other installed services—i.e. don’t block profitable advertisements.

Technically, Adblock Fast disrupts websites, as defined by the terms and conditions. But, as TNW pointed out, Adblock Fast was sanctioned by the Samsung Internet app and used an official API to block content.

“While we don’t comment on specific apps, we can confirm that our policies are designed to provide a great experience for users and developers,” a Google spokesman told PCMag. Rocketship Apps did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said on its website that it is “working to somehow, someway bring the app back to Android.”

Google applied a sim-

ilar technique in early 2013, when it removed from Google Play any applications that allow for ad blocking—including AdBlock Plus. The company later released a full version of its ad-blocking browser for Android and iOS. In the fall, Apple added ad-blocking support on iOS 9. Adblock Fast became a popular choice for iPhone users, alongside services like Purify Blocker and Crystal, the latter of which also added support for Samsung Internet and is still available on Google Play.

Cupertino in October removed several apps, including ad-blocker Been Choice, over concerns they could view encrypted traffic.

Developer Marco Arment also pulled his own app, Peace, from the Appe Store because he was concerned about its effect on companies that rely on ads for regular income.

The New York Times last year found that while ad blockers save battery and promise speedier access to Web content, average users might not notice much of a difference. (PC Mag)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Typography T

ype is everywhere in our world. Speaking to the Daily Mail UK, Lorna McAleer, brand manager of a fabric and blind supplier, says that in home décor “Typography could be a single oversized letter or a series of themed words printed direct to blinds, curtains and other home accessories… including photography and phrases [that] create greater personalisation.”

Ingredients 3/4 cup long-grain white rice 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped 425g can tuna in springwater, drained, flaked 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 8 eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup pure cream 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese Mixed salad leaves, to serve

Method

“Bring words as well as patterns into the home – on walls, on blinds and with typographical wall art,” says McAleer

Numerical and scientific typography makes a great addition to an industrial or urban space.

It’s especially appropriate for an office or a study.

Or a home bar — wherever you do your best thinking, popular online home improvement magazine Houzz advises

Geography has long been a beloved typography subject.

Maps, road signs and other travel-themed decor will fuel your wanderlust, Houzz adds

Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced.

Grease a 6cm deep, 22cm (base) round cake pan. Line base and side with baking paper.

Cook rice. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until onion has softened.

Add celery and bell pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in tuna, basil and rice. Spoon the mixture into prepared pan.

Whisk eggs, cream and parmesan in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over rice mixture.

Tap the pan to remove air bubbles. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until browned and cooked through.

Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn on to a plate. Cut into wedges. Serve with mixed salad leaves.

GREATEST COOKING TIPS

W

hen it comes to stir-frying, not all cookware is created equal.

Your best bet is a 14-inch carbon steel wok. It heats food quickly and evenly, and its high sides double as a cooking surface and prevent ingredients from spilling out. For easier handling, choose one that has a long wooden handle.

Sour varieties of carambola or star fruit can be used in place of lemon or lime slices for garnish with seafood, chicken or mixed drinks. Sweet Star fruit can also be used in chutneys, salsas, curries and stir fries.

Never let salt come into contact with yeast. It draws water that the yeast needs to live. When making bread, mix the salt into the flour to avoid this problem.

T

HOME HELP

he pigment curcumin in turmeric is one of the toughest stains. To remove turmeric stains, brush away as much of the turmeric as possible or, if it’s in a sauce, use white paper towels to absorb as much of the stain as you can. Apply methylated spirit to the stain and leave for a short time. The mark will turn red initially - but this is normal.

Blot away as much colour as possible with white paper towels, moving to a clean area of the towel regularly. Repeat until there is no further transfer of colour to the towels. Flush with cold water, then apply a mild detergent solution to the stained area. Allow this to soak in for a few minutes, then machine-wash the items as normal at as high a temperature as the fabric allows. If traces still remain, curcumin is unstable when exposed to light; placing the affected item in direct sun for a few days will fade the stain.

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Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Part I

JOKES At the library Old guy in a library walks up to the librarian and says, “I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, please.”

Librarian responds, “Sir, you know you’re in a library, right?”

Old guy says, “Oh, sorry. [In a whisper] I’ll have a cheeseburger and fries, please.”

Sister Mary’s miracle Sister Marry was truly a religious woman. Besides for her duties as a nun, she was also very active in various hospitals visiting sick patients and taking care of all their needs. So it was no surprise that one day when she ran out of gas, the only container she could find to put the gas into was a bedpan.

Sister Mary happily walked two blocks to the closest gas station filled up the bedpan with gas and headed back to her car. Luck would have it that as Sister Mary started tipping the gas into the fuel tank, the traffic light turned red and she had quite a large audience witnessing the spectacle.

Just when she finished pouring in the last drops of gas, a fellow opened up his window and hollered, “I swear!

If that car starts I’m becoming a religious man!”

The fur coat

Anne went away to college and promptly became an avid animal right activist. When she came home for the Holidays she noticed her mother wearing a beautiful genuine fur coat.

“Oh Mom,” Anne exclaimed in a disapproving tone, “some animal must have suffered terribly just so you can get a fur coat.”

“Anne,” her Mom admonished “I send you away to college and you come back talking like that?!

How dare you talk that way about your dad?”

Poor husband!

Sally walked into the dentist’s office to make an appointment.

“How much do you charge to pull out a tooth?” she asked.”

“It’s $130”, was the prompt reply. “$130!” gasped Sally, that’s ridiculous! There must be a way for you to go cheaper.”

“Well,” said the dentist thoughtfully, I suppose if we don’t numb it, we could knock off $30.”

“Only $30?” countered Sally, “that’s still $100, you’ve got to make it cheaper.”

“Well,” said the dentist after a long pause, “I suppose if we take it out with a wrench we could knock it down to $50.”

“Perfect”, said Sally happily. “I would like to make an appointment for next Tuesday, for my husband Jack.”

Same age

An elderly man went to the doctor complaining of a terrible pain in his leg.

“I am afraid it’s just old age”, replied the doctor, “there is nothing we can do about it.”

“That can’t be” fumed the old man, “you don’t know what you are doing.”

“How can you possibly know I am wrong?” countered the doctor.

“Well it’s quite obvious,” the old man replied, “my other leg is fine, and it’s the exact same age!”

Riddles for kids Q: What happens to a frog’s car when it breaks down?

A: It gets toad away.

Q: What did the duck say when he bought lipstick?

A: “Put it on my bill.”

Q: Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?

A: Of course. The Empire State Building can’t jump.

In the past few decades, we have learned a lot about how our actions and consumption habits impact the world around us, and from these lessons we can teach our children to do better.

Teaching our children about natural resources, ecosystems and respect for flora and fauna is a crucial way of safeguarding the future of our planet. Learning these lessons from a young age ensures these habits become an intrinsic part of their lifestyle as they grow older.

Imparting these messages is at least as beneficial as teaching them polite manners and basic social etiquette. Knowing

not to pick at your nose in public or how to set cutlery is undoubtedly important

to be taken seriously in society, but so is not tossing trash out of the car win-

dow.

Naturally curious, children start forming ideas about the world around them from a very young age.

Fostering their innate explorer’s spirit while highlighting our environment’s significant value is a constructive and formative manner of setting the right foundations to raising a conscious and mindful citizen of the world.

The best way for children to internalize a respectful attitude towards our planet and its natural resources is for these teachings to become an inherent part of daily life. Of course, leading by example doesn’t hurt either. (TO BE

CONTINUED)

STORY TIME

The Fighting Rooster

T

here once was a man who wanted his fighting rooster to be more ferocious. He took the rooster to a trainer. In a few weeks’ time he returned and saw that his rooster didn’t squawk as loudly.

“Not ready yet,” said the trainer. Two weeks later he saw that his rooster barely raised his neck feathers and wings.

“Not ready yet,” said the trainer. Another week passed.

His rooster looked as tame and docile as a chick.

“You’ve ruined my fine fighting bird!” screamed the man at the trainer.

“Not at all,” the trainer replied, “See how calm and secure he is, how serenely strong he stands today. The other fighting birds take one look at him and they all run away!” (A Taoist Tale by Chuang Tzu)

By Grammar G

A tautology is considered a phrase that says the same thing twice but with different words. It is considered also a redundant phrase, meaning its repetition is unnecessary since it adds nothing new.

The word comes from Greek tautologos/ tautologia (“repeating what has been said”).

A pleonasm is subtly different from tautology, which is often difficult to differentiate.

Pleonasm comes from Latin pleonasmus and Greek Pleonasmós: (“more-ness”) excess, redundancy.

Some suggest that a pleonasm is where more words than necessary are used to convey an idea, while a tautology uses a series of words that mean the same thing.

See if these examples help make it clearer: Pleonasm: “Could you repeat that again?” rather than “Could you say that again?” or “Could you repeat that?” In this instance, “repeat” means “to say again” so using the word “again” is in fact redundant.

Tautology: “I’m cool, calm, and collected.” All of which generally mean the

Reflections Hope is the thing with feathers “Hope” is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops - at all And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard And sore must be the storm That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm I’ve heard it in the chilliest land And on the strangest Sea Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.

Emily Dickinson

Cease and desist same thing. While just saying, “I’m cool” would get the point across, for some, adding “calm, and collected” is considered for effect.

Tautology is a common practice in political rhetoric: Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address is reported to include this tautology: “with malice toward none, with charity for all”.

The phrase says the same thing twice but its effect is felt in stating its first idea as a negative one and the second a positive.

A common Pleonasm in writing is the phrase “plans for the future” – because plans cannot be about the present or past. Another pleonasm in journalism: “armed gunman”.

Common tautologies can be found in geographical names: the Sahara Desert literally means “Desert Desert” as sahara means desert in Arabic. Similarly “Mississippi” from the Mississippi River means “Big River River” in Native American Algonquin language.

In fact, one of the most extreme tautological places is Torpenhow Hill in England. Tor, pen and how all mean “hill” in Celtic (Tor, pen) and Anglo Saxon (how). So it is literally “Hillhillhill Hill”.

20 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

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Times Sunday Puzzle

The blanks below can be filled in with words spelled with the same four letters in different order. Find them.

There once was a musical, _ _ _ _.

It was performed in three _ _ _ _.

When it was through, The audience flew And all of the _ _ _ _ went _ _ _ _.

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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Sunday Times Magazine 21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

GEOZONE

Collared peccary

Space Facts

T

he Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) can be found ranging from southern United States, throughout Central America to northern Argentina in South America.

In South and Central America it prefers the tropical rainforests, while in North America the collared peccary can be found in deserts.

It is also called “musk hog” and “javelina”. Although the animal resembles a pig, scientists place it in another family of mammals than the true pig, based on certain

anatomical differences.

Peccaries, of course, mainly feed on food from their region: berries, grass, roots, beans and nuts, and cacti for desert dwellers, particularly the prickly pear cacti. They also supplement their diet with insects and small lizards.

Their main predators include pumas and jaguars or coyotes and while they were once hunted by humans for their hide, they remain widespread in their habitats.

Colouring Fun

1. Earth is the only planet in our solar system with liquid water.

2. You wouldn’t be able to walk on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus or Neptune because they have no solid surface.

3. The highest mountain known to man is on an asteroid called Vesta. Measuring 22km (72,178.5 feet) in height, it is three times as tall as Mount Everest.

4. There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth.

5. If you could fly a plane to Pluto, the trip would take more than 800 years.

6. An asteroid about the size of a car enters Earth’s atmosphere roughly once a year - but it burns up before it reaches us.

7. The sunset on Mars appears blue.

8. Moon dust smells like burnt gunpowder.

9. One year on Neptune lasts about 165 Earth years.

Word Jumble Fun

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

2. csmiu________________

8. legggi________________

3. airgwdn________________

9. mnimsigw________________

by 9 square must include all

4. ntigipan________________

10. irungdmm________________

digits 1 through 9.

5. ignsgni________________

through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 please see solution on page 23

6. uhgla________________

Unscramble the words below: 1. nnigdca________________

7. lsime________________

Answers on page 23

22 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

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Sunday Times Magazine 23

World Times

Bolivia’s second largest Monkey who lived chained to one spot for 10 years finally free lake dries out

W

hen the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand received a call about a macaque who was in need of help, volunteers immediately set out to help.

When they arrived at the location, they found Mam, an adult long-tailed macaque, who had been chained in a backyard for 10 years. Her former keeper passed away, meaning she now had a chance at freedom.

Mam watched as rescuers worked to free her from her chain. When her chain was finally cut, Mam reached up and helped remove the collar that had restrained her for a decade.

Safe in the care of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, Mam will never have to fear being tied in one place again.

Once she is cleared from a period of quarantine, she will get to join a group of other rescued macaques.

The organization believes it is likely she was snatched from her mother not too long after her birth and sold as a pet.

This combination of satellite images shows Bolivia’s Lake Poopó filled with water on October 11, 1986 (left) and almost dry on January 16, 2016 (right)

B

olivia’s second largest lake, Poopó, has all but dried up, threatening the livelihood of fishing communities and spelling ecological disaster for hundreds of species.

The Bolivian government is blaming dry weather spurred by El Niño and a changing climate.

El Niño, climate change, and mismanagement of water are all to blame, scientists say.

Located in a shallow depression high in the Altiplano Mountains in southwest Bolivia, the lake has shrunk to just two per cent of its former size, which was approximately 380 square miles (1,000 square kilometres) Some scientists have suggested that recovery may not be possible, although Lisa Borre, a senior researcher with the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies in New York, who studies lake

Remembering world’s fastest cheetah

I

ecosystems, thinks the basin is likely to fill again once rains return.

Still, there are important lessons to be learned.

Misuse of the water supply and a failure on the part of the Bolivian government to act on existing management plans are partly responsible for the rapid drying of the lake over the past few years, says Borre.

Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project, tells Nat Geo, “This is the kind of change in hydrological systems that we’ll see more of with a warming climate. We’ll have to plan for more evaporation, whether that’s a lake or a drinking water reservoir.”

Poopó may not be alone.

“Lots of other lakes around the world are similarly threatened by major development programs or mismanagement,” Borre says.

Brain Teaser Answer

There once was a musical, CATS It was performed in three ACTS

When it was through, The audience flew And all of the CAST went SCAT.

ANSWERS FOR WORD JUMBLE 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

dancing music drawing painting singing

SUDOKU

6. laugh 7. smile 8. giggle 9. swimming 10. drumming

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

Mam removes her collar after her rescuers cut her chain

Sarah the cheetah covers the ground during her 2012 record-breaking sprint (Photo: National Geographic News)

n 2012, at 11 years old, Sarah the cheetah ran 100 meters in 5.95 seconds—a record-breaking sprint that was caught on video by National Geographic Magazine.

During the photo shoot Sarah was radar-timed at up to 61 miles (98 kilometres) an hour. In a 100-meter trial, Sarah clocked a time of 5.95 seconds— Olympian Usain Bolt’s world record is 9.58 seconds.

The record-breaking sprint, says Nat Geo, which occurred on a USA Track & Field-certified course established by the Cincinnati Zoo, is the fastest timed 100 meters ever run by anything on the planet.

“She looked like a polkadotted missile,” National Geographic photo editor Kim Hubbard said at the

time. “I’ve never seen anything alive run that fast.”

As astonishingly swift as Sarah’s world record time of 5.95 seconds might seem in a human context, it’s almost certain that cheetahs in the wild have run considerably faster.

Aged 15, Sarah the cheetah was euthanized January this year by zoo officials who determined that her “quality of life was diminishing”. A cheetah’s average life span is eight to twelve years.

“She lived a full life and was a phenomenal ambassador for her species,” said Linda Castaneda, lead trainer for the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. “She was a dynamic individual and we were privileged to know her and learn from her.

We will all miss the princess cat.”

The man who studies the spread of ignorance

I

n 1979, Robert Proctor, a science historian from Stanford University, read a previously secret memo called the Smoking and Health Proposal, written a decade earlier by the Brown & Williamson tobacco company.

In the memo, many of the tactics employed by big tobacco to counter “anti-cigarette forces” were exposed.

One section looks at how to market cigarettes to the mass public: “Doubt is our product since it is the best means of competing with the ‘body of fact’ that exists in the mind of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.”

Proctor wanted to know more about the practices of tobacco firms and how they had spread confusion about whether smoking caused cancer.

To help him in his search, Proctor enlisted the help of UC Berkeley linguist Iain Boal, and together in 1995 they came up with the term agnotology: the study of deliberate propagation of ignorance.

“I was exploring how powerful industries could promote ignorance to sell their wares. Ignorance is power… and agnotology is about the deliberate creation of ignorance,” Proctor told Georgina Kenyon of the BBC. Agnotology comes from agnosis, the neoclassical Greek word for ignorance or “not knowing”, and ontology, the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being.

Agnotology is the study of wilful acts to spread confusion and deceit,

usually to sell a product or win favour.

For example, politically motivated doubt was sown over US President Barack Obama’s nationality for many months by opponents until he revealed his birth certificate in 2011.

In another case, some political

Proctor found that ignorance spreads when firstly, many people do not understand a concept or fact, and secondly, when special interest groups – like a commercial firm or a political group – then work hard to create confusion about the issue.

Another academic studying igno-

commentators in Australia attempted to stoke panic by likening the country’s credit rating to that of Greece, despite readily available public information from ratings agencies showing the two economies are very different.

“We live in a world of radical ignorance, and the marvel is that any kind of truth cuts through the noise,” says Proctor. Even though knowledge is ‘accessible’, it does not mean it is accessed, he warns.

rance is David Dunning, from Cornell University. Dunning warns that the internet is helping propagate ignorance – it is a place where everyone has a chance to be their own expert, he says, which makes them prey for powerful interests wishing to deliberately spread ignorance.

US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s solutions that are either unworkable or unconstitutional are an example of agnotology, says Dunning.

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 7 , 2016

Fun Times

Archie

Show compassion and understanding when dealing (March 21with the people you love. Give April 19) them the benefit of the doubt and avoid making assumptions that will lead to a dispute.

ARIES

If you keep your emotions TAURUS out of the fray, you will not (April 20falter when faced with an imMay 20) portant decision. You can be optimistic without being extravagant. Offer loved ones affection, not lavish gifts.

You can gain ground if you GEMINI (May 21- follow your heart and stick to June 20) your beliefs. Live life in a way that works for you and stay true to everything you stand for.

Money matters must be handled with intelligence.

(June 21Don’t feel the need to pay for July 22) someone else. You cannot buy love, but you can earn it by offering your heart and attention.

CANCER

LEO An emotional change will help you decide upon your (July 23Aug. 22) next move. Do what will bring you the least stress and the most joy. Honor a commitment.

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Consider the vocational alterations you’d like to make, and formulate a plan. Put pressure on anyone you feel can help you reach your goal.

Connect with people from your past.

Improve your looks, skills LIBRA and presentation. The up(Sept. 23grades you make will lead to Oct. 23) greater confidence and success. It’s up to you to make things happen. Stop thinking and start doing.

Peanuts

SCORPIO Emotions will surface and (Oct. 24- are best dealt with methodiNov. 22) cally. Once you figure out the best plan of action, it will be easier for you to put pending matters behind you.

Get involved in something SAGITTARIUS that interests you or take on (Nov. 23a challenge that will put you Dec. 21) in the limelight. A little excitement will brighten your day and bring about positive change.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don’t mix business with CAPRICORN pleasure or let your emotions (Dec. 22cloud your financial plans.

Jan. 19) Keep your money in a safe place and avoid impulsive spending until you are able to make a wise decision.

AQUARIUS Don’t let confusion set in (Jan. 20- when it comes to personal isFeb. 19) sues. Try to understand the reasoning behind others’ actions before you respond. Let love and peace rule.

PISCES Help those less fortunate.

(Feb. 20- Your good deed will put you in March 20) the spotlight and connect you with someone who can help make your dreams come true.

Put love on a pedestal.