Magazine - Sunday, September 30, 2018

September 30, 2018

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

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Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

W

e all have that one teacher who made an indelible mark on our lives and for Keisha Rose that teacher was her “stern” Grade Six teacher. The mark was made when her teacher explained the principles of long division in great detail, and that moment led her to the light of teaching.

“At that very moment the light bulb went on for me not to say that I had an idea, but I found my passion, and from that day onwards I told myself that I wanted to be a teacher...,” she said.

Davis started her teaching career at the Port Mourant Secondary School in 2005 and according to her, the knowledge and experience that she gained over the past 12 years have definitely helped her to develop as a teacher in all aspects of teaching. She said that the passion for teaching was one that was too intense to quell.

“Teaching is a noble profession. I feel overwhelmed when I see my students after completing school in military uniforms, or in the nursing outfit. It makes me feel proud – proud to know that I have contributed towards making another individual functional towards society. That feeling makes me want to go on. My passion has not yet died, nor do I see it doing so before I reach age 55. I hope, however, that situations in the future do not hamper me from staying,” she says.

Davis’s life has always been centred on the upliftment of herself and she applies that to her teaching style. She believes that every new day is a day to learn and she is currently a student of the University of Guyana Berbice Campus reading for a Bachelor of Education in Social Studies.

The 31-year-old teacher remembers herself as a very quiet student who despite knowing the answers to questions would dare not speak up in class. She would later come out of that shell and become a bit too vocal which quite often led to her being on the receiving end of the teacher’s whip. The Corentyne native attended the Winifred Gaskin Memorial School and upon completion attempted to join the nursing profession. However, fate had other plans for her and she never got a response from the nursing school.

“It was during the first quarter of 2005 my mom came home and told me to write an application and go to Port Mourant Community High School to the then Deputy Head Teacher, Miss Georgina Sinclair – a Home Economics teacher. I was told that ‘two teachers were expected to migrate shortly and a replacement was needed’. Ms Sinclair then wrote a letter stating that the school will be in need of a Home Economics teacher to replace two teachers who were scheduled to leave. On the 23rd June, 2005, I was appointed at the said school with a TQM status, where I taught mainly the Home Economics subjects, and other subjects as well to fulfil the needs of the school at time.”

In 2008, she enrolled at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute where she completed the Basic and Intermediate Programmes in Computer Studies. In June 2009, she successfully completed the Mathematics and English upgrading programme for teachers, which gave her the opportunity to enter the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) Rose Hall/Johns Centre.

Three years later during the summer of 2012, she completed her trained Teachers’ Certificate.

After completing CPCE, she immediately enrolled in the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) at New Amsterdam and completed studies in

Industrial Relations and Management.

“My interest to do this was because I was acting [Head of Department] HOD, Home Economics, at Port Mourant Secondary. I knew that I needed the knowledge and skills to be a great leader for the teachers under my charge. I was determined to be the best HOD there, so I sought the necessary help I needed to be able to provide the necessary guidance and leadership for the teachers to guide a successful programme.

“I think what sets me apart from other teachers is the fact that I am compassionate about the students in my charge and the fact that I love what I am doing (teaching) and that I genuinely love children and I want to help them to develop their full potential,” she adds.

Davis tries to understand the individual child rather than categorising them as a group. She identifies personalities and qualities in order to help her students develop their full potential. She is always there to go the extra mile to ensure that her students are the best version of themselves.

She said that her almost 13 years of teaching has exposed her to a variety of personalities and she used that as reference to deal with similar personalities.

“I have many philosophies, but my two favourites are never give up on an opportunity to have an education – it is the stepping stone towards achieving greatness, and never let anyone’s opinion(s) of you define you or say who you are going to be: show them that you can be victorious.”

Davis tries to use her past experiences as a child to mould her students into the best versions of themselves.

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

leg, just a few weeks b e fore he

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Q

uite often the struggles of a teacher go unnoticed despite them making so many sacrifices in order to educate the nation’s children. Over the past decade, Modern Languages teacher Anurama Ramgobin has been indomitable.

Ramgobin is now in the prime of his life and says he is very much proud of all he has accomplished so far, noting that the road does not end here but rather there are so many more miles to go. For the past 10 years he has been teaching Spanish and Portuguese at President’s College, his alma mater.

Ramgobin is just 32 years old and holds teaching close to his heart, but says the system is crippling.

“I’m going to be honest; I don't see myself continuing teaching. I have my personal reasons. I love teaching, but I just dislike the system that I’m teaching in,” he tells me.

Ramgobin’s childhood was one that was filled with excitement and adventure.

He was born and raised in the Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and is the third of four children. Growing up along the river had its perks and one of them was him learning to swim before he was five years old.

“We had lots of animals: ducks, chickens, cows and goats along with a vibrant kitchen garden back then.

After-school activities for us entailed feeding the ducks and fowls, sweeping goat pen, cutting grass for cows, the occasional search for a goat or cow when they go missing. And between all of that, we still found time for the occasional game of cricket and ‘ketcha’ in the river.

But it wasn't all fun,” he remembers.

At the age of eight, Ramgobin had a minor accident that caused him to damage the sight in his left eye and as a result, miss a lot of his classes at the Charity Primary School. He explained that he hardly attended classes while in Grade Three owing to the constant travel to Georgetown to visit the Eye Clinic. He would later have surgery to try to correct his vision. Tragedy would strike once again on February 23, 1997 while he was on a fishing trip with his brothers: Ramgobin broke his left

sat the then Common Entrance Examination.

“I recall my foot being in cast and my father fetching me up the school steps to write the exams and then fetching me back home.

In spite of that, I topped my class that year at the Common Entrance Exam.”

He was awarded a place President’s College. After graduating from PC, he then moved on to pursue a Diploma in Agriculture at the Guyana School of Agriculture from 2002 to 2004 after which he joined the staff at President's College as a Livestock Supervisor.

In 2010, Ramgobin was part of the first batch of students at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to pursue an Associate Degree in Education majoring in Modern Languages.

“I’m well known amongst the Modern Language teachers as I am constantly trying to change the face of how Modern Languages are being taught in Guyana.

I began teaching 10 years ago at President's College as a Spanish teacher. Before that I was self-employed doing some agriculture in Essequibo. I recalled seeing the ad for a Spanish teacher at my alma mater and decided to apply for the position, since I was fluent in the language.”

For Ramgobin, joining the teaching service was his way of giving back to the school that gave him so much. He said had it been another school advertising, he would not have applied for the job.

“Being a teacher for only 10 years I have certainly grown personally and professionally. There is so much more than just delivering a curriculum in being a teacher. We are mothers, fathers, doctors and nurses.

Counsellors, judge and most of all, we become the best economists,” Ramgobin said.

“Teachers are often constrained to the chalk and talk method of teaching because of the lack of upgraded resources being available to them. However, I think our teachers here in Guyana are the best because we produce with limited resources and support from both parents and administration.”

Over the years in the teaching profession, he has seen a slow move to improve the methodology of teaching and as a language teacher he has been striving to

ensure that the language learning process is holistic.

Every year, he, would take his students on language immersion trips where they are exposed to not only the use of the language but also to the cultural aspects of the language.

The students would go to Panama for the Spanish Immersion Trip, Brazil for Portuguese and Martinique for French.

“What I find different today from when I started teaching is that our children are coming to school with less respect for their adults and there is no single source to be blamed for this. There is more indiscipline in the schools today and as such, teachers have to evolve in

order to deal with this ever-growing problem,” he notes.

Ramgobin thoroughly enjoys teaching and tries to make his classes as interactive as possible. Apart from teaching, he also enjoys protecting the environment. He is an avid beekeeper and a foodie by definition.

When asked what is his philosophy, Ramgobin’s answer was one that included all he loves doing.

“My philosophy in life is simple: work, save, travel, eat and enjoy, for money and time spent gaining experience is way better than spending it on material gains.”

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

“A

re teachers born or are teachers made? I think we are made … I certainly was made into a teacher. It was never what I wanted, but it’s something that I can’t imagine myself now not being a part of. I am an advocate of education and I love what I do. Passing new knowledge to my students and sharing my experiences with them has become a passion,” says Ron Ghanie.

Ghanie is a teacher attached to the Three Miles Secondary School in the town of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The 37-year-old is passionate about imparting knowledge, but still thinks about what life would have been if he had pursued his dream of becoming a cardiologist.

“I have accumulated a wealth of knowledge over the 18 years I have been a part of this noble profession. I use what I know to now help and guide my students. My students look up to me. I have earned their respect… past, present and my hope the future ones too,” he said.

Ghanie received his education at the Bartica Secondary School. He gained his Trained Teacher’s Certificate from the Cyril Potter College of Education in 2004. He is currently reading for his Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology and Computing at the University of Guyana.

Reflecting on his childhood, Ghanie said growing up was an experience he would not trade for anything. He said his childhood dream was to become a doctor. He spent his boyhood days playing by the river, swimming and playing in the streets with the other children. He enjoyed the simplicity of life back then, explaining that telephones, television and so on were all luxuries he was not privy to, but, all the same, never needed.

“After high school my dream of becoming that doctor was fast becoming something far-fetched. I quickly entered into the world of work as a clerk at a pharmacy, then at a timber company in my area. Working became the way of life and I did that for about three years. After that, I started to work at a stationery shop. I was a month in to that job when the Regional Education Officer at the time – Mr Reginald Hoppie – came into the shop one day and asked me what I was doing there and told me to come see him the following day. I did and a week after that I reported for duty

at my new job as a teacher at the St Anthony’s Primary – my old primary school,” he said.

He started teaching on October 17, 2000 at just 19 years old. After one year of teaching at the St Anthony’s Primary he went off to the Cyril Potter College of Education, where he trained to be a Secondary Classroom Teacher with a Major in Science – Chemistry, Biology and Physics. He graduated with credit in 2004 as a Class One Grade One Secondary Teacher.

Over the years, Ghanie has seen the teaching system as well as the students evolve. He said that morals and values have slipped away to some extent.

“Back then students were answerable to their parents for their failing grades. Now… I am. The right to an education and the right to be taught, but somewhere there someone who tend to the other part … that they are responsible for their own learning. But like I said I am hopeful. I give of my best every day I am on the job.”

He thoroughly enjoys moulding the future generation of Guyana. He said that his love for education is what sets him apart

from other teachers. He sees his students as individuals who all have the ability to learn. The students may not all shine at the same time, but in the end they will all shine with the right kind of guidance and that is exactly what he is there to provide.

“I always seek to encourage my students and try to make them never to give up on their aspirations. To be relentless in the pursuit of their goals,” he noted.

Ghanie is not all work

though; he enjoys swimming, biking, hiking, travelling and taking photographs.

“My philosophy is student centred.

I believe that every student is different with an individual way of learning and their own set of needs and gifts that are brought to the classroom. It is my responsibility as a teacher to expound on their gifts and provide an environment that will foster maximum learning and

meet each of their individual needs,” he says.

Ghanie notes that every student is unique and learns at their own pace and time.

As a teacher, he believes that it is important to teach in a way that employs a variety of teaching strategies.

The students should learn from each other and learn to work together through cooperative learning. The students should be active learners exploring concepts through hands-on learning. The students should also learn to be able to apply the concepts at high-order thinking levels. I will do my utmost as their guide to excite them about learning.

Learning needs to be fun.

Teaching is a challenge and a joy. It is also a lifelong process of reflecting and making necessary adjustments. To be a good teacher, one has to love teaching. Ghanie says he loves the uniqueness of every day and every child and is very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the lives of students as they grow intellectually, socially, and physically. It is a great joy and privilege to impact the lives of children in these ways, he notes.

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

A

s a young c h i l d , we all have dreams and we plan our lives around those dreams but as we grow older and reality kicks in, we are forced to accept that our dreams are sometimes too farfetched. That was the same dilemma Rajkumarie Lall found herself in when she was ready to enter into the world of work a few decades ago.

The 48-year-old teacher has been attached to the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School for over two and a half decades but has been teaching for over 30 years. For someone who has been in a profession for so long, one would think that they always dreamed of doing just that but that was not the case of Miss Radha, as she is popularly known.

Miss Radha has always dreamt of becoming a lawyer to lift herself and family out of poverty. She explains that while growing up on the Island of Wakenaam in the Essequibo River her family was extremely poor but saw education as a way of breaking the cycle of poverty.

“My father always encouraged us to do good in school and focus on our education since he saw that as the way of getting us out of poverty. So we did just that and because of our situation I could not follow my dreams of becoming a lawyer and I had to take the first job that was offered to me and that was teaching,” she said.

After being a part of the profession for so long, Miss Radha has come to love

it and cannot see herself doing anything else. She says that the level of excitement she experiences when her students excel and not only exams but at life, in general, is far too great to measure.

She would have received her secondary education in part at the Essequibo Island Secondary School and completed at the North Georgetown Secondary and subsequently joined the staff at the North Georgetown in October of 1987.

She attended the Cyril Potter College of Education from 1988 to 1991 and graduated as a trained t e a c h er in the Pre-

Vocational Studies programme. In 1991 she was transferred to her alma mater, Essequibo Island Secondary on her home Island where she taught for three years.

She would later get married and moved to the Essequibo Coast which caused her to be transferred ARMS in 1994 where she remains a teacher to date.

“However, for 4 of those years, I was seconded to Queen’s College in order to attend the University of Guyana in 2012. My experience at the University of Guyana

was very rewarding and because of my age and experience I graduated in 2016 as the Best Graduating Student in the Faculty of Education and Humanities.”

During that time she also received several awards with two being the closest to her hear. She received the Vice-Chancellor Special Awards and the Guyana Teachers Union Award.

During her years of teaching, she has seen her students and the sector evolve beyond expectations. She notes that every student comes to school with different abilities and to tap into that is the teacher’s responsibility. The teacher is there to nurture and provide the right kind of guidance to that student so that they can become the best version of themselves which ultimately aids the progression of development.

However, Miss Radha is not all about sugarcoating things for her students rather she likes to give them doses of reality in order to better prepare them for the world ahead. She is not focused on producing students who are only good on paper but also students who can function in the capacities they ought to.

“My love and empathy towards my students, especially the underprivileged, is my strong point. Their issues are my issues and their successes are my successes. I create a special bond with my students so that they trust me to confide in me so we can get over obstacles together and become the individuals we were destined to become,” she says.

Her philosophy is finding the joy in the Miss Radha simplest things in life with her since life does not have husband and to be perfect to be wontwo sons derful.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

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Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

E

very teacher has his or her goals when they join the profession, the aim to mould and impart knowledge to make their students worthy citizens and that has been the goal of Lloyd Phillips from the beginning Born and raised in Kwakwani, Berbice River, Phillips is a 29-year-old Spanish, Theatre and Performing Arts teacher at the St Joseph High School. Education is and has always been a priority to Phillips and his family as, he explains, education is viewed as the gateway out of poverty.

He notes that his childhood was filled with lots of fond memories and childhood experiences that taught him lessons while developing his true potential to be functional in society. After completing his formal secondary education at the Kwakwani Secondary and the Linden Foundation High, the boisterous young man joined the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE).

In 2012, he graduated from CPCE and in 2014, he completed a Diploma in Theatre Arts and Drama at the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama. In 2015, he graduated with a Certificate in Dance from the National School of Dance.

“I grew up in a middle-class family who saw education as a means of change and upward mobility. So my late grandmother, Mrs Margaret Thomas ensured that she did everything in her power to send us to school and invest in our education with the help of our immediate and far-fetched families.

Her main goal was for me to have an education and develop myself in an attempt to decrease the instance of poverty,” Phillips said.

His teaching career formally began after he completed CPCE when he joined the St Joseph High School where he teaches students from Grades 8 through 12.

“I perform the roles and responsibility of teaching while executing the task of Assistant Examiner with the Caribbean Examination Council. My first day of teaching was quite interesting. The classroom and its environs were so different from what was inculcated in college and I had to adapt quickly. The adaptation allowed me to exer-

cise and develop new strategies to meet the needs of my learners while linking the classroom to society,” he explained.

However, the profession has evolved into one of great importance over the years as he has taken the career as a personal achievement that has moulded him to develop the minds of the future generation. Phillips’s students, over the years, have shown great interest in their work and presented positive energies that motivate him every day to continue within the profession.

“Their behaviours are no different from that of an adolescent and so I am unbothered by it because my sense of humour, pro-

fessionalism and approach reduce the instances of frustration or an uncontrollable classroom. I see myself as continuing in the path of a great educator with my goals clearly aligned and the targets achievable.

Hence, I will continue to do my best to ensure that quality education is delivered to all my students so as to eradicate instances of illiteracy and by extension build my nation.

“However, staying in the classroom for a lifetime is uncertain because it is my greatest desire to serve on the panel of policy makers in the education sector. This will definitely assist me in achieving my ultimate goal of bridging the gap between education and culture in Guyana,” he adds.

Teaching is not the only career Phillips focuses on as in his spare time, he runs a performing arts company – Lloyd N De Arts Production. This company was established in 2016. The main goal is to develop youths across Guyana in the field of performing arts while showcasing their talents. As a company, Lloyd N De Arts Production has successfully hosted a number of productions, including "Culturama 2" with a tribute to local theatre icon Desiree Edghill.

“My philosophy is to educate every child to the best of their ability with all the resources available to me, so that he or she may function beyond the classroom and become meaningful citizens in Guyana,” Phillips says.

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

Teachers protesting

A

s cliché as it sounds, teaching is really the mother of all professions but our teachers are more than often given the short end of the proverbial straw. In most counties throughout the world, teachers are overworked and underpaid.

We recently saw the power of teachers, in Guyana, when the 2018-2019 school year commenced. Schools had to be closed down and students sent away because the majority of the teachers decided to take to the streets demanding better working conditions, benefits as well as increased salaries. This move came about after almost three years of failed negotiations between the Education Ministry and the Guyana Teachers Union.

The threat of another strike, on a larger scale, hangs overhead since the government is being accused of strong-arming the Union.

However, the teachers are not going down without a fight. They are prepared to close the classrooms and take to the streets once more to have their cries and pleas for a better life heard.

Before we get into the actual strike and the impending strike action, let us looks at the factors that would have led to the teachers making such a drastic move. In 2015, the multiyear salary and benefits agreement with the previ-

ous administration came to an end and the GTU then went to the bargaining table with the government to negotiate another one.

Bear in mind, the APNUAFC government during it's 2015 General Elections campaign promised to make teachers the highest paid public servants. When the time came to negotiate all of the proposals by the GTU were basically shot down but the government which caused President David Granger to order the establishment of a task force to deal with the issue. The task force made a number of recommendations, which are yet to be acted upon by the government.

Following the recommendations, the GTU went back to the table with MOE and proposed a 40 per cent increase in 2016, 45 per cent in 2017 and 50 per cent in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

However, they compromised during the negotiation phase and agreed to accept a 40 per cent to serve as a base from 2016 with 5 per cent incremental increase for the remaining years.

MOE once again shot down almost all of the requests by the Union which led to the strike at the commencement of the 20182019 school year. The teachers handed over keys to the schools during the week leading up to the opening of school on September 3. They

Empty classroom during the strike

went out in their numbers on the street and picketed the various Regional Education Departments. The demonstrations lasted for four days and were called off when the government agreed to take the negotiations to arbitration.

Now that the issue is at the arbitration level, the government is still set in their ways to “bully the GTU”. The government selected the Chair of the Arbitration Panel without the consultation of the GTU and rejected their proposals for the Chair. This has led to the threat of another strike since the GTU feels the Junior Social Protection Minister, Keith Scott, who had earlier referred to the striking teachers as “selfish and uncaring”, is bullying it.

The teachers are ready to go on the streets again if the need arises.

Teachers over the years have given selflessly to the development of the nation’s children. They do not ever stop working because they are weighed down by so many records that need to be completed on a daily basis. Lesson plans are a major “headache” to teachers since they are required to write one for every class they teach.

Additionally, teachers are tasked with babysitting the children and ensuring that they are safe while on the school’s compound. They

Salary negotiations

also have weekly, monthly, termly and annual journals

to write up. They have to get classrooms ready and they

do that quite often by delving into their own pockets.

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

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SEPTEMBER 30 , 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Preserving our literary heritage

Literary Corner

Three Singles to Adventure by Gerald Durrell

T

he phrase ‘procreative expletive’ in the book Three Singles to Adventure’

by India-born British naturalist, zookeeper, and conservationist Gerald Durrell hooked my attention, in the first instance, due to a local video that had gone viral recently leading to the courts, and I further say not on that matter.

That phrase was there when I first read the book in the late 1960s (macaw on cover; there were umpteen cover designs by various publishing houses issued down the ages) as it was present when the book was first published in 1954, and in subsequent reprinting down the years into the new millennium, even when it was translated into various languages.

There are many other phrases that begged my attention during this current reading, some of which I will share herein. For instance, on one of their sorties, the group came upon a flock of tiny birds which raised the question of species to which the author replied, ‘Tanagra Violacea’ and received this from the questioner, ‘I can’t understand why you zoologists insist on burdening creatures with such awful names’. At the end of the book, there is an index of animals with their popular and zoological names like agouti – dasyprocta; electric ell – electrophros electricus; jaguar – felis onca; piranha – serrasalmo etc.

The other reason why I latched onto that phrase is because it is characteristic of Durrell’s writing which is ‘powerfully descriptive’ and humorous (and satirical) poking fun at himself and life around him, drawing you into the narrative. The other major and significant dimension of his writing was that

his books written as potboilers to fund his zoological adventures and conservationist ventures. In other words, he had fun writing, sharing the fun with readers, all for a worthy cause.

Of the scores of books Durrell authored and collaborated on, Three Singles to Adventure seems to be the only one set in Guyana.

During 1950, Durrell with his partner, Kenneth Smith, came to Guyana to take back to England ‘for various zoological gardens in this country, a living collection of birds, mammals, reptiles and

fish’. This is that account of them teaming up with and assisted by many others to fulfil that obligation, names including Robert Lowes, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dowding, Vincent Roth, Ram Singh, Mr. and Mrs. McTurk.

This is how the book came by its name. While the trio was deliberating on where would be their base for their first ‘animal-collecting trip to the interior’, they happened on a place with the ‘provocative name’ - Adventure. To get there, they went down to the quay in Georgetown where the author bought three singles to Adventure which would allow them to ride on ‘a large and ugly ferryboat’ from Stabroek to Vreeden-Hoop then to join the train which would take them to Parika where they would join a steamer to take them to Adventure on the Essequibo Coast. What a smooth transition in those days!

However, buying the ticket was not that smooth for according to the author in his inherent style there was a ‘delicate question of class’ to be settled which one of his travelling companions explained that one travelling on ‘second class’ ticket ‘was herded somewhere down in the bilges of the ferry’ while a ‘first class’ ticket afforded you the privilege of sitting ... on the top deck...and even get lunch’.

Their venture took them along the Essequibo Coast from Adventure to Charity to Pomeroon – ‘the last outpost of civilisation’ – then to the interior (Karanambo Ranch) and back to Georgetown in a

tiny bar (perhaps, the same bar in which first plans were made) in the back streets ‘drinking rum and ginger beer’.

Even in Georgetown, they ran into adventure while hunting for toads which ‘strongly objected to the torch being flashed on them, and so did the courting couples’ whom they tripped over, and on another adventure, having to apology to the ‘nightwatchman’ at the slaughterhouse for having rouse him from his sleep.

Saying goodbye to Guyana – the land of many waters

– was sort of bittersweet because they were headed to ‘the grey and gloomy docks of Liverpool, England – the ‘Land of Perpetual Downpour’.

Three Singles to Adventure is an adventure in reading for the language is educational yet not pedantic and highly entertaining.

‘Gerald Durrell was first and foremost a storyteller, and millions of his readers would probably never have taken an interest in wildlife or its conservation were it not for his books,’ writes John A. Burton in the obituaries column of

the Independent.

Gerald Durrell, born in India in January 1925 died in Jersey in January 1995.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: New Arrivals: Monsoon on the Fingers of God (poetry) by Sasenarine Persaud; Red Hibiscus (novel) by Scott Ting-A-Kee; Aftermath of Empire: The Novels of Roy A. K. Heath (literary criticism)

by Ameena Gafoor.

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

Teacher

'Teacher' - a word that takes me back to the start, The start of my very first day at school.

I tightly clenched my mother's hand, I was afraid to let her go.

But suddenly somebody held my other hand and all my fear flew 'cause there was someone to understand.

She wiped my tears and took me to class.

It's when my grooming starts.

I understood that a teacher is the second mother or father I had, For which I'm still glad.

I am glad that I lived under their guidance.

They taught me all, all they had.

All the manners and values I have are just because of them.

In my growing life, they are the stem.

Like a tree, I have reached heights, For my strength re-unites.

Teachers are my preachers, They'll live in my heart forever.

For they have given me strength to endeavor.

They are my most precious treasure.

By Shambhavi Singh

Notice to Readers

If you have a poem and/or short story you would like to publish on our Literary Corner page, please email to timessundaymag@gmail.com. Kindly include your correct name and a contact number in your email. If you have any questions, please call 223-7230 or 223-7231.

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Fashion

I

t is hectic picking out an outfit for work every day but we are here to ease that burden. Our picks can and should be worn together, so getting dressed in the morning will easy, formulaic—but never boring. Translation: You'll never feel guilty for hitting the snooze button four times in a row again (maybe). Read on for key items to own that will make you look, and more importantly, feel like a boss.

A Perfectly Tailored Skirt Whether you pair it with a plain t-shirt or a sharp blouse, a skirt that actually fits and flatters your body will become your favorite item in your closet.

Day-to-Night Dress Find a dress that can easily transition from the office to your favorite bar, because you'll never forgive yourself for missing happy hour because you had to rush home after work to change.

Casual Friday Denim Distressed boyfriend jeans are fine for the weekend, but opt for darker denim at work. The true blue hue reads more professional than its faded cousin and won't look out of place in a meeting.

PullsEverything-Together Blazer Wear this as a part of a twopiece suit or stash it on the back of your office chair to combat the office AC blast. A crisp blazer pulls together any kind of outfit.

An Easy Button Down You can never have too many white button-down shirts, but to avoid looking like a cater waiter, find one with minor details like this pajama top cut with contrast piping.

A Structured Bag Nothing says "I got this" like a bag that sits by itself on the board room table (and is big enough to hold your laptop).

The Power Shoe It doesn't matter if you’re a single sole pump kind of girl or someone who never wears heels—everyone needs a pair of shoes that puts you in a takes-no-shit sort of mood.

Ankle-Length Cigarette Pants Not only does this flattering cut work on most body types, it's super versatile.

We love this option which is literally called "smart."

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

D

ecorating your home is not a big conspiracy – whatever your budget, there are quick and easy things you can do to make your interiors sing. From writing a design brief to finding your style – here are some inside decorating tips to get you styling your home like a professional.

Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 lbs oxtails 1 ½ tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp oil 3 tbsp flour 1 medium onion, sliced 2 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces 1 ½ inch piece of ginger, sliced 3 cloves garlic, sliced ½ tsp Jamaican pimento 1 bay leaf 10 sprigs thyme 3 whole scallions ½ scotch bonnet, seeds removed

• About 4 cups beef broth (enough to cover oxtails) • 1 tbsp tomato paste • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Season oxtails with salt and black pepper and then lightly coat with flour.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown oxtails on all sides.

3. Add oxtails and all other ingredients to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on high for 8 hours.

4. *If gravy needs to be thickened. Mix 3 tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup water and stir to combine. Add to oxtails in the last hour of cooking.

LAYER YOUR LIGHTING Great interiors have a variety of layered lighting that can be individually controlled for different times of the day, events or moods. Most rooms require three types of lighting: general, accent, and task. Ambient or general lighting illuminates a room in a fairly uniform manner.

Accent lighting is used to emphasise a room's features, such as art and decorative objects. Task lighting is all about directional and adjustable light sources – think reading lights and study lamps.

Try and illuminate most of your room with an assortment of lights and lamps, preferably all fitted with dimmers. And please, enough already with down lights!

DRAW INSPIRATION FROM A RANGE OF SOURCES I like to brainstorm all, and I seriously mean ALL my options, from the modest to the deliciously over-the-top. Travel, magazines, journals and trade shows help to keep a designer up to date with new products and materials, and even design ideas.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup kidney beans • 3 ¼ cups water • 14 oz can coconut milk • 2 cloves garlic • 2 scallion, chopped • 10 sprigs thyme • 2 ½ cup long grain rice • 1 wiri pepper or ¼ of a scotch bonnet pepper CREATE A DESIGN BRIEF Even if you are going to be your own designer it's important to follow a process. It all starts with the design brief… or perhaps a long wish list. A good design brief should focus on the outcome of the design.

A design brief is often referred to as a scope of works.

It includes details on all elements that need to be covered in the project, a shopping list of needs and wants, together with ideas on the budget and timeline.

Instructions

1. Place beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. Drain.

2. Add beans with 3 cups water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. When beans are tender, add coconut milk, garlic, scallion, thyme and pepper; bring to a boil.

3. Add rice, stir well then lower the heat. Cover pot and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Rice should be soft but not mushy. Fluff with a fork, then serve.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Many stores and suppliers will let you take pieces like artwork and rugs home on "appro". Rugs and artwork are two VIP "try before you buy" candidates. I would even suggest that it's impossible to make a great rug selection without first viewing it insitu.

The lovely exception is if you have the opportunity to simply buy what you like and build the perfect room around it.

UNDERSTAND THAT CHAIRS ARE TO INTERIORS WHAT SHOES ARE TO FASHION You know what they say about shoes: they will make or break an outfit. It's the same with chairs. Think of them as accessories. They are the perfect design tool to add sass to any interior.

It's sensible to play it safe on really big-ticket items like sofas, rugs and dining tables but chairs can defy the rules. Let loose. Fake fur, animal prints, velvet, vintage leather…

Just remember that a chair has to be comfortable.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

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Puzzles

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ACROSS

96 Is pouty Deli buy 97 Prowl Wooden peg

98 Clingy seedpod Norwegian composer

99 Fabric meas.

Red ink

100 Truck stop sight Like an armadillo 101 Adroit Foolish plus

102 From Havana Twangy

104 Paperwork (2 wds.)

Frankfurt's river

107 Witty Bennett -Reunion attendees

108 Any miss You can float in it (2 wds.) 109 Mooed Hitchhiker's need

113 They're no nudists Dine

114 Toga party site Humdingers

115 Donald's ex Greek war god 117 Calf-length Stops

118 Harmonious (2 wds.)

Chatty equine (2 wds.)

119 Of an historic time Damsels 120 Soon Potter's oven

122 1 in. = 2.54 -Bows and scrapes

123 Nerve network Vaccine

124 Fragrant vine Large green parrot

127 Add later (2 wds.)

Wits' bits

129 "I" problems Fails at dieting?

130 Smaller than mini Errand runner

131 Butler of fiction Elbows

132 A Mandrell sister Quaking tree

133 Bumper mishap NBA official

134 DeGeneres sitcom Hightailed it

135 Twig junctures Clink or cooler

136 Caked with dirt Lead Chipmunk

DOWN Execs 1 Twitches Reflections 2 Glamour Huge blossom

3 Cyndi of pop Pinches off

4 Midnight teller Even more awful 5 Repair Dark line on Mars

6 Common phrase Dunaway of films

7 More giddy Retainers

8 Lake near Syracuse Spin on an axis

9 Peddlers' stocks Type of sight?

10 1960s space chimp Floor cleaners

11 Table part Philadelphia sch.

12 Growls Said in fun

13 Crow cousin Actor -- Wallach

14 Mother of Horus Do an office job

15 Raid the fridge Ask on one's knees

16 Animal starch Robins' beaks

17 Conductor Antal -City, informally

18 Menlo Park wizard Veld grazer 19 Moistens Genuine warmth 20 Ringlet Fish-eye, e.g.

27 Cloudbursts "I kid you not" guy

31 Bucket of song Perfectly clear

34 Actor -- McGregor San -- Capistrano 36 Understood Wharf

38 -- Khan Island nation

39 Desert headgear -- -garde

41 Gourmet mushroom Hong Kong dwelling

43 Aspirin target Taken -- (shocked)

44 Replies to an invite Gauzy fabrics

46 Notes on the scale Toodle-oos

47 O'Sullivan role

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- HIERARCH HIERARCH: HYE-ur-ark: One who occupies a position of authority.)

Average mark 21 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 28 or more words in HIERARCH? hair hare hear heir hire hirer each race racer racier

rare reach rear rice ricer rich richer ache achier acre

arch archer care chair char chirr cire crier

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

48 49 50 51 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 63 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 74

UFO pilot Nouveau -Inbox filler Mortgage giant (2 wds.)

Noisy birds Means to -- -Speck of dust Bit by bit Denver hrs.

Jeans go-with Traipse about Billowing garment Stir-fry pans Do a laundry chore Great achievement Breaks in Gray matter Mongolia's -- Bator Part of mpg Quick turn -- accompli

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Hits a high point 102 A-frames Guitar part

103 -- de plume Evaluated

104 Break a promise Orchestra section 105 Singer Sheena -RN assistants

106 Most arid Thick pieces

107 Kid's marker Deadbolt 108 Willowy Confidant 110 Blackhearted Scientist's lair

111 Count of Monte Cristo Leafy climber

112 Theme park name Andrews or Christie 113 Installed electricity Pub missile

114 "-- Jacques" Wall painting 115 Peeved Restarts a battery 116 Caper Wide-awake

119 SASE, e.g.

Polish

120 Canyon reply Round container 121 "Mr. Mom" actress "No idea!" (2 wds.)

125 Fossil fuel Good, to Pedro

126 Vase with a foot British gun

128 Actor -- Gulager Super buys See Solution on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

YouTube adds HDR support for iPhone XS and XS Max

A

pple might not be using the codecs that YouTube prefers, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be getting a second-rate viewing experience on the latest iPhones. YouTube has updated its iOS app and added HDR support for the iPhone XS and XS Max, as noticed by AppleInsider.

The phones were released on Friday, and in the few days since launch, users have noticed that they couldn’t play high dynamic range content from the service — whereas the iPhone X, 8 Plus, 8, and iPad Pro all can. YouTube didn’t have HDR ready in time for Friday, but thankfully the company didn’t take long to roll out compatibility for the wider color gamut and more vi-

U

ber has reached a settlement with all 50 US states and the District of Columbia over a 2016 data breach that the ride-hailing service failed to disclose.

The company will pay a $148 million fine that will be distribut-

ed in varying amounts across all states, attorneys general said Wednesday.

Uber will also be required to adopt several new data security practices.

"Uber's decision to cover up this breach was a blatant violation of the public's trust," Attorney General Becerra said in a statement. "The company failed to safeguard user data and notify authorities when it was exposed.

Consistent with its corporate culture at the time, Uber swept the breach under the rug in deliberate disregard of the law."

In October 2016, hackers were able to breach Uber's system and steal data on 57 million drivers and riders. The pilfered data included personal information such as names, email addresses and driver's license numbers, but not Social Security numbers and credit card information. Uber then paid $100,000 to the data thieves to delete the information.

The issue for the state attorneys general was that Uber waited for more than a year to disclose the hack. The law requires companies to notify customers of data breaches.

Initially, Uber didn't reveal any details about the hacker or how it paid him the money. But it was later reported that a 20-year-old Florida man was responsible for the breach. The payment

brant, splashy video.

It took YouTube until May to introduce HDR support for the 2017 iPhones after it debuted on Android last September. The highest resolution you’ll be able to get from YouTube on either new iPhone XS model is 1080p.

Back in August, YouTube announced a “Signature Device” program that’s meant to signify which smartphones offer the “best experience” when streaming videos from the platform. Right now, it’s all Android smartphones and no iOS devices. This is due to Apple’s lack of support for the VP9 codec. iPhones check off all other requirements to earn the Signature Device badge except for hardware decoding of VP9.

The codec requires less bandwidth for high-resolution videos, but Apple has yet to embrace it across iOS, macOS, or the Apple TV. As a result, most of Apple’s devices — including the Apple TV 4K — remain capped at 1080p resolution. (Higher-res video can be viewed in Chrome on Macs.) (The Verge)

was reportedly made through a program designed to reward bug hunters who report flaws in a company's software.

T h e breach

happened under the watch of Uber's former CEO Travis Kalanick. The company's new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he didn't learn of the breach himself until shortly before it was disclosed to the public.

Of the 57 million people affected by the data breach, 600,000 were drivers for Uber. The company said that their names, email addresses, cell phone numbers and driver's license numbers were likely downloaded. Whereas, only riders' names, email and phone numbers were possibly obtained.

Uber will be paying portions of the $148 million to all 50 states partially based on how many drivers were affected. In California, 174,000 drivers' information was breached, so that state will receive $26 million, according to Becerra. Each state will have their own discretion on how to use the money.

In addition to the fine, the settlement also requires Uber to adopt several data security and privacy practices to "prevent future breaches and to reform Uber's corporate culture". These include notifying users of breaches concerning their personal information, protecting data stored on third-party platforms and implementing strong password policies for access to the company's network. (CNET)

S

ony is finally enabling cross-play for Fortnite. The PlayStation 4 maker had been blocking cross-play and progression between Fortnite on PS4 and Nintendo Switch / Xbox One in recent months. The move angered Fortnite fans who couldn’t access progress, skins, and purchases on an Xbox One or Nintendo Switch if they’d played on a PS4. Sony now says it is enabling cross-play for Fortnite fans.

“We recognize that PS4 players have been eagerly awaiting an update, and we appreciate the community’s continued patience as we have navigated through this issue to find a solution,” says Sony’s PlayStation chief, John Kodera. “The first step will be an open beta beginning today for Fortnite that will allow for cross platform gameplay, progression and commerce across PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Mac operating systems.”

Meanwhile, Epic has said that it’s working on a solution for those players who ended up creating a second account to get around the previous cross-play restrictions.

That solution should be available soon. “For

players who created an extra account to play Fortnite on multiple console platforms, we’re working on two things,” the developer wrote on Twitter. “1) An account-merging feature to combine Battle Royale purchases, coming in November. 2) Enabling unlinking a console from one Fortnite account, and relinking to another Fortnite account. Coming in a few days.”

Sony has previously blocked cross-play between PS4 and Xbox One for Fortnite, Rocket League, and Minecraft, despite Nintendo and Microsoft supporting it.

Microsoft and Nintendo teamed up to promote cross-play in Minecraft in an unusual move.

The policy change is “major,” according to Kodera, and Sony is now working towards fully supporting cross-play in Fortnite. Sony is opening a beta today to test its cross-play support and says it’s looking to open up its platform in the future. This move could signal more support of cross-play games on PS4, and either way it’s a major change for PC, PS4, and Xbox users to be able to play games against each other. (The Verge)

Google Maps now lets you poll friends on where to eat

G

oogle’s group planning feature for Google Maps, which the company first announced back at Google I/O 2018 in May, is now rolling out to users (via TechCrunch).

The feature allows users to create a shortlist of restaurants or other destinations that can be shared with friends so they can vote, ceasing the endless planning messages that groups have to contend with.

You can use the feature by long-pressing each location to drag into a shortlist, which can then be shared with the friends you invite. The group will be able to see the relative locations of each destination in their app or browser, and they can vote with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, and Google will keep score.

Members of the group are also free to add their own sug-

gestions.

Group planning was just one of the new features Google announced for its navigation map. Others have already launched, including the For You tab, which surfaces restaurants or other businesses in your area that you might be interested in using “Your Match” scores that attempt to rank your favorites.

The company is also working on an augmented reality Street View mode for Google Maps, which will overlay directions onto a live feed from your phone’s camera.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Bollywood/Hollywood

A

bhishek Bachchan has had his fair share of criticism when it comes to acting but even the critics can sometimes overdo it. Always the one to ward away trolls online in the most gentle fashion, Abhishek recently shared an instance from his life when a woman was not very gentle with her review of his acting performance.

The actor was at the Jagran Film Summit recently when he talked about an instance from 2002 at the screening of his film Shararat. “It was a tough time. I had once gone to Gaiety Galaxy to see how my film (Shararat) was doing; a lady came out and slapped me and said you’re embarrassing your family’s name, stop acting. Thankfully, I’m able to laugh about it today, but at that point, it was not a very good feeling,” he said. Now that’s one review no actor will feel good about.

Abhishek recently tackled a

troll on Twitter who blamed him for Manmaziyaan’s bad performance at the box office. “ “ # Ma nm a rziya a n tanked at box-office, once again proving @ juniorbachchan to be legend with amazing ability to make

good film a flop! Kudos to his abilities, not many have it! It time to end #nepotism and for #StarKids to start #Vadapav stall..lol! #Stree proves #TalentCounts!!” He also added, “It time to end #nepotism and for #StarKids to start #Vadapav stall..lol! #Stree proves #TalentCounts!!”

Replying to the tweet, Abhishek wrote, “With all due respect kind sir, I

would expect an esteemed doctor such as yourself to study all the facts and figures before proclaiming anything. I certainly hope you do so with your patients. Learn the economics of the film before you tweet something that will embarrass you.”

Abhishek made a comeback to movies after a break of two years with Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyaan. “It was a personal decision about how I want to approach my work. It wasn’t the kind of work I was doing or anything. It was just that I felt I as an actor had become a bit complacent,” he told PTI. Abhishek said he really enjoyed working with Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal, the main leads in the upcoming film, along with him, describing them as gifted actors, and it was a great learning experience for him. He said he has been focusing on his schedules in the last one year and has “lots and lots of work” going forward. (Hindustan Times)

A

ctor Tanushree Dutta recently spoke up about being sexually harassed on the sets of her 2008 movie, Horn OK Please. On Monday, she named actor Nana Patekar as the alleged harasser.

While she had made the same claims right after the incident, her words went unheard. However, she has found a new, stronger voice in the wake of the #MeToo and Times Up movement.

In an interview published on News 18 website on Tuesday, Tanushree revisited the incident and said she was one of the first people in Bollywood to speak up on the issue. Now, journalist Janice Sequeira has also chimed in with her claims and said that she was at the film’s sets when the entire episode unfolded 10 years

ago.

In a series of tweets, Janice went through the details of the day. “Some incidents that take place even a decade ago remain fresh in your memory. What happened with #TanushreeDutta on the sets of “Horn Ok Please” is one such incident - I was there,” she wrote in her opening tweet. Janice wrote

Crossword Solution

that she was on the sets to cover the behind-the-scenes aspect of the song. When she arrived on sets, she was told the shooting has been stalled because of Tanushree.

“I could see Tanushree on set, visibly upset about something. #NanaPatekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya and a man (who I later found was the producer) were having a conversation, while 50-odd dancers sat waiting. The official version was that the “heroine was not cooperating”.

A while later, shooting resumed. Tanushree resumed work, and a couple shots later, #NanaPatekar joined her. Not long after that, Tanushree walked off set.

Shooting halted again. She locked herself in her vanity van, refusing to come out. Out of nowhere, goons turned up and began banging against the vanity van door. I was told the producers had called them to set. Cops arrived. Amidst this chaos, I got hold of #NanaPatekar. All he said was, “Meri beti jaisi hai” (she is like my daughter), which didn’t really make any sense at that point.

“Eventually, Tanushree’s parents arrived to pick her

up. Her car was attacked, the windshield broken. I tried to get in touch with Tanushree to get her version of events. Around midnight, she asked me to come to her place. In tears, she narrated what really happened,” she wrote. Tanushree told Janice that choreographer Ganesh Acharya made her practise her dance steps for three days only to change it all on the day of the shoot so Nana could be a part of the sequence. “Later, she said, a lewd dance step was introduced on the insistence of #NanaPatekar, so he could touch her inappropriately.

That’s where alarm bells rang, and Tanushree decided to walk off set. What she didn’t expect was the aggression shown by the producers after,” she wrote in her tweets. HT cannot verify her claims independently.

Ganesh Acharya has denied Tanushree’s claims in an interview to News 18.

Meanwhile Nana Patekar laughed when questioned about the allegations and asked, “What does she mean by sexual harassment? We were on the set and there were 200 people sitting in front of us.”

Asked if he will take any legal action, the veteran actor said, "I will see what can be done legally. Let's see. It is also wrong/inappropriate to talk to you (media) since you publish anything." On Tanushree’s allegation that there's a different face to the National Award-winning actor, Nana said: "Let anyone say anything. I will continue to do in my life what I have been doing." (Hindustan Times)

E

ven O.J. Simpson is warning that Bill Cosby should watch his back behind bars — because “rapists are frowned upon in prison.”

“I’m sure there will be guys protecting him but they’re gonna have to put him in protective custody … because it takes one nut, ya know?” Simpson, 71, told TMZ while out golfing in Nevada on Wednesday.

“The problem is the nature of the crime,” added Simpson, who spent nine years behind bars for kidnapping and armed robbery.

Cosby was slapped Tuesday with three to 10 years in Pennsylvania state prison for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. Roughly 60 women have come forward to say the disgraced comedian committed sex crimes against them, including rape.

So far, the former Jell-O pitchman is being kept alone in a cell at the State Correctional Institution

Phoenix. He’s awaiting his final prison assignment.

A prison spokeswoman told The Post the ultimate goal is to integrate the 81-year-old into the general population.

Simpson, who was acquitted of murdering his wife, Nicole, and her friend Ron Goldman, said the disgraced TV star would be better suited to house arrest.

“With his health and his age and the nature of the crime, there’s not a warden in this country wants the responsibility of a Bill Cosby,” Simpson said.

Music superstar Stevie Wonder is also grappling with the idea of “America’s Dad” behind bars.

“I don’t like prisons,” the musician told TMZ. “I respect the work that he’s done in his career as an artist. He’s inspired a lot of people and I just pray God will give him mercy.”

But, he added, “Every woman should be protected.” (Washington Post)

House of Cards Final Season Trailer Declares "The Reign of the MiddleAged White Man Is Over"

F

rank Underwood who?

It's Claire Underwood's United States of America now.

Netflix unveiled its first official trailer for the final season of House of Cards featuring Robin Wright's Claire Underwood as president and she's suffering no fools. We already know the series is killing off Kevin Spacey's character, but now viewers get a first look at Claire's "grieving" process.

"Here's the thing," Claire says. "Whatever Frances told you the last five years?

Don't believe a word of it."

It's her turn. "The reign of the middle-aged white man is over," Claire says.

The final season of House of Cards features some highprofile cast additions including Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear as siblings Annette and Bill Shepherd, the leaders of Shepherd Unlimited.

They head up an industrial conglomerate and are a powerful force in the American political sphere. Kinnear's Bill says he had a deal with Frank, but Claire makes sure to let him know she's not her husband. According to Netflix, the new characters "share a vision for the future of America, as well as a complicated past with the Underwoods."

Returning to the cast alongside Wright and the newcomers are Michael Kelly, Jayne Atkinson, Patricia Clarkson, Constance Zimmer, Derek Cecil, Campbell Scott and Boris McGiver.

"It's going to be different, for you and me," Claire promises. From the looks of the trailer, she's right.

House of Cards' final season premieres November 2 on Netflix. (E-Online)

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Offer suggestions and be prepared to pitch in and help. What you do for the benefit of your community, a cause or someone you love will result in unexpected rewards.

Look for an opportunity TAURUS that will encourage positive (April 20- changes to how or where May 20) you live. Getting upset over something you cannot change will be a waste of time.

A day trip will turn into GEMINI an adventure. The challenges (MAY 28you face will help you realize June 20) what you want and who you want to spend time with.

Discuss your intentions.

Invest time and money in yourself. Lowering your (June 21- overhead, getting rid of or July 22) selling items you no longer need and adopting a moderate lifestyle will help ease stress.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Ask an expert and consider his or her suggestions, but don't jump into something without doing your research. Someone will try to take advantage of you if you appear gullible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Taking a day trip, attending a reunion or doing something special with a loved one will help you make a lifestyle choice. Romance is in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Share an experience with someone who is facing a situation like the one you are up against. Discussing your options and considering what's best for you will lead to a positive personal change.

Problems while traveling SCORPIO or doing something physical (Oct. 24can be expected. An argument Nov. 22)

Peanuts

will escalate into a physical confrontation. Do your best to keep the peace and avoid indulgent behavior.

Go over your plans for the SAGITTARIUS upcoming week and address (Nov. 23any issues that might conflict Dec. 21) with someone else's schedule.

Be up-front about the way you feel. Misleading someone will make matters worse.

Calvin and Hobbes

Make a point to follow CAPRICORN through with your promises.

(Dec. 22- You'll be phased out if you Jan. 19) are all talk and no action. A romantic gesture will help ease stress.

Figure out your next AQUARIUS move and make it happen.

(Jan. 20- Don't let anyone make Feb. 19) decisions for you or tempt you to take on too much.

Use your intelligence and be practical.

Someone will take PISCES advantage of you if you (Feb. 20- share personal information.

Mar. 20) Look over your financial papers, contracts or pending settlements.

A physical change will boost your morale. Romance is featured.