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Sunday January 8, 2017

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Debut Designs Page 10

A History of New Amsterdam

Page 2

Building women’s health bridges in Guyana Page 5

Goodbye 2016; 2016 Goodbyes Page 6

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Times Feature

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A section of present day New Amsterdam

ew Amsterdam is located about five miles from the mouth of the Berbice River on its eastern bank and is situated at the confluence of the Berbice and Canje Rivers. It is connected by a national highway to Rose Hall, Corriverton and Crabwood Creek.

About 1733, the name New Amsterdam was given to a little village, which sprang up around Fort Nassau several miles up the Berbice River. In 1785 it was decided to abandon Fort Nassau and move to the neighbourhood of Fort St. Andries, lower down the river at the confluence of the Berbice River and its tributary the Canje River, which is now the site of present day New Amsterdam.

The original ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’ grew up being Fort Nassau some 55 miles up the Berbice River during the first half of the 18th century. It was a small township with buildings mostly strung out parallel to the river bank. The inhabitants of the Town were required to pay a fixed sum annually to the Dutch Reformed Church and the Hospital, and were required to keep the public paths and the dividing land

between their lots free of bushes and grass.

At some point after 1784, the Dutch decided to move the seat of Government downstream to the confluence of the Berbice and Canje Rivers, and the town of New Amsterdam was born. This site was selected because it provided a natural outlet for a very extensive and productive hinterland.

The name ‘New Amsterdam’ was chosen because most of the shareholders were from the province of Amsterdam in Holland.

The first Ordinance on record relating to this new town was dated January 11, 1791. Under the terms of this Ordinance, lots were to be given out along the river front, each owner being required to empolder his land and provide drainage.

George Pinkhard, in a “Letter from Guyana” describing New Amsterdam, about 1806, indicated that at the end of the Town, close to the Canje Creek, was the imposing edifice of Government Housing which was built of brick in the ‘European Style’. Along the [stet] covered with troolie or plantain leaves, other with shingles.

New Amsterdam ferry stelling

In 1812 a Commissary was appointed to plan and carry out the construction of the roads and bridges and work out a proper drainage system. A special Department of Works, the Winkel Department, was set up to deal with all repair works required by the residents. The workmen were originally slaves who were housed in one of the older parts of New Amsterdam.

They were given their freedom in 1831, three years before slavery was abolished throughout the British West Indies. The newly freed slaves were allowed to keep their houses in Winkel Village and in 1890 their descendants petitioned the Combined Court of British Guiana for the grant land on which the houses stood. This land passed into ownership of Winkel heirs. Winkel has been preserved as a ward of the Town.

In May 1825, an Ordinance was enacted to establish a Board of Management for the Town.

There were two subsequent Ordinances: one in October 1825 and the other in September 1830. In 1838, a “Board of Police” was established and this was responsible for the Town’s af-

fairs until 1844 when a “Board of Superintendence” was established. During this period the following came into being: the Town Hall of the Tudor architecture with a tower approximately 75 feet; the New Amsterdam Market sited below the Town Hall occupying an area of 26,400 sq. ft.; the Supreme Court which was housed in the Colony House; the Canje Swing Bridge built by an English Engineer; The Mission Chapel Church and School; All Saints Scots Church and School; The Water Work; introduction of electricity; the Botanic Gardens.

The Board of Superintendence functioned until September 1, 1891 when legislation was enacted to incorporate the Town into a Municipality. The membership of the Council was drawn from the defunct Board of Superintendence and Neil Ross McKinnon, K.C., who was president of this Board, became the Town’s first Mayor.

McKinnon framed the Town Council Ordinance and was also the finan-

Market, and the Sanitary Inspector.

Religion, too, has had a tremendous influence on the way of life in New Amsterdam. Christian work in Berbice started with the Lutherans who built the first church in New Amsterdam in 1803. This religious body was also credited with the establishment of the Geneva Academy, which was the first industrial school in the colony. The next Christian Movement centered around the Anglicans. Anglican work in New Amsterdam began in 1811, and at first their services were held on alternate Sundays in the Lutheran Church and after in the Colony church (Scots Church, Vryheid Street). After this,the Scots Church was erected in 1820 with help from the Public Treasury. Eventually the Anglicans acquired their own building 1838. About 1848 the Methodists started evangelism in New Amsterdam.

Seven years after the Anglicans arrived in New Amsterdam, Rev. John Wray, an Englishman,

The Electric Lighting Order of 1900 gave the electricity undertaking legal status as an entity owned and controlled by the New Amsterdam Town Council.

As a utility, the Council was able to satisfy its citizenry with an essential service while at the same time earning a fair amount of revenue, which was ploughed back into other capital works of the Town, and to keep the levying of rates at a minimum. However, due to a world crisis in October 1973 interims of the availability and sudden rise in the price of fuel oil and subsequently on spare parts and services, it became uneconomical for Power Stations within close proximity to operate independently.

Consequently, in keeping with the economic policy of the Government, the New Amsterdam Power System was absorbed into the larger system of that of the Guyana Electricity Corporation on the September 1, 1979.

New Amsterdam had been the centre of culture and music also. Some of the outstanding per-

Main Road, South, New Amsterdam, British Guiana n.d.

cial representative for New Amsterdam for a number of years. He took a deep interest in the welfare of his constituents and was one of the sons of New Amsterdam of whom the citizens were very proud. His successors continued to consolidate and develop the Town by putting various infrastructural works in place.

The first Council composed all the members of the former Board of Superintendence were: Neil Ross McKinnon, K.C. (Mayor); John Downer (Senior Councillor); Clement Phillip Gaskin (Councillor); Isaac Edward Adrian Patoir (Councillor); Hanoel de Mendonca (Councillor); Henry Rynveldt (Councillor); and Bruce Harvey Stephens (Councillor) With Officers of the Council being Town Superintendent, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, Clerk of the

used his personal funds to purchase a part of Lot 12 Chapel Street for the erection of the Mission Chapel Congregational Church.

Before the construction of this building, services were conducted under a tamarind tree, which was close by the proposed Church site.

In 1911 the Independent Congregational Church was established after a rift between Reverend Robert T. Frank and the Congregational Union. This Church was renamed Frank Memorial Church after the death of Reverend Robert T. Frank.

Another major Christian denomination which was established was the Roman Catholic Church. Today, there are several other religious organisations in New Amsterdam, such as the Episcopal, Bahai, Muslim, Hindu and Hare Krishna.

All these religions and churches have equal status in law.

sonalities in this field are Edith Pieters, Norma Romalho, Joyce FerdinandLalljee, Moses Telford and Rosemary Ramdeholl – to name a few. There were also the highly acclaimed ‘Lads and Lassies’ and ‘New Amsterdam Music Society’, choirs trained by Edith Pieters and Ruby McGregor, respectively. Other outstanding musicians include Sammy Nicholas, Millicent Joseph and Edith Ferdinand. Today, however, the best choirs are to be found in churches like (the) Adventists, the Salvation Army and Grace Temple.

Pop music was provided by bands like the Living Ends and S.T. Groovers.

There were also the exciting Soul Riot Concerts and Viking Choir with a repertoire of classes and calypsos.

Names like Chuck Gerrard and Errol Wong (Wongie) must go down to posterity.

The citizens of New continued on page 9

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

By Kendra Seignoret

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hen we travel the typical way, spending a few days here and a few days there, at best we see the superficial. A day is only so long and there is only so much one can see

One of the many things I learned while there was how to make coconut oil. I’ve always found it funny how we North Americans pay lots of money for things like coconut oil products when there are others who can make it for free in their own back-

Step Two: Once down, use a machete to remove the outer shell until you have the seed part (brown and fuzzy). Chop that open with the machete to reveal the white flesh.

Step Three: Find a coconut scraper tool, place it on

(which is in a cubicle) while also trying to escape it as often as possible. When she travels, she's generally that solo female you see wandering with a camera firmly clutched to her face as she traipses around while narrowly avoiding being hit by some form of local transportation. Kendra is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, but currently lives in Canada. You can find more of her adventures on her blog Rusty Travel Trunk (www.rustytraveltrunk.com) or on Instagram @rustytraveltrunk

When it is ready the liquid will become clear

Cleaning the outer layer of the coconut

and do in that period of time. Therefore, if a deeper understanding of an area is wanted, you have to do slow travel. And to be able to do slow travel, you have to be creative especially since not all of us are lucky enough to be the offspring of people like Sir Richard Branson.

So as much as I’m not exactly enamoured with

yards.

Coconut oil can be used in many things including food, medicine, and other various products. It is high in saturated fats but apparently, the saturated fat of coconut oil is not the “bad” kind that can lead to chronic diseases.

So while you still want to exercise moderation, it

a bench, and sit on it. Scrape out the white flesh of the coconuts into a bowl.

Step Four: Add water to the bowl. Once the flesh has soaked for a bit, stir with your hands and start squeezing the coconut bits to get out the “milk”. Strain the liquid into a pot. Let the liquid sit overnight.

Step Five: The next day,

Strain liquid into a pot and let sit overnight

my employment, it does allow me to do things like take three months off. This is how I was able to volunteer with Youth Challenge International in Guyana.

I chose Guyana partly because some of my family history is Guyanese and also because the Guyanese landscape looked really beautiful. I really enjoyed my time in Guyana and look forward to returning one day soon.

Being in Guyana for three months allowed me to experience Guyanese life; especially life in an Amerindian (Lokono) village.

isn’t as if you’re consuming other kinds of oils and butter. The benefits of coconut oil are numerous – many people call it a “superfood”, saying it can do everything from strengthen your immune system to help encourage weight loss. If applied on the body, it can help with skin and hair problems, including dryness.

So, in honour of learning random things which is possible through slow travel, here is a pictorial guide on how to make coconut oil: Step One: Find a coconut tree and knock down several coconuts.

you will see that the liquid has separated into two parts. Using a spoon, scoop out the top layer into a cast iron pot.

Step Six: Build an outdoor fire for your cast iron pot.

Step Seven: Place your pot over the fire and stir periodically. You will know when it is ready when the liquid has become clear.

Step Eight: Strain the liquid into a jar. Close tightly until ready to use.

Kendra Seignoret considers herself to be a cubicle escape artist: she tries to find ways to keep her job

Strain the liquid into a jar. Close tightly until ready to use

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Times Feature

Going on 160 years this year

General view of St James from the north-west

S

The altar and reredos

t James-the-Less Anglican Church in David Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was described by its designer, Rev George Fox, as “… an ideal model of what a church in the tropics should be.”With its high pitched roof, roof lights, open interior and timber lattice external walls, the building may well have met this high acclaim.

The building is single storey, with its floor at almost ground level and is oriented according to the requirement of early Christian churches: altar at the east end and main entrance at the west end. The building is made of timber mainly, with both timber and reinforced concrete columns, and low perimeter walls of brick.

A relatively small church, nearly 29.9 metres (98 feet) long and 14.6 metres (48 feet) wide, the building has a curved east end (the apse) typical of early Christian churches, a form

derived from the basilica (a hall of justice) in ancient Rome. According to the historical records of the church, one of its parishioners, Mr E A Manget, donated the present site at 236 David Street, Kitty, “for the construction of a building to be used exclusively as a church.”

Construction of the building was completed in 1857 and it was consecrated and dedicated on May 14, 1857,

by His Lordship Rev William Piercy Austin, first Bishop of the then British Guiana.

Originally a chapel attached to the parish of St George’s, St James-the-Less became a parish on February 20, 1940. Enhancement of the interior of the church began in 1943, the works including a reredos (an ornamental screen at the back of the altar) carved by Mr Cedric Winter, an artist, and completed in 1945.

The exterior of the building is simple, but is both environmentally efficient and aesthetically pleasing, with

mainly timber lattice walls on the north and south sides, whilst the eastern wall is of horizontal weatherboarding. The high and steep central roof gets rid of our heavy rainfall very quickly, whilst the dormerstyle windows in the roof at the north and south sides encourage light to enter the building and hot air from the interior to leave the building, the latter function being very necessary in our warm-humid climate. The roof dormer-style windows also add to the aesthetics of the architecture. The longer walls on the north and south are mainly of timber latticework atop a brick plinth of about two feet high. These “breathing” walls are excellent solutions to the need for encouraging wind flow into the building to assist in thermal comfort ventilation.

Unfortunately, with the building almost at ground level and the areas around the building having obstructions to wind flow, the ex-

The interior of the church, looking towards the altar

pected (and possibly original) coolness of the building is greatly reduced.

The western façade is a dominating gable end relieved by a small bell gable projecting outwards above the main entrance, and topped by a white cross. The centrally placed main entrance has a double door, and is crowned by a deep triangular fronton (a small version of the pediment found in ancient classical architecture).

On entering the building through the western (main) entrance the rhythm of the white timber columns curving behind the altar topped by the equally rhythmic exposed roof rafters meeting the horizontal ties is quite attractive. True to the form of the early Christian church, the altar is housed in an inner semi-circle of the apse with an ambulatory extending around the altar and within the apse.

Another special feature of the altar end of the building is the semi-circular termination of the main roof over the altar and the separate lower semi-circular roof over the ambulatory apse aisle.

The simple, but efficient construction of the roof structure at this end, with a ring of rafters meeting at the ridge and horizontal ties radiating from the centre of the semi-circle and meeting the rafters, is an added highlight to the interior of the building. The altar itself is quite simple, enhanced by

the reredos depicting important Christian personages, including St James-theLess, the Patron Saint of the parish.

A concern for thermal comfort in the building is again evidenced by the semi-circular wall of timber latticework between the altar area and the ambulatory aisle at the eastern end.

The main hall of the church has three distinct parts, the nave or central area corresponding to the higher roof above, and two aisles (the north aisle and the south aisle) corresponding to the two lower roofs at the north and south. The aisles are separated from the nave by low brick walls which serve as a base for the timber columns that support the roof structure. The high roof, the white painted interior and the roof lights, give a sense

of space, airiness and lightness, adding to the comfort and sanctity of the building.

Built in 1857 and now in the year of its one hundred and sixtieth anniversary, St James-the-Less Anglican Church is unique in its design; Rev Fox did not design a building in the prevailing revival styles of Gothic or Classical Architecture, but instead he used the liturgical requirements of the Church and the environmental requirements of the local climate as his basis for designing St Jamesthe-Less.

This is certainly an early attempt at designing for climatic control and energy-efficiency in local architecture.

(By L J Hernandez. Adapted from an article published in the Guyana Review,Vol 15, No 196, June 2009)

Looking up at the roof construction over the altar

Looking towards the west entrance from its interior

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

W

ONDOOR is a fouryear program designed to train citizens of Guyana in obstetrics and gynaecology, launched at the end of May 2012 and led by Dr. Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, director of Cleveland, USA University Hospitals’ WONDOOR Global Health Program.In collaboration with the Guyanese Ministry of Health, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the University of Guyana, WONDOOR selected six Guyanese residents to participate in a four-year OB/ GYN residency.As part of the WONDOOR Global Health initiative, University Hospitals sends physicians to the program’s partner countries, both to instruct and train, but also to experience the health care challenges being faced in these low-resource communities.

"I'm going to squeeze you

tradition of teaching. So when University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital physicians joined morning rounds one day in January, the young doctor and her colleagues enthusiastically squeezed in as much case-based learning as they could.

Cleveland, Ohio, and Georgetown, Guyana, have little in common. One is in the Northern Hemisphere, the other, in the Southern. One is inland and has four seasons, the other is on the coast and has two seasons: rainy and dry. Unlike Cleveland, Guyana also suffers from an acute shortage of Ob/Gyn specialists, which is reflected in the statistics: a maternal mortality ratio of 470 deaths per 100,000 live births, and an infant mortality ratio of 45 deaths per 1,000 live births.

But the cities are connected by bonds formed several years ago among obstetrician

Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD (right), and Tia Melton, MD, listen as a needs assessment is completed at Georgetown Public Hospital in January 2012. Drs. Larkins-Pettigrew and Melton started the Women, Neonates, Diversity, Outreach, Opportunities and Research program (known as WONDOOR and pronounced one door) at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital to train Ob/Gyn residents in global health

like a lime!" says the freshly minted medical student who has returned to her native Guyana to become a general medical officer at Georgetown Public Hospital in Georgetown.

After years of studying medicine in Cuba – nearly 2,000 miles away from her home on the northeast coast of South America -- the medical student has returned to be trained in a variety of departments before selecting a specialty. She is eager to learn, to work and to take care of the people in her home country, but her intentions are lost on the throng of patients needing care from a handful of trained physicians.

When patients far outweigh providers, training and education swiftly go by the board. Drawing blood, running to the lab and making quick health decisions becomes more important than medicine’s dearly held

and gynaecologists Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, and Tia Melton, MD, from University Hospitals (UH) and physicians at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). Now, UH and GPH are creating a joint residency program to educate bright, motivated general physicians to meet the need for highly trained physicians in Guyana.

Drs. Larkins-Pettigrew and Melton began the Women, Neonates, Diversity, Outreach, Opportunities and Research program (known as WONDOOR and pronounced "one door") at UH MacDonald Women's Hospital in May 2012 to train their Ob/Gyn residents in global health.

The program, which has eight resident trainees, is actively involved in coursework and experiential training in global health, and is leading the initiative in Guyana.

“A large part of the WONDOOR program is edu-

cating our residents to be better global health providers, recognizing that many problems encountered by women in resource-poor countries also are faced by women in our own backyards,” Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew said. “All women should have the same access to quality health care, regardless of which door they enter.”

UH will send attending physicians to Guyana for one week each month to instruct the residents. Each attending will teach a themed module and train physicians about his or her medical specialty or interest. For example, Chenits Pettigrew, PhD, and Martin Wieczorek, MD, lectured on humanism, professionalism, cultural competency and TeamSTEPPS (an internationally recognized approach to enhance team effort, promoting patient-centred medicine and patient safety) during the May trip.

Dr. Pettigrew is an assistant dean for Student Affairs and Director of Diversity Programs at the University of Pittsburgh’s school of medicine. Dr. Wieczorek is an Ob/ Gyn who directs obstetrical education at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital and is an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.

WONDOOR is a sustainable education program aimed at decreasing the "brain drain" phenomena that drains Georgetown of its best and brightest physicians, who establish practices elsewhere. “We face this same challenge here in Cleveland,” Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew said.

“Funding sustainable education programs enables qualified faculty to provide academic excellence and support to residents, midwives, medical students and nursing staff in the form of experiential training. It’s not an opportunity cloaked in medical tourism.”

The Guyanese trainees will graduate as full-fledged Obstetrics and Gynaecology consultants after training for four years, completing all modules and passing qualification exams. In exchange, they will keep a promise to serve their country for four more years.

Simultaneously, residents from UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital will travel to Guyana to gain global health experience and expand their skills as practitioners by meeting their host country’s medical challenges.

Malaria, HIV and other infectious diseases, for example, are encountered more often in Guyana than in Northeast Ohio.

All of the residents will

Rachel Pope, MD (right), inserts an IV line in a patient at Georgetown Public Hospital in Georgetown, Guyana, in January 2012 as part of the four-year WONDOOR program. Dr. Pope is an Ob/Gyn resident at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital

collaborate on research projects and public health interventions. Eventually, the Guyanese consultants will teach their country’s medical students, and UH will continue to support and partner with Georgetown Public Hospital so it can stand on its own to lead the way in women's health care.

Building the capacity of physicians in Guyana will el-

evate the health and well-being of the entire country. As women receive priority and a high-standard of care, they may be better able to serve their families and communities – a philosophy in which UH takes pride. “Our residents, students, faculty and staff benefit by becoming better global health providers focused on humanism, and therefore better human be-

ings,” Larkins-Pettigrew said.

(Reprinted from an article byRachel J. Pope, MD, MPH. Photos by: Mary Frances Haerr, MD. http://www.uhhospitals.org/macdonald/ education/wondoor-globalhealth-program/notes-fromthe-field/building-womenshealth-bridges-in-guyana) More on the program in a subsequent edition

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

A

Nelle Harper Lee ( 1926-2017)

s we say goodbye to 2017, we ought to spare a thought for the literary luminaries we lost during the year. This is not so much to mourn the loss but rather to commemorate it and take comfort in the legacy of the work those writers left behind; some of those books changed the world.

It is that time of the year when we do stocktaking in every sphere of human and nonhuman endeavour. And it is also the time of awards, spectacular, mostly, and mundane affairs. Somehow literature is side-lined into the mundane category instead of being elevated to its rightful place at the top of human endeavour.

Woe betide us when we fail to acknowledge our custodians of words and creators of ideas who value us in words while they are alive and kicking and

after they have departed this life, we tumble over ourselves in order to shower praise and commendation.

Below are some writers who were fortunate to be given due recognition while they were alive and were able to savour the moment/s.

Michael Abbensetts (1938 – 2017)

in print.

Umberto Eco

Italian novelist and philosopher, Umberto Eco, also died on February 19. “The Name of the Rose” is his most famous

book which is considered “an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory”. I was introduced to this author/book courtesy of John and Sally

- Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and George Segal, and that the play was among other outstanding plays gifted to me

by John Stevenson.

Harper Lee

Harper Lee, who died Feb. 19, 2017 gave us the evergreen high school staple and modern classic “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Labelled a ‘reclusive author’, Lee did respond to the impact of the novel although “she had refused any personal publicity for herself or the novel since 1964”.

For more than 50 years this book has kept the conversation on racial justice alive and will continue to make an impact on human understanding for as long as the book is

Ras Michael Jeune makes a presentation at Moray House in 2014 (Photo: Moray House Trust)

104-years-old.

Some of the works of the

Michael Abbensetts

Umberto Eco (1932 -2017)

Stevenson while they were on a sojourn in Guyana doing voluntary work at NGOs dealing with children welfare.

John died Sept. 27, 2017. I am indebted to them both leaving me boxes of children’s literature, and plays including “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” by Edward Albee.

Ras Michael Jeune

Proud Buxtonian and Guyanese, Ras Michael Jeune was a columnist, playwright, cultural activist and poet practicing dub-poetry long before it became popular in Guyana.

He was also an artist at heart and at large, who imparted his knowledge gracefully, teaching short story writing, drama and storytelling. Ras Michael Jeune died April 20.

Born in Guyana, Michael Abbensetts died in the UK on November 24. Abbensetts was noted for his play “Sweet Talk” but more so for opening the way for black playwrights in the UK; through his writing he led the way for black to be portrayed in a different light.

The lead for his TV drama series “Empire Road” was the late Guyanese actor Norman Beaton and the lead for His “Black Christmas” was another Guyanese actor, Carmen Monroe.

E R Braithwaite

Better known for his evergreen book translated into more than 25 languages, “To Sir with Love” will maintain the focus on racial injustice and other forms of discrimination for as long as it is in print. His other books include “Paid Servant” (1962), “A Kind of Homecoming” (1962), “A Choice of Straws” (1965), “Reluctant Neighbours” (1972), and “Honorary White” (1975). Writer, teacher and diplomat, Edward Ricardo Braithwaite was born in 1912 in Guyana. He died in the USA on December 12, 2017 at

ER Braithwaite (Photo taken in 1962)

above writers effected change in certain communities and also helped in the shaping of Guyanese imagination and literature.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com What’s happening: Under production: a compilation of biographies of IndoGuyanese writers.

Under production: an anthology of Indo-Caribbean poetry.

For further information, please see the aforementioned contacts.

Edward Albee

In 1991, Albee told The New York Times, “All of my plays are about people missing the boat, closing down too young, coming to the end of their lives with regret at things not done, as opposed to things done”. Edward Albee died September 16 but not before he was able to display his opinion on human condition in plays like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “The Zoo Story”. I watched the movie “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?” recently, mainly for two reasons; the actors

Edward Albee (1928 -2017)

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

By Luke M. Hill, M. Inst. C.E.

G

eorgetown, the capital of British Guiana, was first established by the Dutch on the Second Island, some miles up the Demerara River, whence it was transferred to Stabroek in 1782.

Stabroek was a government reservation lying between Plantations Vlissengen and Werk-enRust, allotted for government offices and residences for the chief officials and leading colonists; and now forms a central ward of the City of Georgetown, which gradually spread itself right and left along the river facades of the adjoining plantations of Vlissengen, La Bourgade and Eve Leary to the north, and Werk-enRust and Le Repentir to the south, extending nearly two

miles along the river front by a depth of about one mile, the town being symmetrically laid out in wide streets forming rectangular blocks of building lots.

Georgetown was so named in the year 1812, under the Regency; and some 25 years later, with the creation of a Bishopric of Guiana and of the Cathedral of St. George's, it was constituted a city; the city corporation of Mayor and Town Council being established

by Ordinance in 1837 under the Governorship of His Excellency Sir James Carmichael Smyth.

No census has been taken since 1891 when the population was returned at 53,176; but the present population of the city and environs is estimated to be over 60,000.

The entrance to the

High Street, Georgetown circa 1909: Law Courts and Town Hall

Port of Georgetown is commanded by the guns of Fort William Frederick. This Fort mounts 21 muzzle load-

ers, now used for saluting purposes but also has a few modern quick-firing guns, capable of more effective work.

The Demerara Lightship (which also forms a pilot station) is anchored some ten miles beyond the Fort in five fathoms of water, from which the fairway shallows to 19 feet on the bar at high water of spring tides, the only available channel for large vessels being marked by buoys.

A short distance inside the Fort is the Lighthouse, a brick building painted red and white in vertical stripes, 103 feet high, exhibiting a strong revolving white light, flashing once every minute, and said to be visible on a clear night for a distance of over 20 miles.

A stranger's first impression of Georgetown as he enters the Port with its fastrunning mud-laden current, is not a favourable one; all he sees is an unattractive row of galvanized iron roofs, covering store-buildings projecting out over the mud-flat

forming the river foreshore, with wharves or wooden stellings, alongside of which steamers, ships and lighters discharge their cargoes; and it is not until he lands in Water street, the leading business thoroughfare, that he realizes that he is in a real live city, provided with all modern conveniences, attractive shops and business places.

The tropical beauty of Georgetown is revealed as he crosses east into High, Main and other streets of private residences with their glowing wealth of colour and luxuriant growth of vegetation in the surrounding gardens of the detached residences: many of the principal streets have large canals or water reservoirs running down the centre, covered with luxuriant Victoria Regia and Lotus lilies, and flowering trees of several varieties line the sides of the roadways.

The site of the city of Georgetown, in common with all the coast-lands of the colony, is an alluvial flat,

the mean level of the surface being four feet under the high water of spring tides, the sea being kept out by a massive sea-wall, forming a breezy esplanade on the sea front, and by river and wharf walls along the river bank.

The buildings of Georgetown with but few exceptions are substantially framed in the celebrated hardwoods of the colony such as greenheart, wallaba, mora, crabwood, bullet- tree, etc., many are handsome structures and not without some architectural pretensions.

As is fitting in a wooden built city, special precautions have to be taken in order to prevent the spread of fire, and therefore spaces are generally allowed between buildings, so that continuous rows of houses are rarely seen on the streets; and almost all private residences stand isolated in their own compounds or gardens. (Source: Handbook of British Guiana, 1909. Pg. 173)

Playing lawn tennis at the GCC circa 1910

View of City Hall and Law Courts circa 1916

Carmichael Street, Georgetown (no date): Large, central canal filled with water and stocked with fish

8 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 8, 2017

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Times Travel & Tourism

Living among the best of nature

A

bout 30 minutes south of Lethem, the beautiful village of Kumu is found. The village is made up of traditional homes widely spread out over the savannahs, with the Kanuku Mountains looming behind.

Kumu is a satellite village of St. Ignatius. Residents of the village are mainly of the Macushi nation. Many of the older residents are subsistence farmers.

One of the most picturesque sites in Kumu is a waterfall named after the village – the Kumu Falls,which is right below one of the peaks of the mighty Kanuku.

With a 4x4 vehicle, visitors can drive a rough path nearly to Kumu Creek and a trailhead in the Kanuku foothills. From there, a quick walk leads to Kumu Creek and a large opening where the village has built a hammock shelter for those who wish to spend the night.

Visitors can rest on the large granite rocks strewn around the waterfall, stand under the cascading water for a stimulating water massage, or take a refreshing dip in the pool below the falls. (Cover photo: Students ride on the road to Kumu Falls (Photo by Air Services Limited)

Breathtaking view of the Kanukus from the village (Photo from www.ourtriptorestoftheworld.blogspot.com)

Kumu Falls (Photo from notafrica.wordpress.com) On the way to Kumu (Photo from www.ourtriptorestoftheworld.blogspot.com)

Traditional thatch-roof houses and benabs in the village (Photo from www.ourtriptorestoftheworld.blogspot.com)

Benab in Kumu (Photo from www.maxglobetrotter.com)

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

Now that the hectic holidays are over, how do you keep the blues away as reality returns?

H

itting January 2 is like going from 60 to zero in one day. The mandatory cheer, cooking, visitors, glitz, glitter, toys, a million chores -- have drowned out the drumbeats of war, the nuclear posturing, the fear of downsizing, all the doubts and fears, for a couple of weeks -- then, over, zip. What now?

The usual blah-blah New Year's resolutions -- lose 20 pounds, go to the gym more, spend more time with your family -- have a way of fading by mid-January as reality sets back in. You go to the office and facing you is a blank calendar. Before you get that sinking feeling -- think.

“A blank calendar means, literally, a clean slate,” says Andrew J. DuBrin, PhD, professor of management at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. “Think of something positive as of this very minute,” he advises. “Say, you just got a little check from an insurance company -even if it's only $36, that's positive. Maybe you got a compliment from the boss -- that's positive. And old customer calls -- that's positive.”

“If you keep looking back at the old year -- especially last year -- you will get into a downward spiral,” agrees Susan Battley, PsyD, PhD, a leadership psychologist and clinical associate professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook. "”I believe in 'Three Bags Full.' A BAG is a 'Big Audacious Goal.’” Three is the absolute maximum (mileage may vary -- one might be more realistic).

Some Big Audacious Goals

What could be your BAG? Learn a second language. Even pecking at learning a second language can shake

things up and head you in a new direction, DuBrin says. He made the Spanishlanguage page of the El Paso Times his computer homepage and picks through the news in Spanish every morning.

Change careers. Every change starts with a defining moment -- maybe looking at your blank calendar of impending "same olds" can be that moment. Remember the job or city where you were happiest -- how could you get back to that?

Volunteer. You know what they say, "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." Doing well by doing good can make the other things in life seem more bearable.

Tutor a student. Train your dog to be a therapy dog. Bake cookies and take them to the firehouse. Something!

Make more money. Start a second business. Find a safe place for your cash. Ever think of U.S. savings bonds? They are quite a buy now, experts say.

Join a dating service. No, not you married people! But if you are "between relationships," DuBrin says, why not do something about it for once? You may also meet people by volunteering.

Plant a tree. A piece in The Wall Street Journal said tree planting is on the decline.

Learn about your tree and pamper it.

Whatever your BAG, Battley says it is not only important to put it in writing, but also to put in writing the steps you need to take and the obstacles you will face (this is allowable negative thinking). "People vaguely think things, but don't make a plan," Battley says.

Strangely, she adds, it's the peak performers who can be their own harshest critics and get hung up. "Do this with a buddy and hold each other accountable," she instructs.

Consolidate your position at work

"We are all living with tremendous uncertainty," Battley says, "Wherever you look, people are losing their jobs, wars are about to start." It's much more important to identify what you do have control over. Do you have a "plan B," for instance? What if you do lose your job? Think about the worst and make a plan. "You can cut spending now," she says. Also, you can concentrate on communicating security and a sense of safety to your children, even if you don't completely feel it yourself.

"It is also a useful exercise to refresh and update your resume, even if you aren't even looking, DuBrin says. "When you see your accomplishments in writing, it gives you a lift."

DuBrin also advises keeping an ear to the ground. Try to figure out what is going on with your company. In one example, an employee of Conseco didn't even know the company was going bankrupt, even though it was on the business pages of the paper.

Read those!

If you have a job, don't let others around you demoralize you, DuBrin says. "Say, 'It's too bad about Enron,' but I do have a job and here is one way I can do it better this year.'"

De-clutter -- This is a Big One

Maggie Bedrosian, co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever, says the key is not what you get rid of, but what you keep. What is your vision for your life and how do your possessions fit in?

"Everything you want to be should be supported by everything you see around you."

Some suggestions for beating back the jungle:

Keep closest what you use most often. Sit at your desk, for instance. Are the books and files you use accessible without standing?

Are they covered with other stuff? Move it!

Make the things you use every day top quality. Don't skimp on a good hairbrush, for example. Throw away pens that drip ink. Make sure your computer is virus-free.

Sharpen all scissors. Never underestimate the power of removing irritation.

Buy appropriate containers. Maybe a filing cabinet doesn't fit your décor -- try magazine-holding baskets on the floor.

Get and master the technology you need.

And let the rest go by -- that's the corollary.

Do you really need a phone that transmits a picture? Couldn't that be embarrassing sometimes?

Ask yourself three questions about every item around you. Is it useful? Is it beautiful? Do you love it? What you do next should be obvious.

"I am also totally addicted to fooling myself," laughs Bedrosian. "Buy yourself a blooming hyacinth. It smells of hope."

from page 2

Amsterdam were also entertained at open-air concerts at the Old Band Stand at Esplanade Ground. Major Henwood and the B.G. Police Force Band and “Randolph Bennett and his boys” were regular there, especially on moonlight nights.

Today, although this Band Stand still stands there, the area is earmarked for recreational facilities and a Botanical Gardens.

In the early 90s, the Mayor and Town Council and the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam worked together to develop Esplanade. In the late 90s, the Mayor of New Amsterdam, along with his Council, decided to work assiduously to develop the ground. The area now houses a Kiddies Corner that was sponsored by Courts Guyana Ltd. The ground had been renamed the Esplanade Recreational Park and Botanical Gardens. It has a pavilion in a corner overlooking what is now called the Midland Ball Field on the basis of a twinning between the City of Midland, Texas, U.S.A. and the New Amsterdam Town Council (1998-1999).

Various organisations too influenced the ways of life of youths in New

Amsterdam. The Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., Girls Guides, Boys Scouts, the Red Cross Society, the Catholic Men’s Club, the New Amsterdam Community Council, the New Amsterdam Dramatic Society, and the Berbice Branch of the B.G. Extra Mural Association, U.W.I., all helped to create a tremendous impact on the development of the youths of the Town. The British Council was in New Amsterdam for a while and treated the town folks to film shows and recorded music. The New Amsterdam Branch of the Public Free Library was established in 1953, with Miss Edith Pieters as Librarianin-Charge.

Great importance was attached to the education of New Amsterdam citizens. The work of outstanding teachers like J.Z. Peters, J.A. Ralph, Arthur Thomas, Robert Charles, Miss Austin, C.B. Giddings, A.E. Crawford, Doris Cooper, Sonny Rodway, Harold Scarder, John N. Rollings, and J. N. Harper must be recorded in any history of New Amsterdam. As a result of its high educational standards and dedicated teachers at the primary and secondary levels, New

New Amsterdam Arch

Amsterdam has been able to produce outstanding sons and daughters like Viola Burnham, Gavin Kennard, Sir ShridathRamphal, Dr.Ewart Thomas, W.O.R. Kendall, the Luckhoos, J.O.B. Haynes, Edgar Mittelholzer, Jan Carew, Charles Fung-A-Fat, Clifford Baburam, the Hanomans, Joseph Eleazer,

P.A. Cummings, and many others.

In the commercial sector firms like Diyaljees, the Ganpatsinghs, E.A. Chapman, Rohlehrs, Carews, Hanomans, Hughes, Chois, S. Davsons and Sons, and S.G. Wreford and Company have contributed to the economic development of the Town and its

environs.

In the field of building and construction there were private individuals like the elder Chapman (who built the New Amsterdam Stelling); S.G. Wiltshire; Charlie Hancock; and Lyndon La Bennett. A living testimonial of Charlie Hancock’s work is the Horse Shoe Table, which adorns

the Council Chamber of the Town. The chairs around the table, however, were made by the Lutheran Church, which at one time operated a Woodwork Center. At the other end of the spectrum there were firms like H.C. Alphonso and Sons and Nabbi Brothers who undertook major construction works in the Town.

New Amsterdam has a very colourful past.Today, the Mayor and Town Council is appealing for total cooperation and support of the entire community.

New Amsterdam covers about 13.7 sq.kilometerswith an estimated population of approximately 35,000. The Town is bounded – North of Canje Bridge; South of Doe Park; West of the Berbice River and East of Caracas (Angoy’s Avenue).

The current Mayor of New Amsterdam is Kirt Anthony Solomon Wynter.

For more information on projects geared towards the development of New Amsterdam, visitCouncil of Friends of New Amsterdam on www.cofona. org (Information from the Mayor and Town Council of New Amsterdam, Berbice, Guyana; September, 2010)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Fashion

I

ndigenous designers made their debut at the Guyana Fashion Week 2016 with chic collections of clothing inspired by nature and their culture.

One of the designers is Vanda Allicock-Calistro. “I was motivated by my father who encouraged myself and nephew to take up designing after he saw some of our shirts we had done. Our pieces are inspired by nature and indigenous culture

and are hand painted. Being able to showcase our talent at Guyana Fashion Week 2016 was an honour,� Vanda said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

The designer hopes to expand her collection and showcase them on fashion runways.

For more information, call 670-5038.

Debut designer Vanda Allicock-Castro

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

C

ara Delevingne is an English fashion model and actress.

Delevingne won the Model of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards in 2012 and 2014 and has appeared in shows for fashion houses including Burberry, Mulberry, Dolce &Gabbana, and Jason Wu. She started her acting career with a minor role in the 2012 film adaptation of “Anna Karenina”.

Her first major role was as Margo Roth Spiegelman in the romantic mystery film “Paper Towns” (2015), Kath Talent in “London Fields”, and co-starred as the main antagonist Enchantress in the anti-hero film “Suicide Squad” (2017).

In August 2015, she disclosed that a major reason for quitting modeling and focusing on acting was that the stress had, at least to some degree, contributed to her developing the skin condition psoriasis.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 8, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Hollywood

BBC 'Real Housewives of ISIS' Omarosa hired by sketch sparks controversy Trump White House

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A

BBC comedy show featuring a sketch called "The Real Housewives of ISIS" has come under fire for trivializing the very real issue of Jihadi brides.

The sketch, lampooning the Real Housewives TV series and posted online Tuesday to promote the show Revolting, features four British women in hijabs discussing their new life in the Islamic State.

One scene sees one of the characters modelling her new outfit: a suicide vest.

"Oh, babe, you look gorgeous!" says a friend, before telling the camera: "She looked massive. You're gonna need a lot of Semtex to kill that one."

Another shows a character explaining that it's "only three days to the beheading, and I've no idea what I'm going to wear."

Perhaps predictably, the response from social media was less than enthusiastic.

Many said it was "distasteful" when there were many cases of British girls under the age of 18 who had been groomed online and lured to the Islamic State.

One Facebook user described it as having "all the fun of an off-base Amy Schumer skit with the same lack of awareness of anything other than itself," adding that the humour

was "only funny if you look down on someone else and enjoy seeing them unhappy because they are not white and Christian."

But not everyone has been offended, with several Twitter users pointing out that the whole point of satire was to bring people down to a level.

"If you can mock something, you’re not scared of it," posted one person. "ISIS want to be feared. Don’t give them that. And yes I’m Muslim, and a leftist."

The show's writers Heydon Prowse and Jolyon Rubinstein aren't known for pulling any punches. For their BBC satirical series, “The Revolution Will Be Televised”, they famously dressed up as construction workers and told property owners near the Israeli embassy in London that their premises would have to be demolished to make way for an extension.

In response to the criticism of "The Real Housewives of ISIS," they told the i newspaper that they were using comedy to tackle extremism.

"You have to be fearless or it undermines your credibility," said Prowse. "You can't go after David Cameron for five years like we did and not go after the Islamic State."

marosa Manigault, the memorable contestant from the first season of Donald Trump's “The Apprentice”, is joining Trump's White House staff as director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison, the president-elect announced Wednesday.

The announcement came in a statement from the president-elect's transition team, which included a wave of White House hires, 11 in total.

"These individuals will be key leaders in helping to implement the Presidentelect's agenda and bring real change to Washington," said incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in the statement. "Each of them has been instrumental over the last several months, and in some cases years, in helping the President-elect."

The Associated Press first reported that Manigault, who prefers to be called only by her first name, would be joining Trump's White House staff in a position that would focus on public engagement on Tuesday.

Manigault was one of Trump's most prominent African-American supporters during the campaign and has been working

Amazon's 'Grand Tour' host under fire for suggesting eating ice cream is gay

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or many, it was only going to be a matter of time before there was some sort of controversy involving the hosts of Amazon's big-budget motoring show “The Grand Tour”.

who faced the wrath of the internet on the episode that became available on Amazon Dec. 2.

During a discussion segment of the show, Clarkson suggested the problem with

don't eat ice cream. ... It's something to do with being straight." He then added: "There is nothing wrong with it, but a grown man eating an ice cream — it's that way, rather than that way."

T

he CW is adding another reboot to its development slate.

Following a prolonged negotiation, the network is reteaming with ‘Jane the Virgin’ showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman for a ‘Charmed’ reboot, The Hollywood

on his transition team. She previously held a White House role when she worked in the office of Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration.

Reporter has learned.

The drama is described as a reimagining of the original TV series set in 1976. The reboot will be connected to the original series in some fashion, though it's not entirely clear at this point how that will come to pass.

The Charmed reboot comes more than three years after CBS announced plans to remake the original series, which ran on The WB Network for eight seasons from 1998-2006 and starred Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan.

Mariah Carey’s manager still very angry about New Year’s Eve glitch

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"The Grand Tour" co-hosts James May, Richard Hammond (centre) and Jeremy Clarkson

But instead of it stemming from Jeremy Clarkson, who was famously axed from BBC hit show “Top Gear” after punching a producer in early 2015, it was his co-presenter Richard Hammond

a car's light-coloured leather interior lay in the fact that it would prevent the driver from enjoying "a dark chocolate Magnum ice cream."

Hammond responded by saying: "It's all right, I

The comment provoked an instant backlash, with the U.K.'s London Pride LGBT group firing back and inviting Hammond out for a "big gay" serving of ice cream.

ariah Carey has seemingly moved on since the whole lipsync debacle on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.But Stella Bulochnikov, Mariah’s “Russian dictator” manager of nearly two years, is not on the same page as the singer.

She gave a new interview to Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday, saying that she’s “furious” about the New Year’s Eve incident. “She cut her vacation short. She came there to have a festive moment, not a disastrous moment.”

Stella added that Dick Clark Productions could have cut to a commercial or edited the West Coast feed.

She also defended her use of the word “sabotage,” which was first used Jan. 2

by Team Mariah in an accusation that the show purely wanted ratings.

“When we say words like sabotage, I’m not saying you intentionally decided, ‘Hey! We’re gonna sabotage Mariah Carey tonight'... There are a myriad, a million ways to fix the feed for the west coast because the people deserve better.”

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

R

ohit Khandelwal is an Indian model, actor, television personality, winner of Mr. India 2015, and the first ever Asian to be crowned Mister World in the 2017 contest. He got his first television advertisement break in a jewellery advertisement with Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor. He made his television debut by appearing in an episode of “Yeh Hai Aashiqui”, an Indian television series that presented dramatization of love stories. Later he portrayed the role of Bhuvan, the leader of handloom weavers on the television series “Million Dollar Girl”.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 8, 2017

Times Bollywood

that all’s well between Priyanka Bollywood mourns death Proof Chopra, Deepika Padukone of veteran actor Om Puri W W

hen veteran actor Om Puri passed away in Mumbai on Friday morning, his sudden demise left the industry and his friends in Bollywood shellshocked.

Puri was found dead at his Lokhandwala home. The 66-year-old actor had succumbed to a massive heart attack.

Om Puri was currently shooting for Kabir Khan's “Tubelight” and his death has left Kabir in a shock. He expressed his sadness on Twitter.

Many others have since taken to social media to mourn his sudden passing, including Priyanka Chopra who tweeted: The end of an era .... The legacy lives on.. RIP #OmPuri; Abhishek Bashan also tweeted: Very saddened by the news of Om Puri ji's passing. Worked with him on many films and learnt so much from him. Immense talent. #RIPOmPuri.

An actor, a teacher, a friend & a great soul #OmPuri ji. Filled with passion for his craft & innocence in his heart. We will miss him, tweeted Anil Kapoor.

Om Puri is remembered for his starring roles in cult movies like “Ardha Satya”, “Aaksrosh” and “JaaneBhi Do Yaaron”.

He won the National Award for Best Actor for 1982 film “Ardha Satya” and his first Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for the film “Aakrosh”, released in 1981.

His portrayal of a professor of Hindi in 1993's “In Custody” earned him widespread appreciation and the film went on to win four National Film Awards in 1994.

His portrayal of a poor farmer who suffers under a cunning and cruel landlord in “Arohan”brought home his first National Award for Best Actor.

Om is also celebrated for his cameo performance as Nahari in Oscar-winning film “Gandhi”. Directed by Richard

Attenborough, Gandhi witnessed Om Puri for only about ninety seconds and the veteran actor confessed to having completed shooting for his part in just one night.

In the 'nineties, Om Puri shifted focus from Bollywood and art films to star in British projects like “East Is East”, (1999), “My Son the Fanatic” (1997) and 2001's “The Parole Officer”.

His Hollywood films include “The Ghost and the Darkness” and “Charlie Wilson's War”, in which he co-starred with Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. He also shared screen space with Helen Mirren in comedy drama “The Hundred-Foot Journey”.

He was the voice of Bagheera in the Hindi version of 2016's “The Jungle Book”.

A graduate of Film and Television Institute of India, he was the recipient of two National awards and two Filmfare Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award.

According to the Times of India, the entire film fraternity got down at his residence to pay condolences to his family and to be present for his last rites.

Akshay Kumar, Farhan Akhtar, other celebs condemn Bengaluru molestation case Akshay Kumar

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opular Bollywood celebrities like Shekhar Kapur and Farhan Akhtar have strongly condemned the molestation of a young woman on New Year's day here.

The horrifying incident came to light on Tuesday night when a resident of the area gave the police video footage captured by a CCTV camera he had installed at his house.

Four people have been arrested in the molestation case, police said.

After the video footage went viral, various Bollywood celebrities started condemning the "shameful" incident.

Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur tweeted: "When will it stop? How long will our society go on blaming women for assaults upon them? Bengaluru shame."

Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar called it

"gender terrorism".

"This is not molestation. It's gender terrorism. empowered by the misogynistic mentality of powers-that-be. Wake up," he tweeted.

Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue immediately.

While addressing the incident, actor Akshay Kumar posted a video on the microblogging site.

In the video, Akshay said: "Today I am feeling ashamed of being a human. I came from a small family holiday from Capetown and wished all a Happy New Year. While walking through airport, I was carrying my daughter in my arms and suddenly saw one news on TV where I saw few people's molestation act.

"After watching that don't know how you all felt, but I have lost my temper. Even if I was not the father of a daughter, I will say that a society, which can't respect its women, has no right to call itself a human society."

Akshay shared that the "worst part is that few people have hold status of justifying this molestation act."

"Why she donned less clothes? Why she went outside in night? Such people should feel ashamed. It's not the girls' clothes, it's your mentality that is short," he said.

While re-tweeting Akshay's post, actor Arjun Kapoor said: He's spoken what's on everyone's mind... Bangalore is just one of the many incidents that happen every day and yet nothing's being done about it.

While actress Alia Bhatt called it a "disgusting" act, KritiSanon said that "girls must learn some form of self-defence."

Actress Swara Bhaskar said: There is a problem with Indian parenting...let’s wake up to it and change it. Bangalore.

hile gossip mills have been working overtime suggesting a cold war between Priyanka Chopra and her supposed arch rival Deepika Padukone, the 'Quantico' actress shut down these rumours in style.

As Deepika turned 31 Jan. 5, PeeCee took to Twitter to wish the 'Padmavati' actress on her big day. Not just that, she even wished Deepika all the very best for her Hollywood debut with 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage'.

Priyanka wrote, "Happy birthday @deepikapadukone may this year bring you lots of love and happiness...I wish u the best for #XXX Can't wait to watch it. Xoxo."

While the two actresses were said to be friends and even appeared on a popular chat show together in 2014, rumours of their rivalry started doing the rounds soon after.

PeeCee and Deepika were pitted against each other since they both were pursuing the Hollywood dream. Deepika is all set to make her presence felt in Hollywood this month as her movie hits the screens. On

W

ith a combination of youngster and veteran singers and a 50-piece orchestra, legendary music director Rajesh Roshan will conduct a concert titled "Roshan Se Roshan Tak" in Thane and Vadodara on January 28 and February 11 respectively to commemorate the journey of three generations of his family.

The show will be a series of 25 songs composed by his father Roshanlal Nagrath, better known as Roshan, to some of the super hit songs of his brother Rakesh Roshan's films that were composed by him and few latest hits of his nephew and Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan.

About the selection process of the song, Rajesh

S

hahid Kapoor retaliated against the anti-arranged marriage army for trolling and calling him regressive on the web, after being slammed for propagating arranged marriage and cracking jokes about his 14year age difference with wife Mira on Karan Johar's chat show.

But he is far from being ruffled.

the other hand, Priyanka is a star in her own right in the West courtesy “Quantico”, and will make her bigscreen debut in May with “Baywatch”.

Hrithik Roshan and Rakesh Roshan

Roshan said: "It was a difficult process for us to choose songs as the list of hit songs were quite long and there are memories and nostalgia attached to those songs. In fact, I think we should do a part two of the concert with some more songs."

"I am very excited about the fact that for two hours, with live orchestra, we will be bringing back the golden era of Hindi film songs on stage and the audience will be enjoying the old world charm," he added.

“A mainstream star having an arranged marriage is unique. It is not every day that a Hindi film hero goes and marries someone no one even knows of. I am an actor. Most parts of my life are up for discussion, by default.

It won't stop whether I like it or not. If people cross the line, we do get displeased.

But the line itself is wide...”

Shahid says coolly.

The Udta Punjab star defends his wife saying she has a mind of her own and cannot be undermined. "Mira seems pretty chilled out about what's written. My wife decides what she wants to do, where she wants to go, how she wants to go and who is allowed in the house.

It is natural. In fact, that's how it should be," he adds.

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

M

adonna Ghanie, a resilient entrepreneur and model, is always eager to help others in need. Many might remember her from the Miss Universe Guyana 2011 pageant, where, although she did not win, her presence was felt as she was noted for her eloquence and demeanour. She also competed in Miss Guyana Talented Teen and placed first runner-up in Face of Shabeau competition held in Barbados. Although she enjoyed pageantry, the 25-year-old’s passion is modelling. She recalled ever since childhood she loved dressing up and modelling in her room. This ‘passion’ motivated her to join the fashion scene as a model, walking the runway for notable designers such as Sidney Francois, Rishma Persaud, Randy Madray, Roger Gary, Keisha Edwards - just to name a few. Madonna credits Pamela Dillon, a veteran beauty consultant, who helped her achieve her dream of becoming a model. Madonna mentioned her current focus is on expanding her business and modelling career, and helping her community. Her advice is: “Life is full of negativity as we all have bad days, but put all the negative thoughts aside and think positive things. There is so much more to life than we think.”

Star of the week

Trending Now

Bold Shoe Trend for 2017 T

his year fashion elites are introducing daring shoe trends: quirky prints, fur, and pom-poms. The craziest silhouette is one with extended ruffles, which transforms your footwear into a work of art.

Style influencers are already thinking ahead of the game, trying out the flats and platforms the fashion world will be all over in 2017.

Here are some looks for inspiration.

Ballet style with edge

Booties with a graphic effect

Shoes with extended ruffles Pom-pom shoes Fur-lined loafers, which are unisex

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 8, 2017

Times Art

pivoting panels of the stage wings in the auditorium at the Ursuline Convent; he also made and painted the large ‘SERVIAM’ shield (the emblem and motto of St Rose’s High School) which hung at the back of the auditorium.

Rev. Richard Lester Guilly, S.J. was appointed Catholic Bishop of Georgetown in February 1956; Sharples wasasked to design a coat of arms for the newly enthroned Bishop.

In the early 1950s, Sharples won astamp design competition. One of the chosendesigns was the 72

“Kitty seawall” circa 1948

By Clive W. McWatt

R

ichard Gui Pennington Sharples, better known as R. G. Sharples, was a man of extraordinary ability who demonstrated a wealth of talents. Alongside his legal career, Sharples is recognised equally for his artistic legacy and his contribution to the development of a ‘local style’ in the history of fine art in Guyana.

Sharples was born in Georgetown on May 1, 1906. He was the youngest son of Mary Johanna (née Scott) and John Bradshaw Sharples, the famous architect and builder.

He began his early education at the Ursuline Convent and Queen’s College. He later studied law in London.

On his return to Guyana, he practised as a solicitor.

He became Treasurer of the British Guiana Law Society in 1943. Sharples’ career as a Magistrate became inextricably linked with Guyana’s political history.

Sharples became president of the British Guiana Arts & Crafts Society, formed in 1931, which later becamethe Guyanese Art Group in 1945. He was ac-

tively involved in the main current of art in those decades. His art circle included a nucleus of talented local artists like Vivian Antrobus, Reginald Phang, E. R. Burrowes, Basil Hinds, Denis Williams and Hubert Moshett, who worked primarily in landscape and portraiture.

The art group set out to foster the appreciation of art and set goals for assisting the young upcoming generation of artists who later pursued their art studies in Europe: Aubrey Williams, Stanley Greaves, and Marjorie Broodhagen, along with Burrowes.

Sharples was also a member of the RA&CS Exhibition Committee up to 1956.

From an early age, Sharples displayed a flair for painting and continued his hobby when he returned to Guyana after law studies in England. His sheer spontaneity is expressed in his pencil sketching done in situto producea finished watercolour painting.This technique became his preferred medium of expression.

His subject matter was primarily scenery with trees and human figures. Trees

“Kitty seawall” circa 1948

became an important feature in all his watercolour landscapes – sturdy gnarled trunks crowned with feathery foliage and lithe abstract figures conveying a sense of belonging to the landscapes in which they appear.

Some of Sharples’ earliest work appeared in the “Centenary History and Handbook of British Guiana 1831-1931” by A.R.F. Webber published in 1931.

The watercolour plates he produced for the book brought Sharples’ name to prominence. The six watercolour plates vividly portray local themes and locations which are evocative of Guyana’s coastal topography - the wonderful opalescent atmosphere of the tropical landscape is captured in scenes with ordinary men and women working amidst lush green foliage and scarlet blooms; reflected light from azure skies on waterways and rivers.

Besides his watercolour painting, Sharples readily turned his creative skills to other design activities included hand-painted dresses for his wife and daughters.

In the mid-1940s he paintedthe scenery on the

R. G. Sharples as a young man

West Indian art and several of his watercolours were chosen for this.

In 1953, his work was exhibited at the Guyanese Art Group exhibition. In June 1957, a posthumous exhibition of his paintings was held in the RA&CS Reading

are in the National Gallery, Castellani House; and “The Tamarind”(1947), housed in the Guyana National Museum, a landscape in warm russet tones in which relaxed figures rest beneath the shade of a tamarind tree.

“Camp Street” circa 1950

cents stamp in a carmine and emerald illustration of the Arapaima fish. This 1954 stamp set, released on December 1, 1954 was the first British Guiana stamp to carry the profile of Queen Elizabeth II. Although Sharples remained an amateur artist, he secured sales for his paintings at local exhibitions. In the 1950s, Alcan Aluminium of Canada put on a travelling exhibition of

Rooms in Georgetown.

The Joint Art Committee of the RA&CS (1944-1948), which was set up for the purpose of forming a nucleus of the British Guiana National Art Collection, purchased three of Sharples’ paintings for the Nation – “The Quarry”(1947), “Bartica Afternoon”(1946), a backyard scene in soft pastel watercolours of muted greens and browns, which-

“Buxton East Coast” circa 1950

Sharples’ untimely death on August 26, 1956 at the age of 50 was a shock to his family and friends.

Besides his legal career and love of painting, he had the capacity to enjoy the good life to the full - even as the Bohemian artist. He is to be remembered for his charismatic personality and outstanding quality as a magistrate, artist and citizen.

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

N

ew Year's Day was the biggest sales day ever for Apple's App Store, with nearly US$240 million in purchases, Apple

Tech BYTE

I

said Thursday.

The App Store has been a linchpin to Apple's sales of both devices and the commission-generating pro-

grams and services made for them.

The original iPhone, launched in 2007, didn't cross the threshold of hit

Take a peek at the hottest products from CES 2017

t's time once again for the International CES, the world's largest consumer electronics trade show. Thousands of people will flock to Las Vegas to see the latest gizmos, gadgets, TVs, computers, smartphones, robots and other devices meant to make our lives easier.

Here's a sneak peek via networkworldat some of the products on display at the show.

The Linksys Velop system is a three-pack of wireless mesh Wi-Fi routers that can provide whole-home coverage to your home network. The tri-stream (2.4 GHz, two bands of 5GHz) technology also includes MU-MIMO support for multiple device streaming

devices until the following year, when Apple launched the App Store and made it simple for anyone to download games and programs.

The company also said the App Store's top-grossing markets included the US, China, Japan and the UK,

Tech news

C

with China experiencing record 90 percent growth from a year earlier.

Apple also noted that developers earned more than US$20 billion through the App Store in 2017, up more than 40 percent from a year earlier, and since the App

Store launched in 2008, developers have earned more than $60 billion.

In addition, December's US$3 billion in App Store purchases also broke the holiday-season record.

Apple removes NY Times app in China

iting Chinese regulations, Apple has removed the New York Times newspaper's iOS apps in mainland China. Over the holidays, Apple removed the New York Times mobile apps, both the English-language version and the Chinese-language version, from the App Store in China.

The Times originally reported that

app regulations released in June. These regulations state that apps could be subject to censorship or removal if they are found to be “endangering national security, disrupting social order and violating the legitimate rights and interests of others.”

Furthermore, the Times suggests there is a link between its apps being re-

The Acer Predator 21x - curved screen gaming notebook.

Curved screens are coming to notebooks – and you if you can afford the US$9,000 price tag coming out in February

Apple Store in Pudong, Shanghai, China

Like the sound of vinyl records? Ten you’ll love the Crosley Radio Vinyl Rocket Jukebox, a state of the art 140-selection system that can play old 45 rpm vinyl records

its apps were removed on December 23, and Apple confirmed it on Thursday, citing a request from Chinese authorities.

Apple did not specify which Chinese regulations the NYTimes app had violated, or whether the Chinese government had served Apple with a court order or any other legal document.

The Times speculates that the request was made under the new mobile

moved and an investigation the newspaper published on December 29 detailing the massive government perks given to Foxconn, Apple’s manufacturing partner in China.

Earlier this year, Apple was forced by the Chinese government to shut down its own iTunes Movies and iBooks services just six months after launching it in the country.(macworld)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Chickpea and sweet potato cakes Ingredients

H

ome decor is no different from fashion when it comes to trends and this year is no exception. Vogue Magazine presented its take on 2017’s design trends, some of which we share with you...

500g orange sweet potato, peeled, coarsely chopped 400g or 1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained 1 brown onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander

2 tbsp. finely grated parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese 2 tbsp. plain flour Finely grated parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, extra, to coat Olive oil spray Mixed lettuce leaves, to serve Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Tropical prints, says Vogue, is a major trend for 2017 home design.

Vogues spoke with celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, who suggested that print will continue to appear in wallpaper and designer fabrics. He suggests throw pillows boasting the trendy pattern: “Always buy a plain sofa and change it up with new pillows. It’s just like buying a great piece of classic clothing. You can certainly refresh it with a new bag and shoes.”

Method

Marble and Brass combinations. Young Huh, who was named one of Vogue’s five young interior designers on the rise in 2015, promises marble and brass will continue to dominate in 2017. “We’re going to see this trend in both kitchens and baths,” Huh explains to Vogue

Cook the sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to the pan. Mash until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.

Mash the chickpeas in a bowl.

Add the chickpeas, onion, coriander, parmesan and flour to the sweet potato and combine. Season with pepper. Divide the mixture into 10 portions and shape each portion into a patty.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place extra parmesan on a plate. Press patties in parmesan to coat. Place on the lined tray. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven, turning once, for 30 minutes or until golden. Divide among serving plates. Serve with lettuce and sweet chilli sauce.

Makes 10

Y

ou don't have to cook a roast to make delicious gravy. For vegetarian gravy, melt 30g butter in a large saucepan.

Add 1 chopped onion, 1 garlic clove and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme and cook until they're browned. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of plain flour and then stir in 1 1/2 cups of vegetable or chickenflavoured stock. Scrape any of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the sauce thickens. Season to taste and strain into a gravy jug.

T Geometrics. “We’ll see inventive geometrics that speak to ancient cultures, whether it is African or Asian patterns, but they’ll be modernized,” Huh tells Vogue. Think simple lines, geometric designs, and triangles

he simplest way to slice a bunch of cherry tomatoes is to sandwich them between two plastic lids and run a long knife through all of them at once.

Have bobby pins and always losing them? Store them in an empty Tic-Tac container and they will always be within found.

Hang a bundle of chalk in the closet to keep everything fresh and dry. The chalk absorbs excess moisture.

To tell if eggs are fresh, immerse them in a bowl of water.

Fresh eggs will lie on the bottom, while stale eggs will float to the surface.

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

H

A

JOKES Switching sides

lifelong supporter of the Labour Party was lying on his death bed when he suddenly decided to join the Tory Party.

"But why?" asked his puzzled friend, "You're Labour through and through… Why change now?"

The man leaned forward and explained, "Well, I'd rather it was one of them that died and not one of us."

Things you would never know if you didn’t watch movies

-During all police investigations, it will be necessary to visit a strip club at least once.

- If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing parade - at any time of year.

- All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets which reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to the waist level on the man lying beside her.

- The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place - no one will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building undetected.

- Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned to a partner who is their polar opposite.

- The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

- All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they are going to go off.

- If you need to reload your gun, you will always have more ammunition, even if you haven't been carrying any before now.

- You are very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

- Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language; a German accent will do.

- If your town is threatened by an imminent natural disaster or killer beast, the mayor's first concern will be the tourist trade or his forthcoming art exhibition.

- If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.

- Mothers routinely cook eggs, bacon and waffles for their family every morning even though their husband and children never have time to eat it.

- Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.

- Medieval peasants had perfect teeth.

- It is not necessary to say hello or goodbye when beginning or ending phone conversations.

- Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.

- It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.

- A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

- It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will patiently attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

- No-one ever involved in a car chase, hijacking, explosion, volcanic eruption or alien invasion will ever go into shock.

- You can always find a chainsaw when you need one.

- Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at the precise moment that it is aired.

ave you ever glanced down at your phone to momentarily check an incoming text or email or Facebook notification, when you should have been focusing on your kids?

According to a new study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioural Paediatrics, when we use our smartphones around our young kids, we may be ramping up the amount of conflict and tension in the house.

"Parents are struggling to balance family time and the desire to be present at home with technology-based expectations like responding to work and other demands," explained lead author Jenny Radesky, M.D., a child behaviour expert and paediatrician at University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, in a statement.

However, keep in mind the study is small. And that according to Radesky, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves when it comes to giving our kids attention. "You don't have to be available to your children 100 per cent of the

time," she explained. "In fact, it's healthy for them to be independent."

It's also important for parents to feel relevant at work and other parts of their lives, Radesky said. But if you're feeling overloaded or exhausted from being pulled in so many different directions, it's probably time to set boundaries.

Some of her suggestions include: creating a family plan with unplugged spaces or times of day, using a filter or block on your device to avoid the temptation of too much tech use at home, and reserving the most stressful tasks for times when you know your kids are occupied.

Is Your Smartphone Affecting Your Relationship with Your Kids? By Hollee Actman Becker. Parent.com

STORY TIME

A

poor man dressed in rags came to the palace to attend the banquet.

Out of courtesy he was admitted but, because of his tattered clothing, he was seated at the very end of the banquet table. By the time the platters arrived at his seat, there was no food left on them.

So he left the banquet, returning several hours later dressed in robes and jewels he had borrowed from a wealthy friend.

This time he was brought immediately to the head of the table and, with great ceremony, food was brought to his seat first.

By Grammar G.

"Oh, what delicious food I see being served upon my plate." He rubbed one spoonful into his clothes for everyone he ate.

A nobleman beside him, grimacing at the mess, inquired, "Sir, why are you rubbing food into your fine clothes?"

"Oh," he replied with a chuckle, "Pardon me if my robes now look the worst. But it was these clothes that brought me all this food. It's only fair that they be fed first!" (A Sufi Story from the Middle East)

Swapped!

How Soon Hath Time How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year!

My hasting days fly on with full career, But my late spring no bud or blossom shew’th.

Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth, That I to manhood am arrived so near, And inward ripeness doth much less appear, That some more timelyhappy spirits endu’th.

Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow, It shall be still in strictest measure even To that same lot, however mean or high, Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven; All is, if I have grace to use it so, As ever in my great Taskmaster’s eye.

--John Milton

A

spoonerism is a word or phrase whose letters or syllables have been swapped.

It is also known as a “slip of the tongue” (lapsus linguae or tongue-slip).

Spoonerisms were named after the Rev. William Spooner, dean of New College, Oxford University in the late 1800s – early 1900s.

Spooner is reputed to be renowned for his “verbal fumbles” so often that his students, making fun of him, would make up their own. In fact, it is uncertain how many of spoonerisms attributed to him were actually his or were the students’.

Many others have since added more spoonerisms to the many documented ex-

amples – whether actually uttered or simply made up for comic effect is less certain.

Two that are considered to have been said by Spooner himself include: “It is kisstomary to cuss the bride.” and You have hissed all my mystery lectures.

Other examples of spoonerisms include: “I must

mend the sail” (I must send the mail); “ye noble tons of soil” (You noble sons of toil); “Go and shake a tower” (Go and take a shower).

Interestingly, to elicit spoonerisms (what scientists call a type of speech error) for speech research, scientists use what they call spoonerisms of laboratory induced predisposition (SLIP).

Slips of the tongue can include selection errors: where a wrong word has been chosen: “that’s all for tomorrow” when one wants to say “that’s all for today.” And assemblage errors, where the right words are chosen but placed in the wrong order: much of Rev Spooner’s problem.

20 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 8, 2017

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Times Sunday Puzzle

Name an English word of more than two letters that both begins and ends with the letters "he" in that order.

There are two possible answers. "hehe" is not acceptable. see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

GEOZONE

Marginal Seas

T

he giant centipede Scolopendra cataracta is a powerful aquatic centipede – considered the first of its kind – that hunts in the waters of Southeast Asia, including Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

S. cataracta can grow longer than a person's hand; researchers caught one measuring 7.9 inches (20 centimetres).The centipede has five to six teeth in its lower jaw and its body is a greenish-black colour.

Its bite is also venomous, and while it won’t kill a human, it can leave a person in severe pain for a few days. Scientists suspect that it

is a nocturnal hunter that preys on aquatic or amphibious invertebrates.

The species was recently uncovered in Laos, at the Tad E-Tu waterfall where researchers compared it with one discovered in Thailand a few years earlier, and another previouslyunknown specimen that is housed at London’s Natural History Museum after it was discovered in Vietnam in 1928.

Now considered a new species, its name comes from Scolopendra,a known genus of giant centipede, and cataracta, the Latin word for “waterfall”.

The Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean

W

here seas are only partially surrounded by land or ridges on the sea floor, they are often called marginal seas – although there is no absolute agreement on this definition.

However, it is generally accepted that the primary differences between marginal seas and open oceans are associated with depth and proximity to landmasses.

Marginal seas, which are generally shallower than open oceans, are more influenced by human activities, river runoff, climate, and water circulation.

Colouring Fun

Marginal seas can be found in many of the world’s oceans, such as the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the English Channel, which are marginal seas of the Atlantic Ocean.

Marginal Seas of the Indian Ocean include the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the Persian Gulf. Marginal Seas of the Pacific Ocean include the Bering Sea (separated by the Aleutian Islands), the Coral Sea (by the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) and South China Sea (separated by the Philippines).

Maze Daze

Please see solution on page 23

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

22 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 8, 2017

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World Ammonia detected in Earth's atmosphere for first time

F

or the first time, researchers have the tail of a nonavian feathered dinosaur. The tail feather of a young dino, considered most likely a young coelurosaur, along with a few bugs, were preserved inside a piece of amber for almost 100 million years.

To put it scientifically, “The first non-avialan theropod fragments preserved in amber are described…Vertebral

outlines, curvature, and plumage suggest a source within Coelurosauria…”

Distinctly unscientific enthusiasm for the find can be summed up in study co-author Scott Persons’, description: “Per pound, this is the most incredible fossil I have ever seen. It is just packed with stuff!” Scott is a palaeontologist at the University of Alberta.

I

n a report by Livescience website, researchers are said to have discovered ammonia in Earth's lowest atmospheric layer for the first time.

A new study said that the detected ammonia was most concentrated in the upper layer of the troposphere above India and China, countries that have experienced population and economic booms in recent years.

The gas (NH3) is most likely coming from livestock

Day of the warrior. A lizard practices a little kung-fu with a tiny twig in 2013 (Credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY Anup Deodhar / Barcroft Images. Source: Photos: Hilarious Animal Antics

by Tia Ghose. LiveScience)

farming and fertilization in those countries, the researchers said.

Plants and crops need ammonia to grow, but too much of it can harm the environment and human health.

However, the newly detected ammonia may have an unexpected silver lining: The gas is involved in cloud formation, so it may act as a cooling agent and help compensate for the humancaused greenhouse gas effect, the researchers said.

2017 Climate news Four hundred PPM milestone

S

Mined in Myanmar, the amber preserves the partial tail of a feathered dinosaur, ants and a beetle from the middle of the Cretaceous Period, about 99 million years ago. Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM/R.C. McKellar)

Brain Teaser Answer Headache or Heartache

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

cientists predicted that in 2017 the global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration would pass the 400 parts per million mark, permanently. In September, a month when carbon dioxide is typically at its lowest, the monthly value failed to drop below 400 ppm for the first time.

The 400-ppm milestone is largely symbolic, a sign of modern civilization's devastating impact on the planet, climate scientists have said. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than plants can take up. This process has driven carbon dioxide levels higher, adding to the greenhouse gas effect

and increasing temperatures, along with many other climate change impacts.

The Hottest Year on

Record 2017 burned through heat records to become the hottest year since recordkeeping began 122 years ago, by a significant

margin. At only halfway of 2017, NASA had announced that each of the first six months set new temperature records. Also, July and August were tied as the hottest month the world has seen in the last 136 years. By November, global temperatures had averaged 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The Copenhagen Accord in 2009 stated that warming should not increase by more than 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) this century, to hopefully avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 8, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES A little soul-searching (March 21- will help you put your life April 19) in perspective. Don’t blame others when the only one who can make a difference in your life is you.

Join a crusade or sign TAURUS up for a retreat or an event (April 20- that will broaden your outMay 20) look or teach you more about your cultural background.

Romance is encouraged.

Don’t let an emotional inciGEMINI dent ruin your day. Look for a (May 21- way to lower your overhead in order to ease your stress. You June 20) will need to be disciplined, especially when it comes to persuasive people trying to convince you of something that could be unwise.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Ask for help and offer what you can in return.

Participation will give you insight into new ways to advance. A retreat or day trip with someone you love is encouraged.

Look inward and make some minor adjustments to the way you think and act.

Taking a course or attending an event or retreat will be enlightening.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Emotions will surface, causing problems with someone you love. Partnerships must be nurtured carefully, and peace and love must be emphasized, regardless of what you come up against.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Talk to people with experience, and exchange information and ideas that will help bring about the changes you want to see happen.

A partnership will be to your advantage.

You can alter your living SCORPIO space or lifestyle to make it (Oct. 24- easier to move forward perNov. 22) sonally and professionally.

Gather information and prepare to engage in something different. Romance is encouraged.

A positive change at SAGITTARIUS home will help eliminate (Nov. 23outside interference. Rise up Dec. 21) and do something that will make your life better. Don’t give in to idle threats or demands. Be true to yourself.

Calvin and Hobbes

Get together with family CAPRICORN and friends. Host an event (Dec. 22- or attend a reunion. The enJan. 19) counters you have will help you share your ideas and gain suggestions as well as hands-on support.

Take care of matters you AQUARIUS don’t want others to know or (Jan. 20- find out about. Show interest Feb. 19) in what the people around you are doing to prevent interference and unnecessary additional expense.

Looking back and rePISCES (Feb. 20- viewing your past experiencMar. 20) es will help you participate more in events and organizations that can offer you something in return.