Magazine

April 23, 2017

Star Times Hollywood:

Woman breaks into Drake’s home See story on page 12

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Page 8

The Origins of Curry Page 4

Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk

Putting Guyana on the map

Page 7

Using art to tell stories

Page 16

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 23, 2017

Times Feature

Guyanese author pens book to celebrate the abolition of indentureship

“C

hampions of IndoGuyanese Welfare, 1838-1938” is a welldocumented study and Dr Basdeo Mangru, an overseas-

based Guyanese, latest book on Indian immigration into Guyana.

It was published to commemorate the centennial of

the abolition of indentureship in March 1917. This system, which lasted 87 years, was described as “a new system of slavery, slavery in another

guise, regulated serfdom” and was a stigma on India. It took a massive anti-indentureship campaign, solely confined to India, to bring an end to this

Dr Basdeo Mangru

iniquitous system.

“Champions of IndoGuyanese Welfare, 1838-1938” concentrates on individuals and groups who championed the welfare of Indian workers in the 100 years following their landing in Guyana in May1838. It captures their valiant efforts to expose the plight of those exploited workers from a system geared to dehumanise them and reduce them to a state bordering on slavery. The book highlights issues which have either been neglected or glossed over in existing literature.

Additionally, the book is geared to promote an awareness of our history and culture.

While the Afro-Guyanese community is somewhat familiar with their heroes, the Indian community is largely unaware of those who sacrificed their careers for championing the rights and welfare of Indians.

Moreover, many of us are unfamiliar with the roles played

by Indians themselves to resist the plantation system. Indian workers, both men and women, showed they had the capacity to resist efforts to subjugate them when working and living conditions became intolerable. They adopted such selfliberating activities as strikes, beating of estate personnel, torching cane fields and desertion. In the process, they were “knocked down” several times, but were never “knocked out.”

Indian resistance is a significant contribution to Caribbean historiography.

“Champions of IndoGuyanese Welfare” details the activities of five individuals and three groups that exposed the atrocities per-

petrated on indentured workers, the most exploited group in the Caribbean. It commenced with the crusade of James Crosby, the longest serving Immigration AgentGeneral who so championed the rights of Indians that the Immigration Department became known as the Crosby Office. Chief Justice Joseph Beaumont and Stipendiary William Des Voeux were humiliated and lost their jobs in the pursuit of justice for Indians.

In addition, the book discusses the various allegations of Bechu, the fearless Bengali, who criticised planter tyranny and neglect. Bechu had so condemned the indenture system that the planters cancelled his indenture contract and repatriated him. The book devotes considerable attention to the invaluable report of C.F. Andrews, an Emissary of Mohandas Gandhi, who condemned the education system, the blatant attempt to Christianise Indian children, poor housing conditions , the failure to recognise Indian marriages and the spread of alcoholism in the Indian community. It also describes the activities of the British Guiana East Indian Association in promoting the interest and welfare of Indians and emphasising their multilateral contributions.

This book has received favourable reviews from Drs Tyran Ramnarine, Gary Girdhari and Frank Birbalsingh.

For more information on this book, contact the author at bmangru@york.cuny.edu.

(Text from press release by Dr Mangru)

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APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

The Pakaraima Mountain Safari

By Ashraf Dabie

M

any of us are unaware of the adventures that lie just beyond our backyards.

However, with the establishment of the Pakaraima Mountain Safari, both Guyanese and tourists from abroad are given the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Guyana.

The Safari is the ideal outdoors adventure where you can explore Guyana’s mountainous regions, while learning about the rich culture of indigenous communities.

The Pakaraima Mountains are said to have some of the most breathtaking views of the Guianas

and several trailers of passengers set off on a historic journey from Karasabai to Orinduik. The two-anda-half-day journey was led

by Harripersaud Nokta, the then Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, accompanied by a number of fellow Government officials, as well as the Commander of the Lethem and Karasabai Police Stations and 21 other persons. That historic journey is the birth of what is now known as the highly anticipated Pakaraima Mountain Safari.

This annual event takes explorers literally into the heart of Guyana as the route begins in Georgetown and ends at Orinduik Falls,

Rugged terrain

A few of the vehicles that were part of the Safari's delegation

(Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana).

Several years ago, roads linking the villages of Region Eight - from Maikwauk to Monkey Mountain all the way to Karasabai leading into Yurong Paru in Region Nine - never existed. As such, the villages of the Pakaraimas were land locked and only accessible by air. This posed tremendous difficulty for the indigenous people from the Patamona and Makushi nations to traverse in these areas. However, the construction of an access trail led to the villages of the Pakaraimas opening their doors to welcome the inaugural Pakaraima Mountain Safari in 2003.

On March 22, 2003, a Safari consisting of four Land Rovers, two tractors

which lies at the foot of the Pakaraima Mountain Range bordering Guyana and Brazil. The route allows adventurers to travel through the pristine forests of Guyana, over majestic mountains and hills inhabited by a diversity of wildlife and indigenous nations.

The off-road expedition offers an understanding and appreciation for the bond between man and nature, so much so that one may wish to continue on this venture forever. Stops along the route allow for adequate time to bask in the beauty of Guyana or even wash off the weight of the world under the many waterfalls scattered along the journey. Sleeping under a vast blanket of stars and being lulled by the sounds of the forest are some of the unforgettable experiences

on this trip. The “adventure of a lifetime”allows for indulging in indigenous cuisine, exchange of cultures and learning a new way of life.

After 15 years of embarking on this life-changing adventure, the Safari continues to grow with a promise of new experiences year after year.

Departed from Georgetown on April 8 and joining along the way 30 vehicles and 40 motorcycles, this year’s Safari had the largest delegation. The expedition, which lasted for nine days, concluded on April 16.

The highlights of the trip included visits to 14 indigenous communities, stops at several waterfalls and participating in the Rupununi Rodeo.

The Pakaraima

Exploring scenic landscape is one of the exciting features of the Safari

Mountain Safari is organised by its established club as well as the Rainforest

Tours in collaboration with Guyana Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Communities and the Administration of Regions Eight and Nine.

This annual event, generally occurring around Easter, encourages the promotion and growth of tourism in Guyana by creating an adventurous experience.

It attracts scores of foreign explorers and nature lovers.

It also encourages the devel-

opment of indigenous communities as participants are obligated to make donations and support the entrepreneurial ventures of the families in those communities. More importantly, the Safari presents the ideal opportunity for Guyanese to acquaint themselves and fall in love with the natural beauty and wonders that exist beyond the country’s coastlines.

Refreshing baths at cascading waterfalls are enjoyed on the journey

Bikers on the Safari

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 23, 2017

Times Feature

The Origins of Curry

“A

rchaeology”, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, report-

ed that archaeologists at the University of Washington at Vancouver analysed human teeth and residue

found on pots from the site of Farmana - which dates back more than four thousand years ago and is locat-

ed roughly 100 miles northwest on New Delhi - and found the first evidence of use of turmeric and ginger in cooking.

Farmana was part of the Indus civilisation, which once ranged from eastern

When the Portuguese arrived in India, they adapted the word Kari to 'karil', and this word is still used in Goa. The ‘sauce’ has since been adopted and adapted by the British since the days of the empire.

book was written, Richard employed 200 cooks and they, plus others including philosophers, produced a work with 196 recipes in 1390 called “The Forme of Cury”.

‘Cury’ was the Old

'Curry Chicken' is a popular meal in Guyana

Iran to modern-day Delhi.

“Archaeology” contributing editor Andrew Lawler reports in “Slate” that the use of these spices at the site likely constitutes the first known instance of curry being part of a people’s diet - making it also, possibly, “the oldest continuously prepared cuisine on the planet”.

The traditional south Indian kari does not have a fixed set of ingredients, but a typical mixture consists of roasted and ground curry leaf, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, black pepper, fenugreek, turmeric and sometimes cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

The UK’s “Menu Magazine” notes that the

English word for cooking derived from the French ‘cuire’ - to cook, boil, grill.

In 1780 the first commercial curry powder appeared, and in 1846 its fame was assured when William Makepeace Thackeray wrote a “Poem to Curry” [see page 18] in his “Kitchen Melodies”.

While we mostly associ-

Different spices used in curry

According to an affiliate website of Kew Gardens, the origin of the word ‘curry’ has a much narrower culinary and regional focus than today's meaning.

While the origin of the word “curry” is still debated, it has been generally accepted that it came from the Tamil word kari, meaning ‘sauce’, and was a south Indian soup-like accompaniment to rice.

earliest known recipe for meat in spicy sauce with bread appeared on tablets found near Babylon in Mesopotamia, written in cuneiform text as discovered by the Sumerians, and dated around 1700 B.C., probably as an offering to the god Marduk.

It also notes that in British King Richard II’s reign (1377-1399) when the first real English cookery

ate curry with hot and spicy peppers, the original Indian curry did not have any peppers in it since chilli peppers or red peppers were not native to India. It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus brought chilli seeds back from the New World and they were traded to India did they make their way into Indian cooking to become part of the spicy curries we know today.

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

Enigma Dance Studio

Reneé (left) and one of her students

By Utamu Belle

E

nigma Dance Studio, a local dance company, is on a mission to empower as many lives as possible through dance.

Reneé Robinson - who was residing overseas, but came here last year for Guyana’s jubilee celebrations - has been teaching dance for over 30 years.

The professional dance instructor saw a need for youths to have an outlet for self-expression and self-development. This was when Reneé met fellow dance instructor Lynn-Ann Medford, who is now CEO and Artistic Director of Enigma, through a mutual friend. Lynn-Ann indicated that she was looking for instructors, a collaboration that gave birth to Enigma Dance Studio.

The Studio offers seven genres of dance, including ballet, hip hop and contemporary. Students, as young as threeyearsold, have been learning and developing under the tutelage of Reneé and Lynn-Ann. Recently, the local dance company extended its services outside of Georgetown to the Linden community, a move that has attracted sev-

eral young women and girls.

These students venture to the Lichas Hall on weekends for dance classes.

Sunday Times Magazine visited Reneé at the Studio where the instructor was finishing up on a session.

Several excited,little dancers were eagerly awaiting their animated stickers - a “reward” Robinson hands out after a fun and energetic hour on stage dancing.

“Which would you like to have?” Reneé asked. “The purple one!” one of the girls replied.

The dance classes, tailored for both children and adults, are conducted on Saturdays.

As for Reneé, she is living her true passion. She mentioned that Guyana has been very welcoming since coming back to her homeland.

“Dance has been rewarding for me. I danced a little bit when I was younger, but sort of transitioned into teaching it. I find that it has been great as many of my students have gone off to different parts of the country and the world to spread their love for dance.

Additionally, dancing has kept me fit,” she noted.

In the dance studio

Reneé stated she teaches contemporary dance, which she describes as “African fusion”, jazz, tap dancing or whatever students request. At Enigma, there are instructors who basically teach all forms of dance.

“Enigma has grown. The idea is to give students the opportunities to not only learn, but to branch out to become professional dancers. Lynn-Ann provides that opportunity through Enigma Dance Studio,” Reneé pointed out.

The dance instructor admitted that not everyone who comes to class might be looking to become a professional dancer. Some may dance just to keep fit or venture into something different, which she said is “perfectly fine”. For Reneé, it is not only about producing professional dancers, but empowering them.

“It's about discipline, self-control and confidence building. It’s about knowing that the world is your oyster and you can achieve your dreams. I think dance is a great avenue to allow young people to find their voice,” she declared.

Reneé added that she gets a sense of satisfaction

when beginners eventually master the art form.

“There are some students who come in that seem to have ‘two left feet’, but after working with them I see great changes. They blossom, their confidence and abilities improve. As a teacher, it's a great feeling. I feel accomplished when I see this,” she expressed.

Reneé considers herself as an “advocate for learning more than one style of dance and for true development of the art form”.

In an effort to address the future of dance in Guyana, Enigma is set to host a Dance Forum slated for April 29 and 30 at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen.

Enigma has put together a programme for Carifesta 2017, which is set to be hosted in Barbados in August.

Robinson related that herself and Lynn-Ann are putting together a “very historical, folkloric package for the event”. Plans are also underway for International Dance Day in Georgetown on April 29. A flash mob featuring approximately 60 dancers is set to light the stage.

Enigma will also hosts adult morning stretch and fitness classes at its Studio on

Reneé Robinson

Regent Street, Georgetown and at its venue at the Guyana Cricket Club, which now has an additional four studios.

Reneé also pointed out that she has developed an arts education programme overseas where she works as a booking agent for various artists and theatre dance companies.

“I’ve sort of transitioned

more into arts management and art education,” she explained.

Reneé plans on taking dance to a “higher level” and has already set the tone for a brighter future for youths using the art form. She also believes that dance is a very competitive industry which provides the opportunity for a successful career, and for travelling.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 23, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

pleasure for me to have coordinated and chaired that first World Storytelling Day in Guyana. That event was held on March 16 in the conference room of the National Library.

Hashtag/Tagline – oral tradition/storytelling/the book/reading/storage and dissemination of information and entertainment/ dealing with life’s issues.

World Poetry Day (March 21) World Poetry Day was originally set for October 15.

However, in 1999, UNECSO declared March 21 World

T

hat we experience a whirl of literary events at the start of each new year is occasion to stop and smell the morning glory and frangipani and hibiscus and lotus and the night blooming lily. We cannot easily dismiss the confluence of these days as mere coincidence; there must be more to this confluence of literary events, perhaps sublime, even divine.

The events in reference are World Storytelling Day, World Poetry Day, World Book &Copyright Day,

issues.

World Book & Copyright Day (April 23) The main aim of World Book & Copyright Day is to focus on books in order to promote reading, to encourage publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

Copyright is to encourage more creativity, better crafted works andmore elucidation, learning and entertainment. Copyright breeds innovation.

When in 1995 UNESCO proclaimed April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day,

with the theme ‘Wake Up and Read!’ The event has its genesis in the ambitious goals of the National Book Committee of the early 50s, which were to encourage people “to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life”.

The on-going theme of National Book Week is ‘Libraries Transform’.

Hashtag/Tagline – the book/ reading/ the library/ storage and dissemination of knowledge and entertainment/transforming lives/ im-

National Library Guyana

World Intellectual Property Day, and National Library Week.

World Storytelling Day (March 20) World Storytelling Day is a manifestation of the new millennium, which has its roots in several initiatives started at the end of the previous millennium. For instance, in the early 1990s Sweden organised an event labelled ‘All Storytellers Day’ falling on March 20.

In the late 1990s, storytellers in Perth, Australia coordinated a five-week long

celebration of story, commemorating March 20 as the International Day of Oral Narrators. Nearer to home (Guyana), it was discovered Mexico and other South American countries were already celebrating March 20 as the National Day of Storytellers.

The first concerted and official effort by Guyana to celebrate World Storytelling Day occurred in 2011. That first commemoration was an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and it was an honour and a

Local artistes performing at a World Storytelling Day event at Umana Yana

Poetry Day. World Poetry Day has its genesis in one person, a woman, who not only knew of the power of poetry and tasted its pleasures, but also wanted others to be a part of this sacred art.

In 1936, Tessa Sweezy Webb started honouring poets of Ohio, U.S.A. This vision soon caught the imagination of poetry lovers worldwide. By 1951, forty-one countries were celebrating the works of their poets. Webb used the third Saturday in October for her magnanimous work, but by 1951, October 15 was accepted as the ideal day to mark the occasion.

UNESCO’s declaration of March 21 as World Poetry Day was to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements”.

Hashtag/Tagline – oral tradition/the book/reading, writing/ publishing/ the book/ narrative poem as the first type of novel/ storage and dissemination of information and entertainment/ UNESCO/dealing with life’s

the organisation attached significance to the event as the birth anniversary or death anniversary of the following writers: Cervantes, Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Halldor K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, JosepPla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

Hashtag/Tagline – the book/ promote reading/ encourage publishing/the protection of intellectual property/Shakespeare/UNESCO/a better life for all.

World Intellectual Property Day (April 26) The main aim for World Intellectual Property Day is “to raise awareness in how patents, trademarks, copyright etc. affect daily life” and how it helps to promote creativity and innovation.

The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 and the date was chosen to coincide with the date when the convention establishing WIPO came into force.

Hashtag/Tagline – the book/ copyright/ creativity/ the protection of intellectual property/ a better life for all/ WIPO. National Library Week (April 9-15) The first National Library Week was observed in 1958

proving incomes and health.

From the various taglines, it would appear that man made good use of the gift of speech by creating an oral tradition (poetry, storytelling, drama, song, ritual, custom, culture, etc.), which was empowered to capture all that was happening and package that knowledge in such a way to benefit succeeding generations. And succeeding generations did make proper use of the oral tradition blueprint by bringing into form the book and all its attendant manifestations, leading to copyright and the protection of intellectual property and more creativity and more transformation and the improvement of life.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s Happening: The new book, “Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry”, to commemorate the centennial end to indentureship and (Indian) Arrival Day is here! There will be a few soft launches (no plans for a ‘hard’ launch); please make contact at the above number/email to get additional information.

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk

T

he Royal Geographical Society of London entrusted Sir Robert Hermann Schomburgk with conducting an expedition of exploration of British Guiana in 1835; his work, it is claimed, led to the successful Venezuela and Brazil boundary arbitrations for Guyana, then British Guiana.

Schomburgk was born June 5, 1804 in the town of Freyburg on the River Unstrut, in Germany. The eldest of five siblings, he showed an early interest in nature, and in the 1820s, while living with his uncle, he learned botany from a professor.

Later, after several years of drifting through several Caribbean islands following his unsuccessful stint as a businessman, he voluntarily funded and took on the task of mapping the unexplored areas of the British Virgin Islands coast of Anegada.

Schomburgk’s work so caught the attention of the Royal Geographical Society (London) that the society proposed he should go to South America under its commission.

Arriving in British Guiana in 1835, he made three trips for the RGS, the first to the Rupununi, including the Kanukus in search of the plant used to make curare; the second up the Corentyne and Berbice River was made in 1837 where he discovered the Victoria regia water lily. On his last trip for the RGS, Schomburgk travelled to the source of the Essequibo River, the upper Orinoco, the Rio Branco basin and Mount Roraima where he came across slavers who regularly raided indigenous villages; it was here that he realized the need to define boundaries to help prevent such raids.

The demand for border definitions for the protection of the indigenous tribes stepped up pressure on the British government to establish the borders in the south-west and the west. The British government then commissioned Schomburgk in April 1841 to survey

Robert Schomburgk, c1840 (from ‘The Guiana Travels of Robert Schomburgk 1835-1844’)

and mark the boundaries of British Guiana.

Along with his brother Richard, Schomburgk set off west, along the Barima, Barama, Waini, Amakura and Cuyuni Rivers. The second expedition took him to the Brazilian frontier, including Pirara.

After Pirara, the team mapped the Takutu and Ireng Rivers then returned to the Kanuku Mountains. The region around Roraima followed, and Schomburgk's last journey was to the upper Corentyne and the Kutari River.

By this time, both the Brazilians and the Venezuelans had complained officially to the British government about Schomburgk's placement of boundary markers, which sub-

‘Purumama / The Great Cataract of the River Parima’. A magnificent view from Schomburgk's "Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana" from a series of views of Guiana by Charles Bentley, executed as illustrations for Robert Schomburgk's work in the region.

sequently had to be removed.

The “Schomburgk line”, as it was called, came to form the basis of the British claim at the arbitral tribunal in Paris in 1899 that settled the boundary with Venezuela.

Guyana was awarded a large portion, but not the whole of that claim. The Brazil boundary was settled after arbitration by the King of Italy in 1904 where the Schomburgk line also played a role.

Schomburgk was to play a posthumous role in fixing the tri-junction point of the Suriname, Brazil and Guyana boundaries in 1936.

Throughout his travels, the explorer also collected numerous plant and animal specimens and accumulated many maps. Bird specimens were given to museums; fishes, animals and animal skulls preserved by the explorer were also donated, as were many dried plants, fruits, seeds and living orchids.

Schomburgk was knighted in 1844 and sent to Barbados as a diplomat in 1846. In 1857, he was sent to Santo Domingo as British Consul then to Bangkok, Thailand. He returned to

London in ill health and retired in 1864, dying March 11 of 1865 in Germany.

Road to Georgetown seawall, British Guiana n.d.

Vlissengen Road, Georgetown n.d.

‘The Comuti or Taqulare Rock, on the River Essequibo’. From Schomburgk's "Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana"; a series of views of Guiana by Charles Bentley, executed as illustrations for Robert Schomburgk's magnificent work on the region.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 23, 2017

Times Travel & Tourism

Arriving in a canoe at Carahaa Landing camp (Photo by Jay Seedy)

Boats moored on the river bank (Photo by Steve Humphreys)

T

he picturesque Burro-Burro river, Region Nine, lies minutes away from the popular rainforest resort Surama and Iwokrama International Centre for Conservation and Development.

At Burro-Burro, the surrounding community established Carahaa Landing Camp, a hammock camp on the river edge and also the starting point for many river trips. This

camp offers a base for night walks and day break canoe floats on the river, which allows the opportunity to observe giant river otters, tapir, spider monkeys and many more species.

A trip on the river reveals rich biodiversity and picturesque nature scenes. It is an adventure on remote Burro-Burro!

Emerald Tree Boa lurks in the trees on the river (Photo by Jay Seedy)

Serene Burro-Burro (Photo credit- iamfisheye on Flickr)

Trees hanging over the river

Sunset at Burro-Burro (Photo credit- iamfisheye on Flickr)

Journeying to Surama via Burro-Burro (Photo by Jay Seedy)

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APRIL 23 , 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

10 Sunday Times Magazine

APRIL 23, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Fashion

S

haunell Duesbury, founder of Shunz Royal, is a talented makeup artist and an aspiring designer and ophthalmologist.

She is a former student of North Georgetown Primary and St.Roses High School. Presently, Shaunell is pursuing studies in optometry at the University of Guyana.

“I am very passionate about the eyes because I feel it is the most outstanding feature of the body and must be taken care of,” Shaunell said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

To compliment her other talents, the 20-year-old pursued makeup artistry and fashion designing. Her passion for creating with her hands led to the start of Shunz Royal.

Through her label, Shaunell showcases and

shares her “God-given” creative skills with the world.

“I enjoy the practice of transforming and beautifying individuals, helping them to experience a different effect/look. At a tender age I found myself engrossed with makeup and creating clothing designs – all on my own. Over the years I honed my skills and felt the desire to give back,” she expressed.

Thus far, Shaunell’s designs are inclusive of handmade bras, chokers, flower crowns and tutu skirts. Her future plan is to expand her current offerings.

For more information, contact the designer at Shunz Royal on Facebook or Instagram Shunz Royal.

Shaunell Duesbury

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

T

heodore Peter James Kinnaird Taptiklis, born December 16, 1984, better known as Theo James, is an English actor and singer known for his roles as Jed Harper in “Bedlam” (2011), Walter William Clark, Jr. in the crime drama “Golden Boy” (2013), Tobias "Four" Eaton in the film adaptations of “The Divergent Series”, and David in “Underworld: Awakening” (2012) and “Underworld: Blood Wars” (2016).Outside his acting career, James was the singer and guitarist of the London-based band, Shere Khan. However, in 2012, the band announced on their Facebook page that they were no longer actively playing as a band as members would be pursuing other musical endeavours.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Times Hollywood

K

L

ooks like one of Drake's many female fans has been on her 'Worst Behaviour' this week after being arrested for breaking into the rapper's Southern California home, where she apparently did nothing but raid his fridge.

24-year-old Mesha Collins was caught inside the hitmaker's house where she had been helping herself to his selection of Fiji water and soft drinks.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Collins was found by a member of the 'One Dance' singers crew who came to check on the house while he was out of town. She was reportedly sitting in a locked room surrounded by empty water bottles and wearing one of Drake's hoodies when the friend walked in.

During Police questioning, Collins insisted that she was given permission to enter the property but did admit that she stole the drinks. As a consequence, she was charged with burglary and her bail was set at US$100,000. However, being the nice guy he is Drake has asked police to drop the case against Collins. The Canadian star report-

im Kardashian is being criticised after posting a message saying that getting the flu "can be an amazing diet".

The reality TV star said she'd lost 6lb after getting ill but that she was "so happy it came in time for the Met lol".

She's talking about her illness being good for losing weight before attending New York's Met Gala on 1 May. Many Twitter users said her comment was insensitive but others replied say-

edly feels the crime is too trivial for her to serve time in prison so it seems like all she'll be walking away with is a slightly bruised rep. (Glamour)

ing she was just being sarcastic.

She's now deleted the tweet.(BBC Newsbeat)

Victoria Beckham trademarks her daughter Harper's name

Man detained for ‘stalking’ Malia Obama

A

New York man has been detained by the Secret Service for stalking former first daughter, Malia

Obama.

On April 10 the man found his way into The Weinstein Company building in Tribeca where she is currently interning and begged her to marry him. 30-year-old Jair Nilton Cardoso is said to be "emotionally disturbed" and has previously tried to gain access to the White House.

On April 13, he followed Malia out of her office. The next day he was questioned by the Secret Service in his apartment, who believe he has psychiatric problems and took him to a Brooklyn hospital for evaluation.

Agents have now reported him to New York police, although it's unclear whether he will be charged.

Malia, 18, is currently on a gap year and is believed to be enrolling at Harvard later this year. She previously interned on the HBO series “Girls”, and the CBS series “Extant”. (Glamour)

parent and guardian.

It will mean the former Spice Girl is the only person who can legally use 'Harper Beckham' on products, also ranging from rag dolls to anti-wrinkle cream.

And it will prevent anyone else in the music, film or TV industries calling themselves by the name.

Harper is named after Harper Lee, the author of Victoria's favourite book, To Kill A Mockingbird.

The Beckham's family business is thought by experts to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds. (BBC)

M

T

aylor Swift has called Ed Sheeran a "tank" in a tribute for Time's 100 Most Influential People list.

The US pop singer wrote a piece to explain his cultural significance.

"Whether by choice or an unconscious evolution, when he decided on his musical ambitions, Ed became less of a boy and more of a tank," she wrote.

"He is protected by an impenetrable and ever-present armour of enthusiasm that has helped him endure any setback, letdown or underestimation."

The US pop singer wrote a piece to explain his cultural significance.

"Whether by choice or an unconscious evolution, when he decided on his musical ambitions, Ed became less of a boy and more of a tank," she wrote.

"He is protected by an impenetrable and ever-present armour of enthusiasm that has helped him endure any setback, letdown or

V

ictoria Beckham has trademarked her five-year-old daughter's name.

The fashion designer has registered "Harper Beckham" with intellectual property authorities in Britain and Europe.

It'll allow her to bring out branded products including toys and clothing, and also protects Harper's name in the entertainment industry.

The names of Victoria and David Beckham's three other children have also been registered.

The application, filed on 22 December, says Victoria is the holder of the rights as

underestimation."

She added: "His reaction to any idea that fails is to almost immediately come up with a new one. He's like a fighter who pops back up on his feet before you even noticed he'd been knocked down."

Taylor Swift has known Ed Sheeran since 2013, when they were first introduced by their respective managers.

They then went on tour with each other and have been best mates ever since. (BBC Newsbeat)

el B's former nanny, whom the singer accused of engaging in an affair with her estranged husband, Stephen Belafonte, is filing a lawsuit against her, claiming she made false accusations about her.

According to TMZ, Lorraine Gilles found the former Spice Girls' claims that she had a hand in the dissolving of their marriage, and that she also had an abortion, preposterous.

In addition to the cheating and pregnancy accusations, Mel B also reportedly claimed that Gilles and Belafonte stole money from her over the years and even had control over the sex tapes that Belafonte threatened to release without her permission.

Gilles reportedly believes

that her legal documents adequately outline, with the help of exhibits and pictures, that Mel B's accusations are all false.

The site further reports that a person usually cannot be sued for what he/she says in court documents.

However, in the state of

California, family law cases hold an exception when someone makes a claim against third parties who are not directly involved in the case. In the instance of Mel B and Belafonte's divorce, Lorraine Giles is a third party. (BET)

Sunday Times Magazine 13 APRIL 23, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Star Times Bollywood

C

atherine Tresa Alexandar, born September 10, 1989, is an Indian film actress and model, who appears mainly in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada films. She was born to Malayali Frank Mario Alexander and Tresa Alexander in Dubai. While studying, she pursued extra-curricular activities such as piano, singing, dancing, ice-skating and debating. In Dubai, Catherine was an Emirates Environment volunteer. She then migrated to India to pursue an acting career. She made her acting debut in 2010 Kannada film “Shankar IPS”. Catherine went on to act in the Malayalam films, “The Thriller” and “Uppukandam Brothers Back in Action”. Her role in Kannada film “Godfather” earned her very first nomination for an award in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 60th Filmfare Awards South.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Times Bollywood

Salman Khan to appear Abhishek, Aishwarya celebrate 10th anniversary in Rajasthan court A

S

alman Khan will have to appear in the District and Session Court on July 6 when the arguments begin on an appeal against his acquittal by a trial court in an Arms Act case, according to the Public Prosecutor.

His counsels appeared in

the court today, after which the judge Bhagwan Das Agarwal listed the matter for July 6 to start the arguments on the appeal filed by the State.

Public Prosecutor Pokar Ram Bishnoi said that before commencement of the arguments, Khan will have

to submit a bail bond in the court along with his appearance. “The court has ordered (Khan) to submit a bail bond of Rs. 20000 in the court on July 6 and has also directed Khan to appear in the court for the hearing of our appeal,” said Bishnoi.

The trial court had acquitted Khan of all the charges against him under the Arms Act on January 18 this year, citing technical grounds pertaining to framing of the charges and prosecution permission against him by the then district magistrate.

The Rajasthan government had challenged his acquittal in the District and Session court on March 7.

(PTI)

b h i s h e k Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan recently celebrated ten years of marital bliss.

Karan Joharon Thursday shared few photographs of Abhishek and Aishwarya and captioned it: “Congratulations Abhishek Bachchan on 10 beautiful years...how time flies! Still remember the sangeet perfor-

mances! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan”.

The couple got married on April 20, 2007. The wedding was a private ceremony at the Bachchan’s residence, Prateeksha, in Juhu, Mumbai.

They have a daughter,Aaradhya.

Aishwarya and Abhishek have collaborated with Karan in films like “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and “Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna”. (IANS)

A

S

ushant Singh Rajput is more than happy to perform at the 18th edition of the International Indian Film Academy(IIFA) awards and says he started his career in showbiz as a background dancer for the event in 2006.

Sushantsaid on Twitter, “I’m so looking forward to performing IIFA 2017. I started off as a background dancer in 2006 IIFA.” On the acting front, Sushant will be seen in Dinesh Vijan’s“Raabta”, which will release on June 9. The film also stars KritiSanon and Jim Sarbh. The actor is also prepping for the upcoming Hindi space film “Chanda Mama Door Ke”, where the “Kai Po Che” star will play an astronaut. (IANS)

C

hinese professional boxer Zou Shiming and American basketball player Stephon Marbury promoted the Indian sports drama “Dangal” with its lead actor Aamir Khan on Wednesday.

Zou loved the trailer of the film so much that he came for a press conference of the film. He made Aamir recite a poem in Chinese. The Indian superstar made him learn a dialogue from “Dangal”, the film’s spokesperson said in a statement.

At a special promotional event for “Dangal”, Marbury gifted Aamir an autographed basketball and, in return, Aamir gifted him an autographed “Dangal” T-shirt.

Aamir, a popular Bollywood face in China, is there along with the film’s director Nitesh Tiwari to attend the China premiere of the blockbuster Hindi entertainer on April 16. After visiting Beijing, they will go to Shanghai and Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.

It is an inspirational story of former Indian wrestler MahavirPhogat, who trained his daughters Geeta and Babita to become world-class wrestlers. (IANS)

ctor Ali Fazal was spotted in Los Angeles, U.S.A. with Paris Jackson, the 19-yearold daughter of legendary pop music icon Micheal Jackson. The two had apparently met to talk about a Hollywood production that they are reportedly collaborating on.

The film has been inspired by Bollywood musicals and supposedly revolves around the lives of two couples. While the details are still being hashed out, it has been reported that the movie will also have two Bollywood compositions in it.

Paris intends to fly to India towards the end of the year. A source reveals, “Paris has a special liking and keenness for Bollywood, owing to its musical nature. She now intends to come down to India later this year to expe-

rience and soak in the culture. While it’s believed she will be making the trip for business purposes, Ali will be hosting her for a couple of days in Mumbai.”

Talking about his meeting with Paris, Ali says, “I met Paris while I was in Los Angeles. Surprisingly, she’s

very interested in India and was very unaware about how big of an icon her father is in our country. So we spoke about that. She’s an extremely warm person, and is absolutely focused on her job. She is also tremendously curious about Bollywood and our music.” (Hindustan Times)

Irrfan Khan: ‘Actors are not encouraged to give opinions’

I

rrfan Khan has several releases this year including two big international projects.

Does he think that he is going through the best phase of his career? “I just know that this is the year when I chose the stories that I really wanted to associate myself with,” says Irrfan.

Ask him if he signs projects based on what appeals to him or what sells, and he says, “It is not that I like the role and the director, but the story is not what I would like to be part of, but still I used to do that because you’re an actor,” says Irrfan, adding, “It is based on everything. You also look at it from an angle whether the audience will enjoy it, because there is a lot of money involved. Also, if it is just not something that is fluffy, timepass. It should be something that has layers. You think about all the aspects. Every actor has to think about it.”

When asked about Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, who have carved a niche for themselves in the West, Irrfan says, “They have got a good break and have done a great job. I wish them luck, and I wish that they play a long innings there.”

Irrfan has always been quite vocal about his views on relevant matters. Ask him if actors usually refrain from stating their opinions, especially on religious or political issues, owing to the nature of repercussions,

and he says, “Yes, actors are soft targets.

And they are not encouraged to give their opinions. Therefore, if you feel it might affect certain people, then you refrain from speaking up. But if it is helping a cause then maybe you would like to do it.”

The actor will next be seen in “Hindi Medium” and two other international projects. (Hindustan Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

Times Trends

Trending NOW

M

ake-up lovers around the world have been taking over Instagram by sharing some truly out-of-thisworld lip designs using #lipart.

The trend has been going strong since last year with the introduction of marble patterned lips and impressive designs of

Star of the week

scenes from Disney movies.

From drippy lips, 3D cupcakes, artistic city paintings and jewel encrusted creations, make-up lovers can pretty much transform lips into any of their hearts’ desires. Just take a look at these featured today.

Cupcake lips with sprinkles Aqua lips taken to a whole new level

If you want to start off simple, try this glossy raspberry lip look first

Crystal sparkle lips for a statement look

B

Social media logos are definitely a favourite

The colours of these citrus lips are simply lovely

en Parag quickly became a household name when he wowed everyone with his melodious voice on the Indian hit reality singing television show, “Dil Hai Hindustani”.

Ben, who is fondly called Benny, is the son of Guyanese Kumar and Savi Parag. Ben’s parents are from Mibicuri Black Bush Polder in East Berbice Corentyne, but migrated to the U.S. several years ago. Although he was born in the U.S., Ben’s love for his parents’ homeland is unrelenting. He tries to visit Guyana as often as he can. Ben comes from a family of singers.

His inherent singing talent coupled with his passion for music since the age of six have aided in Ben’s mesmerising, jawdropping performances on the Indian reality show. Although the 19-year-old, who is also fluent in Hindi, did not win the competition, he returns home to the U.S. feeling honoured to have sung for some of Bollywood’s megastars and getting the opportunity to visit the country from which his ancestors migrated from, India.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

APRIL 23, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Art

A

rtist Darshani Kistama is “honoured” to be among veteran Guyanese artists exhibiting their artwork at Castellani House. This is Darshani’s inaugural exhibition at the art gallery.

Darshani has on display artistic paintings, drawings, saris and beautifully hand-painted bottles.

The on-going exhibition, themed “Ganga Ship 1917: The Long Journey”, is being held to commemorate the centenary of the abolition of the Indian indentureship.

Speaking to Sunday Times Magazine, Darshani said she is inspired by nature and her “commitment” to her religion, which is a central theme in most of her art.

“Nature is my number one inspiration. I am influenced and inspired by the magnificence and splendour of the natural environment. However, due to my commitment to my religion, I am often driven to produce works that are closely related to my culture, that is Hinduism,” the artist expressed.

Darshani is a graduate of E.R.Burrowes School of Art. Her minor at the institution was art and major was in textile designs.

She recollected that since childhood she “always loved looking at the different forms of artwork and the various techniques used in creating those masterpieces”.

“For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to

draw and paint. I cannot remember a time when I did not have a pencil or pen in my hand. I guess my love and appreciation for art also stems from my late grandfather who has always been a big fan of paintings,” Darshani recalled.

For the artist, music always sets a mood in helping her be creative. Whether it is soft slow songs or fast rhythmic tunes, Darshani gets inspired.

According to Darshani, art challenges her to better herself. For her, it is not just about paint and canvas, but a connection to her feelings and dreams. She would ask herself, “How do I bring those things to life on a canvas?”, and then challenge herself to be better every time she picks up a brush/pallet knife.

She also pointed out that she enjoys painting still life objects. Otherwise, she would often find herself painting landscapes or art inspired by her religion.

“I want to raise awareness that life is a beautiful, colourful dance of revealing and concealing what we think, feel, say and do in any given moment. While some artists prefer displaying works that are intellectual and mysterious, you would find that only a few in an audience would actually understand what they are looking at.

“What I try to do is to not only help my audience understand what they ‘see’, but to effectively communicate a story to them that would touch them in one way or the other. I

Henna hand-painted bottles are perfect as home decor

believe painting becomes just another way of telling a story or expressing your feelings, there is no need to read a book or caption, just walk into a gallery and phase through different feelings, different moods and different stories.

The beauty of painting is that it is immediate to an audience,” the artist explained.

Darshani displayed her works at Umana Yana in 2016 as a graduate of Burrowes; at Night Cap in September 2016, when it launched its first art exhibition; at the inaugural Guyana Coconut Festival, where she placed in the top ten for a painting she displayed at the event; and at the National Library, where the “Ganga Ship 1917: The Long Journey” exhibition was being housed from March 28 to April 1, 2017.

Currently, Darshani is working on making her small business, Touch of Art, sucHand-painted candle holders cessful. She also intends to further her studies by pursuing a degree in art at a foreign university.

“I think art should be encouraged in more primary and secondary schools, as well as setting up more art exhibitions and workshops to expose children to the different types of art there is. I think it is a good way for kids to show their true potential and a way for them to learn to be creative in their own way, as well as to look at something with a different perspective,” she declared.

Darshani encourages young and aspiring artists to “paint what you feel; everyone may have their own different techniques and skills, which makes them unique at what they do, but stay true to yours; donot give in to discouragement and always try to excel yourself in whatever form of art you wish to pursue”.

In addition to painting, the artist enjoys recycling wine and liquor bottles by hand-painting beautiful designs on them, transforming them into functional, artistic pieces for homes. She also does henna designs for weddings and other occasions.

“Ganga Ship 1917: The Long Journey” at Castellani House, Vlissengen Road, was opened on April 11 and will continue until May 9, 2017. Admission is free.

For more information on the artist, visit Touch of Art on Facebook or her website at darshanikistama.tk.

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

W

hile the trend of #nofilter is cool and all, sometimes you just want to make your pictures look the way they did in your mind when you actually took them.

Photo editing apps can add life to a flat image, breathe some color into a monochromatic landscape, take your Instagram skills to the next level, or turn a boring picture into abstract art. You should always have at least a few photo editing apps in your arsenal for different purposes.

Here are the best photo editing apps available for your iPhone: VSCO; A Color Story; Instagram; Lightroom; Instaflash Pro; Snapseed; and Meitu.

Tech news

H

VSCO Keep your photo editing simple (yet bold!), exquisitely modern, aesthetically relevant, and next-level eye-catching with the super modern and easy-to-use

S

fessional iPhone photographers / photographers in general, and if you're looking to edit the RAW photos you've captured with your iPhone, then Lightroom might be the perfect editor for you!

Instaflash Pro If you're looking for an easy-to-use iPhone photo editor that goes above and beyond the basic edits of most apps out there, then direct your attention to Instaflash Pro and your iPhoneography will never see another boring, over-edited moment ever again.

Snapseed Developed by Google and

constantly updated to deliver the most intuitive, creative photo editing experience possible, Snapseed aims to turn your iPhoneography pictures into iPhoneography masterpieces.

Meitu While the Meitu app has recently made waves for being the most sketchiest photo editing app out there, the reality is that the tracking code that had people so scared isn't really anything new or super threatening (that being said, if the app makes you uncomfortable, totally don't download it).

Bose sued for logging listening habits

eadphone maker Bose is being sued by a customer who claims the firm has gathered data about his listening habits without his permission.

Chicago resident Kyle Zak claims Bose's app scoops up data which is then sold to firms use it to target adverts.

Mr Zak wants the court to grant an injunction that stops Bose grabbing data about audio preferences and is seeking US$5m (£3.9m) in damages.

Bose has not yet responded to requests for comment about the legal action.

"People put headphones on their head because they think it's private, but they can be giving out information they don't want to share," Christopher Dore, a lawyer representing Mr Zak, told the Reuters news agency.

Mr Dore works for law firm Edelson PC which specialises in cases revolving around data privacy.

Legal papers filed by Edelson said Mr

Tech BYTE

VSCO, and you'll be sure to hit home runs with your iPhone photography!

A Color Story Keep your iPhone photographs bright and beautiful while still maintain-

ing creative control with the very appropriately named A Color Story.

Instagram Through Instagram, users don't only get to pick and add a filter to their photos (the old school version only allowed for people to slap a filter on their pics and be done with it), but they can also adjust brightness, contrast, alignment, structure, warmth, saturation, color, fade, highlights, shadows, vignette, tilt shift, and sharpen.

Lightroom If you're looking for a photo editing app that speaks a bit more to pro-

Zak downloaded the Bose Connect app soon after buying a pair of QuietComfort 35 headphones. He provided basic information to sign up for the app that lets users control what they listen to via their smartphone.

Soon after, alleges the lawsuit, he noticed that it was logging far more data about his audio choices than he expected.

The suit claims that similar data is taken from users of other Bose gadgets including the SoundSport Wireless, Sound Sport Pulse Wireless, QuietControl 30, SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II, and SoundLinkColor II. Mr Dore said the sign-up process for the app gave no hint about how much data Bose gathered nor what it planned to do with it.

What people listened to gave an "incredible amount of insight" into someone's personal life, religious and political views, he added. (BBC)

Snapchat's new 3D filters will blow your mind

napchat has launched new 3D lenses, allowing users to change the world around them in three dimen-

sions.

The new feature lets you interact with what you see on screen. You can write giant words that float about next to real objects - or plant a virtual rose in the ground.

The update is now live and it's expected Snapchat will release new "experiences" daily.

It's the latest in the battle for our attention from the social media giants.

Instagram and Facebook have recently added features similar to Snapchat Stories.

How to do it When you are snapping with the rear-

facing camera, just tap the camera screen to find the new lenses.

Swipe up and down the screen to move an object closer or further away.

Press and hold an object to pick it up and move it somewhere else.

Tap somewhere on screen (other than object) to place object in that new location in a real-world space.

On your first try, there are 3D hand animations that guide you on how to move an object, and how to load a new object.

To keep the experiences fresh, the 3D lenses will change over time, and offer different interactions. (BBC Newsbeat)

Tech news

F

Facebook team working on brain-powered technology

acebook says it is working on technology to allow us to control computers directly with our brains.

It is developing “silent speech” software to allow people to type at a rate of 100 words per minute, it says.

The project, in its early stages, will require new technology to detect brainwaves without needing invasive surgery.

"We are not talking about decoding your random thoughts,” assured Facebook's Regina Dugan.

"You have many thoughts, you choose to

five times faster than you can type on your phone today.

"Eventually, we want to turn it into a wearable technology that can be manufactured at scale. Even a simple yes/no 'brain click' would help make things like augmented reality feel much more natural.

"Technology is going to have to get a lot more advanced before we can share a pure thought or feeling, but this is a first step."

There are already external braincontrol technologies on the market, but these are simplistic in comparison.

share some of them.

"We’re talking about decoding those words. A silent speech interface - one with all the speed and flexibility of voice."

On his Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg added: "Our brains produce enough data to stream four HD movies every second.

"The problem is that the best way we have to get information out into the world speech - can only transmit about the same amount of data as a 1980s modem.

"We're working on a system that will let you type straight from your brain about

Electroencephalogram tech - known as EEG - can monitor electric impulses in the brain, but only for very basic, structured output - such as moving a dot up or down a computer screen.

"We'll need new, non-invasive sensors that can measure brain activity hundreds of times per second," Facebook said in a statement.

"From locations precise to millimetres and without signal distortions. Today there is no non-invasive imaging method that can do this." (BBC)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week Ingredients

E

levate your existing outdoor living space with a clever use of colour, pattern and versatile furnishings.

Add an extra layer of comfort with a largescale indoor-outdoor area rug. To prolong the longevity of indooroutdoor rugs, be sure to bring them inside or roll them into storage whenever you're not entertaining

Use a pile of colourful throw pillows to brighten your outdoor space. Also, when space is at a premium, the most efficient (and cost-effective) way to add a spot for every guest is with a pile of throw pillows. Stick with pillows sized 22 to 26 inches to ensure proper surface coverage to keep everyone seated comfortably

This covered patio is transformed into a fullfledged outdoor living room by mixing in cosy furnishings. For cohesiveness, the dusty tones of the brick are carried throughout the space as an accent colour of blush pink set against a dominant blue-grey hue

2/3 cup sliced blanched almonds (71 grams) 1 cup confectioners' sugar (117 grams) 2 large egg whites, room temperature 1/4 cup granulated sugar (53 grams) Jam or other filling

Method

P

reheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in lower third. Place almonds in a food processor; process until as fine as possible, about 1 minute.

Add confectioners' sugar; process until combined, about 1 minute.

Pass almond mixture through a finemesh sieve. Transfer solids in sieve to food processor; grind and sift again, pressing down on clumps. Repeat until less than 2 tablespoons of solids remains in sieve.

Whisk egg whites and granulated sugar by hand to combine. Beat on medium speed (4 on a KitchenAid) 2 minutes.

Increase speed to medium-high (6) and beat 2 minutes. Then beat on high (8) 2 minutes more.

The beaten egg whites will hold stiff, glossy peaks when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. Add flavouring and food colouring, if desired, and beat on highest speed 30 seconds.

I

Add dry ingredients all at once. Fold with a spatula from bottom of bowl upward, then press flat side of spatula firmly through middle of mixture. Repeat just until batter flows like lava, 35 to 40 complete strokes.

Rest a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8inch round tip (Ateco #804) inside a glass.

Transfer batter to bag; secure top. Dab some batter remaining in bowl onto corners of 2 heavy baking sheets; line with parchment.

With piping tip 1/2 inch above sheet, pipe batter into a 3/4-inch round, then swirl tip off to one side. Repeat, spacing rounds 1 inch apart. Tap sheets firmly against counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.

Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until risen and just set, 13 minutes.

Let cool. Pipe or spread filling on flat sides of half of cookies; top with remaining half.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Greatest Cooking Tips

t's important to let a roast – beef, pork, lamb or poultry – sit a little while before carving. That allows the juices to retreat into the meat. If you carve a roast too soon, much of its goodness will spill out onto the carving board.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per quart of water.

For a juicer hamburger, add cold water to the beef before grilling (1/2 cup to 1 pound of meat).

Lettuce keeps better if leaves are stored dry in the refrigerator. Wash the day you are going to use or dry thoroughly before you store it in the fridge.

Do not use metal bowls when mixing salads. Use wooden, glass or china.

The best way to store fresh celery is to wrap it in aluminium foil and put it in the refrigerator – it will keep for weeks.

No "curly" bacon for breakfast when you dip it into cold water before frying.

H

Home Help

aving houseplants helps reduce odours in the home.

Prevent cooking odours by simmering vinegar (1 tbsp in 1 cup water) on the stove while cooking. To get such smells as fish and onion off utensils and cutting boards, wipe them with vinegar and wash in soapy water.

Rub a slice of lemon across a chopping block to disinfect the surface. For tougher stains, squeeze some of the lemon juice onto the spot and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe.

Sprinkle baking soda on carpets several hours before vacuuming to deodorise.

For varnished wood, add a few drops of lemon oil into 1/2 cup warm water. Mix well and spray onto a soft cotton cloth. Cloth should only be slightly damp. Wipe furniture with the cloth, and finish by wiping once more using a dry soft cotton cloth.

Many ink spots, pencil, crayon or marker spots can be cleaned from painted surfaces using baking soda applied to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse.

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 23, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

How to be a ‘greener’ parent

w

H

T

JOKES

wo brothers have a ranch. They have just lost their bull. They need to buy another, but only have $500.

One brother tells the other "I will go to the market and see if I can find one for under that amount. If I can, I will send you a telegram."

He goes to the market and finds one for $499. Having only one dollar left, he goes to the telegraph office and finds out that it costs one dollar per word. He is stumped on how to tell the other brother to bring the truck and trailer.

Finally, he tells the telegraph operator to send the word "comfortable."

Sceptical, the operator asks, "How will he know to come with the trailer from just that word?"

The brother replies, "He reads slow: 'Come for ta bull."

A

child asked his mother, "How were people born?"

So his mother said, "Adam and Eve made babies, then their babies became adults and made babies, and so on."

The child then went to his father, asked him the same question and he told him, "We were monkeys then we evolved to become like we are now."

The child ran back to his mother and said, "You lied to me!"

His mother replied, "No, your dad was talking about his side of the family."

M F

y nine-year-old daughter walked in while I was getting ready for work. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Putting on my wrinkle cream," I answered. "Oh," she said, walking away. "I thought they were natural."

acebook and Formspring are two of the many socialnetworking sites that allow users to embarrass themselves in front of millions of friends and strangers, like these people did.

LARRY: Happy Valentine’s Day to All, especially Wendy, Heather, Lindsey, Ellen, Valerie, Isabel, and all the other wonderful women I adore.

JENNIFER: You forgot your wife.

I

bought a pint of Häagen-Dazs ice cream at the supermarket.

As the cashier rang it up, I asked, “How do you pronounce that?”

Speaking slowly and distinctly, he said, “Four dollars and seventy-nine cents.”

"W A

hat’s the difference between an optimist and a pessimist?" John asked.

Peter replied: “An optimist is the guy who created the airplane. A pessimist is the guy who created the parachute.” t age 70, Tim’s grandfather bought his first riding lawn mower.

"This thing is great," he bragged to Tim’s brother. "It took me only an hour and a half to mow the lawn. It used to take your grandmother two days to do it all!"

ere are some small changes you can make that will lighten your load and your carbon footprint, while helping your family to be a little bit ‘greener’ also.

Cut back on red meat, which is detrimental not only to your health (it can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer) but to the environment as well. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, cattle farming is responsible for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gases and is a major source of deforestation. Consider swapping red meat for chicken or turkey meat instead.

Ditch the plastic bags.

Nearly 9 million tons of plastic waste fill the oceans every year, but it's easy to do your part to reduce that number if you keep a reusable bag with you at all times.

Pack silverware and

cloth napkins in your child’s lunch box instead of plastic and paper. Also, opt for reusable containers.

Keep your fridge between 35 and 38 degrees.

Anything lower than that temperature range is a waste of energy.

Talk to kids about conservation. Explain why you recycle and get them involved locally with planting

trees or community cleanup operations. Grow vegetables from home, encourage tree climbing, and engage the whole family in plenty of outdoor adventures. With these experiences, they're more likely to grow into good environmental stewards.

Pack snacks for family excursions so you're not tempted to buy packaged goods when out and about.

If possible, breastfeed your baby. The production of formula has a considerable negative impact on the environment, while breast milk is a natural, renewable resource with a wealth of health benefits for mother and child.

Unplug your computer and TV. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a quarter of all residential energy consumption is used on devices like modems, computers and televisions that are in idle power mode. You'll save money on your electricity bill, too.

Skip straws. (Bonus: You may skip wrinkles around your mouth, too!)

Avoid buying brandnew books. Given that the paper industry accounts for 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., it's more eco-friendly to buy from a used bookshop or thrift store, or borrow from the library.

STORY TIME

The Tapir and the Tick

By Grace Albert

In the old days, our ancestors believed in marrying someone who possessed very specific knowledge and skills. Women had to have the essential skill of weaving hammock and, even more importantly, they had to have o’kaiipu pun (big and fat feet flesh).

This meant they had to be strong, in particular at their feet. Likewise, men had to be very hard-working. The following story reflects on these values. It is a story of a tapir who wanted to marry a young woman and had to prove to her parents that he was capable of taking care of her and the family.

O

nce upon a time, a tapir and his parents were getting ready to celebrate his birthday. It was a very special age for him as he was about to get himself a wife and become a man. He had planned to invite all the animals of the jungle to the party. The cooks were working hard to prepare plenty of food for the evening and the music was set to make everyone dance!

At about 17:00hrs, all the animals started gathering in the tapir’s yard, including plenty of beautifully dressed females. It was truly going to be a great party as everyone started to eat, drink and celebrate.

After the meal, the tapir began to

play music and the animals were invited to the dance floor. Soon, all the couples were dancing and rocking.

Meanwhile, the tapir was standing on the side trying to spota partner among the daughters of all the animals. He seemed very excited about the young female animals, but couldn’t put his mind on one.

As the party continued and all the adults were getting intoxicated with the local beverages, the tapir was still admiring the young female animals, not knowing which one to choose. At some point, his eyes stopped on a very short, fat female and wondered whether she could be married. He was attracted to one of the youngest females, the beautiful daughter of Mr Tick.

The tapir couldn’t wait to get close to the young lady tick, so he built up his bravery and approached her parents to verbally ask them for their daughter’s hand. The parents agreed on letting their daughter go with the tapir, but they first asked him to prove that he was willing and strong enough to take care of their daughter and family. Mr Tick insisted that he had a very large family and if the tapir could manage to take care of them, he would be allowed to marry his daughter. Mr Tick suggested that the tapir could take all the family members on his back for a ride into the forest instead of having

the family walk alongside him.

The tapir did as the father asked.

And as the whole tick family climbed on his back, the tapir asked them to hold on very tight because he would be running speedily into the forest.

He walked quietly towards the forest, but as soon as he got into the depth of the forest, he started to run, assuming that everyone was holding on.

Unfortunately they weren’t! The faster he ran, the more the ticks fell, from small to big, all over the forest floor.

As he continued, he realised his back felt very light and empty. He suspected that the ticks had fallen from his back. He decided to stop and check.

To his surprise, however, the young lady tick, who he really loved, had held on tight and didn’t fall. They both looked at each other and momentarily hesitated on what to do next as everyone else had disappeared. They finally decided from that moment they would continue to travel and live together.

Since that time, all tapirs carry ticks on their bodies, just like if they were married. It is also why ticks are so widespread in the forest!(www.pantaniblog.org)

W

ith fire alarms blaring at a woman’s apartment complex, she grabbed her favourite bathing suit and ran out.

"A bathing suit?" asked her son later. "Of all the priceless things in that apartment, that’s what you chose to save?"

"Material things come and go," she said. "But a onepiece suit that doesn’t make you look fat is impossible to replace."

A

man went to the cardiologist after experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.

"I had taken our cat to the vet," he told the nurse, "and while I was there, my chest got tight, and I had trouble breathing. Later, my left arm began aching."

The nurse was clearly concerned. "So," she asked, "how was the cat?"

‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’

L

et’s look at the origin of the popular saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. Literal meaning - perception of beauty is subjective.

Origin This saying first appeared in the 3rd century BC in Greek. It didn't appear in its current form in print until the 19th century, but in the meantime there were various written forms that expressed much the same thought.

In 1588, the English dramatist John Lyly, in his Euphues and his England,

wrote: "...as neere is Fancie to Beautie, as the pricke to the Rose, as the stalke to the rynde, as the earth to the roote."

Shakespeare expressed a similar sentiment in Love's Labours Lost, 1588: “Good Lord Boyet, my beauty, though but mean, Needs not the painted flourish of your praise: Beauty is bought by judgement of the eye,

Not utter'd by base sale of chapmen's tongues” The person who is widely credited with coining the saying in its current form is Margaret Wolfe Hungerford (née Hamilton), who wrote many books, often under the pseudonym of 'The Duchess'. In Molly Bawn, 1878, there's the line, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder", which is the earliest citation that can be found in print.

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Times Sunday Puzzle

Each of these pairs of words is a rhyme for a familiar phrase. For example: car and ride = far and wide.

1. Toe and shell 2. Side and coup 3. Graze and greens 4. Frost and ground 5. Hutch and row 6. Fume and chord see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

T

he black pacu is a large, nonaggressive, fruit-eating species of fish found in the upper Amazon River basin.

It is a tall, narrow fish shaped like a disk or plate. This body shape makes them well-adapted for movement between aquatic plants. They have small eyes and an arched back. The body is dark below and lighter above.

This is unusual in aquatic animals which usually exhibit the opposite as it helps with camouflage. Pacu have an adipose fin (a small, fleshy dorsal fin) located behind the dorsal fin. Despite

Please see solution on page 23

its large size, black pacu are a peaceful, non-aggressive species.

Pacu can reach 3 feet in length and weigh over 65 pounds.

The Red hook pacu live in the upper Amazon River basin in South America.

Pacu prefer to eat fruits, decaying plant matter, snails and grains as they would in the wild.

Black pacu are spawning fish, with the young living within floating vegetation in the black waters of the Amazon River basin.

They live to about 15 years.

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.

GEOZONE

N

amib Sand Sea is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. It lies along the arid African coast of the South Atlantic lying wholly within Namibia’s Namib-Naukluft Park.

Covering an area of over three million hectares and a buffer zone of 899,500 hectares, the site is composed of two dune systems, an ancient semi-consolidated one overlain by a younger active one.

The desert dunes are formed by the transportation of materials thousands of kilometres from the hinterland, which are carried by river, ocean current and wind.

It features gravel plains, coastal flats, rocky hills, inselbergs within the sand sea, a coastal lagoon and ephemeral rivers, resulting in a landscape of exceptional beauty.

Fog is the primary source of water in the site, accounting for a unique environment in which endemic invertebrates, reptiles and mammals adapt to an everchanging variety of microhabitats and ecological niches.

Namib Sand Sea is a place of outstanding natural beauty where atmospheric conditions provide exceptional visibility of landscape features by day and the dazzling southern hemisphere sky at night.

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Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

Haiti to rebuild quakeEight Egyptian damaged National Palace mummies discovered in tomb

H

aiti's President Jovenel Moise has launched a project to rebuild the presidential palace, destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 2010.

"For many, the post-earthquake reconstruction has not begun as long as the National Palace has not been rebuilt," he said.

The new complex would be on the same site as the ornate domed building in the capital Port-auPrince.

More than 250,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the quake.

About 300,000 were injured and more than 1.5 million left homeless after the magnitude 7.0 quake on 12 January 2010.

Speaking on Wednesday at the temporary presidential residence on the grounds of the collapsed palace, President Moise set up a committee of engineers and architects to oversee the project.

He said he wanted construction to begin before the end of 2017.

President Moise, who assumed office in February, also said the facade of the palace should look the same, but the interior would be adapted to the needs of a modern presidency.

The cost of the project is yet to be estimated.

Decades of poverty, environmental degradation, violence, instability and dictatorship have left Haiti as the poorest nation in the Americas.

E

ight mummies, colourful coffins and more than 1,000 funerary statues have been found at a tomb near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in Egypt.

The statues were traditionally placed alongside the dead to help them in the afterlife.The artefacts are thought to be at least 3,000 years old.

The Valley of the Kings was the main place of burial for pharaohs and noblemen for nearly 500 years, until the 11th Century BC.The tomb was in the Draa Abul Nagaa necropolis nearby. It belonged to a nobleman who worked as a judge.

"It was a surprise how much was being displayed inside" the

tomb, Egypt's antiquities minister Khaled el-Enany told reporters.

Spokeswoman Nevine el-Aref said there was "evidence and traces that new mummies could be discovered in the future".

The coffins were well-preserved, painted in red, blue, black, green, and yellow.

A statement released by the ministry said the tomb was T-shaped, with "an open court leading into a rectangular hall, a corridor and an inner chamber".The statues were found inside a nine-metre (30ft) shaft.

Another room that was found has not been excavated yet. (BBC)

Zimbabwe schools accept goats for tuition fees

P

arents in Zimbabwe who cannot afford school fees can offer livestock such as goats or sheep as payment, a government minister has said.

The country's education minister Lazarus Dokora told the pro-government Sunday Mail newspaper that schools will have to show flexibility when it

Brain Teaser Answer 1. Show and tell 2. Tried and true 3. Ways and means

4. Lost and found 5. Touch and go 6. Room and board

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

comes to demanding tuition fees from parents, and that they should accept not onl also services and skills.

"If there is a builder in the community, he/she must be given that opportunity to work as a form of payment of tuition fees," the paper quoted him as saying.

Some schools are already accepting livestock as payments, the Sunday Mail reports.

A ministry official clarified Dr Dokora's comments: "Parents of the concerned children can pay the fees using livestock. That is mostly for rural areas, but parents in towns and cities can pay through other means; for instance, doing certain work for the school."It follows a move last week where Zimbabwe allowed people to use their livestock, such as goats, cows and sheep, to back bank loans. Under legislation introduced in parliament this week, borrowers would be allowed to register "movable" assets, including motor vehicles and machinery, as collateral, the BBC's World Business Report said.According to the Bulawayo24 news portal, Zimbabwe's worsening cash crisis means that people frequently spend hours queuing at banks to withdraw cash. The government says the shortage is due to people taking hard currency out of the country, but critics say it's due to lack of investment and rising unemployment, Bulawayo24 says.

Social media has met the

goats-for-fees idea with a mixture of scorn and gallows humour. Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga tweeted "If we had been told

in 1970 'We are fighting to introduce cattle and goats as currency. Please help & die for this' what would we have said?"; while another

Twitter user - recognising the fact that not all farm animals are born equal asked "Can I get a job as a goat evaluator?"(BBC)

24

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Fun Times

Archie

Good planning is easier than facing complaints and (March 21- criticism. Organize your time April 19) and take care of your responsibilities early so you can enjoy the people and things that make you happy.

ARIES

Dig deep and you'll disTAURUS cover new skills and ways to (April 20- present what you have to ofMay 20) fer. Don't hold back when it comes to sharing your feelings. Communication and participation are favored.

Treat relationships careGEMINI fully. Communication is your (May 21- best source of information.

June 20) Gather facts before you take action. The change you need to make may involve yourself instead of someone else.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Learn more about the people you care about. Ask questions and find out what brings them joy. Sharing your likes and dislikes will help build better relationships with those who matter most.

Stick to what you know and do best. Taking on a strenuous challenge will result in a physical or emotional setback.

Protect your personal health and financial well-being.

Added responsibilities will wear you down. Don't jeopardize your health. Aim to do something relaxing to ease your stress and avoid minor health issues.

LIBRA Problems with a friend, (Sept. 23- relative or neighbor will surOct. 23) face if you try to make changes that infringe on someone else's space. Take care of any redtape issues first.

Peanuts

Engage in activities SCORPIO (Oct. 24- geared toward family fun or Nov. 22) romance. Enhancing your appearance will spark greater interest in what you have to offer.

SAGITTARIUS Home is where you should (Nov. 23- be putting your time and enerDec. 21) gy. Make changes to your sur-

roundings that will give you the space you need to pursue new endeavors.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don't hold back. If you CAPRICORN want something, go after it.

(Dec. 22- Revisit old dreams and bring Jan. 19) them back to life. Use your imagination and unique way of doing things to your advantage.

Find out what's expectAQUARIUS ed of you before you sign up (Jan. 20- for something that you are Feb. 19) being pressured into doing.

Don't let anyone use emotional tactics to take advantage of you.

Work hard to improve PISCES (Feb. 20- your life, relationship with Mar. 20) others or a cause you believe in. Your input will be appreciated and should also lead to some sort of reimbursement.