Magazine

May 14, 2017

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Guyana’s most scenic river Page 8

Tribute to a Mother Page 3

Fashion Art Forward inspired Moms by mothers Page 16

Page 10

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 14, 2017

Times Feature

By Ashraf Dabie

T

he definition of a ‘mother’ is often limited to one who has given birth. But think about those women who go above and beyond the call of duty to care for others. Shouldn’t they be considered mothers too?

We ought to give due credit to all those ‘mother figures’ who have invested all their energies and resources in improving the lives of strangers.

One such individual is Joan Stephens Deveaux.

Joan is a caregiver at the Godchildren Convalescent Home in Durban Backlands, Georgetown. She began her tenure at the home in the year 1998 and was recently promoted to Supervisor/House Mother earlier this year.

The 56-year-old is the biological mother of one;

however, her motherly love is extended to so many more. Joan’s responsibilities include working 12 hours a day, sometimes more, caring for the children at Godchildren Convalescent Home.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, she recalled that upon her initiation at the Children’s Home, there were mostly sick infants and toddlers at the institution. This meant additional nurturing, special care and attention, as well as affection, were needed to nurse these ones back to health. Among the children in her care were patients of malnutrition, mental disorders, HIV and various forms of disabilities. Long days and sleepless nights were ‘normal’ for the House Mother. She mentioned that it is even more hectic when residents of the

home are admitted to the hospital as she would remain by their side, ensuring that they are sufficiently cared for.

With her help and the assistance of other caregivers attached to the Home, Joan was able to secure permanent homes for a majority of the children after they had regained health. Those remaining were sent to St. John’s Bosco and St. Ann’s Home, among other institutions, where they currently are able to attend school, securing a potentially successful future, all thanks to the dedication by Joan and her team.

The caregiver expressed delight in being afforded the opportunity to impact the lives of the children at the Home.

“You just love and care for them. You treat them like your own at home,”

she expressed.

Joan recalled she was inspired to work at the Home after a friend told her about the institution.

She remembered seeing the plight of the helpless children who were forced to seek refuge at the institution because of parental neglect. She simply could not turn her back on those who later became her very own.

The Children’s Convalescent Home is a community outreach programme of the Guyana Red Cross Society that provides residential care and support for children ages five and younger.

This facility provides refuge to those suffering from undernourishment, abuse, neglect and abandonment. With the assistance of dedicated personnel, the institution is able provide a home for a number of children,

Joan Stephens Deveaux

showering them with the love and support needed to create a conducive environment for development.

Even though Joan may not be the biological mother of the children at the Children’s Convalescent Home, for many she is their only

‘idea’ of a mother. The bond she has established over the years and the impact she has had on the lives of the many children passing through her supervision are enough to safely say that Joan Stephens Deveaux is not just the mother of one.

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MAY 14, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

Indentured mother of a President children), Janet Jagan wrote: “Great grandmother Bachoni was very small, very quiet, except when one of her children was bad; then she could talk to them hard. They learned early that size isn't what counts and they all behaved well and listened to her. Life wasn't easy for her. She had eleven children, six boys and five girls and brought them all up to be strong, healthy and hardworking… Grandpa Cheddi had to help in the kitchen garden, weeding and watering the plants. When there was enough for market, he used to go with great grandmother Bachoni and sell the greens and fruits at the Port Mourant

T

Dr. Jagan (third from right back row) with his mother, brothers and sisters (1965)

he late President of Guyana, Cheddi Jagan, was the son of indentured sugar workers. Of note is his hardworking mother, Bachoni. He wrote that he learned the elements of finance from his mother.

His parents, Bachoni and Jagan (father), had arrived in the then British Guiana as young infants with their mothers from the district of Basti in Uttar Pradesh, India. Both

his grandmothers came as indentured immigrants in 1901 and were "bound" by a fiveyear contract to different sugar plantations in the county of Berbice.

Life was very hard and both his parents had to start working in the canefields at a young age to supplement the family income.

In her piece, “When Grandpa Cheddi Was A Boy” (A story written for her grand-

With her mom (right)

By Janet Jagan

M

market place.”

Cheddi’s mother never went to school; however, she taught him important life lessons, which ultimately laid the foundation for him to become the President of Guyana.

In Janet’s “Cheddi - A Unique Leader”, she described her husband as the “Father of Independence” and a “man who was our brother, our father and who gave our country the unique leadership of a man who truly cared about the people” – qualities he inherited from his parents. (Photos and information from www.jagan.org and the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre)

y mother died at the age of 95, some 5,000 miles away. She was very old and had lived a long and useful life. I remember her for what she gave me, rich gifts which I have cherished my lifetime.

She taught me hard work and honesty, honesty at all costs, no in-

betweens or half-ways. She taught me these qualities by her own conduct and what I suppose were disciplinary measures, which I can no longer recall.

What I recall of my childhood in Chicago, U.S.A., was a happy one; a quiet household of my mother, father, bother and myself; few conflicts; no shouting; no beatings, maybe an occasional spanking

Dr Cheddi Jagan and his mother, Bachaoni

and, above all, harmony between my parents.

Early in life I learned from my parents that life is not easy; that one has to work hard to achieve one's goals; that school is serious business and that there is a time for play and a time for work.

My mother, though with only a limited education, had skills which carried her right into her old age.

Her hands could do almost everything but most of all, sew, knit and crochet; she made beautiful and useful things.

During the terrible depression of the 1920s and 30s in America, when unemployment was excessively high, my father joined the ranks. Jobs were impossible to find. My mother took in sewing jobs at home and helped us survive, along with her frugal use of what we had. But even this does not show what kind of a mother I had and lost just recently. Maybe this example portrays her relationship with people, which was of an outstandingly warm quality.

Shortly before her own death, her friend of 80 years died.

Imagine, a friendship lasting 80 years! My mother told me how she sewed this friend's wedding dress sometime around World War 1.

Mothers, as women know so

Learning from her mother's example, Janet had also been a dedicated mother and wife(Jagan's family photo, 1958)

well, are mostly the centre of life in families; they set the standards of life and the qualities they expect in their children.

Those of us who have had the

good fortune to have good mothers can surely be called fortunate. (Copyright: Nadira JaganBrancier, 2009)

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 14, 2017

Times Feature

A

special day in the honour of mothers, Mother’s Day is celebrated worldwide in different ways, sometimes at different dates. However, no matter when or how it is celebrated, Mother’s Day is a time for telling ‘mom’, although it should not be only on this day, how special she is.

Brief history

The origin of Mother's Day dates all the way back to the traditions of the ancient Egyptians, who celebrated the Goddess Isis - the

mother of the Pharaohs. The Romans and Greeks shared similar traditions, rooted in praise of mother goddesses, but these all but disappeared.

‘Mothering Sunday’, dating back to the 1600s in England, was a more recent reincarnation of the holiday; the fourth Sunday of Lent was dedicated to mothers, with a prayer service in their honour and gifts given by children to mothers all across the country.

But what about a modern Mother's Day?

United Kingdom

Celebrations across the UK stay true to the Christian holiday of Lent, remaining independent of the US-borne holiday in May that has spread worldwide. Harking back to the temporary resurgence of the Mothering Sunday celebration of the 1600-1800s, the day originally celebrated Mother Mary (mother of Jesus Christ).

The end of World War II brought the celebration back, and the traditions combined - Simnel Cake (a

fruit cake flavoured with almonds) is still baked by some, which once represented a break from the fasting of lent as a treat for mothers on the special day.

United States

Anna Jarvis petitioned governments, churches and all manner of institution for six years (from 1908 -1914) to create a universal Mother's Day across America, in honour of her mother and the mothers of sons killed in the Civil War. Carnations, given to attendees of the first Mother's Day celebration in a church in West Virginia, are still used today to honour mothers who have passed (white) and to celebrate those still living (pink or red) all around the world.

Japan

After the Second World War, Mother's Day, or “haha no hi”, regained popularity after western traditions had initially been banned.

Starting in the 1950s, an art contest was held every four years, with young children entering pictures of their mothers - the winning drawings would tour across Japan and other countries as part of a celebratory exhibit.

Japanese mothers today can expect to receive homecooked dishes, often dishes she initially taught her children to make, along with red carnations and gifts of scarves or handbags.

MEXICO

Wonderfully, on the “Dia de las Madrese” it is customary for mothers to be serenaded with the song “Las Marianitas”, often with a mariachi band (though more commonly a cappella).

The celebration as a whole gained prominence in Mexico when newspaper Excelsior ran a promotion-

al campaign encouraging people nationwide to take Mother's Day under their wing. A modern Mexican Mother's Day sees gifts, celebratory meals and family gatherings celebrate the nation's mothers.

Thailand

Mother's Day only came to Thailand in force in the 1980s - bizarrely enough because the Prime Minister wanted to promote the royal family to the people of his country.

As a result, the day falls on the birthday of the Queen of Thailand (Queen Sirikit), August 12. Father's Day is, as you may predict, on the King's birthday. Public concerts and parades celebrate the day nationwide, alongside traditional personal celebrations between mother and child.

France

December 19 was declared “La Fete de Meres” in 1920, a day that celebrated mothers who had done a stellar job of helping to repopulate France in the wake of World War I. In fact, a mother with four children was awarded a bronze medal, six earned silver and eight or more children earned you a gold

medal.

By 1945, a more traditional Mother's Day celebration had grown popular, and modern gifts across France now include chocolates, flowers, perfumes, and a cake rather sweetly resembling a bouquet of flowers.

Argentina

The Argentinian Mother's Day is totally unique in its position throughout the year.

It was originally celebrated on October 11, alongside the old custom of celebrating the Virgin Mary Festivities - but this was moved to January, and tradition dictated the new October date.

In 2014, Argentina got its own Google Doodle - depicting a mother reading to her children - to celebrate Mother's Day, though moms can also expect traditional gifts and a trip to their favourite restaurant or destination.

In Guyana, Mother’s Day is celebrated the second Sunday in May. Though the history of Mother’s Day in Guyana is not known, people all across the country celebrate it by giving gifts to their mothers and women who are “mother figures” in their lives.

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MAY 14, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

‘Create opportunities for self-development’ Crystal is a designer and mother who believes with determination anything is possible

Sneak peek of designs from her bridal collection

By Utamu Belle

M

otherhood is nothing short of amazing, as proven by one of Linden’s top fashion designers and mother of two, Crystal Lam. At 24, Crystal, a young mother of two girls, is already a budding entrepreneur in the local fashion industry and the innovative mind behind Crystal Lam Designs. For her, mother-

Modelling one of her designs

hood is the driving force and motivation behind her success story.

Crystal started off with careers in banking and public sector, but sewing and designing have been her passion since the tender age of 12. She would sew school uniforms for her high school friends. Her first major opportunity came in 2008, when at age 15 she presented her inaugural line, Eye Candy, at ‘Linden Fashion

Night’. Lam admits that the exposure afforded by this event was a “superb one”.

The designer recalled in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine that at the age of 19 she became pregnant with her first child.

Consequently, she decided to put a hold on fashion designing in order to take up her new role as a mother.

But after learning how to balance mother and work, she decided to pick up where she left off in her fashion career.

“I told myself that motherhood is more important.

But I learned to balance it,” she stated.

Having had her second child a few months ago, Lam explained that the experience has taught her how to manage her family while pursuing her dreams.

“I think sometimes people make a lot of excuses. I just had to work out a system. But I don't think being a mother is an excuse for you to put your dreams on hold. You have to find a way to incorporate it, to make it work.

“With my second pregnancy, I initially doubted I could make motherhood and a career work, but I was determined to do both and learned to be balanced. I participated in Guyana Fashion Week and acquired my work studio, all the while being pregnant. I think this pushed me further and caused me to be even more motivated,” Crystal expressed.

Crystal disclosed that working a “9 to 5 job was more stable”, however, after several years of juggling a fulltime job and a designing career, she decided to fully commit to fashion designing

in 2015.

“It was like a prison doing something that I wasn’t passionate about. I felt like I was being suffocated. So in 2015, I took the risk and decided to go fulltime as a fashion designer,” she recollected.

The designer admitted that balancing motherhood and a career in fashion designing is demanding, but she is positive that her efforts will pay off in the long run.

“If I tell you that it's easy, I'd be lying. There are times of doubt and wanting to go back to a ‘regular’ job. But I think when you're passionate about something that gives you the extra drive to keep pushing ahead,” she expressed.

Crystal also credits the “immense support” from her family for her drive. For instance, her younger sister assists with babysitting and also with designing.

The entrepreneur pointed out that it is important to allocate time for relaxation, despite having a hectic schedule. This, she said, contributes to being a rounded individual.

Crystal has produced five fashionable collections, participated in Style Mission and Guyana Fashion Week events. Other achievements include being awarded ‘Best Gown’ prizes for her designs in two Linden Town Week Pageants and ‘Best Professional Wear’ for her design at another fashion event.

Presently, the designer is planning to launch her male clothing collection next month; a bridal collection and to offer exclusive bridal services, such as hair and makeup.

Notably, through her bridal services, she is focused on creating employment for other young entrepreneurs.

Despite hectic schedules, Crystal always finds time for her children. She said she would like to set an example for her daughters and to provide “the kind of life that I would like to see my girls live”.

Additionally, Crystal teaches her children, by example, that anything is possible if you

With her two daughters

are determined. She is a firm believer that “children should be allowed to craft their own paths, as it relates to the profession they want to choose and that parents should assist in nurturing their dreams”.

Her advice to young mothers is “don’t just look for jobs, create them”. She added: “There's always something you can do. You don't have to neglect your

kids. I think everyone was created with some skill, so explore that creativity. Look for avenues to create employment for yourself. Also, stick to the plan, persevere and keep working towards your achievement, it will eventually pay off,” she encouraged.

For more information on the designer’s work, visit Crystal Lam Designs on Facebook.

Working in her studio

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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MAY 14, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother - Abraham Lincoln

I

t is not without significance that ‘the mother’ finds herself a prominent presence in literature; if she is not on the cover as the author of a book with pen in hand, then she is present on the dedication page or in the acknowledgement page as the ink in the pen – the influence and source of the author’s product.

The dedication or acknowledgement is no easy consideration and ought not to be taken lightly. The mother is the mother of all creation, the mother of all creative work, especially of first published books. For a first time published writer the dedication may be an easy consideration, but for an internationally recognised author with a string of publications to his/her name, it is another matter.

Yet, it continues to happen for such well-known writers to dedicate a work to their mother. Whatever the case, the mother deserves a place.

When the mother appears on the cover of a book, she is there in her own right as the author, in full control, moving words and symbols and images about in order

Guyanese author Sasenarine Persaud

to create the optimum effect.

When the mother appears on the cover of a book as author, it is an assertion of her ability and craft. But that appearance on the cover of a book may be more than just a show of ability and craft.

The woman in a male dominated world - in a male dominated world of literature, in many cases - starts out at a disadvantage, denying herself the right to be on the cover by sacrificing herself

in order to elevate her male spouse, or having to inch her way into the ranks of writers, fighting off challenges, awaiting acknowledgement, acceptance and appreciation, standing shoulder-toshoulder with the dominant male before breaking the class ceiling.

Hats off to mothers who have made a name for themselves in the literary world: Rajkumari Singh, Jan Lowe Shinebourne, Sharon Maas,

Grace Nichols, Paloma Mohamed and Ryhaan Shah, among others.

As mentioned before, the dedication page or acknowledgement page is no trite consideration and ought not to be taken lightly. Here is a just completed book after many hours, days, weeks, months, or years of solitary toiling. Let’s say the book had taken years to produce and now the author looks back at this wonderful piece of creation and is satisfied that he/she is solely responsible for this creation. But the more he/she looks at the work, the more others seem to be staking a claim to the work. And the longer he/she looks, the more names appear as contributor. So the dedication/acknowledgement is a matter of great and grave consideration.

And when the mother appears there, it is not without due credit.

Here are some examples of mothers whose influence resulted in the production of books, books that helped in the shaping of Guyanese literature. It is said that the mother of Martin Carter (Violet Eugene Wylde) loved books and enjoyed reciting verses; while N. E. Cameron’s mother wonderful organising ability grounded in religious tenets was foisted on him.

Here are some examples of writers dedicating their books to their mothers and, generally, to mothers. Shammi Nohar dedicated his book “Saudia” to his mother; Gideon Cecil did the same in “Songs of my Soul”; Berkely Semple in “Lamplight Teller”; Julie K. Jailall in “Sharda”; Clive Sankardayal in “The Brown Curtains”. Imam Baksh in “Children of the Spider” dedicated it to his parents; Moses Nagamootoo (Guyana’s current Prime Minister) “Hendree’s Cure” is in memory of “Pa and Ma”. Harry T. Hergash dedicated his book “A Collection of Indian-Guyanese Words & Phrases” to his “paraajee, paternal great-grandmother”, while Donald Trotman dedicated his “Forest Leaves” to the memory of… and Rajkumari Singh, who was the surrogate mother to numerous writers, artists and dramatists.

This is how part of my dedication reads in “The Balgobin Saga”, Hansib Publications (2008) … “to my mother for burying my navel string in the library [National Library]. Thank you, Mom, I didn’t get the chance to say thank you – you died too young, you died before the books of your sons were published. My brother, Sasenarine Persaud, is the author of more than twelve books, many appearing on

One of Sasenarine's many published works

the shortlist of the Guyana Prize for Literature, while I have authored six books and edited numerous others.

The formal education of my mother didn’t go beyond ‘lil a, b, c’, but she managed and she also managed to execute part of her vision for her children. Thank you, Mom.” Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

What’s Happening: It is here – a new book, “Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry” commemorates the centennial end to indentureship and (Indian) Arrival Day. It is available at Austin’s Book Service and directly from the author. The book will soon be at other locations, including the National Library, hotels and airports.

Petamber Persaud

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MAY 14, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

S

Amy Peberdy, who died Sept. 2, 2011, aged 100, played a critical supporting role to her husband, the explorer Philip Storer Peberdy, and spent much of the 1940s travelling with him into the far interior of British Guiana

he was born Amy Annie Barrow on September 29, 1910 in Leicester, and left school at 14. She met her future husband while he was working as an apprentice taxidermist at the Leicester Museum and they married when she was 19.

In 1936 a restlessness and desire for adventure led them to consider a museum post in Malta, only to decide against it because of the risk to their five-yearold son from “Malta fever” (brucellosis).

Yet when Philip Peberdy was offered a sixmonth contract to reorganise the Carnegie Library and Ethnological Museum in Georgetown, British Guiana, the threat from malaria and yellow fever was somehow overlooked.

Amy Peberdy and the child soon joined her husband, who had been asked to stay and reorganise the Natural History Museum, and entered a colonial life quite alien to her. Although a good bridge player, she forsook clubs and cocktail parties to help him prepare the many habitat displays and papier mâché models which were a feature of his work. More importantly,

Amy Peberdy with her son John on the summit of Mount Roraima

she also budgeted for, and provisioned, his collecting trips.

In early 1938 she completed most of the pre-departure planning, both financial and practical (preparing boxes and stores to be carried by porters, for example) for the September 1938 to March 1939, so-called Peberdy-Pinkus expedition, which her husband undertook with Albert Pinkus, a collector from New York, to

Mount Roraima.

Amy Peberdy did not accompany her husband on this trip, but in 1940, to the astonishment of her friends in Georgetown, she joined him on a two-month-long collecting expedition 90 miles up the Abary, a river in the colony’s north. There she learned bush cooking and to keep her toes away from her hammock’s protective netting in case they were nibbled at by vampire

Sea Wall, Kingston, Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana (circa 1924)

Typical Demerara houses, British Guiana, circa 1908

bats.

Meanwhile, the governor, Sir Gordon Lethem, asked Philip Peberdy to take on a five-year investigation into the welfare of Guyana’s native Amerindians – assessing their numbers, as well as health problems (notably with malaria and malnutrition) and lack of education. Lethem also asked him to keep an eye on any military activity along the northern border with Venezuela.

This mission required extensive travel in the interior for four to six months at a time. Most travel was arduous, conducted in dugout canoes along rapids and across falls, and depended entirely on the goodwill of the local people. Amy Peberdy’s role was pivotal, organising supplies for the expeditions before departure and afterwards, when far away from potential medical help, acting as an emergency nurse.

For much of the time between 1943 and 1947 she lived away from Georgetown. The couple’s adventures started with a year’s trek to the Pakaraima Mountains, which began inauspiciously when (for the second time) Amy Peberdy was forced to nurse her husband back from life-threatening malaria.

Snakes, spiders and scorpions posed other dangers. But the creatures did not fluster Amy Peberdy, who encouraged her son to collect insects, and she herself collected mosquitoes on behalf of American medical laboratories.

At Imbaimadai, more than 200 miles inland, they established a government station, built a wattle house and an airstrip (occasionally used in emergencies by American warplanes), and discovered rock paintings in the Ayangana mountains.

Their Amerindian neighbours gave Amy Peberdy a pet toucan that came and went freely.

The couple then travelled together to Mount Roraima, which she became only the fourth white wom-

an to climb. Looping back to Georgetown, they dropped in on every Amerindian village they passed.

In Georgetown in 1946 Amy Peberdy had a second child, but this did not reduce her travel – when Philip Peberdy was named District Commissioner in Rupununi late that year, she visited local ranches on horseback and carried her baby daughter in a sling to the top of the highest peak in the Kanuku Mountains, 350 miles south of Georgetown.

Her adventurous spirit was not always a boon, however, and she once nearly poisoned herself by trying out local mushrooms.

Amy Peberdy encouraged her husband to write a report on the administration and welfare of the Amerindian people, and Peberdy recommended the creation of several areas for

This last aspect of the report was influenced by the many visitors the couple attracted in the interior, who included CWW Greenidge, of the Anti-Slavery Society, and George Giglioli, the malaria expert.

The report eventually bore fruit in legislation that was passed in 1951 and reserved some areas of land for Amerindians, as well as establishing basic schools and mobile health clinics for their benefit; Giglioli, meanwhile, had launched a highly successful campaign to control malaria.

In 1948, having built up probably the finest Ethnological and Natural History Museums in South America, the Peberdys returned to England and a totally new life in post-war Cheltenham. After a period of readjustment Philip Peberdy became Curator

Amy Peberdy dimly visible making camp in the shadow of Mount Roraima

exclusive Amerindian use to safeguard their economic future. Measures were to include Amerindian administration of sawmills already established, as well as the purchase on their behalf of large tracts of land which had been taken over by ranchers. In particular, he was determined to improve their health and education.

of Southampton Museum; Amy had two more children.

On his retirement in 1975, the couple returned to Cheltenham, where Amy Peberdy developed a fine garden. After Philip’s death in 1990 she moved to north Wales. She is survived by her son and three daughters. (Excerpted from Amy Peberdy obituary published Oct 14, 2011 in The Telegraph)

Hauling boats upstream on expedition

8 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Travel & Tourism

Ireng twilight

Spectacular view of the Ireng (Photo by David Stanley)

T

he Ireng River, also known as Rio Mau, forms the border between Guyana and neighbouring Brazil. It is accessible from the Guyana side south of Lethem, located on the border with Brazil.

Boat trips along the Ireng River and its tributary, the Rio Takatu, are ideal for birding enthusiasts and even campers.

Ireng is considered the most picturesque of Guyana's many rivers. Orinduik Falls and Takagka Falls are some of the waterfalls along the Ireng River. Another spectacular waterfall on the river is the almost 100-metre (close to 330 feet tall) Kurutuik Falls. (Photos copyright to Michael C. Lam. TheMichaelLamCollection. com. Cover Photo: Striking blue skies over Ireng River)

Down river at Orinduik

Camping at Ireng

guyanatimesgy.com

MAY 14, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

W

arm lemon water is the health trend of the moment. It's been touted for its magical benefits, each one seemingly more incredible than the last.

In The Food Pharmacy, Jean Carper expounds on the mythical reputation of the lemon: “In the third century A.D. the Romans believed that the lemon was an antidote for all poisons, as illustrated by the tale of two criminals thrown to venomous snakes; the one who had eaten a lemon beforehand survived snakebite, the other died. So great is the reputation of the lemon that, so the story goes, it became an accompaniment for fish in the belief that if a fishbone got stuck in the throat, the lemon juice would dissolve it.”

Folklore aside, many

claims about lemon juice have surfaced over time.

But is drinking warm lemon water really all it's cracked up to be?

Myths

Can lemon water speed up your metabolism? No. Any indirect effect it may have is negligible.

Can lemon water stimulate your liver? Probably not. There is no scientific data to support this.

Can lemon water keep your body pH in balance?

No. Nothing you eat can substantially change the pH of your blood.

Truths

Can lemon water keep you hydrated? Yes. It is water, after all.

Can lemon water boost your Vitamin C levels? A little. It depends on how much lemon you add to the water. Lemon also contains calcium, iron, and potassi-

um.

Can lemon water be a good replacement for juice or coffee? Absolutely. There is no sugar in lemon water, so it's a healthy substitute for juice or sugary coffees.

can have positive benefits for brain and body. Science has shown that the placebo effect can be a powerful phenomenon with real physical and emotional effects.

Reasons to drink warm lemon water

When to drink warm lemon water

The real magic of warm lemon water may be psychological. Adding lemon to water can be more interesting and flavourful than just drinking plain water. If the lemony flavour helps you to drink more water, that's good. If you're used to a hot coffee or tea in the morning, drinking your lemon water warm can offer that same bit of comfort, especially on a cold day.

Furthermore, simply feeling like you are making a healthier choice (if it's replacing sugary coffee or juice, you actually are)

First thing in the morning: Rehydrating upon waking up is a good idea, as you've just spent around eight hours not consuming any liquids. You can lose water through skin perspiration, but did you know you can even lose it through your breathing?

When you feel hungry: If you're feeling hungry, it could actually be that you're dehydrated.

Try drinking a tall glass of lemon water before deciding whether or not you need food. If you have a goal of eating less at meals,

drinking water right before a meal can be a good way to help you feel fuller so you won't be as tempted by those second helpings.

P o s t - w o r k o u t : Immediately after exercise is a crucial time to rehydrate. Try bringing a bottle of infused water with you to the gym. Try to drink small sips throughout your workout (to avoid getting cramps midway), and then

waste; and after touching garbage.

You must scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy

W

ashing your hands is easy, and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

You can help yourself and others stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during key times when germs are

likely to get on your hands and can easily spread to others. Examples of those “key times” are before, during, and after preparing food; before eating food; before and after caring for someone who is sick; before and after treating a cut or wound; after using the toilet; after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet; after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; after touching an animal, animal feed, or animal

fully hydrate immediately after.

Alongside alcoholic drinks: Keeping a glass of water handy while you're enjoying a round of drinks is always a good idea.

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it causes your body to lose more fluid than normal when you urinate.

Drinking water alongside your favourite libations can help to replenish that fluid.

Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.

Follow the instructions outlined in the images below.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

MAY 14, 2017

Times Fashion

I

n celebration of Mother’s Day, the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts recently collaborated with the New Thriving Restaurant to host a Tea Party and Fashion Show.

At the event, mothers

fashionably displayed on stage designer Sonia Noel’s versatile kaftan tops, which can be paired with jeans, slacks, shorts, skirts or leggings.

The designer pieces featured today are available at Makin' Style Boutique, Court Yard Mall, Robb Street, Georgetown.

Gift certificates available; call 686-7712 for more information.

(Models: Mandy Isaacs, Veronica Murry, Noneika Daniels, Allana Pheonix, Simone Beckles and Lorane Sears.

Jewellery by Mag Elegance)

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

N

icholas John "Nick" Robinson, born March 22, 1995, is an American actor. He is known for his roles in “Jurassic World”, “The Kings of Summer”, “The 5th Wave”, and on the ABC Family sitcom “Melissa & Joey”.

In July 2016, he was cast as Olly in “Everything, Everything”, an upcoming film adaptation of the novel of the same name.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Hollywood

Beyonce denies Calvin Harris album getting lip injections features ‘everyone’ B

C

eyonce's publicist has officially denied that the star's had lip fill-

ers.

The singer's representative Yvette NoelSchure released a strongly-worded statement saying that a story published in MediaTakeOut was false.

She says Beyonce's lips may appear fuller because of fluid retention during her pregnancy.

"What do you know about the effects of pregnancy on a woman's entire body? Please tell me," says the statement, sent to Gossip Cop. "Did you know that in addition to weight gain there is often a dramatic change in

the blood flow in the system and increased fluid causing swelling?

"Do you know that often women's gums get swollen?

Do you know that it sometimes affects our speech, our

ability to chew intently and a host of other things?"

The speculation started after fans started noticing that Beyonce's lips appeared puffier than usual.

(BBC)

Jay Z's fortune jumped by 30% in 2016

J

ay Z's fortune jumped 30% last year to give him an estimated net worth of US$810 million, ac-

cording to Forbes.

But it wasn't enough to dethrone Sean "Diddy" Combs from the top of the

magazine's annual list of the world's richest hip-hop artists.

Diddy retained his number one spot with an estimated net worth of US$820 million.

Forbes said that was helped by his deals with Diageo for Ciroc vodka and his Sean John clothing line.

But rapper and producer Jay Z moved into second place largely because of the US $200 million investment in his Tidal music streaming service from US mobile phone operator and communications company Sprint in January.

He also has a champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, and owns Roc Nation. (BBC)

Idris Elba open casting 'shut down' after too many people show up

A

n open casting for a new film, directed

by Idris Elba, has been "shut down".

The actor had advertised for people wanting work as "paid extras" to show up at a London location to learn a "bit more about the project".

Footage on Twitter seems to show massive crowds pushing to get in.

In a video posted on Instagram, Idris Elba thanks people for coming down but

says he's been advised to cancel "because of the numbers".

Idris Elba made his name in shows like The Wire and Luther.

As well as acting, he's also a DJ. The event was originally advertised as an opportunity to work on a film "set in the Afro-Caribbean community in Hackney, 1983".

But London's Metropolitan Police tells Newsbeat that officers were called at around 6pm to reports of trouble.

"Officers attended the location and spoke with staff," a spokesperson said.

"The planned event - an audition - has been cancelled by the organisers following discussion with police."

"The response for the open casting has been unbelievable.

Thank you so much for sharing the info and for coming down," the actor said.

"We've only got until nine o'clock and already I'm asked to shut it down because of the numbers."

He went on to say "for those guys who are standing in the cold, big up big up", and suggested people send in headshots instead of showing up in person. (BBC Newsbeat)

alvin Harris has announced his new album and, quite frankly, the guest list is ridiculous.

The album, titled Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1, is released on 30 June and features appearances from some of the biggest names in music.

Katy Perry, John Legend, Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott are among the stars to feature.

It's basically a red carpet's worth of US pop, R&B and hip-hop, marking a new direction for the Scottish producer.

He announced the album to his 10.2 million Twitter followers with an extract from an as yet unnamed new song.

Already in 2017 Calvin has ditched the hi-energy dance beats of his previous songs for a more laid back sound on singles Heatstroke and Slide.

These tracks feature appearances from Frank Ocean, Migos, Young Thug, Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande.

Other names on the list include Big Sean, John Legend, Khalid, Schoolboy Q, D.R.A.M., Lil Yachty, Jessie Reyez, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Snoop Dogg.

Funk Wav Bounces will be Calvin's fifth studio album, coming three years after previous release Motion

in 2014.

In September, The Sun newspaper claimed Calvin Harris would never release another album.

But their "music source" has turned out to be incorrect.

The star has a history of working with the biggest names in music, having previously scored hits with Rihanna, Florence Welch, Ellie Goulding and Haim.

Katy Perry says her latest album not about ‘feud’ with Taylor Swift

K

aty Perry says her new album isn't about her "feud" with Taylor Swift.

Asked whether she'd respond to Taylor's track Bad Blood, Katy said there wasn't anything on her latest record that was "calling out any one person".

"This record is not about anyone else. This record is about me being seen and heard so that I can see and hear everyone else. It's not even about me," she told Entertainment Weekly.

"[But] you can't mistake kindness for weakness," she added.

"Don't come for me.

Anyone. Anyone. Anyone.

Anyone.

"And that's not to any one person, and don't quote me that it is, because it's not. It's not about that."

The celebrity grudge started when Taylor Swift said that her 2014 single Bad Blood was about an experience with "another female artist".

She told Rolling Stone:

"She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour.

She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me."

Critics claimed she was talking about Katy Perry because they used some of the same dancers on their tours at the time.

Katy Perry hasn't said anything directly about their disagreement over the years but after “Bad Blood” was released Katy posted a cryptic tweet, referencing “Mean Girls”.

Asked directly whether her new album had a response to “Bad Blood”, Katy Perry said: "Well that's not my question to answer - if it's about me.

"I think [my new album is] a very empowered record.

There is no one thing that's calling out any one person.

"Honestly, when women come together and they decide to unite, this world is going to be a better place.

Period end of story." (BBC Newsbeat)

Nicki Minaj to pay college tuition fees for fans

N

icki Minaj says she'll pay college tuition fees for fans if they can prove they got straight A’s.

Responding to dozens of requests on Twitter asking for help with money, she said she'll do it again in the future.

People sent her screengrabs of report cards and stories of their financial troubles.

The majority of the pleas

were for less than US$1,000 but she seemed to agree to pay US$6,000 to one student if he could be prove what it was for.

The fan, called Josh, said it was for tuition fees, accommodation, food and books.

She joked that if she didn't stop with the donations she wouldn't have "any money left".

Around 30 fans were chosen. (BBC)

Sunday Times Magazine 13 MAY 14, 2017

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Star Times Bollywood

Nandita Swetha N andita Swetha is an Indian film actress, who mainly appears in Tamil films. Swetha began her acting career in the 2008 Kannada film “Nanda Loves Nanditha”.

Her character in the film was named Nanditha, which she later adopted as her screen name. Her first Tamil film was “Attakathi”. She also appeared in the comedy “Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara”. Through the film industry, the actress plans to effect change in her community, and the wider world.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Bollywood

Shah Rukh Khan rubbishes Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora divorce reports on Aryan’s ‘lovechild’ after 17 years of marriage

S

hah Rukh Khan has clarified that his three-year-old son Abram is not the “lovechild” of his first son, Aryan.

Delivering his first TED Talk in Vancouver, on April 28, the actor rubbished reports that surfaced four years ago, when AbRam was

born.

“Four years ago, my lovely wife Gauri and me decided to have a third child. It was claimed on the net that he was the love child of our first child, who was 15 years old. Apparently, he had sown his wild oats with a girl while driving her car in

Romania. And yeah, there was a fake video to go with it,” he said.

The 51-year-old actor said that he and the entire family were “disturbed” when the rumours first started circulating. “We were so disturbed as a family. My son, who is 19 now, even now when you say ‘hello’ to him, he just turns around and says, ‘But bro, I didn’t even have a European driving license,’” he said.

In the 17-minute talk, SRK reflected on his youth, growing up in Delhi, losing both his parents by the time he was in his 20s, and then, moving to the “sprawling metropolis of Mumbai”, to follow his dreams of becoming a movie star.

He will soon host the Hindi version of the popular international show.

(Hindustan Times)

Arjun Rampal addresses reports on daughters at a Justin Bieber concert

A

ctor Arjun Rampal attended the much touted Justin Bieber’s maiden Indian concert in Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, along with his two daughters Myra and Mahikaa. Soon after the gig was over, there were reports that his daughters were troubled and molested during the concert on May 10. Some of the reports suggested that Arjun’s daughters were uncomfortable when photographers came too close to them to click pictures and the actor even shouted out at them.

Miffed with these false reports, Arjun took to twitter and lashed out at those who started these rumours.

He posted a series of tweets and set the record straight with his side of the story.

“Just read now, photographers at the Bieber con-

cert were unruly with my daughters. Utter nonsense.

They infact helped us get thru. #fakenews,” he wrote.

The actor urged the media to report things right and not cook up stories.

Calling the reports “baseless”, Arjun also said that the instead of being rowdy, the photographers helped them instead.

Bieber’s Purpose Tour concert was attended by

Bollywood celebrities such as Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Anu Malik, Raveena Tandon, Malaika Arora Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Sonali Bendre, among others.

The Canadian popstar is reported to have left the country the same night without attending the Bollywood party planned for him or any photo opportunity. (Hindustan Times)

Amitabh Bachchan appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis

B

ollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been appointed by the World Health Organisation as its Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East Asia Region to spread awareness about the disease.

“As someone who has suffered or is still suffering from Hepatitis due to a blood transfusion, and as someone who was detected with the disease many years later, I have realised that how disabling it can be if it is not detected in time and is not timely

cured.

“The message of how this can be detected and cured was unknown to me. When I did find out through various efficient people in this region connected with this campaign, I felt I must work towards not entirely eradicating it but atleast making people aware of what Hepatitis is,” stated the 74-year-old, who was hit with the virus after he was infused with the blood of about 200 donors post the accident on the sets of “Coolie”.

This is the first formal association between WHO and Bachchan, who served as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Polio in India. As WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in the region, the Pink star hopes for Hepatitis free India. “I wish the day would come when I would stand here along with the World Health Organisation and make a statement, just like we did at the time of Polio, that today India is Hepatitis free. That would be a great achievement of this campaign.” (ANI)

A

ctors Arbaaz Khan and Malaika Arora Khan have been formally granted divorce by a family court in Bandra on Thursday. The two parted ways through mutual consent after 17 years of marriage.

The couple’s lawyers,

advocates Kranti Sathe and Amrita Sathe Pathak told HT that Malaika had not sought any alimony from Arbaaz Khan.

The actors announced their separation early this year and applied for divorce by mutual consent.

As per the law, six months

of counselling sessions are mandatory to decide if the couple wants to reconcile before the court grants a divorce.

Shortly before announcing their separation, Malaika moved out of the house she shared with Arbaaz and took her son, Arhaan, along with her.

But despite their differences, they have been spotted together at various occasions, the most recent one being their son’s birthday party, with Arbaaz’s entire family in attendance.

They had appeared for their first session of mandatory counselling before the family court judge.

(Hindustan Times)

Shraddha Kapoor sings for ‘Half Girlfriend’ T

he makers of “Half Girlfriend” have released a special track - Shraddha Kapoor’s version of “Main Phir Bhi Tumko Chahunga”, one of the romantic tracks from the film. “Half Girlfriend” is based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel by the same name.

Mithoon has composed the music for the song while Manoj Muntashir has re-purposed the lyrics for Shraddha’s rendition.

Directed by Mohit Suri, “Half Girlfriend” revolves around the journey of a man from Bihar who faces difficulty in getting accustomed to urban life and gets college admission due

to his lack of command over the English language.

Produced by Ekta Kapoor, “Half Girlfriend”,

which also features Arjun Kapoor, is releasing on May 19. (Hindustan Times)

patriotic in our own way, and we don’t need to prove that to anyone.”

Talking about his reasons for choosing a film, he says, “There are various reasons why one does a film.

The most important thing is

how I feel about it. Then I see who all are there in the film and who is directing it.

I have done over 500 films, so I don’t bother about how much time I will get on screen.” (Hindustan Times)

A

ctor Anupam Kher is quite impressed with the way Hollywood portrays the US military in films. He feels that Bollywood, too, should follow that example.

Kher said, “Abroad you have films like ‘Air Force One’ (1997), and you see the kind of response those films get. Why not here as well then?”

Talking about the recent response to “Baby” (2015) and “Naam Shabana”, he stated, “If the message is good, then it’s good that such films are getting made and the audience is getting to know the role of our armed forces and intelligence agencies in making our lives better. When a message gets projected, you feel the vibrations in the audience. In the past we have had films such as ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ (1970).

Having said that we are all

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Sunday Times Magazine 15

Times Trends

Trending Now

W

hether it's by juxtaposing buckles on the shoes, incorporating interchangeable straps or going for completely different colours, wearing mismatched shoes is the biggest trend right

Star of the week

now.

Check out these stylish ways to wear mismatched shoes the next time you get ready to put on a pair.

George Clooney's wife, Amal, on the go in mismatched pumps in a vibrant violet and poppy pink hue

J

onathan Chung, popularly known as DJ Monster, developed a love for music from an early age. The motivation to get into music, and ultimately becoming a DJ, stems from the years Jonathan has spent on “attending music festivals and clubs with special guest DJs”. His biggest inspirations are internationally renowned DJs, such as David Guetta and Tiesto. Being a DJ for six years now, Jonathan tries to differentiate himself from other DJs by creating unique sounds in his music, being able to change the tempo on a track while on stage and interacting with his audience. The DJ said his hype comes from going into the crowd and dancing with his fans; handing out giveaways at his shows; and never using headphones to DJ because he “loves to feel the music”. He explained that his DJ name was chosen based on the brand Monster Energy, his sponsor. “I have always seen myself being in the music industry from the moment I was able to understand music.

I've grown with music being a type of tradition in my family. So yes, music is my life now!” he declared. Via his DJ work, Jonathan is able to speak to people through the cadence of his music and to achieve one goal: for his fans to have the best time of their lives. “I love seeing the smiles and waving hands as I perform, and also being swarmed by the ladies,” he quipped.

16 Sunday Times Magazine Times

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MAY 14, 2017

Art

Artist Godlyn Lyte

G

odlyn Lyte, also known as ‘Ghodess’, is a 20-year-old Guyanese born clothing designer, visual artist and jewellery designer.

Growing up in a creative home with an artistic mother sparked Godlyn’s passion for all things artsy. However, Godlyn never thought about pursuing a career with her talents, until she migrated to the U.S. It was when Godlyn moved from Florida to New York and received a

"Ghodess"

surprising amount of support from her high school peers and teachers that she realised she had a chance of making it in the fashion world.

After becoming overwhelmed with the city life, Godlyn returned to Guyana to rebuild her foundation and pursue a career in art and fashion.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Godlyn said her paintings featured today are “inspired by mothers and the journey of motherhood”.

“You have to be a supreme being to be able to carry another human, endure the indescribable pain of bringing them into the world and still love them unconditionally. Without a doubt you also

"Sister's love"

have to be a supreme being to nurture and care for children you did not birth. Some of the greatest mothers I know aren't mothers by biology; they're mothers because of love. To me, those who are capable of that kind of love are supreme beings or ‘Ghodesses’,” the artist expressed.

Her piece, “Sister's love”, showcases her concept of “older sisters being second moms as some of them will go above and beyond to nurture and protect us just as a mother would”, which she believes is something that goes unnoticed.

“They too deserve appreciation on this day. When I think of mothers, not only do I think of those who gave birth, but I also think of

the sister, aunt, cousin, or random stranger who took it upon themselves to take responsibility of a child and give them unconditional love and protection. So to mothers of all kinds, thank you for your contribution to life, thank you for your love and for inspiring me and many others. Have a beautiful and appreciation filled Mother's Day!” she declared.

With an abundance of inspiration and determination, Godlyn pushes to make her mark among Guyana's best artists and designers.

Follow the designer on Instagram @ghodesswear or visit Ghodess Wear on Facebook for more information.

"Supreme"

"Innocence"

‘family, love, beauty’

T

he spirit of family, love and beauty is portrayed in soap stone, wood and paper by an extraordinary collection of artists and crafters.

The family theme is displayed on the exhibit stands of the artists and craftsmen of the Main Street Artist Association on a daily basis obliquely to Tower Hotel.

Sculptors such as Lewis, Ferreira, Sealey and Wilson carve “Mother & Child” and “Family Unity and Love” wooden sculptures giving meaning to

“motherly love” and “tender care”.

Award-winning artist Colin Nedd’s portrait of his grandson taking a bath in a plastic tub shows “everyday life” in Guyana.

Artistic designer Crystal Baptiste's ‘Papel’ (paper) jewellery collection was designed with mothers in mind.

These chic jewellery pieces can be worn casually or for elegant occasions. They are lightweight and vary in style.

Check out Dis Is De Place on Facebook for more information.

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Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Hidden Facebook Features Only Power Users Know a bunch of spammers.

To review these messages, click the "messages" icon at the top of your homescreen (a chat icon with the Messenger lightning icon in the middle). By default, you'll find yourself in the "Recent" tab of your inbox.

Directly to the right, you'll find the "Message Requests" tab. After you click this, you may see a link that says "See filtered requests." Click that and then you'll see all sorts of messages from strangers on the internet.

See Who's Snooping In Your Account

F

acebook has been around for a while, but there are probably a few tricks you don't know about.

The Inbox You Didn't Even Know You Had

If you've been a Facebook user for a while, then you probably have a folder full

Tech BYTE

of unread messages that you didn't even know you had: the "Message Requests" folder (formerly, the "Other" folder.) This is where Facebook sends all the messages from people you're not currently friends with. It could be filled with old high school flings reaching out or

T

F

:|] = a robot :poop: = well, you know <(") = a penguin You can use these in wall posts, chats, and comments, but they don't always render in mobile.

Emoji takes away some of the horrible pain of writing in plain language. Facebook will render all the usual face emoticons into pictorial representations. But there are a whole bunch you may not be using. (y) = thumbs-up 'like' symbol (^^^) = a great white shark

Sometimes you want to share something that is worth more than a few sentences or a single image. If you don't have your own blog you can take advantage of a Facebook "Note." This is a personal blog post that lives inside the Facebook ecosystem. Here you can share

There Are Lots of Secret Emoji

Create a Customisable Supersized Post

paragraphs of text and multiple images (no HTML coding knowledge required).

Just head on over to facebook.com/notes, where you'll find notes from people you follow. If you want to add your own, just click the "+ Write a Note" link in the top-right corner. Spill your thoughts using the easy post editor, add a cover image if you want, and share just like you would a regular Facebook post. If you can't finish your note in one sitting, save it and publish later. (Excerpted from PC Mag)

This smart pillow promises a better night's sleep

he company Startup Mode Modern is taking a different approach with its Sunrise Smart Pillow. The US$129 Sunrise promises to pack all of that sensor/tracking/white-noise tech into a single memory foam pillow.

Sunrise is currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign, but Mode Modern has already raised over US$350,000 (the original goal was just US$50,000).

Tech news

Want to know if someone is logged into your Facebook account without your permission? First, go to your settings page. Under the Security folder, you'll see the link "Where You're Logged In." Here you will find all your active Facebook log-ins from desktop or mobile. It will (usually) provide data on the location, browser, and device. If something seems fishy, you also have the ability to "end activity"

from individual or all devices.

This also comes in handy if you logged in to your friend's computer or on some public laptop, but forgot to log out.

Not only does the Sunrise Smart Pillow promise to track movement with built-in sensors, its color-changing LEDs are supposed to help you wake up in the morning. The speakers can play nature sounds or white noise to help you fall asleep -- and music to get you ready for your day.

Mode Modern's smart alarm is also designed to wake you "in your lightest phase of sleep."

Review your sleep score in the related app and listen to audio recordings taken during periods of interrupted sleep to help identify the disturbance.

Mode Modern's first production smart pillows are supposed to ship to Kickstarter backers worldwide in October. Expect Sunrise pillows to retail for US$299 each after the crowdfunding campaign ends.

(CNET)

Fitbit denies woman’s claim of device exploding

itbit is disputing a woman’s claim that her fitness tracker spontaneously exploded on her wrist earlier this month, in an incident that reportedly caused second-degree burns to her body.

Tests on the device owned by Dina Mitchell of Milwaukee found that “exter-

nal forces” caused the damage to her Flex 2 band, the company said in a statement on Friday.

“Based on our initial investigation, including testing of her device by a leading third-party failure analysis firm, we have concluded that Ms. Mitchell’s Fitbit Flex 2 did not malfunction. The testing shows that external forces caused the damage to the device,” they stated.

Fitbit went on to say that they have not received any similar complaints. They added, “we want to assure our customers that they can continue to enjoy their Flex 2 and all Fitbit products with confidence.”

A request for comment from Mitchell on Fitbit’s findings was not immediately returned. (Huffington Post)

Tech news

A

Apple breaks its own record, is worth over US$776 billion

pple's stock prices have hit records multiple times since the 2015 high, but since Apple keeps repurchasing its own shares (there are 5.21 billion shares outstanding) today marks the

Tech BYTE

T

first time the stock opened at a new market cap high.

This puts Apple in a prime spot in the runup to its tenth-anniversary iPhone, widely rumored to be called the iPhone 8, which is expected to be un-

veiled in September of this year. Although Apple sold slightly fewer iPhones than the year before (50.8 million versus 51.2 million units), it made more money on the back of the pricier iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple CEO Tim Cook went on the record to say he blames frequent iPhone 8 rumors for the slowdown in iPhone sales, which could mean that buyers are just holding out for the next iPhone's release. So all this iPhone 8 speculation could potentially help Apple's future stock if an even pricier iPhone 8 flies off the shelf.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

(CNET)

Smartphones that charge in five minutes 'could arrive next year'

he technology was first shown off in 2015, when Israeli start-up StoreDot demonstrated its FlashBattery at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.

Chief executive Doron Myersdorf told the BBC it is now expected to enter production in early 2018.

However, Ben Wood, a technology analyst at CCS Insight, said he had doubts about the claims.

Mr Myersdorf said he could not reveal which manufacturers were signed up to use the technology.

In 2015, he told the BBC his firm's battery contained materials that allowed for "non-traditional" reactions and the unusually fast transfer of ions from an anode to a

cathode - the electrical process that charges a battery.

The design involves nanomaterials, which feature extremely small structures, and - unnamed - organic compounds.

Some versions of the battery were thicker than most smartphone batteries at the time, but now Mr Myersdorf has claimed it is ready for the market.

"We will charge a smartphone in five minutes," he said.

He added that the technology was in pilot production at two Asian battery makers and that "mass production" was expected to commence in the first quarter of 2018. (Excerpted from BBC)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

By Jehan Powell

Ingredients

D

1 cup all pupose flour ¼ tsp cinnamon

id you know your and love life? Try these feng home's design can af- shui tips based on the ancient fect your bank account art of balancing energy.

Attracting Love: Put Furniture Legs on Rugs. Never put all your furniture against the walls, says a feng shui expert. Furniture should be arranged to support communication. Put at least the front legs of all furniture on the rug — not just around it — and people will sit there and talk

Method

In a small bowl, place flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt and mix to combine. Add warm water and stir until smooth. Add oil and vanilla and stir to mix in.

Prepare a griddle/pan with about 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat.

When the oil is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the mixture in a circular motion, spreading it. (www.jehancancook.com)

T Attracting Money: Decorate in Red, Purple or Green. Red is considered auspicious and powerful. Purple and green are also key colours for attracting prosperity. You don’t have to paint walls in those colours, instead incorporate red, purple and green décor into your home. Then tune in to how your space feels. Decorating with mindfulness will enhance the vibration and power of your home Attracting Love: Arrange Kids' Beds for Better Harmony. Feng shui applies to all the occupants in the house.

Children can be even more susceptible to their surrounding energies, so it's very important to make sure their beds are placed in the commanding position. They will feel easily startled and vulnerable if their backs are to the door. Also, electronics should never be stored or charged near a child's bed

3 tbsp brown sugar ¼ tsp salt 1 cup warm water ¼ tsp vanilla 1 tbsp oil + more for frying

Greatest Cooking Tips

o easily remove burnt rice from the bottom of a pan, put five cm of clean water, a squirt of dishwashing liquid and three tablespoons of bi-carb soda into the pan and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes and the burnt rice will be easy to remove.

To test whether an egg is fresh, fill a bowl with cold water and add some salt. Place the egg in the water. If it sinks to the bottom, it is fresh. If the egg rises to the top, the egg is no good.

Read the entire recipe before you start cooking. Have all the ingredients gathered, prepped, and ready to go before you turn on the heat.

Resist making instant substitutions in baking. Follow recipe ingredients unless the substitute can be confirmed.

I

Home Help

f you have an aquarium, save the water each time you change it and water your houseplants with it. It’s full of nutrients and makes a great fertiliser.

To restore toilet bowls back to their shiny best, clean with old, flat Coke or Pepsi. To dissolve lime scale, leave the soda overnight to soak.

To remove rust from knives or other kitchen utensils, stick them in an onion for about an hour. Move the blade back and forth to help the onion juice do its work.

To stop weevils destroying flour in your cupboards, freeze the flour for 24 hours before placing it in an airtight canister.

Use nail varnish remover to remove melted plastic from appliances (such as toasters etc.).

If you have a smelly refrigerator, take two newspapers pages and roll them both up into a ball; put one on the top shelf and the second on the bottom shelf and the smell will be gone before you know it.

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Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

A

JOKES Feline Friendly

woman walked into my aunt’s animal shelter wanting to have her cat and six kittens spayed and neutered. "Is the mother friendly?" my aunt asked. "Very," said the woman, casting an eye on all the pet carriers. "That’s how we got into this mess in the first place."

Family Restaurant

T

he night we took our three young sons to an upscale restaurant for the first time, my husband ordered a bottle of wine.

The server brought it over, began the ritual uncorking, and poured a small amount for me to taste.

My six-year-old piped up, "Mom usually drinks a lot more than that."

T

his Mother's Day, why not get the whole family together for some creative fun and games? Here are some ways to inject some laughter -- and love -- into your Mother's Day celebration.

Go to the movies

One good way to share family memories is to look at old photographs or home movies. If you live near Grandma or Grandpa, ask them to pull out old photos and movies of you as a child, and take a trip together down memory lane. Your kids will get a kick out of the styles of clothes you wore -not to mention the fact that you were once a baby, toddler, or teen.

Make a little music

Nothing brightens a family celebration quite like music. But if you want to really turn up the volume on fun, stage your own "lip-synch" contest. To begin, have each family member choose a favourite song from a CD, tape, or video that you currently own. Then turn on the music, and let each person lipsynch the words to the song, doing his or her best to mimic the performer. (Your toddler, for instance, can pretend he's Barney singing the "I Love You" song.)

Other family members can rate the performance from one (not at all like the performer) to five (exactly like the performer), and write down their score on a card. The person with the highest score wins the contest.

Get pampered

M

Life Lessons

y mom taught me: Logic: “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.”

Humour: “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”

Justice: “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you’ll see what it’s like!”

T

Mom Say What

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Planedemonium

exting acronyms can stump even the best parents: Mom: Your great-aunt just passed away. LOL. Son: Why is that funny?

Mom: It’s not funny, David! What do you mean?

Son: Mom, LOL means Laughing Out Loud.

Mom: I thought it meant Lots of Love. I have to call everyone back. he first time my mother flew, she was a nervous wreck. During take-off, the roar from the engines proved reassuring - it meant they were working, she reasoned. But when the plane levelled off, so did the engines. Grabbing the armrests, she asked aloud, “Did we stop?”

I

Actual Texts from Moms to Their Kids

once got a text from my mom where “You’re amazing” autocorrected to “You’re adopted.”

My mom once texted me, “Can you come over, I want you to take a selfie of me.”

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Family Ties

y coworker at the hotel was miserable at his job and was desperately searching for a new one.

"Why don’t you work for your mother?" I suggested.

He shook his head. "I can’t," he said. "Her company has a very strict policy against hiring relatives."

"Who made up that ridiculous rule?"

"My mother."

At some point on Mother's Day, you may want some time alone or a chance for a little rest and relaxation. Make sure you get what you need -- and deserve -- by asking for it in advance. For instance, a few days before Mother's Day, give your husband and kids a list of five "services" you desire.

The list could include: An hour alone so I can call a friend or soak in the tub; a chance to sleep in until 9 a.m.; a manicure at my favourite nail salon; no sibling squabbles for an hour; whatever else you'd really love!

Take an exotic “vacation”

Even if you can't afford to go to Paris for the weekend, you can still enjoy a little taste of France (or any other destination that intrigues you). Get some croissants for breakfast, pack a picnic lunch of French bread, cheese, and fruit, or or- der a meal from your favourite deli or restaurant, and get into the flavour of the country. For an added touch, adorn your kitchen or dining room table with a red-andwhite-checkered tablecloth and fresh flowers, put on some French music, and teach your kids a few basic words in French, such as "bonjour" (good morning) and "merci" (thank you).

STORY TIME

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Schedule time for hugs

Finally, what would Mother's Day be like without hugs and kisses all around? One way to work them into your day is by setting up a silly “hugs and kisses” schedule and posting it on the refrigerator or other visible spot. For instance, you could write, “10:30 a.m.: Everyone run around the couch and give Mom a hug and kiss.” or “2:15 p.m.: Everyone hop around on one foot and assemble for a group hug.”

Make up your own directions and silly things to do -- but be sure to include lots of hugs, kisses, and laughter in your day.

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

here lived a mother crab with her baby in a pond. One day, the mother crab and her baby were walking together. The baby crab was walking a little ahead of the mother.

After some time, the mother crab said, “Oh my dear child, why do you bend towards one side when you walk?”

The baby crab turned back and looked at his mother and asked, “What is wrong with the way I walk? Do I not look good walking like this?”

The mother crab replied, “It does not look good to me.

You look much better when you walk straight and forward.” To which the young crab responded, “This might be pretty good and true my mother. But I do not know how to walk straight. So, if you will show me how to walk straight, I promise I will try to walk the exact way.”

His mother impatiently agreed and said, “Look at me carefully and you will do it later.”

When the mother crab tried to walk straight it was impossible for her. She kept trying, but she could not walk straight.

Tired, she said to her son, “I am sorry for scolding you. I myself cannot walk in a straight manner. How can I ask you to do so?” She then added, “You continue to walk the way you do!”

Moral: Example is more powerful than speech. (Aesop Fable)

Mother to Son

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare.

But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now— For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Langston Hughes, 1922

Mother o’ Mine If I were hanged on the highest hill, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

I know whose love would follow me still, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

If I were drowned in the deepest sea, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

I know whose tears would come down to me, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

If I were damned of body and soul, I know whose prayers would make me whole, Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!

Rudyard Kipling, 1865 – 1936

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Times Sunday Puzzle

A

lex and Ethan go shopping for their mother on Mother's Day. Alex buys something for $12 and Ethan buys something for $28. They want to share the price. How much does Alex have to pay Ethan to get an even price for both of them? 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

Red-knobbed Hornbills

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he Red-knobbed hornbill lives on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where they utilise holes in trees as their nests. Their eggs are monitor lizardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favourite food, so to combat these predators, the hornbills narrow the entryway to their nests with a very special sealant â&#x20AC;&#x201D; their own faeces.

Mommy hornbill will stay in her hole for the entire two-month incubation period, ignoring any of her own hunger pains to her detriment. During incubation, the female depends entirely on the male to provide her with food. After hatching, the female remains in the nest, brooding the chicks for approximately another 90 days.

Hornbills are classified in the order Coraciiformes, which includes kingfishers, todies, motmots, bee-eaters, rollers, hoopoes and other related species. They

eat various fruits (especially figs). Redknobbed hornbills also eat small invertebrates as a small part of their diet.

Notably, while toucans and hornbills share many physical characteristics, they are two completely different families of birds. Toucans live only in Central and South America; hornbills live only in Africa and Asia. Toucans are more closely related to woodpeckers, while hornbills are more closely related to kingfishers.

GEOZONE

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.

Los Glaciares National Park

L

os Glaciares National Park is located in the Southwest of Santa Cruz Province in the Argentine part of Patagonia. Comprised of a National Park and a National Reserve it has a total surface area of 600,000 hectares.

Los Glaciares owes its name to the numerous glaciers covering roughly half of the World Heritage property. Many of these glaciers are fed by the massive South Patagonian Ice Field, the most extensive South American relict of the glaciological processes of the Quaternary Period. In addition, there are impressive glaciers independent of the main ice field. The property therefore constitutes a massive freshwater reservoir.

At its farthest end, three glaciers meet to dump their effluvia into the milky grey glacial water, launching massive igloo icebergs into

the lake with thunderous splashes.

The Puma and the elusive Andean Cat, locally known as GuiĂąa, roam the landscape, as does the elusive Huemul, a rare native deer species of the Southern Andes. There is a rich bird fauna, including important breeding populations of the emblematic Andean Condor and Darwin's Rhea, sometimes called the "South American Ostrich" and locally known as Choique.

Despite its remoteness, Los Glaciares National Park is far from free of human impacts, such as domestic and feral livestock, forest fires and alien invasive species. Los Glaciares National Park attracts large numbers of national and international visitors requiring careful consideration and planning of tourism.

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Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

House hit by dozens Woman eats life savings to spite cheating husband of cars and trucks

D

ozens of cars and trucks have crashed into a house in north-eastern China in the space of just one year.

According to an article in the Beijing Youth Daily, the house, in a town called Heilongjiang, is on a right angled junction.

Cars don't slow down quickly enough when taking the turn and end up careering into the front fence.

In 2016 the family who live there took 100 photos, recording the 48 cars and trucks that crashed into their home.

The yellow sign in front of the house displays the Chinese character for "slow." Sadly it seems their deterrent is not working.

Husband and wife He Haijun and Xu Renxiang were living on the 70 square metre plot of land before the main road was built seven years ago.

It now means the expressway from Daqing City to Qiqihar City runs close to

their house.

Xu told the Beijing Youth Daily the crashes started happening in 2010. She was 8 months pregnant and asleep when a car veered into their bedroom. Their daughter is now seven years old but she's not allowed to play in front of the house because of the risk of being hit by a vehicle.

The couple said everyone around them knows where they live as the 'car accident house' on the junction. So far, luckily, noone's been seriously injured.

Xu insisted that it has probably happened about 100 times, but they don't know the real number.

Most of the time she says they can negotiate with the perpetrators privately and get some compensation.

Officials are reportedly looking into the problem but no sign of any possible solution yet. (BBC)

A

woman in Colombia has eaten her entire life savings to stop her cheating husband getting his hands on the money.

Sandra Milena Almeida wolfed down US$9,000 in cash after finding out her husband had been unfaithful.

The 30-year-old's actions were only discovered after she was taken to hospital suffering abdominal pains.

Doctors then found bundles of notes inside her stomach.

Almeida apparently hid the cash after finding out about her husband's infidelity.

She took the extreme steps of eating the US$100 bills after he discovered the hiding place and demanded half of it.

Relatives and doctors only discovered she'd eaten them after carrying out tests.

Director of Surgery at the University Hospital of Santander, Juan Paulo Serrano, told reporters: â&#x20AC;&#x153;57 $100 bills were found and extracted by the orifice opened in the stom-

ach.

"Some extra rolls (of money) were found in the intestine, which advanced to the colon."

"She ate rolls of bills, they were not wrapped up for any form of illicit transport," he added.

"It seems it was an act of desperation by this woman, due to the problem she was facing, to ingest these elements, and this of course affects the patient's normal intestinal functioning and life."

Almeida, from Piedecuesta in the northeast of the country, is expected to make a full recovery.

"The dollar notes were washed and are in good condition, but the rest of the money was lost because of the gastric fluids," said Serrano.

Following the successful procedure to remove the cash, Sandra Milena Almeida said she was now saving for a luxury holiday.

(BBC)

Egypt 'uncovers burial chamber of pharaoh's daughter' Brain Teaser Answer $8. That would make Ethan's price $20 and Alex's price $20.

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

T

he 3,700-year-old burial chamber of a pharaoh's daughter is believed to have been found near the remains of a recently discovered pyramid in Egypt.

The ministry of antiquities said the chamber at the Dahshur royal necropolis, south of Cairo, contained a wooden box engraved with hi-

eroglyphs.

Inside the box were four canopic jars filled with the organs of the deceased, likely a daughter of King Emnikamaw.

The ruler's pyramid is about 600m (1,970ft) from the chamber.

Last month, archaeologists investigating the remains of the structure found a relief with 10

lines of hieroglyphs bearing Emnikamaw's name.

They also uncovered the remnants of an anthropoid sarcophagus.

Dahshur is where King Sneferu of the 4th Dynasty built ancient Egypt's first true smoothsided pyramid, the 104mhigh (341ft) Red Pyramid, about 4,600 years ago.

He also construct-

ed an earlier version, the 105m-high Bent Pyramid, whose slopes change angle from 54 degrees to 43 degrees about halfway up.

Sneferu was succeeded by his son Khufu, renowned for the Great Pyramid at Giza, which - at 138m high - was a wonder of the ancient world. (BBC)

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Fun Times

Archie

Take it easy. Don’t let the little things get to you. An (March 21emotional slump could ruin April 19) your day and upset someone you love. Be willing to compromise to avoid discord.

ARIES

Your interest in differTAURUS ent cultures or lifestyles will (April 20- take you on a hunt for inner May 20) peace. Sign up for a retreat or take some time to figure out what makes you happy.

Truth is required if you GEMINI aren’t ready to move forward (May 21- with someone or something June 20) you’ve been toying with.

Denying responsibility will upset someone who feels you should be held accountable.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Emotions will intensify if you don’t deal with a toxic situation. Make a decision and follow through on it instead of complaining and carrying on. End whatever isn’t working for you.

Someone who is all talk and no action will take advantage of you. Don’t give in to someone’s flattery. You’ll feel used if you are left doing all the work.

Being a team player will make a difference in the way your day unfolds. Be willing to do your part and to take an interest in what others do as well.

LIBRA Don’t worry if someone op(Sept. 23- poses your plans. Emotions Oct. 23) will be difficult to deal with, but in the end, a detailed description of what you want to do will pay off.

Peanuts

Look back and talk to SCORPIO (Oct. 24- people from your past in orNov. 22) der to get a clear picture of your accomplishments and the goals you have yet to achieve.

Trouble will develop if you SAGITTARIUS can’t get along with others. A (Nov. 23child or a past rival will quesDec. 21) tion your motives if you aren’t clear about what you want.

Calvin and Hobbes

Take a secretive apCAPRICORN proach to how and when you (Dec. 22- execute your personal plans.

Jan. 19) Too much too fast will lead to a problem finishing what you start.

You’ll have good ideas AQUARIUS that should be shared. Offer (Jan. 20- your help to a group that can Feb. 19) use a fresh approach to dealing with an important cause.

Consider what you need PISCES (Feb. 20- to do to reach your dreams.

Mar. 20) A well-thought-out plan is a good place to begin. Call someone who can help you achieve your goal.