Guyana Times Sunday Magazine

Times Sunday December 25, 2016

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The early years of a Guyanese Christmas Page 2

A home for the Holidays Linden family rebuilds through the goodwill and efforts of their community

Surviving a big family Christmas Page 7

The lyrical sounds of Christmas Page 8

Vintage RED Page10

Page 3

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Times Sunday Magazine

T

he observation and celebration of Christmas in Guyana dates back to the 17th century. It began circa 1627 among the Dutch immigrants who had established permanent settlements in Essequibo. The celebration later spread to Berbice in 1627 and then Demerara in 1746.

The counties of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice, which subsequently became British as a result of Illuminated City Hall in 1953 (Wayne McWatt photo)

European wars, were merged in 1831 and became British Guiana.

In the new British colony, the largest ethnic population was African slaves captured

by British and Dutch slave ships and brought to Guyana to work on colonial sugar plantations.

Christmas was a popular season during the slavery era for most of the population except for the Amerindians who lived in scattered communi-

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

ties in the hinterland and observed and celebrated their own tribal festivals totally unrelated to Christianity.

It was peculiar at that time that while Christmas was about the birth of Christ, for a long while, little religious emphasis was placed on it. The few churches which were in Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara in the 17th century held no Christmas Services on December 25 or on Boxing Day, December 26.

The religious observation and celebration of Christmas may be linked to the coming of the Rev. John Wray. In 1810, the London Missionary Society, a Protestant body, sent him to Guyana. He set up a Mission for slaves at Plantation Le Ressouvenir, a large cotton estate on the East Coast of Demerara. A church building was constructed and was named Bethel Chapel. It had a congregation of some 600 people.

Rev. John Wray launched the religious observation of the Christian Festival of Christmas at his church.

Church sermons featured the birth and life of Jesus Christ. An added feature was baptisms and marriages on Christmas Day or Boxing

Children in front of a banner titled 'Father Christmas at Uncle Vivian (Ace Advertisers Robb and King Sts)' n.d.

Day. The popularity of the Christmas Services and their added attractions gave the slaves forbearance to their miserable lives, remembering how Jesus Christ was beaten and crucified on the Cross. Christmas Celebrations quickly spread throughout the country and was popularly known as “the Season of Festivity”. From then to today, Guyanese extend to family, friends and anyone “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Festive Season.”

Christmas and the Christmas season were celebrated not only by the African slaves, but by their white masters as well, each in their own way. The occa-

sion expanded from just religious services to family parties and get-togethers on Christmas and Boxing Day. Special lunches and dinners for families and friends translated into feasting and drinking which remains the culture until this day. The whole country became a moving scene of feasting, drinking, dancing, gaiety. Cheerful groups traversed the lanes and paths in villages dressed in gaudy trappings, haircut and fashioned in a variety of shapes, some decorated with beads, bits of ribbons and tinsel ornaments. They were accompanied by drumbeat and singing. Some wore wigs.

Christmas also became a time for gift giving. It per-

haps was initiated by the white gentry who shared out clothing, food items and drinks, including alcohol, to their slaves and at the same time wishing them a “Merry Christmas”. The slaves accepted the gifts for what they were worth but never forgot the whip lashes they received or expected in the future from their masters. But inspired by the idea and the Christian charity of it all, slaves also began to give gifts of whatever they could afford to their immediate families. And so gift giving became consonant with the Christmas season. (Text by Peter Halder; https://peterhalder.wordpress.com)

Hand-in-Hand building light up in 1935 (Wayne McWatt photo)

Main Street beautifully illuminated in the year 1953 (Wayne McWatt photo)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Times Sunday Magazine

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Linden family rebuilds through goodwill and efforts of community

James (centre) in front of his new home along with Rory Chetram (left) and Amar Chetram (right)

By Utamu Bell

W

hen Cedric James and his family of Amelia’s Ward in Linden lost their three- bedroom wooden upper flat home to a fire in May of this year, they were devastated. Little did this family of five know at the time that the kind hearted gesture of two businessmen, coupled with the love and support of churches and family and friends in the neighbourhood would ultimately lead to the timely reconstruction of their home in just a matter of months.

James and his wife Beverly lost everything to the fire, but the family was able to stick together through the trying times that lay ahead.

Though the tragedy of losing all that the family had worked hard to secure in order to sustain a better life all went up in flames, from the onset, Cedric James had been determined to regain the lost pride of his familytheir home.

Speaking with this newspaper a few days ago from the comfort of his newly constructed home, James reminisced on the tragedy, and told the story of how the family went from the devastation of losing it all to the joys of getting back on their feet, with the hopes that some-

one, somewhere in a similar situation could find inspiration.

"I knew I had the ability to do what I had to do but I knew to an extent that it would've taken longer. But then I used to just come up here and pray and ask God how I would get this done.

The next day [after the fire] I just started cleaning. Not knowing how I'm gonna go about it [rebuilding the home], but I knew I had to accomplish it somehow. Just praying and asking God to lead me in the right direction", he related.

As fate would have it, some days after the fire, James received word that some men from the Chetram Brothers Sawmill at Amelia's Ward wanted to meet with him. At the time, he explained that he was to travel to Georgetown for a visit to the Guyana Relief Council, but he decided instead to cancel those plans.

The following day, he recalled, he received a visit from the businessmen: Amar and Rory Chetram, who offered to donate the lumber to facilitate the reconstruction of his home. Feeling good about the offer, James noted that after that, things quickly started to fall in place.

Though he was expected to cover the labour costs,

James said he was grateful for the help he received. The family then began to receive outpourings of assistance from family, friends, churches and organizations.

James said friends and colleagues of his daughter, who is a teacher at the Linden Foundation

also gave them the courage to assist. Chetram said he also recognized that James was a good individual. In an interview with the media soon after the fire, Chetram had pledged assistance in helping the family with the rebuilding of their home.

"These people’s house burned down and they don’t have anywhere to stay. I’m committed to actually get back a home for them. I also have contractors and they have made some commitment with me in that they would take some time off to assist in getting the house completed. Because it’s a wooden house, I will provide all the wood that they need", he had stated.

Staying true to his commitment, the materials for the home were indeed provided by Chetram's sawmill, which also assisted by providing labour occasionally.

"We gave him all the materials: the wood and the zinc sheet and so on. I believe he got the nails from the Police Station, but everything else

holidays. For James, it is a dream come-true.

"For the family, that is what I wanted. I wanted us to move in back around this time. Just for them, because it was hard...It was all about getting back in here and getting my life back on-stream.

I went through life hard and I just know that I have the ability to achieve things.

You can go from the gutter straight up back. I never saw it happen before but now I've seen it. My words come to pass – I came out with nothing and now I have regained", he said emotionally.

James said he hopes that his family's experience serves as an inspiration to others in similar circumstances, with the lesson that regardless of how much you may have, you can lose everything in an instant.

"Life is a challenge. It's not easy. You don't anticipate losing. I don't know how I did it but I did", he said.

He has expressed gratitude to the Chetram brothers, his family, friends, and

what, people can end up in a similar situation like this and they might not have anywhere to sleep'...It's something that we have to think about in terms of how to manage it because some people may not be able to knock a nail back on to their premises. My situation was different. With the help of the Chetram's and relatives who accommodated me, I was able to get myself back on stream. But I know some people can't. So my intention is that if anybody is in a situation they can always utilize it, provided that they can put themselves back on stream within a certain time. I feel out of my good heart that this is what I want to do", he said.

James said while he had already commenced the construction of a poultry pen at the site, he was able to have it relocated; therefore he is contemplating having the rescue home built on the spot.

Amar Chetram has said however, that he believes

James with his wife Beverly in their new home, along with their daughter and son; the family's adopted son is at centre

Secondary school, also played a major role in contributing. A fund raising activity was hosted by those friends who also volunteered to assist with the labour.

Amar Chetram, of Chetram Brothers Sawmill, told this publication recently that at that time, he realized that James had been persistent in trying to rebuild his home. It was the realization of this quality he noted that

Flashback- the remains of the James’ home following the fire in May

we helped him with. Even the labour, we helped him a few times with. He also got some self help in order to get things done. He himself is a contractor and so he worked along with some of his family and friends. I even sent my contractor a few days to give him assistance; and the materials and everything was available for him whenever he was ready", Chetram told this publication.

It took seven months for the home to be completed, and though it was expected to be rebuilt to specification, the house has been extended to include additions to the front and back. A proud James told this newspaper that although the family had lost, since the home was uninsured, they were able to achieve more in the long run.

He said while it's been hard, assistance from the Chetram brothers, relatives and friends gave him the encouragement to move ahead.

The family, who had been staying with relatives, was able to move into their brand new home only a few days ago – and miraculously, just in time for the Christmas

in-laws; the Guyana Relief Council, Food for the Poor, students and teachers of the Linden Foundation Secondary school, members of the Full Gospel Church and all others who assisted in some way or the other.

Dreams of assisting others

James said he believes that out of every bad situation, there is a good, as he shared his dreams of assisting others who may become affected by similar tragedies.

He is presently thinking about partnering with the Chetrams in constructing a building with the hope that it will house people who have experienced similar disasters, providing that they can get back on their feet within a stipulated time.

James plans on utilizing the space in his own back yard to do so and has discussed the possibilities of doing so with the Chetrams.

He believes that with funding and support this initiative can become a reality.

"After this thing happened, I said 'you know

that land can be secured elsewhere and with assistance from others this can become a reality. He urges other business people to assist similarly, noting that he sees members of the community as his family. Also as a means of giving back and supporting the community with quality health care, Chetram, who is originally from Parika, has outlined plans to construct a medical centre in the community come next year.

"Business people in the community, we gain from the community and these people are basically like your family. If you're in a position then you have to give back to the community. You have to take care of them; you have to look out for them. I did it to set an example, because people saying that things bad, but there's always something that you can do to help. Other businesses need to take the steps too, and do it for people. You don't have to build a whole house – a man's step could be bad or something – you could assist them,” he urged.(Cover photo credit: Yogendra Callender)

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Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Calvin Ming: from street to Pro

By Romario Samaroo

A

nywhere in Guyana when sport racing is the conversation, the name ‘Ming’ is one which comes to mind. It can safely be said that racing runs in the veins of the family, and young Calvin Ming is no exception. In fact, Calvin has reached a level no other Guyanese has achieved in motor racing.

A journey which began at the age of six, Ming was uncertain of how his passion for the sport developed, and his earliest memories of getting behind the wheel is the days when he and his father, Stanley Ming, a former racer himself, used to drive in the street in front of their Blygezight home.

“I remember setting up cones with my father in the one way street in front of our home and I used to drive circles around it.”

Calvin said.

Ming explained that this was the start of something that was idolized in his home and there was no practical way other than driving in the streets; Cosmos’ track was not redone in that time and it was hard to travel to the South Dakota Circuit ev-

Calvin Ming

eryday because of school.

His father, Stanley Ming, said that he used to set up the cones to teach not only Calvin but his sisters as well to do the basic ‘figure 8’.

The young speedster who was born July 12, 1996, began his schooling at Mae’s School before moving over to Marian Academy and then the American School for two years. Ming would then transfer to School of the Nations where he wrote the British examinations.

Not only has Ming been a top racer but also a top student. Calvin was very fond of Mathematics, which he credits as his favourite subject, and wrote it while in fourth form before writ-

ing seven subjects at the end of his high school life.

The young racer credited his mother for being strict on his academics, equating it to having to perform good in order to have the privilege of being a part of sports – a section of his life he has been much involved in.

Ming reflected that he could not find one sport he had liked more than the other, and was practically involved in cricket, hockey, badminton, Chess, table tennis, lawn tennis and dirt bike racing, of which his father was a champion rider. But the 20-year-old recalled someone calling him “a jack of all trade but a master of none.”

That was when he de-

cided to take racing seriously as he moved to the United States to continue his studies in civil engineering.

Calvin related that he is one athlete who realizes the fact that an athlete’s career can end at anytime and an education is something that is always there to fall back on. While his focus is on racing, he is determined to graduate.

Meanwhile, in 2014 in the U.S., Ming said it was pure luck that his father had known someone at the track and took him to drive one day; there, in his first outing, he broke the lap record, opening the eyes of his dad’s friend who invited him to race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway where he defeated state champion Collin Warren in his first ever competitive racing.

According to the younger Ming, this was the eyeopener for many racing lovers who have always said that Caribbean drivers cannot compare to USA drivers “and here I am, from Guyana beating the best in the USA.” It was then that he knew he was destined to do well in the sport, have raced twice in the first round in November where he earned straight podium results but developed engine problems, still managing to move on to professional racing in 2015.

In that year, Ming began racing in Kart Sport North Americas where he was invited to race with Indy Car racer Jay Howard who advised him, and over the weekend realized that Ming was learning fast and keeping up with him.

Howard then invited Ming to a tryout in West Palm Beach where he excelled.

In 2016 Ming began his F1600 racing career as a test driver, running three tests before a driver dropped out and opened the door for the young rookie to earn a call up. Upon racing in his first race of the category, Ming finished second, the first time in the history of the sport that a rookie driver had finished so high.

Ming immediately shot to fame, becoming a name in

Holding trophies he won in an international race

the mouths of thousands.

By then Ming had been driving in four different categories of racing, F1600, F4, karting sport and Radicals in Barbados.

But the strain of racing had forced him to miss the first semester of classes at Florida International University where he is pursuing his degree.

In the same year, Ming reduced his competitive divisions down to two where he raced 21 races, where he reached the podium in almost all the races and is currently the leader of the Formula 4 tournament, 16 points ahead of his second place trailer.

As a result, the Guyanese speedster has earned himself several call ups from top racing teams across the world who are begging for him to represent them. But according to Ming, only two have been considered and will be testing next year.

With the season closed, young Ming is here at home spending the typical Guyanese season with his family and friends.

Ming related that he would rather spend his Christmas here in Guyana than anywhere in the world, pointing out that the atmosphere and welcomed hospitality in Guyana is incomparable.

But nevertheless, Ming

On the race track doing what he loves best while representing his homeland

is still training every day, heading to the gym to stay fit and keeping on track with his diet – despite being tempted by the traditional Guyanese cuisine usually served around the Christmas season.

Calvin recalls his most memorable moments on the track, as he remembers Christmas in Guyana: winning his first competitive race and earning first place in Mexico, (the same day Lewis Hamilton won in Formula one) where the Guyanese national anthem was played for the whole world to hear.

Ming is one who intends to have the Guyanese anthem played on the grandest stage of them all as he hopes to move on to F2000, which he begins next season, before moving on to Indy Lights and hopefully Indy Cars, which is the equivalent of Formula three, two and one respectively.

The most successful Guyanese racer on the U.S. circuit wishes to speak out to all Guyanese with his motto, which he lives by: “never give up.” Ming said he believes that “it doesn’t matter what circumstances you are in, you should never give up, always keep pursuing your dreams; doesn’t matter what people say.”

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

A few of the women agroprocessors who are part of WADN

T

he Women's Agro-Processors Development Network (WADN) is a network of small-scale women's agroprocessing groups based in rural and indigenous communities in Guyana.

WADN is a registered Friendly Society in Guyana and is also a member of the Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers.

The start of the organisation was “triggered by the need to assist women agroprocessors in a more organised and comprehensive way given the wonderful work they were already doing in producing products of exceptionally high quality”.

The organisation has a revolving fund to assist members to develop their business; it hosts network meetings twice annually and an AGM; facilitates participation in expos; hosts training programmes; builds partnerships; and seeks funding. It also actively assists member groups to locate markets and to organise “special events sales”.

It is also involved in assisting the newer Network Members to become formally registered entities.

The organisation was founded in 2011 through a partnership between IICA and VSO (now CUSO). It was recognised that both organisations were facilitating the development of the same groups and were achieving some positive results but more could be done if that support was structured. The two technicians from the organisations began an informal partnership, which, after a few months, became institutionalised and more productive.

The organisation continues to achieve its main objectives such as establishing a network of agro-processors who are empowered to increase their income generating abilities through capacity building, improved agro-processing techniques, and participating in local, regional and international exchange of experiences and knowledge.

The network has 11 “member groups” and a total membership of about 150 women from Regions One, Two, Four, Five and Nine.

It has a Board of Directors comprising two members from each of its 10 groups and one member from the

11th group.

Over the years, the organisation has grown from six member groups to 11. It has attracted grants for its members' development; has established a revolving fund to assist its member groups to develop their businesses; and assists its members to meet local requirements for operating their businesses (registration with all competent authorities and monitoring of safety standards).

In the area of capacity building, the organisation has hosted several technical (agro-processing, business administration/ management, including marketing, organisational management, IT, product development and advocacy) training sessions and has facilitated its members' participation in a number of capacity building activities locally, regionally and internationally.

In the area of income generation, the organisation has facilitated participation in local and regional expos, acquisition of additional local markets and facilitated the export of some products, namely peanut butter, virgin coconut oil, cocoa mass; Peanut butter produced by women in the Rupununi.

WADN provides a market for products like these

Times Sunday Magazine 5

crabwood oil soap and lotion. These have been exported in larger quantities, while other products have been exported in minute quantities.

The organisation also purchases and sells packaging materials to its member groups at significantly lower costs than those available on the market. WADN also provided each member group with a laptop, printer, flash drive, ink cartridge and paper following basic IT training.

The most significant achievements of the organisation are the establishment of a business office managed by a network administrator and its ability to continuously build partnerships for sustainability and increased benefits to its member groups.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Dr. Maxine ParrisAaron mentioned that WADN will continue its routine activities of

capacity building, acquisition of packaging materials and marketing, but will be actively seeking to assist members to acquire and install cheaper sources of renewable energy and employ improved low cost relevant technology to improve efficiency and lower costs of production thereby increasing income generating ability.

She added that persons can purchase products produced by WADN member groups from the Guyana Shop located on Alexander and Robb Streets, Georgetown.

“WADN wishes to thank all their partners, IICA,

CUSO, Small Business Bureau, Sterling Products Guyana Ltd, and the Government of Guyana, for their sterling support and extend gratitude to GSA, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Action Coach and Epics Stationery and General Marketing for their specific but extremely timely interventions,” Dr. ParrisAaron expressed.

To contact the Guyana Shop, call 592-227-1630. To learn more about WADN, call 592-226-8835 or visit Women's Agro-Processors Development Network on Facebook.

Guyana Shop building where you can purchase an array of locally produced products

6 Times Sunday Magazine

By Petamber Persaud

(Extract of an interview with Malcolm Corrica aka “Destroyer”, “Lord Canary” and “Mighty Lord Canary” in Georgetown, Guyana, 2010. Corrica was a parliamentarian for many years, and served in various ministerial positions.In 1992he received the Medal of Service (M.S.) National Award for his outstanding contribution in the political arena and in the field of music and entertainment.

Corrica died Oct. 2016.)

PP “Christmas is with us again” is one of, if not the most, popular songs of the season. Each year we enjoy this soothing melody; but not many of us know it was written by a Guyanese and performed by a Guyanese, with music accompaniment of a local band. Mr. Malcolm

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

Corrica, Lord Canary, the Mighty Canary, where did this song spring from?

MC I don’t know if you have any ideas about composing, but from time to time you get certain vibrations, you listen to something and out of that thing you get something – and that is what happened to that song.

PP So this idea came out of something – something that was happening in society? is MC ‘Christmas with us again’ – just those words…

PP And you developed the idea…

MC I kept repeating Christmas is with us again and again and said to myself that’s a good title for a song.

PP And then you

Malcom Corrica AKA Lord Canary (March 21, 1937 – Oct 10, 2016)

worked around that title…

MC Yes.

PP Let’s hear a few more bars of how that song developed.

MC [Singing] Christmas is with us again Children with their sweet refrain Merrily hear how they rhyme Melodiously while church bells chime Choirs sweet carols they

Eckstine, Nat King Cole, and those fellows, and I was tied into the Nat- KingCole- type. But I always like to do my own thing so when I sing a Nat King Cole song, I would try writing one. So I have many sentimental songs which I have writtennot yet recorded from way back then…

PP Talking about way back then, when was that?

MC In the 50s PP When was “Christmas is with us again” first recorded?

MC In the 70s.

PP So long ago…and generations after generations are still singing it; enjoying it.Where was it recorded?

MC At GEM studio in Robb Street.

PP That’s the Al Seals studio. Who were in the group at the time of recording?

MC There was Rector Schultz, Art Brooms – jazz drums, Rita Forester and Zorina Ali …

PP Who did the arrangement for the song?

MC Harry Whittaker, and he played the leading sax.

PP Were you a part of

PP Let’s go back to “Christmas is with us again” and take us through the stages of composition.

MC Well, my style is getting the melody and putting words to it.

PP Years ago it was melody, now it is rhythm MC Well, melody could go with slow or fast rhythm…

PP I meant to say now it is just beat MC Yes, the most modern like the Jamaican music is lyrics and beat.With this song, I had a melody which I hum and whistle [humming and whistling] and then I started putting words to it until I got a song.

PP So you didn’t write the music to the words?

MC I cannot write music; I cannot play any musical instrument….

PP There is another popular song – “Happy Holidays”.

Church bells are ringing, Santa Claus on his way, Happy Christmas to you dear, Happy Holiday.

My darling, wishing you

Lord Canary speaks with the literary activist Petamber Persaud in a 2010 television interview

sing Oh what great tidings they bring Hatred and fighting must cease It’s now time for love and peace PP Wow! All within the season of goodwill.

MC Yes. PP You are better known as a calypsonian; winning the calypso monarchy on several occasions, but your singing career started by singing sentimental ballads…

MC Well, in those days, when I was young – when I was much younger, [laughter] there was Billy

any particular band at that time?

MC No. If you knew of any band playing, you may show up – those were the days of the big bands like Tom Charles Syncopators, Al Seals Washboard – and ask to sing a tune.But I moved away from all that very early to calypso.

PP What was the reason?

MC I like the calypso for the wittiness and the humour …

PP I know you have a number of witty pieces…

MC Yes, I like to see people laughing and enjoying themselves when I sing….

the best.

You know that my love for you did last and will last for many more Christmases.

Happy Holiday MC That was recorded at GEMS Studio PP Quite a popular studio – I understand singers from the Caribbean,including Sparrow, recorded at GEMS MC Yes, the first time “Jean and Dinah” was recorded was in GEMS studio…

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

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Times Sunday Magazine 7

By Chevon L im

I

f you have a big family, like I do, one thing that will be a constant worry is how to get through the Christmas period with your sanity intact! Don't worry, it can be done! The tips below (tested and tried) are full of useful information that will mean you can relax and enjoy the holiday season, and still be happy when the gifts have been unwrapped and the last of the ginger beer consumed.

Christmas is a time when families all across the world gather to share in the festivities of the season. Before our families were joined, my husband and I celebrated in quite different ways. Although he came from a big family, Christmases at his house were a calm event.

Christmas breakfast with the parents started the day’s activities; this was followed by the unwrapping of gifts and then a lengthy siesta. After this, it was pretty much every man for himself as the day was free and clear. This is what I refer to as a type A Christmas.

Then there was Christmas at my house. To forgo the preamble, I will say that I quickly learned to survive all the flashpoints of the holidays and all the relatives that came with it. For my husband, after the happy nuptials, he was in for the shock of his life.

Being the trooper that he is, he too survived the sternest test of peace and good will during our first Christmas together - the family. The festive season means different things to different family members.

However, one of the first things we did was to discuss what traditions we wanted to establish as a couple.

Christmas dinner – all the trappings for Christmas dinner come with the clean up after

My first tip - If you want to get on with the big family, you have to understand what Christmas means to them. This is typical if you are celebrating a type B Christmas.

Typically for us, the festivities begin a week before December 25th, when we gather (all 25 of us cousins, aunts and uncles included) to plan for the big day and to organize for ‘secret Santa’. This is in itself a big production. This follows the plans for the Christmas day gathering.

For this, schedules have to be set as most of us have families of our own, therefore whatever we have planned, has to accommodate the family tradition.

Then we have to sort out December 25 – the gift exchange, the lunch and the dinner.

My second tip Planning. Make the arrangements for the day as early as possible so come December 25, things will be prearranged so as to allow more time to enjoy the day. At this point tasks can be assigned (meal prep, décor, transportation etc).

For us, the biggest challenge is making time to spend portions of the day with both families.

Therefore we hold true to pre planning. This too is not without its challenges,

as the subject of where to have Christmas and whose parents to invite first is often dreaded My third tip- Never, never, never attempt to do Christmas with both sets of parents if one is Type A and the other Type B. The traditional solution is that one set of parents come for Christmas and the other hideous genetic mutants (like my happy bunch) be invited for Boxing Day; or vice versa. By this time, you will be able to gauge the size of your Christmas gathering and will have a good take on how many to cater for (another important reason for pre planning).

This is where related tip comes inPrepreparation. Even the best party planner needs help sometime, and for entertaining a big crowd, this is a must. Don’t be shy to ask for help and assign tasks at will. After all, everyone will want to partake in the feast, so why not share in the tasks. There are many little chores that can be taken care of two- three days before Christmas day, particularly in meal preparation. Set the programme early and get the team working.

Now that the meal preparation is well planned out, the task ahead is to

Preparing for the Christmas guests by putting out the stockings

keep everyone entertained, energized and all round happy (before and after the meal- the main event).

Before moving on, we have to take into consideration Alcohol (this goes nicely with the meal) and the expectations of Types A and B. Type B Christmas families never argue about the subject of alcohol - everyone drinks a ‘skinful’ and the resulting arguments are then about everything else under the sun. Only Type A Christmas families have arguments about alcohol. Like a typical Type A Christmas itself, the argument follows very precise lines - "Don't you think you've had enough to drink,

dear", followed smartly by, "It's Christmas, darling, I'm having another."

Tip four- Have an activity list on standby. Of course, Christmas is all about the little children, who can still wonder at the magic of it all, who still believe in Santa. It is in everyone’s best interest to have the games and fun things to do to keep them occupied. This is not to say we will not cater for mom and dad, the grandparents, teenagers and aunt Bessy and Uncle Paul. The point is to ensure that each moment is filled with something to avoid boredom.

Tip five - Hide the Remote. Arguments about which channel to watch are a traditional feature of family type B Christmases.

Everyone will have something that they really, really want to see which is on at precisely the same time on another channel.

The only way to avoid this argument is to make sure TV remote goes missing (you can blame the dog).

If you fail to do this, you can then expect some fairly tense moments between those who demand cinemalike conditions of complete silence and darkness for watching the Bond movie and those who insist on

incessant mindless twittering throughout Home Alone.

The last tip for surviving the big family Christmas – Designate a cleanup crew. A house full of guests equals one big mess. You don’t have to do it alone and there will be many helpers around to make the cleanup easier.

As you would have planned which family to have over on Christmas Day, then you have to be prepared to do it all again on Boxing Day. You might be asking: ‘Can you perfectly please everyone, every year for every holiday?’ Probably not. But you can work toward a balanced and fair holiday with a heart for accommodating everyone.

Every family is different, and those differences become especially apparent during the holidays. As Christians we know that the true reason for the season is the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ, and what better reason to make this Christmas one of peace and family unity?

Follow the tips and you'll get on with your family so well, you'll be arranging to see them same time, same place next year.

8 Times Sunday Magazine

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DECEMBER 25, 2016

The lyrical sounds of Christmas

C

hristmas music is a prominent feature of the Christmas season. While we can’t say for certain what the first Christmas carol was, we do know that Christmasthemed music has been produced since the fourth century – although it wasn't part of most religious services until much later.

The oldest Christmas songs we know about are religious. St. Hilary of Poitiers composed the Latin carol " Jesus refulsit omnium" ("Jesus illuminates all") in the fourth century, presumably after the first recorded Christmas celebration (336 A.D.).

Also in the 4th century, the Roman Christian poet Prudentius composed "Corde natus ex Parentis " (“Of the Father’s love Begotten”).

These, however, are more hymns than carols.

The French version of "The Friendly Beasts" (written about the animals surrounding Christ at the nativity) traces back to the 12th century, making it a strong contender for the oldest Christmas carol that people still sing regularly today.

But did you know there is a difference between Christmas carols and Christmas songs?

Christmas carols are considered those that re-

flect the poignant spirituality that shapes the core of Christmas. They are religious in nature, and refer to the miracle of the season – “the Christ-Child, the Virgin-birth, the God-withus”.

On the other hand, Christmas songs are “secular in thought and style, often about holiday fun, kids and gifts, romance during the season”.

Christmas carols are a ubiquitous part of our society, and so in this article Sunday Times Magazine looks at the history of a few classic Christmas carols.

“Away in the Manger” For some time “Away in the Manger” was titled “Luther's Cradle Hymn”. It was thought to have been written by Martin Luther for his own children and then passed on by German mothers. Modern research discounts this claim, however. Stanzas one and two first appeared in the “Little Children's Book”, published in Philadelphia in 1885. The third verse was written by a Methodist minister, John T. McFarland, in the early 1900s when an additional stanza for this carol was desired for use at a church children's day program.

The carol is said to help “children see beyond the glitter of the Christmas sea-

son and teach them the true meaning of Christ's birth.

The most thrilling story ever known to man began in Bethlehem at Christmas”.

“Silent Night” “Silent Night” is one of the world's most popular Christmas carols. Every year it is sung in many dif-

ferent languages throughout the world.

The traditional story of this song comes from the town of Oberndorf, Austria in the winter of 1818. The priest of this town was a young man and also a musician called Joseph Mohr.

On Christmas Eve that year, the church organ was broken and it could not be fixed until the snow melted in the spring. Joseph was not disheartened and was determined that there would be music that Christmas. He remembered a simple poem he had written two years earlier and thought if only he could find an alternative instrument and suitable melody they could sing it in church. He asked his church organist, a man named Franz Gruber, to look at the poem and see what he could do.

Franz was startled by how good the poem was and, used to writing music at short notice, came up with a soothing lullaby to accompany Joseph's words. That evening the song was sung in the local church with only a guitar as accompaniment.

The traditional story about a broken organ at St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf is fiction from a story published in the U.S. in the 1930s.

Christmas historian Bill Egan writes: “Father Joseph Mohr wrote his six-stanza poem “Stille Nacht!

Heilige Nacht!” in 1816 when he was assigned to a pilgrim church in Mariapfarr, Austria.

Two years later, after a transfer to St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria, the Catholic priest decided he wanted his poem set to music. On Dec. 24, 1818, he asked

his friend Franz Gruber to create a melody and guitar accompaniment. The two men sang the carol at Christmas Mass in St. Nicholas Church with Fr. Mohr playing his guitar and the choir repeating the last two lines of each verse.

“The man who translated “Stille Nacht” into “Silent Night” was John Freeman Young. While assigned to New York's Trinity Church, he translated European hymns into English as a hobby. Later in life he became the second Episcopal Bishop of Florida. Bishop Young is buried in Jacksonville, Florida, forgotten by the city he loved and ignored by the church he served, yet his words are sung by millions of people in English-speaking nations.”

“Joy to the World” As one of the most joyous of all Christmas hymns, this carol emphasizes the reverent but ecstatic joy that Christ's birth brought to humanity.

“Joy to the World” is said to be a paraphrase of the last part of Psalm 98: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. . . . Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the LORD; for He cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity (vv. 4-9).

“Joy to the World” was originally titled “The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom” when it first appeared in a hymnal of 1719

by Isaac Watts. The music for this popular carol is thought to have been adapted by Lowell Mason, an American church musician, from some of the phrases used in parts of George Frederick Handel's beloved oratorio, “The Messiah”, first performed in 1742.

“O Come all ye Faithful” The original version of this carol was written in Latin and is commonly attributed to John Francis Wade, written around 1743.

Entitled “Adeste Fideles”, it was translated into the more familiar English version a

century later by English authors Frederick Oakeley and William Thomas Brooke.

“O Holy Night” This carol began life as the French poem “Minuit, chrétiens” written by Placide Cappeau in 1847 and was translated into English

by John Sullivan Dwight.

The music was composed

by Adolphe-Charles Adam, who also wrote the ballet “Giselle”.

“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” This carol also began life as a poem, written in 1849

by Edmund Hamilton Sears, a Unitarian parish minister and author. The music was composed by American musician Richard Storrs Willis in 1850.

“O Little Town of Bethlehem” The words to this carol were written by an American clergyman called Philips Brooks in 1868 following a visit to Bethlehem.

His organist, Lewis Redner, wrote a tune for it which is still used in the United States. In the UK, “Forest Green”, which was adapted by composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, is used instead.

“Hark the Herald Angels Sing” Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley founder of the Methodist church, wrote this carol in 1739. We sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” to a famous tune by Felix Mendelssohn, written in 1840.

English Carols

In terms of carols originally composed in English, the history is more recent, but it's similarly uncertain.

Fifteenth century English carols "This Endris Night" and "Sir Christmas" are more in the holiday spirit, but mostly forgotten. By the 16th century, though, a song with household name recognition appears: "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen."

While the standard lyrics come from the 19th century, variations on the song go back to at least the 1650s.

A century later, in 1739, we have the first published version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." By the 1800s, a number of the Christmas carols we know and sing today began appearing.

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DECEMBER 25, 2016

Ebenezer Scrooge wishes to spend Christmas alone

hile one of the local traditions of the Christmas season is a time for family and merriment amid many social engagements, there are those who choose to spend the season alone, whether it is a result of religious beliefs or a personal preference; having no close family or perhaps a family dispute, or health issues.

Persons may find the season pretty stressful when having to deal with difficult family members at family gatherings, and so prefer to avoid confrontation by staying home alone instead; others may find themselves facing the season with a recent bereavement, while others may want to avoid social occasions as recovering addicts. Some simply prefer the quiet of their own company to the flurry of others.

Whatever the reason for preferring to spend Christmas and its season alone, a few loners tend to feel the hostility from others who may feel insulted that their invitations have been turned down.

In multi-cultural Guyana, where religious tolerance is an example to the world, everyone is expected to find some fun at Christmas, so voluntary Christmas loners can be at risk of being labelled “The Grinch”.

These Christmas loners say their biggest problem is other people not accepting their refusal to attend festive social events, or that loners actually opt to spend the season – including Christmas Day – alone.

It can lead to year-long resentment towards the perceived unsociable or snobbish individual. But, according to one editor, “it’s not about being unsociable – only a personal preference to instead curl up with a good book that’s been lying around all year unread.”

Many persons can’t quite grasp that concept, insisting instead that it is a social obligation once a year to accept an invitation to attend work or family related gatherings for the festive season, and the polite response is spending some amount of time be-

Being alone at Christmas doesn’t have to be a negative experience

ing sociable.

But spending Christmas alone doesn’t have to imply unsociable behaviour, social isolation or loneliness either, most experts agree.

Choosing to miss out on one, two or even three invites in a year to stay home alone does not necessarily turn one into a Grinch. In fact, for some persons, the solitude may even be a chance to enjoy their own company in an otherwise hectic schedule.

Trinidadian cultural scholar Dr Indrani Rampersaud points out that in our multi-cultural Caribbean, some people observe the religious aspects of a religious holiday while others focus on the social, especially if they are not practitioners of the Christian religion.

“Spending Christmas alone,” she adds, “is fine, since people at different times in their lives, have different needs. It does not make one a Grinch.”

Dr Arthur Cassidy, a British psychologist, notes too that there is actually a liberty to being in one's own company, even if one is construed by others as being lonely.

“Of course, it really depends on which part of the world you are in – culturally speaking,” he tells the BBC, “Here in the West, social solitude is still stigmatised. Instead, the cultural norm is to be connected on a day-to-day basis, especially on Christmas Day,” he adds.

One can see several examples in Literature of the stigma attached to opting not to become involved in Christmas, with Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” a leading example.

Its Ebenezer Scrooge’s character is vilified for his miserly “bah humbug” approach to the season, as well as his desire to be alone at Christmas, the latter which is considered one of the causes for, and result of, his unpopularity – a suggestion that has since made voluntary Christmas loners over the years also branded.

Scrooge’s eventual voluntary social inclusion is the ‘feel-good, happy ending’ of the novel, in keeping with society’s interpretation of the Christmas spirit.

Christmastime is noted too for an increase in depression among many persons who view their lack of family, loved one or party invitations as a sign of being unloved, their social ineptness or unpopularity.

The elderly especially seem to find being alone at Christmas particularly hard to manage. German supermarket Edeka in 2015 released an ad portraying how one elderly man, anticipating the loneliness of Christmas, faked his death to get family to visit; in the end enjoying a joyful family

Times Sunday Magazine 9

Edeka’s ad showing an elderly man preparing to eat his Christmas meal alone

gathering.

The ad left viewers either filled with compassion or disturbed by his extreme action to avoid being alone at Christmas. It is one of a few ads that focus on raising awareness of the loneliness of the elderly, especially around Christmas.

Humans are considered social beings who thrive in socially interactive groups.

With this year’s Christmas Day holiday stretching over a long weekend, being alone should not be a negative experience however, even if you are the type of person who loves company during the holidays.

In Guyana, almost everywhere is closed on Christmas Day but reopens on the other holidays, so treat Dec. 25 as a day off, and you can get back to your social life afterwards.

If you hate being alone at a time that is generally con-

sidered for loved ones and friends, don’t dwell on your aloneness or harbour selfpity; instead, prepare for the solitude by stocking up on books you’ve wanted to read or movies you’ve been meaning to watch but never had the time; even jigsaw or brain game puzzles can help pass the time.

In addition, you can download free apps on your smartphone, tablet or PC to play during the holidays, or Skype to save some funds to call to wish Happy Holidays to friends and family far away.

You can even find the time to repair those broken items, squeaky doors or torn pillowcases that you’ve been meaning to for so long. Or even better from some: sleep the day away or laze around in your pyjamas.

Volunteer to spend time with the elderly or less fortunate; whether it is to chat

with them, distribute donations or serve Christmas meals. It will get you out of the house for a worthy cause.

Try cooking a meal – if you’re adventurous enough, try a new recipe and find joy in a successful venture or prepare to find the humour in a horrible feast – perhaps you can prepare another dish in case the new recipe doesn’t go well.

The Christmas season, with its lights, music, food and goodwill can be an amazing time of the year but because you are spending it alone, voluntarily or not, is no reason to become depressed or lonely, or pass judgement on those whose opinions of the season differ from yours.

Enjoy the music and food, admire the creatively lit homes and other places, and most of all, enjoy your own company and have a Merry Christmas.

10 Times Sunday Magazine

D

oyen of fashion Isaiah Luther recently launched RED,his most applauded collection thus far.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine,

Isaiah explained that the collection was inspired by his mother, Cheryl Luther, and aunt, Bernice Heyliger, both deceased. He added that ‘RED’ is a dedication to them as it showcases their

DECEMBER 25, 2016

“style”, which he described as “vintage”. The designer further explained that the collection is not about the colour red; rather it is based on what the colour signifiesto him, such as love and pas-

sion.

Under his self-titled brand, the 25-year-old designer has produced chic collections that have received local and international accolades from fashion elites.

“I started nurturing my designing skills from childhood when I was observing my late father, Winthorpe Luther, who was a tailor.

Using scraps from his work, I would create my own designs. From then on my passion for fashion developed, inspiring me to displaymy debut collection at the ‘Break the Runway’ show in Guyana in 2013,” Isaiah recalled.

Isaiah, who is also a proficient dancer and once the artistic director of “Let’s Dance” Dance Studio in Guyana, took a “short break” from designing and dance to pursue a modelling career.

These aspirations took him to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he was one of four selected to take part in the international Music Fashion Battle. However, his passion for designing never died.

Getting back into designing, Isaiah expands his experience and knowledge by participating in local and regional fashion shows.

“The planis to build my own fashion brand; plans are already set in motion.

My exposure to Caribbean and European fashion has increased my knowledge and experience. I look forward to continue to grace not just local, but international stages with my presence, poise and individuality,” the designer declared.

For more information, visit Isaiah Luther Designs on Facebook.

(Model: Natasha Harper; makeup artist: Tenisha GarnettBillington; photography: Marcus Antonius)

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Sunday Magazine 11 DECEMBER 25, 2016

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wenty One Pilots is an American musical duo. The band was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist and keyboardist Tyler Joseph along with former members Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who eventually left in 2011, and currently consists of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun. The duo rose to fame in the mid-2010s, after several years of touring and independent releases.They put out two self-released albums, Twenty One Pilots in 2009 and Regional at Best in 2011, before being signed by Fueled by Ramen in 2012. Their label debut, Vessel, was released in 2013. The duo achieved breakthrough success with their fourth album, Blurryface (2015), which produced the singles "Stressed Out" and "Ride".

In addition, the single "Heathens", recorded for the soundtrack of the film “Suicide Squad’, made the group the first alternative artist to have two concurrent top ten singles in the U.S.According to the band, their purpose for making music is "to make people think", as well as encourage them to find joy in what they come to believe in life.

Twenty One Pilots

12 Times Sunday Magazine

DECEMBER 25, 2016

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Mariah Carey doesn’t know Demi Lovato or Ariana Grande

M

ariah Carey’s shade is the gift that keeps on giving.

The elusive chanteuse stopped by “Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live” on December 18 for an extra-juicy game of “Does She Know Her?” The title, of course, refers to her legendary Jennifer Lopez shade, “I don’t know her.”

The “Mariah’s World” diva was tasked

with revealing whether or not she knows today’s beloved young pop stars: Lady Gaga: Yes. Gaga once came to one of her shows. “She was very sweet ... and we had a nice conversation.”

Ariana Grande: Nope. “Honestly, I’m really not familiar.”

Taylor Swift: Yep. “Very nice girl.

Met her once, she was really sweet.”

Madonna: Not really. “Uh, never had a conversation with her.”

Katy Perry: Yes. “Nice girl, she came to my show as well.”

Britney Spears: YES. “I love Britney Spears.”

Miley Cyrus: Maybe? “I think we met in a bathroom ... I don’t know.”

Her most scorching words, however, were saved for Demi Lovato. Back in June, the “Confident” singer put Mariah on blast for being “nasty” to J.Lo, writing, “Mariah is a legend and so talented but constantly disses people ... The woman is mean for no reason.” Asked about Demi, Mariah casually insisted, “I don’t know her either, and so I wouldn’t say anything to her.”

Regarding Demi’s previous comments, Mariah added, “She should come up, introduce herself to me, say here’s my opinion, ‘What do you think about it?’ That’s how you handle s**t, OK?” Of course, there is one woman Mariah wouldn’t dare diss: Beyoncé. “We’re friends.

I think she’s one of the most talented women out there and I just love her,” she gushed.

(MTV)

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DECEMBER 25, 2016

nkita Shrivastav is an Indian film actress and a trained dancer. She started her acting career working with two-time National Award winner Priyadarshini Krishnaswamy, in the film “Gangoobai”.

Her portrayal of the character Santripti won her critical acclaim. She then went on to work with another National Award winning director Anant Mahadevan in “Life's Good”. The film portrays the journey of a relationship between a father and daughter where Shrivastav played the role of a teenage daughter. The father's role was played by Jackie Shroff. The film was shot by Emmy-winning cinematographer Alphonse Roy. She was last seen in “Sarabjit”, opposite Randeep Hooda and Aishwarya Rai.Ankita is also an active writer and runs a blog where she shares insights and observations from her dayto-day film life.

Times Sunday Magazine 13

14 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Priyanka Chopra is ‘first Indian to represent Pantene globally’

P

riyanka Chopra has been roped in as the global ambassador of hair care brand Pantene.

She has become the first Indian actor to represent

the brand globally.

Priyanka, who is earning applause for her work internationally courtesy her American show “Quantico”, will be the face of the brand’s

new campaign and she is excited about the association.

“I’m excited to come on board as the new global ambassador for Pantene. A favourite around the world,

I love that Pantene celebrates and advocates that being strong is beautiful,” Priyanka said in a statement.

She added: “Inner strength is as important for hair as it is for life. Strong hair can handle anything!”

Taking a break from her international ventures, Priyanka is back in Mumbai

and is going through scripts.

She said that she will be doing two big Indian films in the year to come.

As far as 2016 is concerned, the actress had a busy year working for her American TV show “Quantico” and her Hollywood debut project “Baywatch”. (IANS)

‘Sarbjit’ enlisted on Academy Awards 2016 initial list

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ctor Randeep Hooda, whose film “Sarbjit” has made it to an initial list of 336 feature films eligible for Best Picture in 2016 at the upcoming 89th Academy Awards, is hoping that it wins the Oscar.

The film, directed by Omung Kumar, is a biopic on Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death.

He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later.

Randeep, whose performance as the title character was critically acclaimed, told IANS via email: “It feels great to have one’s work appreciated by the Academy Awards, which, I feel, mostly recognises cinematic excellence. A lot of people had, at the time of release, deemed this particular performance Oscar-worthy and then one hears this. Not only that, I hope it goes on to win it. But as far as I know, there is a lot lobbying required to get to that point. As you can see, I’m not good at all at that.”

The 40-year-old actor says if the film makes it to the final list, he would like to attend the awards gala and would want to take a “few key people” in his life.

Randeep has congratulated the entire cast and crew of the film, which also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Darshan Kumar.

To make it to the 2016 Academy Awards list, feature films must have played in a commercial theatre in Los Angeles County between January 1 and December 31 for at least seven consecutive days.The exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format, must have a running time of more than 40 minutes – all of which “Sarbjit” accomplished. (IANS)

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Times Sunday Magazine

15

Trending NOW

Star of the week

Festive Hairstyles

T

hese adorable hairstyles are a great festive look for all ages.

Better yet, even a hair novice can recreate it.

All you need is a comb, brush, hair

grips, elastic bands, hair spray and, of course, plenty of Christmas hair accessories.

Get inspired by these festive hairstyles.

A cute Christmas wreath

Attach simple Christmas decor on ponytails

By simply incorporating colourful ribbons, you can create a festive 'do

For a wintry look, do a snowflake bun

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Rudolph the reindeer bun

F

itness enthusiast Caerus Cipriani, of New Amsterdam,Berbice, is on a mission to promote healthy living. The 27-year-old has been participating in fitness competitions since 2005, copping awards and notable titles. In 2006, he placed 2nd in the Mr. Guyana (novice) competition. In 2007 to 2012, he was awarded the Mr. Guyana Junior title. In 2010, Caerus won the Mr. Guyana Intermediate competition (lightweight category).

He was named Mr. Fitness Paradise in 2014. Recently, he was second at the Darcy Beckles 2016 competition held in Barbados. Apart from fitness, Caerus enjoys the fashion runway. Since the age of 16, he has been modeling for local and international designers. But his true passion lies in getting people to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Via his posts as a fitness trainer and representative for FantaSeafood, Caerus intend to “get as much people as possible to eat healthy, offering advice in and out the gym and to sensitize people on how beneficial a good diet or an hour of exercise a few times a week is”. Currently, the fitness expert is preparing for CAC Championships to be held in Mexico next year, along with the senior nationals. He is also working on acquiring his “procard” so he can take his bodybuilding career to the next level.

16 Times Sunday Magazine

"Kaieteur Falls"

By Rajen Doobay, B.A., B.Ed., MSc.

A

s immigrants, we flee the homeland clutching bits of us, bound in artefacts of time and memo-

ry. Like the tassa drumbeats of the past that binds us to the future beckoning the nostalgia of the navel strings, buried in distant backyards of yesterday.

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Each of us hoping to take into the future, the pieces of us that we value and hold dear; Balwant Doobay was one such migrant fleeing the regime of discontent to the cold shores of Canada to start anew. His artefact was a copy of Robert J. Fernandes’ “Visions of the Interior”.

Published by the Ministry of Education in 1977, this piece was an attempt by the postcolonial government to remap the interior and waterfalls of Guyana.

Following the path of previous colonizers both American and British, Fernandes traipsed the distant regions of Guyana to re-document what had been “discovered” and renamed by the British and Americans such as John Daniels, casting aside the histories of the indigenous.

Armed with a camera, the nation is re-imagined and represented, and renamed; the savannahs, falls, rivers and mountains are colorized and dramatized in a tableau of a resurgent nation eager to recreate itself in a new nationalist ideal.

This nationalist propaganda would inform Doobay’s

artifice of nostalgia and recreation in his mode of representation, in the oils and pastels which would form his escape of the now, into the canvass framed by his past and his reimagined ventures of rediscovering these spaces, from a Canadian platform.

Both countries’ waterfalls would be a dominant theme of his work. From the Kaieteur to the Niagara, his new series of waterfall paintings are a product of his reimagined nostalgia. The rejection of the stark realities of the “Group of Seven” or the imported “primitive” art of the regime that dominated the Burrowes School of Art, Doobay forges his new mode of representation.

Separated from the homeland the projection of the birth space from a safe discursive space, reproduces a set of work that is devoid of the violence of the rocks and crashing water, the milky smoothness of a thundering waterfall

guyanatimesgy.com

lives from Artist viewed w h a t Balwant(Simbu) through they left Doobay the long exthe shores with. posure of the camSome of us carry the vicera lens, time is rendered into es and memories that can an esoteric of the mind, re- bind us to a past of our choosvealed through the softness ing. Doobay shows us that we of the squirrel haired brush. can carry these visions to creEach gentle touch negates ate anew, a positivist postthe harshness of the bread- surrealist view of how we can lines of yesteryear and re- manipulate our histories and veals a new hope. The bright- nostalgia into a space in the ness of the colours contrasts mind of the now. Something with the muted sepia tones that is both impalpable and of those aged photographs of palpable at the same time; Fernandes, which itself are with his art we can reach out a rebuttal to the start black and touch our past while emand whites of the harsh co- bracing our present. lonialist orientalised lenses.

He challenges the fomentReality is transcended by the ed ideal of “One People, One re-imagined nostalgia of the Nation, One Destiny” into artist who builds his own rock the idealism of the individuto stand on. al defining its own histories, From this vantage point, where we can merge our realthe artist forces the viewer to ities and unshackle the past, question their own mortality giving countenance to the of identities; those in the di- challenge of those in the diasaspora and in the homeland pora as to the question of the can view their histories and hyphenated being.

"John Daniels Falls"

"'Niagara Falls" (U.S. side)

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okia on Wednesday said it's suing Apple over 32 new smartphone tech patents in the US and Europe.

While the name Nokia may seem as a surprise

Tech news

DECEMBER 25, 2016

considering that it was purchased back in 2014 by Microsoft, turns out they didn’t buy the entire company, and a small division called Nokia Technologies, which ran the company's

patent business, remained.

Nokia has since bought Alcatel-Lucent, which means Nokia's now a major player in the telecom equipment business, according to CNet. It is Nokia

Times Sunday Magazine 17

Technologies that is suing Apple over 32 phone patents, which cover "technologies such as display, user interface, software, antenna, chipsets and video coding," according to the company's press release.

Nokia claims that while Apple did start paying for a number of patents back in

ents on a fair basis," an Apple spokesman told the news agency, "and is now using the tactics of a patent troll to attempt to extort money from Apple by applying a royalty rate to Apple's own inventions they had nothing to do with."

UN takes on ‘killer robots’ in 2017 Tech BYTE

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2011, it hasn't been able to reach an agreement with Apple to pay for these 32 additional ones.

Apple, which a day earlier initiated legal action targeting Nokia, took issue with Nokia's latest claims, according to Reuters.

"Unfortunately, Nokia has refused to license their pat-

t the international Convention on Conventional Weapons in Geneva, 123 participating nations voted to initiate official discussions on the danger of lethal autonomous weapons systems.

That's the emerging designation for socalled "killer robots" — weapons controlled by artificial intelligence that can target and strike without human intervention.

The agreement is the latest development in a growing movement calling for a pre-emptive ban on weaponized A.I. and deadly autonomous weapons. Last year, a coalition of more than 1,000 scientists and industry leaders, including Elon Musk and representatives of Google and Microsoft, signed an official letter to the United Nations demanding action.

The UN decision is significant in that it calls for formal discussions on the issue in 2017. In high-level international deliberations, the move from "informal" to "formal" represents a real step forward, said Stephen Goose, arms director of Human Rights Watch and a co-founder of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.

"In essence, they decided to move from the talk shop phase to the action phase, where they are expected to produce a concrete outcome," Goose said in an email exchange with Seeker.

It's widely acknowledged that military agencies around the world are already developing lethal autonomous weapons. In August, Chinese officials disclosed that the country is exploring the use of A.I. and automation in its next generation of cruise missiles.

"China's plans for weapons and artificial intelligence may be terrifying, but no more terrifying than similar efforts by the U.S., Russia, Israel, and others," Goose said. "The U.S. is farther along in this field than any other nation. Most advanced militaries are pursuing ever-greater autono-

my in weapons. Killer robots would come in all sizes and shapes, including deadly miniaturized versions that could attack in huge swarms, and would operate from the air, from the ground, from the sea, and underwater."

The core issue in regard to these weapons systems concerns human agency, Goose said.

"The key thing distinguishing a fully autonomous weapon from an ordinary conventional weapon, or even a semi-autonomous weapon like a drone, is that a human would no longer be deciding what or whom to target and when to pull the trigger," he said.

"The weapon system itself, using artificial intelligence and sensors, would make those critical battlefield determinations.

This would change the very nature of warfare, and not for the betterment of humankind."

Goose said that pressure from the science and industry leaders, including some rather apocalyptic warnings from Stephen Hawking, helped spur the UN into action.

"The scientific community appears quite unified in opposing the development of fully autonomous weapons," he said.

"They worry that pursuit of fully autonomous weapons will damage the reputation of the AI community and make it more difficult to move forward with beneficial AI efforts."

Aside from the obvious danger of killer robots gone rogue, the very development of such systems could lead to a "robotic arms race" that threatens international stability, Goose said.

"The dangers of fully autonomous weapons are foreseeable, and we should take action now to prevent potentially catastrophic future harm to civilians, to soldiers, and to the planet."

Artificial Intelligence writes Christmas song

ou might find yourself wishing for a silent night after you hear the first Christmas song written by artificial intelligence.

The new tune makes its holiday season debut courtesy of a team of computer scientists in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. The researchers fed 100 hours of pop songs to a type of artificial intelligence (AI) known as

bars, and tuned it so that the vocals would occur in a "natural" pitch range, the scientists said. The neural network then took the song to completion.

Its efforts did, in fact, produce something that resembles a Christmas song — there are references to Christmas trees, presents, and "lots and lots and lots of flowers", but the vocals are disturbingly dirgelike and the lyrics include perplexing non

a recurrent neural network, which learns and performs by building connections between input data, much like the human brain does.

In this case, the uploaded songs taught the neural network about the general structure of pop music. The researchers then tested its ability to generate a song about an image — a decorated Christmas tree surrounded by wrapped presents — using a process called "neural story singing," which they described in a study currently under review for a conference presentation.

To write the song, the researchers first had the computer produce a story about the festive image. Then, they selected a rhythm of one beat per word, linked the endings of sentences to the endings of the music's

sequiturs such as, "A hundred and a half hour ago / I'm glad to meet you."

AI songwriting recently grabbed the spotlight when a team of scientists at Sony CSL Research Lab shared a Beatles-style song called "Daddy's Car," whose melody and parts of the orchestration were created by a computer system called Flow Machines.

The authors of the new study admitted that more work needs to be done for AI-generated melodies and lyrics to more closely mimic those penned by humans.

Their Christmas song may offer some listeners a welcome break from the time-honoured classics, but Yule carollers probably won't be singing "I've always been there for the rest of our lives" anytime soon.

18 Times Sunday Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Recipe of the Week

Ingredients

W

hether you were too busy to decorate over the season or have just decided to put a few decorations up, a Christmas ambience is not hard to put together even now. Here are some ideas for your last minute decorating…

Hang colourful and/or bright ornaments onto bare branches that can be painted or left in their natural state for an instant Christmas look

8 eggs 1⁄4 cup milk 1⁄4 tsp. salt black pepper, pinch

Method Beat together the eggs, heads of shallot, milk, salt and pepper.

In a large, lightly oiled skillet, heat the butter to sizzling. Pour in the egg mixture.

When the eggs just begin to set on the bottom, run a spatula underneath, allowing the uncooked egg flow to the

2 tbsp. butter 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into small cubes 1 tbsp. head of shallot, chopped finely 1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped finely

bottom of the pan. Sprinkle in the cream cheese pieces.

Continue cooking in the standard manner for scrambled eggs.

When the eggs are set, the cheese will be melted.

Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4

Ingredients 6 cups water 3 cups sorrel, pedals 1 oz. gingerroot (one-inch-thick piece) 6 whole pimientos 1 cup granulated sugar

Wrap small boxes with Christmas paper, baubles and a bow for a tabletop display.

Use bigger gift wrapped boxes for a floor display

Method Bring water to a boil.

Place sorrel, ginger and cloves into boiled water. Boil for 2 minutes, turn heat off.

Cover and allow to steep for 12 to 24 hours.

Strain and sweeten to taste.

Add rum or wine if desired.

Serve cold, on ice.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients 16 oz. cola 1 c. dark-brown sugar ½ c. Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes 1 bone-in cooked ham Butter

Method

One of the quickest and easiest ways for last minute decorating is to hang Christmas ornaments from ribbon on your window, ceiling or chandelier

In a medium saucepan over mediumhigh heat, bring cola, brown sugar, mustard, and red pepper flakes to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer until glaze is reduced and slightly thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, score ham, making 1/2-inch-deep marks in a grid pattern. Line a roasting pan with a

piece of buttered aluminium foil. Transfer ham to pan and, using a pastry brush, cover with a third of the glaze.

Bake ham for one-and-a-half hours (1 1/2 hours), and brush with a third of the glaze. Bake for another hour, and brush with remaining glaze. Continue baking for up to 30 minutes more, until an instantread thermometer reaches 145 degrees F when inserted into ham. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Times Sunday Magazine19

Christmas Stories

E

very region that celebrates the Christmas season possesses its own stories that attempt to explain some customs or traditions. Guyana Times Sunday Magazine presents two of these legends.

Legend of Baboushka

JOKES Ready-made tree here were two idiots who went deep into the frozen woods searching for a Christmas tree. After hours of sub-zero temperatures and a few close calls with hungry wolves, one turned to the other and said,"I’m chopping down the next tree I see. I don't care whether it's decorated or not!"

T

Q&A for kids Q: What do elves do after school?

A: Their gnome work!

Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?

A: North Polish.

Q: What did one snowman say to the other snowman?

A:Do you smell carrots?

Sign of the times s a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked the usual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"

The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't you get my E-mail?"

A T

Spanglish Christmas Carol

was the night before Christmas and all through the casa, Not a creature was stirring -- Caramba! Que pasa?

Los niños were tucked away in their camas, Some in long underwear, some in pyjamas, While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado To bring all the children, both buenos and malos, A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados, Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre: "Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto, ay Chato, ay Pocho, Macuco y Nieto!"

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho He flew to the top of our very own techo.

With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea, He struggled to squeeze down our own chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala, With soot smeared all over his red suit gala, He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos -For none of the niños had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento, He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.

And I heard him exclaim, and this is la verdad, Merry Christmas to all, and Feliz Navidad!

Once there was an old woman called Baboushka, (baboushka means “grandmother” in Russian) who lived alone in a small hut, nearcrossroads. She had no neighbours and lived far away from all the other towns and villages. It was only the sound of wagons pulled by donkeys, the riders on horsebacks, the footsteps of strangers passing by, which gave Baboushka some company during summer.

When it was winter, Baboushka was left with only the sound of birds that she fed with the leftover crumbs from her wheat breads. Soon after, the birds too flew away. Baboushka was too old and frail to cut logs of wood to start a fire that would have otherwise kept her warm. She did not even have any money to buy candles to light the rooms in her house.

All Baboushka did was sit at home in the dark during the cold, winter days and waited for the summer to return.

On one harsh winter night, Baboushka heard voices of travellers and the tinkling of bells.Soon the voices grew louder and the grunts of animals were heard. Baboushka immediately lit her last candle, wrapped a scarf around her head and peeped through her frosted window. She was surprised on hearing a knock at the door.

On opening the door, she saw three men dressed in expensive fur clothing, seated on camels. One of the rich men told Baboushka that they were following a star in the sky, which would lead them to a newborn baby King.

The man asked Baboushka to join them in their journey to find the baby. Dazed, Baboushka refused their offer. The men left her alone and continued their journey to find the special baby.

After a while, Baboushka regretted her decision on not joining them and was deeply distressed. She decided to search for the three wise men and wanted to meet the special, newborn baby.

So, she put on her woollen scarf and her cloak, carried a basket with treats for the newborn baby and walked into the cold unknown. From village to village, Baboushka travelled and retold the story about the three wise men and the special baby to everybody she met, but the villagers could not help her. She looked closely at every child she saw, hoping to identify the baby.

On realizing they were not, she would leave immediately but not before she left them with a small gift, while they slept soundly in their beds. Baboushka travelled for years but she still did not find that special child, who was in fact, Jesus Christ.

Legend has it that the old grandmother is looking for the

In Baltimore there lived a boy.

He wasn't anybody's joy.

Although his name was Jabez Dawes, His character was full of flaws.

In school he never led his classes, He hid old ladies' reading glasses, His mouth was open when he chewed, And elbows to the table glued.

He stole the milk of hungry kittens, And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE. He said he acted thus because There wasn't any Santa Claus.

Another trick that tickled Jabez Was crying 'Boo' at little babies.

He brushed his teeth, they said in town, Sideways instead of up and down.

Yet people pardoned every sin, And viewed his antics with a grin, Till they were told by Jabez Dawes, 'There isn't any Santa Claus!'

Deploring how he did behave, His parents swiftly sought their grave.

They hurried through the portals pearly, And Jabez left the funeral early.

boy king to this day and that whenever she meets a child she presents him/her with trinkets and continues on her search. Thus, from her, originates the custom of giving gifts to children on Christmas, no doubt to continue the pious work of Baboushka.

Legend of the Sage Plant

King Herod was outraged when he heard that the ancient prophecy of birth of the Messiah and future king of the Jews in his country. Since he didn't know where to find Baby Jesus, the heartless dictator ordered his soldiers to go find and kill all the children under the age of two, so that he could be safe from his would-be enemy.

However, angels had already warned Joseph in his dream about the forthcoming disaster and he rushed off with Mary and Baby Jesus from Bethlehem to cross the borders of the kingdom of Judea and escape to Egypt. The distance was long and people were so afraid of the strangers that none came out to help them or offer them shelter or even water.

Yet, Joseph and Mary strived to get away from Judea while hiding from Herod's mercenaries. Once during the journey, Mary couldn't just go on without some water. Their donkey was thirsty as well and baby needed to be nursed.

Thus, they halted on the roadside where Mary nursed the Holy Child while Joseph went to the nearest village to get some water for them and a drink for the donkey too.

Suddenly, Mary heard shouts and cries and the approaching noise of the horses' hooves. Her heart trembled with fear. She knew that if Herod's soldiers caught her, they would cut the throat of the baby mercilessly. There was not a cave or a tree nearby; where she could hide?She was desperate for a refuge.

Seeing a rose bush in bloom nearby, Virgin Mary requested her for a place to hide but Rose, proudly refused to offer her any help, as then it would be in danger of being crushed by the soldiers. Ever since then, rose has thorns on it.

Mary rushed to a clove bush nearby for help as it had plenty of flowers to hide her and the infant but she toorefused, saying she was too busy putting up blooms. Since then, clove has ill-smelling flowers.

The only bush that remained was Sage plant. Sage was kind and charitable and when the Virgin approached her with a request to hide her and the baby, it readily blossomed abundantly and created a canopy for the Mother and the Child. The soldiers passed by them, without suspecting a thing.

When the soldiers had gone, Mary, in her gratitude, thanked and blessed the plant saying, "Sage, oh holy sage, many thanks. I bless you for your good deed which everyone will henceforth remember".

Since that time, the sage plant is considered sacred and is believed to possess many healing powers.

The boy who laughed at Santa Claus Like whooping cough, from child to child, He sped to spread the rumour wild: 'Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes There isn't any Santa Claus!'

Slunk like a weasel of a marten Through nursery and kindergarten, Whispering low to every tot, 'There isn't any, no there's not!'

The children wept all Christmas eve And Jabez chortled up his sleeve.

No infant dared hang up his stocking For fear of Jabez' ribald mocking.

He sprawled on his untidy bed, Fresh malice dancing in his head, When presently with scalp-a-tingling, Jabez heard a distant jingling; He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof Crisply alighting on the roof.

What good to rise and bar the door?

A shower of soot was on the floor.

What was beheld by Jabez Dawes?

The fireplace full of Santa Claus!

Then Jabez fell upon his knees With cries of 'Don't,' and 'Pretty Please.'

He howled, 'I don't know where you read it, But anyhow, I never said it!'

'Jabez' replied the angry saint, 'It isn't I, it's you that ain't.

Although there is a Santa Claus, There isn't any Jabez Dawes!'

Said Jabez then with impudent vim, 'Oh, yes there is, and I am him!

Your magic don't scare me, it doesn't'--And suddenly he found he wasn't!

From grimy feet to grimy locks, Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box, An ugly toy with springs unsprung, Forever sticking out his tongue.

The neighbours heard his mournful squeal; They searched for him, but not with zeal.

No trace was found of Jabez Dawes, Which led to thunderous applause, And people drank a loving cup And went and hung their stockings up.

All you who sneer at Santa Claus, Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes, The saucy boy who mocked the saint.

Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.

--- Ogden Nash

20 Times Sunday Magazine

DECEMBER 25, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

A disemboweled word is a five letter word whose middle letter has been removed.

Example: dwelling – pipe. Answer: house – hose 1.

breast - expansion

2.

amber - harness

3.

book - Christmas

4.

thread – blaze see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Colouring Fun

Times Sunday Magazine 21

Make your own Christmas card Pretty paper tree cards What you will need Various coloured paper including printed and solid coloured pieces Scissorsand/or craft knife Pencil Paste How to Chose a solid coloured paper for your

card. Fold in half card-wise.

Fold and cut another piece of coloured paperinto a triangle – your choice of printed or coloured – and draw tree on reverse side as in figure 1.

Cut out as in figure 2.Cut out long strip for tree trunk and paste to card.

Assemble cut-out portions on front side,glue over trunk and add decorations as in figure 3

Figure 1

Spot the 10 differences

Figure 2

Figure 3

Christmas Crossword

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.

ACROSS 4 Two _______ doves 5 Twelve _______ drumming 8 Ten _______ a-leaping 9 Eleven ______ piping

DOWN 1 A ______ in a pear tree 2 Three _____ hens 3 Four calling _____ 6 Eight _____ a-milking 7 _____geese a-laying

10 Five _______ rings 11 Seven ______ a-swimming

SEE ANSWERS ON PAGE 23

22 Times Sunday Magazine

DECEMBER 25, 2016

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guyanatimesgy.com

DECEMBER 25, 2016

Times Sunday Magazine 23

A Christmas Carol When Christians

What you don’t know about the well known Christmas story

“A

Christmas Carol” is one of author Charles Dickens’ most famous books. It was written in October 1843; worked on feverishly for six weeks and completed at the end of November, just in time

for Christmas. It became a bestselling novel that has gone to be made into several versions of movies, both animated and real-life stars.

Here are a few little-known facts about this well-known novel...

CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD ANSWERS ACROSS 4 Turtle 5 Drummers 8 Lords 9 Pipers 10 Gold 11 Swans

DOWN

1 Partridge 2 French

3 Birds

6 Maids

7 Six

Brain Teaser Answer 1. bosom – boom 2. resin – rein 3. novel – Noel 4. fibre – fire

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

Dickens was inspired to write “A Christmas Carol” in 1843 after he spoke at a charity night to raise money for the Manchester Athenaeum in England—an institution dedicated to "advancement and diffusion of knowledge."

After the talk, Dickens went on a long nocturnal walk later and had the idea for his "little Christmas book."

As he wrote, Dickens is said to have wept and laughed and wept again, often taking long night walks through London, covering anywhere between 15 or 20 miles “when all sober folks had gone to bed”.

When he completed the book, he “broke out”, as he himself described it, “like a madman”.

The story is loosely based on Gabriel Grubb, a character in “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton”, which appeared in Dickens’ first published novel, “The Pickwick Papers”. In the story, a gravedigger determined not to make merry at Christmas, is kidnapped by goblins and convinced to change his ways.

banned Christmas

I

t may seem like Christmas has always been celebrated, but that's not the case. In fact, the joyous religious holiday was actually banned for several decades by Christians themselves.

The original war on Christmas was waged during the sixteenth and seventeenth century by Puritans, or Protestant Christians who believed that people needed strict

"Most Americans today are unaware that Christmas was banned in Boston from 1659 to 1681."

All Christmas activities, including dancing, seasonal plays, games, singing carols, cheerful celebration and especially drinking were banned by the Puritan-dominated Parliament of England in 1644, with the Puritans of New England following suit. Christmas was out-

Puritan laws required that stores and businesses remain open all day on Christmas, and town criers walked through the streets on Christmas Eve calling out "No Christmas, no Christmas!"

In England, the ban on the holiday was lifted in 1660, when Charles II took over the throne. However, the Puritan presence remained in New England and Christmas did not be-

A woodcut of an illustration from A Book of Roxburghe Ballads shows revellers celebrating Christmas in the 17th century. (Bridgeman Art Library)

rules to be religious and that any kind of merrymaking was sinful.

"Shocking as it sounds, followers of Jesus Christ in both America and England helped pass laws making it illegal to observe Christmas, believing it was an insult to God to honour a day associated with ancient paganism," according to "Shocked by the Bible" (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008).

lawed in Boston, and the Plymouth colony made celebrating Christmas a criminal offense, according to "Once Upon a Gospel" (Twenty-Third Publications, 2008).

Christmas trees and decorations were considered to be unholy pagan rituals, and the Puritans also banned traditional Christmas foods such as mince pies and pudding.

come a legal holiday there until 1856. Even then, some schools continued to hold classes on December 25 until 1870.

Although the change was gradual, people began to once again embrace the holiday until Christmas as we know it today complete with mistletoe, eggnog and candy canes was celebrated throughout the American colonies.

24

Times Sunday Magazine

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DECEMBER 25, 2016

Archie

ARIES Don't feel the need to (March 21- give what you cannot afApril 19) ford. Keep your emotions to yourself and don't offer to do something that is unrealistic. Make romance a priority.

Don't let a little disapTAURUS pointment get you down.

(April 20- Take better care of your May 20) health by limiting how much you eat and drink. You'll better enjoy spending time with family if you feel good physically.

Make someone happy.

GEMINI It's not what you spend, it's (May 21how you treat people that June 20) counts. If you do something nice or offer your time or skills, your gesture will be appreciated.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Moderation will be necessary. Too much to eat or drink will put a damper on your day. Choose to enjoy the youngsters and steer clear of indulgent adults.

You'll be kicking yourself if you were prone to unwise spending during the past few weeks. Don't fret over what you cannot change when you should be setting up a plan to save money.

Playful dialogue will bring out the best in everyone you talk to today. If you share your humor and joy with young and old alike, you will encourage the same in return.

Navigating family get-toLIBRA gethers and dealing with chil(Sept. 23dren will be tiring. Offer someOct. 23) thing that will keep everyone occupied and help the day pass peacefully. Choose to let your actions speak for you.

Peanuts

You'll feel emotional SCORPIO about the conversations that (Oct. 24unfold today. Listen to peoNov. 22) ple, but don't bother trying to convert others to your beliefs. Freedom is the greatest gift you can offer others.

Confusion will set in if SAGITTARIUS someone has been sending (Nov. 23you mixed signals. Don't Dec. 21) show disappointment when you should be considering the truth as well as your next move.

Calvin and Hobbes

If you do something nice CAPRICORN for someone less fortunate, (Dec. 22- you will feel good about your Jan. 19) contribution as well as boost your reputation. Offer your services instead of cash Don't overdo it. The fesAQUARIUS tivities may be intense and (Jan. 20- emotions may run high if Feb. 19) you indulge or take on someone who is looking for an argument. Take care of yourself first and foremost.

PISCES You'll receive something (Feb. 20- you didn't expect. Be graMar. 20) cious and adjust to whatever develops. It's better to know the truth and act accordingly. What transpires will turn out to be to your benefit.