Sunday, november 20, 2016 magazine

Sunday November 20, 2016

Times

Star Times Hollywood:

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez compete for ‘Artist of The Year’ award

See story on page 11

Magazine Creative intent

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Artist wins award for anti-abuse painting Page 16

An inspirational journey Climbing to the highest point of Mt Roraima

Page 3

Making the most out of life After surviving a tragic accident, Setra O'Selmo is determined to never allow her ordeal get the best of her

Page 5

Jawalla: Just nature Page 8

Hair creations Page 10

Encouraging girls in STEM Page 19

2 Sunday Times Magazine Times Feature

T

8c green

he crudest classic issue by a government Post Office in what used to be called the British Empire was made in British Guiana during 1850 and 1851. There were four different values: 2 cents, 4 cents, 8 cents and 12 cents. All are rare, but the lowest value is among the world’s greatest philatelic rarities – ten examples are known: three pairs and four singles.

The design was of the utmost simplicity; it consisted of the figure of value followed by the word “Cents” in italic letters in the centre around which was BRITISH GUIANA in Roman serifed capital letters. The whole was enclosed in a singlelined circular frame, which occasionally is somewhat ovoid.

The stamps acquired the nickname “Cotton reels”, derived from their rough resemblance to the comparatively well-printed labels which used to grace the ends

of wooden reels of cotton.

We chanced upon the nickname in an article titled “The Rarities and Early Issues of British Guiana. The Romance of Their Discovery and Rise in Value” by A. D. Ferguson F.R.P.S.L. printed in “The British Guiana Philatelic Journal” no 31 p 4 December 1921. He was one of, if not the foremost of, the great authorities on stamps of British Guiana. He wrote: Although not possessing the artistic merits of the Mauritius ‘Post Office’ these crude primitive stamps of 1850, commonly called ‘Cotton reels’, are looked upon with great pride by collectors who are fortunate enough to possess any.

The chapter in our book “Famous Stamps” bears the title “The Cottonreels”. Its use has been commonplace and worldwide since publication of that book and our re-use of the name in our brochure The W. J. Webster Collection of British Guiana

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

The Cotton reels

British Guiana 1851 2c on rose cotton reel no.II

which was published in 1941 on the second anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. Harmer, Rooke & Co. Ltd. commissioned us to

write it when that collection was to be auctioned in New York to secure dollars

1850-51 12c Pale Blue

to help the British National war effort. Thirty years later, Townsend and Howe credited the collection with twelve Cottonreels, but we had chronicled the sixteen it contained – eight 12 cents, three 8 cents and five 4 cents.

It is not known how many of the Cotton reels were printed. About 1893 in British Guiana a letter was found, signed by E. T. E. Dalton and dated March 11, 1851, being his report to the colonial legislature.

Attached to the report was a copy of an account for printing from the offices of the Royal Gazette containing these times: Nov 23rd 1850…

Printing 656 blue stamps of 12 cts. @ 50 p. centum………….3.28 Printing 1,200 green of 8 cts. @ 50 p. centum…………………6.00 Printing 1,752 yel-

low of 4 cts. @ 50 p. centum………………..8.76 Those figures are believed to refer to the numbers of stamps supplied during the last six months of 1850.

Except for the 2 cents, no one has estimated the numbers still existing of the other values of the Cotton reels.

However, the existence of 18 examples of the 4 cents on lemon-yellow paper was recorded by Mr. H. R. Holmes, a past president of the Royal Philatelic Society, London.

(Excerpted from www.davidfeldman.com; British Guiana’s Cotton reels by L. N. Williams. First extract in a series of articles about philatelic rarities taken from the Encyclopaedia of Rare and Famous Stamps, vol.1, pp.13-23, by L. N. Williams, published by David Feldman in 1992)

The Edward Gordon cover, which was later purchased by Maurice Burrus. It is the most attractive of the three known covers and bears the finest examples of the 2 cents known

British Guiana 2c pale blue error of denomination on cover

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

Climbing to the highest point of Mt Roraima

Ronald giving thanks for his accomplishment

T

o reach the highest point of Mt. Roraima, three friends embarked on a soul searching, bucket list trip of a lifetime, challenging all their faculties to reach their destination.

Roraima is a giant tepui, which describes a flattopped mountain with vertical sides. The peak shares the border with Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. The mountain soars more than 8,000 feet into the clouds.

Lisa Ahmad, Ronald Nandlall and Richard Das bravely defeated harsh weather and terrain to reach the highest point of Mt. Roraima, called ‘Maverick’.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Ronald explained that when measured, they covered about 8,731 feet. He noted that the local aircraft flies at approximately 10,000 feet, so one can only imagine how high they were.

Lisa, who said the trip was a “bucket list item” and

Ronald's watch showing the height they covered

her first time climbing a mountain, recalled her main challenge was pushing past the physical pain.

“I let my body, mind, soul and spirit guide me here. I overcame this challenge by using inner animal spirit and the encouragement of those around me to complete this challenge. I love the outdoors, because I am huge fan of it. But no amount of gym training could have prepared me to deal with the elements of sun, wind and cold, which I experienced while climbing the mountain. For me, this was a bucket list item, which I wanted to do for about a year now. Fulfilling this dream makes me so happy and has made me much stronger and determined to overcome any obstacle that may come my way,” Lisa expressed.

Lisa pointed out that when she reached the top of the mountain, she firstly thanked “the Almighty for having reached to the top safely” and was then over-

come by tears of joy and a feeling of accomplishment having been able to accomplish the climb.

“I’m thankful for my friends, who are also two experienced hikers, who made this journey special by coaching me to prepare my mind for this. In my weak moments, they sat with me to overcome my fears and helped find my strength from within. I would definitely do this again and encourage anyone who is thinking of doing this trip to go for it. It's all in your head; nothing is too large to conquer,” Lisa declared.

Ronald Nandlall, who has done mountain hiking and flat land hiking before, stated his challenges were physical and mental.

“The coldness of the place, vertigo, acclimatization of breathing and the imagination of slipping and falling thousands of feet were my challenges. For a Roraima climb, you need 200 per cent effort to overcome the physical and mental challenges. My inspiration for this trip came from the love for mountain hiking. Once you do one, you’re always looking for a higher one to climb. The feelings you get when you conquer a mountain far outweighs the struggle and effort you put in just to get to the top,” Ronald pointed out.

He added when at the top of the mountain, he got down on his knees and “thanked God the group made it safe and sound to the summit despite all the challenges faced”.

“My wife came to mind because I know she would be worrying if we’re safe, but by now she is accustomed to not hearing from me in days or sometime over week,” he disclosed.

Ronald said his reaction to Roraima was “total amazement”, since it made him feel as if he is in “another world, like in a sci-fi movie”.

“The success of the trip was because of group effort, including our guide and his

Camping on the mountain

team. We all fed off of each other’s energy. But being the more experienced hiker, I had to share my experience, advice and keep motivating first time hiker Lisa,” Ronald disclosed.

For those who are contemplating doing the Roraima hike, Ronald’s advice is outdoor training, such as running and walking. He recommends climbing sand hills “just to put some training on your lungs”.

“Based on experience, if

you don’t train and you decide to just go like that, your body goes in a shock and then you end up taking lots of rest so the body can get accustomed to what you just did. Gym training doesn’t work for mountain hiking because it doesn’t train endurance or stamina. What it does is train you for short sprint; however, mountain hiking is a marathon, where you are exposed to all the elements. I would also suggest the old way to train

for mountain hiking: simply pack a 10lb weight in a backpack and walk or run up and down your stairs.

Mountain hiking with your back pack weight is normally multiplied doubly: 10 pounds feel like 20 pounds when into the hike,” the experienced hiker advises.

Ronald said the trip revealed how much of a “strong hiker” he is and has helped him “to become a better leader”. (Photos by Ronald Nandlall) One of the amazing views from Roraima

From left Ronald, Richard and Lisa before embarking on the hike

4

Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Feature

Remembering a forgotten Guyanese: O.E.L. Sharples

By Clive W. McWatt

N

ovember 18, 2016 marked the centenary of the passing of Ovid Edgar Leyland Sharples, who died on November 18, 1916 at just 38-years-old.

Ovid was among the welleducated Guyanese creoles who were beginning to make their presence felt in the professional and political administration of colonial British Guiana in the early decades of the 20th century.

He was born in Georgetown on January 20, 1878.He was the eldest son of John Bradshaw Sharples, wood merchant and architect, and Helen Rebecca Scott. His numerous younger siblings included his sisters Eloise Sharples, who succeeded James Rodway as librarian and secretary of the RA&CS in 1926, and Waveney Sharples, civil servant and Head of the Girl Guides and Brownies; his brothers L.R. (Jack) and E.M. (Peter) Sharples were both wellknown medical practitioners; Gesner Sharples, the engineer; Bill Sharples, Deeds Registrar; and Gui Sharples, magistrate and artist.

Ovid received his earliest education under the tutelage of his uncle Daniel Sharples, headmaster of St Thomas school, Tiger Bay, Georgetown.

At the age of seven, Ovid was sent away from Demerara to a private school in England.

He was to remain in England for the next 17 years of his young adult life.

At Marlborough House School in Sidcup, Kent, where he spent 12 years in prep and senior schools, he appeared to have been a bright pupil, winning many form prizes.

In 1895, at the age of 17, he went up to St John’s College, Cambridge, where he studied for Parts I and II of the Law Tripos exam and graduated with a BA and an LLB simultaneously in 1899. After Cambridge, he spent two post graduate years at the Middle Temple in London and was called to the Bar there in November17, 1902.

In April 1903, Ovid, at age 25, returned to British Guiana as a qualified Barrister-at-law with a Cambridge University education behind him. This in itself should have placed him among equals at the British Guiana Bar. The challenge for him may have been his mixed creole heritage and to what extent this might have impeded his legal career prospects in a British Colony.

Ovid’s brother, Dr. L. R. (Jack) Sharples was turned down for a position as a government medical officer in 1914 by Governor Sir Walter Egerton because he was deemed “of African descent”. Ironically, in response to the governor’s dispatch, the surgeon general, supporting the doctor’s application, referred to the precedent that Dr. Sharples’ brother O.E.L.

Ovid's father, John Bradshaw Sharples (1845-1913)

Sharples “of mixed African descent” held a government post as “Stipendiary magistrate in this colony”.

In 1903, Ovid was admitted before Sir H. A. Bovell to practice his profession at the Bar of British Guiana, being introduced by Mr. Neil Ross McKinnon, then acting solicitor general. Ovid was also to hold the post of acting solicitor general later in his career.

After practicing at the Bar for a short period, he accepted an acting appointment magistrate in the colony in July 1906.

This position he held until 1910 when he was appointed magistrate for the Demerara River Judicial District.

When Mr. John Brumell died, Ovid succeeded to the post of stipendiary magistrate for the West Coast Judicial District, and was in that post until his death in 1916. Before his passing, the government had already promoted him to the magistracy of Berbice, which would have been his next advancement.

Ovid appeared to have been universally respected and held in high esteem by members of the legal profession, and his career on the magisterial bench had been watched with interest. When the news of his death was announced the Court was adjourned for a short time.

His obituaries in the local press gave glowing headlines: “Brilliant Creole passes away”, “Ornament to the Colony”, “Scholar and Gentleman”. Dr. John Nunan, the then attorney general, paid his own tribute, describing Ovid as “well-read lawyer, a conscientious officer and one of the colony’s best magistrates who in time would have graced the Bench”.

O.E.L. Sharples memory, a century later, is perpetuated by a digest of judgments of the Supreme Court.: “A Digest of Cases decided in the Supreme Court of British Guiana during the years 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904 and the earlier half of the year 1905 (to December 1909). Including cases decided in the Appellate Jurisdiction of the Court compiled by O.E. Sharples.”

Very little is known of Ovid’s personal life; no photograph of him seems to exist. Much of his life is gleaned from documents in the public domain and what has been passed down through

the Sharples’ family is mainly anecdotal.

The occasion of his arrival back in Demerara was being met at sea on a tender and confronted with his younger siblings for the first time. Back at home in Demerara, he likely had a valet, having had access to a man servant in college rooms at Cambridge.

The local Guyana dialects were foreign to him initially and he required interpreters when presiding in the courts. His favourite pastime was reading, and judging from the books listed in his collection, his interests ranged from law texts and jurisprudence to history, the classics and French literature.

Ovid died unexpectedly at his home in Leonora where he was the stipendiary magistrate of the West Coast Judicial District. The abrupt end to his distinguished legal career came as a shock to the British Guiana judiciary and his fellow colleagues at the Bar. Men like the Hon. Patrick Dargan and Duncan Macrae Hutson, both barristers-at-law and creoles of mixed-race, were active in the legislature of the colony and were champions of the people.

Likewise, A.R.F. Webber, the Trinidadian-born journalist and political activist, an intellectual who struggled for justice against colonialism through his editorial pages of the “Daily Chronicle”. Ovid Sharples, on the other hand, was much more the retiring academic and scholar.

Sharples and Webber were very close personal friends.

At Ovid’s death, Webber, saddened and reflective, was moved to write a eulogistic poem titled “The Life in Death – Lines on the passing of O.E.L. Sharples Esq., M.A., LL. B”.

Lines from the poem read: “…

And now I know and sense/ That life may be but moving death, /And Death but’s manifest of life;/For accomplishment is all…”

Ovid’s funeral took place on a Sunday morning, November 19, 1916, at Christ Church in Waterloo Street, Georgetown.

The full choral service,including Chopin's Funeral march, was well attended by the great and the good of the Colony. He was interred in the family vault in La Repentir.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

After surviving a tragic accident, Setra O'Selmo is determined to never allow her ordeal get the best of her

I

Living life to the fullest. Setra expressing joy on Guyana Fashion Week 2016 runway as one of the event's designers and makeup artists

n an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, 29-year-old Setra O’Selmo, who is from Linden, recalled the horrific day in October 2007 when she was involved in an automobile accident, which has left her permanently paralyzed.

“I was very active within my community. I was involved in pageantry, swimming competitions, weight lifting and body building competitions. I was on my way home to Nottinghamshire, on the bauxite road in Linden, when the accident happened, causing injuries to

grateful that she can sit upright even after she was told she would not be able to do so.

Setra has defied her disability by becoming a dynamic advocate for persons with disabilities in her community. Additionally, she is an active member of several organisations, where she is able to empower others.

Setra has been a member of LINSEED (Linden supporting the efforts of persons with disability), fighting for the welfare of the differently-able. She is also a member of the Women’s Association for Sustainable Development, Linden Hairdressers and Barbers Association, and is a certified makeup artist and hairdresser (since 2010) and owner of a salon, Sister to Sister's Beauty located in Central Amelia's Ward, Linden.

A self-taught design-

what I have. I cannot ask for better inspiration. I also enjoy volunteering, interacting with people, sports, watching movies, cosmetology and cooking,” she declared.

For her outstanding contributions to her community, Setra has received several awards and honourable mentions. Notably, she was one of 50 women honoured during Guyana’s 50th anniversary celebrations. She was also honoured at the Region Ten Youth Awards ceremony for her exceptional empowerment work within her community.

“My encouragement to others is always be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how others see you. Be unique and always be determined to overcome your challenges. Prayers were also a source of motivation, so pray earnestly when faced with trials,” Setra encouraged.

my spinal cord. I could not accept it when the doctors told me that I will not walk again. No one would want to accept that, but I had no choice. I had to pick myself up and deal with the reality of the situation,” Setra recalled.

She revealed that even though she had several surgeries and therapy, her spinal cord injury did not get any better. She lost all mobility in her legs and was confined to a wheelchair.

However, due to her determination, water therapy (which she finds more effective) and the love and support of her family, Setra is

Dress made from plastic bags showcases Setra's impressive creativity

Doing what she loves

er, Setra is famous for her “hair outfits”. Recently, she launched her inaugural collection of outfits made from hair at Guyana Fashion Week 2016 (GFW). She stated that she always had a knack for creating unique designs, like the dress she made from plastic bags. For her resilience and unique creativity, Setra was awarded Most Promising Designer of 2016-2017 at GFW. “I have overcome my challenges by challenging myself to overcome them. It was not an easy task, but I was willing to take it up and so I did. Also, I paint and create characters as part of overcoming my ‘down’ moments. My inspiration comes from my mom Carol and dad Lincoln. They have taught me how to be strong and make the most out of

At an event in honour of her contributions to her community

One of her certificates in cosmetology

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

“Tormented Wives” a novella by Rooplall Monar

By Petamber Persaud

T

here is ample evidence in Guyanese literature portraying various forms of oppression enacted in, and perpetuated on, our society,and the consequential responses spawned by systems and schemes like patriarchy, sexism and pornography, religious subjugation, state-sponsored violence in institutions like the police, army and prison,learned violent and sexist behaviours in home and school, cultural and traditional practices.

All of which were treated in the past as norms of society but in contemporary times with the rise of labels and catchphrases such as feminism, human rights and domestic violence.

Writers are more inclined to call a spade a spade, mirroring those issues for what they are in reality.

Recently, in this column, I revisited the issue of domestic violence by looking at the book, “Pulling the punches: Defeating domestic violence” by Luke Daniels which is more a text book on the subject.

“Tormented Wives” a novella, written by Rooplall Monar and published since 1999 – some 17 years ago

–unravels some of the intricacies and complexities in graphic language that would prick the conscience, make a human cringe, and serve as indictment on society.

This story is set in the 70s/80s: a time when basic food items and other household essentials were either banned by the government, scarce or could only be found on the black market.

According to the book, this was responsible for many broken homes as women joined the workforce, forming alliances with other men or had to join long queues for long hours, returning home empty handed.

Also according to the book, there were two other primal factors that influenceddomestic violence, resulting in the dysfunctional family. During slavery and indentureship, many strong (and weak) men who were violently brutalized by the overseers and ‘drivers’ would in turn inflict violence on members of family: a learned behaviour that was repeated from generation to generation down the ages.

“Tormented Wives” is the story of Bibi, the heroine, who escapes the village

Author Rooplall Monar

life of domestic violence in all its sordid manifestations to the city seething in similar stench, clothed in different forms.

Bibi was 18 when she went to live with Puran, who, within eighteen months, had ill-treatedher to such an extent, forcingher to find a way out.

It must be noted that the mothers of both Bibi and Puran lived in abusive rela-

tionships – all of these factors pushing Bibi to escape.

The decision to leave, however, was not simple; there were too many elements of village life to consider and too many stigmas attached to such move.

For instance, her husband and her father looked at a female going to the city to work as bringing shame on the two men. Further, the villagers considered such

women as prostitutes.

In the city, working as a domestic, Bibi is privy to the conversations of the privilegedsect who would gossip about all other people and their stories of abuse and subjugation; stories that put her on the guard more than the actual violence she suffered in her home town.

Eventually she would suffer through attempt abuse of her person in a household, an attempt she was dodging since she started the job. However, her life changed in the hands of another employer who was sympathetic to her past abuse and knew of her ambition to climb out of the ‘gutter’ by educating herself and becoming independent.

While Bibi was at evening classes in Waterloo Street, she met Jenny and the two became friends mainly due to a common dilemma. Jenny was rallying against an abusive situation – the molestation by her stepfather.

The other common thread in this relationship was that both girls aimed at resolving their challenges by bettering their position in acquiring commercial and further education, ensuring upward social mobility.

Bibi’s story ends with her return to the village at Christmas, a time of peace and goodwill where she was welcomed and embraced by her overjoyed parents.

Although, the author has taken ample libertiesand artistic license such as stream of consciousness mixed with multiply narrators,omnipotent point of view and constant writer’s intrusion in writing this novella, the attempt to highlight and keep focus on this issue sort of cancels out the shortcomings in the writing, bearing in mind this book surfaced almost two decades ago.

It would be usefulalso, to understand Monar’s style of writing in which he produced books that won on two occasions,the ‘Special Prize’ in the Guyana Prize for Literature; books in which he explored the previously glossed-over grassroots people of plantation and village life in his “rawrenk” vernacular.

His publications include “Backdam People”; “Estate People”; “High House and Radio”, and “Koker”.

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

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

Direct copies of original oral narratives recorded from the parties at Akawabi mouth, Wanno (Crane) Creek, Koriabo creek, Aruka River of Barima River, N.W, District in British Guiana, by C. Cooksey, S.J.

Catherine Mary's story— The man-eating puma

27, November, 1911. Akawabi Creek Wanno, N.W.D. Interpreter: David Mac-sy-hung

T

he people went hunting, and they never came back, and a brother of a man who had been lost tracked him, (the lost brother) and found a spoor, like a road where horses run (wide); and on it met a tobe , black and as big as a house which attacked him but he ran and escaped; running very quickly, he came to his house hanoko yata, elided to hanaquot and he told his father and mother.

All the family turned out to kill the tobe , and all ambushed by the tracks; and a little boy, a swift runner, went to and fro in front playing on a fiddle. The tiger chased the boy by the ambush till the tiger being tired and standing still, they shot him with arrows all over the sides.

The tiger had two heads on its shoulders and when it turned it was noticed that one head wanted to run away and the other to go on, and in the struggle it fell forward on to its paws and died. This was a he- tiger.

Then the boy went along fiddling again as there were marks of more tigers, and the female of the two-headed species chased him, and was shot with arrows and it ran away and fell on its paws and died.

And again the fiddler went up and down

several times but nothing came out; and they followed the tracks to the great rocks where the tiger's den was in a great cave, and found many human skulls and they took torches and all went in, each with a torch.

They found two great cotton hammocks, and many great water-pots of earthenware, very big, full of water, and two two-headed tiger-cubs, as big as a maipuri (tapir) ; and a party of the people took the hecub and the rest the female and carried them to their houses and reared them up, cutting up deer, akuri (agouti), peccaries (bush hogs) and labba and feeding both heads of each, and never gave them anything but kasiri (cassava beer) to drink ; and they grew exceedingly until like their parents they were each as big as a house, and the aidamo (head of the household — chief) took the he-tiger to hunt for him, And to save the Chief from going barefoot, the he-tiger carried him on his back, which was like a corial, hollow.

When they met a herd of peccaries, they killed all, not allowing one to escape. The

Church Street, Georgetown, British Guiana (No date)

Lamaha Canal, British Guiana (No date)

Chief collected them and packed them in the hollow of the he-tiger's back, giving two peccaries to each head to eat.

When it had had enough to eat, it growled and touched the Chief with its nose and he jumped on its back and they went home.

The English people asked the Chief to sell them the he-tiger, and they brought goods which tilled three houses to pay for the hunting- tiger; but the Chief wept at the idea of parting with his tiger, but he gave in at last.

The Englishmen made a stelling by the river side to a great ship with sails, very, very big, much bigger than a sloop; and the chief ordered the he-tiger on board, and on he went, and so it was carried away.

The Englishmen used to feed it with beef and pork, and one day they forgot to feed it, and one of the crew went to see it, and it ate him at once and the rest got ready to shoot it.

But the merchant who owned it said, " If you shoot it, you must pay for it"; and they paid him. And they fired at it all day from an hour after sunrise till just before sunset (7 a.m. — 5 p.m.) and so it died.

Note: English =Keritiani, Catherine Mary answered the objection that there were no English here by saying that she was certain it was not Spaniards but English, * Why," she said, " they paid for the tiger!"

The Dutch called themselves Christians to distinguish themselves from their slaves and Catholics. The Indians seem to have transferred this title to the English as political successors of the Dutch.

There is no pretence of editing these stories. They are literal transcripts of the interpreter's narrative, but from time to time the original Warao and its equivalent English was discussed by the whole company. David Mac-sy-hung's remarkable ability was well known in the district.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Travel & Tourism

‘J

awalla’, the name of a community located in Region Seven, is a corruption “of the original Akawaio word meaning ‘big jaguar’.”

Sitting on the banks of the Upper Mazaruni, the community is more than 50 years old.

Accessible only by boat, travelling to Jawalla from Georgetown involves an airplane trip from Ogle to Kamarang then up the Mazaruni River in a canoe or boat.

The nature scenes on the way to and in Jawalla are breathtaking.

For nature lovers, a trip to Jawalla is ideal.

Travelling on the Kamarang River (Photo from www.gofurthertravel.com)

A means of transportation in Jawalla (Photo from www.gofurthertravel.com)

Houses in the village (Photo from Annette & Dave Martins 'Is We Own' Facebook page)

Community centre (Photo from www.gofurthertravel.com)

Jawalla Primary School (Photo from Annette & Dave Martins 'Is We Own' Facebook page)

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

Childhood poverty linked to brain changes related to depression

C

hildren from poorer families are more likely to experience changes in brain connectivity that put them at higher risk of depression, compared with children from more affluent families. This is the conclusion of the new study by researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. First study author Deanna M. Barch, PhD, chair of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences, and colleagues publish their findings in The American Journal of Psychiatry.

The study builds on previous research from the team published last year, which found that children raised in poverty have reduced gray and white matter volumes in the brain, compared with those raised in richer families.

Additionally, they found that such brain changes were linked to poorer academic achievement.

For this latest study, the team set out to investigate whether childhood poverty may also lead to brain changes that influence mood and risk of depression, given that children raised in poorer families tend to be at higher risk of psychiatric illness and have worse cognitive and educational outcomes.

Poorer preschool children at greater depression risk aged 9 or 10

To reach their findings, Barch - also the Gregory B. Couch professor of psychiatry at Washington's School of Medicine - and colleagues enrolled 105 preschool children aged 3-5.

The team calculated the poverty levels of the children using an income-to-needs ratio, which accounts for a family's size and yearly income. At present, the federal poverty level in the US is $24,250 a year for a family of four.

Between the ages of 7-12, the children underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which allowed the researchers to analyze the brain connections in the hippocampus - the region important for learning, memory and stress regulation - and the amygdala - a region associated with stress and emotion.

Compared with preschoolers from higher-income families, those from lower-income families demonstrated weaker connections between the left hippocampus and the right superior frontal cortex, as well as weaker connections between the right amygdala and the right lingual gyrus.

The researchers found that these weakened brain

connections among preschool children raised in poverty were associated with greater risk of clinical depression at the age of 9 or 10.

"In this study, we found that the way those structures connect with the rest of the brain changes in ways we would consider to be less helpful in regulating emotion and stress," explains Barch.

What is more, the team found that the poorer children were at preschool age, the more likely they were to have weaker brain connections and depression at school age.

Early intervention key for positive emotional development While the team's earlier research found that it may be possible to overcome some changes in brain structure linked to poverty - by improving a child's home environment, for example - no such association was identified in this latest study.

Still, Barch stresses that this does not mean nothing can be done to encourage positive emotional development among children from poorer families: "Poverty doesn't put a child on a predetermined trajectory, but it behoves us to remember that adverse experiences early in life are influencing the development and function of the brain.

And if we hope to intervene, we need to do it early so that we can help shift children onto the best possible developmental trajectories."

The previous month, Medical News Today website has published an article on a study that found children from poorer families are almost three times more likely to be obese than those from richer families.

According to the study authors, who are led by Prof. Yvonne Kelly from University College London in the UK, obesity is linked to the development of many chronic diseases that pose significant health and economic burdens.

They explain that children who become overweight and obese are at higher risk of obesity throughout their lives.

Furthermore, overweight and obese children face higher risks of negative economic and social outcomes in both childhood and adulthood. As such, investigating the causes underlying childhood obesity is an important area of study from a psychological, economic and public health perspective.

The researchers note that there "is limited evidence on which risk factors attenuate income inequalities in child overweight and obesity," so they wanted to investigate "why these inequalities widen as children age."

Children who were tracked as part of the study

were measured at age 5 and again at age 11.

Additionally, the researchers looked into many aspects of a child's environment and health behaviours, such as whether the mother smoked during pregnancy, how long she breastfed the child and whether solid foods were introduced before the age of 4 months.

The team also investigated whether the mother was overweight or obese.

Results showed a strong link between poverty and childhood obesity; at 5 years of age, poor children were nearly twice as likely to be obese, compared with their peers from better socioeconomic backgrounds.

In detail, 6.6 per cent of children from the poorest fifth of families in the sample were obese, while only 3.5 per cent of those from the richest fifth were obese.

Additionally, the team found that by age 11, the gap increased, with 7.9 per cent from the poorest fifth being obese and only 2.9 per cent from the richest fifth.

The researchers went into further detail when they looked into the impact of physical behaviour by comparing frequency of sport or exercise, active play with a parent, TV-watching or computer hours, bike journeys and child's bedtime.

They also looked at dietary habits, including whether the child skipped breakfast, and fruit and sweet drink consumption.

Doing sport more than three times per week, having an early bedtime and regular fruit consumption were positively associated with downward trends in weight categories.

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and a mother's body mass index (BMI), however, were negatively associated with downward trends across weight catego-

ries.

Commenting on their findings, Prof. Kelly says: "The 'structural' causes of socioeconomic inequalities have to be addressed along with tackling 'inherited' obesity via lifestyle factors that tend to go with lower incomes. Early intervention with parents clearly has huge potential. And evidence from our work suggests that this should start before birth or even conception."

She and her team note that the markers of "unhealthy" lifestyle identified in the study could equate to as much as a 20 per cent additional risk of childhood obesity.

Although the study benefits from a large nationally representative sample, the researchers admit to certain limitations. Firstly, their models were not able to fully explain income inequalities in children's obesity, which suggests that some other risk factors should be considered in future work.

Secondly, the researchers are not able to conclude that there is a causal link between risk factors and income inequalities in overweight and obesity.

And finally, although maternal BMI was included in the "dietary environment" category, it could also reflect genetic as well as shared environment.

Still, the researchers say that more research should be undertaken in this area, given that the underlying processes involved in childhood overweight and obesity involve social, environmental and biological factors. They add: "A few studies also reveal that socioeconomic inequalities in overweight/ obesity widen across childhood. These inequalities are likely explained by differential access to resources and/or knowledge by poorer parents who may practice worse health behaviours."

(By Honor Whiteman and Marie Ellis)

10 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Fashion

S

etra Oselmo developed a passion for designing at a young age. She’s always had a knack for creating unique designs, like the dress she made from plastic bags, and her recent collection of outfits made from hair.

The self-taught designer, who resides in Linden,began making “hair outfits” since 2013. Notably, she launched her inaugural collection of hair outfits at the recently held fashion event, Guyana Fashion Week 2016.

“In 2013, I was a volunteer makeup artist

Hair creations

at GFW, but this year I’m both makeup artist and designer. It was an awesome and unforgettable experience. Being a part of GFW, being told I’m gifted, possessing the passion and having the support of loved ones, I’m motivated to continue to design. I was also awarded Most Promising Designer of 2016-2017 at GFW, an unexpected win which I'm truly grateful for,” the designer expressed in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Designs featured today are all creatively made from hair.

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Times Hollywood

Michael Jordan among 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees

P

resident Barack Obama has named 21 recipients of this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres, actor Tom Hanks and NBA star Michael Jordan are among the class of 2016.

Other honorees include Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Lorne Michaels, Diana Ross and Bruce Springsteen.

The Nation's highest civilian honor is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

The awards will be presented at the White House on November 22.

President Obama said, "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is not just our nation's highest civilian honor - it's a tribute to the idea that all of us, no matter where we come from, have the opportunity to change this country for the better. From scientists, philanthropists, and public servants to activists, athletes, and artists, these 21 individuals have helped push America forward, inspiring millions of people around the world along the way." (AceShowbiz)

K

aley Cuoco talked about her past plastic surgery and coping with her split from her ex-husband, Ryan Sweeting, in a candid interview for the December cover of “Women’s Health”.

“The Big Bang Theory” actress, 30, revealed what changes she’s made to her body. “Years ago, I had my nose done. And my boobs — best thing I ever did,” she told the magazine. "Recently I had a filler in a line in my neck I’ve had since I was 12.

As much as you want to love your inner self … I’m sorry, you also want to look good.

I don’t think you should do it for a man or anyone else, but if it makes you feel confident, that’s amazing.”

When it comes to her rock-hard abs and toned figure, though, it’s all natural.

“The bottom line is I’m not

21 anymore, so it used to be so easy and I didn’t have to do as much,” Cuoco said of her diet and exercise routine. "But you’re getting a little older and I’ve got to cut things out. It’s important, it’s now part of my day.

Working out is part of my day, eating right is part of

my day.”

The 8 Simple Rules alum regularly practices yoga to stay fit, and also used it to help work through her sudden divorce from her tennis player ex in September 2015 after 21 months of marriage. “I’ve cried numerous times in yoga. The best part is I’m sweating so bad no one can tell.” She likes Soul Cycle for the same reason: "It’s so dark, you can cry in there too. Everyone’s going through stuff in their lives, every single person.”

Her love for all things equestrian led her to meet her current boyfriend, Karl Cook, at a horse show. The equestrian enthusiast said she would “absolutely” consider marrying again in the near future. She hopes to start a family one day as well, saying, "I’m meant to be a mom.” (US Magazine)

Ed Sheeran surprises nine-year-old superfan

S

inger Ed Sheeran surprised one of his biggest fans by paying a visit to her hospital bed.

Melody Driscoll is nine-years-old and was born with a rare condition called Rett syndrome which effects brain development.

She has spent 80 percent of her life in hospital and the condition means she can't walk or talk.

Melody has been a huge fan of Ed Sheeran since seeing him perform “Thinking Out Loud” - her doctors even play his music to help her cope with the chronic pain caused by her condition.

Her mum Katrina calls Ed Melody's 'Prince Charming.'

Katrina posted two heartwarming videos of 25-year-old singing “Photograph” and her favourite song “Thinking Out Loud”. Her daughter can be seen rocking gently back and forth.

It took a year of campaigning for Melody's mother to get hold of Ed, who swiftly offered to come and perform at Melody's bedside. (Glamour)

Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez compete for ‘Artist of The Year’ award

J

ustin Bieber and Selena Gomez will be going head to head for “Artist Of The Year”at this year's American Music Awards.

It seems like the famous exes just can't get away from each other as they will not only both be attending the award show on November 20, but are nominated for the same award.

Ariana Grande, Carrie Underwood and Rihanna are also nominated in the category.

The AMAs will be Selena's first public appearance since the singer cancelled the remaining dates if her Revival tour and checked into rehab to focus on her health during the summer. She is rumoured to be making her comeback on

the AMA stage with a dazzling performance.

Earlier this year, the 24-year-old hitmaker revealed that she had been diagnosed with lupus and had undergone chemotherapy.

The 2016 AMAs will take place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles and will be hosted by Gigi Hadid and Jay Pharoah, airing live on ABC. (Glamour)

12 Sunday Times Magazine

November 20, 2016

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November 20 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 13

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Bollywood

Mallika Sherawat ‘attacked with tear gas and beaten’ in Paris

B

ollywood actress Mallika Sherawat and her French partner were teargassed and hit by three masked intruders outside his Paris flat in an apparent botched robbery, prosecutors confirmed on Thursday.

The attack, in which the 40-year-old Indian actress and partner Cyrille Auxenfans, 45, were set upon with tear gas

and he is thought to have been beaten, came weeks after reality TV star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in the French capital.

The assault took place when the pair arrived at Auxenfans' residential building in the chic 16th arrondissement of Paris at 9.40pm.

But the assailants fled empty-handed, according to Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre of the Paris prosecutor's office, leaving a shocked Sherawat and her friend to call the emergency services.

A criminal inquiry has been

opened into the incident.

According to Le Parisien, the French capital's daily newspaper, the criminals wore scarves across their faces and "without saying a word, sprayed their victims with tear gas" before landing punches.

Both Sherawat, 40, and Auxenfans, are thought to have inhaled tear gas fumes and the

prosecutor's office said he was likely harmed but that contrary to earlier reports, the actress and international model got away with only minor injuries.

The couple refused to see a doctor to assess how badly they were hurt, said ThibaultLecuivre.

Rising to fame in India in 2003, the Bollywood actress went on to star in a string of high-profile movies including “Myth” with Jackie Chan. She also appeared in the hit US television remake of “Hawaii Five-0”. (Telegraph)

D

irector Gauri Shinde, who has directed Shah Rukh Khan in her second film “Dear Zindagi”, said initially she was enamoured by the superstar but discovered that he doesn’t throw his weight around.

“We did meetings and readings together before we started shooting.

The first day of shoot was like Oh My God both for me and Alia Bhatt. It strikes you this is Shah Rukh Khan and you become aware of his personality,” Gauri told PTI. “But because of the person he is, he doesn’t come there with the baggage of being a star but he comes as an actor and puts in his best and helps all of us. He is so supportive.

The first day went and it was stress free,” she said.

When Gauri narrated the story

of “Dear Zindagi’ to the “My Name Is Khan” star he liked the idea and agreed to come on board.

Ask her if it was an immediate yes from SRK, she said, “Yes it was fortunately and luckily.”

After getting Shah Rukh on board for the film “Gauri” did not alter the story or plot line of this film.

“He (Shah Rukh) is a director’s dream. If he had anything to do (add or remove or change to the story) he would have done it early at the basic stage. We agreed on almost everything. We worked as a team and not thinking he is a super star.”

“Dear Zindagi” also stars Alia Bhatt, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kunal Kapoor and Angad Bedi and will be released on November 25. (PTI)

Lisa Haydon was body shamed for being skinny A

ctress and model Lisa Haydon says she was bullied as a child for being as skinny as a toothpick.

In that vein, she said that it is not just overweight people who get body shamed.

During an appearance on an episode of TV show “Vogue BFFs”, Lisa spoke about the body issues she had as a child, read a statement.

“People always think that if you are on the larger side

or you are overweight, then you become complex. But I think, being a really skinny kid makes you quite complex too. I just remember being picked on for being a toothpick. Really skinny and really tall,” Lisa said.

“Eventually, you fill out and then, you tend to not put on weight, when you are older. But, when you are younger and if you are really thin, people just make fun of you,” she added. (IANS)

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending NOW

Star of the week

The Corset Revival

T

he corset renaissance is here and it's happening in a totally wearable way.

Originally worn as an undergarment in Victorian times, the corset trend is taking a modern turn of late, especially among Hollywood celebrities. It's being

reworked in a number of ways: over baggy t-shirts or dressed up for a night out.

Let these celebrity looks inspire you to unearth your corset and have your very own Marie Antoinette moment.

Beyonce in a floral corset

Model Hailey Baldwin wore hers with an off-the-shoulder knit underneath

Rihanna rocked a skin tight corset during one of her recent shows

Kim pairs her corset with blue jeans

Katy Perry stuns in her goth corset outfit

E

nduring rigorous training and rehearsals, Candacy Petual Subrattie recently won the female categoryof the Guyana Fashion Week (GFW) Model Image 2016. The 27-year-old from Bartica, revealed that GFW helped her “discover, pour out and use the potential” she possesses for self-development and to inspire others. Additionally, GFW has shown her the “importance of encouragement and team work”. She is grateful to all those who supported her during the competition. Candacy advises youths to“be honest with yourself about what sparks you, and take action on it.

Don't worry about finding your one true passion; instead, start by acting on the small things that excite you each day. Get in the habit of recognizing and acting upon the small things that you feel drawn to. These things will lead you to the bigger, more meaningful things that you might define as your passion or purpose”.Referred to as the “Face of Fashion 2017”, Candacy will be a brand ambassador for the GFW. Visit Gfw ModelImage on Facebook for more information.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Art

Artist wins award for anti-abuse painting

Artist Richard Bollers

F

or overseas-based Guyanese artist Richard Bollers, art comes naturally. His belief is “we were all born to create”.

Bollers was born in Georgetown, Guyana. He began his formal art studies at an early age and, at 16, started attending classes at the E.R. Burrowes School of Art for a four-year diploma course majoring in painting. After graduating, he left Guyana to study for another four-year degree at the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba.

There he graduated as a tutor in drawing and painting as major subjects, as well as graphic printing as his minor. He also works in ceramics, textile design, weaving techniques and sculpture.

In September 1983 he returned to Guyana and started tutoring third and fourth year students at the E.R Burrowes School of Art, where he started as a student in 1975. He worked there until December 1986.

He then moved to Botswana in 1987 with his South African wife, who he met when they were studying in Cuba. From 1987 to 1989, he worked as a graphic artist and photographer at L. M. Publications, Gaborone, Botswana, and then as a graphic artist at Gaborone Printing Works, Botswana, until 1992.

In October 1992, he and his family moved to South Africa to live in Johannesburg. He then moved to Welkom (a Free State province of South Africa) where he lectured in painting and drawing at the Welkom Technical College. He also lectured at Welkom High School

in painting, drawing and history of art.

From 1995 to 2013, he was employed as the Art Unit Manager at Mmabana Cultural Centre in Thaba Nchu in the Free State, and from 2013 to 2014 he worked as the Acting Head of the Mmabana Cultural Centre.

From 2003 to 2013, he served on the Advisory Committee of the Fine Arts Unit at the Central University of Technology of the Free State.

From 2004 to the present, he has been serving on the Advisory Committee at Oliewenhuis Art Museum,

while working as the Head of the Master Crafter unit at the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.

His work has been exhibited multiple times in Guyana, Cuba and South Africa. In 2000, he received the Sasol New Signatures Judges' Award. Over the past ten year, he has also had several combined exhibitions at the Macufe Art Exhibition, South Africa.

Bollers is responsible for the development of visual arts in young artists. Though he specialises as a portrait artist and work in oils, he also works in other mediums, such as his mosaic artworks.

In describing his most recent award-winning painting “Don't abuse her, educate her”, Bollers said: “Unfortunately in many parts of the country’s [South Africa] provinces, towns and small villages, our innocent girls are continuously being abused by men whom they look up to, and who should be playing a leading role in their day to day lives.

Sexual abuse should be condoned and eradicated from our society, and punished severe-

"Dance and movement"

ly with long-term prison sentences to stop repeat offenders.

With high mortality rates and broken homes, the child is left to provide for and defend her siblings as she tries to attend to her daily classes at school 10 or more kilometres away. Twice as many girls as boys will never start school. Education of the girl child is not only a human right; it is also in the best interests of society as a whole.

No nation can achieve success unless education is accorded to all of its citizens - boys and girls. Educational institutions would do well to consider giving first priority to the education of women and girls, since it is through educating moth-

ers that the benefits of knowledge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused throughout society. Women will not only render service to humanity as mothers and first educators to the next generation, but they have a special contribution to make to the creation of peace and a just world order.

If your plans are for one year, plant rice; if your plans are for ten years, plant a tree; if your plans are for a hundred years, educate your children. Never suppress creativity. We were all born to create.”(Cover picture: Bollers’ award winning painting, “Don't abuse her, educate her”)

"Leopard in tree"

"Dancing in the light"

"Education opened all doors"

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NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

I

n an interview published Tuesday by Dazed, Apple's chief design officer Jony Ive said that the iPhone"wasn't inevitable" and the company's flagship product could have fallen through.

"There were multiple stages while we were working on the phone when solving problems wasn't inevitable and we really did have concerns that it wasn't viable; that it wasn't going to work," Ive said.

The iPhone became influential technology he said, but it grew from a fragile

Tech news

M

F

ish because some part of the technology isn't fully developed yet. "So we put things to one side, knowing that at some point we will carry on working on them again," he said. "It's not a question of this being right, it's just a question of when it's right."

Ive recently told CNET that the secret sauce in

Apple products isn't just creating something new; it's the push to improve.

"We don't limit ourselves in how we will push -- if it's to a better place," Ive said.

"What we won't do is just do something different that's no better."

New Firefox browser blocks ad software

ozilla just escalated an arms race with advertisers, reports c/net , releasing a new browser for iPhone and iPad users called Firefox Focus that blocks ads from tracking your activities on the web.

Firefox Focusalso pares away traditional interface elements like menus and tabs to speed up browsing. It doesn't go as far as actually blocking ads, though, like Brave or Opera can – and Google Chrome won't.

Mozilla's move underscores the tension between advertisers and people using the Web. Sites like Google search and Facebook social networking are free because of advertising -- but ads can invade privacy, slow performance, encroach on your monthly da-

Tech news

idea. Still, that idea provided a roadmap to success for Apple.

"Ultimately we are able to develop hardware and software together to create a singular experience," he said.

Ive said there are plenty of ideas that Apple has prototyped but couldn't fin-

ta-transfer limits and even deliver software that launches online attacks.

When you visit websites, many advertisers store text files on your PC or phone that are designed to show you ads you're more likely to click on. For example, you might check out a product on Amazon then see that same product advertised a later on a different website when web ad software sees you expressed interest.

Mozilla pushed a technology called Do Not Track that would have let people tell websites they didn't want publishers and advertisers to keep tabs on them, but the effort fizzled after advertisers objected.

Tech BYTE

The best, mostwanted tech toys for Christmas 2016

Facebook halts use of WhatsApp data for advertising in Europe

ollowing its pausing of the use of WhatsApp data in the UK, Facebook has stopped using data taken from its messaging service for advertising across Europe.

The social network had come under pressure from the pan-European data

protection agency group, the Article 29 Working Party in October. The group of privacy watchdogs said it had serious concerns over Facebook’s use of the data, including user phone numbers. It asked the social network to pause its WhatsApp data collection.

Facebook has now halted the use of the collected data for advertising and product improvement purposes, which would enable it to link Facebook and WhatsApp accounts for users who have both.

The Irish data protection authority said that it was investigating Facebook’s data practices regarding the sharing of WhatsApp data.

Facebook has also seen investigations launched into its datasharing practices by Germany, France, Italy and soon Spain.

The UK’s information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, said that she had concerns that customers weren’t being properly protected

by Facebook.

Facebook however will not halt the sharing of data between its main social network and WhatsApp, which is used for purposes other than advertising.

Have yourself a very techie Christmas with the latest must-have tech toys (Credit: New Atlas)

W

hich tech toys will the elves be making for your little one this festive season? New Atlas looks at some of the best and most-wanted tech toys for Christmas 2016; a few of which we present here.

1. BB-8 Remote Control (with Force Band) – because who doesn’t want the Star Wars franchise’s coolest cutie? This year's version comes with battle-worn styling and a wrist-worn Force Band, a motion controller that lets you send BB-8 on its way with a flick of the wrist.A special edition BB-8 bundled with the Force Band goes for around US$200 2. Revell Quadcopter Steady Quad Cam. For kids, this is the most age-appropriate drone around. Aimed at users aged from 14-years-old, the Steady Quad Cam boasts features such as Height Control Assistant which makes it easy to control (and not crash too often). Its 720p video recording and 4 GB of storage also means kids can get busy editing aerial footage when they get home. The Revell Quadcopter Steady Quad Cam costs around US$110.

3. Wow Wee Chip the Robot Dog. Chip

the Robot Dog from WowWee is said to be affectionate and trainable, and responds to touch thanks to the various sensors packed inside its cute shell.He will follow his owner as long as they are wearing an included SmartBand (and don't go upstairs) play fetch with his Bluetooth SmartBall, and other games via an iOS or Android app.

He'll also bound back to his charging station, on his slightly weird mecanum wheel feet, when he needs a recharge. Chip the Robot Dog costs US$200.

4. Cozmo by Anki. Another interactive robot friend for your child, but this one looks and feels like it's come straight from a Pixar movie. With animated eyes and the ability to recognize and look at you (thanks to a camera in his mouth), Cozmo is one of the smartest robot pals we've seen yet.

The little truck robot also has a touch of WALL-E about him. Cozmo by Anki starts shipping this month priced at US$180.

Other Christmas favourites include the VTech KidiZoom Action Cam; i-Loom; Kurio Watch; Anki Overdrive; View-Master VR; Razor RipStik Electric; Nocto Robotic Bat, and the Nintendo Classic Mini.

18 Sunday Times Magazine

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Times Home & Cooking

guyanatimesgy.com

Recipe of the Week

Open your home to light

N

atural light in a home helps with positive vibes; it’s natural then that rooms bright make us feel happier, more alive and vibrant.

Getting light into dark rooms is important by making the most of what natural light you have.

Honey Garlic Shrimp Ingredients 1 1/2 lb. shrimp 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced

Mirrors, glass tables or mirrored wall panels can reflect more light through the rooms

Method

Window treatments often absorb precious natural light. Removing heavy or dark curtains will instantly give your more light and transform your dark rooms. Light colours and lightweight fabrics all help to keep your natural light intact

Put shrimp in a large Ziploc © bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, garlic and lime juice. Add half of the marinade to the bag of shrimp and let marinate in refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, including the marinade. Let sear on

Juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup sliced shallot Cooked white rice Large leafy lettuce (leaves separated), for serving

one side until golden-brown, about 1 minute.

Add the reserved marinade, tossing the shrimp with tongs to combine. Continue to sauté until the shrimp is opaque and cooked through, about 1 minute more.

Serve over rice and lettuce.

Garnish with scallions and more pan sauce.

Serves 4

W Adding a light colour to the walls and ceilings allow natural light to travel across the room and reflect off polished floor boards. Leaving the walls white helps keep the daylight intact, but there is still enough dark, warm wood pieces to add character and contrast.

Without these details, this room could feel quite dark (decoratedlife)

hen you slice into an avocado, the surface is exposed to oxygen and starts to turn brown. The same happens with apples and bananas. Forget leaving the pit intact (does precisely nothing) or rubbing the surface of the avocado flesh with lemon juice (works but barely). Instead, rub the surface of the avocado flesh with a thin layer of olive oil, put the avocado in a sealed bag, and stick it in the fridge. The olive oil creates a barrier, so the avocado flesh is exposed to less air. If you still spot some brown when you’re ready to eat the avocado, just scrape it off with a spoon. Unless the avocado is overripe, it’ll still be green underneath.

D

on’t spray window cleaner on your computer screen.

Window cleaners with ammonia or alcohol can strip antireflective coatings off modern computer and TV screens.

They can also cause clouding and even get sucked up inside the screen due to the very fine thin layers of material found in it.

Instead, use a dedicated LCD or plasma screen cleaner with no alcohol. Spray the cleaner on to a microfiber cloth and then gently buff the screen.

Vinegar may solve lots of household problems, but it isn’t a cureall. Vinegar can etch natural stone, such as marble countertops or tiles; it can damage an iron’s insides, and it won’t work on certain kinds of stains.

guyanatimesgy.com

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Encouraging girls in STEM Whether your girl child seems interested or not in STEM, it is important to encourage her to explore these fields. Try these simple steps: 6. Ask her about how she views scientists and what she sees as “science.” Partner with her todiscover how STEM is a part of everyday life, that STEM really is everywhere.

Visit a museum,business, or factory together to see real-world uses for math and science.

7. Encourage persistence. Help her understand that making mistakes is a vital part of STEM, and thatmaking mistakes does not mean that someone is not “good at science”.

8. Help her join with other girls at school or an afterschool club or programaffiliate thatvalues and nurtures girls’ interest in STEM. 9. Consider your own feelings about math and science and encourage her pursuit of these subjects even if they were difficult for you as a student.

(Conclusion)

I

JOKES

A brief guide to scientific literature Phrase

Translation

It has been long known

I haven't bothered to check the references

It is known

I believe

It is believed It is generally believed

I think My colleagues and I think

There has been some discussion Of great practical importance

Nobody agrees with me This justifies employment

my

Anything to pass the exam beautiful female college student comes to a young professor’s office.

She glances down the hall, closes his door, kneels pleadingly, “I would do anything to pass this exam.”She leans closer to him, flips back her hair, gazes meaningfully into his eyes. “I mean…” she whispers, “… I would do…anything!!!”

He returns her gaze. “Anything???”

“Yes… Anything!!!”

His voice turns to a whisper. “Would you…study???”.

A

Just plane dumb he military commander had grown increasingly anxious over rumours of an impending air strike from the enemy. So, he summoned a corporal. “I want you to climb that mountain and report any signs of a military activity.”

The corporal trudged up the mountain. As soon as he crossed the ridge, he saw a squadron of planes heading their way.

“There are many planes coming!” he promptly radioed back.

“Friends or enemies?” the commander demanded urgently.

The corporal again lifted his binoculars to the sky. “They’re flying very closely together, he replied. “I think they must be friends.”

T

Murphy's Law of Mathematics . In any given miscalculation, the fault will never be placed if more than one person is involved.

2. Any error that can creep in, will. It will be in the direction that will do the most damage to the calculation.

3. All constants are variables.

4. In any given computation, the figure that is most obviously correct will be the source of error.

5. A decimal will always be misplaced.

6. In a complex calculation, one factor from the numerator will always move into the denominator.

1

You must believe t was hot and dry, a drought threatened the crops throughout the region.

One Sunday, the village parson told his congregation, “There isn’t anything that will save us except to pray for rain. Go home, pray, believe, and come back next Sunday ready to thank God for the rain he will send.”

The people did as they were told and returned to church the following Sunday. But as soon as the parson saw them, he was furious.

“We can’t worship today. You do not yet believe,” he said.

“But,” they protested, “we prayed, and we do believe.”

“Believe?” he responded. “Then where are your umbrellas?”

I

The new job Billy Bob walks into a bar and says, “Bartender, one round for everyone, on me!”

The bartender says, “Well, seems you’re in a really good mood tonight, hmm?”

Billy Bob says, “Oh, you can bet on it! I just got hired by the city to go around and remove all the money from parking meters. I start on Monday!”

The bartender congratulates him and proceeds to pour the round.

Monday evening arrives. Billy Bob comes back into the bar and says Bartender, TWO rounds for everyone, on me!”

The bartender says, “Well now! If you’re so happy just over having this new job, I can just imagine how happy you’ll be when you get your pay check!”

Billy Bob looks at the bartender with a wondrous look on his face, pulls out a handful of quarters from his pocket, and says “You mean they’ll PAY me too?”

n a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information. These are the types of skills that students learn by studying science, technology, engineering, and math— subjects collectively known as STEM. --- US Department of Education Unfortunately, STEM is an area that few girls are actively involved in at school, much less in the workplace; a situation that today’s educators and youth administrators hope to reverse.

W

STORY TIME Uncle Spider

hen Mother hyena was away, Anansi, the spider, went to her den and informed her cubs that he was their uncle, For-you-all.

"Wake me up when your mother brings food," he said and curling up in a corner, went to sleep.

Presently Mother hyena came with meat which she gave to her cubs, saying: "This is for you all."

The cubs woke up the spider and gave him the meat which he devoured.

Mother hyena brought meat twice more, on each occasion saying, "This is for you all," while handing over the food to her cubs. Each time, the cubs dutifully woke up Anansi and gave him the meat.

In the evening when Mother hyena came home the cubs started crying for food.

"Still hungry after all the meat I gave you?" she asked, surprised.

"Uncle ate it all!" they wailed. The spider, realizing that it was time to run, darted out of the cave and sprinted away.

"That's Uncle For-you-all!" shouted the cubs.

"Is he!" said their mother, grimly, and bounded after the spider. Anansi rushed into Dog's house and sat beside him.

"I've just finished eating," said the dog.

"I've nothing to offer you."

"That's all right," said the spider, "I've already eaten. That's why I'm here."

The hyena came in just then.

"Which of you was the rascal I was chasing!" she demanded.

The spider pointed to the dog. "He has been running," he said. "See how he's panting with his tongue hanging out?"

The hyena pounced on the dog that twisted away and jumped out of the window. The hyena followed him.

The uncle spider, knowing that it would be a long time before the dog got back, stretched out on his bed for a short snooze.

(A spider tale from northern Nigeria)

By Grammar G.

Where did that come from?

E

very day phrases we use are sometimes so common we have no idea where they might have come from. Here are the origins of a few English phrases that you have probably heard or used at some point…

If you have ever described someone (or been described) as stuck up, you can assume it means they or you are considered as behaving aloof or superior. The expression alludes to the habit of peacocks to “stick up” their tail feathers in their attempts to appear superior/better than their fellow peacocks.

To call a spade a spade is another wellknown phrase to describe frank or blunt speech: speaking your mind plainly. It derives from the ancient Greeks who used the term “call fig figs and a tub a tub”. It was Greek philosopher and historian Plutarch who first recorded the saying, and it was Dutch scholar Erasmus who in 1500 published a book of proverbs where the figs and tub were substituted with the spade ever since.

A bare-faced lie is a popular phrase that means a lie told without shame or

guilt. Originally it referred to the idea that a person with a clean-shaven face represented a fresh honesty and could not hide untruths or duplicity – unlike a bearded face where all kinds of slyness and deception could hide. Now the phrase means someone who has no qualms about being deceitful, or hiding deception – bearded or not.

If you find yourself in a difficult or embarrassing situation you might be tempted to ask yourself how did you get into a scrape . According to some, this phrase dates back to the early 1800s when deep

The Simple Things I would not be too wise--so very wise That I must sneer at simple songs and creeds, And let the glare of wisdom blind my eyes To humble people and their humble needs.

I would not care to climb so high that I Could never hear the children at their play, Could only see the people passing by, And never hear the cheering words they say.

I would not know too much-too much to smile At trivial errors of the heart and hand, Nor be too proud to play the friend the while, Nor cease to help and know and understand.

I would not care to sit upon a throne, Or build my house upon a mountain-top, Where I must dwell in glory all alone And never friend come in or poor man stop.

God grant that I may live upon this earth And face the tasks which every morning brings And never lose the glory and the worth Of humble service and the simple things.

Edgar A. Guest holes dug by deer in the earth were called “scrapes”. These deep holes were so hazardous that a person, horse, or someone on horseback who got the foot “into a scrape” could be seriously injured. In fact, there is a story of a woman who went walking and slipped into a scrape – perhaps while near deer because a stag then charged and killed her as she lay helpless with her injury.

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Times Sunday Puzzle

In each group below, four unrelated words are listed. Find a word that can either precede or follow each word in each group.

Example: picture, inner, top, test. Answer: picture TUBE, inner TUBE, TUBE top, test TUBE. 1. sky, point, hat, knee 2. street, fight, pedal, off 3. shoe, French, powder, rims 4. moulding, roast, triple, jewels see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

GEOZONE

Fleishmann's Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni) also known as the northern glass frog

G

lass frogs are frogs of the amphibian family Centrolenidae. They are said to be about 60 different types of glass

frogs.

As its name suggests, this frog family has a transparent skin (on its abdomen) allowing you to view inside its small body. Some internal organs are visible through the skin including the heart, liver, and gastrointestinal tract.

Glass frogs are arboreal: they live in and among the trees and plants of humid mountain rainforests in Central and South America. They are very small; the biggest they reach can be 3 in (8 cm) while the smaller species average

about 0.78 in (2 cm). Males are usually the bigger frog.

Additionally, unlike most other frogs, the male glass frog guards the eggs, warding off other males, keeping the eggs moist, and protecting them from insects.

During the breeding season the frogs move lower down to lay their eggs on leaves that overhang the water along rivers and streams, returning to the high canopy after the season is over.

Glass frogs are nocturnal and prey mostly on spiders and soft-bodied insects.

Maze Daze

please see solution on page 23

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

C

Campo del Cielo sign stating that the meteorite’s name is “El Chaco”; it was unearthed 08/07/1980 and its weight is 37,000 kg (41 short tons)

ampo del Cielo (Field of Heaven/ Field of the Sky) is a 1,350-squarekilometre-area of meteorite impacts in the Chaco Province of Argentina, South America.

It was formed 4,000 years ago when a shower of meteorites struck Earth at 14,000 km per hour.

During impact, more than 20 craters were formed; the largest is about 100 metres in diameter. It is among the youngest impacts on Earth today.

One of its meteorites, called “Gancedo”, unearthed in 2016, is considered the

largest in South America and secondlargest (intact meteorite) in the world, though this is yet to be verified.

The Hoba meteorite in Namibia, Africa is the world’s largest meteorite, weighing 59 tons, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Long known to the locals, Campo del Cielo became known to Europeans in 1576 by the Spanish military who reached the area. The first specimen they discovered was named Mesón de Fierro and weighed 15 tons; that specimen has since been lost.

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Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

A

fter last year’s minimalist red cup caused a not-so-festive storm, US coffeehouse chain Starbucks has opted for a more decorative approach to this year’s Christmas coffee cups.

By choosing several motifs, the company has for the first time abandoned its 24-year-old one-cup campaign approach, Mashable reports.

“This year, […] we decided to do something

in our country, we have a lot to be thankful for,” he said, on the same day that Donald Trump was elected President.

The highly decorative red and white cups were picked from a crowd-

The new Starbucks Christmas coffee cups

ficially hit 25,000 Starbucks US locations in 75 counties Nov. 10.

“We hope that this year’s red holiday cup designs express the shared spirit of the holidays as told by our customers,” said Starbucks’ global chief marketing officer Sharon Rothstein in a press release.

Aside from the 13 cups, the coffee giant would also

Last year’s controversial red cup

This year’s controversial cup

Featuring 13 more traditionally festive designs, the cups were created by 13 women from six countries, including the U.S, Indonesia, Dubai, Canada, Russia and South Korea.

quite different,” said CEO Howard Schultz to a crowd at the official launch in Manhattan on Wednesday.

“With everything that’s going on in the world, and everything that’s going on

Brain Teaser Answer

sourced selection of over 1,000 customer designs on Instagram last year, and of-

be standing by its non-denominational plain red cup.

However, the compa-

ny was already involved in its apparently annual controversy. Its limited-time

only green “unity” cup was criticized for waging war on Christianity and for “political brainwashing” after it appeared Nov. 1.

Some customers were displeased with a new green cup that featured a mosaic of more than 100 people drawn in one continuous stroke. Many took to social media asking why Santa couldn't be featured instead. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a statement that it was meant to create a symbol of unity amid the divided election.

Paintings break records

Answer

1. sky HIGH, HIGH point, HIGH hat, knee HIGH 2. BACK street, fight BACK, BACK pedal, BACK off 3. shoe HORN, French HORN, powder HORN, HORN rims 4. CROWN moulding, CROWN roast, triple CROWN, CROWN jewels

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

A

The Tuesday price of US$66.3 million (about 62 million euros) is the highest ever for De Kooning, who died in 1997

large painting by Willem de Kooning was sold for more than USD$66 million at an auction in New York, setting a new record for the expressionist artist.

The anonymous buyer placed his bid in a phone call.

De Kooning's "Untitled XXV"

measures 1.96 meters by 2.24 meters (roughly 6.4 feet by 7.4 feet) and was painted by the Dutch-American artist in 1977.

The Christie's auction house did not reveal the name of the buyer who bought the work Tuesday.

The firm initially valued the

"Girls on the Bridge" (1902) by Edvard Munch (1863-1944)

painting at USD$40 million (37 million euros), saying that it comes from the most successful creative period for the abstract artist and was inspired by landscapes around his home in Louse Point in Springs, New York.

Meanwhile, an Edvard Munch painting sold for more than USD $54 million when it was auctioned

by Sotheby's in New York Monday.

The painting "Girls on the Bridge" has become the Norwegian painter’s second-most expensive painting ever sold, after his now iconic “The Scream” which was sold in 2012 for some USD$119.2 million.

Then on Wednesday, a Claude Monet painting, the 1891 “Meule,” fetched a record USD $81.4M in NY Cafter a 14-minute bidding war at a Christie’s auction.

Christie’s set auction records for two major artists on Wednesday -- Monet and Wassily Kandinsky whose 1935 abstract composition “Rigide et courbe" fetched $23.3 million.

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Fun Times

Archie

ARIES Go over personal papers (March 21- and change anything that is April 19) outdated. Sharing information with an old friend or colleague will result in an interesting prospect. Financial gains are apparent.

The changes you make TAURUS will upset someone close (April 20- to you. Discuss your plans May 20) and make adjustments that will help you keep the peace and win support and favors.

Romance is highlighted.

Domestic issues are best GEMINI handled with diplomacy.

(May 21Recognize what others are goJune 20) ing through before you make assumptions. Honest discussions will help clear up any misconceptions that develop.

Attending an industry CANCER event or pursuing a job offer (June 21- will help you decide whether July 22) to stay put or make a move.

Choose personal satisfaction, not making more money, as the determining factor.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Take the high road, no matter what it is you do.

Your words will resonate with someone who can help you reach your objective. Put your plans into motion and reap the rewards.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Good things come to those willing to take action. Refuse to let anyone tie up your time or hold you back. If you want something, take the initiative and pursue your dreams.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Someone you have helped in the past will now offer you aid. If you call in favors, you will be able to make positive adjustments to your lifestyle.

Be true to yourself and SCORPIO live your dream. It’s up to (Oct. 24- you to choose what’s best.

Nov. 22) Don’t feel guilty saying no to someone putting unreasonable pressure on you.

Taking a day trip or parSAGITTARIUS ticipating in a community (Nov. 23event, conference or trade Dec. 21) show will spark your imagination and help you make decisions that will improve your life.

Calvin and Hobbes

A relationship will need CAPRICORN a minor adjustment. Check (Dec. 22- out your options and make Jan. 19) suggestions based on experience. Simple plans will get the best results.

Do something nice for AQUARIUS someone you care about.

(Jan. 20- Taking the time to tailor Feb. 19) positive changes to fit someone else’s schedule or lifestyle will result in rewards.

Stay focused on honing PISCES your skills and keeping up (Feb. 20with the latest trends and Mar. 20) technology. Avoid dealing with people who don’t share your beliefs. Travel and communication will present problems.