Sunday Magazine - Sunday, January 20, 2019

January 20, 2019

Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife Tahira Kashyap shaves head after cancer diagnosis Page 14

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…Karen tells her story

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

C

ervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 570,000 new cases in 2018 representing 6.6% of all female cancers.

Approximately 90% of deaths from cervical cancer occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

The high mortality rate from cervical cancer globally could be reduced through a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, early diagnosis, effective screening and treatment programmes. There are currently vaccines that protect against common cancer-causing types of human papilloma virus and can significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer.

Early diagnosis

Particularly in countries where screening programmes are not available, diagnosing cervical cancer at an early stage and providing access to effective treatment can significantly improve the likelihood of survival. Currently, in many low resource settings, the disease is often not identified until it is further advanced or treatment is inaccessible resulting in a higher rate of death from cervical cancer.

Understanding and detecting symptoms of cervical cancer can assist with early diagnosis.

Symptoms of cervical cancer tend may include: irregular, intermenstrual (between periods) or abnormal vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse; back, leg or pelvic pain; fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite; vaginal discomfort or odourous discharge; and a single swollen leg. More severe symptoms may arise at advanced stages. WHO Package of essential noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary health care in lowresource settings has guidance on the approach to assessment and referral for women with suspected cervical cancer in the primary care setting.

Screening

Screening aims to detect precancerous changes, which, if not treated, may lead to cancer. Women who are found to have abnormalities on screening need follow-up, diagnosis and treatment, in order to prevent the development of cancer or to treat cancer at an early stage.

WHO has reviewed the evidence regarding the possible modalities to screen for cervical cancer and has concluded that: should • screening be performed at least once for every woman in the target age group (30-49 years) when it is most beneficial; • HPV testing, cytology and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) are all recommended screening tests; • cryotherapy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) can provide effective and appropriate treatment for the majority of women who screen positive for cervical precancer; • “screen-and-treat” and “screen, diagnose and treat” are both valuable approaches.

Regardless of the approach used, the key to an effective programme is to reach the largest proportion of women at risk with quality screening and treatment. Organized screening programmes designed to reach most women at risk are preferable to opportunistic screening.

Comprehensive approach to cervical cancer

WHO recommends a comprehensive approach to cervical cancer prevention and control that includes multi-disciplinary interventions across the life course. Community education, social mobilization, vaccination, screening, treatment and palliative care are needed to improve cervical cancer control.

Almost all of cervical cancer deaths could be avoided if known effective interventions were available to all women and implemented, including immunizing adolescent girls against human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical screening and treatment of pre-cancerous lesions.

To build on what exists and enhance progress, 7 UN agencies under the United Nations Task Force on NCDs have established a Joint Programme to prevent and control cervical cancer to provide global leadership and technical assistance to support governments and the partners build and sustain programmes.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral infection of the reproductive tract. Most sexually active women and men will be infected at some point in their lives and some may be repeatedly infected.

The peak time for acquiring infection for both women and men is shortly after becoming sexually active. HPV is sexually transmitted, but penetrative sex is not required for transmission. Skin-to-skin genital contact is a wellrecognized mode of transmission.

There are many types of HPV, and many do not cause problems. HPV infections usually clear up without any intervention within a few months after acquisition, and about 90% clear within 2 years. A small proportion of infections with certain types of HPV can

persist and progress to cancer.

Cervical cancer is by far the most common HPVrelated disease. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be attributable to HPV infection.

Though data on anogenital cancers other than cancer of the cervix are limited, there is an increasing body of evidence linking

HPV with cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina, and penis. Although these cancers are less frequent than cancer of the cervix, their association with HPV make them potentially preventable using similar primary prevention strategies as those for cervical cancer.

Non-cancer causing types of HPV (especially types 6 and 11) can cause

genital warts and respiratory papillomatosis (a disease in which tumours grow in the air passages leading from the nose and mouth into the lungs). Although these conditions very rarely result in death, they may cause significant occurrence of disease. Genital warts are very common and highly infectious. (World

Health Organisation)

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

…Karen tells her story

K

aren MohammedDias is a survivor. Although she questions the word and its meaning in her situation, she is nevertheless a survivor. She was diagnosed with Stage 1B1 Cervical Cancer in 2018 and because of its early detection, she was able to have surgery and successfully remove her cancerous cervix.

To this day, five months after her surgery, she is still grappling with the fact that she may never see a child of her own and if she had asked more questions, then maybe it could have saved her some trouble. She is slowly accepting that she may never know the answers to those questions and is forging ahead.

Looking back on her journey, Karen said that she has always worked hard to ensure that she could afford the best possible care whenever she fell ill. That meant that she would be visiting the best of the best private doctors to ensure that they have all the answers to her questions. However, as she found out that was just a figment of her imagination.

She chronicled her journey pre cancer to post cancer and this is part of what she wrote: “In 2009/2010 or thereabout, I visited a private gynaecologist with the complaint of irregular periods – once every 3-4 months, as far as memory serves. I was then gently informed that I had what is called ‘Imbalanced Hormones’ and was written a prescription for Mircogynon (an oral birth control pill). It sounded odd, as I wasn’t told how contraceptives were going to help me with this kind of issue. However, I accepted and left, because I paid and expected him to know what he was doing. It worked!

I was happy. I felt normal again. Without questions, I used the pills for approximately 8-9 years.

“In 2017 while still taking the pills, my period came twice in one month. That confused me a bit since the birth control pills are meant to regulate your cycle (as I now understood). I went to the pharmacist and asked for something to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, she advised me to go do an ultrasound instead, to ensure it wasn’t the cause of something more serious. I subsequently visited Eureka (Medical Laboratory) to have my ultrasound done, and found out I had a condition known as PCOS – polycystic ovarian syndrome – where you ovulate a lot less.

“Upon advice at home, I sought a second opinion. Of course I’m going to go to a private doctor, this

sounds serious, I remembered thinking. Here we are at doctor number two, who took me off of the birth control pills and told me to return when my period does.

I bounced in there three months after, all happy that progress was made, only to be sent to do all sorts of blood tests and ultrasounds – this was not cheap, but necessary, I reminded myself. I did all that was required of me, to come back to the conclusion that I had PCOS. “I was placed on Metformin – a known diabetic medication, Metformin likely plays its role in improving ovulation induction in women with PCOS through a variety of actions, including reducing insulin levels and altering the effect of insulin on ovarian androgen. (I only know this because this time I researched). So, I’ve accepted that when I’m ready to have a child, it won’t be easy, I knew that much. I walked away with my meds, but with no deadline on when to quit these.

“My cycle became regular with the use of Metformin, I’m happy again. It was time my husband and I thought of starting a family. I needed a gynaecologist I was comfortable with, happy with. I was out of options, as you hear horror stories when you ask for opinions.

“In May 2018 after my birthday, I decided to find myself a doctor, seriously this time. I wasn’t getting younger. My cousin recommended her gynaecologist to me, said she was pleased

with him during her pregnancy.

“Day one, I explained my known history to him, and I told him I was there to see if the PCOS was gone, and wondered what my next step was for starting a family. He advised the discontinuation of the Metformin, and encouraged weight loss.

I was instructed to get undressed behind the wall, for a physical examination.

At that point, I was asked one question, ‘have you ever done a pap smear?’ Answer, ‘No.’ “He didn’t seem too pleased. Upon visual observation, I was told that I had a mass in my cervix and he wanted to do a biopsy to ensure it was non-cancerous.

He did say I didn’t have to take his word for it, that I should get a second opinion if I wanted to. Prior to that, I was instructed to return with my husband to discuss this before making arrangements to have a biopsy done. Within the following week, the biopsy was performed, and the results were out the next.

“My husband and I returned to the doctor number three; unfortunately, it’s what we feared – cancer. He advised me of all the possible treatments and operations, but admitted that he needed to hand the case over to the oncology department at GPHC [Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation], as it was then a case he no longer had control over.

“As my husband and I were clueless as to our whereabouts at GPHC, my gynaecologist volunteered meeting the oncologist-gyn-

aecologist with us. After reviewing all tests and results, I was again physically examined. I was sent to do blood tests, a chest x-ray, and a CT scan; to determine whether the cancer has spread, and size of the tumour. Thankfully, it had not metastasised and was just confined to the cervix – early, but not that early to avoid what had to happen next.

“I was advised I’d have to have a radical hysterectomy done where the surgeon takes out the uterus and the ligaments (tissue fibres) that hold it in place. The cervix and an inch or two of the vagina around the cervix are also removed. ‘But, can’t we take the cervix out and try to have a child, and then we do the hysterectomy?’ I asked. I was told this was possible but if I did and needed radiation after, I’ll no longer be fertile.

“My procedure was scheduled for two months after, as I needed to wait until an oncologist specialist would have been visiting GPHC – apparently this

happens every few months.

I had two months to deal with the acceptance of the present, what my life will be like after a hysterectomy, what it meant, and long-term side effects. Everything I could possibly find to educate myself, I read. The surgery was done successfully.

“Ladies, use my lifethreatening scenario, to avoid this happening to you. Ask as many questions as you need to. There are no stupid questions. If you don’t know what to ask, suggest some close relative or friend to go to your doctor’s visit with you.”

Karen advises that every woman get their yearly check-ups and young girls be afforded the opportunity to get the HPV vaccine which she could not have gotten.

At 29 and almost four years into her marriage, there are now complications because of her not being able to conceive. She says she is thankful for the support of her husband and those around her during her illness and the continued support, as she is still doing everything to ensure that she is in complete remission.

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Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Cancer Awareness

F

By Lakhram Bhagirat

or every parent the most gut-wrenching thing for them to do is to sit helplessly and watch their little boy or girl suffer the horrors of a treatment just so that they can have another chance at life.

Another chance to be normal, pain-free and just another chance to be what they are – a child.

I cannot begin to imagine what a parent goes through after that doctor tells them that their baby, no matter the age, has an illness that may take them away forever. I respect their

courage to stand by their child as they go through the motions, many times no knowing the outcome. If they are religious, all they can do is pray while their child fights and if they are not, then they find faith in the thought that tomorrow brings a new dawn.

Right now, Shazella Mendonca and her family are clinching every piece of hope they can as they pray for her daughter, Sharezer, to be given a new lease on life. Sharezer is only six years old and unlike most six year olds, she is not be-

ing afforded the opportunity to run in the yard, play with her two younger brothers or be cuddled by mommy and daddy. Rather she is in the Intensive Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital, hooked up to a life support machine battling real hard for another chance.

About three weeks ago, she was diagnosed with leukaemia and ever since then, she has been in the hospital receiving treatment, eventually losing consciousness.

Shazella tells me that her daughter was always full

of life and to see her in that state right now breaks her heart every day.

She has been travelling from their home in Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara three times per day for the past three weeks to be beside her daughter as she prays. It has put a strain on the family’s financial resources, but at this time they are not worried about that, rather they are more concerned about the health of their eldest child.

All they are asking for now is for everyone to offer a little prayer for their baby as she fights the hardest battle in her life. As she is hooked up to the life support machine, they know

that prayers will help as God performs his miracle

to give her another lease on life.

According to the Mayo Clinic, leukaemia is cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. Many types of leukaemia exist. Some forms of leukaemia are more common in children. Other forms of leukaemia occur mostly in adults.

Leukaemia usually involves the white blood cells.

Your white blood cells are potent infection fighters — they normally grow and divide in an orderly way, as your body needs them. But in people with leukaemia, the bone marrow produces abnormal white blood cells, which don't function properly. Treatment for leukaemia can be complex — depending on the type of leukaemia and other factors. But there are strategies and resources that can help to make your treatment successful.

Leukaemia symptoms vary, depending on the type of leukaemia. Common leukaemia signs and symptoms include fever or chills, persistent fatigue, weakness, frequent or severe infections, losing weight without trying, swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen, and easy bleeding or bruising among others.

The treatment of leukaemia includes chemotherapy and radiation, stem cell transplant and biological therapy.

In the case of little Sharezer, her family has no history of cancer and she is the first. Her mother says that the signs and symptoms were not there nor did she know what to look for.

At this time, she is still battling to figure how and why this would happen to her baby.

She noted that it has taken immense strength to wake up every day for the past three weeks, not knowing what it held. She is trying to stay positive, but she is not even remotely prepared for the what-if.

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

T

he Cancer Institute of Guyana (CIG) is a non-profit organisation that has been in operation since 2006 as a result of a project between the Health Ministry and Global Imaging Services Inc. The Institute is touted as a one-stop centre for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of all types of cancer prevalent in Guyana.

The mission of the CIG is to provide evaluation; radiation treatment at a subsidised cost; follow-up services for patients with malignant and certain benign diseases which are performed in accordance with standards of the Health Ministry and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and to improve services by reaching out to individuals in remote villages who have no access to education, screening, and diagnosis.

The CIG has a team of qualified professionals that manage their day-to-day operations.

The Institute offers a wide variety of services which include MRI, mammograms, ultrasounds, x-rays, and bone density testing.

“CIG understands the special needs of people of Guyana and makes these services available to the patients who come through the Ministry of Health at a subsidised rate.

Global Imaging Service and Cancer Institute of Guyana understand and value the need to improve the health of the community it serves, and to this end, we pledge to work with governmental agencies/NGOs and physicians groups to improve health awareness by way of education, screening, diagnosis and treatment,” the CIG says on its website.

In an effort to provide more effective treatment of cervical cancer, the Cancer Institute just last year boosted its cervical treatment services with the procurement of a Brachytherapy machine aimed at significantly reducing the instances of remission.

The treatment of cervical cancer occurs in three stages and includes chemotherapy, external radiation and internal radiation.

The Cancer Institute’s Medical Director, Dr Sian Chakraborthy had said that with the acquisition of the Brachytherapy machine, Guyana was now in compliance with international treatment specifications. He noted that the machine was not only for the treatment of cervical cancer but can be used for a variety of other cancer treatments, adding that the primary focus for now is the treatment of cervical cancer. Brachytherapy or internal radiation is the final part of cervical cancer treatment. The Brachytherapy machine is fully computerised.

According to the Cancer Institute’s figures, the number of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer fluctuates every year. However, most of the time, the diagnosis is made in the final stages of the cancer since most women wait until they are seeing signs and experiencing symptoms before they get checked out.

In 2011, there were 42 cases diagnosed at the Cancer Institute. In 2012, there were 30; 2013 saw 54 new cases; 2014, a total of 41; 2015, a whopping 68; 2016 saw a drop to 55 and ever since the number has been dropping with 50 and 46 in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

The Cancer Institute says that cervical can-

cer is a type that is entirely preventable, and, if prevention fails, it can be completely cured if detected in the early stages. The CIG screens over 1000 women per year for cervical cancer and states that it is the second most common cancer in women in Guyana, adding that it is often detected too late.

Cervical cancer starts in the cells of the cervix, which is the opening leading to a woman’s uterus. When cervical cancer first appears, there are no symptoms and the woman is entirely unaware that a deadly disease process has started in her body. Later, as the cancer grows, there may be pelvic pain and bleeding.

Cervical cancer is entirely preventable, because it is caused by a class of viruses called Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV), and vaccines are available to prevent infection from those viruses. Some types of HPV do not cause any disease; some types may cause non-cancerous warts, and other types result in deadly cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer that is detected early is more likely to be treated successfully. Most guidelines suggest that women begin screening for cervical cancer and precancerous changes at age 21. Screening tests include: A Pap smear test during which your doctor scrapes and brushes cells from your cervix, which are then examined in a lab for abnormalities. A Pap test can detect abnormal cells in the cervix, including cancer cells and cells that show changes that increase the risk of cervical cancer.

HPV DNA test. The HPV DNA test involves

testing cells collected from the cervix for infection with any of the types of HPV that are most likely to lead to cervical cancer. This test may be an option for women age 30 and older, or for younger women with an abnormal Pap test.

Stages of cervical cancer include: * Stage I. Cancer is confined to the cervix. * Stage II. Cancer is present in the cervix and upper portion of the vagina. * Stage III. Cancer has moved to the lower portion of the vagina or internally to the pelvic side wall. * Stage IV. Cancer has spread to nearby organs, such as the bladder or rectum, or it has spread to other areas of the body, such as the lungs, liver or bones.

Early-stage cervical cancer is typically treated with surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy). A hysterectomy can cure earlystage cervical cancer and prevent recurrence.

But removing the uterus makes it impossible to become pregnant.

Simple hysterectomy: The cervix and uterus are removed along with the cancer. A simple hysterectomy is usually an option only in very early-stage cervical cancer.

Radical hysterectomy: The cervix, uterus, part of the vagina and lymph nodes in the area are removed with the cancer.

Minimally invasive surgery may be an option for early-stage cervical cancer.

Surgery that preserves the possibility of becoming pregnant also may be an option, if you have very early-stage cervical cancer without lymph node involvement.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Feature

T

he name Allison Butters-Grant is synonymous with the saying “Guyanese to the bone.”

She was one of Guyana’s most patriotic citizens and though she lived abroad for most of her adult life, she

above all, a quality product that proudly carries the tag line “We eat what we sell”.

She was a trusted colleague, a successful entrepreneur, and an inspiration to many. Butters-Grant had the vision to establish Global

Allison Butters-Grant

never forgot Guyana. Much of the Guyanese population was shocked on January 13 when they heard the news that Butters-Grant lost her battle with cancer.

Butters-Grant was the President and Chief Executive officer of Global Seafood Distributors and died on January 13, 2019 in New Jersey after a brief battle with cancer.

Butters-Grant was a larger-than-life figure, who brought her remarkable passion, experience, and energy to everyone she came in contact with and the multiple organisations she was active in.

Her love for Guyana and her sterling contributions to its development over the years speak volumes about her passion for progress in Guyana on many levels.

Butters-Grant was greatly admired and respected as a female entrepreneur and trailblazer. She infused her company with deeply-held values of integrity, a strong sense of right and wrong, great compassion and loyalty, and a solid commitment to family, staff, community and,

Seafood and with a steady hand, she guided the company from its humble beginnings to a household name for quality seafood products.

Butters-Grant has made an indelible mark on who we are today and we will keep her legacy of great service, personal relationships, and outstanding stewardship alive and well.

“The entire Global Seafood family mourns this loss. On behalf of our management team, employees and family, we extend our deepest thanks for all the kind words and sympathy during these difficult times…With the passing of Allison Butters-Grant, Global Seafood has suffered a major loss. Notwithstanding that loss, the management and staff is confident that her husband and Manager Director Kerwin Grant, who will assume the post of Chief Executive Officer, and the rest of the Global Seafood team will capitalise on the changes and vision that Allison has made and continue to expand, build and bring her vision into realisation. Another hallmark of

Butters-Grant with Guyanese music legend Eddie Grant

GIVING BACK: Allison Butters-Grant presenting Kevin-Gildharie with a sponsorship cheque

her leadership was building a great team to ensure that our guiding principles will remain intact and that our vision to build an unparalleled quality seafood brand will continue,” her company said after her passing.

Global Seafood Distributors is located at the West Ruimveldt Industrial

Site, where they process local fish. Butters-Grant, a Charlestown, Georgetown native, grew up in the fishing industry as her parents were the owners of several shrimping trawlers.

She migrated to the United States in 1986 after completing her education in Guyana and aimed for high-

er learning overseas. She gained a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Accounting and Database Management in 1990 from Essex College of Business, and began blazing the trail.

She spent 29 years in the US before making her way back home to establish her business. She had been blaz-

ing the trail ever since, proving that her method was different. She cared about the community and the overall development of Guyana.

The business community and President David Granger, who himself is battling cancer, have all expressed their sadness at the passing of Butters-Grant.

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 20, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

by

Petamber Persaud

A

lthough the main characters in her five novels are of Chinese ancestry, Jan Lowe Shinebourne, is writing about a Guyanese reality, a Guyanese experience/evolution, a Guyanese sensibility of race and class conflicts, miscegenation, internal and external migration not unlike Roy Heath’s treatment of the urban black reality, not unlike Christopher Nicole’s treatment of the elite white reality, not unlike Sasenarine Persaud’s treatment of the Indian reality, or not unlike Basil Rodrigues’ treatment of the Indigenous sensibility, the ancestors of those peopling our literature having all come to this land by way of the Bering Strait or by way of ships, evolving into a Guyanese sensibility. Shinebourne has taken umbrage with labels depicting her writing as focusing on the Chinese sensibility only because she was born part Chinese.

But it is useful to take into account other parts** of her sensibility/identity – she is also part Indian, born and grew up on a sugar plantation during the colonial days when society was divided by class and race and her early novels focused on ‘the effects of colonialism on Guyana’.

Her first novel, Timepiece, was a first step in this direction, in exploring this theme. In Timepiece, she writes about a young woman, Sandra Yansen, who has grown up in a rural village where she felt rooted in her rural community which she loves. When she leaves school, she moves to the capital Georgetown.

In Georgetown, she feels uprooted and adrift because she has no friends and family there. She does not like the cynicism in people she meets. They have no sense of community, they are not strongly connected to each other like the people in her village, and their relationships are casual and shallow. She cannot root herself in Georgetown. She meets a young man she likes who tells her that Georgetown is dominated by class; his father has suffered because of it. They try but fail to make a strong connection to each other and when he visits her village, he realises they are not compatible. It is a period when people are beginning to emigrate, to escape the political, social and economic instability that is a consequence of the political upheavals the country has been through, which are only hinted at in the novel. All the young people she has met in Georgetown are emigrating but the end of the novel indicates she has no plans to leave, it ends with her strong sense of the unchanging strengths of the rural community she is from.

In her second novel, The Last English Plantation, Shinebourne sets her story in 1956 when the political fractures of the 1960s began to show. This time, she chooses a much younger female protagonist, a 12 year old, June Lehall, as she prepares to venture out of her rural community to go to an urban secondary school. Like Sandra Yansen in Timepiece, she also experiences the culture shock of confronting the intense race and class conflicts that colonialism bred in the country. We see June enter school and getting swept up in the race and class conflicts between her classmates.

Shinebourne’s third novel Chinese Women, deals more openly with the race and class conflict created by colonialism which the narrator, Albert Aziz, a young Muslim Indian, has had to fight

Preserving our literary heritage

against all his life from when he grew up, the son of an Indian overseer, living in the exclusive living quarters among the white expatriates.. He describes how racial segregation and preju-

cure footing in Guyana on a sugar estate, and the price they paid for it, especially the women who struggle to rise above the hardship and humiliation of Indentureship and racism in colonial British Guiana.

Clarice

dice w a s maintained by the expatriate overseers to keep non-whites in their place on the sugar estate. It was a form of apartheid that he feels caused all his suffering So racialised was this system, he has internalised it so deeply he can only see people in racial terms of superiority and inferiority. He falls in love with two Chinese women who he idealises in terms of their race. He believes that Chinese people are better by virtue of being Chinese especially the Chinese girl he meets at school, Alice Wong. He falls in love with her and long after they leave school and he has emigrated to Canada, he continues to carry a torch for her and at the age of 60, he tracks her down to England to propose to her, but she rejects him. The colonial system of a kind of racial apartheid in British Guiana was so extreme and had such a profound impact on the young Muslim, he can only see people’s worth and his in terms of race and in the end, living in a post 9/11 world, he identifies with the Muslim cause and finally turns against the developed First World which he views as the creation of the imperialism and colonialism that cursed his early life growing up on a colonial sugar estate in British Guiana.For Shinebourne, Albert Aziz stands for what happened to Guyana, when it became negatively racialized and stratified.

Shineboune’s fourth novel, The Last Ship, portrays life on a rural colonial sugar estate, this time, in the context of the arrival of Chinese indentured workers. She portrays the arrival of a first generation Chinese woman, Clarice Chung who at the age of 5, travels from Hong Kong to British Guiana on the last ship to bring the Chinese to the colony.

The novel takes us through her life until she dies when she is 65 on the sugar estate where she eventually settled and raised three generations of her family. This novel is not just about Chinese people, it is about the struggle of three generations of a family to find a se-

Chung is a fiercely strong and ambitious woman who exerts her influence mercilessly over her family. Her female descendants find it difficult to follow her example about which they are ambivalent, especially her granddaughter, Joan Wong, who fights against her legacy and tries to escape from it by fleeing to England where she settles down.

The Starapple Tree is Shinebourne’s fifth novel ( soon to be out). It is about an English priest, Father John Martin, who

goes to British Guiana in 1964, to become a vicar at Canefield, a remote sugar estate in Berbice. He is a northerner, from Lancashire, an earthy, plain-spoken man and a deeply committed priest but he arrives at a very difficult time in the country’s history. The country, once a British colony, has embraced socialism and is turning its back on Britain and its colonial influence. The British are leaving and the infrastructure they created is collapsing. Father John is not fully aware of the implications of this for his mission. In this sense, he is an innocent abroad. He has come to Canefield to promote Christian love and community but discovers that the population is partly Hindu Indian and African whose preference is for ecstatic religions with its roots in African dance traditions. They present him with difficult challenges he struggles to overcome. The best reception he gets is from a group of boys who like to visit him by climbing up the starapple tree that grows against his veranda. He struggles to find friendship and acceptance in the wider community and eventually, this leads to misunderstanding and disaster for him when they seem to reject him, and cause him to return to England with a sense of failure and disappointment.

And there is more flowing from her pen…. *The above information supplied

by Shinebourne. **Shinebourne won the Guyana Prize for Literature in its inaugural year, 1987. All her novels are set in Guyana.

She is also a writer of short fiction. Her other book is ‘The Godmother and Other Stories’. While in Guyana, she was a part of a rich literary tradition that included a magazine, ‘Expression’, many libraries, many bookstores, and other writers/ enablers like Brian Chan, John Agard, Mark McWatt, Terence Roberts, Milton Drepaul, N. D. Williams, Victor Ramraj.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 20, 2019

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Travel and Tourism

T

he Amerindian community of Wakapoa is located in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). It is home to over 3,000 natives and is about 35 miles by river from Charity, a small township.

Travelling to Wakapoa begins with an exciting speedboat ride from Charity down the Pomeroon River. As the boat meanders its ways along the Pomeroon River, tourists can enjoy basking in the fresh, cool air while observing the breath-taking nature scenes.

Then through bowing trees, about nine miles along the creek, Wakapoa appears. Upon ar-

rival, visitors are left in awe of the silk cotton tree, one of the Wakapoa’s landmarks, that stands majestically at the entrance of the village.

The community of Wakapoa is said to be made up of several islands on which the residents, who are of Carib, Warrau and Arawak ancestry, live. Most are farmers cultivating cassava, plantain, eddoes and coconuts to sell at the Pomeroon and Charity markets.

(Photos compliments of Wakapoa Faceboon Page)

Pure bliss

Sun setting over Wakapoa Village

About to take a plunge

Wakapoa Primary and Secondary schools

The FEVER Stone located at Moraro, Wakapoa it is believed that if one tries to move this stone he/she will come down with an unbearable fever

Wakapoa kids helping to 'scrape' cassava, one of the first stages in the process of making cassava bread.

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By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

our years ago, Pooran Seeraj was the hottest name on the local Chutney scene after having being crowned the Chutney King, but since then, he has been notably absent; how-

ever, now he is back and, boy, is he back with a vengeance. He is back to reclaim his spot as the king with his brand new song “GT Ladki” and renewed knowledge from India.

The 39-year-old father of three grew up in Bath Settlement on the West Coast of Berbice in humble circumstances. Looking back at his childhood, Pooran says that his father worked as a cane cutter while his mother stayed at home to take care of the family.

He was always pushed

JANUARY 20, 2019

to achieve greater things and focused on gaining an education that would position him to provide a better life for his family when the time came. He attended the Bath Primary School and later the New Amsterdam Secondary where he sat and passed seven subjects at CXC. With very little opportunities for employment in Berbice, Pooran moved to Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara and gained employment with a manufacturing company.

He then applied for a scholarship at GuySuCo. “At the age of 17, I was employed by the LBI Estate, GuySuCo, as a Trainee Field Foreman. In 1999, I secured a scholarship to GSA [Guyana School of Agriculture] and graduated in 2001 with a Diploma in Agriculture. After graduation, I returned to my job and eventually began having a family of my own. I became the father of my first daughter, Simran Seeraj, at the age of 21. I then secured my second scholarship to read for my Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture at the University of Guyana in 2003. Unfortunately, my family life fell apart a few months before my graduation in 2006,” he said.

Three years later, Pooran would get married again to his current wife, Sonia, and they now have two children. In 2016, he secured another scholarship, but this time it meant moving

Sunday Times Magazine

9

out of the country. He left for New Delhi, India where he acquired his Master’s Degree in Agricultural Physics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in July 2018.

He returned home and is presently an Agriculture Research Scientist with the Guyana Rice Development

Guyana in 2014 with the entry “Under The Maarow”.

I also secured the first runner-up spot in 2016. I have recorded more than 50 songs to date which includes Chutney, Bollywood and English. Most of my recordings were done by Avinash Roopchan of Shakti Strings Studio. I am contesting in

He noted that one of the greatest challenges as a Guyanese musician is the lack of copyright laws. This makes it very difficult for an artiste to earn the fruits of his/her honest labour in the music industry. He explains that artistes have to spend their own money to produce music and get lit-

Board’s Research Station.

Tracing his music career, Pooran notes that music serves as the outlet for him to express his innermost feelings. After he separated from his first wife in 2006, he turned to music and joined the Shakti Strings Band in 2008.

“I contested in the Mashramani Chutney Competition on four occasions without placing.

However, I was crowned as the Chutney King of

the 2019 Chutney Singing Competition once again after studying abroad for two years. The title of my song is “GT Ladki”,” he said.

“I honestly feel that music allows us to express ourselves in a different way than just making a verbal statement. I think that statements through mere words are often forgotten after a very short period; on the other hand, musical expressions make a stronger impression.”

tle or no returns on investment owing to lack of copyright laws.

He said that he was forever thankful to all of those people who helped him throughout his musical career, particularly his family and the Shakti Strings family. He is ready to take the stage in the Mashramani 2019 Chutney Competition, where he intends to cement his place once again as KING!

10 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 20, 2019

Fashion

From rags to …

By Lakhram Bhagirat

O

ur obstacles in life should not determine how far we go; they should not limit our growth, rather when we are faced with them, we should find other avenues of overcoming them. Whether it is by confronting them head on or going around them, we must use every possible avenue to ensure that we achieve whatever we want so when we look back we can say, “I made it.”

The drive to achieve his dreams and be successful is what led Ravi Latchman to do all that was possible to get where he is today.

At 25, Ravi is a successful businessman offering the Guyanese people and even those further afield a wide variety of Indian clothing and accessories at unbelievably affordable prices.

However, the ride to get to where he is today is nothing short of inspiring.

Ravi hails from the West Coast Berbice community of Bath Settlement and is the owner of Colours of India Clothing and Accessories Store. He is one of the goto suppliers of Indian clothing and accessories in Guyana with a customer base that spans the length and breadth of the country.

His customers would travel from as far as the Essequibo Coast to Bath Settlement just for him to supply them with their desired clothing and accessories.

He is considered the Indian bride whisperer since no bride-to-be leaves his store disappointed or empty handed. The variety that he stocks is expansive and caters to every budget.

Knowing the struggles involved, Ravi would quite often scale back his prices significantly so that his customers can get their desired look without breaking the bank.

Ravi has not always been able to help those who would need it, since quite often he was in a position of needing help himself. His childhood was one that involved him being raised by his elderly grandparents while his parents and two younger brothers migrated to the twin-is-

land republic of Trinidad and Tobago in search of a better life. His late grandparents showered him with immense love and supported his endeavours to the best of their abilities.

Being a little boy growing up with elderly grandparents meant that Ravi could have easily overruled them, and he took advantage of that fact quite often, since he would spend countless afternoons playing with his friends.

“My grandparents had a small grocery shop and a little chicken depot.

Sometimes I used to steal the powder milk and sugar to make fudge. I would also take chicken leg and we would have ‘bush cook’ too,” he reminisced.

In exchange for doing as he wished, Ravi was tasked with making sure that he excelled in school, and that was something he did not take lightly. He was quite often referred to as the class nerd and when he gradu-

ated from Bath Primary School, he gained a place at the Berbice High School but only briefly attended there. Wanting a challenge, he enrolled at the Academy of Apex Education on the East Coast of Demerara, where he continued to be challenged. After sitting the CXC Examinations, he gained 13 passes, but unlike many students, Ravi was working with Qualfon while attending school because of the financial constraints.

Armed with the dream of becoming a doctor, R a v i

moved b a c k to Berbice with his grandparents and his parents moved back from Trinidad. Shortly after, his grandfather passed away.

“My family was not financially stable to help me fulfil my dreams of becoming the doctor I wanted to become.

I was frustrated. I didn’t know what to do. I finally made a move to Trinidad; I was 18 at the time. I moved over and it was not easy. I did many different jobs

like my very first job was working in a mattress factory, then I was a kitchen assistant. I was a bartender/ waiter. I did carpentry, catering and even accounting,” he related.

He would live in Trinidad for a total of five years and remembers working 20-hour shifts just to make ends meet. The struggle was so real that Ravi slept on the floor of his apartment for over one year while making other sacrifices to ensure that the majority of his money was remitted to Guyana so that his family could have a better life.

“My life wasn’t easy, but I reaped the benefits after years. I eventually furnished my apartment after my ajie (paternal grandmother) said she wanted to come and see me, because I did not want my family back home to know what I was going through.”

As time passed, so did Ravi’s dream of becoming a doctor. Reminiscing on how he started Colours of India, Ravi says one day he was scrolling through Facebook when he received a message from someone in India asking if he was interested in being business with her.

He related that to his family who were all sceptical, but it was a risk he took and in the end it paid off.

In October 2014, he received his first shipment from India and from then, he started selling Indian clothing and accessories. In March 2016, he decided to move back home to concentrate on building his brand.

“It was not an easy task at all, because of all the other competitors it have around. My greatest sup-

port is my family and I can always rely on t h e m for anything.

Colours of India grew, because I put all my spare time into advertising my business. Sleepless nights also when it is time to order goods from my manufacturers because to the difference in time between Guyana and India.”

Just a few weeks ago, Ravi remodelled his store to make it more

spacious offering a wide variety of items. He has one of the largest collections of bridal lehengas, accessories, saris, and

male

Indian w e a r .

Over t h e

next five years, he intends to open at least two more stores to reach more people.

“The advice I would give to anyone who wants to start a business is to always put God first, always smile.

Have patience, don’t be jealous and don’t ever give up no matter how rough that road maybe. It have people in our lives that would

m a k e us rise and some that want to pull you down.

Never let the ones that want to pull you down succeed.”

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 20, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

D o s a (crispy, savory pancakes) from South India is a staple food in its home region. It is delicious and can be served with a wide variety of sides.

Today we will show you how to make the popular dosa and sambar along with a variety of chutneys.

• 3/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds • Salt (to taste) • Vegetable / canola / sunflower cooking oil

Ingredients • 3 cups rice • 1 cup urad daal (split, skinless black lentil) Directions 1. Wash rice and lentils well.

Add fenugreek seeds to lentils and rice and soak with water overnight.

After soaking drain mixture, place in food processor and grind adding very little water if necessary. Mixture should be smooth yet slightly grainy.

2. After grinding, place mixture in a large bowl and add enough water to make a batter that

should thickly coat a spoon when dipped in it. Season with salt and leave to ferment for 6-8 hours or overnight.

3. Heat large skillet or tawa, brush with oil and ladle batter in the center of skillet on medium heat.

Use spatula and spread batter thinly in pan. When fully cooked roll dosa into cylinder and brush with butter or ghee.

Swap your soap Smart cleaning starts before you pick up a scrub brush. Keep your shower walls and floor looking shinier longer by stocking the bath with glycerin- or vegetable oil-based soaps. These soaps rinse cleaner than traditional tallow-based soaps, which can leave white, gummy soap scum crusted on your shower walls.

Shut off your phone Set your phone to vibrate, shut down the computer, keep the TV off, and save detailed projects, like organizing the linen closet for another time.

Ingredients 1 cup yellow lentils (arhar or toover daal) 1 Tbsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 3 Tbsp sambar masala 3 Tbsp tamarind pulp or 1 tsp tamarind concentrate • 2 tsp mustard seeds • 7-8 leaves of curry leaves • 2-3 whole dry red peppers • 1 cup mixed vegetables, cut into approx.1 • 1 big onion, cut into quarters • 2 Tbsp oil • 1 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves to garnish.

• • • • •

How to Make Sambar Cook daal with salt, till absolutely tender, no grains remain. Add sambar masala, sugar and vegetables, including the onions, and cook till the vegetables are tender, and add tamarind. Heat oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the whole red peppers and the curry leaves.

Turn around 2-3 times, then add the daal mixture. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 5 minutes, Serve hot garnished with the coriander leaves.

Ingredients • 1 lb Tomatoes (chopped), blanched • 1 Cup Onions, chopped • 2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste • 2 tbsp Sugar • 1 tsp Salt • 1 tsp Chilli powder • 1 tsp Garam masala • 2 tbsp Vinegar • 2 tbsp Oil

Direction Heat some oil, add onions and ginger-garlic paste to it and cook till they brown. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, chilli powder and garam masala and cook to a thick consistency. Add vinegar and simmer for about 5 minutes.

chillies (roasted on Ingredients direct fire) • 1/2 cup of • 1 tsp cumin mangoes (raw) cut seeds into small pieces • Salt to taste • 1 cup grated • Coconut oil coconut • 4 Smoked red Instructions Grind all the ingredients except oil to a coarse paste. While grinding mangoes should be added last. Add coconut oil and serve.

Do the easy stuff first Start simple: Spiff up a few low-traffic rooms quickly and easily, so that you’re motivated to tackle bigger cleaning tasks in high-traffic areas like the kitchen and bathrooms.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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Puzzles

1

6

11

16

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

31

33

35

36 37 38

39

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42

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53

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55 56

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61 62

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71 72

74 75 78 79 80

84

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87

88

89

90

91

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93 95

ACROSS

96 Mountainside debris

97 Boom-box issue

98 Kenyan pastoral people 99 Handled roughly

100 Dice game

101 Mirages, maybe

102 Indigo plants

104 Each one

105 Mr. Goldfinger

106 Pamphlet

109 DEA agents

110 Get to know

111 Keeps bouncing back (hyph.)

115 "Lady Love" singer Lou 116 Depose

117 Notch shape

118 Urban grid

119 Pier

121 Giant-ant horror film

123 Half the checkers

125 Can. region

126 Pigeon coops

127 More or less

128 Violin holders

129 Collapses

130 Not make the grade

131 Responsible

132 Hwys.

133 Beefy

Countess's husband

1 Rougher

2 Mouths, in zoology

3 Viking letters

4 Ocean predator 5 Razor-sharp

6 Bear's pad

7 Bogs

8 Judicial order

9 Middle Ages quaff 10 Crawford's ex

11 Stops 12 Enjoy a hammock 13

Wkly. publications

14 Rooney and Warhol

15 Hi-fi records 16 Savage

17 Ostrich look-alike

18 Touches 19

Talent

20 Con

30 Frontier figure

32 Fish-eye, e.g.

34 Sentry's command

37 Pharaoh's amulet

38 Hideaway (hyph.)

39 Dilapidated

41 Not here

42 Rock

43 Coup plotters 44 Avg. size

45 Bumping illegally

46 Ember

47

Gunslingers' choice -- spumante Pluck Caesar's month Sheer fabric Turf grabber Company benefit (2 wds.)

Loafer insert Sidekick Livy's bear End of a threat Suit piece Dwelled Flora's sci.

A Ponderosa son "La Traviata" writer Like ikebana Squashed circles Clementine's dad Silver bar Very light wood Sponsorship Walking -- -Clinic staffer Vows venue Lovers' meeting Email option Flared, as a skirt Kills a dragon DOWN Lasting impressions Vinegar bottle Harder to find Words without gender specificity Avoids Jots down Galley slaves' need My mind -- -- blank In private Manors Like John Wayne Miscellanies Army address Germ killer

48 Newsstand buys

50 Fur

51 Gladiator's hello

52 Use a loom

54 Made a wrong move

55 Units of force

56 Giant great Mel - 58 Lb. and oz.

59 Processed ore

60 Sudden shocks

63 Elbow grease

64 "Saving Private --"

65 Eating places

66 Pasternak woman

68 Zodiac beast

69 Throng

70 Up -- -- (stumped) 72 Ushers' quests

73 Wards off

74

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- RECITED (RECITED: rih-SITE-ed: Repeated or uttered aloud.)

Average mark 28 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 38 or more words in RECITED?

reed retie rice ride rite edict edit eider erect cede

cider cire cite credit creed cried iced icer tide tied

tier tire tree trice tried deceit deer deet deice deicer

deter dice dicer diet dieter dire direct dirt

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of "s," such as "bats" or "dies," are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a "d" or an "s" may not be used. For example, if "bake" is used, "baked" or "bakes" are not allowed, but "bake" and "baking" are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

Reality Waited awhile Untrusting Fish-eating eagles Looks high and low New York waterway (2 wds.)

Vast expanses Sounds hoarse Ricelike pasta Frat-party orders Happy tunes Toad feature Molokai neighbor Grind, as teeth Bugged off Gauzy-winged insect Major artery Organize Black as night Soda fountain treats

75

76 77

78

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82 83

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90

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94 95

96

97

99

100 Selling Hang-gliding

101 Greenish melons "Look out --!"

103 Din Excessive

104 Golf score Posse's quarry 105 Vim and vigor "The Count of -- Cristo"

106 WWII craft (hyph.)

Cayuse

107 Mars explorer Prince Val's wife

108 Too theatrical Genuine

110 Della's boss Sweet

111 Appraised Tow- -- zone

112 Silt deposit Schoolyard heavy

113 Dryden work Pyramid site

114 Good-hearted people Type of survivor

116 Type of prof Splices 117 Obscure Helen's mother

118 Canseco or Ferrer Fix

120 Fleur-de- -Accompaniment See

122 Forty winks Generally Solution

124 Canine warning White flower on Pg 14

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 20, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

L

G's next smartphone may have you seeing double. And no, it's not because of a foldable display.

The company will launch a smartphone, whose name hasn't been finalized, that will have an option for a second-screen attachment, according to a person familiar

with the situation. The attachment, which the person describes as a sort of case with a screen, could potentially double the total screen size of the device.

It's one of multiple phones launching at the Mobile World Congress trade show next month, the person said.

While the company is mull-

G

oogle is raising the price on its set of office productivity tools by 20 percent.

The company on Tuesday announced the first price increases for two flavors of G Suite, its set of apps that resemble Google Docs and Sheets but are tailored for the office. G Suite Basic Edition is going from $5 per user per month to $6, while G Suite Business Edition will go from $10 per user per month to $12.

It's the first time Google has raised the prices on the two suites. Google said the price of its G Suite Enterprise Edition, which includes lots of enterprise-level administration and management tools, will remain at $25 per month per user.

Productivity packages like G Suite and

ing the G8 name, it's unclear whether the multiple-screen phone will carry the name of its flagship line.

There was some confusion over LG launching a foldable smartphone thanks to a report by Koreanlanguage outlet Naver. But this phone won't fold.

It's unclear how the gimmick will work, but it's certainly different at a time when the company could use different. LG has struggled to stand apart from an increasingly competitive field of smartphone players. While Apple, Huawei and Samsung dominate high-end phone sales and OnePlus and other Chinese makers hit more budget-conscious consumers, LG is caught in the awkward middle. (CNET)

A

in Windows 10. It also allows Microsoft to greatly improve Windows search, away from the Cortana integration, although there might be some confusion around having two separate places for voice and text search on the taskbar. Microsoft has been experimenting with making Windows 10 search more Apple-like previously, and many Windows users have called on the company to implement more reliable and powerful builtin search. One way Microsoft could achieve this is by integrating in custom web queries and automated workflows like Alfred for Mac supports.

There are signs Microsoft is willing to innovate in search for Windows. The software maker unveiled “Microsoft Search” last year, promising that the new service will power search results in Office and Windows.

Microsoft Search is still in the early phases, but apps like Microsoft Teams are showing that a command / search bar -- that allows users to quickly access app features or run commands in apps – is a much-needed feature for Windows. (The Verge)

Microsoft's competitor, 365, generally contain a certain set of applications that nearly every small business needs, such as email, a calendar, word processing and spreadsheets. Others may include a presentation manager, a database or a forms manager.

Google beefed up its offerings in July by adding the ability for companies to choose where their data is physically stored, whether in the United States, Europe or distributed around the globe. Another new feature uses Google's artificial intelligence tools to bring grammar suggestions to Google Docs.

AI can also help users write messages and replies.

More than 4 million paying businesses use G Suite, Google has said. (CNET)

Apple’s new battery cases are its most powerful ones yet

pple’s newly launched battery cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max have more battery capacity than any of Apple’s prior cases.

Strictly speaking, the new Apple cases have the lowest mAh rating, at 1,369mAh. But that’s because instead of using a single large cell (like the iPhone 7 battery case’s 2,365mAh battery or the iPhone 6 case’s 1,877mAh), Apple is using two battery cells wired in series, which keeps the net amperage the same but lets it boost the voltage to 8.7V, dramatically higher than the estimated 3.8V that the older cases output power at.

Because of that difference in voltage, it’s better to look at the total power output in Wh (1 Watt = 1 Volt x 1 Amp) for directly comparing the three Apple cases: 10.1 Wh on the new case, compared to 7.13 Wh on

M

icrosoft is making some big changes to Cortana in Windows 10. The software giant is planning to decouple search and Cortana in the Windows 10 taskbar, allowing voice queries to be handled separately to typing in a search box to find documents and files. This change will be implemented in the next major Windows 10 update, currently scheduled for April.

Windows 10 will direct you towards a builtin search experience for text queries, while Cortana will exist for voice queries instead of them both bundled together.

“This will enable each experience to innovate independently to best serve their target audiences and use cases,” explains Dona Sarkar, Microsoft’s Windows Insider chief. “This change is one of several we’ve made throughout this release to improve your experience in this space, including updating the search landing page design, enhancing your search results, and integrating Microsoft To-Do with Cortana.”

While this doesn’t mean Cortana is going away, it does significantly reduce its use

the original iPhone 6 model, and 8.98 Wh on the iPhone 7 version. (For a more detailed breakdown as to why this is a better metric for comparing batteries, check out The Wirecutter’s guide here.) So, at the end of the day, the new cases should supply more power than the old ones did, and do it more efficiently.

We still do not know the battery capacity of the iPhone XR case, but Apple’s battery life estimates suggest it’ll be similar to the XS and XS Max. Apple is claiming up to 75 percent extra usage time for these new battery cases, although we have yet to test those claims. These new battery cases feature physically bigger humps than the previous ones, perhaps due to the extra room needed for wireless charging.

All three cases cost $129 and come in black or white. (The Verge)

I

f the usual cycle holds, it’s going to be a few months before Google is ready to share anything about Android Q. But XDA Developers apparently managed to spend some time with a very early version of Android’s next big update, and although it doesn’t offer the full view, it does provide a look at some of what Google might have planned.

The biggest visual change (for now) is a system-wide dark mode. Android 9 Pie’s “theme” can be changed from light to dark, but it only really applies to the notification shade and the app launcher. XDA’s screenshots suggest that Q will extend dark mode to more places including the settings menu, and it might have a setting to force dark mode even in apps that lack a built-in version of it.

Google is also continuing to bolster user privacy. After implementing stricter rules around things like camera / microphone ac-

cess and background apps in recent Android releases, it looks like the company will add a new “allow only while the app is in use” permission. Currently, Android Pie offers just an on or off toggle for sensitive permissions like location, so adding more flexibility is a good move since some apps won’t work if a permission is disabled entirely.

Those are the major highlights, but XDA Developers also sees hints that Google is working on its own desktop / external display mode similar to Samsung’s DeX. There’s also a developer setting for builtin screen recording, but that’s not yet fully working in this early build of the OS. Google unveiled some of Android 9 Pie’s major new features back in May of last year, so you can expect to hear more about Q and whatever new functionality it will bring around that time. Both Android Oreo and Android Pie were released in August after a few months of beta testing. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 20, 2019

Bollywood/Hollywood

F

or her role as a woman from 1970s’ Chambal, living and surviving the badlands amidst bloodythirsty dacoits, in the upcoming film Sonchiriya, actor Bhumi Pednekar says she cut off from the world at large.

The actor, known for her work in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, is looking forward to the release of her fourth film (Sonchiriya), directed by Abhishek Chaubey.

Talking about what went into tapping in the mind and soul of her character, Bhumi said in a statement to IANS: “Acting for me is a process of metamorphosis. It’s about forgetting who I’m and becoming someone entirely new.

“Every artiste has his or her method and every character requires a different approach and for Sonchiriya, I required isolation. I took to a single-minded approach that saw me cut off from the world at large

and be with my character to understand the mind, psyche and behaviour of who I’m becoming.”

The only people she met during this period was her immediate family. Calling herself a “restless actor”, Bhumi added: “Until and unless I find the person I’m looking to become, I don’t find my peace.

I decluttered myself and lived with my character for about 30 days.

“I had to unlearn so much to learn the most about her.

I stayed at home, researched as much as I could and had basic human interaction with my family before I boarded my flight to reach Chambal. It’s tough disconnecting from the people you love, the Internet and life. But it was the only way to do it.”

After her preparation, she lived in Chambal for a week prior to the commencing of the shoot to get familiar with the terrain. (Hindustan Times)

A

ctor Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife and filmmaker Tahira Kashyap has shared new pictures on social media that show her with her head shaved. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Tahira wrote in her post that she took the step after hair extensions got too irritating for her to manage. “Hello world! That’s a new me with the old self! Was getting tired of the extensions, so this is how it is and it’s so liberating in every sense of the word, so much so that I don’t have to duck the shower while bathing or while picking up the soap! I never thought I would go bald, was stretching my time with the good ol’ cap for too long. But this feels so good #breastcancerawareness #baldisbeautiful #selflovenomatterwhat,” she captioned the pictures. In the photos, she is seen striking a stylish pose in a blue T-shirt and big sunglasses.

Ayushmann re-tweeted Tahira’s pho-

tograph and called her a “hottie”. Actor Deepika Padukone retweeted her, calling the picture ‘hot’. Actor Kubbra Sait of Sacred Games commented, “You shining star! Light up the way.”

On September 22 last year, Tahira shared online that she was detected with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in her right breast with high grade malignant cells.

She returned to work after mastectomy in November.

In an earlier interview with IANS, Ayushmann, who has two children with Tahira -- Virajveer and Varushka, said: “I am glad I have a partner like Tahira who is very brave, strong, who is an inspiration. I have started seeing life through a different prism. I was giving her my time, of course.

In the morning I was promoting my films, in the nights I was with her in the hospital... It is not easy.” (Hindustan Times)

A

ctor Ranveer Singh has carved his own big space in Bollywood with big hits and acclaimed performances. He is also one of the most adored celebrities of the nation for his cool and chilled out attitude. On the surface, it may seem like there is nothing that can bother Ranveer or bring him down but it is not the case.

In a recent interview to Filmfare, Ranveer said that though he is never bogged down by mean gossip, there was one rumour that he could not shake off. “There were rumours that my father gave Rs 10 lakh to Aditya Chopra, to get me launched. That really hurt me, it brought my whole upbringing into question.

How can you write something

so false that I had never said?

I had genuinely struggled and am proud of what I achieved.

Young actors will message me and ask, ‘Yo bro, I can cough up the money, tell me what I have to do.’ And I have to say that these rumours are not true, stop believing that!”

Crossword Solution

Ranveer made his Bollywood debut under the banner of Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films in 2010’s Band Baaja Baraat. The film was a hit and also starred Anushka Sharma. Since then, Ranveer has worked in films such as Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat.

The actor delivered the biggest solo hit of his career with Simmba, which made Rs 350 crore at the box office. The film was directed by Rohit Shetty and also starred Sara Ali Khan.

Ranveer will now be seen in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy. He will be seen as a rapper from Mumbai who struggles to realise his singing dream under the pressure of his abusive father. It also stars Alia Bhatt and will release on February 14. His other upcoming projects include 1983 and Takht. He will play ace cricketer Kapil Dev in the former and Mughal king Aurangzeb’s brother Dara Shikoh in the latter.

(Hindustan Times)

T

he Recording Academy announced the first group of artists to perform on this year’s 61st annual Grammy Awards: nominees Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Dan + Shay, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Janelle Monáe, and Kacey Musgraves.

The big show will be hosted by Alicia Keys and broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET 5 p.m. PT on Sunday, Feb. 10.

Cabello received two nominations for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Havana [Live]”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (Camila). Cardi B is nominated for Record of the

Year (“I Like It”), Album Of The Year (Invasion Of Privacy), Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Maroon 5 (“Girls Like You”), Best Rap Performance (“Be Careful”), and Best Rap Album (Invasion Of Privacy).

First-time nominees Dan + Shay are up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Tequila”).

First-time nominee Post Malone received four nominations, Record Of The Year (“Rockstar” with 21 Savage), Album Of The Year (Beerbongs & Bentleys), Best Pop Solo Performance (“Better Now”), and Best

Rap/Sung Performance (“Rockstar”).

Mendes, nominated for Song Of The Year (“In My Blood”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (Shawn Mendes), will be making his debut on the Grammy stage, Two-time nominee Monáe is up for Album Of The Year (Dirty Computer) and Best Music Video (“Pynk”).

Musgraves is up for four awards: Album of the Year (Golden Hour), Best Country Solo Performance (“Butterflies”), Best Country Song (“Space Cowboy”), and Best Country Album (Golden Hour). (Page Six)

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 20, 2019

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

You'll have plenty of energy, but if you don't put it to good use, emotional situations will escalate and arguments will prevail. Keep the peace.

Togetherness and taking TAURUS time out to help a close friend (April 20- or relative will do you just as May 20) much good as it will others. If you share your feelings, you'll put others at ease.

GEMINI (MAY 28June 20)

Live and learn. Take part in an event that will enlighten you or give you a different perspective on life and new possibilities. Romance is in the stars.

If you want to make a change, do so for the right (June 21- reasons. Don't let an emoJuly 22) tional whim cause you to overreact or mislead someone counting on you for good advice.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Sign up for something that will get you out of the house.

Taking part in an energetic activity, socializing with friends or spending a romantic day making plans will prove delightful.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Get involved in your community or attend an event that will bring you in contact with people who have something to offer. What you contribute will lead to opportunity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Change should begin with you. Don't waste your time trying to turn someone else into something that he or she will never be. Look inward and make personal adjustments.

Surround yourself with SCORPIO people you enjoy being with.

(Oct. 24- Talks will be revealing and Nov. 22) will point you in a new and unusual direction. Someone with more experience will offer unusual insight.

SAGITTARIUS Home is where the action (Nov. 23- should be. Invite friends over Dec. 21) or start a new project that will add to your comfort. A change will do you good and lead to new endeavors.

Calvin and Hobbes

Don't ignore emotional sitCAPRICORN uations. Recognize what's go(Dec. 22- ing on around you, ask quesJan. 19) tions and find out where you stand. Staying on top of a brewing situation will help deter discord.

Don't be fooled by a job AQUARIUS posting that offers an oppor(Jan. 20- tunity which sounds too good Feb. 19) to be true. Trust in what you do, who you are and how best to use your skills.

Keep your life simple. Too PISCES (Feb. 20- much of anything will lead Mar. 20) to regret. Know when to stop and rethink matters. Much can be accomplished if you surround yourself with the right people.