Sunday Times Magazine

Sunday February 12, 2017

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The Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit A collaboration in research and conservation

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‘Descendants of the Dragon’ Page 5

Land of spectacular waterfalls Page 8

The Dynamic Tassa Troupe Page 15

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Times Feature

By Ann Wood

E

ven before a Valentine’s Day card is opened, an expression of love can be conveyed by the postage stamp placed on the envelope.

‘Love’ stamps are primarily used around Valentine’s Day, but are also used for wedding invitations or anytime you would like to send your love to someone.

Stamp collectors and the public alike eagerly seek out new love stamps for their topical collection.

In the United States, about 190 million Valentine's Day cards are sent each year, not including the hundreds of millions of cards school children exchange.

Beginning in 1973, the United

States Post Office started issuing love stamps, featuring a new design and theme for the year. In response to stamp collectors and the public demand for a new ‘love’ stamp, by the 1980s, larger quantities were issued and for longer periods than any regular U.S. commemorative stamps.

Guyana does not have a yearly issue of love stamps as such; however, the Guyana stamp Scott No. 3249, which features Peter Paul Rubens “Garden of Love” 1610 painting illustrated on Guyana’s 1997 Christmas stamp, is considered a ‘love’ stamp.

Rubens’ celebration of his marriage to Helena Fourment, his second wife, the woman deemed as “the most beautiful in Antwerp”,

is seen in the painting, and the cupids around the group carry symbols of conjugal love and happiness.

Many other countries have issued love stamps for Valentine's Day and collectors will often try to collect covers from romantically named towns. The most well-known, servicing more than 200,000 each year around Valentine's Day, is Loveland, U.S.A. Ann Wood is president of the Guyana Philatelic Society. The members of the Guyana Philatelic Society are people from all walks of life who collect new issues from Guyana to those who have only very limited stamp budgets. But above all, the stamp club offers the

By Edgar Henry

C

St Valentine is believed to have been a priest who was jailed for marrying young couples against the Roman Emperor's wishes

ultural diversity makes a country richer by ensuring an interesting and dynamic social environment. As we celebrate Black History month this February, there is that moment of love and affection expressed on Valentine’s Day nationwide and in many other cultures.

Saint Valentine's

Guyana’s 1997 Christmas stamp, which Peter Paul Rubens’ “Garden of Love” 1610 painting is illustrated, is considered a love stamp

friendship, knowledge and experience of its members who are there to help stamp collectors with advice on all aspects of collecting.

Day, commonly known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated around the world, and remains a working day in most countries.

A brief exploration of the history and characteristics of this special day reveals an interesting combination of religious reverence, reciprocal human quality and commercial capitalization.

At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day. Since that time, the United States and other countries around the world, have engaged in the practice of exchanging greetings among loved ones. These greetings typically include the common symbols of Valentine’s Day: cupid with arrow and bow, hearts, roses, teddy bears, chocolates, heartshaped boxes of candy, flowers, plants, jewellery and all types of gestures, engraved with words of adoration, which personify love at the highest level all in the name of St. Valentine.

We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance and that the rituals of St. Valentine's Day are informed by vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions.

Even though the origin of Valentine’s Day is unclear, it has become one of the most popular holidays among lovers, and from a business perspective and sales escalations florists wear gratifying smiles all day long. Children exchange Valentine’s Day cards decorated with comic and cartoon icons. Adults have continued this tradition of card giving which makes this day, except for Christmas, the second larg-

Visit www.guyanastamps.com for more information on stamp collection.

est card-sending holiday of the year. Additionally, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that Valentine's Day should be recognized as a day for romance.

But who is this mysterious saint and where did these traditions come from? The truth behind the Valentine legends is murky; the stories all emphasize a sympathetic, heroic and most importantly, a puzzling romantic figure.The history of Valentine's Day and the story of its patron Saint are shrouded in mystery.

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. It is believed that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first "Valentine" greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl - possibly his jailor's daughter-who visited him during his confinement. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.

When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

In Great Britain,

Valentine's Day became popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th century, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900, printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy, inexpensive way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one's feelings was discouraged.

Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine's Day greetings. The rise of internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Every year, millions of people use digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons, cartoon characterization or printable greeting cards.

It is estimated that approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually. The manner in which this particular custom has progressed, it behoves the observer to question its lasting authenticity, whether the gestures represent committed love or if it is simply a routine exercise lacking authentic application and significance.

Whether this is fact or fiction, I certainly hope that you experience a splendid Valentine’s Dayon February 14, as we all wish to be desired and to be loved at some point in our lives. (First published in the Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. on-line magazine 2013)

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

A collaboration in research and conservation

By Matt Hallett

T

he Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit (RWRU) is a collaborative effort in research and conservation between myself, a PhD student at the University of Florida (U.S.A.), and a number of indigenous communities, private ranches and protected areas (Kanuku Mountains, Iwokrama) currently ongoing in the Rupununi (Region Nine).

These groups are using camera traps and other tools to understand the distribution, abundance and activity patterns of large mammals – key pieces of information needed for effective management of wildlife. As this information accumulates across time and space, trends related to the impact of factors like habitat type, hunting, logging, and in determining how many large mammals there are, where they live, and how they behave begin to emerge.

Engaging Rupununi stakeholders as equal partners in a shared learning process provides opportunities for training and employment, as well as providing the information needed for sustainable wildlife management. Merging conservation and development objectives allows us to address the needs of both.

Rupununi communities are composed of predominantly indigenous Makushi and Wapishana people, the majority of whom maintain traditional subsistence lifestyles.

The Rupununi is known as the “Land of Giants”, as it is home to healthy populations of large, charismatic species, including the jaguar, giant river otter, lowland tapir, Guianan red howler monkey, giant anteater, giant armadillo, jabiru stork, harpy eagle, black caiman, green anaconda, Amazon giant river turtle, Gladiator treefrog, arapaima, lau lau catfish, goliath birdeating spider, and Amazon water lily. But the biodiversity of the Rupununi is not limited to just the large animals that we are most familiar with. It is home to more than 1,500 species of plants, over 400 species of fish, more than 300 species of reptiles and amphibians, over 400 bird species, more than 150 mammals, hundreds of thousands of species of insects, and many more waiting to be discovered.

Wildlife Research

The Rupununi region of Guyana hosts healthy populations of a diverse set of species, large tracts of undeveloped and intact Neotropical forests, rivers, wetlands and savannas, and low-density human populations interested in preserving traditional liveli-

A puma moves past the camera trap on Kusad Mountain near Saddle Mountain Ranch

Why the Rupununi?

Guyana is situated in the heart of one of the world’s last ‘Frontier Forests’, with more than 75 percent of Guyana’s total land area covered by pristine, intact forest (~64,000 mi2). The Rupununi region of Guyana is actually an ancient rift valley which consists of unique mix of habitats, including ecologically significant cerrado savannah, gallery and savannah forests, rivers, creeks and seasonally flooded wetlands, bordered by large, undeveloped tracts of lowland and montane tropical deciduous and evergreen forests.

Looking to every horizon during a flight from Georgetown to Lethem will show you that these forests remain unbroken and in pristine condition, running to the east and south towards Suriname and Brazil.

hoods, making the Rupununi an ideal laboratory for testing questions related to the effect of habitat and human-use variables on the distribution of large mammals at the landscape scale.

Data generated by this project will document the significant biodiversity present in the Rupununi, help identify and prioritize important wildlife areas, and generate data that can inform community wildlife management.

Partner villages have been full participants in the design of this project, identifying locally important conservation questions to address (humanjaguar conflict, unsustainable hunting) and important conflict and hunting areas where these questions can be tested.

Ecotones – areas where there is a transition between habitat types – are some of highest areas of biodiversity.

The Rupununi region represents a large ecotone where forest meets savannah. And while much of the focus of conservation efforts in Guyana have been focused on its forest (and rightly so as forests host significant biodiversity and store a great deal of carbon), cerrado savannahs are one of the rarest and least preserved habitats on the planet.

We are testing the impact of the natural habitat gradient that forms in the transition between savannah and forest habitat on the distribution and abundance of large mammals by placing camera traps in a grid along this gradient, using jaguar (large carnivore), ocelot (mesocarnivore), lowland tapir (large herbivore), white-lipped peccary (medium herbivore), paca (small herbivore) and giant anteater (naturally rare species) as indicator species representing mammal groups of interest.

Human activity can also effect the distribution and abundance of large mammals and an assessment of the impact of subsistence hunting, logging, and livestock will be layered on top of the effect of habitat in human use areas.

Human populations in the Rupununi depend on domestic livestock and subsistence hunting to obtain protein and timber harvest is an important economic driver. Camera trap data will indicate the severity of the impact of human activity on wildlife. Shifts in distribution away from hunting and logging areas or towards livestock areas (in the case of carnivores) show the most severe impacts, as wildlife is either driven away or to local extinction in a given area. More moderate impacts are indicated by declines in population density, as species remain but in lesser numbers as a result of a given human activity. In the case of the least severe impacts, species remain in consistent numbers, but shift towards more nocturnal behaviour to avoid coming in contact with people.

In natural systems, each level of human impact has its own consequences on wildlife communities.

Capacity Building

While this project seeks to understand large-scale trends in wildlife populations, we work with project partners to develop locally relevant research questions that will be addressed by data that these partners then collect themselves. Each research site is unique – with its own issues, interests, and expertise.

Developing research questions that answer local questions brings project partners into the process and creates value in the project’s results because they are relevant to everyday lives. Project participants are actively engaged

and play a central role in decision making in every aspect of project development and execution.

Our ultimate goal is to support the development of project participants into conservation leaders who ultimately initiate resource management processes within their communities. Providing employment and training creates benefits for all involved – we advance scientific understanding, support conservation, further resource management, and crate development opportunities for those that need them.

The project is in its third year and we are happy with our progress so far, but we are far from done.

Follow us online at Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit on Facebook, Instagram (rupununiwildlife), Twitter @RupWildlife, YouTube (Rupununi Wildlife). Better yet, visit one of our project partners for yourself at Caiman House Research Station (Yupukari Village), Surama Eco-Lodge, Rupununi Trails (Dadanawa Ranch), the Iwokrama River Lodge, Rewa EcoLodge, Karanambu

RWRU team members from the Protected Areas Commission, the Iwokrama International Centre and Caiman House Research Station work together setting camera traps in the Kanuku Mountains

Ranch, Saddle Mountain Ranch, Golden Parakeet Lodge (Karasabai Village), the Cock of the Rock Lodge (Wowetta Village), or Rupununi River

Drifters. (Cover photo: A jaguar moves stealthily past a camera trap in the savannah near Shulinab Village)

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Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Times Feature

“L

ove and marriage, love and marriage/Go together like a horse and carriage.” If you have ever heard any Frank Sinatra

song, then this 1955 tuneshould be familiar. Dinah Shore later sang it that same year when it reached No.20 on the U.S. Song charts.

It may summarise the result of the love so revered and immortalised during Valentine’s Day, but does today’s reality make Sinatra’s chant just

a sentimental, old-time croon?

Science may help answer. One of the best known researchers in this area is biological anthropologist Helen Fisher of Rutgers University in New Jersey, according to BBC Science.

Love

Tom Cruise declaring his love for Katie Holmes in 2005

Rutgers says that first there are three phases to falling in love, and different hormones are involved at each stage: Lust– driven by the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen.Testosterone is not confined only to men.

It has also been shown to play a major role in the sex drive of women.

Attraction– This is the truly love-struck phase.

When people fall in love they can think of nothing else. They might even lose their appetite and need less sleep, preferring to spend hours at a time daydreaming about their new lover.

In the attraction stage, a group of neuro-transmitters called 'monoamines' play an important role:Dopamine - Also activated by cocaine and nicotine.Norepinephrine, otherwise known as adrenalin, starts us sweating and gets the heart racing.Serotonin - One of love's most important chemicals and one that may actually send us temporarily insane.

Events occurring in the brain when we are in love have similarities with mental illness. It’s no coincidence that young lovers may seem “crazy” to their single friends or are more prone to what more mature or single persons may consider “crazy actions”.

Remember Tom Cruise jumping on the couch to express his love for then girlfriend Katie Holmes in his 2005 Oprah interview?

We all know how that marriage turned out.

Attachment–This is what takes over after the attraction stage, if a relationship is going to last.

Attachment is a longer lasting commitment and is the bond that keeps couples together when they go on to have children.

Important in this stage are two hormones released by the nervous system, which are thought to play a role in social attachments: Oxytocin - This is released by the hypothala-

mus gland during child birth and also helps the breast express milk. It helps cement the strong bond between mother and child. It is also released by both sexes during orgasm and it is thought that it promotes bonding when adults are intimate. The theory goes that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes Vasopressin - Another important chemical in the long-term commitment stage. It is an important controller of the kidney and its role in longterm relationships was discovered when scientists looked at the prairie vole.

In an experiment, male prairie voles were given a drug that suppresses the effect of vasopressin. The bond with their partner deteriorated immediately as they lost their devotion and failed to protect their partner from new suitors.

So where does marriage come in?

Marriage

Fisher, also author of “Why Him? Why Her?” says that “Historically men have been more eager to marry when they’re financially secure, and women have wanted to marry when they wanted children.”

Sociology professorat the University of Pittsburgh, Christine B. Whelanbelieves that today both sexes tie the knot due to a combination of love and social pressure, and that pressure comes a bit later for men.

The typical ready-towed man, she says, has been out of college for a few years, maybe just got a promotion or raise, and has experienced a summer of attending several of his friends’ weddings.

Once friends start walking down the aisle, “it’s as if a light bulb goes off in their heads,” says Whelan.

Suddenly men realize they want to settle down, and they start seeing the women they date through an isshe-wife-material lens.

Women more often receive intense pressure from friends and family members.

According to Andrew J. Cherlin in a New York Times article, marriage has become a status symbol — a highly regarded marker of a successful personal life.People marry to show their family and friends

how well their lives are going, even if deep down they are unsure whether their partnership will last a lifetime, he says.

With all the physiological goings on inside of us, the next step is traditionally to get married and have children, and live happily ever after with the love of your life.For some,a life of happily ever after does indeed come.

Married for 46 years and with two grown daughters who also have their own families, a senior university lecturer and his wife find contentment in companionship and, after years of marriage, often can tell what the other wants with just a look.

They often find humour in their “senior moments” together and giving gifts is no longer a puzzle as they both know what each other needs or wants.

A gold miner/businessman finds his 25-year marriage a result of his continued love for his wife, and says his love is the same as it was since he first met her. Content in her company, he maintains that this is the main reason he is still happily married.

For others however, come disillusionment: a phase that has become the stuff of comedies and comics. “Marriage is like a phone call in the middle of the night… first the ring, then you wake up!” is an oft quoted marriage joke.

Why does marriage often lead to disappointment? For some it’s because the thrill of the lust and attraction phases have passed; for others, it’s the feeling that they are no longer receiving the lust and attraction phase attention they were once receiving. Others find their partner or their own personality has changed over the years; a result of life’s twists and turns. These are just a few reasons.

Sinatra and Shore sang: “Love and marriage, love and marriage/ It's an institute you can't disparage. / Ask the local gentry and they will say it's elementary.” We are said to be at the mercy of our biochemistry when it comes to love, and despite the modern rates of divorce and single parenthood, marriage remains an institution that does not seem to be in danger of disappearing.

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

‘Descendants of the Dragon’

B y A manda R ichards ( nee L ee )

M

y British Guiana family story started when 14-year-old Ham Smi (1846-1936) arrived from Canton, China, on the Lady Elma Bruce. She married Poon-A-Chin, converted to Christianity and they changed their names to Elizabeth and John Poon.

Their first child, Polynan, was born on November 8, 1877 at Le Resouvenir and was known as Elizabeth af-

Amanda Richards

William Leslie Lee (left) and Jean Mathias (Amanda's parents)

William Adrian Lee

ter her mother. The baby was born in a cane field, and washed off in the punt trench, before being breastfed, and was left under a shady tree while her mother returned to work cutting cane.

Elizabeth Poon's youngest child, Eva, married William Adrian Lee.

He was born on the West Bank of Demerara and became the first Chinese manager at Booker Provision Wholesale Department.

They had ten children, nine of whom survived to adulthood, before he died of a heart attack at age 40.

William Lee and Eva

Eva Poon

Poon are my paternal grandparents. They raised nine children - Stanley, Amy, Royce, Ruby, Percy, Cicely, William Leslie,

Henry, and Pansy.

My father, William Leslie Lee, was the sexton of the Promenade Gardens and Le Repentir

Cemetery. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, and was a Draftsman and Botanist.

His second marriage was to my mother, Jean Lee nee Mathias, and together they had two children – myself and John.

I am married to Christopher Richards and we have one child, Christian Alexander Richards.

Apparently the Lee family is inclined to be dentists, engineers, accountants, bankers, administrators, caterers, singers and musicians, and to die from heart attacks, high blood pressure, angina, and strokes, as well as suffer from gall and kidney stones, ovarian cysts and myopia.

This information was extracted from a book titled "From the Middle Kingdom to the New World" written by my famous cousin, the late Margery Kirkpatrick nee Ting-A-Kee, daughter of my father's sister Cicely.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

By Petamber Persaud

‘Scriptology’ rediscovered

Manu Samriti Chander, editor of “Egbert Martin: Scriptology” (Caribbean Press, 2014)

(Extract of an interview with Prof. David Dabydeen, Guyana, 2017. Dabydeen who migrated to the UK in 1969 is attached to University of Warwick, and is now a respected academic and prize-winning writer of poetry and fiction.) *PP David, you seem to have a knack for unearthing good literature. A few years ago, you brought us “The First Crossing” [THE FIRST CROSSING being the Diary of Theophilus Richmond, Ship’s Surgeon Aboard the Hesperus, 18378] which was the result of Richmond’s diary coming

to light after one and three quarters of a century after it was written. And now you bring us “Scriptology”, a book that disappeared from public attention for over 125 years. “Scriptology” is the first collection of stories by a Guyanese.For this and your other input, we must acknowledge your enormous contribution to Guyanese.

DD Thank you Petamber, you’re always very flattering to me. I am a literary person if not I’d be in the street doing something more nefarious. I’m holding in my hands the most important book published in Guyana in the 19th c. and without doubt, the most historic Guyanese text. It is a collection of short stories by a writer called Egbert Martin.

Egbert Martin died at the age of twenty-nine. He was bedridden all his life, he was sick, he died of tuberculosis. He was using drugs all his life…

PP Medication…

DD Medication, yes.

Egbert Martin from his bed in 1883, published a substantial collection of poetry in England called “Leo’s Poetical Works” – he pub-

“Scriptology” jacket by Caribbean Press (Guyana Classics Library )

lished under the name ‘Leo’: the lion; he was bedridden and emaciated and

so on …

PP …but his imagination was at work…

DD ...yes, he had an imaginative boldness.Then in 1886, he published “Leo’s Local Lyrics” …

PP …in response to criticism to his first work.

DD The first book was criticised because it was heavily Christian and pious; it was a set of pious effusions which is largely true because he was dying all the time so he was very concern about the nature of pain, the nature of suffering and he wrote about that in an abstract manner. Some people criticised him. He then wrote about the landscape of Guyana – something more tactile and physical. And is the first Guyanese poet to describe the landscape of Guyana – the sorrel tree, the genip tree. Don’t forget up to the late 20thc Derek Walcott the Nobel Prize Winner said that he was a bit tentative about putting local fruit – mangoes and bananas – in his poetry because it was not poetic enough in the English Literary tradition. Egbert Martin was the first poet to name the Guyana landscape. He is also the first writer to publish more than two books and he is the first writer to publish a collection of prose.

Now this I’m holding in my hand is precious because it is a wonderful insight into Creole life in the 19th c. – it is witty, it is entertaining, it is poetic, it is erudite. He refers to a whole range of Victorian poetics. Although it is a very dense book, it is very

expansive in its allusions to Victorian literature.

PP What about this book that makes it was really precious?

DD It was lost forever.

From the time it was published in 1885, it was more or less lost.I went to New York libraries to check out Egbert Martin and couldn’t find “Scriptology”. But I found his poetry. So it was completely lost, completely lost – not a single copy in any British library or in the libraries of Guyana.

Then one day, sitting at my desk at University of Warwick, I got an email from Christopher Martin who is a direct descendant of Egbert Martin saying he found in a library in United States a copy of “Scriptology” and [if I] would I like to see it. Well, would I like to see it, you know?!Immediately, he came to Warwick with his family and he gave me a photocopy, which we looked at with great reverence.

Then by coincidence, when I was in China, I received an email from an Indian American scholar, Manu Samriti Chander, who said that he was doing work on Egbert Martin; he was doing some work on Victorian poetry and wanted to include Egbert Martin in the cannon of Victorian poetry and said that he had discovered “Scriptology” – he had found the same copy in the same library so I put Christopher Martin in contact with Manu Samriti Chander and they worked together. And then Manu put together a lovely little introduction to “Scriptology”

– he works at Rutgers University, a very serious scholar - and then we published it in the Caribbean Press. So “Scriptology” has been brought back to life.

Egbert Martin bedridden, died in dreadful circumstances, has been brought back to life and so we recovered a founding text of Guyanese literature.

Egbert Martin was described in those days as a “mulatto” which means that he was a mixture of African and European; certainly German because his cousin had a German name which we found from the death records. So he was African and German.

PP At that time, and having achieved so much in so short a life, we could easily [have] called Egbert Martin a superman of Guyanese literature.

DD His real tremendous achievement apart from being the first writer of the short fiction is that he named the landscape in poetry.

PP And that is saying a lot - giving credence to our heritage and our environment, an issue we could explore another time....

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com What’s happening: Under production a compilation of biographies of Guyanese Writers of Indian Ancestry and an anthology of Indo-Caribbean poetry.

For further information, please use the above contacts.

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Six most outstanding men in British Guiana’s history

By Vincent Roth

I

t must be very nice to be the Editor of a magazine.

When he wants an article on a particular subject he simply chooses someone who he imagines has the necessary qualifications and then, with smiling countenance and honeyed words, he approaches his victim and explains to him how happy his readers would be if he would oblige – by the end of September at latest. Just like approaching those ornate and noisy contraptions known as “juke boxes”, placing a coin in the slot, pressing a button and – presto – there’s the noise. Although I do not pretend to any of the physical, vocal or mental qualities of a juke box, that was the impression I got when the Editor of “Kyk -over-al” approached me some weeks ago – without the juke-box coin however – and suggested I write an article on the Six Most Outstanding Men in British Guiana’s History.

There are in the pages of our history, both ancient and modern, many times six men of outstanding ability who, each in his own way, has left his mark on the history of the Colony. So whatever six I choose there will be read-

ers who will not agree with my choice as a whole. Of this I am sure, for already I have tried my list out on some of my friends, not one of whom has seen eye to eye with me on my six. So, where angels fear to tread, I rush in. Here is my list: The first place I give to STORM VANS S’ GRAVESANDE, the doughty founder of the colony of Demerary, the Dutch Commander-General of the Two Rivers who, with his headquarters at Fort Zeelandia (Fort Island) had to vision to see the possibilities of the smaller but deeper river to the east of the old Colony of Essequibo. There is not the slightest doubt that to his encouragement, both private and official, was due the start and rapid development of the youngest of the three Guiana colonies to the position of first importance in the subsequently combined British Guiana. But for him Demerara might possibly today be but another Mahaica or Mahaicony, a small settlement acting as a province of the principal area of the territory, Essequibo.

Next in order of merit I place SIR ROBERT HERMAN SCHOMBURGK,

the famous German traveller and scientist who, first on behalf of the Royal Geographic Society and subsequently on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government explored and mapped the further recesses of British Guiana between the years 1835 and 1844. It was mainly owing to Schomburgk’s work that British Guiana came off as well as it did at the subsequent arbitration proceedings with Venezuela and Brazil. He it was who literally and figuratively put British Guiana “on the map.”

Next I choose WILLIAM PIERCY AUSTIN the first Bishop of Guiana, described

by Queen Victoria as her youngest and handsomest bishop and by others as the Nestor of the Anglican Church. From the ecclesiastical point of view, he also put British Guiana on the map but his greatest claim to local fame was his exceptional humanness and spiritual qualities. It is recorded that at the consecration of St. George’s Cathedral when, just before his death he made his last appearance before his flock, the congregation wept unashamedly.

My fourth choice is WILLIAM RUSSELL for

Indigenous men feeding swans in 1924 British Guiana

McKenzie, Linden in 1966

his driving energy in developing the East and founding the West Demerara Conservancies without which there could have been no prosperity in the greatest and at that time only major industry – sugar growing.

My fifth choice is GEORGE GIGLIOLI M.D., because his work in this country as a malariologist is world famous and for being the guiding hand behind the D.D.T. campaign, the full effects which are not yet felt but which is easy to see will revolutionise general economic conditions in British Guiana.

My sixth and last choice is HUBERT NATHANIEL CRITCHLOW who has given the greater part of his life self-sacrificingly to introducing and encouraging Trade Unionism in this country, a task from which all classes of labour have benefited to a degree undreamt fifty years

Times Heritage

ago.

These then are the six men I personally would choose as having rendered the most outstanding service to the country. But, as I said in my opening remarks, I shall not be surprised to have my choice criticised.

British Guiana has of course benefited greatly from the labours of other outstanding men such as FREDERICK GARDINER ROSE in leprosy, PATRICK DARGAN and A.R.F. WEBBER in political economy, WILLIAM BEEBE in zoology, WALTER E. ROTH in anthropology, JAMES RODWAY and GRAHAM CRUICKSHANK in history, BARON SICCAMA in hydraulic engineering, CESAR ROMITI and JOHN GRIERSON in surgery, FATHER SCOLES and CASTELLANI in architecture, Sir JOHN HARRISON in industrial chemistry and agriculture,

George Giglioli (Photo by L.J. Bruce-Chwatt, Wikipedia Commons)

BISHOPS GALTON and EDWARD PARRY in the humanities, DE SAFFON and TROTMAN in charity, EDWIN MCDAVID in finance and Sir GORDON LETHEM in red-tapeless administration. Those who do not agree with my choice will no doubt substitute some of these names as amongst the six most meritorious men who have served British Guiana. (SOURCE: Vol. 2 Kyk-Over-al, Dec. 1948)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

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Times Travel & Tourism

G

uyana boasts an irresistible combination of fascinating and breath-taking natural beauty, pristine rainforests, immense waterfalls, and amazing wildlife blended with a vibrant indigenous culture and rich heritage.

Some are very honoured to see this natural beauty on a daily basis; one such person is Matt Hallett. Matt is a Wildlife Biologist, PhD candidate and Research Assistant at the University of Florida. He has been researching and exploring Guyana’s biodiversity for many years. He is also an affiliate of the Rupununi Learners Inc. and has

been volunteering his time and knowledge in giving back to indigenous villages.

His recent project is to document the number of jaguars that are in the Guyana’s Kanuku Mountains Protected Area. This he does by setting up remotely triggered cameras in Guyana’s deep jungle.

Matt has also been photographing rarely visited scenic areas in the Rupununi region. Sunday Times Magazine features a few of his breathtaking photos of lesser known waterfalls taken on his trips into Guyana’s jungles.

Crabwood Creek Falls

Mapuro Creek Falls

Paima Creek Falls

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Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

daughters, aunts, nieces, and sisters.

But in many patients, the cause remains uncertain.

The latest SCAD research finds that survival rates are much better than originally thought. Doctors used to view SCAD as often fatal. But the death rate is actually very low, ranging between 1 per cent and 5 per cent. Outcomes are better than for people with regular heart attacks. But chances for a repeat SCAD attack are greater, happening in more than 20 per cent of cases.

And with SCAD pa-

U

nlike a more typical heart attack caused by a build-up of plaque in the arteries, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, or SCAD, starts with a tear in an artery.

The tear blocks the artery and blood flow to the heart, leading to a heart attack.

Although SCAD causes a small percentage of heart attacks overall, it’s responsible for 40 per cent of heart attacks in women under the age of 50. And it’s mostly happening to young women -- more than 90 per cent of SCAD patients are female.

“This is an important cause of heart attacks among younger people, and it has really only been in the past 4 or 5 years that our thinking on it has changed. For the past 100 years, we had been missing it,” says Sharonne N. Hayes, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, one of the world’s most renowned SCAD researchers.

People with SCAD generally are healthy and don’t have typical heart attack risk factors like smoking, diabetes, or being overweight.

SCAD is often misdiagnosed and may lead to treatment that can cause more artery damage.

“SCAD is happening to a group of women who appear healthy, are thin, and have no risk factors. So even though they have clas-

sic heart attack symptoms, they are often being misdiagnosed,” Hayes says. Many SCAD patients are even sent home from hospitals in the middle of a heart attack that isn’t discovered for days.

While SCAD patients range from their teens to their 80s, the average patient is 42 years old.

About 10 per cent -15 per cent of cases happen around childbirth.

Researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint a specific gender or hormonal explanation. But they know the physical strain of childbirth isn’t the main cause since SCAD happens with both C-sections and vaginal deliveries.

It does appear to be associated with other artery problems, most commonly fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). This disease causes cells to grow abnormally in artery walls and is seen in at least half of SCAD patients.

Patients often don’t know they even have the disease until doctors look for artery abnormalities after a heart attack.

SCAD can also run in families, although Hayes says researchers haven’t cracked the genetic connection. Her research team is collecting DNA samples from patients and sometimes sees the condition present among mothers,

tients, standard heart attack treatment isn't best.

Regular heart attack patients often receive stents implanted to open their blocked arteries.

But stents can make things worse for SCAD patients, since they have tears in arteries.

Research also finds that there are triggers.

Patients often report extreme emotional or physical stress in the days before a SCAD, like a death in the family, breakdown in marriage, job stress, or intense physical exercise -- even lifting heavy items.

(Source: WebMD)

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Times Fashion

P

rolific designer Sonia Noel’s Red and White collectionoffers casual to evening wear for this Valentine’s Day. “Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire and love. White is associated with light, goodness, innocence and purity. It is considered to be the colour of perfection.

White usually has a positive connotation.

White can represent a successful beginning.

That is why my Red and White collection is the perfect choice for Valentine’s Day,” Noel explained in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Visit Sonia Noel Designs on Facebook for more information. (Photos by Vincent Polak)

Designer Sonia Noel

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Times Hollywood/Bollywood

Madhuri Dixit trains Varun, Alia for ‘Tamma Tamma’ dance

Lady Gaga responds to body shaming comments

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P

romotions for Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt’s forthcoming film “Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya” reached a new level on Friday when Bollywood’s ultimate dancing diva, Madhuri Dixit joined them for an unusual teaser.

It has the three stars dancing to the tunes of

the 1990s hit song from “Thanedaar”, “Tamma Tamma”. Madhuri is seen teaching the hook steps of the song to Varun and Alia.

This is the latest in a string of hit songs that have been rehashed for the film.

Titled “Tamma Tamma Again”, the song was launched on Saturday at a grand event in Mumbai.

Varun shared a video on his Twitter page on Friday, where he is dancing with Alia and Madhuri on the song.

The original song had Madhuri and Sanjay Dutt grooving to the tunes of Bappi Lahiri. (Hindustan Times)

Govinda on Karan Johar: ‘He is more jealous than David Dhawan’

A

ctor Govinda, whose next film “Aa Gaya Hero” is slated for a March 3 release, is really miffed with director Karan Johar for releasing his own film, “Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya”, just a week later.

Things were already not well between them since Karan did not invite him on the latest season of Koffee With Karan, and the clash of films is certainly not helping.

In an interview to “Pinkvilla”, Govinda made some strong comments, accusing Karan of nepotism and not being what he shows to the world.

“He has never called me in 30 years, he doesn’t see actors who are not the part of his group and doesn’t even say a hello, I doubt. He’s

not that kind-hearted. It’s a well-planned and smart move by Karan that he’s releasing his film a week after mine. He doesn’t seem like an innocent person to me,” he said.

Earlier, when Govinda voiced his displeasure on not being invited to Koffee With Karan, the host replied with a public apology: “There was a talk of getting him on the show in between but things

did not happen then. We had thought about it. It would be an absolute honour and privilege to have Govinda on the show. My apologies that he hasn’t been (on the show) and he felt bad about it. There is no intention to hurt him. He is a terrific artist and a great movie star. I would love to call him. I will take a note and call him and I hope he accepts my invitation.”

However, Govinda has clearly not bought that.

“He must have said that it would be a matter of national respect for him if he calls Govinda, but he is releasing Varun’s film just a week after my film. He shows that he’s very humble and innocent, but he seems more jealous and dangerous than David Dhawan to me,” he said. (Excerpted from IANS)

Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut trash feud rumours

A

ll is well between Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor. At least that’s what the two stars of the Vishal Bhardwaj-directed film “Rangoon” want us to believe after a show of camaraderie on the Kapil Sharma Show.

Reports of a cold war between the two surfaced after Shahid skipped most promotional events for “Rangoon”. All those rumours have been put to rest, at least for now, after the appearance on Kapil’s show.

In “Rangoon”, Shahid will be seen as Kangana’s love inter-

est for the first time on screen.

There were strong rumours that the two stars were not getting along on the sets of the period drama. Although the “Kaminey” actor and the “Queen” star repeatedly denied any animosity between them, the rumours only kept getting stronger.

When asked about it, Shahid said at an event, “Just take it easy bro...take it easy...take it easy. It is all good.”

Also featuring Saif Ali Khan, “Rangoon” is set to hit the screens on February 24.

ady Gaga knew she needed to stop the body shaming after her Super Bowl performance — for herself, and for her fans.

The singer, 30, spoke out Tuesday after people criticized her for wearing a stomach-baring bodysuit during the halftime show, explaining on Instagram that she’s “proud of her body.”

Gaga talked to Ryan Seacrest about why she decided to take a stand.

“I couldn’t ignore that I saw my fans talking about that and that it upset them,” she said on Seacrest’s KIISFM radio talk show. “I think other people maybe that are just like normal girls and guys who either have their own body image issues or just didn’t think it was a nice thing to say [were upset].”

“I just thought I would impart some of my positive attitude about it so that they felt like they had some-

one who was strong on their side.”

Gaga, who revealed in 2012 that she’s an eating disorder survivor after developing bulimia and anorexia at age 15, encouraged her fans to love their bodies in her Instagram post.

“No matter who you are

or what you do. I could give you a million reasons why you don’t need to cater to anyone or anything to succeed. Be you, and be relentlessly you. That’s the stuff of champions. thank you so much everyone for supporting me. I love you guys.

Xoxo, gaga.” (PEOPLE)

Jason Derulo accuses American Airlines of racism

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ason Derulo is blasting American Airlines after he got some check-in trouble at Miami International Airport on Wednesday, February 8. The "Talk Dirty" hitmaker was confronted by 15 cops at the airport after he and his eight friends were told that they couldn't check their nearly 20 bags.

Jason claimed in a video obtained by TMZ that he's a Concierge Key member, but the AA staffer was rude and told him

he couldn't check his bags. As Jason and his crew would have arrived too late to check the bags, a member of his team stayed behind and tried checking the bags on a later flight.

Jason and his crew were on the plane, when the guy with the bags called the rapper and said that AA wanted to charge him US$6,000 for the excess luggage. The "Wiggle" singer then got angry and demanded the plane to return to the gate so he could get off. He said the pilot went nuts on him and he was confronted by cops as he got off.

Jason later took to Instagram to accuse AA of racism, writing, ".@americanair I spent millions on your airline throughout the past ten years between myself and my entire staff but have still experienced racial discrimination today at miami airport!!! Called 15 police officers on me as if I'm a criminal! It's not ok that when you find out who I am the gears change! I want answers #conciergekey #conciergekeymember #thecaptainneedstoshowrespecttoo cause he could #cashmeoutsidehowboutdat #notypo #ifiwasanyoneelseiwouldhavebeenarrested."

A source at AA reveals that the airlines' most elite customers receive 3 free checked bags, but Jason left one of his friends to check 19 bags. (AceShowbiz)

Beyonce faces US$20m copyright suit

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he estate of a late New Orleans YouTube star has filed a US$20 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Beyonce

over the use of his voice in her "Formation" video.

The estate of Anthony Barre, who went by the name Messy Mya on YouTube,

claims in the lawsuit filed in New Orleans federal court Monday that Barre's voice is featured in the introduction to the video. The complaint alleges Barre's estate has received no payment or acknowledgment.

Barre was fatally shot in 2010.

In addition to Beyonce, the suit names several songwriters, the video's director and companies owned by Warner Music Group. Representatives for Beyonce and WMG didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Billboard)

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Justice Cecil Kennard

Fifty years’ service to his country

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uyana, a few months ago, celebrated its Golden Jubilee with much pomp and ceremony.

For the country to achieve 50 years of Independence should make every Guyanese proud.

But besides Guyana celebrating its Golden Jubilee, there is one man who stands out like a colossal in this country. That person is no other than Justice Cecil Kennard, former Chancellor of the Judiciary and now Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority. He has served Guyana and its people for over 50 years in nearly all aspects of the law, with distinction. He has traversed the corridors of the courts with no pomp and ceremony, but with humility, pride and dignity.

As a child, he used to read a lot about how some

and his petition was presented by Senior Counsel Mr C Lloyd Luckhoo, (deceased). He was in private practice for three years and in October 1965, he was appointed a Crown Counsel in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, after Independence in 1966, that position was known as State Counsel. Both the DPP’s Chambers and the Attorney General’s Chambers shared offices in the building that now houses the Walter Roth Museum. The DPP was Mr Gillette, SC, with Mr EA Ramao as his Deputy. The Chambers subsequently moved to Rabbit Walk, Eve Leary.

At that time, the Chambers had a powerful prosecuting team in the likes of Joaquim GonsalvesSabola, (deceased) who later became Chief Justice of The

became Chancellor of the Judiciary.

After three years in the DPP’s Chambers, he was appointed a Senior State Counsel. He also served as Police Legal Adviser from 1971 to 1973 and during this period, also acted as a rent assessment Magistrate on a part-time basis in the evenings to help with the backlog of cases. This is one man who was motivated by aspiration, inspiration and perspiration. Yes, he burnt the midnight oil to achieve his goals. He also prosecuted in Berbice two famous murder cases – that of Leonard Ramotar, who had killed his wife and child and the other was the “icepick” murder where Fireman Douglas stabbed his beautiful wife, Gloria, in front of the Roman Catholic Church, New Amsterdam.

came Chancellor of the Judiciary. Some of the cases were the Pinky Galaxy murder where the accused, John Francisco De Freitas, had his murder charge reduced to manslaughter. As Justice Mitchell (now deceased) was about to pass sentence (15 years), the accused was asked if he had anything to say, the accused then said that the first drink he would have coming out of prison, he would throw it on the ground for Mr Kennard.

The most notable case he did as a prosecutor was the 1971 Kitty Royal Bank of Canada robbery and murder.

The defence team was led by the outstanding lawyer, Mr JOF Haynes, SC (now deceased). Mr Juman Yassin was a junior counsel in the case. The three accused – Yadunauth, Kirpal Sookdeo and Dhanpaul Kanhai, were

A swearing-in ceremony with late President Arthur Chung (seated)

lawyers present cases in court and dreamt that one day he too would become a successful lawyer. It all started when he wrote an essay in school about what he would like to be when he grew up. He was able to realise his dreams when in 1959 he left for England to begin his studies in law at the prestigious Lincoln’s Inn. He was called to the Bar in 1962. Two months later, he returned home to set up private practice in Berbice. He was admitted to practise law by the distinguished Chief Justice, Sir Joseph Luckhoo, (deceased)

Bahamas; Odel Adams (deceased), who later became Attorney General of St Kitts and Nevis; Richard Hector (deceased), who became a QC in Bermuda, and Jailall Kissoon. This team rarely lost a case. Prosecution, Justice Kennard said, builds your confidence and makes you a very good advocate. He prosecuted before some stalwart Judges such as the late President Arthur Chung; Akbar Khan (deceased), “the angry God”; Frank Vieira (deceased), who later became a Justice of Appeal; Harold Bollers (deceased), who later became Chief Justice and Keith Massiah, who later

It was whilst prosecuting this case in 1966 that he met his wife, Chan, who was at the time working at the Royal Bank of Canada, New Amsterdam. How ironic it was that they got married at the same Catholic Church one year later.

It is said that law is a jealous mistress, but his wife gave him full support in all his endeavours. As a prosecutor, he prosecuted many murder cases, most of which he won. Many of the murder cases he prosecuted were against defence counsel Mr JOF Haynes, SC, (now deceased), an eminent lawyer who later be-

all convicted but one was freed by the Appeal Court.

It was not easy to accomplish such a feat against the late Mr Haynes. This case, which lasted two months, was such an important one that the court was required to work over the Christmas holidays to arrive at a verdict. Many important issues had arisen at the trial which had to be dealt with in a comprehensive manner. Everyone in the legal fraternity was aware of the skills and brilliant mind of Mr JOF Haynes (deceased), but Cecil Kennard, a young and able prosecutor, defeated him many times. Mr

Justice Cecil Kennard

Haynes (deceased) once remarked that as a prosecutor, Cecil Kennard was not satisfied until he killed a person dead, dead, dead.

In June 1975, he was recommended by the late Senior Counsel, Sir Lionel Luckhoo, to assist a Caricom sister country – Antigua – as Director of Public Prosecutions. He wanted to serve his country and not elsewhere, so he refused. One day, he was paid a surprise visit at his office at the DPP’s Chambers by no other than the late Mr George Walters (deceased), who was then the Premier of Antigua, who implored him to accept the position of DPP, Antigua. Having discussed the appointment with the then Prime Minister of Guyana, the late LFS Burnham, he accepted the appointment for three years’ secondment.

Whilst in Antigua, Cecil Kennard held Guyana’s flag flying high, having successfully prosecuted every murder case at the time (14).

His most memorable case was that of Patrick Davis, who was charged and subsequently hanged for the murder of the only Queen’s Counsel in the island at that time, and his wife, Gwendolyn. In Antigua, he also presented a petition for two young lawyers, Claire Roberts and Conrad Richards, to be admitted to practise at the local Bar. He told the court that Antigua had not only produced good cricketers in Vivian Richards and Andy Roberts, but it will also have two good lawyers with the same surnames – Roberts and Richards. Claire Roberts later became Attorney General, and Conrad Richards was Antigua’s High Commissioner to

Canada, where he died of a heart attack. He also appeared for the State in many important appeals before the West Indies Associated States’ Court of Appeal.

In 1976, some Colombians were arrested for drugs. The amount was the largest heist at that time. Superintendent Goodwin, who later became Commissioner, was in charge. The men were charged as per direction of the DPP, Cecil Kennard.

The men were convicted and the vessel confiscated. Before he had finished his three-year secondment in Antigua, he was recalled to Guyana in 1977 by Prime Minister Burnham (deceased) to be appointed as a Judge of the High Court. Two weeks before the Kennards were due to leave Antigua, Mrs Kennard had an unexpected visit from the Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, who was an Englishman. She chided him for leaving the Office whilst the DPP was in court.

He told her in confidence that when the Colombians were arrested, he was asked to approach Mr Kennard not to charge them but to name his price and place, and he would be set for life. She asked him why he did not tell his boss. His words were “Oh, no, no. I have too much respect for Mr Kennard to approach him with such a thing”. Having gotten it off his chest, she had to make a promise not to tell Mr Kennard. However, as soon as Mr Kennard went home, Mrs Kennard related to him what was told to her. His words were “no amount of money would buy my wig and gown”.

Having returned to continued on page 13

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from page 12

Guyana in November 1977, he was sworn in as a High Court Judge by the late Arthur Chung, Guyana’s first President. As a High Court Judge, he presided over many high-profile cases. In the first murder case over which he presided, the accused was sentenced to death. The Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence and said that the summingup was impeccable. In his first year as a Judge, he also heard the Geological Survey Department fraud case, where one Robert Moonsammy was charged.

There were over 100 exhibits, so he had to take his time in sorting them like a jig-saw puzzle. Moonsammy was found guilty and was sentenced to fiveyears’ imprisonment.

Justice Kennard was not a no-case submission Judge; he sent most of the criminal cases to the jury. In doing so, he did lots of summings up.

As a Puisne Judge, he presided over several highprofile criminal cases. One such case was The State v Balkarran Singh and five others, who were charged for the murder of a wealthy rice farmer – Beni Persaud, at Esau and Jacob, Mahaicony Creek. Before he commenced the Beni Persaud murder case, he was presiding at the Essequibo Criminal Assizes.

The Director of Public Prosecutions at the time was the late EA Ramao, SC, who asked the then Chief Justice, the late Dhan Jhappan for Justice Cecil Kennard to specifically hear that case.

He, therefore, had to complete the Essequibo Assizes before starting the Beni Persaud case. This meant that the April Sessions in Georgetown had to be postA young Cecil Kennard

poned to facilitate the Beni Persaud murder case. He wasted no time after the completion of the Essequibo Assizes. He went straight into the Beni Persaud murder case. The case lasted two months, during which time several complicated issues had to be ruled upon. There were several voir dires because the defences of the five men were different. The jury had to be properly directed, since each defence differed.

The summing-up lasted for six hours and was 225 pages long. At the end of the trial, all the accused, with the exception of one, were convicted and sentenced to death.

Their subsequent appeals to the Court of Appeal were dismissed and they were hanged.

He was indeed called “the hanging Judge”.

In June 1985 in a civil case, a novel area had arisen involving the legislation of the Consumption Tax Act. He advised that the State ought to consider settling the matter, which was done.

During his tenure as a Judge, he admitted to practise in the Courts of Guyana, the present acting Chancellor – Carl Singh. The last case he heard as a High Court Judge was a murder where John McIntyre, Malcolm Williams and Neville McDonald were charged for the murder of Thakur Harricharran.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan was the Prosecutor. They were all found guilty and were sentenced to be hanged. The verdict was given at 7.30 pm. There was a blackout and Justice Kennard had to use a kerosene lamp to give the verdict. The summing-up of 160 pages lasted for nearly three hours. In advising the accused about

The late President Cheddi Jagan presiding at Kennard's swearing-in ceremony

the nature of the offence, one of them blurted out “cut out the long talk and do what you have to do”. At this point, Justice Kennard made a plea for the death penalty to be reintroduced.

A few weeks later at a function at the Cultural Centre, the late President Burnham put his arms around Justice Kennard and said “boy, you want to hang people”.

In June of 1985, he was appointed a Justice of Appeal. During his stint, he sat in many civil and criminal matters. There is the case of Barnwell v the Attorney General where Justice Barnwell was alleged to have perverted the course of justice in offering a bribe to a magistrate. Many complicated legal issues had to be dealt with, such as the right to be heard. His judgment in this case is considered to be a landmark in that he found that Justice Barnwell was not given a fair hearing. A few days after he gave his judgment, the Privy Council gave a similar judgment in a Trinidad and Tobago case –Rees v Crane. That case was also about the right to be heard.

In January 1995, he was appointed Chief Justice – one with a difference, in that he presided in both civil and criminal trials, sat for long hours in the Full Court and did administration, as well. He did this because of his passion for the law and to have the work done, for he believed that justice delayed is justice denied. He was awarded the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) in the field of Law. He did not believe in having backlogged cases and when, in October 1996, he was appointed Chancellor of the

Judiciary – the pinnacle of his career, his slate of Chief Justice was clean. He is appalled at the present state of the Judiciary, for, although the Judges were paid millions of dollars by the Justice Improvement System to do backlogged cases, the situation remains the same.

As Chancellor of the Judiciary, he presided in nearly all civil and criminal matters. He presided in the criminal appeal of Ravindra Deo v the State, which was heard in the High Court by the then Justice Claudette Singh. This case concerned the kidnapping of a fouryear-old child for a ransom of $300,000. The child was subsequently killed. There was a novel point raised by the defence to be adjudicated upon and Chancellor Kennard broke ground in ruling on that point. At the time of his ruling, several defence lawyers who had appeared in the matter felt he was wrong and that the case would never be printed in the Law Reports. This case was printed in the Law Reports and within months of his decision, the House of Lords (Privy Council) vindicated him by ruling on that very point in a case, and even went so far as to cite Chancellor Kennard’s decision. Ravindra Deo has since been pardoned by former President Ramotar.

During Justice Kennard’s tenure as Chancellor, 10 Magistrates’ Courts were renovated, three new ones were built. Under the Justice Improvement Programme, a library was built with an adequate number of Law Reports and Reference Books.

Justice Kennard was informed that there was a lot of bush rum drinking at

Parika and when intoxicated, the men would misbehave. The business community was very concerned, so he decided to cause a temporary court to be opened at Parika until a proper building was found. The late Principal Magistrate, Oscar Parvattan, was in charge. On the West Coast of Demerara, there was only one Magistrate’s Court at Leonora to serve the whole coast. Litigants had to travel some distance to attend court, so having opened the temporary court at Parika, he also opened a court at Vreed-en-Hoop. After he retired and Magistrate Parvattan’s contract was not renewed, that was the end of the Parika court.

Chancellor Kennard’s successor cited “noise” as one of the reasons, but Chancellor Kennard said “noise can be controlled”.

In April 2000, the Appeal Court sat for the first time in Berbice. The Berbice ferry was many times unreliable.

Litigants and their lawyers would arrive at the Court of Appeal, Kingston, only to be told that their cases were either postponed or decided upon in their absence. It was indeed a hardship for the litigants and so he decided to take the bull by the horns and, together with the then Justices of Appeal Prem Persaud and Lennox Perry, the Court of Appeal sat for the first time in Berbice. In so doing, he helped many litigants – some were poor people – to have their cases heard. He was highly criticised by the late Clarence Hughes, QC, who was himself a Berbician. He called the Court an itinerant court.

There were also harsh criticisms by someone using the pen name of Albert

McFarlane. What a shame!

Today, had Mr Hughes been alive, he might have appeared in the Caribbean Court of Justice which sat as an itinerant court in Guyana for the first time not so very long ago. The Caribbean Court of Justice also sat as an itinerant court in Barbados. The Privy Council sat in The Bahamas for the first time some time ago as an itinerant court.

The irregularity of the Berbice River ferry also created a lot of hardships for the people at Kwakwani and Ituni, and the other riverine areas, who had to travel the long journey through Georgetown to get to the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court. Chancellor Kennard solicited the help of Mr John Lewis, an executive at the bauxite company, Kwakwani, to identify a building to be used as a temporary court. The Community Centre was offered to him. He opened that court at Kwakwani and assigned the now retired Principal Magistrate Krisendat Persaud, who was the Magistrate at the New Amsterdam Court, to travel to Kwakwani on specific dates to hear cases.

It was in 1997, the second year he was Chancellor, that he had a visit from the late Antiguan Minister Vere Bird Jr, who informed him that Antigua would wish to recommend him as the Chief Justice of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). He informed the late Minister Bird that it was indeed an honour to be so asked, but he was already confirmed as Chancellor of the Judiciary, Guyana.

Being a Guyanese, his jucontinued on page 14

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from page 13

dicial service was echoed in the words of the late US President, John F Kennedy “think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”.

As Chancellor, he held meetings with the Magistrates on the last Saturday of every month, where he discussed with them matters concerning the magistracy and advised them how to approach their work. He visited all the prisons throughout the country and was full of praise for the well-kept compound at Sibley Hall, where he spoke to the young offenders at the Mazaruni Prisons, advising them to live a better life in the future.

In 2000, he successfully hosted the Third Caribbean Heads of Judiciary Conference.

Among the Heads present were the Honourable Michael De La Bastide of Trinidad and Tobago, who later became the first Head of the Caribbean Court of Justice; the Honourable Dennis Byron, who is now the present Head of the Caribbean Court of Justice; the late Chief Justice of Barbados – Sir Dennis Williams; the retired Chief Justice of Jamaica – the Honourable L Wolfe; the retired Chief Justice of Belize – the HonourableAbdulai Conteh and the Chief Justice of the Cayman Islands – the Honourable Anthony Smellie.

Chancellor Kennard was awarded the Order of Roraima for his work in the field of Law and retired from the Judiciary in 2001.

But his service to his country was not yet over, for after a few months’ vacation, he was appointed Chairman, Police Complaints Authority – a different kind of legal work. When he became Chairman of the Authority, the public hardly knew of the Authority. Due to the lack of work, his predecessor only worked half-days. Even the building which housed the Authority was not fully utilised, so part of it was given to the Bar as their Secretariat.

After the assumption of Justice Kennard as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, he appeared on radio and television to enlighten the public about the Authority’s work. He does not believe that life is about waiting for the storm to pass; instead, it is about learning to dance in the rain. He then started outreach programmes across the country to sensitise the public about the role of the Authority and to

take complaints against the Police. He also printed leaflets, which he distributed to people on his visits to various places across the country. During his outreach programmes, he appeared on television where it was possible to have call-in programmes – so that some people who would have been reluctant to make complaints against the Police in person could have called in to air their complaints – where advice was given.

Justice Kennard has

Professional Responsibility (OPR). Even the Chang Commission advised that the Authority should have its own investigators so that the people would have confidence in the Authority. After repeated requests, former Minister Clement Rohee, who was then Minister of Home Affairs, heeded his requests. There are now four investigators with a few more to be added through an IDB programme.

Besides his work at the Police Complaints

visited all 10 regions of Guyana: places like Mabaruma, Moruca, Port Kaituma, Anna Regina, Charity, Leguan, Vreeden-Hoop, New Amsterdam, Springlands, Bartica, Linden, Mahdia, Annai and Lethem. Wherever he went, he would instruct the Police in those divisions as to their role in society and what service they should give to the public – their motto being “Protect and Serve”. He also spoke to the Toshaos whenever they had their conferences so that they could relate to their people in their own language.

His office, situated at 39 Brickdam, is always open to anyone who is desirous of making a complaint against the Police. He also lectured frequently to the Police at the Police Training School, Eve Leary. Since his assumption as Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, he has spoken vociferously about having his own investigators instead of having Police investigators from the Office of

Authority, Justice Kennard sat as Chairman of the Board of Inquiry into the escape of five prisoners from the Georgetown Prison on February 23, 2002. In the process of that escape, Assistant Prison Officer Troy Williams received serious injuries resulting in his death, and Prison Officer Roxanne Whinfield was shot in the head. She has been in a wheelchair ever since. Forty-one recommendations were made and, had they been implemented, the second chaotic event at the Georgetown Prison might not have occurred. One of the recommendations was that the number of prisoners, including high-profile prisoners, should be reduced by placing some at the Mazaruni Prisons. All highprofile prisoners should be readily identifiable by way of a specific colour on their outermost garment.

Justice Kennard also sat on the Linden Commission of Inquiry, which was set up to inquire into the deaths of Allan Lewis, Ron Somerset

and Shemroy Bouyea, and the injuries of several other persons on July 18, 2012 at the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge, Linden. The other Commissioners were: the Honourable Justice L Wolfe, OJ – retired Chief Justice of Jamaica; the Honourable Justice Claudette Singh, CCH – retired Justice of Appeal and now Police Legal Adviser; Senator KD Knight, QC, of Jamaica and the late Dana Seetahal, SC, of Trinidad and Tobago.

Two years after the Inquiry,

Lot Farm on the Corentyne Coast, he goes to the office on Saturdays, where he is not distracted by the telephone, so that he could have his work done in a peaceful environment.

Besides his legal work, he has also given civic service to Guyana. The Lutheran Church is now celebrating over 200 years of existence in Guyana. In the late 1950s, early 1960s, the Church had nowhere for their worshippers to worship. A room under the

meetings to put money in his pocket; instead he has race meetings for the community to enjoy a day’s outing. The proceeds from the meetings are deposited in the Club’s account by the Treasurer.

This money is used for renovations to the Club’s buildings. No member from the family is a signatory to the account. The Club is run by an able Executive.

Justice Kennard is only the Honorary President. He also gives generously to the St Saviour’s Presbyterian Church at Auchlyne, where his grandfather, an Englishman and Doctor by profession, started to worship from around the 1880s.

With all that he has achieved in his profession and the contributions he has made to society, he is indeed a people’s man – an iconic Guyanese. As Mr Rawle Welch wrote in the Kaieteur News of Sunday, January 30, 2010 under the theme “Special Person” – “Despite handing down some of the toughest decisions a Judge could ever make, retired Chancellor of the Judiciary and current Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, Cecil Claude Kennard, OR, is by no means a mean-spirited, unapproachable and unhelpful individual; instead, he is totally the opposite. He has developed into one of the most unassuming, polite and accommodating practitioners in the legal Justice Cecil Kennard has served for 50 years profession.” It is rightly said that a humble yet able man is a gem in any Dana Seetahal, SC, was Kennards’ home was given country. He has passed the gunned down in Trinidad to them, where parishioners draft code of conduct underand Tobago.

Justice worshipped on Sundays, pinned by the 10 principles: Kennard represented the held Sunday School and also accountability, dignity, dilGuyana Government at her their Luther League meet- igence, duty, honour, infuneral in Trinidad. ings. A plot of land was lat- tegrity, loyalty, objectivity, He attended the inau- er given to them on his fam- responsibility and transparguration of a Caribbean ily estate to build a church ency.

This is a man who has Police Complaints Authority – the St Stephen’s Lutheran Conference held in Trinidad Church where the parishio- served his country for 50 and Tobago in 2016, where ners are now worshipping in years in the legal arehe moderated a session. comfort. A plot of land was na as Crown Counsel; Legal Adviser; The second Conference is also donated to the Hindu Police Director to be held in May 2017 in Community to build a man- Magistrate; Public Prosecutions, Jamaica. dir – the Bhuvaneshwar of Justice Kennard is a Mandir, which was named Antigua (on secondment); man for all seasons, having and opened by the late Shri High Court Judge; Justice served Guyana in the crim- Prakash Gossai. Should of Appeal; Chief Justice inal justice system since the Muslim Community re- and his crowning glory – 1965, prior to which he quire a plot of land to build a Chancellor of the Judiciary, was defence counsel since mosque, it will surely be giv- and now Chairman, Police 1962. He has given service en to them. Justice Kennard Complaints Authority.

He enjoyed the legal proto Guyana under all the is also encouraging people to Presidents: the late Arthur buy house lots to have their fession and said, “If I were Chung, the late Forbes own properties. There is also to start from the beginning, Burnham, the late Desmond the Kennard’s Memorial I would do it all over again.

Hoyte, the late Cheddi Cricket Ground, where not It has given me great job Jagan, the late Janet Jagan, only cricket is played but satisfaction.”

Cecil Kennard has former Presidents Samuel the ground is also used for Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo, and school sports for the children served his country – Guyana Donald Ramotar, and now in the area, free of charge. – for 50 years – his Golden President David Granger. of course. Then there is the Jubilee indeed.

When he is not on out- Kennard’s Memorial Turf reach programmes or visit- Club, which is his big baby. ing his family estate at Bush He does not have horse-race

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending Now

H

olidays produce the most festive fingertips. While we have featured some jaw-dropping designs for Christmas and Halloween, the whimsical creations that come out of

Star of the week

Valentine's Day have never ceased to melt our hearts.

Here are some cute and crafty manicures to inspire your next look — no matter your relationship status.

For the girl who doesn’t like to be too obvious

In keeping with the trend, matte nails are a must for this Valentine's

Simply sweet hearts

T

Try forming words on separate hands, like the word 'love' on thumbs

he Dynamic Tassa Troupe is rooted in the Windsor Forest Arya Samaj. These talented individuals believe that “music has always been one of the finest forms of art” and that tassa drumming “pushes the boundaries of all rhythms”. The group was founded by Navindra, Chanshekhar and Chanderpaul Jaimangal. These brothers have always had a love for music. As children, they started off playing the traditional dholak in the mandir (Hindu place of worship). They then went on to learn drums, which led to tassa. With hours dedicated to practice, the Dynamic Tassa Troupe members have honed their skills. Deepak Rupchand, Jagdeo Persaud, Stephon Sugrim, Mohan Singh and Raymond Khan later joined the brothers, adding their flair for tassa.

Equipped with a diversity of musical talent, the Dynamic Tassa Troupe stormed across the West Demerara region where it played at weddings, fundraisers, religious functions and places of worship, Diwali motorcades, Digicel CPL and national events. The group continuously builds its repertoire and is one of the most sought after musical groups in Guyana. Despite criticisms and doubt, the members have continued to pursue their passion for tassa and to promote their culture. With the recent addition of Vishal Hemraj, who brings his flamenco guitar styles to tassa, the Dynamic Tassa Troupe looks to a brighter future. It plans to host an annual show and “donate all proceeds to the needy”.

The Dynamic Tassa Troupe would like to “thank the members of the Windsor Forest Arya Samaj for their continuous support and guidance, which helped paved the way for a successful group”.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Times Art

F

or Reshma Ramotar, art is a cathartic experience and a means of self-expression. Though she was not “privileged” to pursue art at a tertiary level, Reshma continues developing her talent by constantly drawing/painting.

“Since in secondary school (Mahaicony Secondary), I developed a love for art. I was even the top art student from years one to four in my secondary school. I always wanted to write art at CXC, but due to poverty I could not have done so. However, this has never stopped me from pursuing my passion for art. When I see my finished paintings/drawings, I get even more inspired to continue. Art makes me feel com-

afford to purchase paint so she improvised.

Handcrafted paper hat

pletely different; it is empowering,” Reshma expressed in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Reshma said she always wanted to be an art teacher; however, she could not pursue this dream due to financial difficulties. She recalled that as a child she could not

“ I had an old blackboard and at side of it there were a lot of eddo plants growing.

I would cut the stems and use these as chalk to draw on the blackboard. If I could say so myself, it looked really good, but of course the drawings disappeared because the air would dry it out, which made me sad,” she recalled, laughing.

Determined to nev-

er let poverty prevent her from dong what she loves, Reshma pressed on and kept developing her talent.

Now she paints, does paper craft, makes collages, doescalligraphy, ‘upcycle’ plastic straws, old flowers, brooms, popsicle sticks, just to name a few, to create handcrafted items.

“When I gather these materials many consider as ‘garbage’, my sister and mother would question what my purpose is for them. But when they see my final creations using these simple materials, they always end up using the pieces,” she revealed.

Reshma also enjoys painting landscapes, cartoon characters, and would even make teaching aids for classrooms.

Additionally, her drawings of various Hindu deities found on the walls of the Mandir in her yard are constantly commended by visitors.

Reshma Ramotar

The self-taught artist plans on getting as much practical experience in art as she can. Reshma disclosed she is not paid “a large sum” for what she does; however, her love for art propels her to continue to dedicate all her energies to her work.

“For me, art is not a way to earn a living. But because I love art, I will continue giv-

ing 100 per cent to it. And this I try to communicate to youths who want to pursue art. Always find ways to do more in art, regardless if it is not an area that earns much. If it is what you love, then by all means continue,” she encouraged.

For more information on the artist, call 662-8025 or 674-3317.

A house she made from popsicle Sticks

A drawing of Hanuman, a Hindu God, on the Mandir's wall in Reshma's yard

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

iPhone 8 leak reveals Apple's expensive secrets 2 017 is the year the iPhone gets a major upgrade. We already know about its radical redesign, but now there are further details on what could be its most significant new feature - and the additional cost it brings…

The source is none other than KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi

Kuo (famously dubbed “the best Apple analyst on the planet”). In a new report obtained by 9to5Mac, Kuo says Apple will finally introduce wireless charging across its upcoming iPhone ranges. This will double up with fast wired charging.

Furthermore, Kuo reiterat-

ed that there will be three new iPhones in 2017: two incremental ‘iPhone 7S’ upgrades and an all new OLED iPhone 8 / iPhone X introduced to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original iPhone.

Kuo says the introduction of wireless charging will lead to price hikes because of addi-

tional material necessary for the wireless charging component inside the phones that creates a lot of heat.

These measures, Kuo says,

mean end users won’t feel the increased heat, but the combination of the new graphite layer and 3D Touch module (which is 30-50 per cent

more expensive) will push the iPhone range over the US$1,000 price point for the first time.

Apple iPhone 8 concepts based on leaks shows how wireless charging could look.

(Image credit: Benjamin Geskin via Forbes)

No backpack no problem Gita. Your personal cargo carrying robot

P

iaggio Fast Forward promises to bring us a bit closer to sciencefiction reality with its smart cargo vehicle, the Gita(pronounced "jee-ta"). It's relatively small, attractive and can follow you everywhere, ready to lend a hand when you've taken on too much to carry.

Still in its experimental stage, there are two modes of basic operation. The Gita can follow a person wearing a special belt, which connects to the robot via WiFi. The belts are currently rough, bulky prototypes, with a cooling unit clearly visible inside the 3D-printed housing. The belt has cameras built in, which helps the Gita determine where exactly you're

I

going.

The Gita maintains a good distance while you're walking or running, but will sidle up close once it's determined you've stopped moving around. It's not perfect just yet.

The other mode is Gita's autonomous mode, in which it will map out an area and journey to and fro on its own. This can be useful for letting it run errands -- one of the current ideas is to have Gita do deliveries, only unlocking its compartments once it's reached the intended recipient. Gitas can also work together in a convoy, communicating with each other about their surroundings and traveling in a straight line.

The project still has a lot of testing ahead of it, and the plan is to take the Gita to places like corporate campuses, hospitals and stores and see what use cases arise from those situations.

(Source: Endgadget)

Biodegradable cardboard drones to deliver goods

n developing regions where lack of road infrastructure is problematic for those in the business of moving goods, drones are already having an impact. But also problematic is the fact that the people sending drones off to do the courier work would need them back again.

A new expendable and biodegradable cardboard drone being funded by DARPA won't concern itself with such limitations, with the ability to deliver vital goods and disappear soon after the job is done.

The Aerial Platform Supporting Autonomous Resupply Actions (APSARA) systems are heavy-duty cardboard gliders that can be deployed from an aircraft like a C-17 cargo plane, by the hundreds.

Star Simpson, hardware developer on the project, tells New Atlas that they can then glide up to around 55 mi (88 km) away from the drop point, before circling in and making a precise landing with the cargo in tow.

Once the goods have arrived, the drones biodegrade in a matter of days.

And because it is a glider without motors and rotors, it means that all of the on-board electronics, courtesy of DARPA's Vanishing Programmable Resources (VAPR) program, go with it.

The payloads could include blood, vaccines and other medically-sensitive fluids, and the aircraft could be used in disaster zones as well as battlefield scenarios.

G

Google brings VR to Chrome

oogle has announced that people may now view Virtual Reality (VR) content using the Chrome app on Android devices compatible with the company's Daydream View headset, such as the Pixel and Pixel XL. This marks the first time that such a functionality is being built as part of a stable Chrome build. Thanks to WebVR technology packed in the latest version of Chrome, programmers can now create VR-ready websites.

VR content on Chrome will work with Daydream View when used with the Pixel handsets, and it pretty much entails the normal process of sliding in the phone into the headset, wearing it, and partly using motion control for navigation.

Google has a cache of VR-ready sites that users in possession of a Daydream View headset can take advantage of.

There's Bear 71, an interactive documentary about nature; Matterport, a library brimming with 360-degree environments, including celebrity homes; Within, a roster of VR films; WebVR Lab, a collection of interactive

Google’s Daydream View headset

VR worlds, and SketchFab. Those who don't have the luxury of owning Daydream View may still partake in this new technology.

"If you don't have a headset you can view VR content on any phone or desktop computer and interact using your finger or mouse," wrote Megan Lindsay, Google's product manager, in a blog post.

Additionally, Google will also make it possible to view VR-ready websites using Cardboard, it's less sophisticated DIY VR headset. Until now, Daydream and Cardboard had been restricted to VR apps, but it's now opening up to Google's widely recognized, browser, which should make accessing VR-ready sites easier.

Alexa most popular smart assistant, Siri least accurate: Survey

S

mart virtual assistants are beginning to become more and more visible these days, especially with the emergence of smart speakers and the budding rivalry between Amazon Echo and Google Home. A new survey has highlighted this and revealed how Alexa is now being used frequently by more people than Google Now. The survey was conducted by internet marketing firm HigherVisibility and involved 2,000 mobile phone users in the United States.

The bulk of the respondents said that they use Alexa most frequently.

Thirty-seven percent confirmed this, stating that they turn to the voice assistant at least once a day. Google Now trailed it with 23.5 percent, while Siri and Cortana settled at the bottom rung of the ranking with 21 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively.

While Alexa and Google Now are

slugging it out in the area of popularity, Cortana is content to take the most accurate smart assistant title. This is no mean feat for Microsoft's voice command technology because all other smart assistants scored high in this area. Siri, on the other hand, has been left holding the bag, earning the least accurate label in the survey.

The HigherVisibility study also revealed other interesting insights about how we use smart assistants today. For example, it found that more and more people are using the technology because it is faster and more comfortable than typing or tapping to accomplish tasks.

They are echoed by a related survey that found smartphone owners are now increasingly using smart assistants for calling, online search, text, navigation, and taking down notes, among others.(Source: Tech Times)

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

A

romantic style décor does not necessarily mean “romantic” in the sense of passion but it does include soft colours, chintz and delicate textures to suggest calm and relaxation.

Usually found in the bedroom, a romantic look can be displayed anywhere in the home.

A romantic room usually includes painted antique or vintage pieces

Ingredients 4 tbsp. unsalted butter 1/3 c. hot sauce 1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese kosher salt 1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs 2 celery stalks, chopped 1/2 tsp. onion powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 egg 1/4 c. sliced shallots, plus more for garnish 1 lb. ground chicken extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 425º. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter, hot sauce, blue cheese, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk until butter and cheese are melted and fully incorporated, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, celery, onion powder, garlic, egg, and scallions. Add chicken and half of the hot sauce mixture and blend until combined. Do not over-mix.

Brush a large cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Using an ice cream scoop or your hands, form 1" meatballs and place in prepared skillet.

Bake until lightly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.

Warm remaining sauce and drizzle over meatballs, then sprinkle with shallot. Serve on toothpicks.

Makes 6

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Greatest Cooking Tips

ne of the biggest problems that people have when using cloves to cook is in learning how to balance the powerfully aromatic spice with the other ingredients. For example, if you were wishing to use little bit of cloves to enhance the flavour of your hot chocolate, you would want to use only a pinch. If you are looking to balance some of the strong flavours that onions can impart, then try using a clove. Keep in mind though that the clove can easily overpower the taste of the onion, so if you are looking for a nice equilibrium of the two flavours, then you should only use single clove, instead of the several that you might think were necessary.

T From the Hindu word for “spotted”, chintz was originally a stained or painted calico produced in India, usually for clothing. In modern times it has come to describe printed multi-coloured cotton fabric with a glazed finish used for upholstery or curtains

Home Help

he best time to clean your burn stains is while you are actually cooking. Create a mixture of 5 cups of water and 5 teaspoons of baking soda and put it into the burnt pot or pan. Add heat to the pot and bring it to a gentle boil for roughly twenty minutes or until you start to see the burnt food float away. After the time has expired, remove the pot or pan from the heat and pour out the water. Take a look to see if you have removed the stain; if you have not removed the stain, then use a soft green scrubby, some detergent, and gentle pressure to remove the remaining stain.

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Sunday Times Magazine19

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Family Times

PARENTING

Oversharing?

How social media is affecting your parenting

A

(Conclusion)

JOKES

The outing boy with a monkey on his shoulder was walking down the road when he passed a policeman who said, “Now, now young lad, I think you had better take that monkey the zoo.”

The next day, the boy was walking down the road with the monkey on his shoulder again, when he passed the same policeman. The policeman said, ‘Hey there, I thought I told you to take that money to the zoo!”

The boy answered, “I did! Today I'm taking him to the cinema.”

A

Stop sign here are two clowns in a car going down a steep hill when the driver realizes that the brakes don't work. He tells the other clown that the brakes don't work and they will drive off the side of the cliff because they failed to stop.

The other clown then replies, “Don't worry!

There's a stop sign ahead.”

Observant policeman pulls a man over for speeding and asks him to get out of the car. After looking the man over the policeman says, "Sir, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are bloodshot. Have you been drinking?"

The man gets really indignant and says, "Officer, I couldn't help but notice your eyes are glazed. Have you been eating doughnuts?"

T

A

Make my day was outside eating a cookie and saw about five ants roaming around at the top of the stairs and I noticed there was only one ant that wasn’t holding anything like the other four were holding Doritos bits or something.

To me the ant seemed sad – it wasn’t even going in the same place like the other ants. So I put a cookie crumb next to him and he picked it up and started running as fast as the other ants to where they were all going.

I think I made that little ant’s day!

I

Brave boys ne night during a violent thunderstorm a mother was putting her son to bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked in a trembling voice: “Mom can you sleep in my room tonight?”

The mother smiled, kissed his forehead and gave him a reassuring hug. “I can’t dear, “ she said, “ I have to sleep in daddy’s room” A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: “The big sissy.”

O

The Pastor, the Vicar, and the Atheist ne day a Pastor, a Vicar and an Atheist go on a fishing trip together. They are in the boat and the Pastor says," Oh! No! I left the paddles on shore!" So he proceeds to get out of the boat and to the atheist’s astonishment walk on the water to the shore to get them.

Once he had gotten back into the boat the Vicar says," Oh! No! I left the bait on shore too!" And like the Pastor, the Vicar exits the boat and walks on the water to get the bait.

When the Vicar climbs back into the boat the atheist yells," Well if you guys can do it so can I!!!" and proceeds to climb out of the boat, but he falls into the water.

At this point the Pastor says," Do you think we should have told him where the rocks are?"

O

nother mom admits she's a recovering poster of perfection.

“I was always concerned with what my peers thought of me as a mother, wife, and woman. My posts were carefully chosen, making sure there was nothing unkempt in the background, my kids were perfectly dressed, that I looked good,” says a mom of two boys, 6 and 4. “It took me a few years to get over myself and not care about what my peers thought of me.”

But so many moms are still there, she notes: struggling with presenting their life as perfect as the other mom's life is on Instagram. It's a neverending circle: whose house is the cleanest, whose kids are the cutest, whose hair is the prettiest, whose marriage is the most perfect. “But you never know what's behind the photo, and no mom has a perfect life,” she says. “Some are just really good at tell-

ing their story in a flattering light, and it's very easy to do on social media.”

Even though no parent's unaware that her posts are creating a digital

footprint for her kids, it's still hard to resist sharing. Twenty-four per cent of our survey respondents say they worry what they post will come back to haunt

their child as a teen or an adult, while 32 per cent have deleted a post about their child that they feared was oversharing.

"With our embrace of these incredibly powerful tools, we've been somewhat oblivious to the implications. A child's baby book used to sit on a bookshelf. Now what you post is essentially going on a billboard," says Parents advisor Michael Rich, M.D., director of the Centre on Media and Child Health, Children's Hospital Boston. "Before posting, it would be good to consider, 'What's it going to be like when a child at 14 comes to a post or picture, for example of when he was a toddler and stuck in a cabinet and crying, and Mom or Dad, instead of coming to his aid right away, paused to take a funny picture for Instagram.'” (From: “Parenting in a Fakebook

World: How Social Media Is Affecting Your Parenting” by Mackenzie Dawson, Parents Magazine)

STORY TIME

The monkey and the juggler Tower of

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n a mango orchard outside a village there lived a mischievous monkey. The whole day, he would jump from one tree to another. Thus the monkey kept on eating the ripe mangoes. The orchardkeeper tried to trap the monkey. But every time the monkey escaped the trap.

One day, the monkey wandered out to the nearby town.

“The town people are so busy. There is so much crowd here," the monkey thought. Soon the monkey was sneaking into houses and running away with eatables. By evening, he had made life difficult for the town people. “The town is more fun than the orchard. I will live here," he thought.

Days went by and the monkey was looked upon by the town people with terror. “Here he comes again," they screamed when they saw the monkey.

One day, a juggler came to the town. The people of

By Grammar G.

L

ove and its related giddying emotions are expressed in all languages; some foreign words express feelings in ways that are untranslatable in English. In honour of the upcoming Valentine’s Day, let’s look at some of these words: Koi No Yokan (Japanese).

The sudden knowledge upon meeting someone that the two of you are destined to fall in love La douleur exquise

the town approached him.

“We want you to help us get rid of that mischievous monkey," they said to the juggler. The juggler said in return,

“Do not worry. Get me some jars with narrow necks," When the jars of the size were brought to him, he put peanuts into the jars and placed them out on a field.

The monkey became curious when he saw the jars.

When he went and peeped inside the jars, he saw peanuts. “Yummy! Let me quickly grab the peanuts and run," he thought. He put his hand inside the jar and grabbed a big handful.

But he could not pull out his clenched fist, as the neck of the jar was so narrow. If the monkey dropped some peanuts back into the jar, he could have pulled his hand out. But he was greedy. So he did not drop some peanuts into the jar.

The town people trapped the monkey with his hand inside the jar. They got hold of the rope and tied him in a post.

Then the monkey was sold to a zoo. That was the end of the greedy monkey.

Light

O tower of light, sad beauty that magnified necklaces and statues in the sea, calcareous eye, insignia of the vast waters, cry of the mourning petrel, tooth of the sea, wife of the Oceanian wind, O separate rose from the long stem of the trampled bush that the depths, converted into archipelago, O natural star, green diadem, alone in your lonesome dynasty, still unattainable, elusive, desolate like one drop, like one grape, like the sea.

--Pablo Neruda (French). The heart- wrenching hurt of wanting someone you can’t have.

Ya’aburnee (Arabic).

This phrase translates to “you bury me.” This is the hope that the person you love will outlive you so you can be spared the pain of living without them.

Iktsuarpok (Inuit). The anticipation you feel when you’re waiting for someone to come over to your house.

Kara sevda (Turkish).

Meaning “black love”, this is a term for when you feel that very deep passionate, blinding love for another person.

Forelsket (Norwegian).

That overwhelming euphoric feeling you experience when you’re falling in love with someone.

20 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Sunday Puzzle

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t a church retreat, five couples found out that they all had been married on Valentine’s Day, but none of them had been married the same number of years. Their last names were Dail, Moore, Doyle, Burton, and Henke. The husbands' names were Todd, Chris, Charles, Peter, and Dale. The wives' names were Elaine, Chelsea, Marcia, Stephanie, and Rebecca. From the clues given, determine the husband and wife that make up each couple and the number of years they have been married.

1) Chelsea has not been married as long as Charles and the Moores but longer than Chris and the Dails.

2) Stephanie has been married twice as long as the Doyles but only half as long as Todd.

3) The Henkes have been ten years longer than Peter and ten years less than Marcia.

4) Chris and Rebecca have been married for 25 years less than the Burtons, who have been married the longest.

5) Neither Elaine nor the Dails have been married the shortest amount of time.

6) Dale has been married for 25 years. see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

GEOZONE

Mute swan pair (Cygnus olor)

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he swan (Cygnus) is a large aquatic bird that has become a symbol of love as they often do stay with their partners for life, helping their mate build nests, sharing egg incubation duties and rearing their young together.

The swan inhabits both sides of the Equator across the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The northern swan is generally white in colour with an orange beak and the southern swan tends to be a mixture of white and black in colour with red, orange or black beaks.

Swans eat underwater vegetation such as seaweed and aquatic plants when they are on

the water, and a mixture of plants, seeds and berries when they are on land. Swans also eat insects: both water and land based, and the occasional small fish.

There are around six different species of swan found around the world. The size, colour and behaviour a swan individual is largely dependent on its species and the area in which it lives.

The swan is known for its fierce temperament and incredibly strong wings which are said to be able to cause dangerous (sometimes fatal) injuries to animals.

T

he “Tunnel of Love”, located between Klevan and the village of Orzhiv in Ukraine, is part of an industrial train rail section that has also turned into one of the most romantic and popular spots for locals and tourists alike.

Near Orzhiv, where industrial freight trains are operated by the Odek plywood factory there, the line splits into two. One leads to Klevan and the other leads to a secret military base, from the Cold War era, hidden in the forest. Back in those days, the trees were deliberately planted alongside

the track to conceal the transport of military hardware.

The Odek factory trains run to Klevan through the “Tunnel of Love” several times a day, depending on how much plywood there is to transport. As trees were left to grow freely around the rails, the passing train was the only thing shaping its way through.

Eventually, by crossing the Kleven village forest back and forth three times a day, the train shaped a closed tunnel according to its size.

Spot the Difference

Find the 7 Differences

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.

22 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

Faecal contamination Eiffel tower to get glass closes 36 Aussie beaches barrier against terrorism

An Australia EPA map of the affected area shared on Twitter shows beaches dotted along the bay, and the narrow inlet to the ocean. Based on this geography, contaminants entering the bay due to storm water runoff do not actively interchange with the ocean water

T

hirty-six Australian beaches have been closed due to contamination from human faeces.

A u s t r a l i a ' s Environment Protection Authority gave every beach in Melbourne a "poor" water-quality rating this week because of the faecal contamination, and deemed them not suitable for swimming.

The EPA officials

said in a tweet that recent heavy rainfall likely caused the pollution. One of Melbourne's daily newspapers, The Age, reported that the city was hit with one month's worth of rain — 1.97 inches (50 millimetres) ― on Sunday night (Feb. 5).

The poor water quality could last through the week, according to Anthony Boxshall, EPA group manager of applied

sciences.

To determine contamination levels, the EPA tests water samples for enterococci — a bacteria group that is an indicator of faecal contamination, according to the EPA's Beach Report. Water rated as "poor" due to bacteria means swimmers are at a higher risk of such illnesses as gastroenteritis (also known as stomach flu).

T

he Eiffel Tower, one of the world’s most famous landmarks, will get a glass wall built round its base under a plan to provide extra protection against terrorist attacks, a source in the Paris mayor’s office said Thursday.

The 324-meter-high structure, which gets about seven million visitors a year, already has protective metal fencing around its base, erected temporarily for the Euro football championship of 2016.

France has been a target of Islamist militant attacks, including bombings and shootings in Paris in November 2015 in which

130 people were killed.

Glass panels two-and-a-half meters high would be erected around the base of the tower as an anti-terrorist measure if the plans are approved, the source said. The project would go before a sites commission and then the environment ministry.

“We have three aims: improve the look, make access easier and strengthen the protection of visitors and staff,” Jean-Francois Martins, a city official, said in a statement.

The cost of the project will be around 20 million euros (US$21.36 million), le Parisien newspaper said.

‘Dead Animal Tales’ museum exhibit not for the faint of heart Brain Teaser Answer Chris and Rebecca Doyle have been married 5 years.

Peter and Stephanie Dail have been married 10 years.

Todd and Chelsea Henke have been married 20 years.

Dale and Elaine Moore have been married 25 years.

Charles and Marcia Burton have been married 30 years.

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

D

eceased animals in a range of a competitive domino event by knock- out.

A more recent exhibit inhabitant is compromising poses share cau- ing down 23,000 domino tiles; "Trauma tionary stories of times when Gull", a black-headed gull that expired “CERN weasel ‘2’”, the stone marten wildlife interactions with humans after a mid-air head-on collision with a who in 2016 jumped a fence and was turned deadly — for the wildlife — flying trauma helicopter in 2011, and instantly electrocuted when it encounin an unusual and, for some, morbid "McFlurry Hedgehog", who died in tered an 18,000-volt transformer. The exhibit "Dead Animal Tales", at the 2007 after it had wedged its head in- incident interrupted power to part of Natural History Museum Rotterdam side the lid of a McDonald's ice-cream CERN's particle accelerator, called the container looking for leftovers, but its Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

(NHMR) in the Netherlands.

The specimen that launched "Dead spines prevented it from pulling back A n i m a l Tales" was a mallard that suffered a fatal collision with a window at the museum in 1995. Almost immediately afterward, another mallard approached and began having sex with the dead bird.

Other exhibits include "Domino Sparrow" — a bird that was shot and killed after The unfortunate "McFlurry Hedgehog" at the permanent exhibit it disrupted

Brazil yellow fever becomes country's worst outbreak in decades

B

razil is suffering the worst yellow fever outbreak in decades that has killed at least 69 persons, nearly all in central state of Minas Gerais, where the problems began.

In addition, the outbreak has claimed the lives of more than 600 monkeys in Brazil's Atlantic rainforest region, threatening the survival of rare South American primates, according to

a zoologist.

The monkeys, mostly brown howlers and masked titis, are falling out of trees and dying on the ground in the forests of Espirito Santo state in Brazil's southeast.

Millions of Brazilians have been vaccinated as health authorities scramble to prevent the outbreak from turning into an epidemic. There is no such protection available for monkeys.

Brazil's federal health officials are investigating if the latest outbreak is linked to a tailings dam collapse last year in Minas Gerais at the Samarco iron ore mine co-owned by BHP Billiton and Vale SA. The dam accident, which polluted the Rio Doce river, is regarded as the country's worst environmental disaster.

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Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 12, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES Don’t let uncertainty lead (March 21- to a mistake. Moderation April 19) and common sense will help you avoid trouble. Do your best to assist others and stay focused on what’s important.

Emotional matters will TAURUS escalate if you get into a de(April 20- bate. Diplomacy will help May 20) you avoid negativity and complaints. Listen carefully to another’s case, but do whatever is in your best interest.

Keep track of your investGEMINI ments, assets and possessions (May 21personally. Letting someone June 20) else handle your affairs will result in mistakes. Listen to emotional pleas, but don’t let anyone manipulate you.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

A gathering that gives you the opportunity to share your ideas and plans with close friends or relatives is encouraged, as long as you avoid indulgent behavior and overspending.

Demands and responsibilities will be put on you due to circumstances beyond your control. You will be praised if you take care of the needs of elders and youngsters.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Emotions will be challenging. Try to see situations clearly and listen to what others have to say. Your insight will only be as good as your ability to recognize truth.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Share your plans with someone you want to spend more time with. Love and romance are featured and will help you make a marked improvement to your lifestyle.

Use your intuitive insight SCORPIO when dealing with personal (Oct. 24matters. Trust in yourself, Nov. 22) not in what others say or do.

A creative outlet will help you avoid getting involved in someone else’s affairs.

Emotional situations will SAGITTARIUS escalate if you are gullible or (Nov. 23trust someone who uses dubiDec. 21) ous techniques to sway your opinion. Personal gains will result if you trust in your experience, knowledge and skills.

Take the time to go over CAPRICORN personal, legal, financial or (Dec. 22- medical concerns. Don’t feel Jan. 19) pressured to join a group or participate in an event that doesn’t interest you. Avoid impulsive and indulgent individuals.

You will be able to make AQUARIUS important decisions and (Jan. 20- bring about positive change Feb. 19) if you trust in your abilities and pay little attention to any negativity you encounter.

Emotions will be close to PISCES (Feb. 20- the surface, and unrealistic Mar. 20) plans will lead to disillusionment and setbacks. Think before you engage in something that borders on the impossible.