Sunday Magazine, August 11, 2019

August 11, 2019

TIMES BOLLYWOOD:

Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli go on lunch date at Shanat’s Puri Shop in Guyana FREE DISTRIBUTION

Page 14

2 Sunday Times Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

Feature

“Social work is certainly not easy,” says Nerissa Semple

F

inding a career path which suits our desire and gives us purpose may be difficult but certainly not impossible.

Being able to make a difference in someone’s life and changing the perspective of someone may be challenging, but the feeling after doing so is overwhelming.

Have you ever wondered what happened to those persons who have been abused or attempted suicide or children who are neglected?

N e r i s s a Teshana Semple, the 26-year-old Probation and Social Services Officer who is currently employed by the Social Protection Ministry at the Wellington Probation Office, had a few challenges in life when it came to finding a career which best suited her. She is trying to change the stereotype that social work is easy and to bring respect and more recognition of the contribution and positive impact social work has on individuals and society.

Nerissa grew up like any other normal child in the countryside; making ornaments with mud, learning to swim in the trench behind her home, going to the backdam to check rice fields and pick fruits and vegetables. She enjoyed receiving gifts for her birthdays and at Christmas, playing outdoor games on the streets until it was dark and having no expenses as a child.

She was an active member at the local church in the village until she attended the University of Guyana as she was raised in a Christian family.

Her education journey began at the No 8 Nursery School and she then attended the Latchmansingh Primary School, where she wrote the Common Entrance Examination (now revamped as the National Grade Six Assessment) and was awarded a place at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School. There she completed her secondary education by writing the Caribbean Education Certificate Examinations with passes in the nine subjects she sat.

Nerissa was eager to work after completing secondary school, but did not gain employment, so she began attending computer classes at Brazillo’s Learning Center, from where she graduated with A+ in Microsoft Word and Excel and Internet Browsing. After still being unable to get a job, she considered attending the University of Guyana.

“I thought of what I love and what I wanted to do as an individual to positively impact the lives of others and I went to my older sister who told me that social work is it,” Nerissa shared.

After learning of the various serious issues that plague the lives of children and how these cases were being handled, Nerissa was moved

to pursue a career in the helping profession, because she loves helping others, especially the vulnerable and the less fortunate.

“Social work best suits my desire,” she stated.

At the age of 23, Nerissa graduated from the University of Guyana with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Work with a 3.0 GPA. “Two days after my graduation, I started working as a Probation and Social Services Officer within the Ministry of Social Protection. I feel social work is one of the best professions in the world. I think the field of social work is being perceived as one for older women. I recall while attending the University of Guyana and persons asking what’s my major and I would reply with a bright smile ‘social work’ and they would respond like ‘that easy program, why you didn’t do this or that?’ I think social work should be treated with more respect and recognition in Guyana. As social workers, we risk our lives to help others and it’s not taken seriously by those in higher authority for us to get risk allowance and so on,” Nerissa stated.

She shared that one of her favourite memories as a social worker was rebuilding hope in someone who attempted suicide.

“One of the most interesting experiences I’ve had while in this field was to have a first-hand glimpse of the living conditions of persons who are in dire need of help and that made me humble myself even more. It motivated me to continue in this field, because I believe that there are always persons who desire my help and so I can’t quit until my work is complete,” she explained.

Whenever Nerissa feels overwhelmed by her workload, she would simply do something she loves or an activity she has not done in a while, such as going shopping, eating ice cream or barbecue wings, spending time with kids and talking to persons of positive influence.

She stated that her ultimate goal as a social worker is doing what is best for her client within her reach without causing harm to anyone and always doing so with an open mind.

“Knowing my abilities and the benefits persons in need of it stand to gain gives me the drive and influences me to continue in my field of work. I would like to say to anyone thinking to join this field to join only if you love this profession, because there is only so m u c h you can do and t h e s y s t e m is challenging at times,” she declared.

AUGUST 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

“Social work is beyond a career, it’s a lifestyle,”

3

Feature

Says Lauristian Choy

By Lakhram Bhagirat

I

n every profession, some people go above the call of duty to ensure that they are performing at the best of their abilities.

They do that because they love what they do and their profession has become a part of them. They do not look for a pat on the back or the compliments, rather they go above and beyond because they really want to make a difference in their field.

Going above and beyond has become the norm in Lauristan Choy’s life ever since he became a social worker. Not a day has passed that he does not feel grateful to be able to make a difference in the lives of those he encounters.

Choy is currently employed with the Social Protection Ministry's Child Care and Protection Agency as the acting Senior Probation and Social Service Officer for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). Coming from humble beginnings, Choy knows what it means to have very little and this ignited a spark in him from a very young age to be more aware of the fabric of society.

He always envisioned himself in a field where he is able to make a difference and help those he can. Hard work and perseverance are vital ingredients in the 31-yearold’s life.

A product of one of the lowest junior secondary schools in the New Amsterdam-Canje District -- the Canje Secondary School, Choy has proved that it is not where you come from but the path you create on your quest for success that matters. He took his future in his hands and shaped it the way he wanted. He had a purpose, identified his goals a n d t h e n began the gruelling work of achieving those g o a l s .

The road to his current position has not been a paved one nor was the ride a smooth one rather it was a road laced with potholes. Nevertheless, he dodged, swerved and conquered.

After he left secondary school, Choy went to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute where he earned Diplomas in Computer Science and Business Studies and was also the first valedictorian of the institution back in 2006. From here, his thirst for knowledge just skyrocketed and he knew he was destined for bigger things.

On that quest, he enrolled at the University of Guyana– Berbice and read for a Diploma in Public Management. At that time, he was employed by the Regional Administration and felt that public management was his calling. As life would have it, in 2011 some three months before his final exam for his Diploma, Choy was attacked and severely beaten by a group of gunmen. They took away his laptop with all his research and information for the courses he was taking at

the time.

Battered and bruised, Choy did not give up. He brushed himself off and went at it and eventually graduated.

However, through his volunteering efforts within his community and various Non-Governmental Organisations, the desire to help people became too hard for him to ignore. He went back to UG and this time read for his Diploma in Social Work and graduated as the Best Graduating Student.

“After completing my Diploma in Social Work, my place of work did not grant me permission to continue studying for my degree. I was devastated, but did not allow such to derail my purpose. I decided to continue my studies. I had to attend classes after 4:30 (16:30h) which posed several problems for me. I reached to classes late every day and my small salary was deducted for the days I took to conduct fieldwork for the courses which were mandatory,” he related.

In 2017, he graduated with his degree and was the best graduating student in Social Work

once again. He also gained the University of Guyana-Berbice Campus Director’s award for the graduating student who exemplified leadership within the University.

After gaining employment at the Social Protection Ministry as a Probation and Social Service Officer-Child Protection, Choy began feeling at home.

“I love children. I love the innocence that they bring and the ability to be carefree and

creative, and to know that persons are violating these precious souls made me want to do something about addressing that.

Hence, I applied for the post of Child Protection Officer, a job that I have loved from day one; I do not feel like I am at work. I am happy to know that through my work I can help to make someone else’s life better,” he declared.

“Social work for me is beyond a career: it’s a lifestyle. The simple principle that governs this profession is built on social justice. We are all human beings at different levels in our lives, and, therefore, we must not see ourselves greater than each other.”

As a young per-

son, Choy believes that social work practice in Guyana is evolving and the standard is being lifted, especially with the Social Worker Code of Ethics, which outlines the professional framework of the profession. He notes that the field provides you with the opportunity to see the other side that is constantly hidden and it is a field that should not be taken lightly.

“Like doctors, we have to be very careful how we address a person’s issues; if not handled professionally, we can damage someone’s life. Sadly, globally, the field of social work is not perceived as important as medi-

cal practitioners. The treatment that social workers receive can be described as second class. Social workers work beyond the call of duty and most times, neglect their families in the process only to receive insults from persons including other professionals, having poor working conditions, high case loads and meagre salaries,” he laments.

When one thinks of going above and beyond the call of duty, just listening to some of the experiences that Choy had in the field would show how much he cares about his profession. For him, social work is not just a job, rather it is part of his being -his purpose. He has gotten muddy, trekked through the bushes, crossed planks across trenches, was verbally abused and even intercepted by armed Venezuelan rebels while executing his duties.

“I remember in 2018. I was given the assignment to accompany a group to the Amerindian Village Ereku, Region Seven.

This was my first time in an interior location; I enjoyed interacting with the residents. It was after one of our meetings: the group were returning to Eteringbang opposite the Venezuelan border on the Cuyuni River when the boat we were in was intercepted by one of

Venezuela's r e b el groups called the Sentacatas who had high-power weapons.

I was scared but remained calm. Luckily in our boat, there were three Guyana Defence Force officers who ensured we reached safely back to shore,” Chou recounted.

Social work is a multifaceted profession which allows one to serve in different capacities and for Choy, the end goal is to specialise in the areas of children and youth as a Social Development Specialist.

When asked what advice he has for persons wanting to join the social work field, Choy says: “Firstly, understand why you want to be in this profession. Being a social worker is not a gloried job, it gets dirty, challenging and it speaks to your moral compass. If your desire is to make money, then social work is not for you, you will find that we spend more money than we receive.”

For now, Choy continues to do transformational things in his quest to ensure that social justice is delivered.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Feature

S

ocial workers witness things and are part of people’s lives on a daily basis. They are trained to practice empathy and quite often feel the same as the people they serve. They carry the heavy burden of putting aside their values and assessing every situation uniquely.

While some may view social work as “easy”, social workers quite often go above and beyond the call of duty. They often neglect their families and relationships, because they are constantly on call. They have to ensure that whenever a situation arises, they are available to deal with that situation to bring some relief to the parties.

It is this act of serving humanity that led Otiffie Greene to the field. She has been working with the Child Care and Protection Agency for over seven years and amassed a wealth of knowledge when it comes to

dealing with social issues.

She has had her fair share of social issues as a child and young adult, so she uses these experiences and knowledge gained to assess and deal with issues as they arise.

The 29-year-old is a product of the hinterland since she hails from the rural community of Ituni, which is some 36 miles from the mining town of Linden. She notes that the days spent there have helped shape her into the social worker that she is today: “Those memories are also shadowed with playful laughter and grief after losing my eldest brother when I was six years old. You may want to be asking yourself 'what a six-year-old really know about death and griev-

ing?' Well, enough to tell you that my family was never the same after that experience. My mother was never the same. She became excessively overprotective especially with my younger brother.”

Burdened by grief, Greene’s mother who was a nurse-midwife at the time began keeping her children close. She was a strong advocate for education and ensured that it was the top priority for her children.

Greene and her siblings attended the lone nurseryprimary school in the village and after sitting the Common Entrance Exams, she was awarded a place at the Berbice High School in Region Six. “Due to financial challenges, many children were unable to attend high school after completing the Grade Six Assessment. If they did, most often financial challenges tend to override their quest for high school educa-

tion, and oftentimes resulted in school dropouts. My mother vowed that my siblings and I would never meet that fate. So the planning for me to attend High School began approximately two years before I even wrote the Grade Six Assessment or Common Entrance as it was known then.”

She was awarded a hinterland scholarship to President’s College, but instead, her family decided that she and a relative were going to move to Fyrish Village in Berbice, so she could gain her education there. The sacrifice saw her family being split into two for the first time. Her grandmother took on the role of mothering her through high school while her mother stayed back with her younger siblings so they could have completed their education in Ituni.

“Leaving my entire world back at the only place I knew as home was hard. I struggled at first to fit in. Life was quite different on the coast, but I ensured that I persevered if not for anything else, it was for the struggle and sacrifices of my mother and grandmother. After successfully passing eight subjects at the CSEC level, I graduated from the Berbice High School, and subsequently sought employment, as a means to support my future academic journey, since financial support was difficult to gain from my immediate family,” Greene explained.

She gained employment as a preschool teacher and was actively involved in various activities and community development projects which provided her with several opportunities for advancement.

She was pushed to achieve all she set out to and she took the world as her canvas and began painting the life she wanted.

In 2010, she started to

read for her Diploma in Social Work at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus and after she graduated, she gained employment with the Social Protection Ministry and remains there today.

“September of the same year (2013), I returned to the University of Guyana and completed the Bachelor of Science in Social Work. My quest to continually improve professionally and academically resulted in numerous training opportunities, both local and overseas, bin Early Childhood Development, working with families, child abuse, counselling, addiction and the family among many others. In addition, I would have recently completed a certificate in Early Childhood Development.”

When she first entered the field of social work, the major challenge was to prove that a young person could function in the field. Her maturity was questioned because of her age,but that did not deter her.

“As a young person, I feel that social work is fulfilling, it provides many opportunities to address social ills in society as well as a vehicle to positively enhance the lives of children, families, and communities. It’s a vessel to strengthen social stability, something we will all benefit from in the long run. It may not be viable immediately, but trust me it's impactful, for this generation and many more to come, " Greene noted.

“Social work is 24/7. It never ends. You’re always thinking of a way to help people even when you’re on vacation for instance or your services are sometimes needed beyond the 4:30 (16:30h) workday. This happens many times. Your commitment and dedication to the job are oftentimes tested during these times.”

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

By Lakhram Bhagirat

S

omeone once said that we must never underestimate the pain of a person because everyone is fighting some form of internal battle. It may be the biggest mistake to judge someone just because they seem like they have their life together and they are happy, since some people are well skilled in hiding their emotions.

For Juniour Anthony Blair, he knows what it is to suppress his emotions.

He knows what it is to be at your breaking point after all has failed. He even knows what it is to attempt to take your own life after you feel that your world is falling apart. But, perhaps most importantly, he knows how to pick himself up and use his talents for a better purpose.

Blair has always had the knack for helping people out and making sure that they are comfortable; though he never saw it, he was destined for the field of social work. At a young age, Blair attempted suicide because he felt ashamed and lost.

While a Fifth Form student at the Skeldon High School, Blair had big plans for his life. His paternal grandmother was in the process of sponsoring his father so that the family could move to the United States to live. Armed with the prospects of migrating before CSEC, Blair made no preparations for the exams, but life had other plans for him.

In the blink of an eye, his grandmother passed away causing his life plans to come to a halt.

“So I didn’t get to write CSEC because I was guaranteed that I would have left before the exam period.

About a year and a half later, I became depressed after my grandmother had passed away during the course of the sponsorship and me not taking the opportunity to sit my CSEC. I became so depressed that I started to isolate myself from my former classmates because of feeling disappointed and somewhat shamed. I once tried to commit suicide because of how I felt at that time,” Blair said.

However, he got the help he needed and started to pick his life back up. He went on to the Critchlow Labour College and the Business Academy in Corriverton, Berbice to pursue his CSEC qualifications. After gaining his CSEC passes, Blair continued the quest for further knowledge, which took him to the University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, where he is a final-year Social Work Degree student. He has also since acquired a Diploma in Public Management from UG. “Social work helps me to be a rounded person in the sense that it provides me with privileged opportunities that help shape my personality and test my capabilities as a person. As such, it does not offer many monetary rewards, but it creates a lifetime of memories. I am

privileged to be given the opportunities to make a difference in someone’s life and mine as well,” he explained.

Backtracking to his childhood, the 31-year-old said at the age of 12 he joined the Skeldon Estate Community Centre Cricket Club as an Under-15 player. He went on to play for Berbice at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels with the likes of Veerasammy Permaul, Richard Ramdeen, Gajanand Singh, Maxwell Georgeson, Steven Latcha, and Brandon Best.

Many thought that he would pursue a career in cricket, but to their surprise, he found his calling and it was social work. Through his many struggles and the constant teasing about his choice of profession, he has persevered.

“The field of social work is most times perceived to be less important to many other persons who are not directly involved and those who for some reason are naïve about the importance of the role of social work and its relative functions. I remember when I first started UGBC I was mocked by other males for choosing social work, because to them it was a soft course or in their words ‘the weakest course the University offers and only females should do the course because it’s not a masculine field'.

“I paid them no mind, because I know for a fact that social work can be applied to any job field given the two common components, which

are a human resource and the organisational system which deals with policies and practice. These two components are key to effective service delivery hence the need for social work. I can say confidently that social work is one of the toughest courses being offered at UG because it makes or breaks

any individual regardless of gender, ethnicity, age or status and I am proud to be a social worker.”

Blair is in the field of social work to gain knowledge and secure the future of the youths. He notes that now with his training and knowledge, he is better equipped to serve the needs of his com-

munity and further afield.

“The field of social work is a real soul-searching experience and it provides opportunities to make a real impact in the life of others as well as in your own life.

Let’s break the gender barrier attached to the field of social work. We welcome more males on board.”

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Feature

I

n 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day. The Assembly recommended that public information activities be organized to support the Day as a way to promote better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth, adopted by the General Assembly in 1995 (resolution 50/81).

International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August.

The Focal Point on Youth selects a theme for the day often with input from youth organizations and members of the UN InterAgency Network in Youth development.

It also organizes a commemoration of the Day at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Programme encourages youth around the world to organize activities to raise awareness about the situation of youth in their country.

The theme of International Youth Day 2019, “Transforming education”, highlights efforts to make education more relevant, equitable and inclusive for all youth, including efforts by youth themselves.

Rooted in Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong

ing progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, be it poverty eradication, good health, gender equality, decent work and growth, reduced inequalities, action on climate or building peaceful societies. Education should lead to effective learning out-

comes, with the content of school curricula and pedagogy being fit for purpose, not only for the 4th industrial revolution and the future of work and life, but also for the opportunities and challenges that rapidly changing social contexts bring. (United Nations)

We go through the school day wondering why we are here We feel like no one understands us Sometimes the teachers give us something to fear This results us getting kicked out of class.

learning opportunities for all” – International Youth Day 2019 will examine how Governments, young people and youth-led and youth-focused organiza-

tions, as well as other stakeholders, are transforming education and how these efforts are contributing to the achievement the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development.

Statistics remind us that significant transformations are still required to make education systems more inclusive and accessible: (1) Only 10% of people have completed upper secondary education in low income countries; (2) 40 % of the global population is not taught in a language they speak or fully understand; and (3) over 75 % of secondary school age refugees are out of school. In addition, indigenous youth, young people with disabilities, young women, young people belonging to vulnerable groups or in vulnerable situations, etc. are facing additional challenges to access education that respects their diverse needs and abilities as well as reflects and embraces their unique realities and identities.

Making education more relevant, equitable and inclusive is crucial to achieving sustainable development.

Education is a ‘development multiplier’ in that it plays a pivotal role in accelerat-

We camouflage our true feelings so we don’t let anyone in We beat each other up because we don’t truly love We want someone to show us the way, we want it to end.

We give up, we no longer look for help from above So we die or get locked up cause we have no hope People tell us we’re never going to be anything.

We kill ourselves by smoking dope While feeling insecure and helpless We will make you an offer, help us with our internal issues And we’ll be the best student you ever had.

Let us cry out our feelings give us tissues And together we can achieve greatness and success.

Anonymous

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

B

eing a social worker is an often challenging yet rewarding career. Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives and seek to improve the quality of life for individuals and to effect system-wide change through the pursuit of social justice.

Just like other helping professions such as nursing and teaching, social work seeks to help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges.

Trying every day to make a difference in people’s lives is 27-yearold David Schultz, a Probation and Social Services Officer who works with the Social Protection Ministry's Probation Department in Region Two. David’s first choice of career was not social work but business. Before he applied to further his studies at the University of Guyana, he had an encounter with former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway that changed his life and as a result, David chose social work as his career path.

“I always felt like social work chose me and not the other way around.

I really didn’t face any challenges getting into the field of social work as I had all three of my study choices accepted by the University of Guyana and I choose social work above all,” he noted.

Born in the ancient county of Berbice in the small but vibrant village of Edderton on the West Coast, David is the last of

six children for his hardworking parents. His parents had the challenge of providing for six children, ensuring that they had what was necessary growing up even though at times they did not always get what they wanted.

“As a child, I attended the Cotton Tree Primary School and after writing the Common Entrance Exams, I gained a place at the Bush Lot Secondary School.

During these times, I struggled miserably; nevertheless, my father always encouraged me to do my best in everything. After writing the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Exams I gained five subjects including Mathematics and English.”

David claims that social work changed his life, and he loves and enjoys being a social worker.

“To make a difference in someone’s life can make you feel amazing, because you know you made an impact, a change in a person’s life and they are way better off now than they were before thus making the world a better place.

“Social work changed my life. It is a life-changing field that gives caregivers the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives especially those going through a crisis. I love and enjoy being a social worker; at the end of the day personally, it feels good knowing that I made a difference in someone’s life, and as a result of what I did, someone is better off,” David stated.

Social workers usually deal with neglect, abuse, domestic violence, men-

tal health, behavioural and emotional issues and these are factors which contribute to social problems in Guyana and every other place in the world.

David Shultz is one of those many persons who make a change every day in this world to make it a safe environment.

Helping individuals who are vulnerable to social problems is what social workers do but yet many people do not understand or have knowledge of the contribution social workers make daily to society and this results in them being often undervalued.

The most interesting experience David has had in the field of social work was when he was able to help and empower a woman who had been experiencing domestic violence for years and as a result, his intervention made a difference and she is doing much better now.

“Working as a social worker can be very demanding at times, as it requires caregivers to put that client’s needs above their at times; as a result of this, many stressors may arise from work.

Personally, I usually spend as much time as possible to irrigate my life every day, to avoid the heaviness that may arise from work that can overwhelm me. I love walking and enjoying nature, and being socially active helps as all help me in dealing stressors as well.”

For David, at the end of the day, all he wants is for people to be happy and united despite their differences.

“My advice for anyone

entering the profession as a social worker is to do it, because you love it and is passionate about creating change in society.

It’s not always about the money, but the feeling you get knowing you made a difference in someone’s life.”

8 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Feature

The Buxton/ Friendship Museum, Archive and Culture Centre

– as organisers looking to attract wider population, tourists

From left; Museum founder Keith Easton and President of the Museum’s Board of Directors, Ronald Willabus

By Jarryl Bryan

H

aving been founded in 1840, the East Coast village of Buxton is a treasure trove of history. And the Buxton/ Friendship Museum, Archive and Culture Centre that was opened a year ago to preserve this history is thriving, with its organisers looking to attract even more visitors.

In an interview with this publication on Sunday, the museum’s founder, Keith Easton, laid out a vision for where he wants this museum to go over the next few years. Easton’s vision includes seeking to attract visitors not only from around Guyana but also tourists looking to explore Guyana’s rich history.

“This is our one-year anniversary and we’re proud of what we have accomplished in one year, in terms of our opening of our museum, the community, school children visiting, our collaboration with the University of Guyana and its students,” Easton explained.

“Right now we are trying to make sure the public and more visitors, more

Guyanese and the general public at large know about the museum. We don’t want it to be only a Buxton museum. We want it to be nationally and internationally recognised so that when people come to the airport, they will say we want to go to Buxton.”

Easton noted that the museum, which is situated on Company Road, has been strongly supported by villagers over the past year. He noted that they have over 200 documented visits. And according to Easton, the number of persons who visited the museum but did not sign the visitor logs could greatly increase this number.

“We have had over 200 visitors, but it could have been closer to 400 because not many people signed in. Over 200 signed in… it is opened Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays,” Easton explained while adding that they are working towards having it opened full time.

“For any museum to exist, especially a village museum, it’s a unique museum,” he continued. “And its three things in one. It’s a

museum, it’s an archive and it’s a cultural centre. So we have to recognise our employees. We have a young lady by the name of Tomieka Headley, who is the assistant admin. We have broth-

of a museum administrator.

According to the founder, no one has submitted an application for the position and in any case, funds are an issue for the museum.

He explained that as

the United States-based Friends of the Villagers museum group has had to be integrally involved in the running of the museum. In fact, it is this group that facilitated the museum’s opening and is behind the anniversary dinner, which was held Sunday evening at Tipperary Hall.

Artefacts

er Ras Escarrie Campbell, who is an assistant.”

However, Easton explained that they are in need

such, he has had to step up and act as the curator for the museum. In addition, he noted that the Board and

Meanwhile, President of the Museum’s Board of Directors, Ronald Willabus explained that the museum exhibits include old typewriters, sewing machines and vintage military/paratrooper apparel worn by villagers that date back several decades. Their oldest artefact, according to Easton, is a piano dating back to over 100 years ago.

“Persons would have donated very old items. The piano is over 120 years old.

And you can still hit a few keys. Lots of our younger folks learned music on it. We had persons in the village who would have taught music way back. One of those persons owned it until they died,” Willabus explained.

“It was handed over to a

family friend, who had it for 30 years. They wanted to get rid of it. We said no, you cannot destroy an artefact like that. So we got it, brushed it up a bit. No spraying over.

We wanted it to look like it always looked.”

Meanwhile, Easton noted that they are working towards educating the next generation of Buxtonians about the importance of preserving their history. These youngsters, he noted, are exposed to camps and programmes designed to equip them to one day oversee the museum.

“We have a youth group in the organisation, who will be the inheritors of the museum. Young people who we are educating and sending to various camps to educate them more about the museum,” Easton said.

“We are trying for the next exhibition to be about miners and pork knockers in the village. Because the history of the village and the country as a whole was built a lot on pork knockers and their contributions. And we have a lot of stories about the pork knockers,” he added.

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine

9

Feature

A

dictionary might say that health is the state of being free from illness or injury. But others think it is more.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) says health is more than the absence of disease.

“Health is a state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” it says. It is the key to living a productive and satisfying life.

Path to improved health You can break down the concept of health into different categories. These could include physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral health. There are things any person can do to stay healthy in these areas.

But as a young person, there are some things you should pay special attention to.

Physical health – Taking care of your body Exercise regularly.

Teens should be physically active at least 60 minutes of every day.

Eat a healthy diet.

Healthy eating is an important part of your growth and development. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, a variety of protein foods, and low-fat dairy products.

Maintain a healthy weight. Children and teenagers with obesity are more likely to have obesity as an adult. They are also at higher risk for other chronic illnesses, depression, and bullying.

Get enough sleep. Most teens need between 9 and 9 ½ hours of sleep every night.

Many average only 7 hours.

Sleep has a strong effect on your ability to concentrate and do well at school.

Keep up with vaccinations. Get a flu shot every year. If you haven’t gotten the HPV vaccine, ask your parents and doctor about it.

It can prevent you from getting HPV and some kinds of cancer, including cervical cancer.

Brush and floss your teeth.

Make it a

habit n o w , and prevent tooth and gum problems in adulthood.

Don’t listen to loud music. This can damage your hearing for the rest of your life.

Mental health – Taking care of your mind Learn ways to manage stress. You can’t avoid stress, so you need to learn how to manage it. This will help you stay calm and be able to function in stressful situations.

Develop a good balance between school, work, and social life.

Don’t try to take on too much. Limit your activities to the most important ones and give those 100%.

Overextending yourself can lead to stress, frustration, or exhaustion.

Emotional health – Taking care of your feelings

Know the signs of mental illness.

These include:

• anxiety • depression • excessive tiredness • loss of self-esteem • loss of interest in things you used to like • loss of appetite • weight gain or loss

• O u t - o f - c h a r a c t e r personality changes.

Pay attention to your moods and feelings. Don’t assume your negative thoughts or feelings are just part of being a teenager. If you’re worried about something, ask for help.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you can’t talk to your parents, talk to a favorite teacher or counselor at school.

Find an adult you can trust.

If you’re feeling really sad or are thinking about harming yourself, get help right away.

Accept yourself. If you feel like you have low selfesteem or a poor body image, talk to someone about it. Even just talking to a friend can help.

Behavioral health – Taking care of your safety through your behaviors Avoid substance use or abuse. This includes alcohol, street drugs, other people’s prescription drugs, and any type of tobacco product.

Avoid violence. Stay away from situations where violence or fighting may cause you to be physically injured.

Practice abstinence (no sex) or safe sex. If you have sex, always use condoms to help avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

If you are a sexually active girl, talk to your doctor about contraceptives. If you can’t use contraceptives, use condoms for birth control.

Things to consider

Will the habits I have now really make a difference when I’m older?

Yes; 65% of all deaths in adults are caused by heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

In many cases, these diseases are preventable. Many of the behaviors that cause these diseases begin at a young age. For example,

teens who use tobacco are more likely to have heart disease, cancer, or stroke in adulthood.

At my age, what should I especially be concerned about?

The top killers of teenagers and young adults are car accidents, unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. Cancer and heart disease are uncommon, but can affect you at this age.

Unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections can harm your health.

They can also cause you social and personal problems.

Do young men have dif-

ferent health risks than young women?

Yes. Young men don’t wear seat belts as often as young women do. They’re also more likely to carry weapons, get into physical fights, use smokeless tobacco or marijuana, drink alcohol heavily, and have more sexual partners. On the other hand, young women have some special risks. They try to commit suicide more often. They also try to lose weight in harmful ways more often than young men.

Should I talk to my doctor if I’m worried about my health or my body?

Yes. It’s important to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your health or your body.

Your doctor is there to help you.

Questions to ask your doctor

1. What steps can I take to stay healthy?

2. Am I at risk for any illnesses or diseases?

3. I’m worried about a specific part of my life. What should I do?

4. I can’t talk to my parents or teachers about my problems. Who can I talk to?

10 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Preserving our literary heritage

(Extract of an interview with Eric Huntley and Michelle Asantewa, Georgetown, Guyana, 2019. Eric Huntley cofounded with his now deceased wife, Jessica, the Bogle-L’ouverture Press, of which its first publication was ‘Groundings with my brothers’ by Walter Rodney. Asantewa’s first novel is ‘Something buried in the Yard’ and she founded a Way Wive Wordz Publisher.)

P

P The media produces a lot of literature every single day. But it is ironic that this very media allows little space, pays little attention to books, literature, literary matters. And it bothers me so let’s take advantage of this space to blow our own trumpets, as it were. Let’s talk about our work, how we got to where we are, our formative days, things that influence us like the books we read, the role of the writer, why we write, and importantly why we publish, etc, etc.

Let’s start with you Michelle: why the media pays so little attention to literary matters?

MA One of the reasons could be that the media has to attend to things more of an immediate and urgent nature while literature suggests something that it is intellectual, something you have to get your head around – I will now have to read and study and think. The media we have access to don’t necessarily promote the appre-

ciation of art and literature.

PP Then we need to educate the media.

Uncle Eric?

EH You have asked a question that I have often pondered on in the sense of the amount of literature produced and say if tomorrow there is no printed matter, would it matter.

The most important purpose of literature is to somehow direct people’s mind to where there are at, from where they came, with the possibility of where they want to go to and in the end, change the situation and make it a better world.

We came from an oral tradition where people’s stories were told by word of mouth. One of the benefits our literature is that it is a printed matter and in a sense permanent whether it helps change the world is another matter.

PP We’ll get to that when we talk about the role of the writer.

We [three] are Guyanese, let’s have some groundings – formative days in Guyana.

MA I was born in Regent Street, so my mum tells me.

I lived there until two and a bit, I believe, then we moved to Linden where I have my greatest remembrance.

But my family is from Berbice – the S…, the D…., the B…., every time I men-

tion their names I am calling them ancestrally. Others were from across the river – Uitvlugt and those places.

When I left Linden, I went to the UK so I have a small formative time in Guyana. But I do the return journey to Guyana as often as possible.

But I think of myself as from the country – Berbice that’s where my heart and soul feel rooted to because in the summer holidays we use to go to Seafield #42 Village and I still have the memory of smell of the village life, I love the smell mud, the cow dung, the smell of my grandparents, the taste of the metemgee…

PP You’re invoking the ancestors; we’d have to pour them a libation.

MA This is a libation, actually, because they are the ones that bring me back, I feel the vibrations of my ancestors when I come here, and this is like homage to them - I have to go back to that village and inhale [it] even for a minute.

PP Uncle Eric?

EH I was born in Kitty, Pike Street, Kitty. One of the developments in my life was that moved from place to place – we lived in several different places, more or less about half a dozen – Princes Street, Bent Street twice, Regent Street, New Amsterdam, I was in a sense, living like a gypsy.

I lived in London for about sixty years and lived

in many places there. This was like a pattern in my life.

But the groundings I have had growing up in Guyana including my introduction to politics and the political life of the country all took place here; I got my baptism in every sense of the word while living here so I owe a great deal of gratitude to the teachers who taught me, church, comrades whom I worked with in the People’s Progressive Party – Eusi Kwayana in Buxton, Martin Stevenson, Martin Carter… so that’s the kind of journey I carry with me.

PP A lot has happened since moving from Guyana to the UK, where are we now, Michelle?

MA I have been writing all my life like most people, but for the past twenty years my writing has been focus and conscientious….

PP What do you mean focus and conscientious?

MA Focus and conscientious mean that at some point you tell yourself you can write and start writing.

But I was always writing even before the essays for my studies I was writing stories at school every day and telling them to friends in a serial. But I would call myself a writer until much later having been influenced by the likes of Toni Morrison, and a whole lot of African Caribbean writers. Yes, you have stories you want to tell whether you want

to or not…my first novel, ‘Something Buried in the Yard’ was part of my PhD and the reason why I did this was because I wanted to explore Kumfa – Guyanese Cumfa, African Guyanese derive practice that I didn’t find in the literature available to me so I had to write it…working from a quotation of Toni Morrison ‘If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it’. …

Now you come to publishing: publishing is a business. Now who is going to value you and take the risk and publish it…the upshot, I publish it myself…that was the beginning of Way Wive Wordz [Publisher].

PP Uncle Eric, BogleL’Ouverture.

EH I suppose every body’s journey is a different journey. I remember my parents whenever they found us playing outside they would tell us to get a book and read. But they were hardly any books around at that time in the 1930s and 40s; you had the slate in fact and not a book.

It so happens one of the first things I did in that area [reading/writing/publishing] is to import books from the States…

PP Wow, that’s great.

EH …working in New Amsterdam as a messenger to the …. Messenger, I be-

gan to import pocket books from the States for twenty-five cents each. Then I graduated to publishing a newspaper for the post office workers union when I was working in Buxton. I spent my month’s salary to buy a Gestetner machine from Bookers which was seized by the police and army when they arrived in 1956/57….

But to fast forward the story of books and publishing, it took Jessica and myself until 1969 when Walter Rodney was banned from returning to Jamaica …we took his speeches which we published as ‘Groundings with my brothers’ so that was the beginning… so from importing books, to publishing a journal for the post office workers to printing and publishing ‘Thunder’ – the PPP weekly newspaper to ‘Groundings with my brothers’ was a tremendous leap….

Responses to this author please telephone 226-0065 of email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Home Décor

Mutton Biryani Recipe

Ingredients • 1/2 kg Mutton • Basmati Rice 2 Cups • Few flakes garlic • 3 tsp Coriander powder • Dried coconut • 1 Inch stick cinnamon • 3 Green chillies • 1 tsp Chilli powder • 1 Cup onion • 1 Inch piece ginger • 1 tsp Poppy seeds • 3 Cloves, peppercorns and cardamoms • 1 Cup curd / yogurt • 1/2 Cup onion • 2 Bay leaf • 8 tbsp oil • Salt to taste

Welcome the Wastebasket

Instructions 1. Clean the meat and cut into pieces. Soak the meat in curd 2. Roast cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and powder cloves. Make powder. Grind ginger, red chillies, green chillies, half the onions, garlic and copra. Now heat fat in a pan. Add chopped onions and ground spices. Fry until onions turn golden brown. Now add meat and fry well. Add poppy seed powder.

3. Add salt and remaining curd. Cook till meat becomes tender. Add powdered spices to it and remove from the flame.

4. Chop remaining onions. Fry them in fat in a separate pan. Add cloves and bay leaf. Fry for few minutes and add rice. Fry for another few minutes. Put salt to taste and add 4 cups water. Remove from the flame when rice gets cooked and no moisture is left.

5. Arrange a part of cooked rice in a pan and sprinkle saffron water over it. Place the meat over it and cover with rice layer once again. Garnish with fried onions and nuts.

Arabic Paratha Recipe

Ingredients • Minced meat fried with

desired spices • Tomatoes finely chopped.

• Coriander leaves chopped.

• Mint leaves chopped.

• Green Chillies chopped.

• Black pepper.

• Eggs.

• Onions finely chopped.

For Dough.

• 21/2 cups Flour • Milk 3/4 cup.

• Salt to taste.

• Ghee.

Instructions Knead flour, salt and milk and keep for 1/2 hour. Make medium pairas from the dough. Roll out into medium sized square parathas. In the center of each paratha put fried meat, tomatoes, coriander & mint leaves, green chillies and onion . Pour 1 beaten egg onto this filling in the paratha,

Tips for Maintaining an Organized Living Room

sprinkle black pepper on it and fold the paratha from both sides to form a rectangle shape.

Slightly fold the shorter edges too. It should be sealed completely. Shallow fry on medium flame. When it swells up, that shows the egg is cooked from inside. It should be golden on both sides. Serve hot with spicy chutney.

If trash tends to accumulate in the family room, adding a wastebasket might cut down on clutter. Few family rooms actually have a wastebasket in them; they're not attractive and they can smell.

Counteract this by choosing a can that fits your room's decor. If you know food will be thrown away here, get one with a lid and some deodorizing trash bags.

Keep Flat Surfaces Clutter-free Papers, books, brochures and magazines tend to accumulate on flat surfaces all around the house, and the family room is no different. In fact, the family room is often more cluttered because it's a central gathering place in the house.

Make a quick sweep of all flat surfaces by piling papers in a bin, then sorting and purging as necessary. Take a vow, and get your family to follow it, to put papers in files rather than on the coffee table.

Grow Your Houseplants

Sirnee

Ingredients • 2 eggs • 1 lb. sugar (2 level cups) • 1 12oz can evaporated milk • 2 tsp. essence (mixed or vanilla) • 1 lb. butter • 10 whole cloves • 1-2 cinnamon sticks • 6 cardamom pods • 1 lb. all-purpose flour (3 1/3 level cups) • 1 tsp. ground cardamom • ½ tsp. nutmeg • Cherries (optional) • Raisins (optional) • Chopped walnuts or raw peanuts

(optional) • *cherries/raisins/nuts can use an

eyeball measure, it’s just mainly what

you prefer

Directions 1. Combine raisins, nuts, and cherries. Set

aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs,

evaporated milk, sugar, and essence. Whisk

until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

2. On low heat, in a flat-bottom pot, melt

butter. Add cloves, cinnamon sticks, and

whole cardamom. Once butter is melted,

add flour and continuously stir for 7 to 10

minutes. *This process is like making a roux!

It is the most taxing part of the entire

procedure, gotta keep stirring so as to

3.

4.

not burn the mixture. Keep stirring until the ‘roux’ becomes more paste-like and loose (somewhat resembles curds), then add ground cardamom and nutmeg and give it a stir for even combining. *At this point, the mixture looks slightly golden brown. This is another way to know you’ve completed this step.)

Turn heat to High and pour in egg-milk mixture. Continue the stir! As you do, the mixture will look lumpy but the milk will evaporate and the mixture will smooth out and homogenize. Add cherryraisin-nut mixture and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes.

The sirnee is done when you notice it pulling away from the sides of the pan.

You can then transfer it from the heat to serving dish. (Alicia’s Pepperpot)

It can be a jungle in the family room if you have a green thumb. Organize your plants with a cute plant stand or several decorative pots. The type of houseplants you have will determine where you'll place them in the room, so keep that in mind when looking for a stand.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Puzzles

89 In poor taste 90 Ocean's motions 91 "A Boy Named --" 92 Shore indentation 93 Egg parts 94 Freeway cloggers 95 Whale's diet 97 Autumn mo.

98 Make dirty 99 End 100 Start walking 101 Hot rum drink 103 WWW addresses 104 Blissful spot 105 Hold the title to 106 Twig-and-mud homes 108 Did footnotes 110 Pillbox or bowler 111 Sneak attack 114 Board game pair 115 Particles 117 Grassy square 120 Barney Rubble, to

Fred Flintstone 121 Pedro's aunt 123 Hitch -- -125 Kind of vaudeville 127 Inner self 129 Cheese portion 131 Rodeo gear 133 Lessen the courage of 134 The slow lane 135 Notifies 136 Pay homage 137 Jones or Kelly 138 Nevada lake 139 To date (2 wds.)

140 Makes smooth 141 Restaurant patron

ACROSS

1 Evening gown fabric 6 Cohort of Sneezy 11 "Destry Rides --" 16 Monastery dweller 21 Aileron locale 22 Use Artgum 23 Locale of Margaret Mead study 24 Fencer's move 25 React to a funny joke 26 Cut gemstone feature 27 Murphy's Law word 28 Traffic no-no (hyph.)

29 Not there yet 31 Violinist -- Stern 33 Mach 1 exceeder 35 Primary color 36 Sock part 37 Europe-Asia divider 38 Jason's ship 39 Flood barriers 41 Hot time in Quebec 42 Verse 44 Madrid's Louvre 46 Lodestones 51 Binds up 52 Indy winner A.J. -53 Slow pitches 57 Cooks' attire 58 Smaller than mini 59 Tractor preceders 60 Strike out 61 Thin wedges 62 Well-known 63 Heroic tales 64 Alaskan town 66 Feel under par 67 More cunning 68 Search high and low 69 Oscar-winning Meryl 70 Casually 72 Piltdown Man, e.g.

73 Windy City airport 74 Jogs the memory 75 Listens to 77 Marlins' city 78 Conduits 79 Guaranteed 82 Bankrolls 83 Printer's option 84 "Macbeth" trio 88 Get ready (2 wds.)

DOWN

1 Divide 2 Bowie's last stand 3 Gray-brown 4 He wrote "Picnic" 5 Indira's father 6 Overcomes 7 Apollo's priestess 8 Treaties 9 Language suffix 10 Sherpa's sighting 11 Teeming 12 Home annex

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- WREAKED (WREAKED: REEKD: Brought about; caused.)

Average mark 21 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 28 or more words in WREAKED? TODAY'S WORD -- WREAKED

wade wader wake ward ware weak weaker wear weed week

were wreak rake read reed reek eared eked ewer awed

dare dark dear deer drake draw drawee drew

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

13 Former oil giant 14 Type of microscope 15 Badgers 16 Like some piecrusts 17 Groove 18 Desensitize 19 See eye to eye 20 Tears to pieces 30 Stews over 32 Authority (hyph.)

34 Ribs, slangily 40 Remote control button 42 Kitchen gadget 43 Collies do it 44 Kind of explorer 45 Blended whiskeys 46 Kenyan tribe 47 Plant parasite 48 Cook outdoors 49 -- de guerre 50 USN rank 51 It "keeps on ticking" 52 Bach opus 54 Regularly 55 Half- -- idea 56 Ginger cookies 58 Chichen Itza builders

59 Native New Zealander 62 Boxer -- Patterson 63 Defrauds 64 Bill, briefly 65 Kind of potato 67 Woolly mammals 68 Of ill repute 69 Minority groups 71 -- kidding!

73 Moo companions 74 Viking letters 76 Champagne word 77 Oozy 78 Extinct birds 79 Winery process 80 Monsieur, in Madrid 81 Cannon boom 82 Takes a spill 83 Be accepted (2 wds.)

85 Whisper on stage 86 Beach scavengers 87 Graf rival 89 Knells 90 Fixed the piano 93 Tentlike dwelling 94 Helper 95 Some bout enders

96 Hwys.

98 Raw fish dish 99 Honored in style 100 Utter, as devastation 102 Veld grazer 105 Walks the beat 107 Manor 108 Hem in 109 Most aloof 110 Accommodated 111 In reserve 112 Craze 113 "Bounty" captain 114 Every morning 115 Peer Gynt creator 116 Marsh grass 117 Short and thick 118 Weight unit 119 Prevent 122 Whodunit terrier 124 Wapitis 126 Mystery writer -- Paretsky 128 Electrical unit 130 "-- Girls" 132 Wheel buy (2 wds.)

See Solution on page 14

guyanatimesgy.com

august 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 13

F

acebook has lost a federal appeal in a lawsuit over facial recognition data, setting the company up to face a massive damages payment over its privacy practices.

In 2015, Facebook was sued under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires companies to make a public policy before collecting and storing biometric data, including faces scans, and to lay out how the data will be stored. Facebook has used the technology in its Tag Suggestions feature, which determines whether a photo includes a user’s friends.

The plaintiffs brought suit, arguing that Facebook had failed to meet the requirements of the law.

When a lower court certified the suit as a class action, Facebook appealed, arguing that the plaintiffs had failed to show concrete inju-

ry, and that the lower court overstepped its power by certifying the class.

In the 3–0 decisionon Thursday,

the appeals court disagreed with the company. “We conclude that the development of a face template using facial-recognition technology without consent (as alleged here) invades an individual’s private affairs and concrete interests,” the court wrote in its decision, sending it back to the lower court for further proceedings.

The stakes are potentially high for Facebook. The Illinois law allows for payments of $1,000 or $5,000 per violation, depending on the severity of the violation. As Reuters reports, the class could potentially include millions of Facebook users, meaning the company could one day be forced to pay billions of dollars in damages, if it ultimately loses the case.

“We plan to seek further review of the decision,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement.

“We have always disclosed our use of face recognition technology and that people can turn it on or off at any time.” The company will seek further review from the full court of appeals, according to the spokesperson, and could take the case to the Supreme Court.

Civil liberties groups have supported the suit, and the American Civil Liberties Union cheered today’s ruling. “This decision is a strong recognition of the dangers of unfettered use of face surveillance technology,” ACLU staff attorney Nathan Freed Wessler said in a statement.(The Verge)

Samsung confirms Galaxy Note 10 won’t work with its Gear VR headset

S

amsung’s just-announced Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are “not compatible” with Gear VR, the company’s virtual reality headset that works only with a phone slotted in front of the lenses, Samsung confirms to The Verge following an earlier report by tech analyst Anshel Sag. The decision to shut off support for its headset on its newest flagship phones casts doubt on the future of both the Gear VR and other headsets that use phones as their screen and processor, as standalone devices with built-in displays like the Oculus Quest are on the rise. ”We remain committed to innovating in VR and AR to deliver incredible new experiences to our consumers,” Samsung tells The Verge.

A

pple is finally rewarding security researchers for finding security flaws in macOS. At the Black Hat conference on Thursday, Apple announced that it is greatly expanding its existing bug bounty program to include macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and iCloud. It will include rewards of up to $1 million for a zero-click, full chain kernel code execution attack.

While Apple originally started paying iOS bounties three years ago, researchers have only been paid for ones found in Apple’s mobile operating system. macOS was never included, and it’s led to a number of security researchers pushing the company to change course. Apple is now expanding its bug bounty program far behind just iOS. iCloud, iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS will now be covered. Apple is now opening its bug bounty program to all researchers and the payout is increasing beyond the current $200,000 maximum. The very maximum is a $1 million payout for iOS vulnerabilities that let attackers control a phone without any user interaction.

The updated bug bounty program could help convince more security researchers to report vulnerabilities to Apple.

Earlier this year, a security researcher detailed a macOS flaw, but refused to submit it to Apple until the company pays researchers for Mac security flaws.

Security researchers have been reluctant to help Apple with its security, though. Apple now offers up to $1 million to security researchers who discover iOS vulnerabilities and report them, but these bugs are often way more valuable to sell on the black market. (The Verge)

Samsung didn’t mention Gear VR once during its Unpacked event, and it hasn’t updated the headset since 2017. The most recent phones to support it were all four of the Galaxy S10 phone models announced in February, but only via an adapter. (The same was true of last year’s Galaxy Note

9.) The Gear VR still has a product page on Samsung’s store, but it doesn’t seem to be available for purchase there anymore. You can still purchase it on Amazon for $99.99.

Despite Samsung’s decision, Gear VR may still have life ahead of it. The device was bundled with previ-

ous Samsung phones, is still compatible with many older models of Samsung phones, and is used as a tool to showcase VR at events like film festivals.

Until standalone headsets drop in price, Gear VR remains one of the lowestcost ways to bring VR into classrooms and events beyond the DIY efforts like Google Cardboard. It’s also still receiving app updates and new releases alongside newer models.

But with Gear VR not being compatible with Samsung’s newest flagship phone, and with Google announcing in May that the Pixel 3A wouldn’t support Android’s built-in Daydream platform, it’s hard not to think that phone-based VR may be on the decline. (The Verge)

S

wagtron, the company that excels at showing up at the top of your Amazon search results, is expanding its lineup of electric bikes with a new non-folding model called the EB12. The South Bend, Indianabased company is mostly known for its compact folding bikes as well as electric scooters and hoverboards, so the inclusion of a lightweight city bike is a sign of growing demand for a range of electric models.

The EB12 looks like a standard pedal bike, save for the 270Wh battery strapped to the rear rack. It’s a design choice that tends to make some e-bike aficionados, say “ew.”

The rear wheel contains a 250watt motor that, along with the battery, allows for a top range of 28 miles (45 km). Riders can engage the motor either by twisting the throttle in the handlebar or by pedaling. The bike can hit a throttle-only top speed of 16 mph (26 km/h), so, theoretically, it can achieve faster speeds in pedalassist mode. It comes with a 7-speed

Shimano drivetrain, which allows riders to shift gears as they ride.

Notwithstanding the rear-rack battery, the EB12 cuts a nice profile. The entire bike weighs just 39.4 pounds (17.8 kg), which is extremely lightweight compared to other ebikes.

Swagtron says it will sell the

EB12 for $999.99, which is quite the steal. Of course, all of Swagtron’s products retail for pretty affordable prices, which is likely why the company does so well on Amazon.

But you won’t find this bike there, because the EB12 will be offered exclusively through BestBuy.com. (The Verge)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Bollywood/Hollywood

A

ctor Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are currently in West Indies where Virat is leading India in a series against the West Indies. On Wednesday, the couple ventured out during a break and have shared pictures on social media.

Virat shared a picture with Anushka from their lunch outing on his Instagram stories and captioned it, “top meal with my lovely.”

The couple look excited to have found a desi Indian food outlet and can be seen grinning in the picture. Virat,

H

e has momentum on his side with five back-to-back hits, and going by his upcoming line up of films, there is no stopping for Ayushmann Khurrana. And to everyone’s envy, the poster boy of content cinema has four interesting projects under his belt, which he hopes would deliver maximum entertainment to his audiences.

Be it the entertainer Dream Girl in which he will

I

be shown as someone with a special ability of talking in female voice, Bala that deals with premature balding in men or Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan where he will be championing the issue of gay relationships in India, the 34-year-old is continuing picking subjects that are quirky.

Another film, Gulabo Sitabo reunites him with his Vicky Donor (2012) director, Shoojit Sircar and

ggy Azalea is finally opening up about the mental health retreat that got her back on her feet.

Last year, the “Sally Walker” rapper revealed that her management team staged an intervention and suggested she seek professional help so she could jump back into her music career better than ever.

After resisting, she gave in and attended a facility in Arizona.

The 29-year-old artist spent two weeks opening up to a therapist, talking about everything from her childhood to control issues to resisting criticism, like “not being able to separate well-intended criticism from trolling.”

She also explored the difficulties of launching into the public eye so quickly at such a young age.

Azalea said that ultimately when it came down to it, she was emotionally exhausted and needed that time to reflect and recuperate. (Page Six)

he’ll get to share screen space with Amitabh Bachchan.

“All these four films will present me in absolutely different avatars that no one has ever seen me play.

I’m actually supremely excited about doing such different films because they push me in different directions.

I’m relishing the challenge they have posed,” shares Ayushmann.

(Hindustan Times)

“A

dressed in casuals and a cap points out to a board that read ‘Shanta’s - The Puri Shop’ while Anushka is all smiles to the camera and looks stunning in a tee and denim shorts.

Anushka, too, shared pictures from the city, showing placards of ‘Have a nice day’ placed in the parking zone and captioned it, “Have twice a nice day or night!”

Anushka recently opened up about her married life in an interview to Filmfare.

Talking about how they sometimes see off and pick each

mass public shaming, with millions of people saying you are quote-unquote canceled, is a very isolating experience,” the 29-year-old singer said in a new interview with Vogue. “When you say someone is canceled, it’s not a TV show. It’s a human being.

You’re sending mass amounts of messaging to this person to either shut up, disappear, or it could also be perceived as, ‘Kill yourself.'”

Swift said she dealt with the backlash — which occurred after Kardashian posted a video of her seemingly approving lyrics about her in West’s song “Famous” — by writing new songs.

“I knew immediately I needed to make music about it because I knew it was the only way I could survive it,” she said. “It was the only way I could preserve my mental health and also tell the story of what it’s like to go through something so humiliating.”

Her mood continued to spiral when people called her out for not being vocal during the 2016 election.

“The summer before that election, all people were saying was, ‘she’s calculated.

She’s manipulative. She’s not what she seems. She’s a

other at the airport, Anushka had said, ”Those are the moments you steal when you lead lives that are so demanding.

For that, your priorities have to be set. I’m never going to be like, ‘Oh please spend more time with me at the cost of your work’. No, please do your work. He’s the same with me. When you respect each other’s work and your own, there’s respect in the marriage.”

Anushka had earlier accompanied Virat to the UK for the Cricket World Cup.

(Hindustan Times)

snake. She’s a liar.’ These are the same exact insults people were hurling at Hillary.

Would I be an endorsement or would I be a liability? Look, snakes of a feather flock together. Look, the two lying women. The two nasty women,” Swift said. “Literally millions of people were telling me to disappear. So I disappeared.” Swift has come a long way from the snake ideology and the feeling that she

needs to hide as she prepares to release her new album, “Lover,” on Aug. 23.

“There are so many ways in which this album feels like a new beginning,” she said of the record, which includes hits like “You Need to Calm Down” and “The Archer.”

“This album is really a love letter to love, in all of its maddening, passionate, exciting, enchanting, horrific, tragic, wonderful glory.” (Page Six)

Crossword Solution

guyanatimesgy.com

AUGUST 11, 2019

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

august 11, 2019

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Don’t jeopardize your reputation, important relationships or position for something that isn’t worth your while.

Giving in to a temptation could seriously upend your life.

GEMINI

Home and family improvements can be made.

A personal pick-me-up will boost your ego and make you feel good about your appearance. Romance is in the stars.

(MAY 28June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

Stop, think and make a calculated decision. An opportunity is within reach.

Knowing the score will help you negotiate to get what you want. Celebrate with a loved one.

An unusual encounter will spark your imagination and encourage you to start something new. Don’t overspend; take one step at a time and keep your expenses minimal.

Slow build, maximum gain.

If you learn to say no, you will accomplish your goals. You have plenty going for you, and given the time and effort, you will excel.

Celebrate your achievements with a loved one.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Indulge yourself in something enjoyable but also sensible. If you ask someone to join you, it will change the dynamics of the relationship and spawn big plans.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Take pride in your appearance. A healthy diet and plenty of exercise will make you feel good and could prompt a loved one to follow suit. Romance is highlighted.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

You’ll offend or be offended if you get into an argument with someone who doesn’t share your beliefs.

Choose not to engage in a no-win situation that could damage the relationship.

SAGITTARIUS Do what works best for you. If someone tries to per(Nov. 23suade you to do things differDec. 21) ently or invest in something risky, have enough courage to say no. Romance is featured.

Calvin and Hobbes

Discuss your plans with CAPRICORN someone close to you. An in(Dec. 22vestment offer won’t turn Jan. 19) out as planned. Don’t get involved in a joint endeavor or overspend to win someone’s favor.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20Mar. 20)

Impulse is the enemy.

Don’t let anyone railroad you into a risky venture.

Spend more time with a loved one. A romantic adventure doesn’t have to be costly.

Stand up for the little guy who can’t fend for himself. What you do to help people will change the way others view you.