Sunday times magazine october 1, 2017

October 1, 2017

Star Times Hollywood:

Page 14 Kim KardashianWest confirms baby news FREE DISTRIBUTION

A Blind Otter's Story

Inside

Page 3

Finding Solace in Donna’s Room Page 2

Powerful life lessons from a 90-year-old Page 4

Guyana’s Postal History: First Day Covers Page 7

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OCTOBER 1, 2017

Feature

In tough times, cancer patients find independence and comfort with the help of Periwinkle Club Donna's Room, where cancer victims, survivors and their family members are given counselling

G

enerally persons diagnosed with a life threatening illness require much love and support from family and friends, sometimes they even require professional help for the emotional and psychological strain bought on by their condition. That’s where Donna’s Room at the Periwinkle Club comes in.

Donna’s Room is a place of solace for cancer patients and survivors. It is a place where persons can receive counselling, comfort and relaxation.

A collaborative effort between Periwinkle Club and the Association of Guyanese Nurses and Allied Professional (AGNAP), Donna’s Room was established at the behest of the late Donna Sage to provide counselling and complementary therapy to cancer patients, their caretakers and family.

Donna Sage will always be remembered for her infectious smile

While living in London, Donna received treatment for breast cancer and was impressed by the support and medical attention offered, as a result she wanted similar treatment provided in Guyana.

Donna’s mother, Norma Sage, upon losing her

daughter to cancer, fulfilled Donna’s wish by approaching AGNAP to build Donna’s Room in 2009 in a vacant office at the Periwinkle Club.

After benefitting from the support and counselling services in the UK, Donna’s mother also approached AGNAP to help establish a similar service in Guyana.

Donna willed money to the club to transform the vacant office into a counselling room and to make it as comfortable as possible.

Donna’s Room is a cosy room found on the second floor of the Periwinkle Club.

It is furnished with a sofa set, a Berbice chair, a television, a carpet and coffee table.

The Periwinkle Club continues to receive support from AGNAP on an annual basis, which enables them to do more, such as training for nurses, counselling and education in cancer prevention

A few of the hardworking members of the Club

and outreach palliative care.

Periwinkle Club

Periwinkle Club, located at 148C Alberttown, Georgetown, is a cancer support group focused on raising awareness on the disease among cancer survivors and members of the public, and offering advice on coping with it.

The club collaborates with several local and international organisations to provide cancer survivors with support for diagnosis and treatment as

well as for nutritional and emotional wellbeing. It also provides counselling services in Donna’s Room and facilitates breast self-examination and cervical cancer screening for interested groups of persons.

The Periwinkle Club was first introduced on October 17, 2006 as a women's fo-

rum for breast and cervical cancer survivors and persons with an interest in supporting cancer patients, to meet and freely discuss their health and related experiences. After about five months of meeting and interacting quietly, it was decided to present the club to the wider commu-

Plaque in memory of Donna Sage on the room's door

nity.

Educational material is available at the Periwinkle Club headquarters in the form of pamphlets on various types of cancer in particular breast and cervical cancer.

Members of the club are willing to facilitate talks on cancer to organisations to help to share information on

the disease and provide prevention and other relevant tips.

From time to time, various professional persons make presentations at the Periwinkle Cancer Club. Also, there are reference library facilities at the Periwinkle Club headquarters for researchers and persons who wish to enhance their knowledge of cancer.

These books, p e r i - odicals and magazines, have been primarily kindly donated by AGNAP. The club also collaborates with the Ministry of Public Health in outreach sessions to assist persons who wish advice and testing.

One of its initial activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) is a church service at the Livingstone Church of God in South Ruimveldt today from 8am to 10:30am.

Feel free to contact Periwinkle Club on (592) 226-7152 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 2pm for assistance. Check out www. periwinklecancerclub.org or Periwinkle Cancer Club on Facebook for more info.

The club welcomes, as members, all persons interested in working to get rid of the stigma of cancer and create equality of treatment for cancer patients in Guyana.

Periwinkle Cancer Club's banner last year

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Sunday Times Magazine

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Feature

D

Having fun with Salvador on the Rupununi River sandbank

ue to being blind, Buddy required special attention; he would not have survived very long in the wild in Guyana. Jacksonville Zoo, in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A., was looking for a giant river otter to add to the gene pool, and so the decision was made to send Buddy to that zoo.

Recently, a photo of Buddy was featured on the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Facebook page, which attracted several comments by visitors who spoke lovingly of the otter, prompting us to retell his story.

Buddy’s Story

In 2013, Sunday Times Magazine had interviewed Salvador de Caires who related his unforgettable experience with the loving otter.

Salvador first met Buddy on the Rupununi River sandbank at Karanambu.

Salvador, who was born and raised in Georgetown, knew the late founder of Karanambu Ranch and conservationist, Diane McTurk.

They met through a mutu-

al friend, Duane de Freitas, the manager of Dadanawa Ranch.

Diane had, for years, been the executive director of the lodge which won the Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award in 2013. Over two decades, Diane cared for more than 50 orphaned giant river otters at Karanambu – the majority of which have successfully been returned to the wild.

“My wife and I came to Guyana, after living overseas for a number of years, in January of 2010 with the intention of investigating the possibility of moving home to Guyana. We went to Karanambu to visit Diane for 10 days and ended up staying for three months.

When we finally returned to the US, it was only two weeks before Diane called us on Skype and asked us to make her home our home. It took us five minutes to agree. We returned to Karanambu as the managers of Karanambu Lodge Inc.,” Salvador recalled.

When Salvador and his wife arrived at Karanambu, they saw Buddy who was just a teenager. Salvador recollected Diane having two baby otters at that time: Philip and Belle. Salvador described Buddy as “very inquisitive and friendly”.

“Having a large animal, (about six feet from tip of tail to tip of nose) checking you out is a little nerve-racking. But I soon realised I had nothing to fear from Buddy.

Diane called out, ‘My beloved beast!’ and Buddy came bounding over and almost knocked her over.

Buddy and I became very close friends. I took over his care allowing Diane to spend more time with the two baby orphan otters,” Salvador reminisced.

He noted that Buddy’s temperament was what stood out about him. He trusted Buddy completely.

The loving otter was never aggressive, unlike many others raised by Diane.

Salvador mentioned that he could lock his fingers behind Buddy’s canine teeth and pull him through the water and not get bitten - a game they played.

Buddy had lost his sight in an accident when he was much younger. A small boy, Salvador recounted, was playing with Buddy and stepped on a board which flipped and hit Buddy across the eyes, blinding him instantly.

Taking Buddy to the sandbank twice a day for at least two hours each time, Salvador got to see what he could do, and was amazed. Not having sight in the murky river waters was not an obstacle to catching fish. Buddy surprised everyone when he caught an 86lb arapaima and dragged it up out of the river onto the sandbank. Another time he caught a huge stingray and ate most of it.

“But Buddy was getting big. Twice he followed a wild otter down the river and we had to go behind him in the

Buddy (right) and a friend at Jacksonville Zoo in 2012 (Photo from www.jacksonvillezoo.org)

boat to bring him back. He also had several close encounters with black caiman, who were thankfully not bigger than he was,” Salvador remembered.

This was when the decision was made to take Buddy to Jacksonville Zoo, where he would get the attention he requires. (Jacksonville Zoo collaborates closely with the Government of Guyana.

Two jaguars from Guyana are already there.)

Diane’s intention, according to Salvador, had always been, with each otter she has raised, to return them to the wild, not to keep them as pets.

“Buddy was unable to live on his own because he was blind. It would have been just a matter of time before a caiman got him. It was a question of quality of life over safety. But Diane still would not agree to send Buddy to a zoo. I tried to tell her that this would be his only chance to mate. She wavered, and then the wet season came and the river came up about twenty feet.

Buddy became disoriented because the sandbank was gone and the steps that he was accustomed to going up and down at a great speed to the sandbank disappeared under water. Diane relented,” Salvador reminisced.

A few weeks later, a charter flight landed at Karanambu and a crate was loaded with Buddy and

Buddy playing with the late animal activist and close friend to the otters at Karanambu Ranch, Diane McTurk, in Guyana

Talia – a volunteer who had become very close to all of the otters. After 48 hours of travelling, Buddy finally arrived in Jacksonville.

Salvador said the experts checked his eyes, but unfortunately nothing could be done. He had a few parasites and was kept in quarantine until he had adjusted.

At Jacksonville Zoo, a complete habitat based on Karanambu was designed.

Underwater channels, a waterfall and even a sandbank were designed just for Buddy.

Salvador related that Buddy was accustomed to catching fresh piranha and eating them headfirst, so when Jacksonville served him his first frozen fish Popsicle, he swallowed it too quickly and got “brain freeze”; shaking his head madly.

At the Zoo

In July 2017, Jacksonville Zoo posted a photo of Buddy on Facebook with the caption: “Our giant river otters are a JZG [Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens] visitor favorite, so be sure to wish Buddy a Happy Zooniversary if you see him today! Buddy came to us from the wilds of Guyana 7 years ago today for special care after he was found injured and blind.”

One visitor commented on Buddy’s photo: “He is so adorable, always one of our favorites to see when we visit Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens!”

To learn more about Buddy, visit www.jacksonvillezoo.org. (Cover photo: This photo of Buddy at Jacksonville Zoo was taken by Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and was recently shared on the Zoo’s Facebook page)

Playing in the water at Jacksonville Zoo

Buddy in his habitat at Jacksonville Zoo created just like the one at Karanambu

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OCTOBER 1, 2017

Feature

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he United Nations (UN) designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons. This year’s theme is: “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society”.

In observance of this day, Sunday Times Magazine interviewed 90-year-old Angannie Roopchand - who outlined some powerful life lessons and her opinion on how we all can make the lives of our senior citizens better.

International Day of Older Persons

According to the United Nation’s website (www. un.org), “this year’s day is about enabling and expanding the contributions of older people in their families, communities and societies at large. It focuses on the pathways that support full and effective participation in old age, in accordance with old persons’ basic rights, needs and preferences”.

The UN went on to explain that this year’s theme underscores the link between tapping the talents and contributions of older persons and achieving the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Madrid International Plan of Action

on Ageing, which is currently undergoing its third review and appraisal process.

Between 2015 and 2030, the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals, the number of older persons worldwide is set to increase by 56 per cent — from 901 million to more than 1.4 billion. By 2030, the number of people aged 60 and above will exceed that of young people aged 15 to 24.

“Stepping into the future with pledges that no one will be left behind, it is starkly evident that the need to tap into the often overlooked and under-appreciated contributions of older persons is not only essential to older persons’ well-being, but also imperative for sustainable development processes. The 2017 theme will explore effective means of promoting and strengthening the participation of older persons in various aspects of social, cultural, economic and civic and political life,” the organisation pointed out.

Life lessons from a 90-year-old

Angannie Roopchand grew up with four sisters and three brothers, who she described as “fun”, in Cornelia Ida - a “simple” village on the West Coast of Demerara.

Remembering her parents, Angannie said they

were strict and ensured they attended school regularly.

She also recalled how serious her father - who came to Guyana as a six-month-old baby from Calcutta, India – was about his children taking Hindi classes after school.

“My parents always warn us [her and siblings] not to fight with each other; always tell everybody good morning and good afternoon. They teach us to behave decently and treat our neighbours and people in the village with respect. We couldn’t call people by them full name, we had to say uncle or aunty or brother or sister,” she remembered.

The matriarch observed that in modern times parents are not inculcating these values in their children.

Angannie expressed her life was her children; “it was her richness and joy”. She has 11 children: seven sons and four daughters. Her family was her strength and her pride. Seeing her children grow up, get married and fill her life with grandchildren and great-grandchildren added to her happiness.

The 90-year-old stated she did several jobs to “feed the many kids” in her family. She cultivated rice, planted vegetables and reared

90-year-old Angannie Roopchand

poultry. The vegetables and fruits from her backyard were sold at the market.

Additionally, she sold confectionaries at the primary school in her village.

She credits her diet, which consists of mostly vegetables and dhal, for being healthy at 90 years old.

Angannie explained in the

earlier years of her life, her diet was mostly eggs and poultry, which she reared in her yard. However, after marriage fish was her only source of meat. In the latter part of her life, she usually begins her morning with a cup of oats porridge.

Throughout her 90 years, Angannie said she has

I

n her two creative and celebrated books, USbased Guyanese author Anne Coltman shares her life growing up in Guyana, narrating her struggles, adventures and loving grandmother.

Born in British Guiana, Anne was privileged to grow up in a household which included her maternal grandmother. She is the second of five children and the first girl born to her parents, and was often called upon at an early age to help out with her younger siblings. Anne became fascinated by the myths and beliefs that were a part of child rearing and taught to her by her grandmother.

The author migrated to the US as a young woman with her family and spent her early years having a full career while she and her husband raised their three children – two daughters and one son. She and her husband reside on Long Island, New York.

After 25 years in permanent mission at the United Nations Organization, she is now retired to devote more time to family and her passion for writing. Anne enjoys writing, classical music, theatre and antiques. She has produced a comprehensive family history as well as a

US-based Guyanese author, Anne Coltman

book of poetry, “For the Love of Grandma” and a novel “Scarred with Fortune”.

Practicing what she learnt from her grandmother with her own children and then with her grandchildren has inspired the writing of her debut volume of poetry, “For the Love of Grandma”. “ F o r the Love of Grandma” is a collection of thoughts and experiences that not only preserves a long lost tra-

learned a lot of life lessons.

“When you dead you don’t carry anything with you.

And know that nothing last forever. We must always live good with everybody, and just like how you want people to be nice to you so you got to be nice to them.”

Having worked tirelessly in her earlier years, Angannie eagerly looks forward for her pension every month to care for her needs.

She insists that a muchneeded raise in pension will benefit not only her, but every other elderly person in the country. Additionally, establishing homes in villages for elders who do not have children to care for them is something she thinks would be helpful.

“If we can go back to helping people in the community would be good too. In the old days, you hadn’t be family before somebody could help you. But this culture die away now; everybody care for themself alone. This time nag lang time,” she declared.

As we observe International Day of Older Persons, let’s all come together to fulfil Angannie’s wishes of showing extra care and consideration to all our senior citizens who contributed, one way or the other, to the development of our nation.

dition, but also reflects on the drastic change in the role of grandmothers today and grandchildren of this age.

The author’s other book, “Scarred with Fortune”, narrates life’s unexpected surprises in a heart-warming story of enchanting entertainment as readers enter the lives of an ordinary family and open the door to their extraordinary world.

For more information on the author visit her website www.booksbyannecoltman. com

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Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

Breathtaking view from one of the bedrooms

S

loth Island is one of the few islands on the Essequibo that was reportedly given a name by the British colonial authorities.

With an area of 155 acres, it is believed that the island owes its name to the large

Wooden walkway into the jungle

Nature resort on Sloth Island

Observe how the sloth interacts in its habitat on the island

population and variety of sloths that were found and can still be seen on the island.

This pristine forest-covered island sits a mere five minutes from Bartica on the Essequibo River, between Bartica and the east bank of the Essequibo

River. The island and river surroundings teem with a variety of wildlife, flora and fauna.

The island holds many surprises. Many have been lucky to spot a variety of wildlife daytime and at night: from the two and three toed sloth, the capybara and howler monkeys to an impressive number and variety of bird species. At Sloth Island, you can relax, recharge and rejuvenate.

It is also ideal for camping, nature walks, fishing, volleyball and sand golfing.

This island hub is two hours away by land and boat from Georgetown or 15 minutes by air.

Adding to its reputation is the accessibility to the historical sites found on the Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers, notably Fort Island and Fort Kyk-Over-Al. In essence, the island is far enough from the rush of city life and not too far from civilisation.

The resort on the island can accommodate up to 20 persons in self-contained rooms, with en suite bathroom and flush toilets, running water and lights from generators. There is also outdoor accommodation for tents, hammocks, camp fires and outdoor cooking.

Kayaking at Sloth Island

Rest in the hammock or enjoy a refreshing drink from the bar

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Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

Guyana’s Postal History: First Day Covers

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tamps released on an envelope are referred to as ‘Official First Day Covers’ - signifying the first day of release. In addition, infor-

Former Postmaster General, Henry Dundas, in a past interview with Sunday Times Magazine pointed out that stamps are significant because

nies were taken over by the Dutch, the post office was abolished in 1784 to 1795. During this period, mail was sent through the government office.

mation leaflets known as ‘Stamp News’ may also be issued providing collectors and users with the historical background and significance of the said stamps.

Stamps provide a vivid reflection of history through the ages. At the time of issue, virtually every stamp has clear historical significance. There are various types of stamps issued for several occasions.

Commemorative stamps honour important people, events or special subjects of national appeal and significance. Their subjects frequently are former presidents, statesmen, other prominent persons and national shrines.

they highlight a country’s culture and rich history. He noted that first covers are mainly made to commemorate momentous occasions and may worth a lot in future years.

Additionally, Dundas said first covers are still made by the Guyana Post Office upon request by companies, government ministries and other entities.

The first post office was established in 1793 under the control of Attorneyat-Law, J.C. De La Coste, and ran until 1795 when it was again closed. In 1796, when the British gained control of the colonies, it was resolved by the Court of Policy that a post office be established at Stabroek.

In 1834 the office was removed to the New Public Buildings, where it remained until 1857. In 1865, the post office was housed in the lower flat of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Societies Building. In 1914, the old Hotel Tower was purchased and converted into the post office. The colony’s

Interesting Facts on Guyana’s Post Office History The first postal service was established in British Guiana by France in 1782.

On 1783, Adrian Loncq was appointed the first Post Master for Demerara.

However, after the colo-

postal service remained there until the great fire in February 1945. Temporary accommodation was found at the Regent Hotel, but this was also destroyed by fire in 1947. From then until the construction of the new post office, a makeshift office was set up at Avon House in Main Street, the Town Hall Basement and the Fire Brigade Annex.

On August 11, 1952, His Excellency the Governor Sir Charles Wooley, on invitation of the Post Master General K.I.R. Kirkpatrick, declared open the newlybuilt General Post Office and Telecommunications Centre at its present location.

On April 1, 1877, British Guiana entered the Postal Union. The first British Guiana postage stamp, familiarly known as the Cotton Reel, was issued on July 1, 1850, was printed locally at the office of the Royal Gazette.

In 1852, the first London Issue was printed by Messrs Watterlow and Sons. In 1853, another beautiful lithographic issue was printed by the same firm. In 1856, a local issue was printed by Messrs Baum and Dallas.

From this issue emanated the one cent Black on Magenta, known to be one of the world’s rarest stamps.

In January 1860, the first uniform inland letter postage rate was introduced. In April 1877, a uniform rate for letter postage was introduced to all Postal Union Countries.

Inland Postcards were introduced in August 1885.

Small packet service was introduced in 1931 between British Guiana and the UK and in 1932 to Trinidad and Barbados; later in 1939 it was extended to all Postal Union Countries. The first exchange of parcels between British Guiana and

UK commenced in 1886.

Money and Postal Order Services were inaugurated in July 1863.

The treasury Savings Bank Service was first established on December 2, 1889. It was taken over by the Post Office between December 1910 and June 1911. In 1938, the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) was established under the management of the PMG. The Post Office, formerly part of the traditional Public Service, became a Public Corporation on January 1, 1977. It has a spread of over 60 main post offices and several postal agencies throughout the length and breadth of the country.

Sunday Times Magazine features today a few of the most recent first day covers produced by the Guyana Post Office.

(Information and photos by Guyana Post Office, http://guypost.gy)

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Sunday Times Magazine 9

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OCTOBER 1, 2017

Fashion

Empowerment through

Fashion A

s she continues to celebrate two decades in the fashion industry, Guyanese designer Sonia Noel actively participates and leads empowerment projects through her brand, Sonia Noel Designs.

“It is a blessing to be able to reach this juncture – which was no smooth sailing. It took a combination of navigational skills to outmanoeuvre hurdles, and a resilience to literally row my own boat when the waters got rough. But my faith in God got me to two decades in style. I am particularly proud of being able to use the platform of fashion to inspire lives,” Noel expressed in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Her favourite fashion quote is by Colombian fashion journalist and critic Nina Garcia, who once said: “If you look back in history of the women who are most memorable and most stylish, they were never the followers of fashion. They were the ones who were unique in their style, breakers of the rules. They were authentic, genuine, original. They were not following the trends.”

Locally, regionally and internationally, the designer is famous for her sophisticated, versatile designs that can be worn from the beach to the ballroom.

Today, we feature Noel garbed in her fashionable designs. For more information, visit sonianoel.com or Sonia Noel Designs on Facebook. (MUA: Meleesa Payne and Alana De Souza. Photos by Obrey James and Ruth Wilson)

Style Tips for Men

Sock Rules

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f you haven’t given much thought to what you wrap around your feet, it’s time to rethink your sock game and get with the times. Socks play a vital role in our personal hygiene, and in the functionality of how we get around and are seen by other people. Their most important asset, though, is how they protect your feet from perspiration and give you the confidence to step forward with your best foot.

When it comes to wearing socks, there are very few hard and fast rules.

The first thing you ought to know is the length of the sock: there are three primary styles; the lowcut sport, ankle-dress, and knee-length socks (although these are rarer, and often more expensive).

If you pick the right length of the sock, the finer details will fall into place.

Low-cut sports socks: As the name suggests, these are appropriate for

sports thanks to their shorter length, which fits neatly into tennis shoes.

Socks, which are cut below the ankle, often incorporate a wool and nylon blend to absorb perspiration and give added strength to the bridge of the foot for use during athletics.

Ankle-dress (or midcalf) socks: For most men, these are going to

be the socks that account for much of your collection. Ankle dress socks sit

above the ankle but below the knee.

Knee-length socks: These long and dandy socks are seeing resurgence in dapper men who wear suits, and who prefer the comfort and convenience of a longer sock.

Unlike the traditional an-

kle-length dress sock, the knee-length sock offers the added confidence of not being too short in the leg should a man flash his calf throughout the day.

Sock fibres Wool: Wool is an extremely popular sock choice thanks to its ability to keep feet cool during hot weather, and warm during colder weather. Wool may be blended with other fibres to add strength, durability, and other positive factors, or to mass produce cheaper socks.

Cotton: Much like wool, cotton is sought after for its temperature regulating properties, but this lightweight option is great for sportsmen. Cotton is also more affordable than wool, and can also be blended to create durable and comfortable socks.

Synthetics: Before turning your nose away, understand that synthetic socks are an important addition to your collection, especially if you play soccer or football. These lightweight socks are not adept at preventing perspiration, but their resilience makes them an important asset.

Cashmere or Silk: Strictly luxurious, cashmere, silk, and other exotic fibres, are called upon for black-tie and other special events. Silk, especially, is known to snag easily, and won’t hold up to daily wear, but is expected during formal events. Cashmere is perhaps a luxury, but an affordable one.

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

Home & Cooking

Recipe of the week

Ingredients: 2 large eggplants Olive oil 4tbsp butter 1 cup chopped scallion/shallot

3 to 4tbsp chopped parsley Salt and pepper to taste 1lb crab meat Fine dry seasoned bread crumbs Grated Parmesan cheese

Unexpected Items to Incorporate Into Your Decor

I

f you live in a small home or apartment, your storage spaces can quickly become filled to capacity. Free up some of that space by putting favourite items on display instead of hiding them away.

Instructions: Cut eggplants in half lengthwise; rub the cut surface with olive oil and place cut-side-down in a large shallow baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Scoop out eggplant pulp, leaving shell intact for stuffing.

Melt butter in heavy skillet; add the green onion, parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Sauté until onion is tender.

Add eggplant pulp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add crab meat and mix well. Stuff eggplant shells with mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 4.

Hats: If you search the internet, you'll find dozens of inspiring ways to incorporate your headwear into your decor. A simple, asymmetrical grouping of hats over the bed makes for a chic look. Don't worry about making them look too perfect.

Greatest Cooking Tips

To substitute honey for sugar in recipes, start by substituting up to half of the sugar called for. With a little experimentation, honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes.

Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.

To retain honey's wonderfully luxuriant texture, always store it at room temperature; never in the refrigerator. If your honey becomes cloudy, don't worry. It's just crystallization, a natural process. Place your honey jar in warm water until the crystals disappear. If you're in a hurry, place it in a microwave-safe container and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Never boil or scorch honey.

Utensils: You probably haven't given much thought to the sides of your kitchen island or the ends of your cabinets, but these are great places to sneak in extra storage.

You can add antique brass coat hooks and knobs to hold kitchen tools.

Home Help Pour salt on top of an egg spill to cover the eggs. Then wipe the eggs up with a paper towel.

Removing fish odour from your hands is simple with salt. Just rub your hands with a lemon wedge dipped in salt, then rinse with water.

Use pieces of leftover foil to sharpen up your dull scissors. Smooth the foil out if necessary, and then fold the strips into several layers and start cutting. Seven or either passes should do the trick.

Keep insects away from your drink if you’re outside by tightly covering the top of your glass with aluminium foil. Poke a straw through it, and then enjoy your drink in peace.

Keep messy drips off the bottom of the oven by laying a sheet of aluminium foil over the rack below. However, do not line the bottom of the oven with foil, as it could cause a fire.

Cutting Boards: Pretty wood or stone cutting boards don't need to be shoved in a cabinet when they're not in use. Instead, display them in layers against your backsplash.

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Puzzles

Crossword

122 Beach Boys "Little -- Coupe" ACROSS

124 Bird abode

1 Groom excessively 128 Toupee

6 Fall planting

129 Tool handle wood

11 Fossil resin

131 Shop machine

16 Writer's problem 133 Impressive 21 Esteem 135 "Ben- --"

22 As good as won (2 wds.)

136 Urged on

23 Handy's "-- Street Blues" 138 Spy

24 Posh hotel lobbies

140 Romantic interlude

25 Dome home

142 Mud brick 26 Permeate

144 Bonn's river

27 Stan's comic foil

145 Where stars are

28 Coal strata

146 Ward off

29 Peggy or Brenda

147 Column order

30 Courage under fire 148 War-horse 32 Bounders

149 Trimmed, as costs

34 Garden-pond fish

150 -- -level job 36 Speckle 151 Good-natured

37 Mlle. in Barcelona DOWN

39 Fragrant flower

1 Collins and Donahue

41 Skulk around

2 Pilot's assent

43 Movie set fixture 3 Cove

45 Wait in line

4 Alley Oop's kingdom

47 Surprise attacks

5 B.C. or Que.

49 Goes off course

6 Working hard

51 Seance sounds

7 Finish a mousse 54 Crafty moves

8 October sign

55 Japanese clog

9 RN posting

56 Backpack contents

10 Look searchingly

60 Improvises (hyph.)

11 Teems with

61 Surgical tool

12 Brawls

62 Mendel's science

13 Ultralight wood

64 Veld grazer

14 Bulldogs backer

65 Vestige

15 Awful smell

66 Where Pago Pago is

16 Classy hors d'oeuvre

67 Drug busters 17 Tpk.

68 Chaucer's month

18 Hitch -- - 70 L-o-n-g time 19 Trivial

71 Road company 20 Ristorante fare

73 Ponder, as evidence

31 Ladd and Shepard

74 Boss, slangily

33 Basket willow

75 Exceeded the limit

35 Shark domain 77 Finales 84 Piracy

38 Meat jelly

78 Long suit

85 Condor's abode

40 Friday's companion

79 Mapped a course 86 -- Bow of the silents 42 Gripe

80 Forearm bones

87 Suburbanite's need

44 Flavor enhancer

82 Mountain-dwelling people 88 Like some goals

46 Neighbor of India

83 -- the rapids 90 Regularly

48 Taking a cruise

84 More tasteless 91 Steer

50 Depot info

87 Teen hangouts 92 Deduce

51 Has status

88 Lake bird

94 Pina - 52 -- -- in the bucket 95 Cheated

89 Hindu mystic

53 Runway sight

93 Curtis of cosmetics

96 Shaman's findings 54 Inclines

94 Might

99 Sweet Sixteen org.

55 Chasm

95 It's north of Java

100 Congenial

57 Majestic wader 97 Enjoyable

102 Two quartets

58 Biscotto flavoring

98 Backspace on a PC 105 Software buyers

59 Held sway

99 Emphatic refusal (2 wds.)

106 Grating 61 Praises 100 "Cool!"

107 Turn color, maybe

62 Fishing lures

101 Design

109 45 or 78 63 Popular search engine

103 Flat-needled conifer 111 Sharpened

66 Whale finder

104 Cell parts 112 Outspokenly

67 Brains, maybe

106 Knife handles

114 Really rich 69 Small-minded 107 Abate

115 Medium's state

72 Ms. Zellweger

108 Run like crazy

116 Perm kit item 73 Globe

110 German industrial region 117 Pitchers

74 High-tech replica 111 Zany 118 Vampire's shift

76 Fists, slangily

112 Grape grower

119 Prize marble 78 Completely 113 Implore 121 Unmistakable 79 Impostor

115 Mid-afternoon

123 Tut's turf

81 Pharaoh's garment 116 Grove 125 Avignon's river

82 It's northwest of Oahu

117 Inflame with love

126 Jazzman -- Blake

83 Varieties

120 Large lots 127 Construct

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- RELIGIOUS (RELIGIOUS: rih-LIJ-us: Having or showing belief in God or another deity.)

Average mark 45 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 75 or more words in RELIGIOUS? rile rise rogue roil role rose roue rouge rouse rugose rule

ruse egis ergo euro lieu liger ligure lire loge logier lore

lories loris lose loser lour louse lousier lues luge lure iris

isle girl glories glue goes gore gorse grilse grouse gruel guile

guise ogle ogler ogre oiler oilier orgies oriel osier ours uglier

urge user sego sigil silo sire slier sloe slog slue slug

slur soil sole sore soul sour suer sure surge

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.

130 132 134 137

Briefcase closer Blarney Stone site Lectern's place Wind dir.

139 UCLA stat 141 Lair

143 Investor's concern

Solution on Pg 13

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 1, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Tech

IPhone X to use ‘black box’ anti-spoof Face ID tech E

ven Apple will not be able to explain how its forthcoming iPhone X can spot some efforts to fool its facial recognition system.

The firm has released a guide to the Face ID system, which explains that it relies on two types of neural networks - one of which has been specifically trained to resist spoofing attempts.

But a consequence of the design is that it behaves like a “black box”.

Its behaviour can be observed but the underlying processes remain opaque.

So, while Apple says Face ID should be able to distinguish between a real person’s face and someone else wearing a mask that matches the geometry of their features, it will sometimes be impossible to determine what clues were picked up on.

Face ID is far from being the first facial recognition system to be built into a mobile device.

But previous technologies have been plagued by

complaints they are relatively easy to fool by with photos, video clips or 3D models shown to the sensor.

This has made them unsuitable for payment authentication or other security-sensitive circumstances.

In publishing its Face ID documentation more than a month ahead of the iPhone X going on sale, Apple is hoping to head off such concerns - particularly since the handset lacks the Touch ID fingerprint sensor found on its other iOS phones and tablets.

Its site details how the process works: two sets of readings are taken by the sensors - a “depth map” of the face created by shining more than 30,000 invisible infrared dots on it, and a sequence of 2D infrared images these readings are taken in a randomised pattern that is specific to each device, making it difficult for an attacker to recreate the data is then converted into an encrypted mathemat-

The phone’s TrueDepth system includes an infrared camera and an IR dot projector

Tech news

D

ical formulation this is then compared to similarly encoded representations of the owner’s face stored within a “secure” part of the processor.

The final “matching” part of the procedure relies on one neural network that Apple says was trained using more than a billion 2D infrared and dot-based images.

Simultaneously, it explains “an additional neural network that’s trained to spot and resist spoofing” comes into play.

Apple has designed the computer chip involved to make it difficult for third parties to monitor what is going on, but even if they could they would have little chance of making sense of the calculations.

“The developers of these kinds of systems have some level of insight into what is happening but can’t really create a narrative answer for why, in a specific case, a specific action is selected,” explained Rob Wortham, an artificial intelligence researcher at the University of Bath.

“With neural networks there’s nothing in there to hang on to - even if you can inspect what’s going on inside the black box, you are none the wiser after doing so.

“There’s no machinery to enable you to trace what decisions led to the outputs.”

Apple has said it carried

Dubai tests drone taxi service

ubai has conducted its first test of a drone taxi service that it hopes will become a viable transportation system in the city.

The two-seater, 18-rotor unmanned vehicle took off for a five-minute flight above a

strip of sand on the Gulf coast.

The flight was watched by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.

Dubai has big ambitions for becoming a smart city, with drones and robots central to its plans.

Crossword Solution

The drone was designed by German firm Volocopter and the firm said it hopes to have the taxis up and running within five years.

“Implementation would see you using your smartphone, having an app, and ordering a Volocopter to the next Voloport near you,” said chief executive Florian Reuter.

“The Volocopter would come and autonomously pick you up and take you to your destination.”

The drone had previously been tested in Germany in April.

Rival Chinese firm eHang was supposed to be the first to launch a fleet of flying taxis in the city but its plans appear to have been delayed.

Dubai has positioned itself to become the smartest city in the world with ambitions to have self-driving vehicles account for a quarter of journeys made by 2030.

Noel Sharkey, a computer scientist and robotics expert at Sheffield University, said of the drone plans: “The big challenge will be dynamic obstacle avoidance of other taxis, buildings, birds and delivery drones.

“The skies over Dubai could become uncomfortably crowded very quickly. The ground level of the city could become a dark place of intrigue and mystery like Blade Runner.” (BBC)

Apple explained it had trained Face ID with 3D masks to ensure it can spot spoof attempts

out many controlled tests involving three-dimensional masks created by Hollywood special effects professionals, among other tasks, to train its neural network into detecting spoofs.

However, it does not claim it is perfect, and intends to continue lab-based trials to further train the neural network and offer updates to users over time.

Other details revealed by the security documents include: Face ID data cannot be saved off the device by the user, but some diagnostic data can be shared with Apple if express permission is given the system will automatically augment its stored mathematical representa-

tions of the owner’s face over time to take account of ageing if a failed match occurs but the user then types in their passcode immediately afterwards, it will also take account of “dramatic changes” - such as a shaved-off

beard or altered make-up - to allow later facial recognition checks to work Apple does not recommend Face ID’s use by under-13s because their distinct facial features may not have settled to an adequate degree. (BBC)

Tech TIP

I

Instagram crops photos into the square format unless you tap the grey arrow button in the bottom-left corner to change the picture dimensions, but the service also has standards for overall picture resolution and aspect ratio. (Credit: The New York Times)

nstagram supports photos in the rectangular landscape and portrait orientations — as long as you switch it from the default square shape before you upload the file. To do that, tap the round grey arrow icon in the bottom corner of the image preview.

Instagram’s help guide says the service supports photos and videos only with aspect ratios between 1.91:1 (a horizontal wide-screen/ landscape shape) and 4:5 (a vertical portrait shape); the

traditional square shape has an aspect ratio of 1:1. If the photo you upload is not in one of Instagram’s supported aspect ratios, it will be cropped automatically.

As for the image quality, Instagram does not change the picture resolution if the photo has a width from 320 to 1,080 pixels, as long as the file is in one of the supported aspect ratios. Small, low-resolution photos are enlarged to a width of 320 pixels when you upload them to the service, which may distort them.

Most decent smartphones these days take fairly highresolution resolution photos — 12-megapixel (or better) cameras are common now in the flagship models from Apple, Google, LG, Samsung and other companies. The photos these mobile cameras can produce are typically much larger than 1,080 pixels wide, but if you upload a picture that is bigger than Instagram’s requirements, the service resizes the image to meet the maximum 1,080-pixel width.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 1, 2017

Bollywood/Hollywood

K

im Kardashian-West has confirmed that she is having a third child with husband Kanye West.

In a new promo for “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” season 14, Kim says to her sister Khloe on FaceTime: "What happens every time I say, 'Guess

what?'" and Khloe guesses, saying: "You're pregnant... or the person's pregnant," And that's when Kim confirms it: "We're having a baby," she says, before the promo abruptly ends.

The couple have hired a surrogate, and according to TMZ, she's reportedly due in January 2018. It's go-

ing to be a big year for the Kardashian Jenner household and it's believed Kylie Jenner is pregnant and Khloe Kardashian is also pregnant.

According to Us Weekly, their surrogate is a woman from San Diego and she's in her late 20s. The woman was referred to the pair by an agency.

So how much does it cost to carry a Kimye baby? It's believed the couple agreed to pay US$45,000 in 10 monthly instalments of US$4,500, according to a TMZ report.

This is an addition to the US$68,850 deposit given to the agency.

Earlier this year Kim was told by doctors that she would not be able to survive another natural birth.

(Glamour)

guyanatimesgy.com

Vidya Balan escapes unhurt in car accident

B

ollywood actress Vidya Balan narrowly escaped when a car slammed into her vehicle in Mumbai.

While Vidya is safe, her car was badly damaged.

DNA quoted a source as saying, “She (Vidya) is fine and has not sustained any injuries. It was a minor accident that led to car damage and thankfully no one is injured.” She was on her way to Bandra, Mumbai for a meeting, the report added.

Vidya is currently gearing up for the release of her upcoming film, “Tumhari Sulu”. She plays

a radio jockey in the film.

Earlier, she played an RJ in “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” (2006.)

Talking about the two films, Vidya told Hindustan Times, “I think Sulu in a different zone because it’s a very different character. For starters, the basic difference being my character in Lage Raho Munna Bhai was an early morning RJ, but this time, I am playing a late night RJ. Imagine a housewife doing the job of a late night RJ. The thought itself is quite funny.” (Hindustan Times)

Salman Khan thanks Bollywood stars for using Being Human E-cycles

Kit Harington and Rose Leslie are engaged "G ame of Thrones" actors Kit Harington and Rose Leslie announced their engagement Wednesday in The Times of London newspaper.

The notice in the births, deaths and marriages section reads, "The engagement is announced b e tween Kit, younger son of David and Deborah Harington of Worcestershire, and Rose, middle daughter of Sebastian and Candy Leslie of Aberdeenshire."

Harington plays Jon Snow on the hit HBO series, and Leslie portrayed Ygritte before her character was killed off in the fourth season.

The actors, who are both 30, have been pretty private about their relationship.

They reportedly met on the show, and

fans first started buzzing about them in 2012 when they were spotted out on a dinner date.

The couple went public with their relationship in 2016 when they hit the red carpet together at the Olivier Awards in London.

In June, Harington appeared on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" and said he had moved in with his "other best friend, Rose."

"So, I'm very, very happy and it's going well," he said. "She has all sorts of ideas for the house."

Nicole Kidman was also a guest on the show that night and asked Harington if he and Leslie were going to get married.

"I just think it's kind of nice if you're going to live together, maybe at least get engaged," Kidman said. (CNN)

P

itbull took action to help relief efforts after Hurricane Maria rocked Puerto Rico and its surrounding areas. The 36-year-old rapper, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, sent his private plane to move cancer patients to the U.S. following the natural disaster.

"Thank you @pitbull for lending your private plane to move cancer patients from PR to USA so that they can get chemo," Puerto Rico congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez revealed on Twitter. The musician responded in a brief statement, "Thank God we're blessed to help. Just doing my part."

According to reports,

Puerto Rico was completely without power after the hurricane. More than a dozen people died, buildings were destroyed, and there was widespread looting. Dominica government spokesman Charles Jong said they have "gone into survival mode."

Jennifer Lopez recent-

ly said that she lost contact with her family after the hurricane mercilessly ravaged the Caribbean. "Me and my cousin still haven't been able to hear from our families over there," so the singer opened up in an Instagram video message.

She donated US$1 million from the proceeds of her Las Vegas residency show.

She also teamed up with exhusband Marc Anthony to spearhead additional relief efforts. "Our island of Puerto Rico has been hit by the two most devastating hurricanes we've ever seen Irma and Maria. Today, Puerto Rico needs our help," she said. "Together we can help rebuild our island and the Caribbean." (AceShowbiz)

F

ilmmaker Rohit Shetty’s “Golmaal Again” cast, led by actor Ajay Devgn, has shown support for sustainable city development by using e-cycles, which bear superstar Salman Khan’s Being Human brand.

“Thank you Ajay, Rohit Shetty, Tusshar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Parineeti Chopra, Shreyas Talpade for using Being Human E-cycle in Golmaal Again,” Salman tweeted a photo in which the actors are seen posing with cycles.

Salman launched the e-cycles on World Environment Day on June 5. “Since the time

B

ollywood star Amitabh Bachchan has come forward to support Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s Bharat Yatra - an initiative to fight child trafficking and sex abuse in India. The actor has supported the cause and asked people to join the movement via a video on Twitter.

Amitabh makes a passionate plea to create a safe environment for children and urges citizens to become proactive and come forward to support children across India.

The actor appeals to the public to take a closer look at things happening in society and not to dismiss them, but break the pervasive silence that is ingrained in us.

“These children are our tomorrow. They are the future of this country. Let’s lead them away from the darkness of abuse.

Kailash Satyarthi Ji has launched a peaceful war against child abuse. Let’s all join him in this struggle,” he says in the video.

I got into movies, my fans have accepted me... They pay to watch my movies. It’s my time to give back to fans,” Salman had said.

Meanwhile, the team of “Golmaal Again” will sensitise people about the need for tiger conservation. Rohit Shetty, director of “Golmaal Again”, and the film’s actors Ajay Devgan and Parineeti Chopra have come on board for Mission Big Cat, a new season of programming dedicated to big cats, including lions, leopards and tigers. It begins on October 2. They will feature in a campaign for the programme, along with Taapsee Pannu and Rana Daggubati. (IANS)

The 63-year-old activist started his 35-day Bharat Yatra against child sexual abuse and trafficking from the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Kanyakumari on September 11. He has been campaigning for the freedom, safety and security of the children across the globe for the past 36 years.

He was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his continuous efforts and struggle for the rights of children.

The Bharat Yatra has received support from Google through its homepage promotion. The Yatra is aimed at increasing awareness and reporting of the cases of sexual abuse, strengthening medical health and compensations, ensuring protection of victims and witnesses during the trials of cases and increasing convictions of child sexual abuse in a time bound manner.

(Hindustan Times)

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 1, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 1, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES Concentrate on relation(March 21- ships and making plans that April 19) will bring you closer to someone special. Planning for the future will encourage greater stability and give you something to look forward to.

Take on a challenge that TAURUS will make you feel good (April 20- about who you are and how May 20) you contribute your time and services. Avoid lending or borrowing cash or possessions.

GEMINI (May 28June 20)

Make a choice and a change that will improve your reputation, status and future. Use your imagination to find a new way to use your skills, experience and knowledge.

A day trip attending a conCANCER ference or doing something (June 21- entertaining with friends, July 22) family or a loved one is encouraged, as long as you don’t overspend or let indulgent tendencies take charge.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Peanuts

Spend time with someone you love. An outing will broaden your awareness about personal growth opportunities and lifestyle options available to you. Make romance a priority.

Research new possibilities thoroughly before you make a decision that could alter your life. Physical fitness and a proper diet should be part of your long-term goals.

Look at potential investments or expand your skills, qualifications or resume.

Plans can be made and new beginnings put into play.

An emotional reaction is SCORPIO best contained until you have (Oct. 24- all the facts. Concentrate Nov. 22) on physical improvements and personal growth, not on someone else’s actions or lack thereof.

Revisiting old, familiar SAGITTARIUS places and reconnecting with (Nov. 23people from your past will Dec. 21) make you feel nostalgic. Don’t believe everything you hear, feel jealous or regret your life choices.

Calvin and Hobbes

Getting together with peoCAPRICORN ple from your past will broad(Dec. 22- en your interest in old places Jan. 19) and pastimes. The information you learn and the experience you have will be enlightening.

Spend time with friends AQUARIUS and relatives or attend a re(Jan. 20- union. Traveling and engagFeb. 19) ing in discussions and events will lead to personal growth and new opportunities. A lifestyle change will lift your spirits.

PISCES Update personal docu(Feb. 20- ments and review your fiMar. 20) nancial assets and liabilities to discover a way to cut costs and put your money to better use. Celebrate with someone you love.