Sunday times magazine sunday 28, january 2018

January 28, 2018

Star Times Hollywood:

Princess Page 14 Eugenie reveals her stunning engagement ring in official photos FREE DISTRIBUTION

Eye on KarasabaiKezee Ecolodge welcomes you Page 5

Remembering Mahatma Gandhi on his 70th death anniversary Page 2

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 28, 2018

Feature

G

uyana will join India and the rest of the world in remembering Mahatma Gandhi on his 70th death anniversary, which will be commemorated on Tuesday, January 30th.

He was the leader of India’s non-violent independence movement against British rule and in South Africa who advocated for the civil rights of Indians.

Revered the world over for his nonviolent philosophy of passive resistance, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or “the great-souled one.”

He began his activism as an Indian immigrant in South Africa in the early 1900s, and in the years following World War I became the leading figure in India’s struggle to gain independence from Great Britain. Known for his ascetic lifestyle–he often dressed only in a loincloth and shawl– and devout Hindu faith, Gandhi was imprisoned several times during his pursuit of non-cooperation, and undertook a number of hunger strikes to protest the oppression of India’s poorest classes, among other injustices. After Partition in 1947, he continued to work toward peace between Hindus and Muslims.

Gandhi was shot to death in Delhi in January 1948 by a Hindu fundamentalist.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, in the present-day Indian state of Gujarat. His father was the dewan (chief minister) of Porbandar; his deeply religious mother was a devoted practitioner of Vaishnavism

Gandhi during his last fast at Birla House, Delhi. (1948). (Getty Images.)

(worship of the Hindu god Vishnu), influenced by Jainism, an ascetic religion governed by tenets of self-discipline and nonviolence. At the age of 19, Mohandas left home to study law in London at the Inner Temple, one of the city’s four law colleges.

Upon returning to India in mid-1891, he set up a law practice in Bombay, but met with little success. He soon accepted a position with an Indian firm that sent him to its office in South Africa, along with his wife, Kasturbai, and their children. He arrived in South Africa in 1893 and immediately became an activist after being kicked off a train; On 7 June 1893, Gandhi –

a young practicing lawyer – was thrown off a train in South Africa for refusing to comply with the racial segregation rules of travel. Gandhi remained in South Africa for nearly 20 years.

Did You Know?

In the famous Salt March of April-May 1930, thousands of Indians followed Gandhi from Ahmadabad to the Arabian Sea. The march resulted in the arrest of nearly 60,000 people, including Gandhi himself.

Gandhi was appalled by the discrimination he experienced as an Indian immigrant in South Africa. When a European magistrate in Durban asked him to take

off his turban, he refused and left the courtroom. On a train voyage to Pretoria, he was thrown out of a firstclass railway compartment and beaten up by a white stagecoach driver after refusing to give up his seat for a European passenger. That train journey served as a turning point for Gandhi, and he soon began developing and teaching the concept of satyagraha (“truth and firmness”), or passive resistance, as a way of non-cooperation with authorities.

The birth of passive resistance In 1906, after the Transvaal government passed an ordinance regarding the registration of its Indian population, Gandhi led a campaign of civil disobedience that would last for the next eight years. During its final phase in 1913, hundreds of Indians living in South Africa, including women, went to jail, and thousands of striking Indian miners were imprisoned, flogged and even shot. Finally, under pressure from the British and Indian governments, the government of South Africa accepted a compromise negotiated by Gandhi and General Jan Christian Smuts, which included important concessions such as the recognition of Indian marriages and the abolition of the existing poll tax for Indians.

In July 1914, Gandhi left South Africa to return to India. He supported the British war effort in World War I but remained critical of colonial authorities for measures he felt were unjust.

In 1919, Gandhi launched an

Gandhi’s funeral procession shows a naval guard escorting the coffin. (Getty Images)

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was known to his many followers as Mahatma, or “the great-souled one.”

organized campaign of passive resistance in response to Parliament’s passage of the Rowlatt Acts, which gave colonial authorities emergency powers to suppress subversive activities.

He backed off after violence broke out–including the massacre by British-led soldiers of some 400 Indians attending a meeting at Amritsar– but only temporarily, and by 1920 he was the most visible figure in the movement for Indian independence.

Leader of a movement As part of his nonviolent non-cooperation campaign for home rule, Gandhi stressed the importance of economic independence for India.

He particularly advocated the manufacture of khaddar, or homespun cloth, in order to replace imported textiles from Britain. Gandhi’s eloquence and embrace of an ascetic lifestyle based on prayer, fasting and meditation earned him the reverence of his followers, who called him Mahatma (Sanskrit for “the great-souled one”). Invested with all the authority of the Indian National Congress (INC or Congress Party), Gandhi turned the independence movement into a massive organization, leading boycotts of British manufacturers and institutions representing British influence in India, including legislatures and schools.

After sporadic violence broke out, Gandhi announced the end of the resistance movement, to the dismay of his followers. British authorities arrested Gandhi in March 1922 and tried him for sedition; he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released in 1924 after undergoing an operation for appendicitis. He refrained from active participation in politics for the next several years, but in 1930 launched a new civil disobedience campaign against the colonial government’s tax on salt, which greatly affected Indian’s poorest citizens.

A divided movement In 1931, after British authorities made some concessions, Gandhi again called off the resistance movement and agreed to represent the Congress Party at the Round Table Conference in London.

Meanwhile, some of his party colleagues–particularly Mohammed Ali Jinnah, a leading voice for India’s Muslim minority–grew frustrated with Gandhi’s methods, and what they saw as a lack of concrete gains.

Arrested upon his return by a newly aggressive colonial government, Gandhi began a series of hunger strikes in protest of the treatment of India’s so-called “untouchables” (the poorer classes), whom he renamed Harijans, or “children of God.” The fasting caused an uproar among his followers and resulted in swift reforms by the Hindu community and the government.

In 1934, Gandhi announced his retirement from politics in, as well as his resignation from the Congress Party, in order to concentrate his efforts on working within rural communities. Drawn back into the political fray by the outbreak of World War II, Gandhi again took control of the INC, demanding a British withdrawal from India in return for Indian cooperation with the war effort.

Instead, British forces imprisoned the entire Congress leadership, bringing AngloIndian relations to a new low point.

Partition and death of Gandhi After the Labor Party took power in Britain in 1947, negotiations over Indian home rule began between the British, the Congress Party and the Muslim League (now led by Jinnah). Later that year, Britain granted India its independence but split the country into two dominions: India and Pakistan. Gandhi strongly opposed Partition, but he agreed to it in hopes that after independence Hindus and Muslims could achieve peace internally.

Amid the massive riots that followed Partition, Gandhi urged Hindus and Muslims to live peacefully together, and undertook a hunger strike until riots in Calcutta ceased.

In January 1948, Gandhi carried out yet another fast, this time to bring about peace in the city of Delhi.

On January 30, 12 days after that fast ended, Gandhi was on his way to an evening prayer meeting in Delhi when he was shot to death by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic enraged by Mahatma’s efforts to negotiate with Jinnah and other Muslims.

The next day, roughly 1 million people followed the procession as Gandhi’s body was carried in state through the streets of the city and cremated on the banks of the holy Jumna River. (http:// www.history.com) (excerpts from the Hindustan Times)

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JANUARY 28, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Feature

By Utamu Belle

D

id you know that you can make a vase or a tissue holder using old, wooden clothes pins?

How about making stylish jewellery from cocrite or coconut shells? Were you even aware that decorative wall packets can be made from plastic spoons, forks and knives? Or how about fashionable hats made of old newspapers? Well, these are just a few products made by the creative hands of Lindener, Mrs Shirley Williams, affectionately called 'Miss Shirley' by residents in the Linden community.

For decades, Miss Shirley, a resident of Half Mile, Wismar in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has been using her gifted hands to create ideal food and decorative designs, and also imparting her knowledge to numerous generations of men and women. It is her belief that ordinary things can be transformed from trash to treasure. "I use the coconut husks in the cake decoration area", she excitingly told the Sunday Times Magazine.

"When you finish squeezing out the milk, you wash it out and you dry it. Then you get the dye and you dye it in whatever colour and you decorate the cake stand with it", she continued. According to Miss Shirley, this adds a beautiful grass- like effect to your cake designs, as she explained that the coconut husk can also be used to make wine. She further explained that her interest began with cake decorating in the 1960's, at the age of 19, after seeing her aunt mixing icing with a fork. That interest would lead her down a path of cake decorating and creativity.

Early beginnings

"I started icing cake when I got my first son...

When I got my lil’ small

One of the finished craft pieces

change, I would go and buy my icing sugar and every week I would keep practicing...until I know to icing the cake, but not in the right way", she admitted. But patience, perseverance and persistence would keep her connected to the craft she had grown to love. "At that time, I couldn't afford to go and pay for the classes. I had a friend, she decided to go and do the classes, and she bought some thimbles for me. So she used to ice the cake and I would bake it". Miss Shirley would later have the prestigious opportunity of being part of a group which visited schools in the community conducting icing and pottery classes.

"I said, 'you know what, I ain't putting my hands in no mud! I gonna do the icing'". Following the untimely death of her teacher, she explained that she took the

An array of finished products

leading role of teaching the class. "I end up teaching the classes because I had more ideas about it. Then I started doing wedding work and bridal cakes." She later started her own 'sharing the knowledge' classes after forming a group in the 1980's.

"We started with a group. 'You teach me, I teach you'. Sharing the knowledge...until I started going to the church and gathering the young people. Anywhere I go and the young people there I would gather them and teach them what I know", Miss Shirley added. By then, her group started to gain momentum, organizing its own local exhibitions. "What we used to do, like every month, or like how Valentine's day coming up, we would make different things and we go on the road and carry out exhibits to sell.

This created a window of opportunities, and then the group was invited to be a part of what became the first national exhibition at the World Food Day event in 1999. She recalled that the group put on one of the largest exhibitions of craft at the time, and was recognised and interviewed by various agencies. This exposure garnered more opportunities, which ultimately led to the formation of her very first registered group, the 'Blooming Developers' in 2001. The group specialised in delicacies such as meat, fish, rice, cake and pastries, in addition to art and craft, tie dye, fabric painting and floral designs. It was operated out of a makeshift room at the side of her home, which was constructed from scraps of wood and cardboard along with vinyl which was placed over the sand. A year later, the all-female group, which consisted of about 25 members, would then move to include males who were passionate about creating with

their hands.

The structure was later upgraded and the group was formally registered in 2003. Miss Shirley's operation was first to pilot a government voucher system at the time, which allowed participants to learn whatever trade they were interested in. Apart from that, she continued to impart her knowledge, through volunteer classes at various schools. This, she noted, came with its fair share of challenges. "You find that the children want to learn but they don't have the finance. Nevertheless, I used to do what I can and make sure that they get what they want", she explained.

Success stories

She recalls the success story of a female student with whom she worked to get her grade up, even after teachers had given up hope. This, she noted was achieved through timely intervention. Miss Shirley en-

The creative Miss Shirley Williams

courages people to focus on using their hands to create economic stability. "Yes, education is very important in your life. You know to read and write these days and you hardly getting a job.

Moreover, with the situation in the country today, you need to learn to do something with your hands. Even if you're a nurse or a teacher, you know you would get that money monthly. But by the time you get that money and pay your bills, money done. But if you're doing something with your hands, you always have something.

A cake fashioned and designed like the Coat of Arms

Your hands never out of money as long as you're doing something with it", she advised.

Legacy

Over the course of her career, Miss Shirley has participated in several expositions and has received numerous awards and certificates. These days, Miss Shirley, now 76, is not as actively involved in catering and decorating. But her legacy lives on in the lives she's changed through her work. She works along with some of them to this day and they assist her in getting the work done, whenever the need arises. "I get the recipe book and I train people. And when I finish training them I take one of the best out of the set and put them to be teachers", she explained, noting that she gets a feeling of fulfilment from the many success stories of students who have ventured out and created their own businesses. She explained, "I have two young women.

They came to classes from school, and when they left they went right into their own business. I have a couple of them abroad that doing their own businesses", she noted. "I don't mind helping people. But they got to help themselves.

Everything has a season now. If you have a trade and it is not working for you, you could use your hands for something else and get a dollar...,� Miss Shirley advised. She added that her interest, to this day, lies with assisting younger folks develop a sense of creativity.

Miss Shirley surrounded by some of her creations

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 28, 2018

Feature

M

any families in Guyana have at least one pet, while some have several. Pets, whether dogs, cats, birds or in some cases even snakes, serve many beneficial purposes. The fortunate ones are even integrated into the family to the extent that they dwell in the homes of their caregivers. Decades of studies point to the curative effects of our animal friends; in many parts of the world, pets are used for many other purposes aside from companionship; they are used to treat the mentally ill, to assist the differently- abled , to soothe the elderly, and most always, they offer unconditional love.

Undoubtedly, caring for a pet can be a very demanding task, requiring a significant amount of money, time and energy. Unfortunately, for some owners, the responsibility becomes overwhelming and quite often the animals are abused, abandoned or neglected.

Despite the giving and loving nature of many of these animals, not all owners appreciate or even understand that they are deserving of as much love as any other family member.

Thankfully, there are institutions like the GSPCA to intercede on behalf of mistreated and forgotten animals. Many Guyanese pet owners today utilise the services of the GSPCA on a daily basis and benefit from the many, low cost services available.

Formerly known as the British Guiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the institution was established in 1903 by a group of expatriate vol-

unteers after witnessing the ill treatment and suffering meted out to animals everyday in the streets of Georgetown. After independence in 1966 the name was changed to The Guyana Society for the Prevention of

Cruelty investigation Persons witnessing acts of cruelty should call the Clinic or come in during the working hours and make a report. These reports will be investigated to the best of our abilities

Boarding At present, they provide low cost boarding services to members of the public for their dogs. Interested persons should make contact with the office to find out the necessary boarding require-

Pets come in all sizes and species

Cruelty to Animals.

In 2000 the old clinic was replaced with a new and modern building, which is equipped with Boarding facilities, a Surgical room, (2) treatment rooms, a recovery room, Shelter facilities where animals awaiting adoption are housed, a waiting area and an office. It also has a fairly large yard area for exercise purposes for the animals.

Today, the GSPCA continues to be committed to providing low cost health care to pet owners, educating the public on responsible care and treatment of pets, providing shelter to unwanted animals, providing humane euthanasia to injured and sick animals both within and outside the clinic and advocating for spaying and neutering to control the pet population and reduce instance of unwanted animals being strayed.

The humanitarian work of the institution should not be underestimated as they

offer a wide range of services including; Vaccinations GSPCA also provides low cost vaccination services to persons with puppies 6 weeks and older or adult dogs.

Deworming Deworming can be done from as early as 2 weeks of age, depending on the recommendation of the veterinarian. For animals under six weeks of age, persons can uplift the dewormer from the Clinic; and for animals 6 weeks and older, the weight of the animal is needed to determine the correct amount of deworming to be given.

Treatment of minor injuries and illnesses The Clinic tries to provide low cost treatment options for injured and ill animals in catering to the general public’s needs. In instances where the Clinic is unable to provide treatment the relevant persons/ clinics are referenced.

and cases filed with the police when necessary.

ments.

Humane euthanasia

Sadly, many times there is need for the Clinic to provide humane euthanasia services to members of the public for a number of reasons. These services are provided free of cost where possible and some instances, a small charge is required.

Rehoming The Society's shelter facilitates adoption for persons interested in providing homes for abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs of all ages Volunteering Persons interested in becoming either a volunteer or member of the Society can download and print the relevant forms online or come into GSPCA’s office and collect them.

GSPCA receiving a donation last year from Hotspotgy

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 28, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Feature

Kezee Ecolodge now opened to welcome visitors (Candace Phillips photo)

T

he villagers of Karasabai in Region 9 (Upper Takatu/ Upper Essequibo) are now more prepared to welcome visitors with the opening of the highly anticipated Kezee Ecolodge. For residents and the members of the Tourism Committee, the event was the culmination of years of hard work.

Kezee Ecolodge is the product of a five year journey which started when the village was the recip-

ient of a grant under the Amerindian Development Fund. This fund is managed by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and United Nations Development Programme.

It was indeed an afternoon of anticipation and elation, which solidifies the village's desire to further develop their tourism product. Villagers turned out in their numbers for the official opening last week, which was head-

The elusive Sun Parakeet (Rupununi Wildlife photo)

ed by the Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs (MOIPA), Hon. Valerie Garrido Lowe.

Also present at the proceedings were Regional Chairman, Bryan Allicock, representatives from MOIPA, Guyana Tourism Authority, Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Conservation International Guyana and Visit Rupununi, among other well-wishers.

C o n s e r v a t i o n International Guyana and Visit Rupununi developed a closer partnership with the village in October 2016, when together they embarked on several working sessions which led to the creation of a tourism master plan which was completed in July 2017. The master plan will serve as a guide and monitoring mechanism for the village to develop and diversify its product offering.

Home to the Macushi people, Karasabai with a population of 1200, is the exclusive home of the Sun Parakeets in Guyana as

A culture group performs at the opening of the Kezee Ecolodge (Candace Phillips photo)

A view of the Eco Lodge (Candace Phillips photo)

such it is one of the main birding destinations in the country (the Sun Parakeet is an endemic bird of the Rupununi) Due to its uniqueness, many birdwatchers travel to this village for their elusive shot of this bird. While visitors spend just a few hours to catch a glimpse of this spectacular bird, the newly opened Eco Lodge is equipped to accommodate four persons and hammock space; the main idea is to provide comfortable lodging for overnight guests.

Tourism promotion remains a main focus which is used as a way of generating income for families, especially women.

In an effort to curb the poaching of these birds, the village officials and conservationists encourage youths to become involved as one of the ways of safeguarding wildlife.

There are many other activities to enjoy when visiting the village includ-

Craft items on display at the Eco Lodge (Candace Phillips photo)

Welcome to Karasabai (Diego Calderon photo)

ing hiking; Karasabai is positioned in the valley, surrounded by mountains, which makes the location ideal for this activity. In addition, guides also offer trips along the Ireng River. This picturesque village is quite developed with nursery and primary

schools, several churches, an Administrative Center and other guest houses located within the village. In addition, there is an active women’s group and culture group. (Cover photo: Bird watching at Karasabai, Visit Rupununi)

6 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 28, 2018

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Literary Corner

Preserving our literary heritage by Petamber Persaud

N

o, I did not grow up ‘stupidy’ under the Union Jack. But I did acquire and have lived with many misconceptions in my formative years. Those misconceptions I called ‘beliefs’ (due to a limited vocabulary) because I believed particular bits of information, sold to me, to be facts. And to sort of giving validation to those beliefs was the awareness that they were shared by my contemporaries of that era. Those beliefs stayed with me until a little bit more information and growing pains (days of the wile cane, kneeling on paddy, standing on bench with dunce cap on…) brought elucidation.

For instance, I was under the impression that the only literature was English Literature. That changed early in my life when libraries and bookstores became a significant part of my education. There was a library at the primary school and also at the secondary school I attended, so I was into books very early in life.

Then from touring billboards of cinemas after weekly visits to the National Library, I came into contact with Michael Ford Bookstore and my first set of non-English literature. And what an amazing encounter it was – powerful writing, excellent storytelling.

At the moment I am rereading selected stories from “Great Soviet Short Stories”; here is the opening paragraph of its introduction: “Consciousness of our own vitality is the one yardstick we press against our literature… insisting that reality be the final measure both of it and of us. The more we are aware of the energy moving in us, the more we require our literature to present an understanding of it; the more nearly our literature is, the more nearly we understand ourselves”.

For another instance, I was under the impression that the greatest boxer, Mohamed Ali, was a Guyanese.

Everybody was talking about him like he was a son of the soil. Grownups and children were engaged in “fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee” and “rope a dope” etc.

Another belief was that all toothpaste was ‘Colgate’; that was the only brand we had and used for a long, long time. So, all toothpaste was Colgate until new brands came into our consciousness and fancy.

when you smile...

(May) Maybe if I ask your dad and mom (June) They'll let me take you to the Junior Prom (July) Like a firecracker all aglow (August) When you're on the beach you steal the show...

(September) Light the candles at your Sweet Sixteen (October) Romeo and Juliet on Halloween (November) I'll give thanks that you belong to me (December) You're the present 'neath my Christmas tree...

All alcohol was rum – gin was rum to me, and so was vodka, and brandy etc… Whiskey was a cowboy rum (in Western movies); this was so for a long, long time until I tasted the difference, some of which I liked straight or on the rocks.

Another quick example was green tea – Red Rose green tea was all we used (when it was not bush tea) for a long, long time. So all tea was green tea…

Even some songs I believed to be Guyanese like “Suhaniraat” and “January girls”.

Fast forward to January 2018, when I am singing along to “January girls” and “Calendar girl”, stopping in midstride to go online to ‘check them out’.

Calendar Girl by Neil Sedaka 1961 I love, I love, I love my calendar girl Yeah, sweet calendar girl I love, I love, I love my calendar girl Each and every day of the year (January) You start the year off fine (February) You're my little valentine (March) I'm gonna march you down the aisle (April) You're the Easter Bunny

January Girls by Lord Kitchener 1956 January girls I think are the best January girls are better than the rest...

February girls are very hard to please And like to have their men bowing to their knees And as the March winds blow the girls are just the same They drink you like a fish and give eight false names...

August September and October, it will be Virgo, Scorpio and Libra, Well the girls that were born under these three signs, They like the English weather change their minds, Especially those born under Scorpio, They just tell you yes and then they change to no,...

Well November and December don't trust their sight, They like angels in the day and devils at night...

Another January song is “Auld lang sine” – the song nobody knows.

That song remained a Guyanese song until I discovered Robert Burns visited Guyana in the novel, “Illustrious Exile” written by Andrew O. Lindsay, enhancing the mystique of the song.

Those three songs have seeped into the Guyanese psyche and into our literature so much so that they may pass as Guyanese creations.

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

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard 'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

A

traveler had hired a donkey to carry him to a distant part of the country. The owner of the donkey went with the traveler, walking beside him to drive the donkey and point out the way.

The road led across a treeless plain where the sun beat down fiercely. So intense did the heat become, that the traveler at last decided to stop for a rest, and as there was no other shade to be found, the traveler sat down in the shadow of the donkey.

Now the heat had affected the driver as much as it had the traveler, and even more, for he had been walking. Wishing also to rest in the shade cast by the donkey, he began to quarrel with the traveler, saying he had hired the donkey and not the shadow it cast.

The two soon started to fight, and while they were fighting, the donkey got away.

Moral: In quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance. (An Aesop fable)

Notice to Readers

If you have a poem and/or short story you would like to publish on our Literary Corner page, please email to guyanatimes@gmail.com. Kindly include your correct name and a contact number in your email. If you have any questions, please call 223-7230 or 223-7231.

Out of the huts of history's shame I rise Up from a past that's rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise I rise I rise.

Poem by Maya Angelou

guyanatimesgy.com

JANUARY 28, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Feature

Understanding the earliest inhabitants

Present-day Warau fisher family (Photo from Annette & Dave Martins - Is We Own on Facebook)

T

here is a well-known saying that goes something like this: “Until lions tell their own stories, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.”

Unlike our knowledge of other nations’ history, little knowledge of the prehistoric story of our first peoples is known or understood among Guyanese, often leading to discrimination and stereotyping.

However, the indefatigable efforts of Jennifer Wishart and others, seek to ensure that Guyana’s indigenous history has its own narrators. Sunday Times Magazine presents the text of “The Prehistoric Warau of Guyana” (1994) by Jennifer E. Wishart More than 7,000 years ago, when the sea was farther inland than it is today, the Warau lived along the edge of the swamps where the waters of the ocean met with the waters of the rivers.

They ate shellfish which fed off of the roots of the mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle). Because their diet comprised mainly shellfish, and they lived this way for thousands of years, their refuse heaps, of various sizes, are found along the northwest coast of Guyana. We call these refuse heaps, shell mounds.

The Walter Roth Museum has excavated many of these shell mounds. The artefacts recovered from these excavations tell us how the Warau lived between 7,000 and 4,000 years ago.

Postholes in the refuse tell us that the prehistoric Warau lived in rectangular houses, which were probably thatched with the leaves of the ité palm.

They used beeswax torches for light. The women collected the chewed out honeycombs and boiled them to separate the wax from other unwanted materials. Before the wax cooled, it was formed into lumps, and then pressed into rolls from 30 to 90 centimetres long, and about three to five centimetres thick, like very long candles without wicks.

Strands of ité fibre were wrapped around the rolls and tied, to form external wicks. The wicks were coated with melted wax and the upper end trimmed to complete the abehe, as it is known in the language of the Warau.

The ité palm, also known as the “tree of life”, provided flour for bread. When felled, a large trough was cut into its trunk and the inside pounded with a wedgeshaped pestle to reduce the mush or pulp. This mush was then squeezed to extract

the liquid. Recovery of a basketry awl suggests that the aruhuba (matapi) may have been used for this purpose.

The liquid was then strained through ite leaves into small containers, maybe calabashes, and left to settle, after which the liquid was poured off to reveal the flour.

The larvae of the Rhyncophorus beetle, mo arani, which lays its eggs in the pith of the fallen trunk, provided fats.

From the nearby brackish-water swamps, the Warau gathered protein in the form of shellfish such as crabs, oysters and the Zebra nerite (Puperita pupa). The nerites were put into calabashes of water, and stones, heated in the fire, were dropped into the calabashes until the nerites were boiled into a soup broth, aho.

Animals were hunted with spears and bows and arrows, and fish were caught using line sinkers and cadels.

Women wore bead aprons made from grass seeds, while men wore a loin cloth from the bark of the kakaralli tree (Eschweilera spp.). With a stone bark beater, they beat the bark of the tree until it opened up into thin leaves from which the loin cloth was made. Some Warau today use these leaves to roll cigarettes in times of short-

Warau shield wrestling game circa 1913

age. Necklaces made from animal teeth were also worn.

Body paint, made from annato (Bixa orellana) mixed with oil from the crabwood tree (Carapa guianensis), protected their bodies from insect pests.

When a Warau died, he was wrapped in his ité hammock and placed in his dwelling with his head towards the West - the Land of the Dead. In Warau belief, there is a ‘light’ shaman, bahanarautu, who travels to the House of Smoke in the East, and a ‘dark’ shaman who is in contact with the spirit of the West, hoarautu. Hoarautu feeds on the blood and flesh of human beings.

Around 5,300 years ago, the Warau invented the dugout canoe on Haimarakabra creek, a tributary of the Moruka river. Stone from the Aruka river was taken to Haimarakabra where it was chipped into the desired tool shapes. These blanks were then taken to Warapoko creek where they were ground and sharpened on the boulders there, to form proper tools.

These tools were then taken back to Haimarakabra where they were used to

shape canoes from the numerous Mora trees (Mora excels), which once grew there.

The dugout canoe was the earliest seaworthy vessel. With its invention, it was possible for the islands of the Caribbean to be peopled.

Artifacts found in Cuba date at around 5,000 years ago.

Warau means “tribesman” or “kin”. So Warau living at Waramuri, Warapoko and Warapana may have been related. Fish traps drawn on the rocks at Waraputa Falls on the

Essequibo river also appear on the rocks at Warapoko on the Waini river.

Warauan, which is spoken only by the Warau, is the most ancient of the tribal languages of Guyana. Unlike the Arawakan (Arawak, Wapisiana) and Cariban (Carib, Akawaio, Arekuna, Waiwai, Makusi, Patamona) languages, its source cannot be traced and the nearest language to it is Timucua, a now extinct language of Florida, in the United States.

Rhynchophorus beetle larvae provided 'fats' for the Warau

8 Sunday Times Magazine

JANUARY 28, 2018

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Travel and Tourism

Aishalton Petroglyphs (National Trust)

A

ishalton is about 110 kilometres south of Lethem, which is the main town of the region and can only be reached by 4-wheel drive vehicle or truck. In dry weather the journey takes about 5 hours, while in the wet season the road is often almost impassable.

Home to the Wapishana peoples, Aishalton is an Amerindian village situated in the Rupununi Savannah of southern Guyana, in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region (Region 9). In 2002, an official census recorded a population of 1,063 people in the village, making it the second most highly populated village in the Region (after Lethem), and the most populated village in the southern sub-district.

The main religion in the village is Christianity, with the majority of inhabitants identifying as Roman Catholics and smaller numbers as Pentecostal Christians, Seventh-day Adventists and Anglicans. A very small number of people belong to Hindu and Muslim faiths. The principal economic activities in the village are farming, fishing, and forestry.

Makatau Mountain, which is situated approximately 3 km outside Aishalton village, is one of Guyana’s most well-known archaeological sites. It is particularly well known for the numerous petroglyphs (known locally as “timehri”) that are found on Makatau and on rock-formations in the surrounding area. In the

1970s, the Guyanese anthropologist, Denis Williams, undertook a detailed archaeological study of the area.

Aishalton Petroglyphs are scattered across the Aishalton district in the Rupununi, Savannah.

Aishalton is one of the most populated settlements in the Upper Takutu-Rupununi region and serves as the administrative centre of the southern sub-district.

Makatau Mountain, located some 3 kilometres (1.7 miles) from central Aishalton is one of the country’s most famous archaeological sites.

Thousands of these petroglyphs which were pre-dated to 5000 BC illustrate the relationship the first people bore with their surrounding environment and with wild life.

Local cuisine is reflective of traditional Wapishana culture. Cassava is the main staple used in cooking, and is used to make cassava bread, a marinating sauce called cassareep, farine (similar to cous-cous), and an alcoholic drink called parakari. The production of parakari involves a complicated process with thirty different stages, and the use of a sophisticated fermentation technology.

The fermentation of parakari involves the use of an amylolytic mold (Rhizopus), and it is the only known fermented drink to be produced by the indigenous peoples of the Americas that involves the use of an amylolytic process.

(Photos by Girendra Persaud and Visit Rupununi)

A village with stunning mountain views

A picturesque vantage point

Aishalton- (Photo credit Visit Rupununi)

Big smiles from the residents

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JANUARY 28, 2018

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Health

Germs are everywhere – including your home! Bacteria, viruses and molds are crafty at finding hospitable environments to hang out in. Learn the unexpected places germs are hiding in your home and what you can do to fight back.

Bathroom Towel

When you use your towel to dry off, you dampen it, not to mention the millions of skin cells you shed into the towel's fibers.

Bacteria feed on skin cells and thrive in wet, dark environments, so a towel is the perfect breeding ground. Keep these germs from taking over by washing your towels twice a week.

Computer Keyboard

Tap Water

Kitchen Sponge

The moist nooks and crannies of a wet sponge are a hotbed Potable water isn't always bacteria-free. Tap water can contain for germs and probably the most contaminated place in your bacteria that may cause infections or other symptoms. A water filter is house. Moist spaces are the perfect breeding ground for a simple, safe solution that you can get on any budget. bacteria and fungus. Your sponge isn't just moist; it's also used to wipe up kitchen spills and messes. Keep your sponge safe by keeping it as dry as possible and microwaving it for a few minutes every day. Even then, sponges need to be replaced monthly.

Spice Rack

Even though many spices have natural sanitizing properties, Even if you're the only one using your computer keyboard, spice racks are actually one of the greatest harbors for germs in the Scarves it's still needs to be cleaned on a regular basis because your kitchen, due to the handling of spices immediately after touching Because scarves are often dropped on the ground, they can hands can carry all sorts of germs. Clean your keyboard using a raw meat. Wipe down your spice rack for protection against germs. carry far more germs than items of clothing that you may wash disinfecting wipe every time you shut down your computer. more often. Make sure to wash your scarf after wearing it three to four times.

M

ost of us know how important it is to look after our teeth, but do you know what the different types of teeth are and how we use them? Teeth don't just help you bite and chew; they play an important role in speaking and support many aspects of your facial structure. There are four kinds of teeth in your mouth, according to Everyday Health, and each performs a slightly different function. Then there are three rarer formations that can occur in a growing jaw.

Incisors At the front of the mouth are eight thin, straight teeth called incisors – four at the top and four at the bottom – which bite into the food you eat and help you pronounce words as you speak.

Incisors also support the lips.

Canines On each side of the upper and lower incisors is a single canine tooth, making four in total. Dentists call these slightly pointed teeth cuspids, and like incisors, they cut or shear food and support the lips. Another

function of the canines is to help guide all the teeth into place when the upper and lower jaw come together.

Premolars Behind the canines are the premolars, or, as dentists call them, the bicuspids. Premolars have a flat-

tened top, and are used to chew food and maintain the height of the face. There are eight premolars in an adult's mouth: four on the top and four on the bottom.

Molars Next to the premolars are the molars. These are your

widest, flattest teeth, and there are 12 altogether: six in the upper jaw and six in the lower. The American Dental Association (ADA) depicts wisdom teeth as the four molars at the back of both the lower and upper jaws, and they're the last to erupt during young adulthood.

Cleaning wisdom teeth can be difficult because they are so far back in the mouth, but slim toothbrushes can help.

Like premolars, molars are used for chewing food and to maintain the height of the face. Lower molars have two roots, while upper molars have three.

Supernumerary Teeth Sometimes teeth develop outside of their normal process, and one example of this is supernumerary teeth. The normal tooth count in the adult mouth is 32, but more can appear; these are called supernumerary teeth. The University of Missouri Kansas City School of Dentistry suggests the most common type of supernumerary tooth is an extra incisor located between

Television Remote

Unless everyone washes his or her hands each and every time they touch it, the remote is a breeding ground for germs. Take a not-too-moist disinfecting cleaning cloth to all remotes and phones and everyone should wash their hands or use alcoholbased sanitizers before (and after) touching them. two central incisors, also known as a mesioden. The second-most common supernumerary tooth is an extra molar tooth, called a paramolar. It's also possible to develop supernumerary canine teeth.

Natal Teeth Natal teeth are teeth that are present at birth, which occurs once in every 2,000 to 3,000 births, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Also called fetal teeth, natal teeth usually appear in the lower gum. Because they often have weak or nonexistent roots, natal teeth fall

out easily, so doctors often advise having them removed to avoid the risk of inhaling the tooth. Natal teeth can also irritate or injure the baby's tongue or the mother while nursing. The presence of natal teeth is usually an isolated incident, but they can be a symptom of other medical conditions as well.

It's essential to look after all types of teeth well and have regular dental checkups. With a full set of healthy teeth, people can eat and speak properly and maintain their confident smiles.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

January 28, 2018

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Sunday Times Magazine 11

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 28, 2018

Puzzles

Crossword

ACROSS 1 At close quarters 5 Banking nos.

10 Stand behind 14 Suit material 19 Fluff, as hair

20 --Shire of filmdom 21 People devourers 23 Racetracks, e.g.

24 Freeway cloggers 25 Photographer Ansel -- 26 West African nation

27 Nurses' helpers 28 Type of dressing 30 Nerdy guy 32 Take -- -- 33 Branch of geometry 34 Shy (hyph.)

36 Team setback 38 Nectar gatherer 40 ER personnel

41 Slackened off 42 Tentlike dwelling 43 Glues together 45 Bombay nanny

49 DJ's platters 50 Mild-mannered 51 "The Mummy's --" 52 Macho motorcycles 56 Picks out 58 Stadium fillers 59 Toadies' responses 60 Green-egg layers 61 "For unto us a child is born" source 62 Advantage 63 Lifts a barbell 64 Museum contents 65 Lead to the altar 66 Young beef 67 Gets bare on top 68 Refrain 71 Sapporo sash 72 Hong -- 73 Seductive women 74 Be next to 75 Early phonograph 78 Geodesic structures 79 Once was (3 wds.)

83 Uh-uhs NAHS 84 Daffodil starters 85 Pole on a ship 86 Bikini half

87 Price-fixing group 90 Vitamin lead-in 91 Quite similar 92 Courage 94 911 responder 95 Bellydance props 96 Water pipe 97 Cast 98 Upscale singer?

100 Trend indicators 101 Steadfast 102 Grandstand cry 103 "Baseball Tonight" network 104 Made top honors 105 Haunches 106 Beluga product 107 Made cheddar better 108 Seaweed 110 Margarita ingredient 111 Loses a coat 113 Haw's partner 116 Electric fish

117 Flimsy, as an excuse 118 Keep one's -- -- out 123 Boitano's jumps 125 Take -- -- the chin

127 Batik workers 129 Hitherto 130 Fills the hull 131 Treats an icy road 133 Privileged few 135 Carve a canyon 136 Relish tray item 137 Coat racks 138 Lou Grant portrayer 139 Microwaves 140 Discolor 141 Wagner's earth goddess 142 Valerie Harper sitcom 143 Indigo plant DOWN 1 Prefix with logical 2 Gnawed away 3 For -- -- (cheap) 4 Save from disaster -- -- standstill

5 6 Golf course gofers 7 Like some bathtubs 8 Counted the minutes 9 Info request encl.

10 Peat source 11 Horrified

Rearrange the letters in the correct order to make a word

12 Some hermits 13 Vegas game 14 Lathered 15 Fiendish 16 Tracking system 17 Senator-astronaut 18 Slalom runs 19 Wilson predecessor 22 Doc, in old slang 29 Toast word 31 Rhythm and -- 35 Cookbook amts.

37 Mork's planet 39 Tackles' neighbors 42 Sudden urges 43 Lies by the pool 44 Haggard novel 45 "I Robot" writer 46 Iron-rich range 47 Visigoth king 48 Beneficiary 50 Heavy hammer 51 Cowboys' charges 53 Bradley or Sharif 54 Meditation guide 55 Former JFK arrivals 57 Low-lying island 58 Hail a cab

59 Pound sounds 62 Elizabeth of "La Bamba" 63 "Bond, -- Bond" 66 Tennessee gridders

67 Fictional deer 68 Trucker, often 69 Cabinet dept.

70 Slugger Mel -- 72 Ancient cosmetic 73 Electrical units 74 Mighty -- -- oak 76 Explosive ltrs.

77 Charlotte of "Bananas" 78 Blunts 79 Go -- -- smoke 80 Rectangular 81 Just look 82 Pulled down 84 Physique 85 Milk option 87 Grant territory 88 Writer Kingsley -- 89 Party-thrower's plea 90 Fracas 91 Seniors' org.

92 Channels 2-13 93 Region 95 Yma Sumac, for one

96 Silent performer 97 Babies do it 99 Santa -- winds 100 Flyleaf 101 Seethed 102 Numskull 105 Tire support 106 Sweltered 109 Diminish 110 Came to earth 111 Soft wool 112 Venus' sister 113 Moon rings 114 Elevate 115 Kind of coverage 117 Solitude enjoyer 118 -- corgi WELSH 119 "Late Show" feature 120 Japanese mushroom 121 Alpine refrain 122 Pasture grazers 124 Name in jeans 126 Scale button 128 Wine label info 132 FICA funds it 134 Historical period See Solution on Pg 13

KATHLEEN SAXE

WORD GAME TODAY'S WORD -- CENSORED (CENSORED: SEN-serd: Examined and suppressed what is considered objectionable.)

Average mark 43 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 68 or more words in CENSORED? cede cense censer censor cero code coed cone cord core corn credo

creed crone encode encore endorse erne erode erose need nerd node noes

nose scend scene scone score scorn scree screed screen scrod secern second

seconder seed seen seer send sender senor sere sneer snore sonde sone

sore once redo redoes redone reed rend resend rode rose decor deer

dense denser doer does done donee dose drone

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.

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Sunday Times Magazine 13

JANUARY 28, 2018

Tech

I

n a move that could revolutionise the way we buy groceries, Amazon has opened a supermarket with no checkout operators or self-service tills. Long queues formed outside the Amazon Go store in Seattle before it opened its doors to the public on Monday.

It uses hundreds of ceiling-mounted cameras and electronic sensors to identify each customer and track the items they select.

Purchases are billed to customers' credit cards when they leave the store. Upon entering the store, shoppers walk through gates similar to those in the London underground, swiping their smartphones loaded with the Amazon Go app.

Then they are free to put any of the sandwiches, salads, drinks and biscuits on the shelves straight into their shopping bags.

There's no need for a trolley or basket, since

you won't be unpacking it again at the till.

In fact, unless you need to be ID-checked for an alcohol purchase, there's also no need for any human interaction at all.

With the help of sensors on the shelves, items are added to customers' Amazon Go account as they pick them up - and delete any they put back. An electronic receipt is issued as they exit.

The store opened to employees of the online retail giant in December 2016 and had been expected to allow the public in more quickly. But there were some teething problems with correctly identifying shoppers of similar body types - and children moving items to the wrong places on shelves, according to an Amazon insider.

Grab-and-go shopping has been the "future of retail" for some time now. But now

Apple's HomePod is finally hitting shelves

A

pple's long-awaited smart speaker is finally hitting shelves.

Apple has begun accepting pre-orders for the HomePod, and it will be available Feb. 9, the company announced. The release dates apply to the U.S., U.K. and Australia. The speaker will be sold this spring in France and Germany, two of Siri's primary markets.

Apple's HomePod was unveiled last year and is widely seen as Siri's answer to Amazon's Alexa, al-

though Apple has emphasized the high-fidelity music capabilities of the speaker.

After Alexa dominated the holiday season, there will be extra pressure on Apple.

Although Amazon rarely discloses exact sales, the ecommerce company has said that its Echoes were among the top-selling products across any category during the holidays.

The $349 7-inch tall speaker will also promote some of Apple's most important new initiatives. For

Crossword Solution

one, it will be a conduit for Apple Music, part of Apple's fast-growing and ambitious services division.

Apple's chief competitor in streaming music — Spotify — is expected to go public this year. Apple will have to prove it still has the muscle that launched the iPod to popularity.

The speaker also shows off Apple's cross-device compatibility with accessories like iPhones and AirPods, a major selling point of its sticky ecosystem. Plus, the artificial intelligence in the device will reflect on Apple's in-house chip business. The HomePod has an A8 chip.

Apple also played up its privacy features, addressing the U.S. technology sector's increased scrutiny over consumer protection. "[Only after 'Hey Siri' is recognized locally on the device will any information be sent to Apple servers, encrypted and sent using an anonymous Siri identifier," Apple said in its announcement.Like Amazon's Echo speakers, HomePod will offer new opportunities for owners of smart home devices thanks to HomeKit, the portal that Apple developers use to connect "smart" home devices to the iPhone ecosystem. (CNBC)

Aside from the technology, the shop is a conventional food store

Amazon believes its time has come - or at least that it is ready for real-world testing. They're calling it "Just walk out" and while they won't spill the beans on just how it works, they say it uses "computer vision, deep learning algorithms and sensor fusion, much like you'd find in a self-driving car".

You scan a QR code as you enter. After that, your phone can go back in your pocket.

Hundreds of infra-red ceiling cameras have been trained (with Amazon employees as guinea pigs) over the past year to differentiate between customers as they move around the store, and between items for sale, even those with similar appearances, such as different flavours of the same canned drink.

There are weight sensors on the shelves to help indicate if an item has been taken or put back. And some items carry a visual dot code, like a bar code, to help cameras iden-

A

tify them.

Amazon isn't offering any information on how accurate the system is. However, one journalist attempted to shoplift some cans of soft drink - but the system spotted it and added them on his bill. As yet the company has no plans to introduce the technology to the hundreds of Whole Foods stores.

However, retailers know that the faster customers can make their purchases, the more likely they are to return. Making the dreaded supermarket queue a thing of the past will give any retailer a huge advantage over its competitors. The Seattle store is not Amazon's first foray into bricks and mortar retailing. In 2015 the firm opened its first physical bookshop, also in Seattle where the company is based. There are now 13 in the US - as well as dozens of temporary pop-up outlets. (BBC)

Facebook engineer has invented a new unit of time called a

flick.

The flick has been designed to help developers keep video effects in sync, according to a description on the code-sharing site GitHub.

sion and other media. Flicks give programmers a way to measure the time between media frames without using fractions.

Matt Hammond, lead research engineer at BBC Research and Development, said this can reduce errors

A flick, derived from "frametick", is 1/705,600,000 of a second - the next unit of time after a nanosecond.

A researcher at Oxford University said the flick wouldn't have much general impact but may help create better virtual reality experiences.

Flicks are defined in the programming language C++, which is used to generate visual effects for film, televi-

such as stutters in graphics.

"When the numbers used are not integers, errors can gradually creep into computer calculations. These errors can build up over time, eventually causing inaccuracies that become noticeable," he said.

Flick's creator, Christopher Horvath, publicly shared his idea on Facebook in early 2017, according to the GitHub de-

scription. He then made modifications to the new measurement based on feedback from comments. The Oxford University researcher, who asked not to be identified, said that flicks may help virtual reality developers deal with latency, or delay.

"Very often in academic literature, you have this notion of presence and immersion," he told the BBC. "Immersion is the engagement you feel with a computer game. Presence is the notion of your brain feeling that you are there.

"Presence is very, very easy to break. I think perhaps a very fixed way of describing these time steps allows for developers to have a bit more flexibility in dealing with latency issues and making sure videos stay in sync."

A flick is not the first unit of time designed by a major corporation. Swatch introduced Internet Time in 1998, which divides the day into 1,000 ".beats". The measurement equal to one minute 26.4 seconds - was designed to eliminate the need for time zones.

It has not caught on globally.

(BBC)

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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Bollywood/Hollywood

Deepika Padukone visits Siddhivinayak Temple ahead of ‘Padmaavat’ release

D

eepika Padukone is a regular at the much revered Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai ahead of the release of her films. This time too, the diva made sure to seek Lord Ganesha's blessings as her much-talked-about film ‘Padmaavat’ finally hit theatres on January 25, 2016.

Dressed in a simple white kurta, Deepika was escorted to the temple amid tight security.

Meanwhile coming as good news for team ‘Padmaavat’, the Supreme Court last Tuesday, rejected Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan government’s plea to modify the court's earlier order which had paved the way for the film's nationwide release, saying people must understand

B

that orders of the apex court have to be "abided with".

The film, also starring Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, was slated for release on December 1, 2017, but was postponed as the makers could not obtain a

certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) then.

'Padmaavat' is based on the 16th century epic poem 'Padmavat' by Malik Muhammad Jayasi. (Times of India)

Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala is the queen of Instagram

T

rishala Dutt, who is Sanjay and Richa Sharma’s daughter, lives in the US. The 29-year-old, however, makes her presence felt through her Instagram account. In an earlier interview, Sanjay Dutt talked about Trishala’s Bollywood dreams and why he didn’t want his daughter to join the film industry. He said, “I’ve invested a lot of time and energy to put her in a good college and she has done very well. She has specialised in forensic science... And I think that’s the great thing to do.”

Trishala, who is Sanjay and Richa Sharma’s daughter, lives in the US. (Hindustan Times)

Varun Dhawan's 'October' coming in April

uckingham Palace recently announced that Princess Eugenie is set to marry her long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank.

The pair got engaged earlier this month in Nicaragua.

The Royal Family's Twitter account confirmed the happy news with a loved-up photo of the couple.

The statement from the palace reads, "The Duke and Duchess of York are delighted to announce the engagement of Princess Eugenie to Mr Jack Brooksbank.

"Her Royal Highness and Mr Brooksbank became engaged in Nicaragua earlier this month. "The wedding will take place in the Autumn of 2018 at George's Chapel in Windsor, with further details to be announced in due course."

Jack Brooksbank's family also released a brief statement, "We could not be more delighted with the

news of the engagement.

We are completely over the moon and are very excited for them both." Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Princess Eugenie's mother shared a series of really cute quotes on social media. Not long after the official announcement, the happy couple shared some official photos and we got a glimpse at the gorgeous engagement ring.

The unusual ring con-

tains a padparadscha, a mix of red and yellow sapphire, surrounded by diamonds on a gold band.

Discussing the bling, James Constantinou, founder of Prestige Pawnbrokers and star of channel 4’s Posh Pawn, said: 'Like her mother, the Duchess of York, and indeed Princess Diana, Eugenie's ring has a centre oval precious gemstone and this one certainly has not disappointed. (Glamour)

#MeTooK12 Is Opening the Door for Students to Talk About Sexual Assault

S

ince the explosive reports of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein, the #MeToo movement has shed light on the rampant sexual misconduct that permeates our culture. Countless women have stepped forward to accuse powerful men of sexual harassment and assault, everywhere from Hollywood to Silicon Valley to Washington, DC. Through a new offshoot of the #MeToo movement, called #MeTooK12, girls who have faced sexual harassment or assault in school are coming forward with their stories. They echo the stories we've been hearing from grown women for weeks, except that this time, the assault is happening in classrooms, cafeterias, and school hallways. The people being accused are classmates, teachers, and school administrators.

Often, the girls say they reported the misconduct, but there were no repercus-

sions, which reflect research into the harassment in schools. According to the American Association of University Women, data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that 67 percent of public schools in the U.S. reported zero incidents of sexual harassment of gender-based bullying during the 2013-2014 school year. But many other reports show that sexual harassment and bullying are way more common than that—AAUW research found that more than half of girls have experienced some form of sexual harassment in school.

So, two takeaways: First: A lot of kids are experiencing sexual harassment in school.

Second: They're not being taken seriously by teachers, counselors, and school administrators—the very adults who are supposed to protect them. When schools fail to respond to allegations, they're essentially teaching girls that sexual misconduct is OK.. (Glamour)

E

A

fter ruling box-office with 'Judwaa 2' and 'Badrinath ki Dulhania', actor Varun Dhawan is all set to continue his golden run with Shoojit Sircar's 'October'. The actor is going all out in expressing his excitement for his upcoming film and his social media accounts are proof of that. The actor took to Twitter to post a calendar comprising on-location photos of the film. He wrote, "This year #October is

coming April and will stay with you forever #October13thApril #octoberinapril.

Set to a breezy background score, the video gives us glimpses of lush-green mountains of Himachal Pradesh and Sircar's favourite bylanes of Delhi, as we hear Varun Dhawan's voice announcing - "this year October is coming in April". The movie is slated to hit theatres on April 13. (Times of India)

d Sheeran announced on Instagram last weekend that he and girlfriend Cherry Seaborne are engaged. The singer, 26, posted a sweet photo to reveal the news, writing "Got myself a fiancé just before new year. We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well xx."

According to the BBC, while Sheeran and Seaborn only officially started dating in 2015, the couple has known each other for years, meeting when they were students.

In an interview last January with British radio host Zane Lowe on Apple-produced music industry news show Beats 1, Sheeran disclosed how happy he was in his rela-

tionship with Seaborn, and explained how perfectly everything had aligned in his life at that point, thanks in big part, the singer explains, to his time off from performing. "This has been the first time I've ever actually had the time to fall in love properly," Sheeran said. "I've always got into relationships

very passionately, but then I...go on tour for 18 months and everything will [be ruined]."

Fortunately, time off from his career ended with both an incredible year on the Billboard charts, and a "perfect" relationship.

(Glamour)

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Sunday Times Magazine 15

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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JANUARY 28, 2018

Fun Times

Archie

ARIES A trip will prove eye-open(March 21- ing. Imitate what you see to April 19) discover a better way to live your life. A change of pace and some indulgent relaxation should be included in your day.

Jog your memory to come TAURUS up with a solution that will (April 20- help you get back on course.

May 20) Connecting with old friends and relatives will spark renewed interest in something you enjoy.

A conservative approach to

GEMINI spending will help you avoid (May 28- a stressful situation. Changes June 20) should be budgeted carefully,

and time and money spent on personal improvements cautiously and responsibly meted out.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Emotions will be difficult to contain. Do your best to channel your energy into something positive that will promote comfort and joy. Be open to trying new things.

Don't limit what you can do for others. Reach out and offer friendship, hands-on assistance and emotional support. Your genuine desire to help will be impressive and appreciated.

Make positive changes at home or to your lifestyle. Aim to achieve stability and security without going into battle. Walk away from discord and toward those who share your concerns.

An emotional incident will arise if you disagree with an older friend or relative.

Listen patiently, but don't let a difference of opinion come between you and a loved one.

A change in the way you handle your finances or deal with secret information may not be in your best interest.

Consider the consequences of your actions before you proceed.

Bring about the changes you want to see happen. An energetic approach to improving your living arrangements or surroundings will give you a sense of peace and satisfaction.

Before deciding to change

CAPRICORN your direction or take on a new (Dec. 22- title, do your due diligence.

Jan. 19) Knowledge is key to averting a

Calvin and Hobbes

mistake that could result from relying on emotion instead of intelligence.

AQUARIUS Plan a social event or get (Jan. 20- together with people who Feb. 19) share one of your interests or

hobbies. A romantic or kind gesture will improve your relationship with someone special.

PISCES Domestic issues are best (Feb. 20- handled in a positive manMar. 20) ner. Criticism will not help you win favors or acceptance. Productive change and thoughtful actions will bring concrete results.