Pepperpot 02 21 2016

You know her from GT&T’s Jingle and Song competition a few years ago; her most recent song G.U.Y.A.N.A has been viewed almost 150, 000 times on Facebook and shared even on the President’s page. But singing is not all Poonam Singh is about.

She is currently studying law, and now has the status of beauty queen, having been selected as the new title holder of Miss Global International-Guyana. She tells Chronicle Pepperpot about how it all happened.

(Saajid Husani photo)

► Page XXII

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

FREE AS A BIRD “God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages.”- Jacques Deval

“Padna” Baje say dat day: “You unner-stand how news about gold like this could turn this whole backdam upside-down? This here is not no small-change gold y’know. Oy guessing this gold coming from a vein that running deep and far. We can’t wurk this alone. We have to take what we need now to do what we want to do; then some day we will come back when we get the money to set up proper operation and control it. Gold is a corrupting thing, my brudder. The lust fur gold does drive a hot, hot fever …take over a man mind. It does make people act like children…do foolishness! Men would kill one ‘an-udder fur much less than this. We have to cry BLOWS my brudder; we have to move to an-udder spot…wurk this one quiet...fast…get whut we want…cover-up and come back latur.

(Part 4)

We have to cry BLOWS! Mon-kine not nice bro, especially purk-knockur monkine. You agree whut we have to do?”

Buh duh was lang time ago. Today, wit d cost-a-livin how it is, we woulda-ave to stay much longa an extrac much more. Now wen I deh-cool an ah livin peace-full-an-happy…is now Baje gon come-back. Is-ow ah gon tell my padna dat no amounta goal cud gie me dis peace an quiet ah enjoyin heah?

Yuh know wuh? Ah doan tink ah did eva got goal-feva. Buh is-ow I gon get Baje to undastan dat now? Afta all we reason siddown pon dat takuba in d back-dam dat day, I-man ain got d guts to guh-bac in-a-d goal-bush wid-abuncha-poke-knocka-man wid all dey con-ten-shun an con-fusion.

A next reason I ain too concern bout all dat goal we leff-back-dere musbe cause since den I see a test-battelle dat lookin all-mose as good as d-one we did-see at French-man. Ah see it in dat-creek at d-bottom-landin, rite-here pon mih-place. Buh-if-ah-only tell Baje bout dat? is how ah gon say NO if he ask mih to wuk d place eh? No! I ain tellin no-baddy bout dis place –NOBODY! not even Baje. I caan-stan d con-fusion…ah doan wan see dis space savage-up an deface; ah caan-afford-fuh-loss-mih-peace. I doan-ave fuh she NO to mih buddy-fren…cry BLOWS! or watch-mih-back. Alla-gotta-do, is keep-it-a- secret between me-an-d-birds.

Is-ow-long you bin afta goal Baje?

“Over furty year paddo. When oy not wurking, oy prospecting. You gotta go and prospect. Is so oy does tell them-this-here youth-man. “ Bage pointing to his crew now scatta-all-ova d hill-side admirin d view or pickin cashew an guava...collectin lime an lemon an lickin-dung mango from my tree wit-out a word to me; dem-dis-gettin-on jus like dem neva-sih-come–fuhsee town-people wen dey visit d country.

Baje seh: “You gotta feel in your soul you going to find gold…you gotta have confidence that YOU MUST FIND GOLD’…you have to go after it! Remember that man they call Gangasaka?”

Yea-man…ah didden know he good, but-ah-hear HE was a poke-knocka…cudden stay one-place fuh too lang...wen yuh-miss-e? Gangasacka gone.

He does travel by nite lika gangasacka lizard. Is-wey-e-deh man? He stilldeh-bout?

“Naw man…Gangasacka dead long!”

Yeah-man. Ah rememba sum ole-time poke-knocker-man tawkin; when Gangasacka decide to bruk-crew he gettin-up-easy-easy – mid-nite-self – hepackin-e-traps; an if e-get-ketch? e-gon play-vex an tell yuh dat-e doan stay pon camp-groun wid oman-draws or dry-coke-nut (or some-ting like duh) cause DAT MEAN BLOWS! An is jus-so Gangasacka gone. Ah didden know he dead…tink-e-did-still-deh-bout, man.

“Naw man, Gangasaka dead long…he gone.” Baje say. “All them man…good- ole-bwoy-them? They dead-out. But before oy go, oy going to go-back to all them ole-hole to look for the gold they left back….These young-bwoy these days? They wurking the gravel to death – one place – too lazy to prospect. It got too much ole-wurk-place now that gold ► Continued on page VIII

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

III

Begging is a Profession

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Godfrey Wray

egging has become a permanent feature of our social mosaic and has now reached alarming sub human levels. No building, no edifice, no enterprise is sacrosanct. The beggars are everywhere and many are demanding and ultra-aggressive.

I remember the days when the sanctity of the church, the temple and the mosque was at the top of the totem pole of sanctum sanctorum (holy of holies). Now the sacred building

able in her decrepitude. She seemed long past the general malaise of “out of sorts.” There was a distinct lack of physical, mental or moral vigour.

But erudition was not completely missing among the motley crews.

One entrepreneur- type was admonishing a young one: “Banna, don’t tell people you poor; they gon look down on you. Tell them you in need. Your mother has five children and you are the eldest.”

is just another place to seek refuge and to invade even during services.

At the Our Lady of Fatima church, Monsignor Terrence Montrose had just instructed six young people to take up collections when an untidy, disheveled fellow strolled down the centre aisle, both hands outstretched in entreaty. No one looked in his direction, and having felt the weight of disapproval he walked straight through the doorway. Even his canine companion that had remained outside seemed to frown on the sacrilege, trotting ahead with nary a backward glance.

After mass someone said the sinner was once a teacher who had “flipped out.”

At midday, two men and a woman had already made up their beds outside Ram’s Pharmacy at Regent and Cummings streets. One block away outside Bounty’s Supermarket a youthful bare-chested vagrant was surreptitiously trying to relieve a genderless dweller of a tattered blanket. Outside the Bourda Post Office and the adjacent cemetery the group was burgeoning into a begging frenzy, unmindful of any authority.

Encircling the General Post Office in the heart of the city the scene was more than pitiful. A youngish woman was pleading with every passerby to pull a grimy blanket over her feet. She said she was cold but no one was listening. Her shirt pocket was stuffed with bills of all denominations There was nothing about her to suggest she was comfort-

Another was a cricket expert extolling the virtues of the former Clive Lloyd-led team. “West Indies are real losers and they want more money. I dun with them.” Obviously he didn’t see himself as a loser, too.

George Orwell says: A beggar, looked at realistically, is simply a businessman, getting his living, like other businessmen, in the way that comes to hand. He has not, more than most modern people, sold his honour; he has merely made the mistake of choosing a trade at which it is impossible to grow rich.

Orwell is somewhat right but also woefully wrong. He probably never heard of Guyana where begging is a lucrative occupation.

For five days a week a couple from West Bank Demerara with a baby occupied a special spot outside Fogartys, collecting hundreds of dollars. Years into the con game, it was discovered that the couple owned a fashionable property, had a store-bought car, and was sending four of their offspring to special lessons in Georgetown.

The beseeching, the pleading, the entreaties are not overnight phenomena. The sleeping on pavements, in bus stops and in doorways didn’t begin yesterday. The cancer was evident for years but because the malaise didn’t encroach on their territory, the then Government evinced no concern.

The present government is obliged to tackle this social

eyesore NOW, not wait until a few weeks before the 50th Anniversary celebrations get into full swing. And here I must applaud the minister responsible for calling an immediate halt to the inhuman practice of hosing down the unfortunates as they lay unprotected around the GPO. The government has to tackle this gargantuan problem with a sense of extreme urgency. Times have changed. This is no longer the society where family members looked out for others. Senior citizens and young people roam the streets, unwashed and disheveled.

Governmental assistance programmes must be increased and Homes put in proper order. Many will resist the efforts to get them off the streets saying they could not handle conventional jobs because of mental illness, physical disability and lack of skills.

Many countries get tough with beggars. In Denmark, begging or letting a member of your household under 18 is illegal after being warned by the police and is punishable by six months in jail.

China, according to their laws against organizing disabled or children under 14 to beg is illegal and is punished by up to seven years in prison. Denmark, Greece and Hungary have similar harsh penalties. Even picking things from rubbish bins is outlawed.

Those countries and others have adopted draconian measures.

Perhaps we need a completely different approach.

Over to you subject minister.

IV

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Art as therapy – A few exercises

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By Dominique Hunter ast week I wrote about the potential value of introducing art therapy in our schools to combat the increasing number of suicide cases among youth. Now, although art therapy should be practiced by a licenced or certified mental health professional, I wanted to share some examples of how you can apply art as therapy (note, in this case I didn’t say art therapy) in your own life. I made the distinction between art therapy and art as therapy because self-treatment using art-related exercises is not the same as art therapy and, to some extent, discredits the seriousness

of the profession. Having said that, there are a number of activities for children and adults alike that can be used as coping mechanisms in the interim. Listed below are a few exercises that anyone can practice according to their emotional state at the time.

Anger - Draw/paint something huge While there are therapeutic qualities to drawing and painting, those qualities are amplified even further when you increase the scale of your working surface. Whether you choose to use a large sheet of paper, a large canvas or even an entire wall, the act of using your entire body to produce a work of art almost becomes a performance piece in itself. Working on a large scale is

an excellent way redirecting and expending negative energy in a positive way. There is no right or wrong way of filling the blank surface with regard to content or technique. You can work upright or lay the working surface flat on the ground; opt for a paintbrush or abandon traditional tools altogether by using your body (hands and feet) for even more meaningful surface marks. The purpose of the exercise is to release your frustrations on the canvas and leave it there.

Grief – Memory box This is an exercise for persons (particularly younger children) who would’ve lost a loved one ► Continued on page V

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

V

Art as therapy ... ► From page IV

and are struggling to cope with the separation. Any box could be repurposed and used to house important keepsakes that would’ve marked special moments in that person’s life. For example, the box could be covered in the person’s favourite print and filled with small art, photographs, jewelry, keys, cards, letters, figurines, perfume, flowers, ticket stubs or any small trinket that you would like to include. The objective of building a memory box is to slowly work towards being comfortable enough to talk about your feelings by telling stories about the importance of each object in your box.

Sadness – Write your own fairy tale Everyone experiences some level of sadness at one point or another in his or her life and this is a wonderful exercise for anyone with a knack for creating fantasy worlds. It’s a great way to nip sadness in the bud by imagining a world in which you are the hero. Although this exercise can be done using only text, persons who are more comfortable creating image-based stories can use magazine cut outs or their own sketches to illustrate their journey.

The format for this exercise is a little more technical than the others since you have to consider character development and your storyboard. Then of course there’s what is referred to as the “12 stages of the hero’s journey” which include: the ordinary world; the call to adventure; refusal of the call; meeting the mentor; crossing the threshold; tests, allies, enemies; the approach; the ordeal; the reward; the road back; atonement; and the return.

Your journey should reflect actual events in your life with a few creative embellishments. There is a lot of information available online that can assist you in developing your own story so don’t hesitate to take advantage of that.

Anxiety – Mapping your past, present and future This is a great exercise for identifying areas that could be changed to facilitate a more positive and productive outcome in your life. Mapping out your life (decisions, detours, accomplishments etc.) helps to find meaning and value in your experiences thus far. And by focusing on your strengths you can work towards manifesting your ideal future. Your map could include a legend with a variety of landmarks that represent specific things (for example, a fork in the road for decisions, gold flags or stars for accomplishments, mountains for obstacles, water/waves for riding out challenges, pits or caves for failures, trees for new beginnings, blocked out areas of colour representing specific emotions etc.). You could also include photographs, drawings or any type of decorative element you see fit. The possibilities are endless!

So again, although art therapy should only be practiced by licensed professionals who are equipped with the relevant information and tools to assist persons in a delicate mental state, there are many art-related

Memory box exercises that you can practice to relieve some of the stress you’re experiencing. Engaging in these activities on your own does not address the root cause of your problem unless there is a trained professional to guide you through those emotions as the objective voice. I don’t endorse self-diagnosis or self-treatment. If you are experiencing any of the emotions previously listed then your first course of action should always be to seek professional help. The exercises above should only be used in the interim while you seek help from a qualified therapist or counselor.

An artist paints using her body at an exhibition in Wuhan, Central China’s Hubei Province, on May 22, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Dominique Hunter is an independent visual artist who recently graduated from the Barbados Community College with a Bachelor of Fine Art (First Class Honours).

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Love – and why it’s good for our mental health

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Hello everyone, hope you’ve all had an amazing week.

Since last week was Valentine’s Day, I thought I would write on love, the importance of it and how it can impact our mental health and general well- being.

Others have given me many mixed views/opinions on Valentine’s Day over the years. Some people love it, some hate it, some think it’s pointless as you should show someone you love them every day and not just special days and others believe we all are suckers of card, chocolate and teddy bear companies.

I, myself, over the years

have had each and every one of those opinions for various reasons. This year however, I cherished last Sunday and I let that special person in my life know just how much he means to me and I’m dedicating this one to him. Why? And why should you too?

Because I now understand the importance of it and am about to share it with you all.

We Guyanese see so many tragedies every day that we tend to forget that love is the centre of everything and how important it actually is. Love, for self and others, allows us to feel worthy, valuable, appreciated, content and motivated.

Being able to share yourself with someone allows extra laughs, meaning and purpose in our lives. It al-

lows us to get better sleep, have more energy, discover new things and learn about new cultures and different ways of life. Please don’t ever let anyone make you feel that it’s wrong to love a particular person.

It is vital to feel loved and accepted. Unconditional love allows for a validation like none other- an increase in confidence and self-worth. When someone loves you, they tend to point out positive traits that we may not see in ourselves.

More often than not, we are our own worst critics.

It is a kind and attentive ear to listen to your problems - big or small. Love helps us cope with many things such as illness and poverty, allows us to be

better equipped to deal with daily challenges and stresses and allows us to discuss our innermost thoughts and feelings- and therefore easier to maintain good mental health.

Human beings are social creatures; we are not meant to survive let alone thrive in isolation or without significant relationships. This explains why we try to find love again even after we have been hurt. Simply the idea of new love allows us to be resilient. It gives us the courage to get married, even though we see so many marriages fail. It gives us the courage to have children even though we see every day the bad things that can happen to them.

The word, so small, has so many components for many different types of relationships that help us to overcome many obstacles and hardships. Within love there is respect, trust, safety, kindness, commitment, empathy, patience, happiness, magic and mystery.

On the technical side of things- the hormone that is released when we are around our loved ones- that jittery, butterfly happy feeling – is called oxytocin. It’s known to be called the “cuddle hormone.” Oxytocin not only makes us feel good, it lowers levels of stress hor-

mones in the body, reduces blood pressure, enhances tolerance for pain and improves mood. It’s important to note that oxytocin levels increase when there is physical contact. Therefore, love and closeness lowers stress and chances of depression, anxiety as well as physical illness.

In 2007, a study on marriage was conducted in the United States. It found that being and staying married reduces depression and stress in both men and women. In terms of physical health, other research shows that relational support improve conditions such as cancer and heart attacks, especially since they are accompanied by worry and anxiety. Additionally, an individual who is addicted to any substance is also more likely to become sober and remain abstinent with a loved one by his/her side.

Other studies have also shown that kissing and communicating our positive feelings for others (through words or actions) releases oxytocin, which again can lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure and allow for a generally stronger immune system.

Many of the people who come in to see me come because of a lack of love, isolation or problems within their relationship. Problems with love allow people to fall into a depression, drink more, do more drugs, and neglect themselves and other people, etc. This speaks to the importance of having a healthy, loving relationship- not just a relationship.

Now, there are many ways to celebrate the existence of love. Some express it through song, dance, hugs,

kisses, art, poems, letters, phone calls, text messages, Facebook, Instagram etc. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, it’s just important for ourselves and others that we do it in general.

Think about the link between affection and health.

I sometimes have bad and stressful days where I feel like everything is going wrong. I know we all do.

In the midst of this, I might see one of the very few people who can change that. They can give me a simple hug and although they can’t change any of what previously happened, they can change everything about the way I feel within that moment.

Why is this important?

Because people who are in good and loving relationships are usually emotionally healthy and those who are emotionally healthy are more in control of their emotions and behaviours and are better equipped to help others.

When there is love in a house, it’s a home to come in to. When there is love for your job, it’s a career that you can’t go one day without.

Every one of us deserves to feel loved and tell those around us how much we love them. Yes, this should be done every day.

The right kind of love composes no abuse- it brings its own kind of sanity, it relaxes us, restores us, makes us feel alive and gives us the strength to feel what we must feel.

Until next time readers!

Let me know what you want to talk about at caitlinvieira@gmail.com Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!

Suicide Prevention Helpline numbers: 223-0001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896

****************************** Keep writing in at caitlinvieira@gmail.com or drop it off in the box at Chronicle Head office on Lama Avenue.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

VII

Judge’s rejection of depositions of missing witnesses

1968 acquittal of Edwin Ogle

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N 1968, Justice Victor Crane, observing that justice delayed is justice denied, and that an accused must be afforded a fair trial within a reasonable time, refused to admit depositions of three absent witnesses because the State had been guilty of delaying justice to accused Edwin Ogle.

The depositions, being the body and soul of the case against the accused, having been rejected, the prosecution offered no evidence against the accused and directed an acquittal in favour of Ogle.

Ogle’s case came up for hearing for the first time three years after he had been committed to stand trial.

His lawyer thought this delay to be lengthy.

State Counsel Mr. R. Sharma appeared for the Crown, while lawyer Mr. Claude A. Massiah represented the accused.

The facts of the case disclosed that on the March 25, 1965 the accused was committed to stand trial at the next sitting of the Criminal Assizes for Demerara, for certain offences of forgery alleged to have been committed between August 13 and 26, 1964 .

Some twelve assizes later, on May 6, 1968 , the indictment containing 10 counts came on for trial. On his arraignment, the accused pleaded not guilty to all the counts. The prosecution , after opening their case, sought by the usual method to lead evidence with a view to have admitted into evidence the deposition of a witness who was then resident abroad, and had intended to adopt the same procedure with regard to two other witnesses.

Counsel on behalf of the accused objected and arguments were heard in the absence of the jury.

It was held: (i) the word ‘may’ in section 95 (i) of the Evidence Ordinance Chapter 25 is permissive and not mandatory. (ii) in exercising that discretion a court must look at both sides of the picture. (iii) under article 10 (i) of the Constitution it is mandatory that an accused person have a fair hearing within a reasonable time , and when the time is long delayed between committal and trial, the burden is on the prosecution satisfactorily to explain the delay. In the present case, no explanation has been proffered for what was clearly a long period of delay. (iv) when article 10 is read in conjunction with section 71 of the Criminal Law (Procedures) Ordinance , Chapter 11, the words “next practicable sitting” of the Assizes means any subsequent sitting at which the Crown can conveniently arraign the accused and not necessarily the very next sitting after committal. (v)

taking all the circumstances into consider-

ation , to permit the depositions of the three absent witnesses to be read would operate to the prejudice of a fair trial.

The objection by defence counsel was sustained.

However, after the trial judge’s ruling, the prosecution offered no evidence and an acquittal was directed.

In his judgment, Justice Crane had said “on the presentment of the Director of Public Prosecutions the accused, Edwin Ogle , stands indicted on ten counts.

They charged him with various offences alleged to have been committed between April 13, 1964 and August 29, 1964, and involve allegations of forgery of certain receipts for money purporting to be receipts

of the Guyana Airways Corporation , with an intent to defraud , contrary to section 257 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Ordinance, Chapter 10.

“The accused pleaded not guilty to all counts , thereupon the prosecution opened the Crown’s case and sought to call evidence to prove the deposition of a witness who is now resident abroad. Mr. Massiah for the accused, immediately objected to the course proposed, intimating that what he intended to say would apply equally to the case of two other depositions which the Crown would also seek to prove in the course of the trial. The jury accordingly withdrew.

Mr. Massiah then submitted that the depositions of the three witnesses, Gordon, Pugh and Phillips, who were resident in England , and who testified at the preliminary inquiry constitute, as he put it “the body and soul” of the case against the accused, meaning that the prosecution had no chance of success without them.

He referred to section 95 (i) of the Evidence Ordinance , Chapter 25 by virtue of which the Crown sought to put in those depositions , and urged that the word “may” in the subsection gives the court a discretion as to whether it ought or ought not to admit depositions of witnesses who are out of the country.

He submitted that the court is not bound to admit them and that it would be an injustice and prejudicial to the accused to receive them in evidence in the circumstances of this case, notwithstanding the conditions for their admissibility had been observed at

George Barclay the preliminary inquiry.

Continuing his judgment Justice Crane disclosed that “Counsel for the Crown has stressed with vigour that section 95 (i) is specific and that it must be carried out and that no manifest injustice can occur by putting in the depositions. On reflection, however, it seems to me that the sub-section does indeed give the court a discretion in the matter.

“The word ‘may’ I interpret in a permissive and not mandatory sense, and in the exercise of my discretion I do so in a judicial manner. I must weigh the pros and cons of the application to admit the deposition by looking at both sides of the picture. Now, taking this approach as my yard-stick, what do I have here?

When I look at the date of committal of the accused for trial I see that it was as long ago as the 25th March, 1965 – just over three years ago. I must, therefore, ask myself what excuse does the Crown have for having kept them so long awaiting his trial, when Section 71 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Ordinance, the heading of which reads: ‘Committal for Trial’ lays it down that: “If upon the whole of the evidence the magistrate is of the opinion that a sufficient case is made out to put the accused person upon his trial, he shall, subject to the provisions of section 9 of this Ordinance, commit him for trial to the next practicable sitting of the Court for the county in which the inquiry is held.”

Justice Crane went on to say, “It is commonplace that the interests of justice demand that a trial should be speedily conducted for it has been truly said that ‘justice delayed is justice denied.

“In conformity with this principle, therefore, when an examining magistrate commits an accused person for trial after declaring that there is a sufficient prima facie Case made out, the law as above started, directs him to ‘commit him for trial to the next practicable sitting of the court for the county in which the inquiry is held.’ This provision must, however, be read in the light of article 10 (i) of the Constitution of Guyana, the supreme law of the Sate which reads: “If any person is charged with a criminal offence, then, unless the charge is withdrawn, the case shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law..”

Refusing the application to admit the depositions in evidence, Justice Crane had said “In my view the accused cannot be said to have been ‘afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time’ if he is now called upon to defend himself by having depositions read in evidence on behalf of the Crown more than 3 years after he was committed to stand trial, unless a very satisfactory explanation for the delay be forthcoming from the prosecution.’

FREE AS A BIRD

VIII

► From page II

fetching good price. How you doing my brudder? You got some hot water give we to make a likkle tea? Oy glad-bad to see you, man.”

Sure, sure, sure Bage…come siddown…rest yuh foot, man…ah got some rice an some fish-broff ketch only dis mawnin. D-gyaff-ad-mih-so, ah fuhget mih hos-pitality... quick-time ev-ry-baddy squattin-down pond-grass...chowin-down – sumadem wid steam-fish-an-rice, sumadem wit boil-provision-an-steam-fish – good-ting-ah-did-pull dem cassava-root an eddoe from d farm yestaday aftanoon. Ah-sen-a-yute-man to pick a nice buncha plantain to stretch-it an dem boys in Baje crew mek dey own boil; now dey all chowin-down an enjoyin d view.

“Haye, mister, dat is the river? Is wuh river is duh?” somebody asking.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Since dat yute-man shape-up, mih spirit didden tek-e. He look like one-adem bad-ways town-people who does pass true heah. Is he who manage fuh tun a simple ting like boilin-a-pot-a-provision, into one-big tek-ups by my fireside; ah doan even know d tek-ups was bout-wuh. Ah jus decide to play like ah daon k or ah ain hearin an ah continue tawkin to Baje; before ah broad-side dat yute-man an chase-e-off-mih-place. D banna got IGNAR write all over e face an pontopadat, is wuh d bible seh? “by their deeds ye shall know them?”

Well, I seh-to-mihself: Baje ole fren, yuh betta watch-yuh-step wid disone…cause e-lookin-like trouble goin to d backdam to happen – an is so ahwatchin-e-an-wonderin: is wuh he tink he gon do wit dat bird-cage e got?… he pass my sign...it she clear as day: ALL BIRD TRAPPING IS FORBIDDEN! Doan tell me he didden see it – ah hope-e-undastan…

“Steeuupps!”....is a ole-ish man dey callin Professo, let-out a laang suck-teet so an-e-lookin at d-bird-cage yute-man like-if-e-smellin-someting – “Which other river it could be, eh? You don’t know your geography?

It’s the Essequibo, man. You just left Demerara Woods…since you cross over Ekuk Creek you’re in Essequibo and…”

“Steeuupps!” Dis time is Ignar suckin-up-e-teet. “I doan care is where or is what-ever river it name. All I want to know is, wuh all dem rocks doing dere if dat is a river eh?”

Anada-yute-man who seh dat-e-come-ere-before, groanin like-if-e-inpain an-e-seh: “How you mean: what the rocks doing there? Man is the river…is the rapids in the falls…dry season…low water…is…” But before d yute-man cud finish tawkin d ignar town-man cut-e – “Dem rocks properly look ignorant!…river ain supposed to have rocks scatter all over like – river suppose to flow free and go…”

Ah cudden believe wuh ah hearin...rite den in mih mine, ah christen d ignar: ‘Ignorant Rocks’ an ah lookaroun to see if-e-stewpitty-ness affectin anybaddy-else same-way-like –me.

“As Winston Churchill once said: what we have here, is a man whose imagination is baffled by the facts; this poor unenlightened soul does not have a clue…”

Is d Professor tawk so...den e jus stan-up dere starin at Ignorant Rocks wit-e-mine- pon-e-face an den, e jus tun-up-e-nose an sniff-at-d-air, fore e-tun-e-back an walk-away down-d-hill.

“Bwoy, is you who f…ing ignorant if you don’t know wut is a wadderfall…you don’t know how rocks form rapids in wadderfalls in the river?” Is Baje cussin-vex so; is d fust time since-ah-know-Baje ah evahear-e-cuss so.

“All I know is what I saying…dem rocks look WRONG down dere man.”

And wit dat, Ignorant Rocks stan-up…e-liff-up-e-shirt, an-e-scratche-belly an rub-it-ruff-ruff; den wid one-adem lazy-man-stretch? d banna leggo one-laang-raw-cuss-belch jus before e start tawkin-an-yawnin wid-e-mout-wide-open so no-baddy not unda-staanin-a-word-dat-e-sehin.

An afta duh? Mista Ignorant Rocks jus ups-wid-e-bird-cage, an walkaway in-formin me an Baje an d resta d crew pon d hill-top – “Now, I am going to find me one a dese sweet-singing-fools I hearin pon dis place.”

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Lutchmee and Dilloo

by John Edward Jenkins

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am not the sort of person who stops reading a book halfway through. I always try to finish, continuing, hoping it gets better. However, I only managed to complete about two-thirds of John Edward Jenkins’ Lutchmee and Dilloo before I decided that I couldn’t go on anymore.

The edition I read was published in 2010 by our very own Caribbean Press, but the novel itself was first published in the colonial days of 1877. The book focuses on an Indian couple named Lutchmee and Dilloo who travel from India to British Guiana as indentured labourers. This novel is important because it offers insight into the mind of the white colonialist and the way the “other” – colonized – people on the plantations were perceived by him. So, in terms of postcolonial criticism, the novel is quite a useful and significant one. However, there are other aspects of the novel that should not be brushed aside.

Jenkins’ white, colonialist ideology is present from the very first page when he describes the non-white characters in stereotypical, unflattering, and inadequate ways which entirely misrepresent the colonized people of British Guiana.

Lutchmee, one of the novel’s titular characters, for example, is heavily eroticised and exoticised – with Jenkins first presentation of her focusing entirely on her body and how she looks. So much emphasis is placed on Lutchmee in relation to her own body (for example, the instances where she is almost raped) that what Jenkins’ heroine ends up being is a one dimensional character that is so hapless and vapid that she totally stands against what Jenkins sought to do with his novel, which is to accurately portray the life and people of

British Guiana. Unless, of course, Jenkins really believed that his presentation of the Indian through Lutchmee was accurate – and with his background and the nature of the time in which he lived and wrote, it is entirely possible that he believed Indians to be exactly the way he presented them in his novel.

The African characters, such as Sarcophagus, are treated even worse than Lutchmee. Jenkins writes that Sarcophagus was “so dubbed by his master from a fancied resemblance in colour and otherwise to some Egyptian stone coffins…[and] for the further reason, that there seemed to be nothing in him” and that “the mind of Sarcophagus is not worth an elaborate analysis… The best instinct of Sarcophagus was a dumb one. If you tossed him a bundle of words, he used them as a gorilla would use a bundle of sticks.” If Jenkins’ description of the African character is not blatant racism, then I don’t know what is.

To further compound Jenkins’ distorted representations of colonized people, we have his attempt at representing Guyanese Creole in his Literature. Creole is not, as many believe, simply “bad English.” Creole is a language in itself; a language that was beyond the abilities of Jenkins to comprehend or to represent on paper. In fact, the Creole dialogue he writes is as distorted, insufficient and disrespectful as his presentations of the colonized characters.

Jenkins is not a very good writer. Even if his depictions of people were not racist – I just remembered that he referred to the Chinese as “pigtails” – his purple prose and sad attempt to merge poetic language with the novel form would still have resulted in a bad book.

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Akash Subraj

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Islamic State finds ‘diminishing returns’ on Twitter: report (Reuters) The Islamic State’s English-language reach on Twitter has stalled in recent months amid a stepped-up crackdown against the extremist group’s army of digital proselytizers, who have long relied on the site to recruit and radicalize new adherents, according to a study being released on Thursday.

Suspensions of English-speaking users affiliated with Islamic State from June to October 2015 have limited the group’s growth and in some cases devastated the viral reach of specific users, according to the report from George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, which analyzed a list of accounts promoted by the militant group.

The report found that easily discoverable English accounts sympathetic to Islamic State was usually under 1,000, and that those users’ activity was mostly insular, limited to interacting with each other. Islamic State has seized control of wide swaths of Iraq and Syria and claimed credit for attacks in Paris in November that killed 130. The U.S. and other governments consider it a terrorist organization.

Twitter Inc has long been criticized by government officials for its relatively lax approach to policing content, even as other Silicon Valley companies like Facebook Inc began to more actively police their platforms.

Under intensified pressure from the White House, presidential candidates and some civil society groups, Twitter announced earlier this month it had shut down more than 125,000 terrorism-related accounts since the middle of 2015, most of them linked to the Islamic State group.

In a blog post, the company said that while it only takes down accounts reported by other users it had increased the size of teams monitoring and responding to reports and has decreased its response time “significantly.”

J.M. Berger, a co-author of the report, said Twitter is still less active than many of its rivals but that part of that is due to its relative youth as a company.

“Each company has been dragged into this kicking and screaming,” he said in an interview.

Reporting of Twitter accounts affiliated with Islamic State is a steady, low-level activity generally, but occasionally events lead to “periodic purges,” Berger said.

The study took place prior to the Paris attacks, which the researchers said likely led to a heavy wave of suspensions mostly in French and Arabic networks.

The average tweets per day measured across the lifetime of an account also declined during the monitored interval, from a peak of approximately 14.5 in June to a low of 5.5 by October, the report found. The average number of followers was measured between 300 and 400.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

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Beauty on a Budget

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ince I told you last week the realistic costs of getting a celebrity look, there are minimalistic ways to achieve a smart, clean, polished look.

You may not be gracing the red carpets of the world, but you may be running to that 8-4 every week day, so think of elegant minimalism.

You want to hit the key areas of the face and perfect the art of getting those areas right.

Although makeup still requires at least an hour of your time, that could be cut short, especially if you don't have to pack on heavy foundation to cover damaged skin. That is why I always urge all women, and even men, to take daily care of your skin. Maintaining healthy skin is imperative to achieving the perfect look.

The reasons: the face is exposed to more environmental elements, such as bacteria, sun's harmful rays as well as

– Elegant Minimalism

micro bacterial matter that can't be seen by the naked eye.

We can't walk around with a mask the way we wear clothing. Therefore it's advisable that we protect our skin with moisturizers, Sun Proof

Formulas (SPF) and other serums and creams.

Anyway, back to makeup. After prepping skin with all the right and suitable products, pay attention to

the centre of the face, nosebridge, laugh lines, chin, and forehead. Those are the areas that highlight naturally, so it's safe to apply powder a shade lighter in those areas, and nowhere else!

Next, switch your focus to your eyes. It is said that "the eyes are the windows to the soul" and if the eyes are windows then think of the eye brows as the frame.

Yo u r e y e brows can set the tone of your entire look. It can change the mood of your face and how people perceive you; heavy brows may translate as heavy person or masculine and lazy or unkempt brows can mean tired and lazy person.

Grooming your brows can be tricky. You should let a professional shape the brow, and let maintenance and touch ups be done by you

every two weeks.

When filling in brows, start from the arch and lightly sweep brow pencil, or any other product of your choice outwards towards the tale of the brow. That's where most of the product is needed.

Brush brows with a spooly or brow brush and sweep outwards for a naturally manicured look.

Now to eyelashes. This is where the magic happens.

Always choose a voluminous mascara, and try to use more

than one mascara. When applying mascara apply as many coats as possible to the upper lashes.

It's ok to drown your lashes in mascara. Wiggle at the base of lashes and gently sweep upwards. If you apply mascara correctly there would be no need for eyeliners. Eyes can look younger, brighter, and sophisticated.

For bottom lashes one or two coats mascara using the same technique is conducive and effective for a natural look.

For lips, a quick lip stain, applied by patting is suitable, quick and easy.

If lip product is applied too thick or heavy, simply press lips between a tissue paper to remove any excess oil. Repeating is necessary. Gently apply powder around the lips and reapply on the nose and forehead with a powder puff or sponge. Sweep excess powder off with a powder brush. Look in the mirror, smile, and face the day!

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TOP 3 ENERGY BLASTING SMOOTHIES

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

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any often ask how come I have so much energy to work out.

I work out on an average five hours daily, so more than your average three square meals is necessary for my daily

functioning.

The secret is out! Energy boosting smoothies along with some natural supplements has really made a difference and added some extra “pep to my step.”

Most of us wander into the kitchen rather groggily first thing in the morning and reach for a cup of tea or coffee for a caffeinated jolt. Consider sipping something a little more nourishing and rejuvenating.

These smoothie recipes are as good for you as they are delicious and can be enjoyed as either a wake up tonic, afternoon refresher or post workout recovery boost. Live nutrients and enzymes in juices and smoothies feed every cell in your body while liquids from the fruits you’re using keep you hydrated and that’s a far better method of staying awake and energetic than knocking back all those dehydrating coffees.

What you will need: a juicer, a blender, fresh fruits and vegetables, milks, herbs and spices as the recipe require.

LEMON AVOCADO GREEN SMOOTHIE

Lemon is a much underrated fruit. Though it is commonly used as a flavoring and garnish for food, it’s not what one would choose as a snack. Lemons are rich in antioxidants and vitamins such as Vitamin C. It helps prevent cancer by stopping the division of cancer cells. This smoothie makes use of lemons as an ingredient and is good for breakfast or snacks. Lime also adds a kick with more Vitamin C. Additions of avocado and spinach makes it smooth and green.

Lemon Avocado Green Smoothie An energizing breakfast or snack smoothie Ingredients • 1 cup spinach • 1 large banana, sliced • 2 lemon wedges • 1 lime wedge • 2 tbsp. cashews • 2 tbsp. avocado • 2 tbsp coconut butter • 1 tbsp. honey • Milk to fill line

► Continued on page XIII

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016 ► From page XII ENERGIZING BANANA SMOOTHIE Here is an easy banana smoothie recipe that I like for after running. Banana is a favorite snack of athletes, including myself. It helps balance and stabilize energy levels which can improve endurance during training. Aside from that, banana is a rich source of potassium which is known to help prevent muscle cramps. This healthy and energizing smoothie is a perfect companion of exercise and training.

The almonds, yogurt and whey protein are added to give the drink a good post workout boost of protein to help with muscle building and recovery. You can leave out the whey if you want a bit less protein and less calories. You can also substitute any protein powder.

Energizing Banana Smoothie An energizing banana smoothie recipe that helps prevent muscle cramps. This would be great for after exercise.

Ingredients * banana, frozen * 2-4 ice cubes * 2 tbsp. whey protein * 1 tbsp. lime juice * 1 4-ounce Greek yogurt, non-fat * 1 small handful of almonds * Half tsp cinnamon * Almond milk to fill line on nutribullet FAT BURNING FRUIT RECIPE Caffeine and Green Tea are both metabolism boosters.

I have seen some reports that caffeinated green tea is akin to a negative calorie drink because it is calorie free yet will make you burn other calories faster. Thus, the idea behind fat burning smoothies is to include it in the ingredients and then also include healthy additions that won’t go to the waistline.

Ideally that would be more vegetable based to avoid any sort of sugars as seen in our Fat Burning Green Tea and Vegetable Smoothie Recipe, but I had a request for a fruit based version, so here it is. Leave the carrots out if you want all fruit. This recipe also includes a good dose of Vitamin C and antioxidants.

This fat burning recipe uses green tea and fruit for a metabolism boost. Brew the green tea first. Using frozen fruit, you can still use the tea warm if need be, but I prefer to chill it first for a truly ice cold and frosty smoothie.

Ingredients ¼ cup frozen pineapple chunks ¼ cup frozen mango chunks ½ apple sliced with seeds removed 3-4 orange slices 3-5 4 baby carrots 3-6 Caffeinated Green Tea to the fill line on nutribullet

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Men’s Fashion

Stay ahead of the game with our guide to the biggest trends in men’s fashion from Rarefinz at Giftland Mall

This swanky look is for the man who doesn't shy away from the opportunity to make his wardrobe a little more dashing. The Dolce & Gabbana blazer is perfect for Friday’s at the office.

Give those jeans competition with leather jogger pants; works that same casual vibe with a crisper feel and a fashionforward edge.

This pair with a Givenchy collar tee shirts makes for an easy out-the-door look.

Model: Kwamie Paris.

This slim fit merlot Fendi dress pants connects as easily with blue and white mini geo print shirt or tees as with blazers and button-ups making an impeccably smooth move from day to night.

Accessorise with Burberry belt and Louis Leeman shoes for a bold rich statement. Model: Kadasi Apple

A mix of comfort and style, this Zara shirt offers a fine, not-too-showy floral print with the light, structured feel of a linen-cotton weave.

Quincy balances the shirt with Gucci belt and roughed up, heavily faded ripped diesel jeans.

Kadasi looks cool in dotted short sleeve, fitted button-down shirt. It’s a look that's tailor made to go from work to play with black denim Prada jeans, Hermes belt

A versatile long sleeve Burberry jersey rendered in comfortable stretch cotton for the man with the taller frame. Remember gray goes with everything whether you choose matching Burberry jeans mixed with Louis Vuitton shoes, have fun paring until you find your perfect look. Model Quincy Lamazon

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Mahatma Gandhi

Tagore gave Gandhi the Mahatma title: Gujarat high court (India Today) To end the confusion created by the answer key of an exam held by a Rajkot local body, the Gujarat High Court today declared that it was Rabindranath Tagore who gave the title of 'Mahatma' to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

Justice JB Pardiwala, while disposing of a petition, said that all school textbooks give the credit for the Mahatma title of Gandhi to Tagore.

Sandhya Maru, a candidate, had moved the HC challenging the answer key of the examination conducted by Rajkot District Panchayat Sikshan Samiti for the post of panchayat talati. Maru said that due to ambiguity about who called Gandhi a Mahatma first, she lost marks as the examination had negative marking system.

As per the key released by the Samiti, the answer to the question was an "unknown journalist".

Maru had also challenged the answers to two other questions: which is the longest river of India and which article comes before the word Mt Everest. As per the key, answers are Brahmaputra and the article 'a'.

The court made it clear that the longest river of India is Ganga while the word Mt Everest will not have any article (a, an or the) before it. The court directed the Samiti to make changes in the result of the petitioner by adding appropriate marks.

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Jenell Pierre

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– BowJay, Bowties and more

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By Jasmaine Payne n August 2011, when 17-year-old Jenell Pierre decided to take a year off school and make her artistic hobby of bow making into a business venture, some opposition naturally came her way. In fact, her decision came as a surprise to many, since the Saint Stanislaus College student had been in the Science stream during her school years and had previously expressed her dreams of pursuing a career along those lines. Yet, though she had already applied to Nursing School, and had even attended its orientation, her creative side beckoned with a strong enough voice to make her heed its call. So even though naysayers felt that “making bows” could not be a full time business, Jenell decided to follow her heart, and thus her accessory line BowJay was born.

Now 21 years old, both Jenell and BowJay have blossomed; the young entrepreneur has since been recognized on many occasions for her creativity and business savvy and has since been exposed to opportunities that have allowed her to

carve her small business into the budding establishment that it is today. In fact, Jenell is a member of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Network – a local group of businesswomen who provide support for each other’s ventures. She has participated in Guyexpo, and has also represented Guyana in the prestigious Caribbean Call to Action Entrepreneurship Challenge 2015 in which she fell among the top five finalists. Most recently, Jenell was awarded first place in the Business Expo 2015, Business Pitch. Yet all these achievements speak only a fraction of Jenell, Bowjay and the passion she instills into her craft.

“I love accessories because they don’t overtake your personality or how you dress; I want to do something that gives you the freedom of how you want to wear your clothes and how you want to mix and match,” Jenell said, and a walk through her Durban Street office which houses her accessory line gives insight into the same individuality and freedom to which she refers. Jenell’s BowJay line includes a myriad of accessories apart from her signature bowties. ► Contiuned on page XXIV

Jenell Pierre

Dr Vivakeanand Bridgemohan - The man behind Guyana’s first assisted nursing home

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By Telesha Ramnarine EET the young man who believes that money is not everything when it comes to achieving great things in life. Far more important, he advocates, is being proactive, innovative, and involved within the right circles of society.

At just 30 years old, Vivakeanand Bridgemohan, a general medical practitioner, has already served over 14 health facilities in Guyana, including Georgetown Hospital, those in Regions 7 and 8, Diamond Diagnostic Center, West Demerara Regional Hospital, Leonora Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital where he filled a dual role of Medical Director and Chief Executive Officer.

At just 30 years old, Dr Having resigned from Mercy Hospital late last year, he now runs his own facility at Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Vivakeanand Bridgemohan, Demerara, called Demerara Paradise. He is co-owner has already served over 14 and director with his wife, the lovely Dr. Carolina Cerpa health facilities in Guyana, Granda Bridgemohan.

The young entrepreneur was born to caring parents, and after resigning as Medical Lakeram and Sandra, who took special interest in him as Director and Chief Executive a child and provided what he calls “strategic direction” in his life. The family of six was a simple one, with his Officer of the St Joseph’s dad being a security guard and his mom, a nursery school Mercy Hospital, he now teacher. runs Demerara Paradise, His siblings, Vashti, Vickram and Tameshwar also turned out well thanks to their parents’ good upbringan assisted nursing home, ing in the village of Annandale, East Coast Demerara. located on the East Coast of His father remained in the employ of Correia Mining

Demerara.

► Contiuned on page XXXIV

Dr Vivakeanand Bridgemohan (Samuel Maughn photo)

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Always have a Plan B…

Poonam Sin - In her own words

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Poonam wears a design from Reshma Persaud’s collection.

(Samuel Maughn)

ne of the most difficult are countless compone I was born on Febru raised in Canal Number I spent most of my li older cousins, who are now young doct studious years, I realized that I didn’t w tionally, I discovered, I not only have a passion for it, which drives me towards in this area also.

Hence in 2011, while I patiently awa Jingle & Song Competition. Like I alw entertaining, informative and exciting on to present, I had a perfect mixture of su I completed my diploma in Communi law student at the University of London throug was in July, during my leisure time, I decided t singing a song that was stuck in my head.

I didn’t expect that one post to open doors f started to get a lot of recognition for my talent an popular songs became a duty.

Then the most beautiful thing happen dedicated to my country, Guyana and shared it. I was extremely happy and ing on the production for my song “ before Guyana’s 50th Anniversar Due to the circulation Hashim Ali, managing dire scanned my profile and d interest in pageantry.

Honestly, if you had an international level som guess. However, I’m very International-Guyana (MGIG), wouldn’t be about how elega ing my speeches would be, represent, to serve and d sincerely carrying out As the MGIG Q I think something in victims is to pe visit schools, and usually take li push to help t them gravitate them become s bilities exist fo help, then that Apart from m “ME-TIME” do spending time enjoy reading Poonam wears this combination of silk sari and Aunties I would other materials that is perfect for an Indian bridal party. Called Prem Rattan, the design is by the the current boo Hashim Ali/Melicia Pertab duo from Nachle Designs. I got older.

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

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ngh

t tasks is defining who I am, because there ents that form the person I am today. uary, 19, 1995 in Georgetown, Guyana and r One, West Bank Demerara. ife devotedly following the footsteps of my tors, pharmacists and scientists. During my want to ONLY pursue a career in law. Addisincere love for music but also an immense s wanting to professionally pursue a career

aited my CSEC results, I entered the GT&T ways say, that experience was an incredibly ne. After the competition, during those years uccess and failure in my life. ication Studies at UG and now I’m a first year gh the facilitator (Nations School of Law). It to record and post on FB, a video of myself

for me. From that day onwards, I gradually nd so posting more videos of myself covering

ned when I posted one of my original songs d the President himself, David Granger, d I felt so honoured. Currently, I’m work“G.U.Y.A.N.A”, which should be released ry. of the videos I post on social media, Mr. ector of Miss Global International –Guyana, decided to message me inquiring about my

Poonam is seen here in another Reshma Persaud design from her RP Couture line. The photos on this page were taken at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston

told me I’d be representing my country on meday; a pageant would have never been my y happy to be the new Queen for Miss Global , mainly because I can clearly assert that this ant I can look in a dress, or how mind-blow, this would chiefly be about my purpose to dedicate my entire year in successfully and t my duties as a MGIG Queen.

Queen, I want to assist in eradicating suicide in Guyana. g that can be done to primarily remove suicidal thoughts ersonally reach out to them. So I will set up workshops, d ensure that everyone I reach out to feels loved. People ife for granted, especially young people, but if there’s a them reinforce what they already know, a push to help e towards doing something constructive, a push to help someone in life, if that push is present then great possior a better Guyana. So if I can use this title as “a push” to t is my main aim. my studies, my music and now pageantry, I try to spend some oing the stress-free things. These include reading, singing, with my family and watching random YouTube videos. I romance and adult fiction books. Growing up around my d always notice them folding up in a corner gossiping about ok they’re reading and I always wanted to do the same when

So now all the books that I read are mainly hand-me-downs from the older folks. These books include authors like Danielle Steel, Charles Dickens, Allison Leigh and Sharon Kendrick (to name a few). My favourite novel of all time, however, happens to be “Looking for Alaska” by John Green. I would advise anyone, even if you despise reading, to read this book and enjoy every word.

My family time is basically every Sunday mornings, where we attend mandir and give thanks to God. I know there are 24 hours in a day and people get busy, but I believe in always saying thank you for every breath I take and the person responsible for my being is God, and so praying is an integral part in my busy schedule.

I don’t have a favourite dish, because I’m a big foodie. However, the only meat I’d rather eat is definitely chicken. My favourite fast food place is Popeyes and chocolate truffle cake will always be my favourite dessert.

My message to young people, who consider me as their role model, is my philosophy. My philosophy is to always have a plan B. I know life will throw you countless opportunities but you may have just one aim.

However if you think you have that potential and you’re capable of successfully carrying out the opportunities thrown at you then go right ahead without hesitating. Keep your main goal, keep working towards it, but if your main goal doesn’t work out exactly the way you had intended , then have a plan B, have something you can fall back on, do not give up because of one or two or three failures.

Only a failure knows through success when it comes. So have a steadfast mind, stay focused and determined and you will be able to conquer the world.

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Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

The sky is the limit for versatile Julie Rambali

By Frederick Halley

DESPITE being a successful businesswoman at the age of 38, Julie Rambali’s parents still play a major part in her life, “as they continue to help shape my moral and ethical values.”

Julie also still has fond memories of her homeland Guyana and in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Chronicle, she gave a candid outlook on her busy schedule and versatile lifestyle.

“Guyana will always hold a special place in my heart. I often reminisce playing in the rain, flying my hand-made kite in the sea of kites during Easter at the beach, going to church

every Sunday in my ‘mom made me wear it’ frilly frock, celebrating all holidays from all religions, and of course, eating endless types of fruits directly from my backyard trees or stealing it from my neighbour’s.”

These memories still live with Julie although leaving Guyana at the tender age of nine with her parents to Toronto, Canada in 1986. According to her, “they moved to explore their opportunities for a better life.”

Today, Julie is the proud owner of Infinite Lynx which offers website development, domain hosting, graphic designing and printing which she continues to operate successfully from the comfort of her home since 1998.

Julie is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the

annual Wi Canadian Expo, the Miss West Indian Canadian Pageant, Wi Can Dance Competition, the founder of Wi Canadian and event organizer of the successful Wi Canadian Expo established since 2007. According to her, the Expo has attracted sponsors from various industries and in 2010 the expo expanded its mandate to include a Miss West Indian Canadian Pageant.

Over the years, Julie’s experiences have varied from web design and development to video editing and to event planning. Her vast knowledge includes digital art design as well as marketing conceptualization and implementation and she posited that her exposure to the event planning industry has proven to be most valuable for Wi Canadian endeavours.

Julie has been proactively involved in the Caribbean cultural scene for many years and has consequently attained substantial resources along the way. They include models, promoters, photographers, make up artists, designers, decor specialists, organizations which have established an affiliation to her projects, and a community of supporters that continue to patronize her annual events.

For Julie, the Wi Canadian vision is to provide a premier service unsurpassed to any other organization . The opportunity to positively promote the Caribbean culture internationally is something she uses to her advantage.

The Wi Canadian Expo is the first and only West Indian trade show in North America. It displays a culturally rich event uniting exhibitors from a diverse market. The expo has expanded to not just Bridal but also Arts & Entertainment, and Health & Beauty. Couples and their families are able to find all wedding related services fitted to their budget and cultural requirements. The expo is an efficient way to review what's in the marketplace allowing everyone to compare quality and price for all their special occasions.

Julie also pointed out that “the expo also maintains and enhances the quality of trade shows for the benefit of exhibitors and the public, to encourage greater responsibility to the community, to increase communications and integrity with exhibitors and fellow producers, to connect, develop resources, and gain inspiration in an environment of mutual support.”

Julie boasts that the Miss West Indian Canadian Pageant is the most recognized pageant in the West Indian Canadian community. “The possibilities this pageant ► Contiuned on page XXV

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Jenell Pierre ◄ From page XXI

These include knitted scarves, hats, bags, purses, earrings, headbands, bandeaus, scrunchies, hair clips, skirts, mini pillows and cardigans. It’s hard to believe that her team only consists of three full time artists and herself.

supporting me in what I do,” she said.

It is her mother’s strength that also helped Jenell to get through the most difficult point in her life: when she was diagnosed with Scoliosis (a condition which involves the excessive curvature of the human spine) at the age of 13. Jenell remembers being teased and called names because she wore a brace in High School; it was

JOURNEY TO BOWJAY Though her business now thrives and has become quite an attraction to her bevvy of local supporters, Jenell credits every seemingly uncalculated move in her past as being responsible for where she is today.

Born in Seafield Village on the West Coast of Berbice, Jenell moved to Georgetown with her mother and two siblings at the age of five. When she was 14, the small family would again move to Tuschen on the East Bank of Essequibo. Coupled with the strength she has adopted from observing her independent mother, Jenell knew she would somehow be part of a business of her own someday. “By looking at my mom I learned to be economical; she spends money wisely and she has proven by example that women can do anything that men can do- I’ve seen her built a chicken coop, by herself with her two hands,” Jenell said. In fact, she admits that her entire family has forever been good with their hands, most times leaning toward the creative side. “My older brother is furthering his career as a photographer in the U.S and my sister owns a salon. My mother has always been supportive of her children’s careers, once it’s something that is honest and makes us happy. I am lucky to have my mother behind me,

One of the BowJay collections

The sky is the limit for versatile ... ► From page XXVI brings with beautiful, talented, intelligent, and cultured women enhance the spirit of the community.”

The pageant features traditional and non-traditional designer bridal wear well co-ordinated with exotic embroidery and ethnic colours. The grand opening features choreographed dance by the pageant contestants, their talent, evening gown, Questions and Answers and crowning presentation accompanied by Little Miss West Indian Canadians, hilarious comedians, dancers, singers, giveaways, great raffles, free samples, and much more Julie said this platform was created to promote the West Indian Canadian culture and to provide the youths with a vision to be proud of for generations to come. “Everyone in the community gets involved to support this great initiative which projects positive exposure for The Miss West Indian Canadian Pageant.”

After attending Etobicoke Collegiate Institute and Western Tech Collegiate Institute, Julie disclosed that she felt a huge amount of culture shock which led her to switch schools and she was finally able to find comfort in the diverse ethnicities while attending Thistletown Collegiate Institute.

It was while she was in high school that she realized her love and skill for computers. Julie then proceeded to graduate in 1999 from Seneca College in Computer Programming and Design. In 1998 while at Seneca College, she foresaw the major career opportunities within website design, prompting her to launch her own business.

While living in Toronto, Julie has not forgotten her West Indian heritage. She felt a need to not only give back but take it to the next level and coordinate different opportunities for the West Indian Canadian community and is a firm believer in inspiring the next generation.

Julie’s motto is “always love what you do, and aspire to do more,” while she describes herself as a “well organized busy-body that runs a tight ship and one who puts her heart into her career behind the scenes, as she does not seek to be recognized.”

Julie is also an active pool player and has played eight-ball and nine-ball versions since 1998, captaining a team of seven players over the last 10 years. For her, the sky is the limit and this has led her “to conquer her goals and become the multifaceted entrepreneur she is today.

XXV a time when she severely doubted her own ability to succeed. “My mother helped me through everything.

I would cry a lot and she would stay up with me and talk to me about it. But eventually it helped me to be a bit more confident in other ways. It helped me to realise that I was not going to let it stop me,” Jenell said, adding that as time went by, her determination to defy the odds encouraged her to become more active in school and to explore many other avenues including where her creativity was concerned.

FOUR YEARS LATER Now, Jenell is proud of where she is; glad that she switched her course from the field of Science to studying Business Management at the University of Guyanaa move which she feels offers her added advantage in managing her business. Most of all, she is glad that her “accidental” discovery of her talent for making bows led her to her living her dream today. “I received a package from a friend who sent me a present and it had a bow, so I took the ribbon and tried to recreate the bow. It didn’t come out the same way, but to me it was better because I made it,” Jenell said. Later, by wearing her own creations, people offered to pay her to make bows for them, and when Jenell realised she could very well profit off of this simple thing that brought her so much joy, the light bulb moment appeared for her to start her own business.

Today, Jenell is grateful for all she has achieved, but has many more plans for the future. She is also aware of the positive influence her actions has on youth who are aspiring entrepreneurs but admits that for her, it is still a learning process as well. “I am still grappling with the fact that I am an influence to young people; there are people who admire what I do especially since I started at 17. But I am just doing what I love to do and since persons admire it, I'm happy, so that I could let people know that they can do something positive and love what they are doing.”

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U.N.'s climate chief to quit, praises Paris agreement (Reuters) The U.N.'s climate chief said on Friday she will step down in July, at the end of a six-year term, and praised governments for reaching a 195-nation deal in Paris in December to shift the world economy from fossil fuels to cleaner energies.

Christiana Figueres, a 59-year-old Costa Rican, said she would not accept any extension of her term as head of the Bonn-based U.N. Climate Change Secretariat after what she called the historic Paris Agreement.

"We now move into a phase of urgent implementation," she wrote in a letter to governments, which agreed a goal in Paris to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2100 by shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy such as wind or solar power.

"The journey that lies ahead will require continued determination, ingenuity and, above all, our collective sense of humanity and purpose," she wrote in the letter, dated Feb. 12 and made public on Friday.

Figueres, a former Costa Rican climate negotiator, took over the U.N. job at a low point in 2010 after a summit in Copenhagen the year before collapsed in acrimony between rich and poor.

She patiently worked to build trust among governments with radically different interests, ranging from the United States and China to small island states worried by rising seas or OPEC nations fearing a loss of export revenues.

Nicholas Stern, of the London School of Economics

who wrote a 2007 study about the economics of climate change, said Figueres had an "outstanding ability to see where we need to go as a world and to bring people together".

Her successor is likely to come from a developed nation - Figueres succeeded Yvo de Boer, of the Netherlands.

Separately, Hela Cheikhrouhou, head of the U.N.'s Green Climate Fund set up to channel money to developing nations to help them cope with climate change, also said on Friday she would stand down in September after a three-

year term.

The fund has so far attracted about $10 billion in pledges from 43 nations, after repeated delays. The cash will help developing nations cut emissions and adapt to impacts such as desertification, heat waves, floods and rising seas.

Earlier this week, former French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, main host of the Paris summit, also quit a post presiding over U.N. climate negotiations.

French Environment Minister Segolene Royal will take over the job, overseeing talks until the next annual talks in Morocco in November.

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Branson's Virgin Galactic moves to return to space race

(Reuters) Richard Branson said on Thursday his Virgin Galactic venture is eager to rejoin the race among rival billionaire entrepreneurs to send passengers and satellites into space, following a deadly accident 16 months ago.

“To have three or four people who are fairly entrepreneurial competing with each other means we’ll be able to open up space at a fraction of the price that governments have been able to do so in the past,” Branson told Reuters as he toured Virgin Galactic’s 150,000-square-foot LauncherOne rocket design and manufacturing plant in Long Beach, California.

On Friday, Virgin Galactic plans to unveil its new SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger, two-pilot winged space plane designed to take thrill-seekers, researchers and commercial customers on five-minute hops into suborbital space, reaching altitudes of about 62 miles (100 km).

Virgin Galactic is moving ahead with plans to build its own space launchers, including the new passenger vehicle and LauncherOne rockets designed to lift small satellites starting as early as next year, company officials said.

Branson's rivals in the privately funded space race include SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Amazon’s (AMZN.O) Jeff Bezos

and Microsoft (MSFT.O) co-founder Paul Allen.

Branson's venture has been grounded since its first spaceship, designed and built by Northrop Grumman Corp's (NOC.N) Scaled Composites, was destroyed on Oct. 31, 2014, during a test flight in Mojave. The accident killed one pilot and dashed Virgin Galactic’s plans to start commercial operations as early as this year.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigated the accident, determined that the co-pilot prematurely released locks that pin the ship’s rotating tail section into place. The new spaceship includes a pin

that prevents the pilots from unlocking the tail section too early, before aerodynamic forces have built up to keep the tail from rotating on its own.

The Spaceship Company, or TSC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Galactic, already had taken over manufacturing of the second space-

ship in a planned fleet of five when the accident occurred.

"Ultimately, we want to be able to produce our own point-to-point aircraft," Branson said. "The best way to do that is to be involved with every aspect of the experimentation and the build."

Branson’s London-based Virgin Group and Aabar In-

vestments, run by the Abu Dhabi government, combined have invested more than $500 million in Virgin Galactic, said company Chief Executive George Whitesides.

Virgin Galactic is selling rides on SpaceShipTwo for $250,000. So far, nearly 700 people have signed up, Whitesides said.

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Some questions dentists are asked Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART, DDS.

Sometimes patients only want to ask their dentist a question because of a problem they currently encounter. Logically, why should they visit the dentist, pay consultation fees and wait, occasionally for up an hour just for simple in-

formation which they can utilize to decide a course of action or have an idea of the dentist’s diagnosis and treatment plan ahead of their scheduled date? Hence, this column today seeks to answer some questions posed by patients.

Atypical Toothaches I feel pain on some of my teeth.

I had checked it out with my dentist and I am still having the mild pain and am irritated by it. I want to extract those teeth. Why is my dentist refusing to do it?

A less common condition is the atypical toothache. The pain is chronic and usually there is no obvious cause for it. Extracting the teeth usually does not solve the problem as the pain tends to stay because the complexity of the problem can even include psychological implications. Symptoms generally consist of a distressing continual pain condition from a tooth or teeth which stays longer than four months while the tooth/teeth and surrounding gum and bone looks normal.

â–ş Contiuned on page XXIX

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Some questions dentists ... ► From page XXVIII

Facial Nerve Pain I suffer from spontaneous sharp, electric-like pain on my face. This can be a number of times a day, of a very short duration. So far the condition has not improved and can even happen when I wash my face or mouth. Is this common?

This could be an uncommon condition of the nerves which tends to affect the older age groups. The most common disease in this group is called Trigeminal Neuralgia. The features are sudden pain of varying intensity on the face or jaw which is triggered by jaw movements or touch and is of short duration. This can recur several times a day and can be very severe or throbbing but often comes and goes. The definite cause of neuralgia has never been proven although it is commonly taken to be due to nerve instability.

Medication is the treatment of choice. However, imaging of the head may be recommended to rule out any brain lesion.

Gum Infections I have very severe pain, ulcers and bleeding gums for the past three days. My whole mouth is sore and I cannot eat properly. My spouse tells me I have bad breath. What could I be suffering from?

The condition you described is termed Acute Necrotising Gingivitis. The general symptoms involve ulcers on tips of gum between the teeth and along the gum line. The gums also bleed with sudden onset, pain, increased saliva foul odor and a metallic taste. Repeated infections lead to bone loss or periodontitis, with additional features including enlarged gum margins, triangular gaps between the teeth. The teeth sometimes appear longer. Factors which increase the likelihood of this infection are: poor oral hygiene, smoking, systemic diseases, such as diabetes and stress. Treatment consists of proper tooth brushing and mouth rinsing, professional cleaning of gum areas, antibiotics, oxidizing antiseptics and gum surgery.

I have pain and gum swelling near my tooth for the past few months.

It lasts for a few days and then disappears. Why is this so?

What you have is gum abscess, commonly referred to as “gum boil.” Most gum diseases are without symptoms. However, acute periodontal abscesses can feature pain predominantly. In these cases we observe localized gum swelling, red and tender to touch and this appears suddenly. Then the tooth shakes and can be tender on biting. There is soreness at the site resulting in throbbing pain, pus discharging from the gums and loss of supporting bone (detectable from X-rays).

Impacted Wisdom Tooth My last tooth in my lower jaw is causing some discomfort. I can only see part of the food and food gets trapped in the overlying gum. Occasionally, the overlying gum swells a little and the sides of my neck appear swollen too. Do I need to remove this tooth?

Wisdom teeth appear during early adulthood and in some, the jaw size does not allow its proper eruption. This leads to impaction against the tooth in front of it. Surgical removal of wisdom teeth is a common procedure. The

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symptoms of when an impacted becomes infected are: 1. Pain on lower jaw usually found around last molar teeth 2. Pain can be acute and mouth opening may be limited 3. Possible swelling 4. Lymph nodes in the neck may swell 5. Touching the region around the molar can be painful.

This occurs because food is trapped in the area, there is infection of overlying gum, triangular gaps form between the teeth and decay of the offending wisdom tooth as well as the adjacent one. Treatment consists of: 1. Cleansing off the gum area with gargle or mouthwash 2. Antibiotic may be required for serious infection 3. Extraction or trimming of the opposing tooth to reduce biting on the swollen gum 4. Surgical removal of the upper wisdom tooth

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CONSUMER CONCERNS:

Pat Dial

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Squatting erodes authority and respect for law and government

J

ust about two weeks ago, there was a very disturbing media report coming from

Charity Village in Esseqibo: scores of violent squatters had suddenly started to squat on State property at Charity New Housing Scheme and the Dredge Creek area.

These squatters in their land grab greed invaded privately-owned farms as well, destroying farmers' cultivation and staking out privately-owned land. The Police seemed to have been inactive and the Chairman of the NDC declared that the situation

was out of control and necessitated Central Government intervention.

This squatting lawlessness bears much similarity to the large-scale invasion of State land which occurred in Region 4 shortly after the new APNU/AFC Government had been installed in office. Several of these squatters were caught on videotape by the newspaper reporters falsely and brazenly declaring that the parties in the new Government had

told them to invade State land! Fortunately, the Police were able to clear the squatters off the land in a few days. No report of similar success by the Police has come from Essequibo.

This squatting lawlessness is an organized activity. Whole families are always involved and their object is to seize as â–ş Continued

on page XXXI

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Squatting erodes authority ... â–ş From page XXX much land as they could with the object of profiteering on it.

Squatting is in effect theft and must be eradicated from Guyanese society as quickly as possible. It erodes the authority of the Government and State and the public will eventually come to regard such lawlessness as a norm. Government should be resolute in stamping out squatting and the Police should be ordered to nip squatting in the bud.

In Guyana, the State has always been generous and liberal in granting agricultural and housing leases and there is no example of a genuine lease application for agricultural and housing land being turned down. Those who indulge in squatting are persons and groups of criminal intent. If individuals and groups require land they could easily apply to the authorities and there is no cost for doing this.

The overwhelming majority of squatters are perfectly aware of this. In the case of Charity, the legitimate farmers whose land had been invaded all had leases.

The squatters could equally have applied for leases as the farmers had done. The Governmental authorities must immediately eject the squatters, assert their authority, uphold law and order and merit the respect of the citizenry.

The laws affecting squatting must be quickly strengthened. The laws affecting State land have already been strengthened and it is now impossible to claim ownership of State land by prescription. Unfortunately, when the law was being amended, no equal protection was given to private land and this was an omission which should now be rectified.

The laws affecting squatting on private land were fairly adequate up to the late 1960s and early 1970s at the time Sir Joseph Luckhoo was Chief Justice. At this time, the establishing of the 12-year rule was uncritically adopted from the current British legislation.

Britain is a highly urban society and the 12-year rule was established there because such a society needed such a rule. Guyana was, and still is, a rural society and had no need of the 12-year rule; indeed, the 12year rule was at variance with the needs of Guyanese society and this was further emphasized by the heavy emigration which has affected the country. Many a squatter has made questionable claims of being on an expatriate Guyanese's land for 12 years but since there was no one to oppose such claims, the Courts have had to accede. The Laws affecting squatting on private land must again be brought into consonance with the amended laws relating to public land. The 12-year rule should be abolished, reverting to the 33-year rule. The Guyana Consumers Association expects to write the relevant Authorities asking them to strengthen the laws protecting private land against squatting greed.

The Ministry of Public Security is importuned to instruct the Police to respond to valid complaints of squatting on both public and private land. The Police, in many cases, avoid their responsibility of responding by saying nonchalantly that squatting is a private matter though it results in the authority of the Government and the State being eroded and a culture of lawlessness being spread and often resulting in present and future chaos and violence.

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Sustainable use of Wildlife

Think for a moment about what the landscape surrounding the Linden-Soesdyke Highway may look like in the next 100 years.

Do you see high-rise buildings, luxurious housing schemes, perhaps world class stadiums, a subway system and streets jammed with yellow taxis? Now consider the abundance of wildlife which finds their homes in the creeks, sandy hills and vast evergreen forest. The importance of

Wildlife cannot be underestimated. As such, conservation and management should be practiced tandem in order to strike a balance between ecological and socio-economic benefits.

In 1994, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) was implemented following negotiations at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Guyana is currently among the 194 parties to this convention which provides a global legal framework for action on biodiversity. As part of this action, parties develop National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs). The EPA, as the National Focal Point for this Convention, has coordinated

the development and implementation of the Guyana’s NBSAPs with the third being developed in May 2015. The NBSAP (2012-2020) sets out the vision, roles, duties and obligations of the state and its citizens to protect, conserve, use sustainably and share equitably the benefits arising from biodiversity.

The various elements of nature such as air, water, soil, plants, animals, etc., have all been tapped in some way or another to fuel the ‘needs’ of humanity. Industry, hunting, cultivation, wildlife-based ► Continued

on page XXXIII

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Sustainable use of Wildlife ► From page XXXII tourism and other economic activities continue to be expanded and diversified, but certainly at a cost. Overexploitation of these resources, particularly wildlife results in imbalance to the natural ecosystems and in turn can result in unsustainable development. Wildlife has an intrinsic value and contributes to the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of sustainable development and human well-being.

These are some of the reasons why it is imperative that countries protect their environments as a social responsibility to all humanity. Let’s join with the rest of the world on March 3, 2016, to help protect our wildlife and secure our future.

Share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@ gmail.com or you can contact the Agency on 225-5467-9. Also check out our facebook page, Environmental Protection Agency-Guyana.

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Dr Vivakeanand Bridgemohan ► From page XXI Company and today is the Chief Security Officer there.

Vivakeanand attended Annandale Nursery, Lusignan Primary and Annandale Secondary Schools. In the process of attending the University of Guyana (UG), he had applied to study in Cuba and was therefore waiting for the scholarship to process. He would eventually spend six years over there.

WHAT SUCCESS MEANS Vivakeanand said his success in life has to do with the fact that his parents and schoolteachers involved him leadership at a very young age. “I served as the youngest board member for

the Lusignan Cricket Board at the age of 17. It’s a message I would want to echo for young people out there for their elders to give them a chance and involve them in leadership, strategic planning and developments, even if their ideas are two cents.

It will help them also to develop their mind.”

Such training also helped Vivakeanand in Cuba, where he enjoyed spending time with others who were much older than him. “I spent a lot of time with senior professors. Those are the things that helped me significantly to become a young leader, being able to achieve so many things at the age of 30. I would have already served as medical superintendent, medical supervisor, medical director, CEO and now owner,” he pointed out.

Commenting on Demerara Paradise, he said: “Where we

Dr Vivakeanand Bridgemohan and his wife Dr. Carolina Cerpa Granda Bridgemohan. (Samuel Maughn photo) are heading is even larger than this. Our strategic plan outlines that by 2020, we will have in excess of 300 staff working with us. Currently, I have 59 staff.”

Vivakeanand believes that young people can achieve greatness right here in Guyana and doesn’t necessarily need to go abroad. “What I have learned in life is you don’t need money for everything. Ideas are worth more than money. You have to have vision. Be proactive, innovative; be involved and you will get there.”

As to parents, he said: “My parents paid attention to my homework and my involvement in sports. They placed a lot of hours into that. Parents, try to get your children involved in the correct groups and give them strategic directions from a very young age.”

“Having achieved so much at 30, I can’t wait to reach 40.

Because I’m sure by then, there are far more projects that I can bring to Guyana. So I am going to extend my hands out and we can work together and achieve far more for Guyana.”

DOCTORS: PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE Vivakeanand believes that others can also do great things if they have the proper attitude towards the work and service they offer. “I told many doctors: Emancipate yourselves from this bottom house practice. I think doctors and health professionals need to focus on providing a better care for the Guyanese people because they are wise; they know what people deserve. Why not do it?

“Ok, I’ve set up the first assisted nursing facility in Guyana. Why can’t somebody set up an imaging center now? Why can’t somebody set up a proper cervical cancer screening center in the country? Why can’t one of these guys set up their own heart center? Why can’t we have a private ambulance brigade service throughout the country?”

Vivakeanand said doctors have the knowledge and know exactly what have to be done. Furthermore, he said there are many banks in Guyana that are willing to work along. “So I would encourage the doctors, and even nurses, to approach the banks and have their own entrepreneur, their own service.

“Without being political, I think the time is right for Guyana. Nothing political.”

Vivakeanand said his personal desire has always been to be involved and provide assistance to others. “I love helping people and becoming a humanitarian, I am happy to be able to do this. It’s not about what you can do for yourself.”

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

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China looks to reward academic innovation to drive economic growth (Reuters) China will give greater financial rewards to innovative academics and small research bodies in a drive to convert interesting scientific ideas into commercial realities and rev up its high-tech industries as wider economic growth stalls.

China's State Council said research bodies and university units who transferred their work to outside firms to develop and market should receive no less than half of the net income earned from the product as a reward.

China is trying to boost its high-tech industries, from medicines to computer chips, to offset a slowdown in manufacturing and exports that has dragged its economic growth to its slowest level in a quarter of a century.

"It is important to speed up the transfer of scientific achievements, open a channel between science and the economy and quickly create a new productive force," the State Council said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The announcement, posted on the official central government website, followed a regular State Council meeting presided over by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Academics would have greater freedom to do part-time work with external firms to develop products, while success in creating products would be taken into account when assessing research bodies and universities, the State Council said.

It said China would look to accelerate the creation of pilot zones with preferential tax policies for innovative business, as well as other financial or tax measures to support research units and individuals.

In November, China launched a pilot scheme to loosen approvals for new drugs and allow smaller research bodies to apply directly for approvals, part of a drive to create more innovative domestic drug firms.

Wang Bin, the deputy head of the China Association for Promotion of Private SciTech Enterprises, told the official Xinhua news agency researchers often worried about getting into commercial projects for fear of harming their academic careers.

"The new policies will encourage more to venture into business," he said.

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English

Chronicle Pepperpot February 21, 2016

Deepika Padukone to romance Hrithik Roshan in Kabir Khan's next?

(India Today) Deepika Padukone has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, but her fans are still waiting to see her share screen space with the Greek God of Bollywood, Hrithik Roshan. And now, it seems Sajid Nadiadwala is all set to make their wish come true with his next film. Buzz has it that the producer is eager to rope in Deepika alongside Hrithik Roshan for his film.

According to a report published in DNA, the film will be directed by Kabir Khan. A source was quoted as telling the daily, "Sajid has been quite keen to work with Deepika. But that hasn't worked out due to several issues. However, there are chances that Deepika might sign up for his next production with Kabir."

When Pinkvilla contacted the producer on the same, he said, "that film is in the scripting stage."

If things work out, Kabir Khan will get to work with Deepika and Hrithik for the first time.

On the work front, Hrithik is currently busy shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker's Mohenjo Daro, while Deepika is in Canada to shoot for her Hollywood debut XXX The Return of Xander Cage. The Piku actor will share screen space with Vin Diesel in the actioner.

Desserts are pictured on display during a preview of the food and decor for the 88th Academy Awards' Governors Ball at the Ray Dolby ballroom in Hollywood, California February 18, 2016. (REUTERS/ Mario Anzuoni)

Treats for official Oscar after party unveiled

(Reuters) The team behind the annual Governors Ball have offered a first glimpse at what food treats Hollywood stars will be eating at this year's official Oscars after party.

Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck unveiled delicacies including fresh lobster and Alaskan king crab. Also offered on the Feb. 28 night will be chicken pot pie with black truffles and mac and cheese.

"We did this already for 22 years so we know what the people eat and also most of the movie stars and most of Hollywood come to our restaurant so we know what they like," Puck said. "So we always make some traditional dishes, some comfort food and some more modern things."

Some 1,500 guests are expected at after-party on Hollywood's biggest night.

XLIII Deepika Padukone

Hrithik Roshan

Madrid Fashion Week A model presents a creation from Juanjo Oliva's Fall/Winter 2016 collection. REUTERS/ Susana Vera

A model presents a creation from Agatha Ruiz de la Prada's Fall/Winter 2016 collection.

(REUTERS/Susana Vera)

A model presents a creation from Agatha Ruiz de la Prada's Fall/Winter 2016 collection. (REUTERS/ Susana Vera)