Pepperpot 11 08 2015

I

ndian movie masala is being taken in a unique direction with the upcoming staging of an Indian Retro Concert. Here Mark Kazim and Ttonya Singh pose for Chronicle photographer Samuel Maughn. â–ş Page XIX

II

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Latchmi

By Maureen Rampertab “Hey andhan ki maharani Oh, Jai Latchmi Rani” VERSES of a Hindu devotional song on the airwaves, from within homes and mandirs, revering the Goddess of Light, as the festival of Diwali approached, charioted by the Gods.

On this auspicious occasion, the souls of mortals across the Hindu world are touched by the beauty of the Goddess’s divine presence, for, in their belief, she amplifies love, prosperity and light. Thus in the darkest night, her light is the illumination that guides and gives blessings as she is honoured by prayers, songs and dances.

Stories of battle, fate and love are told and retold and for one devotee, named after Latchmi, the Goddess of Light, a sad story unfolds.

In a mandir, in a quiet area in the countryside, she sat, her eyes closed in prayers, mesmerized always by the poetic words and the sweet songs. Often her mind would travel back in time to the period of Kings, Mortal Gods, demons and battles. From a little girl, her mind became impressed with the history of her Hindu culture and religion and as she grew up, she read many texts that gave her a deep sense of understanding.

Epic stories of the Ramayan and Mahabarat held her in awe and tonight, the true devotee she was, she sang telling one part of the story when it all began – the significance of Diwali, of Ayodhya, the Palace where Shree Ram, the Mortal God was born, his exile and his return on the darkest night when earthen lamps were lit to illuminate his path.

As she walked home that night from the mandir, Latchmi reflected on the beautiful love story of the Hindu God Ram and his wife Seeta and she wondered, “Will my husband, my Ram, ever return?”

For four years she had held onto hopes and faith that he would, that one day, he would, find his way out of the dark world where he was lost and reunite with her. A young couple they had been, married for just six months, when tragedy intruded in their lives.

He had been riding home from work, late one afternoon, on his motorbike, when a Tundra with three drunk youths, driving recklessly, hit him. The massive brain injuries he had suffered had left his life hanging on a thin thread for weeks. The shock had literally shattered her world but her faith was deep as the seas and she refused to accept the fact that his chances for survival were very slim.

“No,” she had cried, “He isn’t leaving me, he can’t

leave me.”

She had prayed for days and nights, imploring the Gods for answers, for a miracle. On the fourth week, his eyes opened and slowly day after day, he recovered from his injuries but something was wrong.

He was not the same person.

The injuries to his brain had affected his mental state, causing memory lapses and the conclusion from medical experts was that he may not fully regain his memory.

It was a devastating blow for her, his family and everyone who knew him as a young, promising life, thrown into the wild, but her faith did not falter. Her heart had spoken the first time she saw him, acting the role of Shree Ram on the Diwali motorcade. Finding love on an auspicious night was something she held special in her heart and just the same way Seeta stayed with her husband in exile, so Latchmi would stay with Ranbir until he found his way out of the dark world.

Tears misted her eyes as she reached home and lying

maureen.rampertab@gmail.com

A story of hope, faith and undying love

in bed, her hand touching the empty space beside her, she whispered, “I miss you so much.”

On the doctor’s advice, she had brought him home for he needed love and care that were like a lifeline to him. Her soft voice, the songs she sang for him, hoping it would trigger the beautiful memories of the love they shared but just fleetingly he would remember. Things took a turn for the worse when he started having manic episodes that caused him to behave aggressively and his doctor advised that he should be placed under psychiatric care.

It had not pleased her heart to do so, but she and his family were left with no other option having tried everything they could for him. The specialist doctor assured them that progress will be slow but one day he may recover to be himself again. Four years had passed by, his progress like laden footsteps, and on her visits whenever he remembered her, as she spoke with him, he would hold her hands and cry, a deep plea in his eyes.

Every day, she prayed, “Please Lord, send my husband back to me.”

Many people in his life has given up hope that he would ever recover and she was advised by some to move on with her life.

“You’re young and beautiful,” they had said, “With ► Continued on page III

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015 ► From page II your whole life ahead of you. Why wait for him when there’s no coming back?”

“Because I believe,” she had said firmly, “I believe in the miracle of prayers.”

They had scoffed at her, telling her how stupid she was to give up so much in her life.

“How can I give up on a love blessed by the Gods?” she had asked herself.

For the past three years since he was under psychiatric care, she had lit a diya for him on Diwali night, waiting as the oil burnt low, that he would come home and call her name, but her Ram had still not found his way. She turned, hugging the pillow beside her and her eyes closed in sleep.

From the Heavens, the Gods and Goddesses looked down at her, pleased she had not lost faith, that her love for her husband had not withered in her heart.

For the next three days, Latchmi dedicated herself to preparations for Diwali, lending her creative skills to her Mandir’s intricate design for the motorcade, a stunning display of colour, glitter and lights. On the night of the motorcade, the spectacular floats, beautiful beyond words, send a thrill of pride through her body.

“I wish you were here, Ranbir,” she said quietly, a soft cry in her heart, “It was a night like this when we met.”

Such was her sadness, she did not go to the cultural show with her friends, just wanting to be alone with her memories and thoughts.

“I wonder what you must be doing right now?”

A sudden thought occurred to her, that she could go and see him, now and show him the pictures of the floats. She called the doctor who thought it was a good idea and the male nurse let her in, standing by, in the eventuality of the patient’s behaviour becoming aggressive.

Ranbir was standing in his room, facing the wall, his head bent and calling his name softly, she waited for

his response.

A short moment later, he turned, his head still bent and she called his name again. He raised his head slowly, pushing his hand through his thick hair that had grown a bit long and looked at her with a smile. A surge of relief filled her heart, thinking he had made further progress in his recovery; but the dull look in his eyes, dampened the feeling. Nevertheless, she showed him the pictures on her phone and for fleeting moments, recognition glinted in his eyes then he got up and walked back to the wall. She made to call him but the nurse attendant shook his head slowly and with a sad feeling, she turned to leave.

As she walked out of the door, she heard him say in a quiet tone, “Latchmi.”

She stopped and exhaled deeply, fighting back the tears and turning to look at him, she saw tears in his eyes. For one helpless moment because of fate’s stumbling block in their way, they stood there looking at each other, both of them crying.

On this night, love brought them together but tragedy, like a poison arrow had struck to wither the bloom in their hearts; but her undying love, fate and hope had obliterated the bitter poison.

The earthen lamps were lit on Diwali, illuminating the dark night, when Shree Ram came out of exile, guided by the Goddess of Light, a most beautiful, wondrous sight.

Latchmi lit a diya at her alter, but tonight as she did her pooja, she did not ask of the Gods for a blessing or a miracle. She closed her eyes and spoke instead to her husband, from the depths of her heart.

“I’m waiting for you, Ranbir, to hear your voice, if not today, maybe tomorrow or another day. I may grow old, you may grow old but whatever happens, I will always love you.”

The night wore on, the oil in the diya burning low and as the light flickered,

her eyes closed in sleep. A short while later, she was awakened by Ranbir’s voice calling her, “Latchmi.”

She sat up and looked at the altar, the flame was still burning, but all was silent.

“I must have been dreaming,” she sighed and as she got up from the sofa to go to bed, she heard his voice distinctly calling her name. She ran to the verandah and saw him standing at the gate, as real as ever, his doctor with him.

“Ranbir!” she cried, rushing down the stairs, gasping for words, “Are you…? Have you…?”

He put a finger to her lips, the smile on his face, reflecting in his eyes, and he hugged her, remembering, at last, who the beautiful woman was with the soft voice and sweetest smile, who never gave up on him, his wife “I miss you, so much.”

Happiness overflowed in her heart and songs seemed to fill the air as she stood there in her husband’s arms, a few diyas around still alight. Her deep devotion and love had lighted a path for him to find his way out of the dark world and on this Diwali night, she was reunited with her Ram – the miracle of prayers.

III

IV

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

V

VI

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

‘Journey of the Guru’

by Richard B. Mahase (This is an extract of my talk at the launch of the book on Sunday, April 26, 2015, at the Guyana Sevashram Sangha - ‘Cove and John Ashram’.

The book tells the inspirational story of the making of Guyana’s first Swami, Swami Vidyanandaji Maharaj. The Swami passed away recently.)

I

will not do a review at this time but I will talk to the book from four perspectives - showing the

importance of the book, showing the importance of the subject of the book, showing the importance of the writer and showing the

importance of the reader.

I am looking at this book from these perspectives because I love books, I talk to books and books talk back

to me; and if you listen well enough, you will find books talking back to you in so many ways.

This book, ‘Journey of the Guru’ will talk back to you in at least two major ways according to its introduction, ‘This once-in-a-lifetime publication contains... another message beyond that of its revered subject, ‘His Holiness Swami Vidyanandaji,... and that is of the timeless spirit of Hinduism’. Many non-Indian Guyanese writers were influenced by Hinduism including Edgar Mittelholzer, Wilson Harris and Martin Carter; and many Indian writers like Sasenarine Persaud, Churamani Bissundyal, and JW Chinapen.

We have come from a glorious cultural tradition, a tradition from which came a great literature like the Bhagwat Gita, Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Upanishads, Puranas etc;....a tradition that produced writers like Valmiki, Tulsi Das, Tagore, Premchand, R K Narayan, Arundati Roy, Kiran Desai...

Our ancestors have crossed the kala pani with the writer/historian genes and have produced many

► Continued on page VII

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

‘Journey of the Guru’ ► From page VI

outstanding individuals whose stories were and continue to be told by esteemed writers. We have produced writers like Cheddi Jagan whose name heads the list of Guyanese autobiographies; other autobiographies I’ve read recently include ‘Reaching for the stars’ by Yesu Persaud, ‘Glimpses of a global Life’

by Shridath Ramphal, we have also produced prominent writers/historians like Dwarka Nauth, Peter Ruhomon, Clem Seecharan, Frank Birbalsingh, Basdeo Mangru, Dale Bisnauth, Karna Bahadur Singh and biographers like Giautra Bahadur author of ‘Coolie Woman’...

We have produced writers who have recreated the past, fictionalising the past for easy reading; writers like David Dabydeen, Rueben Latchmansingh (author of A Dip in the Sangam), Rooplall Monar, Rajkumarie Singh, Janice Shinebourne, Ryhaan Shaw, Chetram Singh who won the last Guyana prize with his ‘The Flour Convoy’ The book was created to accurately record information for storage and distribution... in order to encourage debate, encourage dialogue, remove ignorance, improve knowledge, to entertain, and to inspire with the purpose of mirroring society and to act as a barometer to society, to act as a guide, a lamp to our path, among other things.

This book bears some of these same characteristics.

This book, ‘ Journey of the Guru’ by Richard B. Mahase... can be read on two levels – the secular and the spiritual. It is ironic how we spend so much time and energy on temporary material things and so little time and energy on the spiritual everlasting matters. Spiritual aspect of life is glossed over when it is needed now more than ever in our society. So that is why this event is a momentous one; everything associated with this occasion is important - the book, the subject – the material, spiritual and astral journey of the Guru, the writer of this book, the launching of this book and the potential readers....

That’s number one perspective - the book; I’ll skip and return to number two perspective later and talk about the messenger. Number three perspective is about the writer.

Picking up the thread from above where I mentioned the names of writers from our ancestral home and from Guyana, here’s is something about the importance of the writer and why we ought to show our writers more respect in the best possible way, that is to buy their product – the thing they produce. The work of a carpenter is seen, measured, valued and paid for, the work the canecutter is seen, measured, valued and paid for, but the work of the writer, the solitary toiling in secret, behind closed doors, is rarely if ever seen. And because of this sometimes we are reluctant to buy a book which is often times the life’s work of a writer. This particular book took some six years to research, write and publish.

Can we Ever, in our wildest imagination, pay, recompense Richard for those six years of toil; the challenges were many and varied...trying to capture not only the action but the words and thoughts of the Guru. I say ‘yes’, we could recompense Richard by supporting this venture in buying, in getting others to buy, in getting others to read this inspiring book.

Now for the forth perspective – you the reader, the importance of the reader. A book is not completed until it reaches the public domain – I’m sure Richard did not write this book to leave on his computer, or in a desk drawer to catch cobweb or to sandwich it between two covers. Richard Mahase wrote for you, and you, and for me because we will read it from our varied experiences, adding values to it, we will read it from the experience of a president, a doctor, a teacher, an artist, a seamstress, a canecutter, mother, father, grandfather, son, daughter......

And now let’s return to number two perspective – the revered subject, Swami Vidyananda. ‘Journey of the Guru’, on one level, is an adventure story of an ordinary man named Seechan who triumphed over many challenges on his way to becoming the Guyana’s first Swami.

Here I’d liken Seechan’s challenges to those of Mahatma Gandhi and how both triumphed through exercise of the mind (meditation) and exercise of the body (service). (To forestall any misconception in this instance – when I compare one

person to another it is only to illustrate a single point and not to compare one with the other in general.) But if we were to stretch the point we’d find that both persons were tested to the limit and both overcame through reading. In the case of Seechan, we find that when he was in need of solitude and peace and quiet, when ‘he ached for silence’, he turned to books, buying books and sharing and encouraging others in the ways of those books. He was of sparse education but became an avid reader. Books became light whenever it was dark and a bridge whenever the land was flooded.

This book is well researched and beautifully written. Everything about this book is excellent – the layout, the print, the footnotes and most of all the covers. But I like the dedication page: Tvameva Mata, Cha Pita Tvameva. Tvameva Bandu cha Sakha Tvameva Tvameva Vidya Dravinam Tvameva Tvameva Sarvam Mama Deva Deva (I prefer this translation = O God, You are mother and also my father; you are my relative and also my friend...You are everything to me..).

I know about research and about writing. I said before the writing is beautiful mainly because many of the metaphors and phrases are fresh, freshly coined like tapping into ‘port of memory’, lost in the ‘capital of isolation’, and in the ‘Sea of struggle’ which were ‘anchors set to stall his exploration’ as he ‘ached for silence’ having seen the future ‘itching to go’. These lovely fragments caused me to recall the writing of Mahatma Gandhi about his experiments with truth, renunciation and service.

In closing, I’d like to quote from Mahatma Gandhi .....something that encapsulates this journey of the guru and all the other ten thousand stories about the success of this sanctuary.

‘Truth is like a vast tree, which yields more and more fruits, the more you nurture it. The deeper the search in the mine of truth the richer the discovery of the gems buried there, in the shape of openings for an ever greater variety of service’.

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

VII

VIII

Sunday

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Nostalgia

I

n o b s e r v a n c e o f To u r i s m Awareness Month, Sunday Nostalgia continues to highlight some activities in Guyana’s tourism calendar in years past.

The photos are from our archives and were taken by our staff photographers.

Essequibo Night is one of the calendars off the events list as well. At centre in this photo is the late Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh; at left is former Region Two Chairman and also a former junior Agriculture Minister Ali Baksh.

An annual pet show was a popular event in the country’s tourism calendar, but has not been held in years. This one was ten years ago.

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

IX

X

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Monique’s Caring Hands goes beyond HIV/AIDS counselling A SEXUAL PREDATORS’ LIST One of the things Monique’s would like to see established is a sexual predators’ list. “If someone has been charged or locked up for sexual assault of a minor, then their name must be formed in a bank,” Stewart expressed.

Meanwhile, people from throughout Guyana who are in need of help can access the center on a 24-hour basis.

“The call is usually transferred to one of the counsellors, so we don’t miss anyone calling who needs help. We also refer them to other suitable facilities if we can’t help,” informed Stewart.

Monique’s members would also make visits to the

hospital once a month in an effort to provide assistance to those who are suffering with HIV, along with their relatives.

Furthermore, the center also worked with the gay and lesbian community and has a literacy programme that particularly targets residents of Sophia, Georgetown and Mahaicony.

Currently, Monique’s is preparing to engage in a sensitization programme that will help to educate Guyanese on the impending Local Government Elections.

Most of the work is accomplished by fundraising activities and volunteers, although the center receives grants to do specific projects.

Dawn Stewart

By Telesha Ramnarine

P

ARANOIA, depression and other mental health issues have been found to be the most common among the approximately one hundred people that go for help on a monthly basis at CPIC Monique’s Caring Hands, here in the City.

These are the ugly results of people who were sexually and physically abused over time, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Non-Governmental Organisation, Dawn Stewart, told the Chronicle last Saturday. Hence, mental health has come to be regarded as the “number one issue” to be dealt with at the center, which has been operational locally since 2003.

Monique’s Caring Hands, the local branch of Caribbean People International Collective Inc. (CPIC) in the United States is at Lot 18 Norton Street, Werk-en-Rust, and was born mainly out of a need to assist those suffering with HIV/AIDS. In fact, the center is named after Monique Gildarhie, a Guyanese woman who died in 2002 from AIDS. CPIC was established in 1999.

Monique’s offers support center programmes designed to meet the “unique” needs of families infected with or affected

by HIV/AIDS, suicide prevention, domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, poverty and dysfunctional families.

The intention is to increase the number of persons who receive voluntary HIV counselling and testing among sexually active persons and pregnant women, while at the same time promoting abstinence, condom use and monogamous relationships.

A second goal is to ensure behavioral changes through culturally based training addressing obeah, voodoo and other superstitious beliefs; the roles of males and females in relationship building and sexual negotiation skills.

Monique’s runs several programmes, many of which the CEO said are successful. These include the SISTA Project, International Youth Summit, peer counselling, condom use incentive plan, behavioral care model incentive plan, women health and support care, men’s health and support care, testing, hot food service kitchen, and the MISTA project.

Meanwhile, Stewart was working in the US Army when she was asked to work on the HIV epidemic among military members. This afforded her the opportunity to attend a workshop in Switzerland where she was encouraged to return to Guyana to help with the very problem that was at an even more alarming rate.

She took such advice to heart and decided to come back home and work in the interest of those with HIV/AIDS.

Ms. Stewart displays a portrait of Monique Gildarhie, after whom the centre is named

Ms. Dawn Stewart (first from left) with participants of the MISTA Project

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

XI

Prisoner Cleverson Barbosa, 27, kisses his children's feet during a family visit

Prisoners (left to right) Raimundo Souza, 24, Jairo Caracara, 38 and Tiago Kinkas, 23, are covered in clay in a therapy session

Brazil’s prisons: life beyond crime (Reuters) Down a dusty dirt road in the Amazonian state of Rondonia, prisoners convicted of murder, theft and other crimes get a rare release from the day-to-day hardships of a penal system known for violence and overcrowding.

ACUDA, a local charity in the capital city of Porto Velho, trains prisoners in spiritual and physical healing practices including Ayurvedic massage, based on ancient Hindu medicine, as well as in conventional vocational skills such as car

An inmate tends to a fellow prisoner while performing ear candling mechanics and gardening.

“It gives inmates something to look forward to and something they can use when they leave,” says Adriano Furtunato, regional manager of the penal system for Rondonia, a poor state on the western fringe of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

The system has strict rules of conduct that must be met before inmates can take part, so the therapies also provide an incentive for prisoners to behave, he adds.

The charity, which has its headquarters within a complex of ten prisons in the city, uses local volunteers to run its courses and over the years has trained more than 2,000 inmates.

About 110 currently take part in the training programme.

The therapies have one goal, says Luiz Carlos Marques, the charity’s founder - educating inmates about the possibilities of life beyond crime. “Nobody can force someone to stop breaking the law,” he says. “It’s ► Continued on page XV

XII

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

FACEBOOK REACHES 1 BILLION ACTIVE USERS EVERY DAY

F

acebook reported its third quarter earnings last week, and the figure that stood out was 1.01 billion average daily users. That is up 17 percent from the same three-month period last year and highlights what a massive global phenomenon the social network has become.

The company's share price also surged in after-hours trading after it beat analysts' expectations. It reported $4.5 billion in revenue and a profit of $1.46 billion. Those numbers are both up more than 40 percent over the same period last year.

As with previous quarters, mobile continues to be an increasingly large percentage of Facebook's revenue, now accounting for 78 percent of all advertising dollars on the platform, up from 66 percent for the third quarter last year.

Investors had been hoping that Facebook would break out some details of the money Instagram is earning. The photo-sharing app has now rolled out a robust advertising business, but so far, Facebook is keeping those numbers misty, reporting inside of its larger advertising business.

So far founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had only platitudes to offer. "We had a good quarter and got a lot done.

Facebook focused on innovating and investing for the long term to serve its community and connect the entire world.

They are hoping for something more on the earnings call later this afternoon and will update this post accordingly.

The World’s most expensive earphones just got more expensive

I

n1990, Sennheiser engineers set out to create the best headphones in the world. The result was the legendary Sennheiser Orpheus, a pair of US$16,000 audiophile headphones so sophisticated that they even came with their own tube amplifier that looked like something taken from a mad scientist's lab.

Only 300 pair of the original Orpheus exist today (and they typically fetch more than US$30,000 on eBay), but on last, Tuesday Sennheiser announced the successor to the Orpheus, which you'll be able to buy this year for around US$55,000.

That staggering price tag also means that the Orpheus will remain the most expensive headphones in the world.

Like the original headphones, the new Orpheus are not designed for portability, they're designed to sit on your desk like a piece of art. The originals featured a tube amplifier constructed out of wood, metal and glass, complete with a key to turn them on and warm up the vacuum tubes. Sennheiser has gone for a more modern aesthetic for the new model, opting for a marble transistor amplifier that also "combines to perfection the advantages of a tube amplifier." Sennheiser says it used marble shipped from Carrara, Italy, home to the same marble that Michelangelo used.

Each of the amplifier's controls are created using a single piece of brass, and once you turn the headphones on, the quartz glass vacuum tubes rise up from the marble enclosure and emit their characteristic glow. So, are you ready for a pair of the world’s most expensive ear piece?

AMD unveils world’s first 5GHz CPU

I

n a desperate ploy to stay relevant, AMD has announced the first commercially available CPU to hit 5GHz: the FX-9590. Like its flagship predecessor, the FX-8350, the new chip features four Piledriver modules, which roughly equate to eight cores. For those of you who can’t afford the FX-9590, AMD is also releasing the FX-9370, which is identical except for a slightly lower clock of 4.7GHz. Both chips are unlocked for further overclocking.

Before you get too excited, though, I should warn you that AMD-as usual, when it comes to performance-isn’t being entirely honest about the FX-9590’s 5GHz claim to fame. 5GHz is the chip’s Turbo Core speed, not the base clock. AMD hasn’t even announced the base clock speed, leaving me to guess (it’s probably around 4.3GHz). In reality, 5GHz will probably only be obtainable when there’s plenty of thermal overhead, and not for extended periods of time; if you were hoping to build a render farm out of eight-core monsters that are stuck at 5GHz, you will be disappointed.

AMD, which announced the FX-9590 and 9370 at E3, is framing these two chips as the ultimate gaming companion.

The bigger story here is that AMD has released the first commercial CPU to hit 5GHz, with a standard heatsink and fan (fun fact: AMD also produced the first 1GHz chip, way back in 2000).

Piledriver was always built with high clock speeds in mind (See: AMD’s FX-8350 analyzed: Does Piledriver deliver where Bulldozer fell short?), but 5GHz is still rather impressive. AMD may have made some tweaks to the architecture reach 5GHz, but in all likelihood this is probably just the result of improved yields from Global Foundries’ 32nm SoI process, which is finally reaching maturity. This correlates nicely with AMD’s recently released Richland APUs, which feature Piledriver-based CPUs capable of 5GHz overclocks.

The FX-9590 and FX-9370, both of which are Socket AM3+ Vishera CPUs, will be released soon. No word on pricing yet, but they will probably be priced just below Intel’s chips. It’s also worth noting that process maturity doesn’t override physics: At 5GHz, the FX-9590 will have an utterly monstrous TDP, probably in the 200W region, perhaps.

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

XIII

(A look at some of the stories that made the news ‘back-in-the-day’ with CLIFFORD STANLEY)

OUTBREAK OF MEASLES REPORTED: (The Daily Chronicle February 4, 1961).

An outbreak of measles has been reported.

Since the outbreak a few days ago scores of people from many parts have been flocking the out patients and casualty departments.

People from all walks of life have been affected and had to be taken to the Georgetown Hospital.

Quite a few cases received attention from private practitioners.

Workers and school children who are affected are advised by Doctors to stay in bed for about three days.

Mixing with others will spread the infection.

More than one third of the persons affected are those between the ages of 1 to 19.

GOLD MEDAL FOR 1960 LITERATURE: (The Daily Chronicle January 5, 1961).

Mr. Jacob W. Chinapen , Head teacher of Massiah CM. school on the Upper Corentyne and also Chairman of the Upper Corentyne Regional Youth Council has received the gold medal which he won for competitive literature in 1960.

It was the top prize which he was fortunate to obtain for his collection of poems entitled “Albion Wilds”.

Mr. Chinapen hails from Pln. Albion and it was from there that this versatile teacher got the inspiration to write.

Second prize went to Mr. Wordsworth McAndrew for his poem entitled “Old Higue”.

At the presentation ceremony was Mr. A.J.Seymour who was Chairman of the Committee that supervised the Competition.

CIGARETTE ENDS CAUSED MOST OF 1960 FIRES:

MEDICATED SALT TO BE USED IN TREATMENT AGAINST MALARIA: (The Daily Chronicle January 18th 1961).

A new campaign to eradicate malaria from B.G’s interior will be officially launched on Saturday morning.

At the Kingston laboratory all shipments of salt to the interior are being treated with a special anti-malarial drug which does not affect the taste smell or color of the salt.

The population of the interior for whose protection the campaign is being launched, numbers about 30,000 in an area of about 50,000 square miles.

The use of medicated salt is a technique which is part of a world wide malaria eradication drive.

It is already being used in Trinidad, Venezuela and Brazil where the campaign began six months ago and is now beginning to reach the Rio Branco across the frontier.

After the coming week end, all salt supplies to the North West District , Pomeroon River area, Bartica , Cuyuni and Mazaruni and the Rupununi will be medicated salt.

The shipping of any other kind of salt will be illegal.

The price of the medicated salt will be the same as the usual salt.

The Health Ministry is asking for the cooperation of all salt dealers in the interior.

FINED FOR MAKING FALSE REPORT: (The Daily Chronicle January 16, 1961).

Pleading guilty on Saturday to a charge of giving false information to the Police on Friday, Ona Williams was fined $7.50 or one month.

She made a report to a Police Constable that Milton Smith had run away with 25 cents that she had dropped in Croal street.

Investigations revealed that the report was false.

Smith was however made to pay a similar fine for behaving in a very very disorderly manner when held by the Police.

The big diamond “shouts” in the Ekereku area last year have contributed largely to the bumper production of nearly five million dollars in diamonds recorded at the end of 1960.

Last year’s diamond production rose by about two million dollars to a total of $4, 915,900.

The current local price of diamonds is fifty dollars per carat.

The price of gold is fifty five dollars per ounce.

Gold production last year was about 1,000 ounces less than in the previous year.

STABROEK MARKET ZONING BEGINS MONDAY:

(The Daily Chronicle January 11, 1961).

Zoning of the eighty year old Stabroek Market will begin on Monday Town Clerk Mr. Edgar Adams said yesterday.

He said that Stall holders had been given until January 15th to make alternative arrangements for carrying on their business while the work was in progress.

The zoning of the market which was constructed in 1881 will streamline its appearance, facilitate shopping and relieve congestion.

When alterations are completed, grocery, fruit , vegetables , drugs and cloth stores etc! will each be located in its own section.

Mr. Adams said that the work should be completed within a few weeks.

AFTER 26 YEARS TOGETHER: MAN LEAVES “WIFE”, 11 CHILDREN TO WED “GUIANESE” NURSE: (The Daily Chronicle January 14th 1961)

(The Daily Chronicle January 14, 1961).

The Georgetown Fire Brigade answered more than 200 calls from members of the public last year.

It was disclosed that most of the fires occurring during the year were caused by cigarette ends and matches .

Fires caused by faulty electrical equipment and appliances fell 11 short of those caused by cigarette ends and matches.

DIAMOND OUTPUT UP (The Daily Chronicle January 20, 1961.)

CANADIAN EXPEDITION FOR B.G.’s JUNGLES: (The Daily Chronicle January 14, 1961).

An expedition from the Royal Ontario Museum arrives in the country next week for an expedition into the jungle.

It’s mission is to trap and study the South American country’s wild life.

Dr. R.L. Peterson 41 is the leader of the party.

They hope to find jaguars, cougars, rodents, deer, peccarys- pig like animals- and some of the 100 varieties of bats.

The manatee, an aquatic animal which is believed to have prompted the old stories of mermaids, will be high on the list.

Present knowledge of B.G.’s fauna Dr. Peterson explained, is based on collections made before 1900.

A woman and her eleven children drove to a one-shingled boarding house yesterday in a vain effort to stop the marriage of her common law husband with whom she had lived for twenty eight years and had borne eleven children, the last one born last year.

Angry no longer the woman had appealed to the Mayor and the Mayor advised her to have it stopped.

But 44 year old Christopher Payne, a city barber, was happily married behind closed doors to Ingrid Niles, a nurse born in Barbados but domiciled for ten years in B.G. She was married in B.G. but claimed that her husband died some time ago.

Estelle Butcher complained that twice she had prepared her wedding outfit and had gone to Church to marry Christopher but he had not turned up.

She said that one day she received a letter from her rival Ingrid and when she opened it fire flew out.

From then Christopher had started moving out his belongings from the home which they shared.

(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or cell phone # 694-0913)

XIV

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Dental abscesses

By Bertrand Stuart DDS

An abscess is a cavity or swelling filled with pus.

There are three types of dental abscesses that resemble each other. It is their point of origin that differentiates them. A gum or gingival abscess is the result of injury to or infection of the surface of the gum tissue. If an infection moves deep into the gum pockets, drainage of pus is blocked and a “gum boil” appears. A periapical abscess refers to a tooth in which the pulp is infected, usually secondary to tooth decay.

The affected side of the face will be swollen.

Dental abscesses generally are caused by tooth decay, gum disease, and impacted wisdom teeth. Some people are more prone to infections if they have poor oral hygiene, or have less saliva in the mouth because

of taking too many medicines. Good health and nutrition also plays an important role for our defense ability against infections.

However, heavy smokers are also at greater risk of developing oral infections.

Pus discharging from the gums may not be painful when there is no pressure buildup. However when the pus is trapped, it forms a “balloon”, and it can be painful. If you should realize that you have an abscess, or begin to feel a slight swelling, you must have it checked by your dentist as soon as possible and have it managed early.

Hot salt mouthwashes are particularly useful in the meantime, but smoking will make things worse. If an abscess exists, the pus could spread further and make things worse.

Medicines alone may not work and the pus must

be drained at the clinic as soon as possible. This drainage will give you relief immediately. It is absolutely essential to identify

The gum line is in fact an open gateway for bacteria to enter your bloodstream, known as bacteremia. This is why it is

the tooth which is causing your infection and you must have it either treated or extracted. Even if an abscess is painless but you do not know it is there, you must never hesitate to seek treatment as early as possible.

Keeping abscesses in the mouth is not healthy for you and the bacteria can leak into your bloodstream and be carried to other body organs.

so important to keep your teeth as clean as possible, particularly at gum line. Unknowingly minute traces of bacteria do enter our bloodstream everyday from our gums at the gum lines. Under normal circumstances, as these traces are indeed minute, our body defenses protect us enough from their harm and we would never fall ill because of it.

There is direct correlation between gum disease and heart disease and researchers have found that people who have gum disease are twice as likely to develop coronary heart

disease. One theory for this is that the bacteria which enter the bloodstream via the gums can travel and infect the already accumulated fat within the coronary artery to damage it further.

The heart, and Dr. BERTRAND in particular the R. STUART, DDS. heart valves, are at risk of infecmedicine taken orally one tion. Those who have already had their heart hour before hand. Gum valves damaged by rheu- disease and abscesses in matic fever at childhood are the mouth should never be at great risk of becoming tolerated as they can be a infected again during life good source of bacteria for by oral bacteria (S.viridans) infecting the heart.

Did you know that and a next attack can cause the fatal condition known as your maxillary sinuses infective endocarditis (I.E.). exist just above your upThis re-infection is most per back teeth? The roots of these teeth are pointing unaffordable.

It is now thought that upwards towards these sitheir maintaining the high- nuses and sometimes their est standard of daily oral tips even penetrate right hygiene all-year round is a into them. If any upper real life saver. People who back teeth should develop have had their heart valves an infection, the bacteria damaged before and visit and pus can spread from their dentists for a scale and its roots to enter into the polish or tooth examination, blood circulatory system. should have an antibiotic

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

XV

Brazil’s prisons ...

► From page XI

something each person has to decide on their own.”

In a recent training session, prisoners in handcuffs were bussed to the charity’s headquarters, located within a complex of 10 prisons. Activities ranged from Ayurvedic massage to yoga, ear candling therapy and pottery painting.

From watching the prisoners, their favourite seemed to be the clay therapy that’s designed to improve skin health for the prisoners, who spend most of their hours in dank, dark cells.

Family members join the detainees on the last Friday of each month. Everyone shares a meal and prisoners, some of whom show their Ayurveda certificates to their mothers, then use their new skills to massage family members.

Aponte says the therapies offered by ACUDA have helped him achieve much more than he ever did as a free man.

“Today I am a mechanic, a sculptor, a masseur and other things,” he says. “I didn’t know how to do anything before, only wrong.”

XVI

New kind of "designer" immune cells clear baby's leukaemia

(Reuters) - A baby whom doctors thought almost certain to die has been cleared of a previously incurable leukemia in the first human use of an "offthe-shelf" cell therapy from Cellectis that creates designer immune cells.

One-year-old Layla had run out of all other treatment options when doctors at Britain's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) gave her the highly experimental, genetically edited

cells in a tiny 1-milliliter intravenous infusion.

Two months later, she was cancer-free and she is now home from hospital, the doctors said at a briefing about her case in London on Wednesday.

"Her leukemia was so aggressive that such a response is almost a miracle," said Paul Veys, a professor and director of bone marrow transplant at GOSH who led the team treating Layla.

"As this was the first time that the treatment had been used, we didn't know if or when it would work, so we were over the moon when it did."

The gene-edited cell treatment was prepared by scientists at GOSH and University College London (UCL) together with the French biotech firm Cellectis, which is now funding full clinical trials of the therapy due to start next year.

It is designed to work by adding new genes to healthy donated immune cells known as T-cells, which arm them against leukemia.

Using a gene-editing technology called TALEN, which acts as "molecular

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015 scissors," specific genes are then cut to make the T-cells behave in two specific ways: Firstly, they are rendered invisible to a powerful leukaemia drug that would usually kill them and secondly they are reprogrammed to only target and fight against leukemia cells.

Other drugmakers including Novartis, Juno Therapeutics and Kite Pharma have tested genetically modified T-cells extracted from an individual patient.

However, this is the first time cells from a healthy donor have been used in a process could lead to a ready off-the-shelf supply for use in multiple patients.

Some scientists have questioned Cellectis' approach because of potential problems with patients rejecting foreign cells.

But the French biotech, working with the U.S. giant Pfizer, as well as Novartis believes its method is faster and cheaper than creating single patient-specific gene therapies.

Results from Layla's case were due to be presented at the American So-

ciety of Hematology's annual meeting in Orlando on Wednesday.

"This is a landmark in the use of new gene engineering technology and the effects for this child have been staggering," said Waseem Qasim, a professor of Cell and Gene Therapy at UCL and immunologist at GOSH who worked on her medical team.

If the success in this case is sustained and replicated in other patients, he said, the therapy "could represent a huge step forward in treating leukaemia and other cancers."

Matt Kaiser, head of research at the leukemia and lymphoma charity Bloodwise, said that while the concept of editing immune cells to recognize and hunt out leukemia cells is "very exciting," patients and their families should note that the technique is still in the very early stages of development.

"We need to establish whether it can offer a longterm cure, whether there are any side effects and which patients are most likely to benefit from it," he said.

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

STARR Computer pursues Smart-Home concept

A

By Rabindra Rooplall FTER introducing the world’s smallest personal computer – a device that can fit in the palm of your hand- to the local market President of STARR Computer, Michael Mohan says technological advancements are rapidly evolving and the company will be looking into the concept of Smart Homes.

During an exclusive interview with this publication, Mr Mohan related that Smart-Homes, also known as automated homes, are a recent design development.

He explained that Smart Homes incorporate common devices that control features of the home. Originally, smart home technology was used to control environmental systems such as lighting and heating; but recently the use of smart technology has developed so that almost any electrical component within the house can be included in the system.

Moreover, Mohan said the smart home technology does not simply turn devices on and off, it can monitor the internal environment and the activities that are being undertaken whilst the house is occupied.

“The result of these modifications to the technology is that a smart home can now monitor the activities of the occupant of a home, independently operate devices in set predefined patterns or independently, as the user requires.” He explained, “Smart home technology uses many of the same devices that are used in assistive technology to build an environment in which many features in the home are automated and devices can communicate with each other.”

With the important development of the internet and the high speed access, the potential of home working and teleworking is becoming possible.

He underscored that those smart objects can be just a light that we can control, a refrigerator which knows its state and is able to supply in line by itself, telephony, security systems, videos on demand, …all those objects will be connected on the home network to give their states or receive instructions.

Home networking allows the home to become fully connected, controlled externally as well as internally. The residential gateway offers an external access by the way of Ethernet or Internet network. This gateway makes it possible for the house to connect new services and to download them. The service provider is in charge of the new services for inhabitants and their accessibility.

“In a schematic way, a smart home can be described as a house which is equipped with smart objects, a home network which makes it possible to transport information between objects and a residential gateway to connect the smart home to the outside Internet world. Smart objects make it possible to interact with inhabitants or to observe them.” Mr Mohan pointed out.

“In just a few years, you'll awake in the morning to the sound of your alarm, and the hidden sensors in the room will know you're getting up. The lights will automatically but

gradually turn on and the thermostat will warm the rooms you're about to use — the bathroom, the kitchen and, a few minutes later, your car…The coffee will start to brew. You'll get push notifications about the weather. Your kitchen will remind you which ingredients you'll need to pick up on your way home from work and the items you'll want to include in dinner that night before they spoil. When you leave the house, you'll press a button via an app that will self-drive your car out of the garage,” Mr Mohan emphasized.

XVII President of STARR Computer, Michael Mohan

A Smart Home is really just a collection of technical home automation concepts that are implemented by your installer and integrated together to meet your goals and expectations the client. A good job entails providing the highest quality of integration between the chosen 'Home Automation concepts' using products that are standalone products, well supported in the market and can be enhanced by cross-linking with other Smart Home systems.

XVIII

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on September 10 every year. Not many of us know it even exists. It came and passed with nary a whisper. Yet Guyana has the dubious distinction of having the highest suicide rate globally.

A moment of weakness

S

By Godfrey Wray

tanton Headley sat at the very edge of the concrete jetty, legs dangling in the void, wary eyes staring into space.

The silence seemed to reverberate around him forever as he focused on the lights of one of the ubiquitous container ships pasted against the distant horizon.

He was unaware of the small waves lapping against the imposing man-made projection and he paid no attention to the twin blasts of salty sprays and chill winds. Yet he could actually feel the acrid presence of the city clutching and clinging to him like an over-zealous lover.

His fingers traced an intricate pattern on the jetty’s surface as he marveled at the exactitude of the line running down its center. The Dutch surely knew what they were doing when they constructed the hundreds of miles of sea defence structures, he thought.

The ocean barrier was referred to as the Sea Wall. It was a favorite place for teenagers to gather, and after dark, to perform acts their parents would certainly not approve.

He heard footsteps but before he could turn around, a questioning voice asked, “You all right, buddy?”

He nodded in the affirmative, giving the thumbs up, suggesting that everything was under control.

The stranger however lingered as if he weren’t completely convinced by the non-verbal reply.

Stanton was annoyed.

Couldn’t a man just sit alone and think?

Why do people always have to intrude when a person was seeking solace in his or her own space?

His attention returned abruptly to the present, and back in his self-imposed exile, he savored the slim rays of moonlight squeezing through darkly menacing clouds.

Time seemed to mean nothing to him as slowly and stealthily the darkness engulfed his surroundings. His mind was in cruise control, covering lap after lap of nothingness: an unending, circular complexity.

In the silence, his ticking watch was as loud as a church bell. However, he appeared at peace with himself, satisfied that his timing was perfect. He just had to wait for that inner voice to give the final signal and then it would be all over.

The traffic light in his head was blinking amber. He eased himself into a crouching posture, apparently waiting for the inevitable green signal.

Soon it would come…and soon he would go.

An adenoid grunt cut through the reverie like a cutlass. He spun around, swiveling on one foot and crouching in one single, fluid movement. The alacrity was hard to attribute to a man with suicide on his mind. Obviously some sort of athletic training had left its roots.

Annoyingly he advanced on the scrawny mutt that had appeared out Godfrey Wray of nowhere, but a pair of unwavering, rheumy eyes shot back an icy glare that reeked of reprimand.

He knew that dogs could smell fear from afar and he wondered if this runt’s olfactory gift had somehow zoomed in on the suicidal tremors in the air.

The eyes that burned into his were full of censure and he felt that if the animal could express its feelings orally, coward would be one of the words used.

Stan wanted to tell the dog how wrong it was. To do something as decisive as he was contemplating took courage and he had reached that required level. He just didn’t want witnesses or do-gooders trying to rescue him. He wanted to go off by himself. Do his thing. Take off into the night. It was every person’s right.

Beyond the dog, there had been six shadows…for him a half-dozen too many. Now the crowd was growing. Its numbers stood at ten humans and the drooling, minacious canine.

It was ironic but he understood that tragedy and morbidity held their own fascination and that a fecal pile usually attracted more attention than a flower garden.

A quiver of uncertainty tickled his spine. Was this really how a person felt just before taking the final plunge? Why did people succumb to depression so quickly? Where was faith?

He asked himself outright. Is a person committing suicide a coward?

No answer came back.

But viewed through the prism of reality, his Christian beliefs made him realize that any reason for such drastic action had to be the devil’s work.

Where were the answers at that stage? In what direction should one look?

Contradiction, doubt and confusion careened in his head. He was caught up in the vortex of an inner struggle, wondering at what point the balance was really tipped.

With a heavy sigh, his shoulders drooped and he cast a final backward glance at the shadows that had now fully metamorphosed into an intrusive mob. His entire countenance was an expression of abject sadness.

“Don’t do it,” someone shouted, almost in his ear.

He didn’t even bother to look in the direction of the command.

His body language said it all. If you want to watch, be my guest. The morbid ones would talk for years about seeing a man step into the Atlantic Ocean and disappearing into its murky waters right before their eyes.

Hooray for them!

From the expression on his face he seemed armed with a sense of fatalism and on a mission that extended beyond himself. He lifted his right foot and prepared for the first step into nothingness. It would be an earthly ending…and a sublime beginning somewhere else.

A soft hand encircled his left wrist where he always wore his black-faced Seiko watch. And a dulcet voice said encouragingly, “Let’s do it together.”

He jerked back.

Who was this intruder?

In the deep shadows he saw it was a woman, her complexion a rich caramel. He fixed her with a disapproving look.

“Who are you?” he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.

“I am a coward like you. Come on let’s do it together before God or someone else interferes.”

“Don’t try to stop me; I’ve made up my mind.”

“Don’t you want company where you’re going?”

He didn’t answer, just tried to wrest his hand away. But her slender fingers remained clamped on his hand like a foundry vise.

In a totally unexpected gesture, Stanton looked to the heavens as if to implore someone up there to intervene and let commonsense prevail. He thought he saw a huge star in the sky, gliding gracefully from side to side like a tailless kite on a windy Easter Monday.

Then it was gone.

With one mighty heave Stan finally wrenched his hand away and rushed quickly from the woman’s presence, rudely barreling through the throng of on-lookers.

He was back on terra firma, striding briskly down Vlissengen Road, headed unerringly back to the home he had recently thought of abandoning forever.

The sky had turned dark gray with a strong hint of anger.

A rumble of thunder issued a warning of outpourings to come.

Teri Yaadein

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

I

XIX

- An Indian Retro Concert

ndian movie masala is being taken in a unique direction with the upcoming staging of an Indian Retro Concert. Here Mark Kazim and Ttonya Singh pose for Chronicle photographer Samuel Maughn.

It is almost now cliché to hear “old is gold” but when it comes to the music of Hindi cinema, no one can really argue with that.

Songs of the 50s and the three decades that followed remain some of the most popular Hindi movie

songs, be it the sensual Aaiye Meharbaan (Howrah Bridge, 1958) or the soulful Lag Ja Gale (Woh Kaun Thi, 1964). Be it romance, comedy, cabaret, or even an ode to Orient nations, Bollywood delivered in the good old days. When the 1980s was breaking out in the west, so too it was in the east, with Bollywood churning out some of the best disco music the industry has ever produced.

Now, Black Sage Media, a cultural development organization made up of a diverse group of young profes-

sionals, in association with the Indian Action Committee (formerly Indian Arrival Committee) have teamed up to present open air concerts featuring evergreen Hindi classics.

The shows concerts, featuring a range of songs and dances, are billed for the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground on Friday, November 20, and then the Rose Hall Canje Ground on Saturday, November 21.

The show is also planned for the Indian Monument Gardens on November 22. (Photo by Samuel Maughn)

XX

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

The Yadram cricket clan T

By Tajeram Mohabir

h e Ya d r a m family of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara has scored what is probably a first in the sport of cricket.

Semangal and Shameeza Yadram together have three children, two boys and a girl, and now, all of them have played cricket at the national level.

The achievement might not be too surprising as Semangal is a lover of the sport, a love he developed as a boy going to the Enterprise Cricket Ground to see his father play.

He later became a member of the team, but before that, his father-in-law also played for the same team.

It is safe or probably en-

terprising to say that there is a Yadram cricket clan.

Several other members of the family have played and currently play for the Enterprise team.

In 2013, the Yadram family celebrated an outstanding achievement, even though it passed unnoticed in the local cricketing fraternity.

Their three children, Kavita now 21, Bhaskar 21 and Kamesh 16, all played for Guyana that year. Kavita managed to break into the senior women’s side as a specialist batter; Bhaskar made the Under 19 team, while their younger brother Kamesh captained the Guyana Under-15 side.

It is quite common for all the males in a family to play the widely followed sport in Guyana. It is also common for local girls and women to

fall in love with the sport to the extent that they play it as a pastime.

But never before, with the exception of the Yadram siblings, has a family produced children, where both the sons and daughter played cricket for Guyana at the national level.

Semangal told the Guyana Chronicle that his boys love cricket, and so too his daughter. And more encouragingly, she is as good as the boys when they play.

Kavita, who is medium built and forthright in speech, started out as an all-rounder playing soft ball cricket for the Enterprise women’s team. In a bid to advance, she began playing hardball. That was the stage where she began to hone her skills to take her game to the next level.

BREAK THROUGH In 2011, after participating in the Guyana Cricket Board of Control (GCB) Under-19 trials, she was selected for the national team. The following two years, Kavita performed creditably and her good showing earned her a place in the women’s national side, a place she still holds.

“It is a great joy, privilege and lifetime opportunity to be playing for my county, Guyana. The experience is simply awesome. I get to play against some of the best female cricketers in the Caribbean, including those who play for the Women’s West Indies team. That sort of exposure gives you the motivation to put your best foot forward, which I do,” a passionate Kavita told the Guyana Chronicle.

The young lady said she

continues to work hard on her game and her immediate goal is to make the Women’s West Indies team.

Her brother, Bhaskar, who represented Guyana at the Under 15 and Under-19 levels, said he is hoping to one day play for the senior national side.

For now, he has been playing contract cricket in Trinidad and Tobago. Bhaskar plays for the team Rousillac United and when in Guyana he players for the Enterprise Busta Sports Team and the Ghandi Youth Organisation.

He has been called twice for trial for the national side but never made the team.

According to him, making it into the national side is a challenge.

He said attention should always be placed on performance and not name.

The Yadram siblings: Bhaskar (left), Kavita and Kamesh. (Samuel Maughn photo)

His younger brother Kamesh, who is still in school, also intends to make cricket his career. He began to develop a passion for the game by looking at his elder brother and sister play.

RISING STAR Kamesh, who is viewed as the rising star in his family, in 2014 did both Guyana and his family proud. Under his captaincy, Guyana won the West Indies regional Under-15 cricket tournament for the first time in more than a decade.

The boy and his elder brother told this publication that aside from them, they are many young cricketers on the East Coast and West Coast of Demerara who love the sport, but not much attention is given to them by local cricket administrators in helping them to develop their skills.

The brothers say that the day must come, sooner rather than later, when talented cricketers from outside of Georgetown do not have to travel to the City and play for a City club to get recognition.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), they noted should work on developing strong cricket clubs outside of the Capital that are as good as the top clubs there.

And for Kavita, the cricket authorities need to pay more attention to female cricket in Guyana since the women can make as much an impact and impression as their male counterparts.

The Yadram siblings during the interview thanked their parents, sponsors, friends and well-wishers who have encouraged and supported them in playing a sport that they love with passion.

Their father Semangal said he is super proud of his children.

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Scientists learn how some fish can supercharge their vision

(Reuters) Superman can use his X-ray vision whenever the need arises. It turns out that in real life, some fish and amphibians can do something nearly as super when it come to their sight.

Researchers on Thursday said these animals, when navigating murky freshwater environments like rivers and streams, can turn on an enzyme in their eyes that supercharges their ability to see infrared light, sharpening their vision in the muck and mire.

The enzyme, called Cyp27c1, is related to vitamin A, which was already known to promote good vision, particularly in low light.

Vitamin A is a critical component of the visual pigment in eyes that facilitates sight. With the enzyme, fish and amphibians can tune their vision to match the environmental light.

Chemically, Cyp27c1 makes a small modification on the molecule of the form of Vitamin A called Vitamin A1 to turn it into Vitamin A2, shifting sensitivity of eye photoreceptors to longer wavelengths such as red and infrared light.

This explains how freshwater fish like salmon can smoothly adjust their vision as they exit ocean waters, where the light environment is blue-green, and enter inland waterways, where the light environment veers to the red and infrared end of the spectrum.

This ability is also valuable for amphibians that switch from vision on land to underwater.

"Fresh water tends to be more turbid or murkier than these other environments. This murkiness filters out shorter wavelengths of light - blue, greens, and yellows - leaving mainly longer wavelengths - red and infrared light," said pathologist and vision scientist Dr. Joseph Corbo of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

"We don't know when in the course of evolution the Cyp27c1 enzyme first acquired the function it has today," Corbo said. "However, the fact that the same enzyme is used by both fish and amphibians suggests that this function originated hundreds of millions of years ago."

The researchers first pinpointed the enzyme in a common laboratory fish called the zebrafish, then found it in bullfrogs. Humans possess a copy of the gene that controls this enzyme, but it is not active in our eyes.

Corbo said the enzyme possibly could be used in conjunction with optogenetic devices, which allow scientists to turn the activity of neurons on and off with light, in a new approach to treat neurological and blinding diseases.

The research was published in the journal Current Biology.

XXI

XXII

Hello?

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

A

fter discovering Rosalind Penfold's graphic novel about abuse, Dragonslippers, I stumbled upon your website.

It's stories like hers that make me think about my own relationship with my husband.

Compared to the problems in her marriage, mine pale in comparison. My husband is a responsible and loving father, a hardworking family man, which is why I flip-flop on whether he's really a jerk.

In the years I've known him, I have been living on

eggshells, not knowing when his explosive temper might occur. In the beginning, I was confused when we had a conversation and he barely responded.

When I asked him a question and there was no response, I would say something like, Hello? Are you there? Next thing you know, he's kicking my purse and throwing my things down the stairs in response.

One of my scariest memories was when we were driving to the airport. Complete utter silence. So as usual I said, Hello? Are you there? Within a split second, he's driving recklessly, flooring the gas pedal and swerving in and out of lanes.

Then he turns to me and says, "I'm merging, can't you see that! Don't you ever talk to me when I'm trying to get into traffic."

He once cornered me into our upstairs master bedroom with a knife during an argument. After he calmed down, he says and I quote, "I never intended to hurt you, but I wanted to show you how insane you make me feel to the point where I want â–şContinued on page XXIII

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

â–ş From page XXII to use this knife on myself."

This is the person I have three children with. After one incident, on vacation at Disney World in 2009, his outburst triggered something I never felt before. I felt a boulder lift from my shoulders. I no longer cared, not one single bit. I felt I grew 10 feet tall. I thought the hell with his tantrums and fits.

From that day on, I ignored him whenever he got upset with me out of the blue. As I got stronger, he started to change for the better, or so I thought.

Last year, not knowing when I would set him off for the most trivial of common, daily-life things, I was ready to divorce. But I had my kids to think of.

As a compromise, I moved into the spare room and only spoke to him when necessary. During the "separation" he improved his behavior and controlled his temper. Not a single outburst in over a year. I started to believe he'd changed. I decided to give it another try and moved back into our room.

Things were okay for a while, but the more they settled back to normal daily routine and conversations, and I let my guard down, the less patient he started to become. Bit by bit the old him started to reappear.

Just last week we were meeting with a gardener and I casually mentioned wanting to remove a lavender bush. Knowing from past history what might happen if I didn't cover my bases and my ass and check with him first, I turned to him and said, "Of course, the decision is up to you."

I had no idea how upset he would be. He used the word "ambush" to describe me catching him off guard and not alerting him to what I had in mind.

First of all, this was about landscaping, not a world crisis or a major purchase. Second, why use the word "ambush" which means to attack?

He's back to his old self again. My daughter will be leaving for college in less than two years, but my youngest is only 10. I think I can hang on for 24 months, but no more.

Frieda Frieda, reading your letter makes us wonder, if your husband wrote, what might he say? Next week we'll answer both letters, yours and the one he didn't write.

Wayne & Tamara Send letters to: DirectAnswers@WayneAndTamara.com

XXIII

XXIV

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Guyanese drummer Orlando Primo creating shockwaves in the U.S.

G

By Alex Wayne uyana not so long ago lost a talented drummer who migrated to the U.S. in search of a better life, and he is certainly chalking up notable points as he keeps glued to his roots in the foreign land.

Just recently Primo and his followers hosted their ‘Feel the rhythm of the drums’ festival and it was well received by fans abroad. Even though he is abroad, his African Drumming School in Guyana also hosted their leg of their festival at the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown last month The event was held in honour of the school’s fifth anniversary.

The event, which is also referred to as the “drum circle”, featured drummers, dancers and singers from around Guyana… The main focus of “Feel the rhythm of the drums” event is to continue inspiring, educating, and revitalising the culture and drumming art form by bringing together talent and the community at large.

The school started with ten amazing drummers and it has since expanded. Offering a six-month certificate programme, the school covers the history of drumming, types of drums, keys, and rhythms, and everything else associated with the art of drumming.

At the school, the focus is solely on hand drumming, teaching the student techniques and styles for various forms of hand drums from around the world, including congas, bongos, djembe, and doumbek.

Students gain knowledge of the origins and history of various types of hand drums, the proper way to hold and position drums, what’s the proper hand position; basic hand strokes specific to the student’s type of drum, play and read rhythms specific to the students type of drum, develop time-keeping skills by playing often, play and read more complex rhythms, and developing creative solo ideas WHO IS ORLANDO PRIMO? Orlando Primo was born on December 12, 1986, at the Davis’s Memorial Hospital, in Georgetown, Guyana.

Being the seventh of 11 siblings, he began playing drums at the tender age of seven with his brothers Jumo. ‘Rubber Waist’ Primo, and Kurt Primo, as a beginner at the many thanksgiving services his father spearheaded.

He was not really a quick learner with the drums, but his dad and brothers always remained spellbound at the melodious and stirring rhythms he created.

By age ten he was ready to take on the world as a young drummer and from there on, improved rapidly until he became one of the most talented African drummers around. He soon became a household name, creating his own style and routines which always found favour with his audiences. In 2003, they formed a group called the ‘Primo Brothers’ of which Orlando was the ‘second man in charge of things’ despite his tender age.

This group took top honours in the ‘E Kaabo Kabiesi Competition’ in 2004, and placed second in the African Cultural Association Drumming Competition in 2005. In 2006 they again won the E Kaabo Kabiesi Competition, and repeated that feat in 2007.

Since then, Orlando has greatly improved his act and ► Continued on page XXVIII

XXV

Orlando Primo (forefront) and young members of his very popular drumming school

XXVI

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Herbert sharpens anything that fits on a grinding stone Mr. Hector Herbert Headley

W

By Telesha Ramnarine HEN h e first went t o Bourda Market after acquiring a tiny stall to sharpen knives, all he had was a grinding stone.

Many, including the butchers, mocked him and told him it was impossible for him to sharpen their knives and cutlasses on such a machine.

“You don’t sharpen cutlass and knife on a grinding stone. You would spoil it,” they would say to him.

But being the iron-willed, strong individual that he is, he discarded those remarks as nonsense and went right ahead with what he knew was a good business venture.

Meet 78-year-old Hector Herbert Headley, who was born and raised in Georgetown and who has come to be well-known in the City, following his establishment of the Sharpening Center in Bourda Market, back in 1987. He is reportedly among a handful of persons who ply this trade, and he has trained some 20 persons over the years.

Along with his sharpening skills, Mr. Headley has learned the art of replacing inferior knives and cutlass handles with those made from PVC (the common but

Mr. Headley using the grinding stone strong, lightweight plastic used in construction, etc.)

EVEN THE BUTCHERS

Among the schools Mr. Headley attended were the Dharm Shala’s Hindu School in Albouystown, Broad Street Government (now Dolphin’s), and St. George’s Primary. As a child, he reasoned to himself that should he go further and attend secondary school, it would cost his mother a lot financially.

She can especially remember how hard she worked to make ends meet.

“As a child, I couldn’t bear to put her through all of that.

I told her I preferred to start working after primary school instead of having her find resources to send me five extra years.”

He worked at Bookers Limited (now Guyana Stores) as an apprentice for

five years. “Thankfully I got a scholarship from Bookers and attended the Government Technical Institute. I had to go to the institute to fulfill my commitment in the apprenticeship scheme that I was involved in,” he explained in an interview.

Eventually, he moved on to Sprostons Ship Yard on Lombard Street, a company that built ships in Guyana; the Guyana agency that looked after Caterpillar equipment, now called Macorp; Toolsie Persaud Limited; and Nichimo, a firm that manufactured fishing nets.

Mr. Headley recalled how he was kept for a very long period in the tool room at Bookers. “My skills sharpening were so good that they kept me in ► Continued

on page XXVII

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015 ► From page

XXVI

there longer than I should have been. So I started to mess things up a bit,” he laughed. However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise when he suddenly lost employment.

He had applied for leave months before he was to proceed, but a few days before he was to go, his employer at Nichimo told him it was impossible for him to go due to the amount of work that was to be done.

“I had already made a commitment elsewhere for the time I was going to be off work. So I told him just as I kept my commitments at work, I like to keep my other commitments. So I went on leave nevertheless but when I returned, there was no employment there for me. But I wasn’t surprised.”

At this point, Mr. Headley had his wife and seven children to care for.

“It was difficult to get work so I went to Robert Williams (Deputy Mayor at the time) and asked for help to find a stand in the market. He asked me if I was sure this was going to take care of my family. Other than me, there was no one for people to go to for sharpening. I figured that if a service of that sort was available in a place like a market, it would do well.”

“Around 1987, I started to operate in Bourda Market. My motto is, ‘We give you the edge.’ Apart from sharpening, I try to give my customers more than they expect. It’s not easy to do that, but it works well for me and the customer.”

“When I got there, it wasn’t easy to start up. People told me to my face that I would damage their cutlass putting it to a grinding stone.

That’s what the butchers said to me. I thought that was nonsense. The butchers made a lot of fuss and told me I can’t do it so I went to the fish area and told people that

The Sharpening Centre

I was sharpening for free for a while. Most of them came.”

Eventually, everyone went for Mr. Headley to sharpen their equipment, including the butchers. “I went to Bourda Market a Wednesday and sharpened for free for three days. Saturday morning I told them I couldn’t continue to do it free. It wasn’t a problem and my business had a jump start.”

PVC HANDLES As people went to do their sharpening, they began asking Mr. Headley to put on handles on their knives.

He kept telling them that it wasn’t something he could do. Eventually, though, he thought to himself that this was a business opportunity that he was throwing away.

“But what could I use to make a handle? I didn’t want to use wood because of the complications. I went and looked for pipe made of PVC. I was trying to

figure out a way to flatten the PVC so I could have a nice, flat handle. PVC is really tough stuff. Someone encouraged me to heat it up; boil it and then flatten it when it was really hot. I did that but didn’t find success so decided to try it on the fire directly. That did i! It became soft and flexible.

Bingo! I got it! That’s what I do up to today.”

Mr. Headley sharpens cutlasses, knives, scissors, carpenter saws, circle saws and just about anything that he can get on the grinding stone. He also buys brandnew knives and choppers and replaces their handles with those made from PVC. “Knives have a peculiar ability of accumulating

XXVII bacteria. And they are made with materials designed to go bad after a short time.

You would be shocked to see the amount of living bacteria underneath the black handle knives. People don’t even know about this. I guess many don’t care.” The PVC material, however, is bacteria resistant.

KINDNESS AT WORK Mr. Headley is very particular about timing on the job. When his customers fail to return for their equipment at the time he tells them to, it causes some amount of chaos. “People don’t keep their commitment to come back for their knives and then they come months later and

said they left it last week. Of course, I engrave their names and the dates on the knives, so they don’t get away with this.”

And then there are those who would like to be loud and quarrel. “It takes extra special effort to be kind because the world is very unkind. People are insensitive to kindness generally. But I ignore that,” he said.

Mr. Headley is on the verge of retiring and so is looking to sell his business.

“I’m selling the business cheap to anyone who might be interested.”

Currently, he operates on a daily basis, except on Wednesdays and Sundays, from 8 am to about 3 or 4 pm.

XXVIII ► From page XXV has rapidly moved up the ranks to become one of the most talented and skillful African drummers not only in Guyana, but in several neighbouring countries.

His musical accolades are paralleled by his academic achievement – he completed secondary school where he earned is Diploma in general studies at Campbellville Secondary School (Guyana) and is currently perusing is Associate Degree in Business at Delgado Community College (DCC), in Louisiana.

The talented drummer became the face of drumming after he launched ‘Majek Fingers Drumming School, the first drumming school in Guyana in 2010. His pictures appeared on Billboards and Phone Cards all over Guyana and in the local newspapers, making him one of the most recognisable faces in the art on the local shores.

Shortly after, in September 2010, Orlando held the first African Drumming and Dance Festival in Guyana.

He has represented Guyana at several competitions – in Barbados at the Global DAY of Drums; in Suriname at the Inter-Guyana Culture Festival (2011); at the International Day of Peace in Brooklyn NY (2014) and at the Congo Square Rhythm Festival in New Orleans (2015).

Orlando believes in using and imparting his gifts and talents, and now builds his drum school upon two pillars: inspiration and education. His school won first place at the Music Arts Festival in 2013.

Other events at which he has performed include the International Day Of Peace, Bambola 2000 African Group event, Mr Streets New Orleans Showcase, Cong Square Rhythm Festival 2015, and Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary.

Presently he spearheads his own drumming class (four times monthly) in the U.S. and has just launched his new website, the international home of MFDS. He is presently in college pursuing business administration and has been invited to the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival in Canada five times already.

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Guyanese drummer Orlando Primo creating shockwaves ...

Orlando Primo (seated center) with his very supportive fans in the U.S.

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

XXIX

XXX

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

XXXI

XXXII

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

XXXIII

XXXIV

CXC

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

English

Chronicle Pepperpot November 8, 2015

To tackle jihadis, French activist says, ditch reason and religion (Reuters) Anthropologist Dounia Bouzar used to try religious arguments to turn young people away from militant Islam – and failed. So the 51-year-old grandmother developed her own techniques along the lines of Alcoholics Anonymous. Her main rule: Don’t try to reason with people.

“Characteristically, a young person who has been recruited … thinks that he is chosen and that he knows the truth,” said the bleach-blond, discreetly watched by three police bodyguards as she sat in a Parisian café. “As soon as you use reason – knowledge – to tackle this type of young person, you are failing.”

Bouzar, a Muslim herself, instead uses memories, music and even smells to try to win young militants back. Recruiters have adopted techniques developed by cults, she says, so it takes different skills to break their hold.

Bouzar now works for the Ministry of the Interior to train local authorities in her methods. Pierre N’Gahane, the official in charge of a 6 million euro ($6.62 million) program to prevent radicalization in France, says Bouzar and her team are “giving results with which we are quite satisfied.” Neither Bouzar nor French officials suggest hers is the only answer to militant recruiting. But Bouzar says her tactics are the start of a process that can work.

France has lost more people to militant Islam than any other country in Europe, according to most estimates. Two bloody attacks at home this year have emphasized the risks.

The French government estimates 1,800 citizens have joined jihadist networks in Syria or Iraq, or are on the verge of going. Another 7,000 are “at risk” of following that path.

Bouzar works under police protection and changes location

Dounia Bouzar

constantly.

About one in five French radicals in Iraq or Syria are women. And only a minority of the radicals Bouzar helps come from Muslim families, she says. About 80 percent were originally atheist or Catholic; some are even Jewish.

Her Centre for the Prevention of Sectarian Trends Linked to Islam (CPDSI) has handled around 600 families in the last year and receives about 15 calls a week. It employs six people.

She says she has failed in two or three cases but has “saved” about 50 young people.

Her methods are sometimes controversial. Her cases cannot be independently verified because she disguises them for the sake of privacy. Her critics say she is no expert on Islam, cannot speak Arabic, and is playing with amateur psychology.

But Bouzar, who was a social worker dealing with delinquent or at-risk young people for 15 years, has a team whose members have all experienced the loss or recruitment, and has plenty of experience with radicalized youth. In 2004, she started a project with 10 people who were radicalizing, and published a book about it.

Two years later, while working with an imam to convince young boys they were on the wrong path, she realized she was failing. When the imam spoke about religion, she says, the youths would reply: “‘Shut your face. That’s not what God says. I’m chosen. I know what God says.’”

Things got more complicated early last year, when Islamic State “brothers” began hunting online for wives. Many of their French recruits were well educated and came from stable backgrounds.

“These adolescents are undergoing a process of suggestion which is almost at the level of hypnosis,” said Serge Hefez, a family psychiatrist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris who treats some of the recruits seen by Bouzar.

XXXV

Katy Perry's $135 million tops Taylor Swift as highest music earner (Reuters) She didn't make as many headlines, nor sell as many albums, but Katy Perry handily beat Taylor Swift to become the highest-earning woman in music this year, according to Forbes.

Perry, 31, earned $135 million in the past 12 months, thanks to a huge worldwide "Prismatic" tour and endorsements deals with beauty companies like Coty and CoverGirl, Forbes estimated in a ranking released on Wednesday.

Swift, 25, was a distant second, with an estimated $80 million, despite some 8.6 million sales globally for her "1989" hit album and the start of a world tour.

Perry's latest album "Prism" has sold some four million worldwide since its release in 2013 and the "Roar" singer has been touring for most of the year.

British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac was placed third with $59.5 million although only two of its five current line-up are women. Nevertheless, the return of 1970s veterans Stevie Nicks and Christine McVeigh was seen as a key to the success of the band's year-long tour "On With the Show," Forbes said.

Lady Gaga was ranked fourth with $59 million - a long way behind her 2011 peak of $90 million when she was grabbing headlines with outrageous stunts and costumes.

Last year's top earner Beyonce slipped to 5th place with an estimated $54.5 million.

Katy Perry performs for supporters of U.S. Democratic presidential The Forbes list measures estimated pre-tax income from June 2014 to June 2015, and candidate Hillary Clinton at a rally before the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner includes earnings from albums, touring, endorsements and other commercial deals. in Des Moines, Iowa October 24, 2015.

Rolling Stones to tour Latin America for first time in 10 years

(Reuters) The Rolling Stones on Thursday announced they will tour Latin America after a 10-year absence, saying they will play dates in Peru, Colombia and Uruguay for the first time.

"We love playing Latin America and are excited about going to some cities for the first time! The audiences are among some of the best in the world, they bring incredible energy!" frontman Mick Jagger said in a press statement.

The tour will kick off in Santiago, Chile, on Feb. 3 and will include concerts in Brazil and Mexico City as well as Lima and Bogota. Tickets will go on sale on Nov. 9 The "America Latina Ole" stadium tour follows the British band's 2015 North American tour.

Guitarist Keith Richards said earlier this year that the band plan to record what would be their first album of new material since 2005's "A Bigger Bang" after the South American tour. But Thursday's announcement made no mention of new music to come from the band.

British veteran rockers The Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger performs in front of bandmates Ron Wood (L) and Keith Richards during a concert on their North American ''Zip Code'' tour in Nashville, Tennessee June 17, 2015.

Jackie Shroff defends daughter Krishna's 'topless' pics Krishna Shroff made headlines when she apparently posted some pictures of herself on her Instagram account.

Media reports claimed that the star kid had posed topless.

However, Krishna's daddy, Jackie Shroff, immediately came to her rescue. According to reports, Jackie has been quoted as saying that, "Let me clarify one thing - she is not topless in the pictures. For a picture to be topless, you won't be wearing anything. You should have checked the picture a little more

clearly. She has a towel wrapped around her. How can you even call it a topless picture?"

When asked if Krishna, too, was interested in acting, Jackie has said, "She has never spoken to me about her interest in acting ever. Rather, Tiger too had never told me that he wanted to act. This industry has given me everything and it has welcomed my son with open arms. So if Krishna wants to act, I would not stop her at all. I will be a rather happy person."