Pepperpot 2015 03 08

- survives three major surgeries in three years - going strong with faith in God

GWENDOLYN AGATHA PROSS An inspiration to cancer victims

► Page XV

Gwendolyn Agatha Pross

Local singer moves from rags to stardom

‘Mystic’

► Page XXXIV

RAMANAN CHATURI Seafield Jermaine Mc Bean

► Page XXXV

► Page XXI

- is a man of endurance ► Page XI

Ramanan Chaturi

Welcome to the refreshing Seafield Village

Produced and Edited by Mark Ramotar | Graphic and Layout Design by Duane Prince

Romeo Nirmal (Mystic)

II

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

I

By Maureen Rampertab

N his dreams he walked, the young boy, searching the cosmos for the spiritual being of a great one.

The pages of history spoke of so many great men, their lives and times inking an indelible mark on his young, impressionable mind, the blue skies, the green land and flowing seas, not their world anymore, but beyond in their eternal abode.

The boy’s mind sought to find one of his own, whose fore parents had crossed the dark waters from a far-off land in the east, one whose legacy was scripted in a religious text, for his role, his beliefs and his love for his people.

A cool wisp of wind blew through the open windows, fluttering the pages of the open history text on the bed and the boy turned, muttering in his sleep.

Once awake, his expedition into the unknown world would be over until another night when tiredness laid heavy on his lids. But the embrace of sleep, like a lover, set his spirits free again to roam and this night, he found himself in a place deep in the country-side.

He looked around the cemetery where departed mortals laid in eternal sleep,a place where memories lingered, endearing words inscribed on the tombstones whispered softly to those returned to mother earth. A life gone, foot prints erased, legacies riding on the strong shoulders of time or buried in the dust of the past.

The boy walked around, slowly, wondering, “Why am Dr. Cheddi Jagan I here, which Great One lies in this place?”

Then he saw the mausoleum of a son of the soil, a leader reverend as the father of the nation, a man who in the boy’s young mind stood among great men of the past.

The boy gathered the dried flowers that had been scattered by the wind and placed it gently on the mausoleum, the sentiments of a true patriot over flowing in his heart, as he said: “I came into this world when you were already gone and I feel within me, the power of your words, your wisdom, yet I am somehow lost and fearful, because not many are today who they prophesize to be. Too many swords are unsheathed, drawing blood, like the master’s whip did, and words penned have even poisoned the rivers,hands that knotted a cord of brotherhood on the journey to this land, do not hold strong anymore.

What has become of man’s die-hard faith? Who can speak for the people to strengthen the roots that were once so strong?

The silence stayed unbroken as the boy stood there, alone, only the moths glowing in the dark, then a voice said, quietly, behind him: “My dear boy!”

The boy turned around slowly and drew in his breath sharply, for he stood there encircled by a glow of soft light, the man whose mortal remains laid in the mausoleum, the man whose named he revered.

“Many words I have heard, spoken in the material world”, the spiritual being said, “But not with such passion and truth.

Why do you seek me?”

“I seek your guidance to define a path for me, your ideals, your beliefs and principles” “Such strong, ambitious words from such a young mind.”

Voices from a short distance awaydrew his attention and the man said to the boy, “Walk with me.”

As they walked he pointed to the boy, “Here lies the common man and woman, labourers of the land. From the sweat of their brows, castles were built, yet their worth is hardly recognised. But there is a certain form of richness in being poor for a poor man lives a simple life with simple desires and in prayers he never lies.”

The boy digested every word spoken by the man and they stopped by a freshly-dug grave where three men sat in deep conversation unmindful of the two beings, because they couldn’t see them.

“Who are they?” the boy asked.

“My people, labourers of the land.”

“Why are they here at this hour?”

“One of their friends has died and they’re doing what they can for him for the last.”

The men poured drinks from the rum bottle and the boy smiled knowingly, “A culture, right?”

“Yes,” the man said, “Yet earlier than anyone else, they

Labourers of the land

- Reprinted from the book, ‘Footprints from India’

maureen.rampertab@gmail.com

Dedicated to Dr. Cheddi Jagan

would be in the back-dams working with an inborn strength and determination, a hallmark of their survival.”

“They need a leader who can see their real worth,”the boy said, “Like you did.”

The man looked at him for a long moment, then reached out and held his shoulders, “I left this world, before you were born, now is your time to step on the podium with new ideals, truth and dedication for the people. They have come a long wayfrom 1838 in Indentureship rule to today, 175 years since the last shipbound for Guyana left India. Your eyes will see their worth, their values, the richness of silks and pearls, let their lives be beautiful and free in this blessed land, like butterflies in paradise.”

The boy smiled, for he felt lost no more, his path was defined for him. He awoke and sat up in bed, with a sense of deep satisfaction, his search was over, now was his time.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

III

A Season of Awards

I

T is once again the season of awards in various forms of human endeavours but more so in the arts.It is a time when appreciation is shown and acknowledged for excellence in certain fields the best books, the best films, the best plays, the best musicals, the best actors, actresses,etc, of the past year.

Some award ceremonies are of such magnitude capturing a worldwideinterest and audience (in television). Others, in small niches of this earth, are not given proper coverage in the media but are nonetheless of significance to those involved.

The ‘Night of Stars’ produced by the Theatre Guild of Guyana on Saturday, January 31, 2015, was an occasion when the spotlight was focused both on offstage players and onstage players.

That event was the playhouse annual award ceremony which saw recognition going to non-members also. The original idea was to acknowledge the contribution of members who were involved in production at the Guild. In 2015, in a magnanimous move, one of many in the reinvention of itself, the Guild has included on its honour roll non-members who have made significant contribution to the playhouse.

For theatre to remain relevant in a society it must continuously reinvent itself. Except for some bad patches in its long history since it was founded in 1957, the playhouse was always modifying its role to better serve the community. One such example is the renovation and reopening of the Guild in time for the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta X) 2008, heralding a new phase in dramaturgy and the performing arts in Guyana.

The Theatre Guild embraced this new phrase with a passion resulting in sustained training and education workshop sessions, playwriting competitions and more importantly, by providing a space to assess this investment in the performing arts.Obviously this new phrase produced new ideas and new players including playwrights, directors, actors, stage managers, makeup artists, lighting and costume designers.

The ‘Night of Stars’ saw over fifty awards in fifteen categories presented to individuals and organisationsfor varying contribution to the preservation and enhancement of the Guild.

Following is an outline of the various awards: • Lifetime Award went to Patricia Liverpool, Bert Carter and Ian McDonald; • Memory of Service Award (posthumous) went to Ulita Anthony and RosamundeAddo; • Icon of the Arts Awards went toHector Stoute,Nitrageet Dance Troupe, Gerry Gittens, the Yoruba Singers, and Dave Martins; • Starlight Award for Best Non-Guild Musical Production Staged at the Theatre Guild went to Clemsville Orchestra, CARICOM Secretariat,US Embassy – three years of Touring Jazz Band, Embassy of Argentina – guitar duo, Rotary Club of Stabroek – three international Jazz; • Starlight Award for Best Non-Guild Dance Production Staged at the Theatre Guild went to the Crystallite Dance School and the National Dance Company; • Starlight Award for Best Children’s Production Staged at the Theatre Guild went to Allied Arts, The American School, and Purple Hearts ProductionsProductions;

zalves, Tash Van Domien, Barrington Braithwaithe, Hits and Jams, Alex Wayne, Jairo Rodrigues, MBCTV, GTV, and Petamber Persaud; • Starlight Award for Best Guild Performer (Female) went to Kimberly Fernandez and Sonia Yarde; • Starlight Award for Best Guild Performer (Male) went to Mark Luke Edwards, Keon Yearwood, and Sean Thompson; • Starbright Award for Current Consistent Service to the Guild by a Current Guild Member went to SimoenDowding, Jennifer Kendall, TashandraInniss, Roderick and Rodero Holder; • Starbright Award for Current Consistent Service to the Guild by a Non- Guild Member went to the Woodside Choir, Michael Smith, Mark Hall, Kenrick Cheeks and Kirk Noel; • Special Award went to Mr. H Zypher, caretaker of the Guild for the past thirty years.

• Starlight Award for Best Guild Designer went toNeilson Nurse and Clinton Duncan;

The above outline gives just a glimpse as to the magnitude, meaning, value and impact of such an award. And this outline does not include the substantial role played by the premier driving force of the Guild, Dr. Paloma Mohamed.

The whole story will amount to volumes of writing.

The presentation of awards was seamlessly woven into a top quality performance which included extracts from past and future productions.

One category of the awards was of grave significance since it is a neglected area of recognition – media coverage of the arts. Coverage of the arts is very important for the promotion, for garnering support, and for the sustainability of such an institution. The Theatre Guild of Guyana must be commended for this innovation on the local scene.

Long live the Theatre Guild of Guyana.

• Spotlight Awards for Consistent Coverage of the Arts in the Media went to Al Creighton, Michelle Gon-

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

• Starlight Award for Best Guild Production went to Dereck Walcott’s ‘Pantomime’ directed by Ron Robinson and ‘Sauda’ written by Mosa Telford , directed by Tivia Collins; • Starlight Award for Best Guild Director went to Malcolm De Freitas andNkosi Layne; • Starlight Award for Best Guild Producer went to TashandraInniss;

IV

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

JUMBIE DON’T SLEEP

M

By Neil Primus

ark was a typical teenager. He loved cricket, football and swimming. He was mischievous and caused trouble whenever he got the chance. One thing he hated was licks. After getting a good cut-ass for not doing homework, he began skipping school. He would put on his uniform and leave home every day but that was as far as he go, concerning school.

Each day would find him either in the game shop or in the ‘blacker’ (Lamaha Canal).

His mother did not find out for months. When she confronted him he tried lying. Big mistake. He got another good cut-tail. Angry and now defiant, he refuses to go to school. Most of his days were now spent swimming and picking fruits in the blacker.

Unknown to Mark the family had a closely guarded secret. It was not until he began to fall sick and was hospitalised that he was giving the shocking news.

He was HIV Positive and he was dying. His end came swiftly and the traumatised family tried to focus on their future. Pretty soon they would have another tragedy. His mother was fighting the dreaded disease too. His dad had died from it years ago.

Each evening the family ate supper, watched TV then went to bed.

Marks three sibling (sisters) missed him and had difficulty adjusting to his absence. More than once, one or the other would make some remark. “ I just see Mark in the bedroom.”

“I hear like Mark playing music.”

“I hear Mark bumping he ball.”

All this was calmly ignored by the other members of the family, but the girls persisted. One day the mother got so fed up of that kind of talk that she gave them a very strange answer.

“When you see him again, tell him he could have his room back.”

Since his demise, the mother had not allowed anyone to use his room or re-arrange anything. She had left it as he had. Sometimes at night even the skeptical mom could hear footsteps and doors closing. When she got up to investigate she would find the three small girls, 12, 9 and 6, sound asleep with their room door open.

Mark’s room door would also be ajar. She would

close both and return to bed only to hear more strange sounds. On investigation she would find both doors open.

She questioned the girls on more than one occasion but they knew nothing. She sensed that they were telling the truth. The noise and open doors continued and very soon the girls were crowding into her bed. There were now terrified of sleeping in the room opposite to their decease brother’s.

Mom sent for her Pastor who came and called down fire and brimstone on the evil spirit haunting the house. Mark’s mom felt sad. Mark was troublesome but not evil. The pastor left and the happenings continued, now lights began to go on

and off. This was typical Mark. He often used the lights to frighten his sisters. Was he at it again?

Then things began to move around: books, pencils, rulers, pens and cups were found all over except where they were placed. Mom had become more worried, but strangely the girls

calmed down and moved back to their room. Mark’s clothes moved around too.

They were tossed here, there and everywhere in his room, as if he was still there. It was the way he liked his room and what his mom had struggle and failed to get him to change.

One night while his mom was watching television she heard noises coming from Mark’s room. She headed there and found his clothes all over. After she had cleaned things up, she put them away and was heading for the TV when the bedroom light went on the blink. By pure instinct she blurted out.

“Mark love, we miss you and love you. We are not afraid, you are a good boy, stay how long you want or visit whenever you feel like.”

After watching a movie she returned to bed locking her bedroom door with the ke;y as usual. Sometime during the night she heard footsteps approaching her door then the same footstep inside her room. She was terrified and lay still playing asleep. A chilly wind crossed her body and she could feel someone standing next to her bed looking down at her. Then the moment ended. She jumped up with her tear- filled eyes and turned on the light. What a strange sight met her eyes. Wet, dripping footsteps led from her door to her bedside. When she open the door, stranger yet.

The footsteps continued on towards the front door and through it. The Spirit had walked through the door. She smile knowingly.

“A hope you enjoy yo swim son.” Was all she said and went back to bed. She slept soundly.

After that there was no more movements of items or opened door. Occasionally, the footsteps would appear. It seems Mark was watching over his family.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

V

WRITINGS, PUBLICATIONS AND GUYANA (Part XV11)

‘EXPRESSIONOVA’

The

T

By Terence Roberts

HE idea that European colonial culture was imposed in Guyana, and therefore should be replaced after Independence by an excavation, or return, or increase of each ethnicity's original culture, became an easy solution to the unavoidable local cultural problem of pursuing a recognised collective direction in the arts.

Terence Roberts

and Central America, whose contemporary Art and its relation to Guyana, Williams admitted he knew little about, since his academic training and interests had been entirely molded by Britain and Africa.

Subsequently missing from his encyclopedic report is the name and outstanding achievement of the late Cletus Henriques, one of Guyana's most significant and progressive contemporary painters (indeed, he was Williams' Guyanese Arts Council assistant), and also innovative sculptor/painter Winston Strick.

A PROGRESSIVE CULTURAL DIRECTION It would be the individual Guyanese (born) painter, writer, sculptor, musician or even film-maker, who applied their various individual styles in pursuing this national direction.

It was they, if they responded to their collective local reality, who represented the new so-called 'post-colonial' national, and even international, culture. But this new progressively free direction was not really encouraged, or pursued officially from 1966 onward.

However, this direction had been successfully pursued by numerous outstanding artists in their fields, including certain instrumental musical groups from the late 1950s to the late 1960s, such as 'The Telstars'; 'Combo 7'; ‘The Rhythmaires’; and 'Bumble & The Saints'; specific writers like Edgar Mittelholzer, Wilson Harris, A.J. Seymour, Martin Carter, and Sheik Sadeek; specific painters, like Aubrey Williams, Frank Bowling, Stanley Greaves, Michael Leila, Cletus Henriques, Dudley Charles, Carl Martin, Keith Khan, George Simon, Ohene Koama, and myself.

Also the outstanding sculptor/painter Omowale Lumumba.

Taken together, no group of artists could be more diverse in their generic styles, yet representing a singular progressive Guyanese cultural direction from an evolving cosmopolitan local reality, rather than diverse cultural imitations of inherited ethnic realities in Guyana.

A FLAWED ENCYCLOPEDIA In 2000, an opportunity to present definitive evidence of Guyanese culture as a progressive cosmopolitan reality was offered by a large book titled: ‘Encyclopedia of Latin American & Caribbean Art’, published in Britain by an imprint of Oxford University Press.

Not surprisingly, the task of presenting a summary of Guyana's achievements in the Visual Arts, fell to Denis Williams, a British-educated intellectual who left British Guiana in the 1950s to receive his art education in England, and whose two novels, though innovatively written, and paintings, though academically correct, had little influence from both the social or geographic reality of Guyana, including its South American continent.

It was no doubt Williams' prior educational connection to Britain in many ways which merited his election to write such a summary of Guyana's artistic achievements, when in reality

artists EXPRESSIONOVA & WILLIAMS

Denis Williams, like many who have heard of ‘Expressionova’, a legendary group exhibition of paintings, sculpture, films, fusion jazz, and recited poetry I organised on a visit to Guyana in 1974, was more affected by rumor, not facts. two other well-informed intellectuals and insightful local art critics, the late Basil Hinds, and journalist Rashid Osman, would have been quite capable of such a task. In fact, Williams had done the pen and ink illustrations for Michael Swan's 1957 book: 'British Guiana: The Land of...'.

In that book Swan's statement that: "Most of the painters appeared to be of African origin, and although their immediate inspiration was European...the paintings...seemed to have their origin in the atavisms of race", definitely appeared to be echoed by Williams’ summary of what topic concerns Guyanese art.

MISSING VITAL INFORMATION Apart from Williams' generally accurate précised notes on Guyanese history and architecture, his writing in this encyclopedia about Guyanese contemporary painting from the 1970s onward, is quite misleading and erroneous. Some of these errors concern myself (whose name he spells his own way) a younger colleague, whom he often mistakenly thought was estranged from Guyanese society like he said he was, because like his immigration to England, I too had immigrated to metropolitan Toronto. However, nothing of the sort was my case; since I, like other local artists, especially Cletus Henriques, Carl Martin, Omowale Lumumba, and Desmond Alli, had also lived nearby in tropical creolized Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico

Denis Williams, like many who have heard of 'Expressionova', a legendary group exhibition of paintings, sculpture, films, fusion jazz, and recited poetry I organised on a visit to Guyana in 1974, was more affected by rumor, not facts. In fact he never consulted me prior to his written report on Expressionova in the fat encyclopedia, and his segment about it is mostly incorrect, and also repeated in two British books on himself, in which Expressionova is called 'European influenced', which is total nonsense. Contrary to his report, the name Expressionova was not really taken from the Guyanese literary periodical 'Expression', founded

by N.D. Williams, Milton Drepaul, and the British VSO teacher, Brian Cotton in the 1960s Georgetown, but was a progressive creative direction influenced by Brazilian Bossa Nova culture, and the avant-garde jazz album 'Supernova', by Afro-American tenor/soprano saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Neither was Expressionova a 'nationalist' group, but cosmopolitan oriented individual artists, as its catalogue states. Neither was my painting 'The Birth of Guyana' (NOT 'The Birth of Roraima') in the exhibition; nor does that painting juxtapose the Taj Mahal to Guyana, as Williams claims, but re-arranges elements of the Guyanese landscape into a cosmic unity beyond race, or historical domination. Its overall design is the unified Oriental symbol of Yin & Yang in an imaginative Guyanese landscape setting. Neither does Omowale Lumumba's sculptures and paintings represent an "unstudied Afro-Guyanese aesthetic", despite his name, but rather the profound influence of Giorgio de Chirico's 'metaphysical' figurative imagery,(an artist all the Expressionova artists were fascinated by because of an uncanny resemblance to Guyanese moods), as well as the Surrealistic antecedents in pre-Columbian South American art. Neither was any English poetry read at Expressionova, but rather the South American poetry of Nicanor Parra of Chile, Octavio Paz of Mexico, and my Guyanese/South American inspired verse.

For the Expressionova artists, their works neither represented "book art" or any racial aesthetic, but rather an informed, educational, and intelligent cosmopolitan aesthetic.

VI

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

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

INSIDE THE LAW: No love can fill an empty stomach

L

(By the Orderly: Guyana Graphic, July 7, 1959)

OVE, according to a cute Spanish proverb, may be a furnace, but it will certainly not cook the stew, goes the saying.

And that, of course, is quite true.

And that is what happened to Medford and Sybil, as husband and wife. Their love had turned sour.

Sybil complained to Magistrate Arthur Chung that Medford expected her to live on his love alone. Medford, it was said, had a passionate distaste for work, and that meant that the house was short of victuals more often than not.

But if Medford failed to provide the material things for Sybil, he was never found wanting in his romantic attention; he always kissed her before he left home.

One morning last month, he held her and kissed her tenderly, and left the house -– not for a moment thinking that when he returned she would not be there. But that’s just what happened.

When Medford returned from a leisurely stroll, Sybil was not there to greet him; and so he set out at once in search of his missing wife. He went first to Sybil’s aunt, but she was not there. He searched the city high and low for the next seven days, and still could not find her.

Then, one evening, when he was close to giving up, he was liming by a bus stop when he saw her stepping out of a car.

Medford was mad with joy! Ah! At last he had found Sybil, and now that he had found her, he did not intend to lose her again. “Come, let’s go home doo-doo,” he pleaded and held her hand.

But Sybil was stubborn. “I am not going back home with you!” she said.

He held onto her, and naturally a crowd began to gather. And soon a policeman appeared on the scene.

When the policeman investigated, he told Magistrate Arthur Chung, he found Medford and Sybil holding on to each other; but he did not arrest Sybil.

“I arrested Medford,” the constable testified, after both husband and wife had pleaded not guilty to the charge, “but she accompanied me to the station, and both of them were charged,” he explained. “She told me that he was her husband,” the constable went on.

“Do you have any questions to ask the constable,” the magistrate asked Medford, who was unrepresented by a lawyer.

“When you come up, were we fighting?” Medford asked.

“You were together…clinched,” answered the policeman.

“Were they fighting?” Magistrate Chung wanted to know.

$95 garnered from N.A. ‘Mile of Silver Coins’ (The Daily Argosy, April 20, 1960)

Mr. F.J. July, MBE, Deputy Mayor of New Amsterdam, deputising for his Worship the Mayor, Mr W.O.R. Kendall, laid the first silver coin outside the Strand Bazaar on Thursday morning in support of the efforts by the B.G Tuberculosis Society to raise a mile of silver coins.

The following members of the New Amsterdam Branch supervised the collection: Mesdammes W.O.R. Kendall; S.F. Carew; M. Ganpatsingh; M. Alli; J. Lucas; D. Hazelwood and Nurse Harte.

The line of coins netted $95.85.

“They were clinched” answered the policeman.

“Didn’t I tell you she is my wife?” asked Medford.

“Yes,” replied the constable.

“And that I was asking her to go home, because she left my home since the second of June?

“Yes” was the constable’s answer again.

“He was holding on to his wife to take here home,” Sybil’s lawyer took up the cross-examination from where Medford had left off.

“They were clinched,” the policeman insisted.

“You mean he was holding on to her,” the lawyer suggested, “and she was saying she was not going home.”

“No! No!” the constable answered warily.

“Are you awake?” demanded the lawyer.

“What?” asked the constable.

“Are you awake?” the lawyer repeated.

“Yes, I am awake,” the policeman answered, looking a bit irritated at the suggestion by the lawyer.

“Look, I am suggesting to you that he was holding her hand to take her home and she was resisting,” explained the lawyer.

“Yes, sir,” the constable finally agreed.

Now it was Medford’s turn to tell his story, and he walked disconsolately round to the Witness Box. He explained that, on that particular day his wife left him, he had kissed her goodbye.

“Is that true, girl?” Sybil’s lawyer asked her smilingly.

“He lying!” Sybil said, seemingly embarrassed by the question.

But Medford did not hear, and he continued unabated with his side of the story.

“When I went home and didn’t see her, I was very depressed and I went in search of her,” Medford continued.

“Let’s hear what happened on this day,” Magistrate Chung interrupted.

“Well, sir, I was standing by the bus stop when I saw her hop out of a car. I went up to her and I asked her what I did her that caused her to leave, but she didn’t answer.

“Why you staying away from me?” I asked her, but she did not answer.

“Then I hold her hand and say, ‘let’s go home,’ and the policeman come up and arrest we.”

“You’re so endearing to your wife,” Sybil’s lawyer started off, “even kissing her before you leave home. Trouble is, you don’t like work; you are a man who don’t like work!”

“Excuse me?” Medford said looking slightly annoyed.

“I say work is distasteful to you,” the lawyer insisted.

“I am a carpenter by trade,” Medford rejoined, with some amount of dignity.

“But you wouldn’t look for work, and that is why she left you,” the lawyer retorted.

“Guilty!” Magistrate Chung told Medford as he stepped out of the box. And that meant a five-dollar fine.

But Sybil was not pleading guilty.

She was only saying that she was definitely not going back home, he ruled.

So Medford begged for time to pay the pound, and strolled sadly out of the court, still without his beloved Sybil.

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

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

VII

Appellate Court agrees…

A Judgment of Appellate Tribunal, 2003, was a nullity

T

By George Barclay

HE Guyana Court of Appeal had, in 2003, d e c l a re d t h a t a High Court Judge was right when he ruled that the Public Service Appellate Tribunal had erred when it allowed an appeal by Dwarka Nauth, a Social Security Officer of the Regional Council.

Nauth, an employee of the Regional Council, was at the time protesting his dismissal from an acting appointment with the Public Service Commission; but, instead of citing the REO for wrongful dismissal, he cited the Public Service Commission via the Attorney General.

The facts of the case disclosed that the appellant, a Social Security Officer in the Regional Council, had been appointed by the Public Service Commission to act as Assistant Hospital Administrator from March 1st 1994 until the end of 1995, when he was reverted to his position as a Social Security Officer in the Regional Council.

The appellant’s services were terminated by the Regional Executive Officer with effect from September 1, 2000, and he appealed to the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, which allowed his

appeal in 2003.

He then claimed from the respondents the sum of $5,096,353.00 with interest, which would have been salary earned between January 1st, 1996 and March 31, 2003.

The trial judge denied Nauth’s claim on ground that the Appellate Tribunal had no jurisdiction to determine his appeal. Nauth then appealed to the Court of Appeal, constituted by Justices of Appeal Singh, Kissoon and Chang, JJ.A. The Court of Appeal found as follows: The position of Social Security Officer was not employed by the Public Service Commission, but was a Regional Council position. In the circumstances, the Public Service Commission did not have jurisdiction to pronounce on the termination of the appellant’s services, and its decision was therefore a nullity. Decision of trial judge upheld.

Mr. Benjamin Gibson appeared for the appellant; Mr Doodnauth Singh, SC, appeared for the Attorney General, while Mr. Younge appeared for the respondents.

Justice of Appeal Singh delivered the judgment.

According to the judgment, Dwarka Nauth, the appellant, by way of a specially indorsed writ, was claiming the sum of $5,096,353.00

with interest against the respondents. This amount represented the salary he would have earned as a Social Security Officer for the period January 1st, 1996 to March 31st 2003, had his services not been terminated by the Regional Executive Officer on January 1st 1996.

He appealed the decision to the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, which allowed his appeal on March 21st 2003; it was on the basis of that decision that his services were unlawfully terminated. He claimed the abovementioned amount as salary.

The trial judge denied his claim on the ground that the Appellate Tribunal had no jurisdiction to determine his appeal.

At the trial, the appellant testified that he was Social a Security Officer in Region 2, and was appointed by the Public Service Commission to act as an Assistant Hospital Administrator with effect from March 1st 1994.

He worked until 1995, when he was interdicted from duty on a charge of forgery.

During this period, he received three-quarters (¾) of his salary (see letter from Secretary of the Public Service Commission at page 55 of the record).

At page 56 of the record, there is a letter (Ex D)

addressed to the appellant which makes it crystal clear that his acting appointment had been terminated. The letter read: “Since you are not performing the duties of Assistant Hospital Administrator at present, you cannot be paid any portion of the acting allowance.”

It is obvious that, after he had been interdicted, his acting appointment had come to an abrupt end and he had been reverted to his former position of a Social Security Officer.

On April 10th, 2000, the charge against him was dismissed. On June 26th, 2000, his counsel, by letter, so informed the Public Service Commission and the Regional Executive Officer (see page 61 of record).

On August 9th, 2000, the Deputy Regional Executive Officer wrote, inviting him to “discuss your future employment”. On August 31,

George Barclay

2000, he received a letter, of which paragraph 3 read: “It is with regret therefore that I have to inform you that your service is hereby terminated with effect from September 1st, 2000”.

Nauth then appealed this decision to the Appellate Tribunal. At page 46 of the record is an affidavit in support of his notice of appeal to that tribunal. At paragraph 20, he deposed: “The Regional Council have compounded their ultra vires act by removing me from an office the jurisdiction of which is vested solely in the Public Service Commission.”

At paragraph 22, he further deposed: “That in the circumstances and the foregoing. I appeal to the Appellate Tribunal to protect my rights.”

Mr. Gibson argued that the Appellate Tribunal was a constitutional body, and its decisions were final. He

argued, moreover, that the trial judge acted not only ultra vires, but unconstitutionally in finding that the appellant was not a public officer.

The Attorney General submitted that the Public Service Commission had no jurisdiction over the appellant, since, upon his interdiction, his acting appointment came to an end, in that he had been reverted to his former position as a temporary Social Security Officer.

The Guyana Court of Appeal held that the ruling of the Appellate Tribunal was a nullity, and affirmed the judgment of the trial judge.

The Court of Appeal also noted that the appellant adopted the wrong procedure in not suing the Regional Executive Officer (REO) for wrongful dismissal.

The respondents were awarded costs in the sum of $10,000.00

Empowering

VIII

small

President Donald Ramotar

S

By Tajeram Mohabir

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

- beneficiaries laud grant to support, expand their enterprises

ENTREPRENEURS

MALL and micro-enterprises are recognised as catalysts for growth and vital tools to address unemployment and while serving as vehicles for poverty eradication, particularly in rural settings.

Small businesses are generally underestimated but if properly nurtured; their impact on the economy would be quite significant.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, there are between 25 million and 27 million small businesses in the U.S. and account for 60 to 80 per cent of all U.S. jobs. A recent study by Paychex found that small businesses produce 13 times more patents than larger firms.

GRANT AWARDS In Guyana, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is trying to replicate this success through the Small Business Bureau (SBB) and its Grant Awards.

The grants target mostly rural entrepreneurs with the aim of providing a platform to grow and develop, thereby transforming village economies.

In late January, some $20 million was disbursed in the form of grants, under the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) Development and Building Alternative Livelihoods for Vulnerable Groups’ projects.

Azad Hussain, a small cash crop farmer and resident of Bath Settlement in Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice) said the grant is a boost that will help him to both increase production and expand his business.

Hussain, 63, told the Guyana Chronicle that the $300,000 grant he recently received is being used to construct a shade house to protect his crops during the rainy period as well as in the dry season.

The father of two grown children, he plants celery and bell pepper for a living, and uses the money from the sales of his produce to support himself and his wife, as well as assisting to meet the school expenses of his grandchildren.

He related that $100,000 has been released to him as a first installment. It was not enough to build the shed but was enough for him to purchase most of the materials needed.

Vreed-in-Hoop home told this publication that the grant is most welcome, as it will enable her to purchase the tools needed to increase her array of products.

TIMELY ASSISTANCE Thompson has been in the business of producing craft items, leather bags and wall items and designing fabric for more than five years, but did not have enough money to purchase the tools necessary to make slippers.

Now with the tools at her disposal, she is hoping that her business would grow and she would earn enough money to purchase a stall to advertise and sell her products.

The mother of two, currently sells her products by word-of-mouth advertising, and said business has been steady, but could be brighter, and the grant will certainly help in this regard.

President Donald Ramotar has also spoken about the importance of small businesses.

“It has been noted all over the world, that while big businesses and major investments are extremely important, and as we continue to seek these types of investments in our economy, these are a very important pull-factor to help economies develop, but I think it has been noted by many experts in the field, that the sustainability of economic development and progress, in any society, is directly linked to the development of small and medium-scale enterprises within the society.

We also know that many big businesses of today in our country started out small, and therefore I anticipate that many of the small and medium-scale enterprises that we are awarding and encouraging, will not stay small forever, but many I hope will have the potential to go on to become large businesses within society,” he said.

BETTER LIVELIHOOD Hussain informed that some of the remainder will be distributed this week, saying that the shed will be a big boost when completed, as increased production would mean more money for him, and a better livelihood for his family.

Businesses have to meet several criteria to qualify for the grant, and among these are being registered under the Small Business Act, as well as being compliant with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The Grant Award Project was launched in October 2013, and acting Tourism Minister, Irfaan Ali reported that it has created jobs for 167 persons, while 900 others benefited from training.

Valarie De Younge, a resident of Capoey, Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Essequibo Coast said the money in the form of a grant is being used to construct two benabs at her resort.

The resort is located in Capoey and attracts around 200 to 300 visitors on the weekend, but things get uncomfortable when it rains.

According to De Younge, 36, the resort currently has one big benab and seven small ones, but these are inadequate to shelter visitors during a downpour.

EXPANDING BUSINESS On most occasions, she said, the beach goers have to squeeze themselves under the shelters available, noting that the construction of the two large additional sheds will not only ease this problem, but cater for an expanding business.

The recently married De Younge is hoping in the near future to attract overseas visitors, thereby improving the profile and business at the thriving resort, which sits within walking distance from the Capoey Lake.

Minister Ali said the role of small businesses cannot be over-emphasised.

“Nationally you know that there are many small businesses that contribute to the creation of employment and the expansion and development of the economy.”

Financing for small businesses has been provided through a number of programmes, including the Women of Worth (WOW) Programme, piloted by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, which has been empowering women through entrepreneurship and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

The Small Business Bureau received US$10 million from the Government through its LCDS/Redd+Investment Fund (GRIF) facility to be utilised over a four-year period for funding, and comprehensive training of small business entrepreneurs.

Heather Thompson, a leather craft producer and fabric designer who operates from a room in her

Azad Hussain says the shed will be a big boost when completed, as increased production would mean more money for him, and a better livelihood for his family

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Popular on the island of Leguan as ‘Short Man’, ‘The Sheriff,’ ‘The Marshall,’ among other names…

RAMANAN CHATURI

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- is a man of endurance

By Telesha Ramnarine

OW 58, Ramanan Chaturi was born as a ‘short person’, and he believes that one of the reasons for this is that his mother, while pregnant with him, looked at a short person and was intrigued at what she saw.

“I was born as a ‘short man’. My father went to Georgetown and saw ‘Sandokie’, and he came home and told my mother about this short person he (had seen). My mother was anxious to see him, and so my father took her to meet him on their next visit to Georgetown.

“Her next child came out like that,” Chaturi told the Chronicle a few days ago.

“So,” he recalled, “my father told her she got one (a short person) right in her home. That’s why they say (that) during pregnancy, it is not good to laugh (at) anyone and that sort of thing,” he admonished. “She didn’t laugh at Sandokie, but she was just anxious to see him,” he explained.

“As I grew up, they told me something like that happened in my case. So I don’t know if it was God’s work, or what happened,” Chaturi declared.

Popular on the island of Leguan as ‘Short Man’, ‘The Sheriff,’ ‘The Marshall,’ among other names, Chaturi was born and raised in Maryville village to Chaturi Nagasar and Sohodra, father and mother respectively. He has seven brothers and one sister, and attended

Maryville Primary School.

“In my days, there was no secondary school; primary (school) was the limit to education. I finished my primary education, leaving school at 16,” he recalled.

A confident and well-spoken Chaturi said there were hardly any jobs available for him after he left school, so he opted to go live with one of his sisters in the neighbouring island of Wakenaam.

Once there, he was able to assist her in farming.

At age 22, he took up his first job as a tailor. A brother of his was living in Kitty, Georgetown, and he went to stay with this brother for a while. “He, too, was a tailor, and he left a machine in the shop. I said to myself (that) as he left it, I will make use of it. I tried to learn the job, and succeeded for about six months.”

Sadly, though, thieves broke in the shop and stole Ramanan Chaturi the machine, and Chaturi was again left without work.

“I called off this job,” he said, and thereafter, he started to run a guesthouse for a friend; but that, too, was “cheap labour,” he recalled.

“I then decided to go back to tailoring. I worked with a friend, but eventually quit again.

Things were hard in Georgetown,” he related.

He then went back to Wakenaam and did security work for some twelve years.

Chaturi eventually became sick, and had to undergo an operation, which he said weakened him. “I ended up in a wheelchair. I am now five years in it. I used to walk around, ride a bicycle all over the island with ease. Now, I can’t walk. My brother, Bebakanand, with whom I live, cooks for me.”

Chaturi said he would come out of the wheelchair and sit on each step in the house until he reaches the top. “I miss my legs, because it’s very hard to go up and down. I come down in the morning and don’t go up until I’m ready to sleep,” he related.

Despite this obstacle, Chaturi says he chooses to remain positive. “I don’t face too much of serious problems. I try to make life comfortable. For me to complain would not solve the problem. You have to try and solve the problem by yourself, or maybe with help from a Good Samaritan who might be passing by at the same time you need help,” he said.

Chaturi enjoys going to the ball field in the afternoons, and visiting others in the community with his battery operated wheelchair.

“Friends from the village come to chat with me. I go and visit the elderly and the sick. It’s nice to go and visit people too, and hear what they have to say, too.

I am trying to be with good friends. It’s better you follow good company. You might get your little bitterness, but you have to make it sweet,” he expressed.

Chaturi has few regrets in his life, except that he has lost his sewing machine and his legs. Now he is simply relaxing in his wheelchair.

Chaturi relaxing in his wheelchair

XII

Katrina is latest Bollywood star to be part of Madame Tussauds - in London Katrina Kaif is the latest Bollywood star to be part of Madame Tussauds in London. The official twitter account of Madame Tussaud’s conveyed the details of Kat’s wax statue on the site.

The tweet said, ‘Katrina has collaborated closely with our sculptors and artists to decide a dancing pose and outfit for the figure, having given a sitting in Mumbai where all the measurements required to create an accurate likeness were gathered.A team of 20 artists will work on the figure, which will cost Pound 150,000 to produce, and completion is scheduled for Spring 2015 when it is hoped Katrina will

unveil the figure herself in London.’

Among the stars whose wax works are already on display at the museum include Amitabh Bach-

chan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Kareena Kapoor Khan. (santabanta.com)

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

Hrithik Roshan’s ex-wife, Sussanne, bought Penthouse for more than 160 million Rupees Celebrity interior decorator Sussanne Khan seems to have a penchant for high living - literally. Our sources tell us that she has bought a penthouse in Pune for a little over Rs 16 crore (1 crore equals 10 million rupees).

The flat is said to be located in a new society in the city heartland.

A source close to her confirms the buzz, saying: "Yes, she has purchased a penthouse in Pune. It is located in Trump Towers, Kalyani Nagar. It cost somewhere between Rs 16 and Rs 17 crore. She is looking to expand her business Hrithik Roshan and his now ex-wife Sussanne and has bought the penthouse only Khan for investment purpose."

The Trump Towers is a project by New York-based real estate business tycoon Donald Trump - a 22-storied residential twin towers in Pune having 44 luxurious single-floor condominiums.

Post her split from Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, Sussanne had temporarily shifted to a highrise in Seven Bungalows on the Juhu-Versova Link Road.

The designer, who has her own concept store in Mumbai, was recently signed on by an international interior decor company as the creative director after she did a sample flat for one of their properties in Pune.

Ali Fazal replaces Arjun Rampal in upcoming movie ‘Love Affair’

SoniRazdan’s directorial venture Love Affair starring Arjun Rampal and KalkiKoechlin will now have a new leading man. Rampal has been replaced by Ali Fazal who was last seen in Khamoshiyaan.

This was confirmed by Fazal. Love Affair, which is set in the Mumbai of the 50s, is slated to start this month. It is produced by Pooja Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar and also stars GulshanDe- Arjun Rampal vaiah and DiandraSoares. (indianexpress.com)

Safari time for Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Soha and KunalKemmu The royal couple – Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan – is yet again on a holidaying spree as the duo is out to the wildernesses of Karnataka, more exactly in Nagarhole, spending their weekend staying over at Saad Bin Jung’s resort, The Bison.

The beautiful couple has the company of the newlyweds – KunalKemmu and Soha Ali Khan – and one can see them having a gala time as they sit on the mat.

We assume that, since he is missing from the picture, Kunal must most probably be clicking the picture.

Kunal even took to Twitter to post pictures he took along his journey in The We assume that, since Kunal is missing from the Bison. picture, he must most probably be clicking the picture.

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

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What Mercy Aigbe likes about Ramsey Noauh, Majid Michel

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By Maryjane Ezeh ERCY Aigbe-Gentry is one of those Nollywood actresses that’s got style and flair, which is why she recently opened her own boutique.

But that aside, it’s her versatility and knack for interpreting roles that have earned her the respect of her colleagues and fame in Nigerian entertainment circles in general.

The curvy and classy mother of two in a recent interview carefully picked out three actors she likes working with in movies, and for very different reasons.

“I will pick Ramsey Nouah; I like him, and I think he is a fantastic actor. I like Majid Michel because his acting is very deep. And the third person will be Osuofia, because he is very funny,” Mercy said.

Being an actress who also runs a boutique, maintaining the home- front is not such an easy task; but the Edo State-born ‘Osas’ finds no difficulty with handling all her

responsibilities, because she has a very supportive husband.

“It hasn’t been easy combining my career with being a wife and mother,” Mercy said. “It’s a lot of hard work; it is difficult striking a balance between these three important roles, but, like I tell people, I have a very understanding partner. My husband is fantastic, and he’s

always there for me.

“I am also blessed with a mum who is very supportive and accommodating; who helps to baby-sit my kids when I’m on set, and not forgetting my domestic staff who help with the house chores.” (nigeriafilms. com)

Panic as Omotola’s ‘baby’ collapses

By Nathan Nathaniel IT WAS a tense scenario recently at the US Embassy when the last kid of sultry actress, Omotola Ekeinde, suddenly fainted away, without warning, causing his mother to panic and fear the worst.

It took the prompt intervention of those around to save the situation.

The boy was quickly rushed to the hospital for medical attention, and the last we heard is that he is doing well.

Reports are that the young man blacked out, and his mother thought the fearful had happened, but she now has cause to thank God for saving the life of her kid.

Omotola has since taken to her Twitter page to inform her fans of the development, and bring them up to speed on how he is doing. “[I] was at the US embassy and my last kid blacked out and practically passed out! Very hot with long lines, perhaps exhaustion,” she earlier posted.

Later, she said, “Just leaving the Hospital. He’s fine now. Thanks to all the ppl and embassy officials who swung into action to help. #Bless.”

Omotola has been busy recently with her ‘Omotola @ 20’ celebration. She is marking her 20th year in the industry. (nigeriafilms.com)

Genevieve Nnaji buys multi-million-dollar mansion in Ghana

By Nathan Nathaniel

ACCORDING to City People magazine, prolific Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji, has purchased a new property in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.

It was reported that the Imo State-born screen diva recently got herself a mansion, said to have cost her around $4M, going by the estimation of property experts and valuers.

The said property is reportedly located around the Achimota area of Accra, and well guarded by a security firm.

Already, some people are speculating whether the actress is planning to relocate to Ghana ahead of the forthcoming general election in Nigeria.

Genevieve is one of the top movie stars in Nigeria. She is brand ambassador to big brands in Nigeria. ‘Genny’, as she is fondly called, is a single-mother of one.

In one of her recent interviews, she disclosed her fears of getting married because she is scared of divorce, which has plagued the movie industry in Nigeria. (nigeraifilms.com)

XIV

Wastewater

L

ast week we highlighted the fact that water is as important as the air we breathe. We also established that as long as we are using water, wastewater can’t be avoided. The wastewater produced, if left untreated, can affect our food supply, quality of life as well as the environment. This week we will examine some of the processes that make wastewater safe for release into the environment.

Wastewater Treatment Processes The main reason why we treat wastewater is to reduce its potential negative impacts on the natural environment and human health.Wastewater can be treated either by Conventional methods or Natural methods.

(1) Conventional Wastewater Treatment Systems consist of a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes and operations to remove solids, organic matter, and sometimes nutrients,e.g., nitrates and phosphates from wastewater.

A diagram of a generalised waste water treatment process is shown in the figureon the left.

At the first stage or pre-treatment large debris such as garbage are removed.

This is followed by the second stage or primary treatment during which solids are allowed to settle.

At the third stage waste water undergoes secondary treatment where dissolved or suspended materials are allowed to breakdown or degrade. This breakdown is done by bacteria and other

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

– Part 2

micro-organisms in the presence of oxygen. At the fourth stage particles and nutrients,e.g., as phosphorous and nitrogen are removed in the tertiary treatment. Thesludge formed at the end of the various stages of the process is further treated before disposal.

Finally, the water is disinfected, usually with chlorine or ultraviolet (UV) radiation before being discharged into natural waterways.

(2) Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems are also called constructed wetlands, artificial wetlands, and bio-filters. Wetlands such as mangroves, swamps and marshes act as a natural filter for pollutants.

The major processes occurring in natural systems include sedimentation (settling of solids), plant uptake, bacterial degradation, and chemical adsorption (fixation). These processes help to remove physical, biological and chemical contaminants from wastewater. These systems are generally man-made and controlled.

Protecting Water Resources in Guyana Environmental Protection (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 In an effort to protect the water resources in Guyana, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), developed the Environmental Protection (Water Quality) Regulation 2000. This Regulationaims to protect Guyana’s waters and by extension our health by management and monitoring of effluent (waste matter) discharge into coastal and inland waterways.The Regulation encourages proper disposal of effluent thereby minimising potential contamination of water sources.

Cartagena Convention Guyana is signatory to the Cartagena Convention which calls for the protection and development of the marine environment within the wider Caribbean region.This is supported by a supplementary Protocol governing pollution from Land-Based Sources (LBS). Therefore, waste matter discharged into the Atlantic Ocean through the internal drainage canals is required to meet identified environmental standards.

Guyana Wastewater Revolving Fund (GWRF) Project Along with legislation, the Government of Guyana has established the Guyana Wastewater Revolving Fund (GWRF) Project, in an effort to reduce water pollution and minimise the impact on marine life. The Project is the first of its kind in Guyana and is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This project which focuses on the treatment of wastewater from industries will see the enactment of legislation aimed at managing our water resources. Additionally, it will provide scope forgreater collaboration within the Caribbean Region.

To-date consultations have been held with various stakeholders on strengthening policy and institutional frameworks for wastewater management in Guyana and a Draft National Wastewater Management Strategy is being circulated for comments.

Reducing Waste water in your homes 1. Check faucets (taps) and pipes, toilets for leaks and have them repaired or replaced quickly. A small drip can waste 20 gallons of water per day.

2. Turn off faucets while brushing your teeth or soaping your skin, and use a container with water instead of running water to rinse your razor while shaving.

3. Thaw foods on the lowest shelf of the fridge overnight rather than in a container of water.

4. Use a filled sink to wash wares rather than running water.

5. Reuse washing water to water plants.

6. Never wash chemicals, paints and oil into the drains.

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GWENDOLYN AGATHA PROSS

An inspiration to cancer victims - survives three major surgeries in three years - going strong with faith in God

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By Tajeram Mohabir

T is an uphill challenge for someone close to 70 to survive a cancer surgery and return to a state of normalcy or comfort, but Gwendolyn Agatha Pross has defied the odds and has got past not one, but three surgeries in three years.

Now 74, Pross, a trained Nurse Educator and former lecturer at the University of Guyana (UG), is doing well. She spends some of her time talking to fellow survivors, trying to instill in them that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence, and that they need regular check-ups for early detection.

Importantly, she stressed that, with God, there is always hope.

In 2008, the mother of four grown children, at 68, was first diagnosed with cancer in the thyroid glands after experiencing swelling in the neck.

Speaking with the Chronicle in the lower flat of her two-storey 72 Garnett Street, Lamaha Gardens home, Pross, who was in jovial spirits and appeared to be in good health, relaxing comfortable in her chair in the reading room, said it was while she was teaching at UG that she noticed a swelling in the neck, and on visiting the Woodlands Hospital for an ultrasound test, she was told that it was just a cyst, a swelling which will eventually go away.

GOT WORSE She said the swelling showed no sign of easing, but instead got worse, and a colleague at the university advised her to visit a Cuban thyroid specialist at the West Demerara Hospital.

She said on examining her condition, the Cuban Surgeon informed that the swelling was serious, and requested that she be admitted to hospital. Her family, however, decided against her being admitted, as the distance from Lamaha Gardens to the West Demerara Hospital was too far. Instead, they took her to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital in Kingston, Georgetown, and following a check-up, she was advised to go to Barbados for further checks, which she did.

There, she said, doctors told her that about 8 to 15 per cent of the swelling could be cancerous; and incidentally, her daughter Samantha, who is a doctor in England, got wind of the news and arranged for her to travel to the United Kingdom for a thorough examination.

CANCER A biopsy test (sampling of tissue as a diagnostic tool) proved that the swelling was indeed cancerous, but while arrangements were made for her to undergo surgery, the Nurse Educator developed a chest infection and the date for surgery was pushed back.

In the meantime, a friend of Pross’s daughter, who was a Professor, suggested that she be treated at the prestigious Cromwell Hospital in London, but she became extremely worried about the bill she would have to pay.

The mother of four said God works in mysterious ways. She pointed out that her daughter, who was trying to secure a position at the hospital but with little success, happened to be called by the hospital to work as a part-time consultant at about the same time. She became the first black Orthopaedic Surgeon to work at the hospital that treats the elites of the UK and Europe.

During the interview, Pross said she was told not to worry as she would be treated as a relative, and that promise was fulfilled.

She noted that she received five-star treatment, and contended that “it was the best you could imagine”.

With a smile, the grateful mother told the Chronicle that God provides, but she said she had to return for radioactive iodine, which was a life changing experience.

She described the procedure as having to be locked away in a room, with doctors dressed in white robes and with their heads covered as though they were in space, attending to her.

GREEN LIGHT Following the operation, she was given the green light on her health status, and after some consideration, she returned to her post as a lecturer in nursing in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Guyana.

All this happened in 2008. In 2009, her mother-in-law died and her daughter, who arranged for her treatment in the UK, came for the funeral and noticed that all was not well with her.

Samantha, she said, arranged for her to again visit the Cromwell Hospital for a check-up, and she complied, booking a three-week appointment with the intention of returning to work.

When she got to the hospital, Pross said, she underwent a series of tests, including a CT scan which was done by a garrulous nurse, who, after the testing, told her that Samantha will be picking her up as she waited outside the room.

She said that, at that time, the cheery expression on the nurse’s face changed, and her daughter, on collecting her, looked indifferent but told her that they have to meet a Consultant Surgeon named Mr Sellu.

SAD NEWS Pross described Mr Sellu as a pleasant man, but said he broke her some unpleasant news. Pross was told that she would not be able to leave the UK at the time she intended, as she had been diagnosed with cancer in the colon, which was at the third stage, a critical level.

Colon cancer develops in the large intestine. Colons are about six feet long, and allow waste to travel from the small intestine to the rectum. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre said the disease develops in the digestive tract from polyps that initially are benign, but mutate over time into a cancerous tumour. The cancer cells invade and destroy nearby tissue, and can break away to form new tumors in other parts of the body in a process called metastasis.

Pross said she was initially told that she might have to undergo a colostomy, but it did not happen. Colostomy is a surgical operation in which a piece of the colon is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall so as to bypass a damaged part of the colon.

This was prevented after she underwent six months of chemotherapy treatment of disease by use of chemical substances, especially the treatment of cancer by cytotoxic and other drugs.

Again, the nurse educator survived, with the overwhelming support of family, friends and colleagues. But this was not the end of it as, in 2010, when she did a follow-up check at the London hospital, she was diagnosed with cancer in the liver, and required urgent surgery.

The cancerous tissue was removed, and from then to now, the Garnett Street resident has had no further diagnosis, and is praying to God that there will be none, having experienced three of the most torrid years in her life.

A MIRACLE With three surgeries during that time, and making it through all of them, Pross, a devout Christian, believes that her survival is a miracle.

She said that, through the Holy Spirit, she kept faith, overcoming nervousness and fear, as she felt reinforced by His love, power and invisible embrace.

“God”, she said, “is a healer and protector today, yesterday and forever”.

Today, Pross is a member of the Periwinkle Cancer Club, an organisation that raises awareness about cancer and provides counselling and financial assistance to members.

Pross told the Guyana Chronicle that cancer is still a taboo subject, and she called on all to break the culture of silence and speak out.

Victims, she said, need help, love and support. She contends that the grave illness is not necessarily a death sentence. Early diagnosis, she said, can ensure a victim lives a longer and less torturous life.

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- My fiancé’s father, a church leader, has been cheating with numerous women Dear Wayne & Tamara, I am 30 years old and engaged to the man of my dreams. I recently found out through my fiancé's sister that their father, a leader in the church, has been cheating with numerous women. He has used the church's mission in Honduras to find them and pay their tuition for college.

His computer includes pictures of women’s intimate parts, as well as his own, and texts going back years. All this from a man engaged in the church six days a week. After finding this out, we learned something similar happened when the children were young. It was hidden so the children could grow up with a father.

My fiancé's mother recently kicked her husband out of the house and made my fiancé go through all texts, letters and images on his computer. Only weeks later, however, she started slowly bringing her husband back into the picture. She sent us gifts on Valentine's Day with his name on the cards and tried to arrange family visits.

To say the least, I am furious. I find the father repulsive. I would never allow him to be around my future children. I like the mother, but am starting to build resentment towards her and her efforts to make my fiancé and I accept and condone this disgusting behaviour.

AMBER **** Dear Amber, When someone's clothes are on fire, the best thing they can do is stop, drop and roll.

Stop running around, drop to the ground and roll the flames to extinction.

Your clothes may not be on fire, but your future is. If you marry your fiancé, you may be powerless to stop your fatherin-law from being with your children.

His position as a church elder is a farce. His wife is an enabler. To preserve her status quo, she has been willing to sacrifice young women. She's nice in things which don't matter and an accomplice in things which do.

By trying to preserve a lifestyle and appearances, she has become a co-conspirator in her husband's actions. Where is the action to permanently remove his ability to create more victims? Where is the concern for the victims he's created?

Unless your fiancé is willing to quarantine his father, and perhaps his mother, your only option is to stop, drop and roll away from all this.

WAYNE & TAMARA

► Continued on page XX

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Y wedding date is approaching in July, but I'm unsure. My parents think he has too much baggage. We have much in common, but we've also had a series of events that have dampened our

relationship.

I've never been married. When we met he said he wasn't married either. Well, my dad is an ex-cop and about three months into our relationship, in his free time he looked up my boyfriend. A search showed there was a woman with his last name living with him. When I confronted him, he came clean and said he was married but separated.

I was devastated. I was in total shock but my mother didn't think it was the end of the world. My instincts said let him go, but I listened to my mother's advice and continued to date him. From there other lies were revealed, which didn't have anything to do with me or our time together, but they made it hard to trust him.

He has worked hard to be transparent, but I haven't reached a place where I'm sure I want to marry him. Time is ticking and a lot of money is on the line if I don't make a decision soon.

MEGAN

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

Dear Megan, The basis of your interest in him was founded on a lie. You thought he was single.

Your instincts said, ‘Run’.

Rather than dreading the looming deadline, you should be grateful it is forcing you to act. You aren’t enough in love with him to be certain of this relationship, and that should spell the end.

WAYNE & TAMARA

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

XXI

Seafield I

By Alex Wayne

T’S always such a pleasure to be exploring the very far off villages on the Lower Coastal Plain of Guyana, because these villages come with a certain refreshing solitude and pleasantry that is far more entertaining than the customary bustle and fuss one may find in the city of Georgetown.

While one may be drawn to the city and its environs for its extensive commercial and economic opportunities, the more serene would be lured to the countryside with the assurance that they can bask in the exciting atmosphere of the tropics as they enjoy the jovial banter, rich camaraderie and, of course, abundant avenues for pleasant recreation that are in many cases associated with the countryside.

Well, here I was, yet again, in this very pretty village called Seafield (#42 Village) on the West Coast of Berbice, and judging from the visible stream of activity here, I just knew the experience would be worth reliving anytime.

Let me be honest about the pleasant and vibrant awakening I received when I visited this small but very impressive village. I was well stirred up by the almost mesmerising manner in which the houses were all clustered together, beautifully accentuated by abundant fruit trees and ‘flower plants’ blooming in picturesque glory in many yards.

In some yards, small kitchen gardens thrived under the

Welcome to the refreshing Seafield Village

lusty sunlight as plants welcomed precious water being filtered to their roots through the rich, black ‘country soil’, as mothers happily saturated them with the life-saving liquid from water cans.

Youths dashed after each other noisily through the alleyways, while others were more contented to engage themselves in highly competitive games of hop-scotch or marbles.

In the few yards that featured makeshift stalls, mothers and even husbands busied themselves with setting out groceries, vegetables and ground provisions, intent on making a quick and honest dollar.

As is customary with these villages, cows grazed lazily in wide open fields, and young lambs chased after their mothers, bleating noisily in their special ‘sheep language’ as they jostled their moms roughly, trying to get their fill of warm breast milk.

Seafield falls under the administrative division of Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice), with its average elevation of one metre above sea level.

As history would suggest, Seafield can have low impact earthquakes (on average one every 50 years), with occurrences at 5 on the Richter scale. When an earthquake occurs, it may be felt indoors by many people, and outdoors by a few people during the day. At night, some people may be awakened.

There is a low occurrence of periods with extreme drought.

Flooding risk in this village is said to be low.

The landscape is mostly covered with closed to open, broad-leaved evergreen or semi-deciduous forest. The climate is classified as a tropical wet (no dry season) with a tropical moist forest bio-zone. The soil in some areas is said to be high in acrisols, alisols, plinthosols, acid soil with clay-enriched lower horizon and low saturation of bases.

With a population of close to one thousand residents, this village is located at just over 68 miles from Georgetown.

TOUCHING DOWN I was expecting the customary hustle and bustle of inhabitants, noisy streets, screaming children and raucous males ‘taking a tupps’ in the rum shops, and was in no way prepared for the intensely pleasant calm and tranquility that seemed to engulf me the moment I stepped out of the minibus and into the dusty but very tidy main road.

As the cool and refreshing wind blew in from the Atlantic Ocean, I marvelled at the soft swaying of coconut palms which almost seemed to move with a strangely sweet, rhythmic grace that gave me a strange tingle. Such a riveting picture of Mother Nature at work and this dazzling spectacle seemed to be even mirrored in the flashing eyes and mischievous smiles ► Continued on page XXII

Seafield

XXII

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

► From page XXI

of every villager I met and spoke with.

Upon my approach and a brief explanation of the reason for visiting, an elderly woman (though camera shy) gurgled excitedly: “I does read the Chronicle every Sunday and ah de wandering when y’all coming tuh Seafield. Eh eh! like y’all de fuget we or wha, sir?”

She led me to a village elder, 75 year-old Esther Fredericks, and gleefully shouted to friends and associates the reason for my visit; the news spread like wild fire!

So, at ‘every nook and cranny’ in the village, I was greeted with deep respect, and persons went out of their way to help in one way or another. The food vendors were falling over themselves to ensure I sampled their black and white pudding and still steaming sugar cakes, and insisted that I devour a heaping plate of well-made country polouri.

There were a few persons sitting by the roadside or enjoying some ‘swank’ (drink made from limes), while others on their front steps or verandahs seemingly so contented with life that I truly envied their apparent solace and natural comfort.

Seafield is nestled cosily between the attractive villages of Rising Sun to the east and # 41 Village to the west. Seafield, like many other villages in Berbice, has rich historical connections; and as history would dictate, was actually one of the portioned lands or settlements sold to Africans after slavery was abolished.

INTERACTING WITH VILLAGERS Among the many persons who were more than ready to interact with the Chronicle was Carol Smith, a teacher at a secondary school some three villages away. This very jovial woman indicated that unemployment was a major setback for the village, since some students who would have written the CXC examinations remain at home, or wandered in the streets as they desperately awaited responses from places to which they had applied for jobs.

She noted that it was just a few who had actually been able to relocate to the city and obtain good jobs, since they often cannot afford the expenses of housing, and other city responsibilities, once they relocate.

Ms. Smith noted that, because of this reason, there are several intelligent youths remaining in the village, deeply frustrated by the problem of unemployment. She added that all the schools would have already had their complement of teachers, thus making it impossible for some qualified school

leavers to access jobs there.

Inadequate recreational opportunities were also another issue that really peeved Ms. Smith. “Seafield is in dire need of adequate recreational facilities for the youths; and though a gentleman here is upgrading our playfield, we would certainly welcome more sporting facilities from other donors,” she said.

“We also definitely need variety where our recreational opportunities are concerned,” she added.

She declared that there is need for corporate and government intervention, emphasising that their village, over the years, has been champions in the circle tennis arena. She said that, over the years, this game has disappeared almost entirely from the village due to lack of funds to provide sporting gear, or because of the unavailability of incentives for players.

Housewife Princess Walters had a much horrifying tale to tell. She related that the village is targeted by outsiders who come in the quiet of the night to throw garbage in sections of the village.

“These people are just terrible and heartless. Persons who operate businesses and other individuals come in the still of the night, when we are sleeping, and sometimes dump garbage on our street corners or in open fields.

“Just last week, the boys chased a truck driver who attempted to dump a whole truck load of garbage in a vacant lot,” she disclosed.

Several villagers are calling for their own Health Centre, since they have to travel to the nearby Bush Lot Health Centre or Fort Wellington Hospital, which also has to accommodate villagers from Hopetown and Bush Lot itself, and from other areas.

Sharon Thomas, who spoke to us from an open window on the bottom flat of her two-storey home, explained that she was home alone with her 15-year-old daughter while her common-law husband ‘Brandon’ was out plying his trade as a bus driver in and out the village.

She noted, however, that while his profession can be tedious and very competitive at times, it brings in a sizeable dollar daily that somehow manages to take care of their needs in the home.

“Everybaddy does do either wan jab or anotha in Seafield, because everybody have to survive somehow or the otha! Me husband does go out deh everyday fuh mek ends meet, and some days he does comeback with almost nothing, because is plenty bus wukking all ovah. But we does be thankful and try fuh mek ends meet, regardless

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015 Some persons complained that they were unable to garner proper prices for their poultry products when they sell to wholesale buyers who, many times, attempt to give them ‘next to nothing’ for their produce. They said that the transporting such items to the city to net better sales are too expensive, and they would require proper storage containers (refrigerators etc.)

Some persons living close to the back land areas related that when there are torrential downpours, their yards would flood and snakes and alligators would be in evidence.

Villagers are requesting that a bridge be built on the sea dam to grant proper access to the beach, which is divided from the village by waterways.

Seafield seems lacking in terms of apparent business potential, as can be judged from its distinct infrastructure; but villagers are certainly not missing out on anything in par-

The camaraderie in countryside villages is rich and quite stirring ah de situation”.

According to Ms. Thomas, who has been residing in the village for over 25 years, Seafield is indeed a very beautiful and peaceful location, where residents live in harmony and great love for each other.

Villagers are also requesting street lights for safety, while farmers cultivating rice and cash crops in the backlands are complaining that the dams are intolerable during the rainy season, making it almost impossible to transport their cultivated crops at harvest time.

But in some sections of the village, residents are lauding the fact that the relevant authorities have begun work on a few dams. Presently works are still continuing on the playfield in the village by a public spirited resident, who has recently begun making great strides in the areas of sports and entertainment.

Residents of Seafield are openly jovial and pleasant

RELIGION Most of the residents in this village are Christians, and would normally worship at three major churches in the village.

These are the Seventh Day Adventist, the Christ Lutheran, and the New Apostolic churches.

That aside, a few would keep church sessions under their houses, while the mere sprinkling of Muslims would normally worship outside the village. `The Seafield awakening When the village awakes to the golden streams of sunlight,

XXIII

their prices and bargain arrangements.

As the sunlight creeps fully over the gold crusted morning crowds, the village burst into a tingling fusion of merry laughter, happy voices, and the rumbling of vehicles as they chug their way along the main road.

By now the golden sun is rising steadily above the horizon, casting a jewelled dazzle on rooftops and the metal frames of steel fences. Soon after, the many small groceries that have sprung up are opened, as vendors attempt to attract the eyes of early buyers.

With streets now filled with pedestrians, riders and drivers, conversations with a few grown men revealed that while the village can be sometimes described as ‘a hub of bustling activity’, there is still room for the introduction of some more ‘glitz and glamour’.

During the midway, the streets are mostly dismal; they come alive in the afternoons and early mornings with the boisterous chatter of students as they hurry to and from school.

SEAFIELD VILLAGE IN DAYS OF OLD According to village elder Clarence Adams, this village in bygone days was just a cluster of somewhat shabby houses several years after the abolition of slavery. He said that, in

A place of worship in the village

ticular, since they can simply take a bus to the not-so-distant Bush Lot village, which serves as an ‘economic hub’ that can ultimately satisfy their entertainment, relaxation, social, and of course economic needs at any one time. They can also grab a few supplies at the Maj & Family Grocery Store whenever they seem please.

SEAFIELD OF TODAY Today Seafield is quite a quaint and impressive village that is still trying its best to run parallel with the changes associated with modernisation.

New, and in many cases posh houses, have been built, and the village is now a starling combination of somewhat classic buildings; sprawling, majestic pastures that project a refreshing spectacle as cattle, goats and sheep graze contently, munching noisily on the juicy looking grass and shrubs.

The sight of men on horseback chasing cows down a few dams brought a vivid reminder that this was a location where poultry farming and cattle rearing once brought in vibrant incomes for many residents.

The main road is in perfect shape, and the canals are reasonably maintained. Residents are proud to announce that there is hardly any challenge in the village, save for a few dams which become intolerable during inclement weather.

Residents enjoy a continuous supply of electricity, a constant supply of potable water, and they ensure their village is kept clean through self-help initiatives and burning of garbage and refuse.

Farming would have dwindled in its intensity, and this is because of the ‘salty content’ that is now present in the soil, which damages crops instead of causing them to flourish as expected.

A group of men folks lauded the efforts of a certain Minister who they said is intervening in the area of them acquiring land plots.

ENTERTAINMENT

Some earn a living from engaging in masonry in the village

folks are forced to remain in the confines of their homes and watch television, or enjoy drinks with friends and neighbours.

In bygone times, Seafield was one of the more popular ‘entertainment hubs’ on the West Coast of Berbice, since it was home to the very popular ‘Leg Trap Disco’. In that era, massive gatherings congregated there on weekends for wild revelling as they enjoyed the many concept parties hosted there.

With the hotspot now gone, villagers either anticipate birthday or wedding celebrations, while some may venture to other villages like Belladrum and Rosignol for exclusive entertainment.

The village is seized in the clutches of an ‘entertainment shutdown’ as dictated by some residents; and accordingly,

children soon after would come tumbling out in their yards, sleepily rubbing their eyes or grumbling under their breaths as mothers loudly admonish them to have their morning chores done.

By the time the sun is fully up, children begin to spill into the streets, some under parental supervision, as they make their way to the primary school or to other schools outside of the village.

The few small shops are open by now, desperately trying to net morning sales, as some mothers tread into their kitchen gardens for fresh vegetables or seasonings for their meat kind.

Vehicles begin to traverse the streets even as pedestrians began to trek along the many alleyways and side streets, intent on getting busy errands completed.

The few larger shops soon open their doors and windows to garner daily sales, and a few snack vendors put out their trays of biscuits and confectionery as they ready to ‘bellow’ Enjoying a ‘little tupps’ at a bar during weekends

many cases, the houses were far apart, so the present camaraderie and jovial interaction of residents was not present then, because of the distance each house stood apart.

Streets were not paved, and residents depended on the few stand pipes in the village for their water supply. Some persons in those days would boil trench water which they used for drinking.

He reminisced on the days when there would be fiery disagreements at the standpipes over whose turn it was to draw water, and in some cases there would be pulling of hair and scratching of faces to obtain the precious liquid.

“It was always a pleasure to draw water when the ladies of the village came out. They would gather around with dresses hugging their hips, with hands on their waists, feet tapping impatiently if someone was wasting the water or taking too long to fill their containers.

“Many times heated arguments broke out, and in some cases the ladies were locked in battle, much to the delight of those standing by. Often it was a good tussle and wallowing in the mud before they were separated by men folks, who would secretly enjoy the fights to a point before separating them.”

In those days, agriculture was the main source of support for some families, and many persons farmed in the backlands or maintained a kitchen garden at home. The dams leading to the backlands were okay during sunshine, but became almost impassable during ► Continued on page

XXIV

Seafield

XXII

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

► From page XXI

of every villager I met and spoke with.

Upon my approach and a brief explanation of the reason for visiting, an elderly woman (though camera shy) gurgled excitedly: “I does read the Chronicle every Sunday and ah de wandering when y’all coming tuh Seafield. Eh eh! like y’all de fuget we or wha, sir?”

She led me to a village elder, 75 year-old Esther Fredericks, and gleefully shouted to friends and associates the reason for my visit; the news spread like wild fire!

So, at ‘every nook and cranny’ in the village, I was greeted with deep respect, and persons went out of their way to help in one way or another. The food vendors were falling over themselves to ensure I sampled their black and white pudding and still steaming sugar cakes, and insisted that I devour a heaping plate of well-made country polouri.

There were a few persons sitting by the roadside or enjoying some ‘swank’ (drink made from limes), while others on their front steps or verandahs seemingly so contented with life that I truly envied their apparent solace and natural comfort.

Seafield is nestled cosily between the attractive villages of Rising Sun to the east and # 41 Village to the west. Seafield, like many other villages in Berbice, has rich historical connections; and as history would dictate, was actually one of the portioned lands or settlements sold to Africans after slavery was abolished.

INTERACTING WITH VILLAGERS Among the many persons who were more than ready to interact with the Chronicle was Carol Smith, a teacher at a secondary school some three villages away. This very jovial woman indicated that unemployment was a major setback for the village, since some students who would have written the CXC examinations remain at home, or wandered in the streets as they desperately awaited responses from places to which they had applied for jobs.

She noted that it was just a few who had actually been able to relocate to the city and obtain good jobs, since they often cannot afford the expenses of housing, and other city responsibilities, once they relocate.

Ms. Smith noted that, because of this reason, there are several intelligent youths remaining in the village, deeply frustrated by the problem of unemployment. She added that all the schools would have already had their complement of teachers, thus making it impossible for some qualified school

leavers to access jobs there.

Inadequate recreational opportunities were also another issue that really peeved Ms. Smith. “Seafield is in dire need of adequate recreational facilities for the youths; and though a gentleman here is upgrading our playfield, we would certainly welcome more sporting facilities from other donors,” she said.

“We also definitely need variety where our recreational opportunities are concerned,” she added.

She declared that there is need for corporate and government intervention, emphasising that their village, over the years, has been champions in the circle tennis arena. She said that, over the years, this game has disappeared almost entirely from the village due to lack of funds to provide sporting gear, or because of the unavailability of incentives for players.

Housewife Princess Walters had a much horrifying tale to tell. She related that the village is targeted by outsiders who come in the quiet of the night to throw garbage in sections of the village.

“These people are just terrible and heartless. Persons who operate businesses and other individuals come in the still of the night, when we are sleeping, and sometimes dump garbage on our street corners or in open fields.

“Just last week, the boys chased a truck driver who attempted to dump a whole truck load of garbage in a vacant lot,” she disclosed.

Several villagers are calling for their own Health Centre, since they have to travel to the nearby Bush Lot Health Centre or Fort Wellington Hospital, which also has to accommodate villagers from Hopetown and Bush Lot itself, and from other areas.

Sharon Thomas, who spoke to us from an open window on the bottom flat of her two-storey home, explained that she was home alone with her 15-year-old daughter while her common-law husband ‘Brandon’ was out plying his trade as a bus driver in and out the village.

She noted, however, that while his profession can be tedious and very competitive at times, it brings in a sizeable dollar daily that somehow manages to take care of their needs in the home.

“Everybaddy does do either wan jab or anotha in Seafield, because everybody have to survive somehow or the otha! Me husband does go out deh everyday fuh mek ends meet, and some days he does comeback with almost nothing, because is plenty bus wukking all ovah. But we does be thankful and try fuh mek ends meet, regardless

The camaraderie in countryside villages is ric ah de situation”.

According to Ms. Thomas, who has been residing in the village for over 25 years, Seafield is indeed a very beautiful and peaceful location, where residents live in harmony and great love for each other.

Villagers are also requesting street lights for safety, while farmers cultivating rice and cash crops in the backlands are complaining that the dams are intolerable during the rainy season, making it almost impossible to transport their cultivated crops at harvest time.

But in some sections of the village, residents are lauding the fact that the relevant authorities have begun work on a few dams. Presently works are still continuing on the playfield in the village by a public spirited resident, who has recently begun making great strides in the areas of sports and entertainment.

Residents of Seafield are openly jovial and pleasant

Some earn a living from engaging in masonry in the village

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015 Some persons complained that they were unable to garner proper prices for their poultry products when they sell to wholesale buyers who, many times, attempt to give them ‘next to nothing’ for their produce. They said that the transporting such items to the city to net better sales are too expensive, and they would require proper storage containers (refrigerators etc.)

Some persons living close to the back land areas related that when there are torrential downpours, their yards would flood and snakes and alligators would be in evidence.

Villagers are requesting that a bridge be built on the sea dam to grant proper access to the beach, which is divided from the village by waterways.

Seafield seems lacking in terms of apparent business potential, as can be judged from its distinct infrastructure; but villagers are certainly not missing out on anything in par-

ch and quite stirring

folks are forced to remain in the confines of their homes and watch television, or enjoy drinks with friends and neighbours.

In bygone times, Seafield was one of the more popular ‘entertainment hubs’ on the West Coast of Berbice, since it was home to the very popular ‘Leg Trap Disco’. In that era, massive gatherings congregated there on weekends for wild revelling as they enjoyed the many concept parties hosted there.

With the hotspot now gone, villagers either anticipate birthday or wedding celebrations, while some may venture to other villages like Belladrum and Rosignol for exclusive entertainment.

RELIGION Most of the residents in this village are Christians, and would normally worship at three major churches in the village.

These are the Seventh Day Adventist, the Christ Lutheran, and the New Apostolic churches.

That aside, a few would keep church sessions under their houses, while the mere sprinkling of Muslims would normally worship outside the village. `The Seafield awakening When the village awakes to the golden streams of sunlight,

XXIII

their prices and bargain arrangements.

As the sunlight creeps fully over the gold crusted morning crowds, the village burst into a tingling fusion of merry laughter, happy voices, and the rumbling of vehicles as they chug their way along the main road.

By now the golden sun is rising steadily above the horizon, casting a jewelled dazzle on rooftops and the metal frames of steel fences. Soon after, the many small groceries that have sprung up are opened, as vendors attempt to attract the eyes of early buyers.

With streets now filled with pedestrians, riders and drivers, conversations with a few grown men revealed that while the village can be sometimes described as ‘a hub of bustling activity’, there is still room for the introduction of some more ‘glitz and glamour’.

During the midway, the streets are mostly dismal; they come alive in the afternoons and early mornings with the boisterous chatter of students as they hurry to and from school.

SEAFIELD VILLAGE IN DAYS OF OLD According to village elder Clarence Adams, this village in bygone days was just a cluster of somewhat shabby houses several years after the abolition of slavery. He said that, in

A place of worship in the village

ticular, since they can simply take a bus to the not-so-distant Bush Lot village, which serves as an ‘economic hub’ that can ultimately satisfy their entertainment, relaxation, social, and of course economic needs at any one time. They can also grab a few supplies at the Maj & Family Grocery Store whenever they seem please.

SEAFIELD OF TODAY Today Seafield is quite a quaint and impressive village that is still trying its best to run parallel with the changes associated with modernisation.

New, and in many cases posh houses, have been built, and the village is now a starling combination of somewhat classic buildings; sprawling, majestic pastures that project a refreshing spectacle as cattle, goats and sheep graze contently, munching noisily on the juicy looking grass and shrubs.

The sight of men on horseback chasing cows down a few dams brought a vivid reminder that this was a location where poultry farming and cattle rearing once brought in vibrant incomes for many residents.

The main road is in perfect shape, and the canals are reasonably maintained. Residents are proud to announce that there is hardly any challenge in the village, save for a few dams which become intolerable during inclement weather.

Residents enjoy a continuous supply of electricity, a constant supply of potable water, and they ensure their village is kept clean through self-help initiatives and burning of garbage and refuse.

Farming would have dwindled in its intensity, and this is because of the ‘salty content’ that is now present in the soil, which damages crops instead of causing them to flourish as expected.

A group of men folks lauded the efforts of a certain Minister who they said is intervening in the area of them acquiring land plots.

ENTERTAINMENT The village is seized in the clutches of an ‘entertainment shutdown’ as dictated by some residents; and accordingly,

children soon after would come tumbling out in their yards, sleepily rubbing their eyes or grumbling under their breaths as mothers loudly admonish them to have their morning chores done.

By the time the sun is fully up, children begin to spill into the streets, some under parental supervision, as they make their way to the primary school or to other schools outside of the village.

The few small shops are open by now, desperately trying to net morning sales, as some mothers tread into their kitchen gardens for fresh vegetables or seasonings for their meat kind.

Vehicles begin to traverse the streets even as pedestrians began to trek along the many alleyways and side streets, intent on getting busy errands completed.

The few larger shops soon open their doors and windows to garner daily sales, and a few snack vendors put out their trays of biscuits and confectionery as they ready to ‘bellow’ Enjoying a ‘little tupps’ at a bar during weekends

many cases, the houses were far apart, so the present camaraderie and jovial interaction of residents was not present then, because of the distance each house stood apart.

Streets were not paved, and residents depended on the few stand pipes in the village for their water supply. Some persons in those days would boil trench water which they used for drinking.

He reminisced on the days when there would be fiery disagreements at the standpipes over whose turn it was to draw water, and in some cases there would be pulling of hair and scratching of faces to obtain the precious liquid.

“It was always a pleasure to draw water when the ladies of the village came out. They would gather around with dresses hugging their hips, with hands on their waists, feet tapping impatiently if someone was wasting the water or taking too long to fill their containers.

“Many times heated arguments broke out, and in some cases the ladies were locked in battle, much to the delight of those standing by. Often it was a good tussle and wallowing in the mud before they were separated by men folks, who would secretly enjoy the fights to a point before separating them.”

In those days, agriculture was the main source of support for some families, and many persons farmed in the backlands or maintained a kitchen garden at home. The dams leading to the backlands were okay during sunshine, but became almost impassable during ► Continued on page

XXIV

Seafield

XXIV

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

► From page XXIII

the rainy weather.

Ms. Small said that entertainment in those days would include beating drums around large bond fires, and engaging in wild dancing abandon as villagers south to maintain their African culture.

She said villagers eagerly anticipated the coming of weddings or birthdays, since this heralded great festivity and celebration.

Most villagers loved the ‘Que Que’ sessions before weddings, since they could gyrate and unleash their ‘forbidden sides’ as they consumed alcohol, metagee, cow face souse, black pudding, and other delicacies.

Drainage was not as good as it is today, and some areas experienced flooding, according to Ms. Small.

Many spent their hard earned dollars and did work on the swampy lands, building it to perfection to accommodate houses, shops and other structures.

Man-made streets and pathways soon began to appear, and families could be seen toiling assiduously in the broiling sun to build pathways and alleyways leading to their respective homes.

EMPLOYMENT This village was seemingly not affected by unemployment, since its inhabitants were either working in other areas or gainfully employed as shop owners, farmers, or mini-bus drivers.

It was a pleasurable sight to watch mothers watering young vegetable plants as their kids trailed after them, trying to be of some assistance in one way or the other.

In some homes, mothers were busy cooking up a spree, and the succulent aroma of polouri, egg ball, dhal puri, and fried chicken wafted into the air.

These items would be displayed in tidy looking little glass cases later in the afternoon for sale to villagers and school children as they trekked home to their various houses.

And some seemed to be making quite a fortune on the sale of custard blocks, icicles, cubed ice, and cool down (local fruit juice in plastic bags).

I almost giggled out loud at the amusing sight of little boys attempting to lick the apparently delicious trails

that ran down their wrists and even elbows as the custard blocks melted in the sun.

This village is simply adorable, and the way in which residents attempt to meet their needs through self-orchestrated means is truly amazing.

However, a few youths complained of being unable to obtain jobs inside the village, since there is actually no scope for ‘qualified employment’ there. Some said positions in administrative offices close by were already filled, forcing them to seek work in the city, where the

Oswald Isaacs was eager to inform on the makings of the village

Some make a dollar through the sale of confectionery on roadside stalls

Taking advantage of the shady tropics…

Domino games and fiery brown rum are leisure time activities for some villagers constraints of accommodation and bills pose a major problem.

CONCLUSION Despite its apparent lack of economic opportunities, Seafield boasts a rare ‘yesteryear allure’ that is certainly stirring and refreshing to the soul.

Its beauty lies in the rich, lush greenery, its sandy dams, bubbling waterways and jolly banter of its seemingly happy people.

I encourage you to take a trip there and soak up the relaxing ambience of the countryside.

The traditional bicycle is still widely used in the village

Seafield drivers and passengers in action on the Berbice Bus Park

Liming in the shade by the street corner

Two ‘long time chums’ catch up on the weekly edition of their Pepperpot Supplement

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

XXV

XXVI

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

Fidel Castro’s revolutionary lover dies at the age of 89

N

atalia Revuelta, a Cuban socialite who emptied her bank account and sold her jewellery to support Fidel Castro when he was planning his insurgency, has died at the age of 89 in

Havana.

She caught the eye of Fidel Castro when he was a young revolutionary in 1952.

He used her home for meetings when he was plotting the start of the revolution.

They later had an affair that produced a daughter, Alina, but they never married.

Natalia Revuelta was considered one of the most beautiful women in Cuba.

Blonde and green-eyed, she was a noticeable figure in Havana's social scene when she met Fidel Castro in 1952.

She was married at the time to a heart surgeon nearly twenty years her senior but observers said she Natalia Revuelta was a fixture of Havana's appeared to have had an appetite for revolution and social scene before she got involved in politics adventure.

She allowed Mr Castro to use her home for meetings when he was beginning to plot his insurgency.

She handed over all her savings to support his movement and later pawned her sapphires, emeralds and diamond jewellery for his cause.

The couple never married and Fidel Castro initially refused to recognise his daughter.

When he did, she was twelve years old and struggled to reconcile with her natural father.

In 1993, Alina left Cuba disguised as a Spanish tourist to live in the US. Her mother Natalia was "one of an extraordinary contingent of beautiful and highly intelligent women who dedicated their lives to Castro and his cause", said one of his biographers, Tad Szulc.

Although Mrs Revuelta had ‘FLASHBACK’: Natalia Revuelta and Fidel Castro little contact with the Cuban that Fidel Castro put his revolutionary project leader once their affair was over, she remained in Cuba holding various government jobs. first. But she added, "it took years to get him out In an interview she once said she was never bitter of my heart." (BBC)

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The above photo shows Naty Revuelta with her daughter Alina, Fidel's daughter. In 1950s Cuba Naty was considered Havana's most beautiful socialite, married to a very wealthy doctor. But she hated the plight of the massively maligned majority peasants in Batista's Cuba. So, she clandestinely aided and financed the young rebel Fidel Castro, including her support of the ill-fated, Fidel-led attack on Batista's Moncada garrison on July 26, 1953. Fidel's subsequent imprisonment would surely have led to his execution except for the fact that the media, including the New York Times' famed reporter Herbert L. Mathews, closely monitored the treatment of Fidel, who by then was the hope and the hero of the majority peasants. When Fidel was released from prison in 1955, everyone knew death squads (out of the view of the media) would dog his every trail, which they did. But Naty and other urban underground women bravely provided Fidel safe houses till he could escape the island, and one of the safe houses owned by Naty was where Fidel impregnated her, resulting in their daughter Alina.

The above photo shows the green-eyed Naty Revuelta in the 1950s when she was considered the most beautiful socialite in Havana, a time when she was married to a very wealthy doctor but also madly in love with and massively supportive of the budding young anti-Batista rebel Fidel Castro.

"I loved him as a man but mostly I loved his love for the poor Cuban peasants," she later told the notable U. S. journalist Linda Robinson

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In this Dec. 22, 2012 file photo, protesters gather outside the Indian Presidential Palace during a protest against the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in New Delhi, India. Mukesh Singh, one among the four men sentenced to death for raping and killing the woman, says in a TV documentary being shown on March 8, 2015, that if their victim had not fought back she would not have been killed. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal, File)

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

A murderer and rapist’s views reflect those of many in India

NEW DELHI (AP) — When a condemned killer said the woman he and others brutally gang-raped on a New Delhi bus was responsible for what had happened to her, his comments were shocking in their callousness and lack of remorse. But the underlying view has wide acceptance in India.

Blaming women for rape is what hundreds of millions of men here are taught to believe.

And the code for women in this country is simple: Dress modestly, don't go out at night, don't go to bars and clubs, don't go out alone. If you break the code, you will be blamed

Blaming women for rape is what hundreds of millions of men in India were taught to believe. for the consequences.

When one of the four men sentenced to death for the high-profile gang rape of the woman in 2012 was quoted in a new documentary as saying "a girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy," he was repeating something community and religious leaders in this nation of 1.2 billion routinely say.

"A decent girl won't roam around at 9 o'clock at night. ... Housework and housekeeping is for girls, not roaming in discos and bars at night doing wrong things, wearing wrong clothes," Mukesh Singh said in the documentary, "India's Daughter," meant to be shown on Sunday, International Women's Day, in India and several other countries.

But how different were the convicted rapist's words from comments that Manohar Lal Khattar, the top elected official of Haryana state made last year?

"If a girl is dressed decently, a boy will not look at her in the wrong way," Khattar told reporters, "Freedom has to be limited. These short clothes are Western influences. Our country's tradition asks girls to dress decently."

The convicted rapist learned only what he has heard leaders in his community say, said Jagmati Sangwan, a women's rights activist who heads the All India Democratic Women's Association.

"This man is just following the example our leaders â–ş Continued on page XXIX

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A murderer and rapist’s views ...

are setting for our young men," she said.

In 2009 when a rightwing Hindu group attacked women in a pub in the southern state of Karnataka, then-Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said that he wanted to "end the culture of boys and girls roaming around in malls holding hands."

Women leaders are not immune.

When a female journalist was shot dead in 2008 while driving home from work well past midnight, New Delhi's top official at the time, Sheila Dixit, make clear she partly blamed the victim.

"All by herself till 3 a.m. at night in a city where people believe...you know...you should not be so adventurous," she told reporters.

It's a view that Sangwan hears all too often.

"It's a heinous view to hold, but it's the view of our religious leaders, our community leaders, our legislators," she said.

The country's women aren't surprised either.

"A lot of Indian men think this way. They don't have any empathy or they are brought up in such a way that they don't feel anything for women. They feel that women are only for sex and to be thrown away," said Bhavleen Singh, an 18-yearold student at Delhi University.

Mukesh Singh, who was driving the bus for much of the time that the 23-year-old woman was being attacked, told the documentary film maker that the victim should have remained silent and allowed the rape, and that they would have spared her life.

The documentary, which includes a 2013 jailhouse interview with Singh, set off government alarm bells after transcripts were released this week. On Tuesday, India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry ordered television channels not to air the film.

It remains unclear whether the government will be able to block the film but the legal wrangling will most likely delay its screening in India.

The brutality, and perhaps the fact that the gang rape occurred on a moving bus in a posh New Delhi neighborhood, galvanized this country of 1.2 billion, where sexual violence is rampant.

The woman and a male friend were returning home from seeing a movie at an upscale mall when they were tricked by the attackers into getting on the bus, which the men had taken out for a joyride. The attackers beat the victim's friend and took turns raping her. They penetrated her with a rod, leaving severe internal injuries that led to her death two weeks later.

Four men were convicted of rape and murder in an unusually fast trial for India's chaotic justice system. A fifth man died in prison, and another attacker who was a juvenile at the time was sentenced to three years in a detention center.

The four adults who went to trial confessed to the attack but later retracted their confessions, saying they'd been tortured into admitting their involvement. Legal appeals against their death sentences are pending in the Supreme Court.

In response to the 2012 attack and the widespread public protests it provoked, India's government rushed through legislation doubling prison terms for rapists to 20 years and criminalizing voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women.

But while laws can change quickly, mindsets do not. India's Parliament held a stormy debate Wednesday on whether the film should be screened. Some legislators questioned how the filmmaker, who is British, had gotten into the prison to do the interview. Many, though, were uncomfortable with having India's problems aired publicly — particularly by a foreign filmmaker.

But several lawmakers, many of them women, disagreed.

"What the man spoke reflects views of many men in India," Anu Aga, a prominent businesswoman and legislator

said in Parliament.

"Every time a rape happens, the victim is blamed to

have provoked the men. Let's be aware of the view and not pretend all is well," she said.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

‘Mystic’ Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

By Alex Wayne

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The Indo-superstar who crossed over in fine style…

HERE was a time when many thought that hard core reggae ballads, stirring love songs, pulsating pop selections, and riveting dancehall hits were reserved only for the raunchy singers of Afro-descent; but many have lived to see that it is not really so.

Just a few years ago, a very dashing East Indian youth silenced tongues and had heads wagging in shame and dismay as their owners were forced to eat up their words and learn from the best. And the best, of course, is the multi-talented ‘Mystic’, who caused mouths to drop open in shock when he filled the auditorium at the Sea Breeze Hotel (Georgetown), with his rich, melodious and stirring voice that melted hearts and left knees shaking with desire.

He was then just the plain and simple Romeo Nirmal, and he was attempting to make a name for himself at the first ever 2006 TV Reality Show that was hosted in Guyana to discover and unleash the rich, young vocal talent around the Land of Many Waters.

At that time, young Nirmal just had the voice, though many could sense the energy that was inside him just waiting to be released.

Like every young and nervous singer, he was a bit timid, and certainly needed the healing hands of time and well-acclaimed experience to blossom nicely, like he has done today.

When he left the stage after several star Guyana performances, there were many hushed whispers of “this East Indian boy is definitely talented.” Others dubbed him “The Indian boy who broke down the barriers and invaded the English music world”.

Mystic entered Star Guyana Search but was knocked out before the finals, as initially he did not realise that contestants had to have three talents — singing, dancing and acting. This show was eventually won by the sexy and captivating Lisa Punch, who is doing wonders on the local shores.

There were many other talented youths at the reality show, who, after failing to place, would have disappeared off the scene; but the language of music was calling to ‘Mystic,’ and he followed, heeding its beckoning.

He is now one of the most unlikely reggae singers around, but his groovy vocals, when combined with some deep romantic or gut-wrenching lyrics, command listeners to stop and listen, and wish that they were wrapped up in the arms of that loved one; or hold your head and shed tears for the sufferings of others. His songs certainly set listeners in the mood.

JOURNEY TO STARDOM Fuelled by his love for music and a desire to be famous, Romeo Nirmal took his diamond voice to the studios of the Brutal Traxx Recordings and, of course, they readily welcomed his presence and talent.

There he budded even more as an artiste, and quite soon became known far and wide as “Mystic, the new sound in town”.

This singer is always proud to declare that the stage name ‘Mystic’ was selected because of the mysterious allure that surrounds his person and his rich voice.

And he had more to tell on why he is just comfortable with the name.

The Sunday Chronicle bumped into the singer just recently, and he was ready to chat, since it was our reporter who actually gave him his first media spread.

He said that before choosing his moniker, he looked it up on the Internet and fell in love with what it signified.

‘Mystic’ has today become like honey on the tongue of every music lover. Today, with all the spice and entertainment finesse he brings to the platter, one would want to believe that he would have had extensive international exposure, but that is not the case.

As a youngster, he sang lustily with his family in church on the Corentyne at Black Bush Polder; and years after, when he moved to the city, he ensured he meddled with ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’, since he felt that would make him a balanced artiste and have him able to garner fans in every nook and cranny of Guyana.

And as a young kid, his talent was marvelled at by friends and supporters at Central High School, which he attended.

“I used to like sing at lunch time, and persons would give me money and I would

‘Mystic’: the Guyanese voice that rumbles musically…

Romeo Nirmal (Mystic): A voice to be reckoned with on the international musical front.

buy lunch. They just marvelled at my voice, and would sit and listen as if in a trance,” he recalled.

And ‘Mystic’ was, of course, inspired by singers like Beres Hammond and Glen Washington.

Though he is now not such a staunch ‘church goer’, Mystic still remains deeply rooted in his belief that ‘love is within any language’, and he certainly dictates that with his upbeat lyrics and soothing tempos. He of course believes in ensuring that every song delivers a positive message to listeners and fans.

Like any other Guyanese artiste, ‘Mystic’ was plagued by his fair share of hard-core negatives that have engulfed almost every Guyanese musician trying to make it big time, and he was very deterred and frustrated. When the trial was not unfriendly and malicious rivalry, it was the plight of not being paid handsomely for musical exploits.

He was so sorely affected that, at one point, he gave up on the music industry altogether and returned to the Corentyne to venture into barbering. But the fire never died in his soul, so he never gave up on the dream for ‘musical supremacy.’

And this dude also composes, writes and performs his own original pieces.

He said that while he has not had any formal voice training, he has worked on his vocals over the years, and is definitely at the point of perfection.

Amongst his very hot releases are songs like “No Love”, “Don’t Give Up”, “GT Party”, “My Life”, and “Cry”. The last mentioned song, he said, is one of his favourite pieces because it was inspired by the heart-wrenching story of a young Sudanese boy in a refugee camp, which was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show.

His performance at the last Temperature Show, which featured Tarrus Riley and Gyptian, coupled with being the opening act of Akon’s Carifesta show and a performance with Natural Black in Berbice, are some of the most memorable public appearances for Mystic.

To date, he has working on several new releases, which he said fans can expect to hear in the near future.

The Sunday Chronicle applauds this artiste on all his accomplishments, and proclaims that he has a far way to go in the field of musical success.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

CEO of GT&T, Radha Krishna Sharma (second right) and MMG’s Managing Director, Ishwar Thakurdin (right) striking a pose with the awardees at the ceremony last week

GT&T awards sales, brand partners at grand dinner, ceremony THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) paid tribute to their sales and brand partners with a grand dinner and award ceremony last week in the Savannah Suite of The Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

GT&T’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Radha Krishna Sharma, in his address at the event, said the success of retailing and wholesaling GT&T’s products and services, comes from the company’s open-door policy with all vendors and brand partners. This policy, he said, allows the company’s partners to share their views, thereby aiding in the development of a business strategy designed to propel the company.

Speaking specifically to the brand managers, he posited: “This renewed partnership resulted from listening to your feedback and suggestions which you have provided over the years. We recognise and understand your role as an integral part of our business strategy in moving this company forward.”

The CEO related that this is the second year for the annual award ceremony and only recently he celebrated his two-year anniversary following his appointment in January, 2013. He expressed total satisfaction in the company’s performance over the years and promised continuous growth and availability of excellent service by the company.

Meanwhile, Ishwar Thakurdin, the company’s Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) Managing Director, congratulated the businesses who received MMG awards. He also alluded to the fact that the company will be re-defining the distribution sector. He noted too that the telecommunications market is a competitive one “where our products and pricing have to be spot on.”

This is the second annual Brand Partners award ceremony whereby retailers and wholesalers were awarded in the categories of Top wholesale and retail sellers, outstanding mobile money partners, and top Internet sales, among others.

The Top Wholesaler in GT&T’s C-point, G&J phone cards investment grabbed the prize, while World Access C-point Centre out of Linden grabbed the top prize for top credit retail agent. Starr Computers was awarded the prize for top internet sales and Cellphone Shack was awarded for top SIM card sales; best new vendor award went to KPS Variety. A fairly new promotion, M. Beepat and Son’s Limited received the top prize for best Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) performer. (Rebecca Ganesh-Ally)

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Local singer moves from rags to stardom J

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015 Jermaine Mc Bean: a talented Guyanese singer

By Alex Wayne

ERMAINE Mc Bean was rapidly chalking up points on the local music charts a few years ago, then he suddenly disappeared from circulation.

Then word reached us that the talented singer/songwriter had somehow relocated to China, where he rapidly made a name for himself and country, Guyana.

After spreading his talent to many nightclubs, hotels and states in that land, Mc Bean has returned to Guyana with a wealth of experience, which he hopes to share during his temporary sojourn.

Actually, we dug further and found out that he is here to make wedding plans for his impending union to his ‘dream girl’, whom he fondly calls Nichola.

The lad with the golden voice

HOW IT ALL HAPPENED… Coming from a broken home where there was never the much needed love and guidance of a father, Jermaine began fending for himself at the early age of thirteen.

Grave financial constraints forced him to leave school early, and he took refuge in homes that offered temporary solace and comfort.

All this time through his turmoil, he dreamed of utilizing his arresting vocal talents, and heard in his restless dreams the cheers of massive audiences as he performed under glitzy floodlights.

He slept in fields, braved the rain, and went hungry for days as he attempted to find food by doing odd jobs here and there.

Still in his early teens, the talented singer was spotted by musicians, who would give him a song or two to perform in their small bands, most times for free.

The love of music kept him holding on, performing for the joy of singing for little or sometimes no cash at all.

As his strength and determination grew, so too did the abuse of his ‘musical abilities. That, however, did not stop band owners from clamouring for his vocal abilities, which most times left audiences enthralled. All that, of course, was work he did for little or no pay.

Jermaine was slowly coming to grips with what was happening around him, and vowed in his mind to one day climb the ladder of fame he knew would eventually arrive with the degree of patience and tolerance he exercised.

He soon migrated with friends to the Ancient County, Berbice, and there he met Troy, son of the popular Guyanese musician ‘Teaspoon’.

The two formed a duo after he performed at an audition, and soon Jermaine was filling the various nightclubs in Berbice with rich, vocal melodies. Word inevitably spread around, and he was soon the most-sought-after singer in the county, igniting murderous and venomous stares from top Berbician singers like ‘Rat Head’, ‘Young Teaspoon’ and several others, who were always green with envy.

He soon left Troy’s band, since this bandleader never seemed able to come up with the sums he had promised to pay his singers; remigrated to the city some time later, and joined several celebrated bands, thus eventually becoming rated amongst some of Guyana’s better singers.

In 2005, he first flew to Trinidad, where his talent had him performing alongside elite entertainers like Roy Cape on Trinidad’s Petra Chin Road Show, and a few others. While spending two years on the island, he brought musical sizzle to many casinos, where he was greatly admired. He also sang alongside Trinidad’s Soca Monarch King, Shirwin Winchester.

He had a special talent, and soon learnt to play the keyboard all on his own, just following the urgings of his brilliant mind, fingers and brain.

Jermaine has spent eighteen months in China, and many Chinese have marvelled at his musical talent. He performs ballads of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Mary .J. Blige; and this, of course, brings him standing ovations at most of his performances.

In 2007, while in China, he entertained the beauties that contested the Miss Universe Pageant in that year at a function that was attended by Bill Gates and other elite special invitees.

That year, through his exploits, Guyanese singers Nichola and Nancy Osborne travelled to China and soon made their debut as ‘very entertaining singers’ in that state.

Jermaine has now acquired his own band. He has already played at several locations in the city since he arrived in Guyana in late December. He is more than ready to pass on his knowledge to upcoming musicians.

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ARIES - Get ready! Fun and fortune could be yours this week. A sassy alignment reveals that you’ll be eager to enjoy yourself and move outside your comfort zone, too. Your desire for something different could entice you to move in new circles midweek. The chance to meet with folks who are truly on your wavelength could be positively heart-warming. Later, the Virgo Full Moon might be a diet breaker. Don’t worry too much, though, and don’t let it put you off.

TAURUS - Expect the unexpected, especially if you’ve been quietly hoping for a minor miracle. This week’s alignment may bring just that. In addition, your intuition and dreams could play an important part in making that happen.

Pay attention to any vivid nighttime reveries, especially those that seem to have a haunting quality come morning. These may have special guidance for you. Later, the Full Moon in Virgo could be an invitation to enjoy a little romance or a chance for some fun.

GEMINI - Your social scene has plenty of snap, crackle, and pop. Key influences encourage you to be proactive about networking and exploring new social options. One encounter on Tuesday could bring news or information that makes a difference to your day. Don’t be tempted to jump too quickly into a sizzling romance on Wednesday, as it may not be what you think.

Thursday’s Full Moon in Virgo can be great for a party or get-together at your place, especially if you need to chill.

CANCER - There could be good news concerning jobs and money, especially earlier in the week. A positive blend of energies hints that there’s an opportunity for a new contract, promotion, or perhaps small windfall. Grab it quickly whatever it is, as it may not be around for long. You’ll find you can’t please everyone, especially on Wednesday. Bearing this in mind, it might be best to focus on your agenda rather than someone else’s. Thursday’s Virgo Full Moon may bring a heartfelt message your way.

LEO - The more you’re willing try new things, the more doors will open for you. If you have a strong desire to travel or study, this is the time to do it. Your enthusiasm will help you succeed. A fortunate blend of energies on Tuesday could bring positive news that gives you the confidence to go for it. Even so, you’ll need to balance an urge for adventure with the willingness to tackle everyday responsibilities. Thursday’s Full Moon might entice you to splurge.

VIRGO - If you’re willing to act on an intuitive hunch, it could pay off financially. Where joint finances are concerned, you may need to make one or two big payments and keep things running smoothly. The temptation to spend impulsively could throw a wrench in the works, so think carefully before you do. Later, you’ll benefit by making a decision rather than hoping for the best. Thursday’s Full Moon in your sign may encourage you to share your feelings with a special someone LIBRA - Relationships sizzle whether you’re looking for new love or already involved. This week you may connect with someone a little bit special and know that there’s potential mileage here. If this is the case, it’s up to you to work your magic. At the same time, your emotional equilibrium could be upset by someone with a disruptive influence. Stand your ground and refuse to be upset, especially if it’s a minor incident. Later, watch your dreams because they could be instructive.

SCORPIO - You’re in a prime position to make the most of a job opportunity or chance for greater exposure for your business. A delightful aspect early on could be the catalyst that sees you forging ahead, but grab it while you can.

A midweek communication snafu at work might temporarily derail a project, needing patience to see things through. Avoid doing or saying anything on impulse in this situation. Thursday’s Virgo Full Moon equals party time if you’re ready to enjoy yourself.

SAGITTARIUS - Feelings of positivity can give you a boost this week, particularly when it comes to romance and leisure options. A spark of inspiration could ignite passions between you and another, and this meeting could have a quality that marks it as special. Even so, you’ll need your freedom and a chance to do your own thing even if it means someone’s temporarily put out as a result. You’ll be in the spotlight on Thursday, so make the most of it to showcase your abilities.

CAPRICORN - The temptation to splurge is apparent, so go easy if you notice an urge to spend impulsively. There’s plenty of activity at home as stirring energies encourage you to remove clutter, redecorate, or do some serious DIY. This can be a good time to invest in your place or a family project that will bring a return in cash or memories. Later, don’t put off taking action on a key idea. Thursday’s Virgo Full Moon encourages you to fly free and have fun.

AQUARIUS - This could be a very conversational week. Shared information and opportunities could enhance your luck and that of others. Bright ideas sparkle with potential, so you might find yourself drawn to collaborate with a likeminded someone. There’s room for romance, too, as a special alignment can bring an upbeat encounter your way. Thursday’s Full Moon in Virgo could encourage a desire to splurge big time. Opt for one or two small luxuries instead if you can.

PISCES - Money matters continue to be of interest. A positive alignment on Tuesday hints that you could get a small windfall, the chance of a pay raise, or even a lucrative contract. If you’re changing jobs, there’s a chance your income will go up as a result. Money could come in and go out just as quickly, so put the brakes on your spending. Thursday may be perfect for romance.

The Full Moon in Virgo promises a date night that sizzles with chemistry.

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Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

English

Chronicle Pepperpot March 8, 2015

HEDGING

By Clifford Stanley

A

hedge is a fence or boundary formed by closely growing bushes or shrubs. Unlike a fence made of wood or concrete or steel mesh, a hedge is a “living” fence.

Hedges may be used to mark boundaries, such as along property lines or within sections of a property, or walks or drives, or as side screens; and they may also be used as barriers to keep children or animals in or out of yards.

Hedges are also useful in providing privacy, as around a particular section of the yard, or they may be used as windbreaks.

Some good examples of hedges made from local plants can be seen in the Botanical Gardens, where hedges line the driveway, or are seen at the entrances to various parts of the gardens as single or even double hedges.

There are many homes in Georgetown and on the East Coast of Demerara where owners have planted “living” fences outside their inanimate fences to add to the attractiveness of their properties.

There is also the use of hedges as climbers, to screen or hide a fence made of the usual mundane fencing material.

Mr. Fitz Ogle and members of the Evergreen Nature Study Club specialize in helping/advising people on how to plant

complete or partial hedges in their yards for enhancement of their home landscapes.

“Apart from practical purposes, a well done hedge can add to the aesthetic beauty of your yard,” Mr. Ogle says.

Ogle says that, regardless of the purpose, hedges should be dense and compact.

“The plant needs to be planted in a line and close to each other, so that the leaves can interact.”

Some people stagger the plants in a double row to get density, but in this event, great care has to be taken to ensure that the trees are planted in line.

The hedge should be easily sheared, and yet look good after shearing.

Many ornamental plants, both trees and shrubs, are well suited for hedges, but selection of a specific plant should be made by considering the particular purpose of the hedge and the growing conditions at the desired site.

“Usually, plants with medium or fine leaves make better hedges than those with coarse leaves,” Mr Ogle says.

“The preferred plants are the hardy plants. A hedge built from this type of shrub can last for years,” he disclosed.

Some tough local plants that are good for hedges include the prickly plant that is known as Bread and Cheese, the powder puff plant, plants of the mimosa species, and pines such as the “needle and thread” pine of the genus ficus.

The popular plant Ixora, locally known as the sugar cake plant, is also a good candidate for a hedge, but may not be as hardy as the others hitherto mentioned.

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Hedges used as windbreaks are usually planted to protect plants which are susceptible to damage from high winds, for example banana trees, whose leaves tend to shred, or other plants which can be bowled over during strong gusts. These windbreaker hedges are, of course, planted at the windward side of the yard.

Windbreaker hedges can be made of palm trees of the shorter variety, such as the miniature coconut trees.

Ogle says that the length of time necessary to achieve the desired size hedge will depend upon the plant and its vigour.

Shaping or training of the plants would require the right tools, but the exercise need not be tedious.

Some of the techniques for pruning will be discussed in a future article.

For many people, a well-cared-for hedge as a complete property boundary or partial boundary or sight screen is an indispensable component of a beautiful yard.

Why not join the tribe?