Pepperpot 2015 9 5 by Guyana Chronicle

► Page XIII

With newly acquired skills, out of school youths look to a brighter future ► XXVII Page

Undercooked bitter ► cassava could be fatal

Page

Haiti’s move to host CARIFESTA XII ► XL Page

- bravery or deception?

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Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

By Maureen Rampertab HE sweet musical sounds, lifted by the wind, dancing on the tree tops and sailing across the reservation, paled even the gold that lay beneath the earth and the diamonds from within the rocks, so was the richness of the Nightingale’s songs. Kupono, the native boy, cuddled cozily in his hammock, opened his eyes; the morning just born for the thick mist was still hovering on the mountain tops, let the divine sweetness of the songs serenade his mind. From within the forest where the bird lives, her songs could be heard early in the morning and at dusk, every day. Kupono, an adventurous, brave boy, who loved to chase rainbows, dance with the fairies and a hero to his animal friends of the forest, was also a special

friend of the nightingale. He had often heard her singing, but had never seen the beautiful bird, until one time at the fairies ball, when she had sung a song for the water fairy. It was a celebration of the fairies defeat of the evil wizard who had turned the water fairy into a golden frog for refusing to hand over a stone with great magical powers to him. But, with Kupono’s help, she had regained her fairy form, after the fairies had destroyed the evil wizard’s plans. That night, Kupono was knighted as a true friend of the fairies and they welcomed him into their mystical, magical world, and the nightingale was bestowed with flecks of gold dust on her feathers, so she became the Golden Nightingale. The forest was more a home to the native boy than the village where he lived, as he slung his arrow and bows across his shoulders for another adventurous day.

maureen.rampertab@gmail.com

The adventures of a young native boy

He smiled with hope in his heart for today he was venturing deep into the forest where he was told grew the most beautiful orchids, one of nature’s rarities never seen by any human. The scent of the flower has a healing power and not even the spiritual beings could go near, for it was guarded by the horrible King Toad and his subjects who once served the evil wizard. Kupono wanted a flower for his little sister who was struck with a strange illness that not even the fairies magic could cure. Something as unique as the orchid could take her illness away and she could smile again with cheeriness he loved so much. He set off with two of his winged friends, the goldena and the cotinga into the mysterious forest. He ran as they flew, his nimble feet, barely touching the foliage floor, a journey that was not without its adventures for the forest was the home of many species of animals and birds ► Continued on page III

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

► From page II and those entities of the evil world and magical world. He stopped to fix the injured leg of a doe, whilst her two brighteyed fawns gamboled nearby. Further along the way, he freed two rabbits from a hunter ’s traps and came face to face with a fierce jaguar, but even the jungle cat let the boy go by. The sun was high in the sky, thin rays piercing through the ventilation of the tall trees when Kupono and his friends neared the forbidden sanctuary of the King Toad. It was dim, strange shadows flirting around and an eerie quietness. Wild lilies and shrubs stood like a wall, guarding the rare beauty that grew beyond. Suddenly there was a loud splash as the King Toad rose from under the water and Kupono almost gasped at its ugliness; and in his mind, he wondered “How can something so ugly guard something so beautiful?” “Why are you here?” the toad croaked.

“I want a flower for my ill sister,” Kupono said, as calmly as he could. “Ha, I know one day you will want something of me. You are the friend of the fairies and have caused the wizard’s defeat” “The poor fairies needed help,” Kupono explained quietly, “The evil wizard would have caused too much chaos

in the magical world” “You have ruined everything. I now, live here alone, unwanted, when I could have lived in a castle” the toad said angrily but with a tinge of sadness. “What happened?” asked Kupono. “I shall not tell you,” said the toad, “For you are not my friend and I will not let you pluck any flower from my garden” “Please!” pleaded Kupono, “Tell me what I can do” “You can do nothing,” said the toad, “I served the wizard because he promised me that when he ruled over all the beings in the forest, he will lift the curse that has been on my family for a long time and free us from this hideous form. So we can again be white, beautiful and graceful, swimming in clear glistening water, in a wide pond, nestling

with the sweet, pure orchids, but now”, the toad paused, then croaked in a loud, terrifying voice, shaking the leaves of the trees nearby. “We’re doomed” Kupono realized that the toad and his family were swans but with the evil wizard gone, the curse was not lifted as promised and the toad seemed condemn to live in that form for eternity. The toad promised Kupono that if he could help to break the curse, he would be allowed to pick any flower he wanted. Kupono summoned his fairy friends but the magical powers from the wands could not break the curse, even the old tribal woman, who brewed potions to ward off evils, had nothing with such power. But she said that maybe something as beautiful and pure as orchids, some-

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thing magical other than the fairies, could change ugliness to beauty. Kupono was not sure whom to turn to as he sat down deep in thought, the perfumed scent of the hidden orchids intoxicating his senses; then he jumped up, excitedly, and whispered to the goldena and the continga who took off in flight and returned with the Golden Nightingale. Kupono told her what he wanted her to do. The bird flew on a tree limb ove hanging the pond and sang as she did in the morning and at dusk, sweetly, divinely. As the sounds floated around, a magical change unraveled and Kupono stared entranced as the shadows disappeared and light streamed through the tree tops, the gold flecks on the bird’s wings glittering, and the crystal clear water sprung to life, weeds bowed down and

flowers raised their heads from hidden places. The garden of the rare, untouched orchids opened its gate to a heavenly splendour. The Golden Nightingale’s song had the magic to break the curse and the swans emerged as white and graceful as they were created to be – the ugliness of evil was broken and the magic of beauty unfolded. The swan said to the native boy,“You have done something really wondrous, you can now pick any flower you want, whenever you wish, for you’re now the swan’s best friend.” Kupono’s heart was over joyed when his sister sat up and smiled as he placed the rare orchid in her hand, the colour returned to her pale skin, she was going to be fine, thanks to the Golden Nightingale’s song.

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Story of Excellence

– Guyana’s First Peoples

new book, ‘The Excellent Decade 2005-2015’, produced by the ANSA McAl Foundation, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, tells the story of contemporary ‘heroes’ of the Caribbean, including seven Guyanese men and women, namely Professor David Dabydeen, Ms Annette Arjoon-Martins, Mr. Sydney Allicock (now the Hon. Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs), Mr. George Simon, Ms. Karen de Souza, Dr. Paloma Mohamed-Martin and Professor Suresh S. Narine. Of these seven personalities, the work of three has direct bearing on the life of Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, notwithstanding the case that can be made for the others having indirect influence on the Indigenous Peoples. And the blurb of the book proudly declares its recognition of the contribution of the First Peoples of Guyana by naming ‘three members of the Guyanese First People nations as laureates in the persons of Annette Arjoon-Martins in 2008, Sydney Allicock in 2010 and George Simon in 2012. As stated above but to be precise, they are all of Indigenous heritage: Allicock - Makushi, Simon – Lokono Arawak and Arjoon-Martins – Arawak*. Ms Annette Arjoon-Martins – ‘is a conservationist whose pet project is the 100-mile ecosystem in the northwest coastal region of Guyana where four species of turtle nest. She leads the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society as well as her own business’. (Taken from the book). Remarkable about her activism is the fact that she secured alternative sources of income for the people who previously depended on various uses of the turtles for their livelihood. Some of her awards include the United Nations International Volunteers Award for Social

Work in Guyana and Commonwealth Foundation Fellowship. Mr. Sydney Allicock - is ‘a Toshao (or Chief) of an indigenous Amerindian village in the South of Guyana. Mr Allicock is passionate about promoting sustainable eco-tourism in the hinterlands of Guyana, and is also an advocate for the preservation of the indigenous culture of Guyana. He has received many national awards for the work he has done in improving the livelihoods of the hinterland Amerindian communities, and he continues to serve as a trainer with Iwokrama, a rainforest conservation and development project aimed at showing how tropical forests can be conserved and sustainably used to provide ecological, social and economic benefits to local, national and international communities’. (taken from the book) George Simon – ‘is a visual artist and archaeologist who has recently (in 2011) made an archaeological discovery in Guyana that might cause history books about the pre-Columbian past of the Americas, and world civilization, to be radically rewritten’. (taken from Awards website.) Simon believes in journeying; and since his formative days in St. Cuthbert Mission on the Mahaicony River, Guyana, he has moved from place to place, from his birthplace to Linden, to Georgetown, to England, to Chad, to Haiti, to Mexico…, accumulating knowledge, honing his skill and sharing, but always returning to his homeland, Guyana. During his sojourns, Simon has founded organizations in service to all humanity but particular to the uplift of Indigenous Peoples and minorities. The Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Award for Excellence was established in 2005 and the book

captures ten years of the Awards. The book offers varied perspectives on excellence. Sir Shridath Ramphal says that ‘striving for excellence is not new…our deepest roots lay in conditions of deprivation from which we were compelled to escape. The urge to excel is the very essence of that compulsion for self-improvement’. Professor E. Nigel Harris says that ‘excellence and the ever moving target of attaining perfection were omnipresent…so was the need to …challenge oneself…as well as the status quo’. And former President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar, says that ‘this quest for constant improvement…is present in almost every facet of life in the Caribbean…is not an exclusive club…also found …in simple folk… is also not just about the goal, it is also about the process’. The goal of the Caribbean Award for Excellence is to recognize significant Caribbean achievement, to encourage and to support the pursuit of excellence by Caribbean persons, for the benefit of the region. *All biographical information quoted from the book, the Awards website and from my work as a past Researcher for the Awards. Responses to this author: telephone (592) 2260065 or e-mail: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com What’s happening: ? The Guyana Annual Magazine 2014-2015 issue in now available at Guyenterprise Ltd., Lance Gibbs and Irving Streets, Tel # 226-9874, the National Library, Austin’s Book Service and from yours truly.

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

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

BACK TO SCHOOL ADVERTISMENT (The Daily Argosy January 10th 1960).

ood handwriting is a sign of intelligence. Get PLATIGNUM Fountain Pens made in England for good handwriting. Get Golden Platignum Quick Change fountain pen for $1.32; Gold Ton Quick Change Fountain pen $1.32; Visi-Ink Quick Change 84 cts. Regal Quick Change 72 cts; Bijou Quick Change $1.32. Spare Nib Units 24 cts each. A Nib to suit every style.

NAME CHANGED: (The Daily Argosy January 26 1960).

embers of the City Council yesterday afternoon agreed in principle to the change of the name scavengers to market

attendants. One Councillor said that the word scavenger seemed so derogatory in these days and suggested that it should be changed to market attendants. The name will be changed but the status and salary remain the same . The same duties will be carried out by the men. Councillor R.B.Gajraj said that whatever they be called, it should not change the work they perform. Councillor Eddie Gonsalves objected to the name change saying that if it was done the men might not carry out scavenging duties any more.

GRAMOPHONE CONCERTS: (The Daily Argosy January 28, 1960)

he first gramophone concert to be held at Queen’s College this term takes place tomorrow beginning at 6.15 p.m. The program will feature the William Tell Overture by Rossini and “Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto” “Midsummer’s Night Dream” and “Italian Symphony”. Other gramophone concerts will be on –February 11-Grieg and Sibelius ; February 25- Beethoven’s 9th Symphony; March 10- Dvorak; March 24- Weber , Berlioz and Schubert.

FIRST SHIPMENT OF MANGANESE OFF (The Daily Argosy August 11th 1960) “The first ship to carry manganese ore left Port Kaituma on August 5 with cargo of more than 2,000 tons.” The vessel, the M.V. “Ambrosio”, navigated the Kaituma River and the canal leading to Port Kaituma without difficulty. Ore was loaded overnight at the rate of 400 tons per hour. The M.B. Ambrosio will be carrying ore to the Chaguaramas stockpile in Trinidad from which larger quantities will be drawn off from time to time for ocean going vessels.

PYE RADIOS MAN ARRIVING TODAY FROM U.K. (The Daily Argosy January 23, 1960).

r. J.E.W. Stanley, MA. Bsc. (Engineer) of Pye Limited London, is due to arrive in the country today by air. Mr. Stanley is on his annual visit to the local agents Messrs. Auto Supplies. It has been learnt that Mr. Stanley who is accompanied by his wife is coming specifically to introduce new model radio equipment. There are about 20 other PYE Companies in all parts of the world which the Engineer visits. Mr. Stanley will be met on arrival by Mr. Andrew James , Managing Director of Auto Supplies.

BEST HALF YEAR FOR PORTUGUESE PAWNBROKING CO. (The Daily Argosy February 20, 1960).

r. Carlos Gomes, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Portuguese Pawnbrokery Co. Ltd, disclosed in the 146th half yearly report that the half year ending December 1959 was the best half year the Company has ever had. “As a consequence, a dividend of 8% plus a two percent bonus free of income tax requiring $13,205 were recommended by the Directors.

PHONE BOOTH FRAME ALREADY SET UP: (Daily Argosy July 22nd 1960).

refabricated frames for the city’s modern telephone call booths have arrived and workmen from the Department have been engaged in assembling the frames. One frame has already been set up at the junction of Charlotte and Albert Streets. The department is awaiting shipments of glass and special telephone slot boxes. It was disclosed that the department plans to increase the number of telephone booths in B.G.

PAY AS YOU CALL FROM TODAY: (The Daily Argosy April 1, 1960)

fter a five –and- a- half- day “testing period” for the new dial telephone system, users as from today will have to pay five cents for every call made on the modern automatic service . It is no secret that the new five cent charge has caused much resentment and criticisms from all sections of the community. Some subscribers have been reported to be going through the motions of returning their newly acquired phones while others, who because of circumstances, are compelled to retain theirs, are putting up a fight to have Government cut down the charge. Many business places have in the interim testing period instructed their employees by talks or notices in red letters as to how and under what conditions they should use the Company’s phones. Nearly all these notices and instructions have put an end to free and in some cases unreasonable use of the telephones by employees. This tightening up is an effort by employers to cut down on their phone expenses which they envisage will, as a result of the 5 cent phone rate, assume astronomical proportions.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON CINEMA SHOWS PERMITTED (The Daily Argosy January 30, 1960)

Bill to permit Sunday afternoon cinema shows was passed by the Legislative Council yesterday. The Bill- an Ordinance to amend the Cinematograph Ordinance- authorizes the granting of licenses whereby the opening of cinemas for the purposes of entertainment before 8.30 p.m. but not before 4.00p.m. on Sundays would be authorized. It is felt that the proposed change will be of special benefit to those persons residing in country areas who do not have the opportunity of visiting cinemas on weekdays. This change brings the law in line with most other countries in the western world. It would be prohibitive however under the Bill to admit children aged between six and fourteen years to cinemas while schools are in session.

MILLIONTH POUND OF MEAT FROM THE RUPUNUNI: (Daily Argosy July 12th 1960).

.G. Airways transported its millionth pound of meat for the year from the Rupununi yesterday. This total was obtained from the carcasses of 2,221 animals. As last year’s total was 1,392, 286 there is every likelihood of an increase of about half-a-million pounds this year. Meanwhile, meat shipments to French Guiana and Martinique will be resumed around month end. They were stopped in April because of the rainy season.

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

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

VII

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Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Magistrate committed a specific illegality

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Resulting in convicted appellant being freed by Full Court

IN 1961, appellant Archer was convicted by a magistrate on a charge of dangerous driving , but his conviction and sentence were set aside by the Full Court on the ground that the magistrate committed a specific illegality that affected the merit of the case. The Full Court also found that the magistrate not only drew erroneous inferences from the circumstantial evidence, but did not properly evaluate the evidence of the eye

witnesses in the light of the several discrepancies. The appellant was represented by Attorney-at-law Mr. P.N. Singh, while Crown Counsel Mr. David Singh appealed for the Respondent, After the appellant appealed, the Full Court was constituted by Justice Aubrey Fraser and Justice B.O. Adams, S.C. The facts of the case disclosed that the appellant was convicted by a magistrate’s court of the offence of dangerous

driving . In his appeal (which was allowed on another ground) it was argued on his behalf that the magistrate committed a specific illegality affecting the merits of the case when he permitted the appellant to make an unsworn statement. Further, section 4 provides that, subject to other statutory provisions for the time being in force , English common law rules and principles relating to evidence shall, so

far as they are applicable to the circumstances of the Colony, be in force therein. Allowing the appeal, the Full Court held Section 64 of chapter 25 relates to oral evidence and not to unsworn statements, and the defendant’s right to make an unsworn statement is specifically safeguarded and retained by poviso (h) to section 52. Pat v. Vanvieldt, 1960 L.R.B.G. 254, not followed. Justice Fraser, who delivered the judgment of the Full Court, noted that the appellant was charged with dangerous driving contrary to section 36 (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Ordinances, Chapter 280. The particulars of of-

a summary conviction offence should at the close of the case of the prosecution be given the option of making an unsworn statement from the dock as was done in trials for indictable offences before the Supreme Court. The full Court of Appeal drew a distinction between the rights of a defendant in English Courts of sum-

fence were that, on Friday, 1st January, 1960 , he drove car No. HD 585 at Ruimveldt Public Road, in the Georgetown Judicial District , in a manner that was dangerous to the public. He was tried before a magistrate of the Georgetown Judicial District, convicted and fined $75 with costs $12.24. From this conviction, he has appealed, and through his counsel, has urged as one of the grounds that the magistrate committed a specific illegality affecting the merits of the case when he permitted the appellant to make an unsworn statement. In the Case of Pat v. Vanvieldt, 1960 , L.R.B.G. 254, The Full Court of appeal, consisting of Justices Date and Justice Gordon , expressed an opinion in the form of an obiter dictum on the question whether a person who has been tried in a magistrate’s court for

mary jurisdictions and his rights in local magistrate’s courts, and concluded that while it would seem that in the former courts accused persons were given the option of making unsworn statements, the latter courts were essentially creatures of statute and had no authority to adopt such a procedure. Continuing his judgment , President of the Full Court, Justice Fraser, declared, ”Mr. David Singh, Counsel for t h e re s p o n d e n t , a b l y urged upon this court the view that the expression of opinion in Pat v. Vanvieldt was incorrect. He traced the history of a defendant’s rights to give evidence in a magistrate’s court and submitted that the position in British Guiana before 1900 was that such a defendant was not allowed to give evidence on oath, but that since 1900,

George Barclay

the defendant has the right to give evidence on oath in his defence with the option to make an unsworn statement. In his concluding remarks, President Fraser of the Full Court noted that the appellant had said in a statement to the police that his car was travelling south, in the centre of the road, at between 15 to 20 miles per hour. A pedal cyclist who was proceeding north suddenly swerved from west to east across the road in front of his car , as it was about to pass his car, and swerved and went into the trench. If the appellant’s statement is true , he would not be guilty of dangerous driving because he took evasive action in the agony of the moment. The prosecution led no evidence to contradict the appellant’s account, except for a statement from the witness Cummings that she did not see any cyclist which was rebutted by an allegation. Justice Fraser’s final words in the court’s judgment were, ” This Court is unable to draw the conclusion from these measurements and the absence of skid marks that the appellant’s version was untrue, or that the car was travelling in a manner dangerous to the public; The magistrate not only drew erroneous inferences from the circumstantial evidence, but did not properly evaluate the evidence of eye witnesses in the light of the several discrepancies. In the circumstances, this appeal is allowed, the conviction and sentence are set aside, and the respondent is to pay the appellant’s costs.

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Meet the lovely

Patricia ChaseGreen

She now does her job the way she wants to!

Patricia Veronica Chase-Green

By Telesha Ramnarine hen the lovely Patricia Chase-Greene joined the Georgetown City Council in the early 1990’s, she was just a young nurse who had nothing like politics in mind. But today, she is experienced enough to say, “You can really trust no one in politics.” The feisty 63-year-old can never forget the day she was approached by Mayor Hamilton Green to join his ‘Good and Green Environmental Group’ that was set to contest the Mayoral Elections in the early 1990s. She joined up as a candidate and the group was successful. The members must have been elated at their win, but such happiness was but short-lived. “When I came into City Hall in 1992, that’s when things really changed. We were hampered to the maximum by the then government. You sit at the round table and are told one thing, but by the time you leave the room, it changes.” Today, though, Chase-Green said it is a wonderful feeling for her to hold the post of Deputy Mayor under the present administration. “The minister has said quite publicly that he will not interfere in the operations of the Council. This gives you a sense of belonging. You are able to do your job; something that you ought to have been doing 23 years ago!” In fact, work has already commenced on restoring City Hall’s building to its former gothic glory, and workers of the council can be seen in every corner of the city. “We were not able to do this in the past. We were only able to do what the minister wanted. Well, that shadow of darkness is gone. This city is going to be transformed into the beautiful city it once was, ” Chase-Green enthused in an interview with the Chronicle at her City Hall Office last Wednesday. Chase-Green views it as an honour to be working along with a veteran like Mayor Hamilton Green, but she acknowl-

With the Olympic Torch some years ago

edged that they have inherited a “broken system” which needs to be fixed. “The Municipal and District Council’s Act, of which the laws of City Hall are fashioned after, should be our Bible,” she believes. NURSING CAREER Chase-Green was born and raised in New Amsterdam, Berbice, and spent 38 years of her life as a nurse. She is married to Mr. Lennox Terrence Green, a former national boxer, and their three children are Richard, Sherma and Terrence. She is grandmother to nine and great grandmother to one. “Life has always been good for me,” she says. Observing the attitude of nurses back in her childhood days fostered in her a desire to want to help people, and she credits this as her reason for entering the profession. She volunteered with the Red Cross in New Amsterdam before making her way to Georgetown to work as a nurse at West

Chase-Green is known for her zest and energy at City Hall’s statutory meetings.

► Continued on page XVIII

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Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Graduates with Minister Volda Lawrence and officials of BIT

A life of righteousness and success ahead… - BIT graduates highlight their journey and way forward

By Navendra Seoraj

OME were unsure, dropped out of school, stayed at home all day, doing nothing lucrative, lost in their thoughts, thinking what next after school; but then they read about the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) in the newspapers, and their lives took off on an ongoing upswing. That opened up a new horizon and created an opportunity for the youths to be trained in a particular skill, whether it was catering, computer skills, welding and fabrication among so many others which these youths would now be able to master and utilise in the world of work. Before BIT, it was not all easy going for some. There were struggles that led to some

being confused and not academically inclined. In speaking with this publication, it was discovered that some of them came from single parent backgrounds, where they were not able to get the attention and affection of both mother and father. In this scenario, school became their last priority. A teenage boy, who preferred to remain anonymous, disclosed that he was not fortunate to receive a secondary education, because, while growing up, he lived with his mother, who worked very hard to care for himself and his siblings. Eventually, due to the lack of supervision, he was led astray by peers. Lucky for him, one of his aunts started paying more attention to him and started to lead him, bit by bit, along the right path. She introduced him to the BIT programme,

where he was taught a skill which he was not even enthused about at first. But after being guided and encouraged by his new peers and colleagues, along with the trainers, he began to find an interest in what he was doing and took a liking to it. Today the young man is aspiring to go to the University of Guyana, where he’ll proceed to be more versed in his area of training, and hopefully start his own business someday. Many others shared similar stories. There were even some girls who participated in the training but were uncertain at first. And it turned out well. They now have an interest in a variety of skills, opening new vistas for successful careers. All of the new graduates made mention of the fact that they will be pursuing further studies in various fields, after

which they intend to enter the world of work and lead a life of “righteousness and success.” PARENTS ROLE However, in speaking to the youths, the concept of parental supervision being necessary to academic excellence became clear. Just recently, Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence urged parents to support their children every step of the way, insisting that the saying “from the womb to the tomb” is still relevant. Every bit counts, because youths are the future of any country; and although all might not be as fortunate as others, they are still children, and need love, guidance and attention in order to be successful and not become juvenile delinquents.

Graduands making their way to the auditorium for the graduation

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

XIII

Damian Moore’s Jaipur, the Pink City

ABOUT THE DESIGNER amian Moore’s heritage is along the waters of the Moruca River at the tip of Guyana; but he is quick to point out that there is also bit of Indian, African and Portuguese blood running through his veins. In fact, a DNA test shows he is but 5% Indian, thanks to his Madrasi grandmother. Even so, much of his work, first as an artist and now also fashion designer, bears out his Indian and Amerindian heritage. It was while he was pursuing the Fine Arts programme at the University of Guyana that a friend introduced him to books on Indian culture, including henna design. So when his friend’s niece was getting married, he did her henna designs, and also decorated the hall for the Mehendi night of the wedding. Had he not stayed over for Carnival after a Christmas trip to Trinidad in 2008, he would probably still be in Guyana. You can’t blame him, really. Which budding designer would pass around Brian MacFarlane’s Mas camp and not be pushing to get in? Once the opportunity presented itself, he was off to Trinidad to contribute to the famed Trini designer’s carnival band. Not that he would stick to that only. Back when he was 19, he went on exhibition at the Umana Yana, the massive city replica of an Amerindian house that went up in flames not too long ago. His work, an abstract piece based on music, was quickly bought. So on the side of working for MacFarlane, he took up his brush whenever the inspirations came. That paid off big time for him. “”Degrees of Self,” based on the Chakra (in Sanskrit “Wheel”), which in Indian yoga and mediations refers to so-called wheels of energy in the human body, was selected for the Urban Art project in Trindiad and a print decorated the walls of the Queen’s Park Oval. Moore became the first Guyanese to have his work exhibited in that way. As in “Degrees of Self,” Damian continued the Indian influence in his work. His latest fashion collection is called Jaipur – The Pink City, a breezy (spring/summer, if you prefer) ready to wear collection and accessories. Pink has always been a favourite colour for him, and so Jaipur, painted pink in 1876 for the visit of the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria, was chosen as the inspiration for the collection. With his new collection, Moore seeks to bridge the gap for today’s woman who wants to keep up with modern trends but also wants to maintain her cultural identity. Some of the designs are loud, while some are more subtle, capturing various aspects of Jaipur and its association with pink. Damian Moore still lives in Trinidad, but comes home occasionally to teach the foundation class in fashion design at the Burrowe’s School of Art in Georgetown. Jaipur, the Pink City collection, was his thesis for the degree in Fashion and Design at the Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design at the University of Trinidad and Tobago.

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Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Intel Skylake processors launched!

ntel has launched its latest range of processors, code-named “Skylake”, targeting everything from high-powered gaming rigs to computers the size of a USB stick and smartphones. The “sixth generation” Core family promises improved performance, battery life and graphics-power, thanks to a new micro-architecture. The chips have also been optimised to handle 4K videos better. Microsoft is offering its latest operating system - Windows 10 - as a free upgrade to consumers and suggests its software should not be more taxing on processors than Windows 7 or Windows 8. Even so, Intel noted that there are more than 500 million computers in use that are four years old or older. Intel’s next challenge is to try to ensure that production of the chips goes smoothly. Intel says the first of the new PCs should be on sale late this year.

GOOGLE’S NEW LOGO

oogle announced a new logo last week, and surprisingly it looks like more than the usual empty design exercise. The logo itself does represent the most striking change in many years for Google, most of all in its plainness and the custom font’s lack of serifs, the little lines at the end of character strokes. One variant of the new logo takes only 305 bytes of data, compared with about 14,000 for the previous version, which had required a clumsy text-based approximation to be used on low-bandwidth connections. In a larger sense, the new logo is actually the first truly digital representation of the company: It’s no longer static but virtually alive to the services available behind it. That should set the stage for more seamless combinations of services in the future.

THE NEW SONY SMARTPHONE WITH 4K SCREEN

ony has unveiled the first smartphone to feature a 4K-resolution screen. It means the Xperia Z5 Premium can both capture video in “ultra-high definition” quality and then play it back on its 5.5in (14cm) display without downgrading the footage. All the firm’s Z5 handsets also feature a new camera module - the first time the part has been completely overhauled since 2013’s original Z1 handset. Sony said the 23 megapixel sensor involved was being kept as an “exclusive” to its own devices for the time being.

TOSHIBA UNVEILS THE WORLD’S FIRST 12.5-INCH 4K CONVERTIBLE LAPTOP

t IFA in Berlin, Toshiba has unveiled the Satellite Radius 12, the first 12.5-inch convertible laptop with a 4K screen. You may ask, and reasonably so, why anyone would need 4K on a screen so small — and the answer is that you probably don’t, just the way you don’t need a 4K display on a phone. But it can be done, and so it shall be done. The Satellite Radius 12 comes in either a carbon gray or satin gold metal finish with an LED backlit keyboard. It weighs 2.8 pounds, and the hinge rotates all 360 degrees to switch between five separate viewing modes — similar to a Lenovo Yoga. Before the announcement, we had a chance to take a quick look at a Satellite Radius 12 in a pre-briefing with Intel, and can confirm it feels like a solid machine with a beautiful finish, and the hinge feels smooth and sturdy. The Satellite Radius 12 runs Windows 10, features sixth-generation Intel Core processors (Skylake) up to a Core i7, and has an optional 3,840-by-2,160-pixel IPS touch screen display (standard is 1080p). RAM maxes out at just 8GB.

Samsung’s Sleep-Sense can track your sleep; change the room temperature and more…

AMSUNG is making a play for your bedroom, revealing a small device that lies beneath your mattress to not only monitor your sleep, but control your air conditioner, television and audio system to ensure better sleep, less jet lag, and a faster metabolism. It can even turn off your TV when it senses you’ve fallen asleep in front of it. The device will also track how long it took you to fall asleep, sleep efficiency, the number of times you woke, and if you got out of bed. On a night, for example, the Sleep-Sense could send a message to a connected air conditioning unit to lower the temperature for optimal rest. It could also turn on your coffee machine when it senses you’ve woken up in the morning. Look out for the sleep-sense in a store new you…Soon!

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART DDS.

Nothing can replace nature

By Dr. BERTRAND R. STUART DDS. NCE damage had been allowed to occur to teeth, their repair or replacement treatments require artificial materials to be used. Not only are these materials ever quite as good as the original natural tooth structures, but the health of the repaired tooth and gums around them are never quite the same afterwards. There is no available method to date which is available to regenerate tooth structures. Although “test-tube teeth” aim promisingly towards this objective through stem cell research, they are still at their very early stages. The materials used to restore teeth can affect your smile cosmetically. However, if they deteriorate in the mouth over time, they can deteriorate your smile at the same time. Some materials are more durable than others and gold shines in this respect, but gold and silver coloured filling have declined in recent years because of their color. White fillings are either made of composite resin or porcelain. Now when compared, composite resin fillings are never as strong as porcelain and are best limited to small cavities. Composite resin fillings are however much cheaper and can be done directly in a single visit at the chair side. Porcelain, on the other hand, is far more expensive and is made indirectly in the dental laboratory from a mould taken of your teeth. Whereas a composite resin filling tends to stain both on and around it over time, particularly around the edges, porcelain is harder, far more durable and more resistant to staining in the long term. A porcelain inlay is like a piece of jigsaw puzzle, made of china ware, tailored to fit accurately into that one specific cavity in your tooth and will not fit any other tooth cavity in your mouth nor any other in the whole world. Composite resin, on the other hand, is fluid, blended into any cavity like a soft white piece of plastercine, shaped to an approximation by hand instruments, and hardened by a chemical reaction. This is triggered by exposure to a light source. During this hardening process, it also tends to shrink slightly, leaving the tiny micro-crevice around its perimeter which may eventually collect stains. However, the effect is less significant in the small cavity, but if you should need a white filling for the large cavity, a porcelain inlay is more appropriate. The art of cosmetic dentistry involves not only restoring your teeth to full health, but also aims to retain the appearance of your smile in its most natural form. A smile which displays

the black margins of your crown and filling edges, gaps under your porcelain bridge, or metal clasps of your denture, could never be aesthetic. Crown margins are best tucked just under the gum line, porcelain bridges are adapted exactly to the gum ridges, and denture clasps are redesigned and positioned discreetly. Whilst cosmetic dentistry is concerned with correct colours which can serve to camouflage their existence, the fine quality of restorations in the mouth determines the long term survival of the teeth they aim to preserve. They should all feel smooth and comfortable when they are in the mouth and the precision of their fit is of the highest degree. Their shapes, forms, contours, and sizes should replicate the lost tissues in order to restore teeth back to their original anatomy, to maintain their original contacts with all neighbouring and opposing teeth. The more perfect they are, the more comfortable, durable and “invisible” they get. The reason why dental restorations which are indirectly fabricated from a model of your cavities in the dental laboratory often last longer, is because the technician is able to contour them precisely. Fillings which are directly made at the chair side and placed into cavities by hand may not give the dentist the luxury of time and the 360 degree view provided by a model, and approximate shaping of them at the chair side often results in oversized fillings which often overflow outside of the cavities to form either overhanging ledges or undersized fillings which fail to fill the cavity completely, creating step-defects around their perimeters. Such ill-fitting and poorly constructed restorations not only look bad, but they invite food and dental plaque to settle around them to cause recurrent decay, drastically shortening the longevity of the tooth. Blackness around fillings could ruin your smile. The “perfect filling” with perfect fittings do still have fine margins at their edges where they meet the tooth and can still invite the collection of dental plaque, but far less. Once you need to have artificial materials in the mouth, it becomes inescapably important that they and all their many perimeters are swept clean at all times because their existence alone creates new stagnation areas for extra dental plaque to collect. This is why the gums around crowns tend to bleed more readily than around natural teeth, and fillings tend to have more recurrences of decay underneath them when compared with wholly intact and natural teeth without fillings (virgin teeth), in the same mouth.

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Patricia ChaseGreen

► From page XI

Demerara, Bellevue and Woodlands Hospitals, and the paramilitary Guyana National Service (GNS),

among several other institutions. She was eventually sent to be trained at the George-

town Public Hospital Corporation as a nursing assistant and midwife. While here, she spent most of her time at Working along with the mayor has been an honour for her the Accident and Emergency one you will take with you all Department. the time. I would like to see Chase-Green then worked how best we could change this with Banks DIH as an In- image, so we could all admire dustrial Nurse, and later, as it and live comfortably in it,” the company’s Occupational she disclosed. Safety and Health Officer. Although she retired from PLAIN-SPOKEN her nursing profession three Chase-Green often comes years ago, Chase-Green still across as a very serious inhelps out whenever she is dividual — a no-nonsense called upon. “I still do nursing person who can be quite inin the community where I live. timidating at times. “Persons I now do volunteer work.” may feel I’m not approachable and may be fearful of coming RESTORING forward to me, but when they GEORGETOWN do make contact with me, they Chase-Green has big realise it’s not what they see on plans for Georgetown. Her the outside. Sometimes you’re desire is for citizens to have not always in a laughing mood, a city that can be admired; and may have your face seriand in this vein, she noted the ous the same time somebody garbage situation that pops up wants to talk to you. Once they ever so often will have to be get to know me, though, they addressed. realise that I’m approachable. “Also, (I want) to ensure The facial look is just the facial that all our parks, playfields look. It’s not the person whom and avenues (are restored). they may see.” As a child, when I was takNothing displeases her en for walks in the avenues as much as dishonesty does. and gardens to listen to the “Not only in stealing, but if I police band, that beautiful ask you a question, be honest atmosphere that we had (in and give me an honest anwhich) you could easily go swer. Don’t be untruthful to down the avenue and have a me in an answer. Dishonesty seat, I would love to see those upsets me greatly, because I avenues done over. believe that ‘honesty is the “I would love to see the best policy.’ It just trips me.” children in all the commuThe Deputy Mayor is a nities having their playfields very plain-spoken individual to play (in); many are now who tells it like it is. Howevovergrow with bush. In any er, this does not mean that she part of the world, the city is would burden herself with the first place people look to malice. “After I speak to you, get an idea of the country. I’m done with it, because I “People come to George- like to be a free-minded pertown and think Georgetown son and not carry a burden for (in its present state) is Guy- somebody else.” ana. No, it’s not! We have She lives by the motto, other beautiful places that “What the mind of a man (they) can visit. But the image can conceive and believe, he that you see in the city is the can achieve.”

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Undercooked bitter cassava could be fatal … as the Thomases of Aishalton found out

By Shirley Thomas OW ironic that a person could die simply by consuming a meal of any by-product of the bitter cassava that is under-cooked. This is what, tragically, an indigenous couple, Cosmos and Pauline Thomas, of Aishalton, Region 9, found out. Moments after consuming a meal of ‘kadakura’ or ‘toma’ (IAmerindian pepperpot) Pauline and Cosmos Thomas, a couple in their mid-forties, from Aishalton, Region 9, had to be air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, after showing signs of food poisoning. Pathetically, the woman died two days later. While her husband remains under close medical attention at the High Dependency Unit of the institution. Medical sources suspect that they may have been poisoned from traces of cyanide contained in the improperly cooked cassava water (juice) used to make the ‘toma’ The sweet cassava was traditionally known to be a simple ‘stand-alone’ staple, but it’s amazing the way the innovative genius of Guyanese chefs has, over time, changed the concept, preparation and presentation of this vegetable to new and appealing culinary heights. Some of the better known cassava-based cuisine in► Continued on page XXVII

Cassava being baked to destroy toxins (Photos courtesy Annette Arjoon-Martins )

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

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Ozone: All there is between you and UV

n September 16, 1994, t h e United Nations General Assembly proclaimed that this day will be celebrat-

ed as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, annually. This was done to commemorate the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. This Protocol was developed under the Vienna

Convention, which was adopted in 1985. It is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for destroying the Ozone layer. The Montreal Protocol has so far been successful in meeting some of its targets on phasing out ozone-depleting substances. The theme for this year’s celebration is “30 years of healing the Ozone Together”. This theme is supported by the slogan ‘Ozone: All there is between you and UV’.

WHAT IS THE OZONE LAYER? The ozone layer or ozone shield refers to a region of Earth's stratosphere that contains high concentrations of ozone (O3). In simple terms, the ozone layer forms a thin shield high up in the sky. Remarkably, if we could

bring the entire ozone layer to sea level, it would only be about 3mm thick. This thin layer of gas is what protects life on Earth by absorbing most of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON’T PROTECT THE OZONE LAYER? Due to the misuse of harmful chemicals known as Ozone Depletion Substance (ODS) in our homes and places of work, scientists discovered a ‘hole’ in our ozone layer. This phenomenon became known as Ozone Depletion. One might think that Ozone Depletion is just damaging to the environment but think again, this can impact our everyday lives. Ozone depletion has allowed harmful UV rays from the sun to penetrate down to earth. Environmentally these UV rays can affect important aquatic and terrestrial eco-systems

altering growth, food chains and biochemical cycles. Aquatic life just below the surface of the water which form the basis of the food chain like plankton and algae are adversely affected by the high radiation levels. Plant growth can also be adversely affected which can cause a decline in agriculture production.

Protocol which means it is responsible for coordinating and monitoring all activities towards the smooth phaseout of man-made Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) in Guyana. Through the NOAU, Guyana has been able to maintain compliance with the provisions of the Montreal Protocol. With the assistance of the United Nations Envi-

Socio-economically these rays can be damaging to human health, causing increases in the incidence of certain types of skin cancers, eye cataracts and weakening of our immune system. Increased penetration of UV results in increased production of ground level ozone, which causes respiratory illnesses. Increased health costs are the most important direct economic impact of increased UV radiation. The medical expenses for millions of additional cases of skin cancers and eye cataracts pose a challenge to health care systems, particularly in less developed countries like Guyana.

ronment Programme (UNEP) and funding through the Multi Lateral Fund (MLF) we have achieved the phasing out of the Chloroflourocarbons (CFCs) in 2008, 2 years in advance of the Protocol’s phase out date of January 2010, in addition to several other Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) that was due to be phased out, namely, methyl bromide and halogens. The introduction of Regulation to control imports of ODS was passed, which will allow the imposition of a quota system for imports of the Hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFCs), which is the next ODS targeted for reduction by 97.5% of current average consumption by 2030. This has gone a far way in assisting in global efforts of restoring the ozone layer. It is important to emphasise, however, that we all have a role to play when

HOW CAN WE PROTECT THIS LAYER? In Guyana, the National Ozone Action Unit (NOAU) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Hydrometeorological Service is the country’s focal point for the Montreal

► Continued

on page XXVII

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Ozone: All there is between you and UV ► From page XXII it comes to protection and preservation of the Earth’s Ozone Layer. Having policies is not enough, this is a job that requires a collective effort by all citizens of the Earth. It requires a change in our attitude and everyday practice.

Ozone-depleting substances are still present in many older types of equipment and appliances so awareness of how to deal with these is crucial. Here are some practical things we can do to help protect the ozone layer: * Make sure that old refrigerators and air conditioners are disposed of safely by giving them to a recycling yard. Take care not to damage the cooling circuit which contains the ODS; * Ensure technicians repairing your refrigerator or air conditioner recover and recycle the old ODS so they are not released into the atmosphere; * When renovating your house, make sure that old insulation foams containing ODS are disposed of as environmentally hazardous waste; * Inform yourself about ozone depletion through further reading, and suggest activities at your children's school to increase awareness of the problem and initiate local action. Let’s pledge to restore the Ozone Layer! Sources: http://ozone.unep.org/en/treaties-and-decisions http://www.hydromet.gov.gy/ozone.html http://ozone.unep.org/en/30th-anniversary-vienna-convention-and-international-ozone-day-2015 Share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com.

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Dream Girl

found a goal list my boyfriend made when we were split up for a few months last summer. These were to be fulfilled by August 2015. At first it seemed cute, until I got to this goal. Fall in love with the girl of my dreams. Which I still thought was cute, until I saw the name beside it, which was not me. It happens to be a girl I was once friends with. I panicked, then got angry. Then felt maybe I was overreacting. Then cried and felt I wasn't good enough. Because I never said anything to him, every time he pulls away or comes home a little late, I think he wants her, not me. I don't know if he does, but I wonder if I'm only temporary. I don't know. I love him, but I'm scared. Now I'm trying to avoid a pregnancy test because I'm terrified it will be positive, and he'll wish it was her carrying his baby. Ingrid

ngrid, you need to confront him because you need access to more information. You need an internal resolution about his love for you. But before you confront him, decide if you want his honest answer, or if you want the answer you want to hear. The answer you want to hear may make you temporarily happy, but every good or bad event in the future will be coloured by what the truth is. In addition, before you confront him, find out if you are pregnant because pregnancy should be no part of the discussion. "I might be pregnant" will colour his answer, but it does not solidify his link to you. At most it solidifies his link to your baby. When you trap a man into marriage, when times get tough and all you have to lean on is his love for you, you won't have even that. If you still aren't sure of his love, pretend you are deaf. Take all the words away. Observe. A man in love shows love through his actions. Wayne & Tamara

Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

The Right Fit

am a single mum of a single child. I recently met a man and went on three fun, chatty, lovely dates. Each date ended with lengthy passionate kissing in the car! Between dates he texted me for a bit of fun quick banter. I didn’t press for more, but I did say I was looking for a long-term relationship. After the third and final date, he messaged me saying he thinks I’m lovely, charming, gorgeous and fun, and we have amazing chemistry. Even magic. But he doesn’t have the right feeling for me. So it’s over! That feeling was the reason another guy broke up with me years before, so I’m left feeling naively in the dark at 42. Holly

olly, when we are looking for a person to be with, we feel like Tantalus, a figure from Greek mythology. Tantalus was punished by being made to stand in a pool of water underneath a low hanging fruit tree. The water was up to his chin, yet when he went to take a drink, the water receded. When he tried to pluck the fruit, the branches rose beyond his grasp. It doesn’t matter that two men left you and didn’t give a more tangible reason. You don’t get to feel bad because someone does not love you, as if you lack something. That’s not it. We are all looking for the one that fits. The puzzle pieces fit together or they don’t. No one has to feel bad about it. All you need to understand is, in the nicest way possible, he said “I don’t feel we are meant for each other,” just as you would have the right to say the same to him. He said you don’t have it for me, not you don’t have it for someone else. Wayne & Tamara

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Understanding ...

From a Teen’s Point of View! By Vishani Ragobeer

Women in a changing world:

ello my readers! How was your past week? I hope all was well, especially my fellow students! Well, as requested from a reader of mine, this week I will be talking about ‘Women in a changing

world’. Women- I believe are just as important as men because, as they say: “behind every successful man there is a woman”. These fairly new ventures being undertaken by our world leaders to eradicate gender biased stigmas and let gender equality prevail is something I am very happy about. Not only will these ventures improve the social lives for women, but it will also eradicate all hazards women have in obtaining jobs and provide them with the justice and respect they deserve. In times before, the key roles of women were to raise the children, take care of the family and manage the household. Now, women still manage to carry out these traditional duties as well as managing their professional work life. The life and endurance of women, especially those working and still managing the homes, is really commendable. Even those working outside the home only or managing the home alone display the strength and endurance found in a woman. I distinctly remember a few English classes ago, that we were being taught persuasive writing, and while given the opportunity to choose what topic we wanted to write on, naturally the topic of ‘gender equality’ was brought up. A few persons in class were dubious about ‘gender equality’, and like a lot of people, they too believed that there should not be gender equality because a woman cannot to all that a man can (like the extra laborious tasks). Our teacher sat down and he explained to us that while a woman cannot do all that a man can, a man cannot do all the things a woman can do. So, just as my teacher explained to us, I’m passing on the message that women deserve to be treated fairly and not looked down upon. So that’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed it, but before I go- I didn’t mean to offend anyone, especially you men. I am just voicing my beliefs.

* Quote for the week: (by Unknown) “The world is one” Goodbye! See you all again next week at your favourite and best newspapers!

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Undercooked bitter cassava ... ► From page XIX

clude cassava bread, cassava pone, cassava yum-yum, cassava balls, egg balls, savoury cassava balls, cassava puffs with ground chicken filling, cassava salad, ‘boil and fry’, cassava quenchers; farine (a cereal which can be eaten uncooked or made into porridge), cassava pone, cassava casserole, hot and tasty pepperpot made from rich cassava cassareep. Down through the years, and until rice and corn became popular sources of calories in British Guiana, the cassava was used as the main staple, and was utilized across the spectrum, effectively bridging ethnic enclaves across the country. BY-PRODUCTS OF CASSAVA It must be made clear however, that there is a distinct difference between ‘bitter cassava’ and ‘sweet cassava’. Sweet cassava is immediately edible upon being cooked, and can be prepared in a variety of dishes, no less than ten of which are popular and relished by probably all ethnic groups across Guyana today. There’s an art to preparing cassava bread, cassareep, tapioca and farine which are all by-products of the bitter cassava. Unless this is strictly observed, the consequences can prove fatal. Bitter cassava contains toxins (cyanide) which must be carefully extracted before the cassava can be edible. Just in case you would have mistakenly peeled and attempted to boil bitter cassava, Simon Foster, 52, of St. Cuthbert’s Mission advises, it ‘will not boil’ (or become soft). Also it will have a bitter taste and that’s what you need to guard against. Foster, an indigenous expert on the preparation of all types of indigenous foods, has been exposed to making these all his life.. Cassava bread is made from the residue after the juice

of the cassava has been extracted using a long cylindrical nibbi extractor called a ‘matapee’. This residue is then dried for about a day or two, sifted, then baked on a scorching hot grid. It may be used while soft and hot, as preferred by the indigenous peoples, or dried out in the sun for a few hours, then stored. Cassareep: One of the finest and most sought-after condiments, and one of the main ingredients used in making the popular Guyanese dish, ‘pepperpot’. Interestingly, the same toxic juice extracted from the bitter cassava after it has been grated is boiled for several hours in a large pot, the scum being continuously skimmed off as it comes to the surface, until it becomes thick, tacky, and of a pure dark brown, almost black look. That substance is the pure, unadulterated cassa-

reep. It has a tacky consistency, and, when bottled, does not pour easily. Kadaruka, an Amerindian word meaning ‘gravy’, is made by adding water to the scum extracted from the cassareep when it is being boiled. It is re-boiled for several minutes. Seasoned meat (fish or wild meat) and hot peppers are added while the kadaruka is brought to the boil. The end product is a tasty gravy which is preferably eaten with freshly baked, soft cassava bread. It is an Amerindian specialty. Cassava starch is, in effect, the white sediment which settles at the bottom of the (toxic) juice extracted from the grated cassava. The starch is used in laundering to keep otherwise soft and soggy materials stiff, and to make pronounced seams in cotton or denim garments.

Cassava peeled and waiting to be grated

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The Importance of Good Character Part 2

Rev. Gideon Cecil

By Rev. Gideon Cecil

a place of wholeness. Our words match our actions. “We say what we mean and we mean what we say.” When we break ‘’Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity from this pattern and say things we don’t really mean, we and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and move “out of integrity.” cruelty. The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling Many people today in our society have no integrity, from but in rising every time you fall.’’ Nelson Mandela the educated academic, to the illiterate backdam worker, they are all the same? People make promises they cannot keep or Good character is the leadership quality that distinguishes they can never keep their time and word. I observed most great leadership. It is the quality that most people admire. people go late to work or they just lie to make excuses about Leaders of good character have integrity, courage and com- being late; they are never on time wherever they go. They passion. They are careful and prudent. Humble in their are never honest with finances of their own and when given awareness of their own limitations, they seek out the knowl- finances for someone else to manage, they have some real edge and counsel of others. They constantly learn and others issues. Integrity has been a problem in Guyana and globally want to learn from them. Their decisions and actions inspire because people inculcated some real deceptive habits from employees to think and act in a way that not only improves their homes. When a person who is highly educated lacks the bottom line, but that contributes to the well-being of the integrity on a job, they did not develop those vile traits on organization and society. their job; they learn them from home. Character building is something we are parented into, whether good or bad. It’s also MORALITY & INTEGRITY something we inherit by keeping bad company. Have you ever wondered why some very rich educated people can cuss and What exactly is integrity? According to the dictionary, in- behave very disorderly? They may have money and education, tegrity is “the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to but lacks morality and character. high moral principles or professional standards, and the state The wise Greek Philosopher Socrates made this profound of being complete, undivided, sound or undamaged.” Integrity, prophetic statement: then, is having high principles and keeping those standards ‘Those who provide much wealth for their children, but consistent throughout all the different parts of the self. neglect to improve them in virtue and character, do like those One of the first places integrity issues show up is in our who feed their horses high, but never train them to be useful.’ language patterns. When we are “in integrity,” we speak from If we are very keen and observant in our society, we will

soon discover the family structure is dissolving gradually from our communities and nation. We hardly see faithful and responsible fathers and mothers. Many of our children grow up without fathers who are the foundation of the family. Some with a grandma, uncle or aunt or with complete strangers, and many on the streets; it’s very sad because we have a real moral breakdown in our homes. It’s no wonder crimes have escalated. The crime is not a political or social issue, it’s more of a moral phenomenon, it’s an issue where morals and character building were never inculcated in those who commit crimes in our society. A keen evaluation of prisoners’ background will give us our answers. Bring back the family structure, get back families into their churches in their respective religions, and we will have a clean and free society devoid of crime. OUR WORDS ARE IMPORTANT “Such as thy words are, such will thy affections be esteemed; and such will thy deeds be as thy affections and such ► Continued on page XXIX

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XXIX Why is that so? It’s because of a lack of character and attitude. Our conduct and attributes are the key pillars of our life. It’s not people we hate; it’s their attitudes. It’s not too late for us to develop our character into a life of integrity, morality, fortitude and spirituality. It is truly said: “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. But when character is lost, everything is lost.”

Nelson Mandela

Socrates

The Importance ... ► From page XXVIII thy life as thy deeds.” (Socrates) Our words contain our life, that’s our character and attitude. Life is sowing and reaping. We sow bad seeds by our words; most marriages end up in divorce because of one person destroying the other with deplorable words. We must

think before we speak, because we speak our thoughts; I see a society of very angry and bad cultured people from all walks of life. Our ethics, morality and conduct with each other are extremely poor. Very few people can say:‘Good morning, thank you very much, excuse me sir or madam’ These terms of courtesy have become obsolete and is now being replaced with terms like:‘Lol’.

Character is everything in a man’s life. It is the total personality of man. A man without character is just a dead body that is hated by everybody. The importance of character can be realized from the fact that a student seeking admission from one school or college to another has to produce a character certificate from the former institution. A person applying for some post must produce a character certificate from the head of the institution he last attended. Character is the sum total of all the good qualities in a man. It consists in honesty, truthful speech and dealings, diligence, and obedience to parents, teachers and elders. Sincerity, love of mankind, inner goodness and desire to do well to others and to be free from hatred, jealousy and malice are also part of character. To live in harmony with the people of all religions, races, castes and nations may be added to the characteristics of high character. Not to cast an evil eye on a member of the opposite sex is the essence of high moral character. Character is a God given principle given by God to man from His Holy Books. (Persons wishing to respond to Rev. Gideon Cecil can call Tel#220-7008, Cell# 690-4755 or email: gcecil2010@hotmail.com)

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Chronicle Pepperpot September 6, 2015

Keep On Striving With Eze

- Yourba Singers mark their 40th anniversary By Neil Primus

Eze Rockcliffe and Joycelyn Rockcliffe perform a song at the GPSU Sports Club.

“I have always loved music.” No one could doubt Eze Rockcliffe on that. Born at Pert Village, Mahaicony in 1950, he spent six (6) of his early years in the countryside before moving to Georgetown in 1956.

He resided in Kitty and attended Redeemer Lutheran School where he received his primary education. After primary school, he became a student of the Guyanese College of Modern Education. Upon completion of his secondary education, he joined the African Society for the Cultural Relations with Independent Africa – ASCRIA. This group held concerts all across Guyana. The Kitty Chapter –of which Eze was a member- had youths who possessed a lot of talent so they got involved in the concerts. The Kitty group soon became very popular and went to many areas to perform. After a number of successful appearances, Bertie Greene suggested they change the name of their band from ‘Young Ascrians’ to ‘Yoruba Singers’ and as they say, the rest is history. Eze, apart from being an entertainer extraordinaire, also joined the Young Socialist Movement (YSM). He later became involved in politics and was a Member of Parliament under the PNC from 1989 to 1992. In 1980, he was awarded the Medal of Service. A major part of Eze’s life was spent as a member of the Yoruba Singers. He recalls the early days of this band. “We made our first professional appearance at the Wig & Gown in 1972. Due to our popularity and demand for performance, the band started to tour. Our first tour was to neighboring Suriname in 1973.” The first album in 1973 was ‘Ojinga’s Own’ with two very popular numbers from the album being ‘Masakura Man’ and ‘No Intention’. Later, in 1974, ‘Black Pepper’ and ‘Danger Water’ were recorded in Barbados. In that same year, the group performed in Trinidad & Tobago at the Naparima Bowl. “This success and popularity saw us going to Suriname

in 1975 to their Trade Fair and Independent Celebrations. “Jamaica was next and CAFIFESTA was the occasion. We attended CARIFESTA in Cuba in 1979 and performed for this festival in 1981 in Barbados. “That same year we visited Cuba again for the Varadaro Festival - a Latin America Festival.” The Yoruba Singers were the only Guyanese group invited on that occasion. Tours were made to the USA and Canada in 1982 and set the record for the first Guyanese band to do so. The next extraordinary achievement was performing at Madison Square Garden for a Mother’s Day Concert in 1984. To date, they are the only Guyanese group to have play there. In 1989/ 99 and 2000, the Group played in Canada for CARIBANA. The crowning achievement for the year 2000 was performing at the Millennium Concert in Tobago alongside giants like Eddie Grant. 2005 saw the band performing in Brazil and 2008 at CARIFESTA held in Guyana. The band recently played at the SANKOFA held at the National Stadium on Saturday 8th, Nov. 20011. Yoruba Singers have performed at nearly all Emancipation Celebrations except in 2001 and 2011. This year the Yoruba Singers celebrates their 40th Anniversary. Eze continues to defy his age and has not slowed down. He has recently collaborated with his son Kenya in a Music Video called ‘Keep Striving’. He is currently working on the remixing of some of the Yoruba Singers popular hits giving then an infusion of Pop, Hip Hop and R&B. “I would classify my style of music as one dedicated to drums.” Many of songs he has written will attest to this.

The cover of the Yoruba Singers’ first album

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A mixed Amerindian-African dance performed by Guyanese dancers

Haiti’s move to host ... ► From page XL

currently living on under US$2 a day. According to one Haitian blogger, who described CARIFESTA as a “weapon of mass distraction,” the event is also an uncertain benefit of a state (Haiti) which cries insolvency. The blogger went on to label CARIFESTA as an “expenditure of more to amuse the gallery” while offering their view that it was spearheaded by an “authoritarian regime” that attempts to erase the fact that after nearly three decades since the revolution, Haitian democracy boils down to eleven "elected" officials, 10 of whom, he said, are members of an obsolete institution. “Over a third (38%) of Haitian households (CNSA data, June 2012) live in a situation of food insecurity, domestic production meets only 45% of our food needs. The Haitian people are hungry. It will be better when he [President Michel Martelly] has managed to put something in their mouths” the social commentator said in his blog. Resulting from this level of poverty too is a growing crime rate which was experienced by members of visiting delegations. Despite heavily armed security forming human barricades to shield visitors , some were robbed in plain sight during the events. However, at the opening ceremony on August 21, Martelly’s rationale of why Haiti had pursued this initiative of hosting CARIFESTA, was so the poverty-stricken country could unveil itself to its regional counterparts, having been in isolation for years. Facing the Secretary General of CARICOM, Irwin LaRocque, in the presence of thousands of Haitians, Martelly expressed, “We [Haiti] want to see you [CARICOM] more often. We want to look you in the eyes and say, “We have problems, but together we can fix it.” Whether this had been a genuine act of bravery for Haiti to host this recently concluded 11-day event, or an act of deception to overshadow the current state of Haiti – socially, economically and politically- what is known for sure is that the memories which were created during this time will be etched on the hearts of Haitians who benefitted significantly from it. And the President’s rationale became a reality. They looked us in the eyes. We saw their problems. And together, we could fix it.

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Haiti’s move to host

CARIFESTA XII

…‘We want to see CARICOM face to face, look you in the eyes’, said President Martelly

A By Ravin Singh

fragmented historical past, plagued by a series of natural disasters and a society prone to diseases, Haiti’s move to host the 12th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) leaves many unanswered questions, whether it was genuine bravery, or a deceptive move to overshadow the cur-

rent state of the French-speaking nation. Following the Haitian Revolution of 1986 which sought to restore democracy in an already fragile country - which had been the first to win independence in the region, disorientation of economic and social life had characterized the Caribbean country. The trickledown effects of routine flooding and hurricanes, and the impact of a 7.0 earthquake in 2010 had shattered the little progress made in over three decades in the

French-speaking nation. The country at that time, even as it is today, was ranked by the World Bank as the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. But despite these negative attributions to a country which has proven itself to be one of the richest -culturally in the region, Haiti shocked the Caribbean when it signalled its intention, via its President – Michel Martelly, in 2013, to host CARIFESTA XII – the region’s most anticipated cultural event.

Granted this request by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Haiti was now required to pump 300M Gourdes or US$75M into this 11-day event which was expected to facilitate more than 20 other countries in the region. While some would opine that the French-speaking nation was not ready for such an undertaking, the efforts of the relevant authorities presented the idea that Haiti had successfully shielded itself, perhaps temporarily, against the general perception of being synonymous with poverty. Dancers from St. Vincent and the With general elections slated for later Grenadines perform a duet this year, intense political campaigning which, simultaneously with Carifesta, was dominating the small island, screamed an act of bravery on the part of the government. This seemingly ‘brave’ move by the “poorest country in the Western Hemisphere” had been supported by thousands who flocked the cultural events during these eleven days. Even the eyes of those in almost rag-looking clothing seemed to feast on this grand event which was a historic undertaking by Haiti. The events were nothing short of spectacular. Haitian culture in particular had dominated the forums and was marketed at its best. Commercialism had been the hallmark of CARIFESTA XII, with sale of art and craft being solicited at every street corner in Port-au-Prince. Adding to this glorification campaign were beautifully designed grand stages and selectively enhanced facilities to house cultural booths which painted a picture of Haiti being almost comparable with the more developed states in CARICOM. Theatrical and performing arts were staged at grand facilities which seemingly appeared new. Visiting delegations stayed at renowned hotels and were granted police escort to and from every event. But while this appeared to be an act of bravery on the part of Haiti to host such an event, many were of an opposing conviction. The magnitude of the impact of US$75M expended by the Haitian Government could have, in their estimation, developed Haiti, maybe short-term, and provide some footing for the almost 59 per cent of the population

The Masquerade band of Guyana preforming at one of the cultural shows (Photos by Ravin Singh)

► Continued on page XXXIX