Guyana’s Premier Guide to entertainment, Culture, Fashion, Beauty, sPorts & masters oF their domain
Jamzone 2010 Summer Break Goes International GY$1,100 | US$5.99 | BD$12 | CN$7
Wedding Announcements 7 Couples exChange Vows
ExclusivE!
Motor Racing Ace
Andrew King
The Man and His Passion Bikerfest
2010 Daredevils in Action
with R&B Sensation
Ne-Yo Personality Promoter Kashif Mohammad
Attracting Mr Right
Does Body Language Play a Role?
Wonders of Guyana The Demerara Harbour Bridge www.GemMagOnline.com
CORBIN MEDIA GROUP
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Contents GEM
20 LETTERS TO GEM What readers have to say about the last edition
Guyana's Premier Entertainment & Lifestyle Magazine October/November 2010 | Issue 41
27 11
PUBLISHER’S NOTES Time for some changes
12
BIRTHDAYS Personality milestone
13
PERSONALITY Kashif Mohammad, Director, Kashif and Shanghai Organization
14
The Anthony Sabga 2010 Awards for Excellence
16
Mexico Celebrates Bicentennial Independence Anniversary
18
37 20
Wedding Announcements 7 Couples Exchange Vows Motor Racing Ace Andrew King The Man and His Passion
COVER CREDIT
22
The photo of Andrew King was taken exclusively for GEM by Simeon Corbin 6 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 7
Contents II GEM
43
Guyana's Premier Entertainment & Lifestyle Magazine October/November 2010 | Issue 41
53
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Jamzone 2010 Summer Break Goes International with R&B Sensation Ne-Yo
26
SAVVY SISTER Attracting Mr Right Does Body Language Play a Role?
47
The 11th ISKF Pan American Karate Championships
34
FASHION Boutique: John Lewis Styles on Facebook
48
Exploring the Diaspora Snapshots from the 2010 Boston Caribbean American Carnival
36
HEALTH BEAT Stroke: Deciphering the Warning Signs
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ICON Margery Kirkpatrick The Matriarch of Genealogy
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TRAVEL The Wonders of Guyana Demerara Habour Bridge
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Bikerfest 2010 Daredevils in Action
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OUR FOLK CULTURE Indo-Guyanese Kali-Mai and Obeah
GEM BEAUTY Meet 25 –year-old Shoba, a Virgo
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58 RECIPES Whole Wheat Carrot Cake & Fresh Fruit Salad LAST SEEN HERE Random pictures of people and events. Were you there?
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GEM SINCE 2004
Issue 41 | October / November 2010 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Simeon L Corbin EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Pamela Corbin MANAGING EDITOR Coretta Corbin-Rival LAYOUT AND DESIGN Mark James INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Pamela Corbin INTERNATIONAL SALES & MARKETING Director Coretta Corbin-Rival INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION Director Michelle Corbin CONTRIBUTORS Pamela Corbin • Coretta Corbin-Rival • Michelle Corbin • Carl Croker • Naomi Wright • Allan Fenty • Petamber Persaud • Rawle Welch • Colin Sulker GUYANA AND THE CARIBBEAN GEM, P.O. Box 12396, Georgetown, Guyana Phone: 011.592.225.1738 or 011.592.624.2751 Email: info@GemMagOnline.com Website: www.GemMagOnline.com SUBSCRIPTION Guyana & Caribbean call 011592.225.1738. Rest of the world 1.617.833.7482 Online: www.GemMagOnline.com DISTRIBUTION To sell GEM at your business, please email sales at sales@gemmagonline.com INTERNATIONAL SALES AND MARKETING Corbin Media Group P.O. Box 255906 Boston, MA 02125 USA Phone: 617.833.7482 Email: CorbinMediaGroup@aol.com MEMBER Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Guyana Press Association (GPA) Tourism Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) ISSN 181-2019 Six times a year, GEM delivers the latest trends in business, charity, art, interior design, real estate, culture, cuisine, sports, entertainment, parties, fashion, events, beauty, weddings and travel.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to GEM’s rights to edit. © 2010 by CORBIN MEDIA GROUP
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Letters to of GEM caught my eyes. Boy was I pleasantly surprised when I started to browse through the pages. The pictures, the content, the people, the events, and the recipes everything is so beautiful. You see, I left Guyana over thirty years ago and haven’t been paying regular attention to newspapers, books and magazines coming out of there. It is good to see that Guyana has made such an advance in media, that a high quality glossy magazine is being used to promote the country. God bless and do take care. - Yuvita Ramotar originally from New Amsterdam, Berbice now living in Jacksonville, Florida
Ooops!
First, I must say that GEM is absolutely the best ever magazine of its kind in existence for Guyanese and I hope you always keep up the good work. I enjoyed your main feature in issue 40 on singer Jessica Xavier. I am happy to see that despite the odds for promising singers in Guyana, she is not giving up. The human voice is such a wonderful thing, too bad we don’t take it more seriously here. – Sofia Kalichan Thanks for the coverage of the NACRA and CAC rugby championships. The Guyana men’s and women’s teams must be congratulated for their exceptional performances. They did us proud. It was sad that the whole of Guyana wasn’t at the stadium to witness such a great feat. Kudos to GEM for covering rugby and we truly love your magazine. Hope to see more coverage of rugby in the future. - Tessa & Daniel James, New York
On page 17 of issue 40, we inadvertently mislabeled the bottom picture. The caption should have read " Parvesh Bhola of NAMILCO receives the first place award in the Small Enterprise Category from Carol Primus of the Ministry of Labour and Human Services." We apologize for any confusion this error may have caused.
We welcome comments, criticisms and ideas from you. Let us know what you think about this edition. Send comments to letters@gemmagonline.com. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.
Keep up your non-critical approach to the coverage of people, places and events in Guyana - even if I don’t agree, it certainly makes me see things from a positive angle – there is a good feeling of genuineness when reading GEM. - Leon Arthur I received a copy of your magazine among other things that I got from Guyana recently. Immediately the cover
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Publisher's Notes Amanda Kippins Photo
I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying. - Michael Jordan Dear Valued Reader, I have just completed two of the busiest months in my life. August and September were packed with fun-filled activities for entertainment enthusiasts. I saw many of you at the events, so you know exactly what I am talking about. From the ten days of Jamzone to the three days of karate, to the night at Bikerfest 2010, it seemed that there was an endless flow of things to do, places to go and people to see. If you missed many of them, don’t despair, we have lots of action captured in vivid colour for your enjoyment. This year marked the 10-year anniversary of the popular Jamzone Summer Break, and the Hits and Jams Group continues to turn up the heat on the local entertainment scene. For this occasion, the group brought in R&B singer Ne-Yo to headline their international night at the Stadium. Starting on page 24, we tried to capture many of the events that surrounded this annual happening. Our cover feature person is car racer Andrew King. With decades of racing under his belt and many stories to complement them, Andrew has earned an iconic status in Guyana’s sporting world. He is also known to be a man of limited words especially with the media. But somehow, writer Rawle Welch got him comfortable enough to open up. Read all about what King had to say in their exclusive interview on page 22. Starting with the October/November 2010 edition, we have had to increase the newsstand prices for GEM due to rising production costs. Our old newsstand prices were in effect since 2008, so you will realize that asking you to pay more for GEM is not a regular occurrence. Unfortunately, we do not have control over certain aspects of production, and if we are to remain in the
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business of delivering a high quality product every two months, certain adjustments have to be made. Nevertheless, despite the new prices of GY$1,100, US$5.99, BD$12 and CN$7, we still remain below the costs of the average high quality glossy publication on the newsstand. Again, thank you for your understanding and continued support. Enjoy yourself, Founder & Publisher GEM
May the best of your past be the worst of your future.
Dr. Vindhya Persaud
Promoter Kerwin Bollers aka DJ Kerwin
OCTOBER Executive Director, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha Dr.Vindhya Persaud (1) Music producer Burchmore Simon aka Burch (2) Guyana and West Indies cricketer Reon King (6) Guyana cricketer Mahendra Nagamootoo (9) Singer Jessica Xavier (10) Promoter Kerwin Bollers aka DJ Kerwin (14) Former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Stephen Camacho (15)
Captain Gerry Gouveia
Mark Harper
Sculptor / Poet Philip Moore (21) Designer Derek Moore (22) Former Guyana and West Indies cricketer Mark Harper (31) NOVEMBER Managing Director Environmental Managing Consultancy Shyam Nokta (5) Singer Wilbur Levans aka B52 (15) Captain Gerry Gouveia (29)
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PERSONALITY
Kashif Mohammad
Job: Promoter and Director of the Kashif and Shanghai Organization Favourite movie: The Godfather Favourite entertainer: Chris Rock Favourite dish: Stew chicken and split peas rice GEM: Who are the other members of the Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) organization? Kashif Mohammad: Aubrey Major (Shanghai) and myself are the core members of the team. Our success, however, has been built around a larger group which includes people like Troy Mendonca, Aubrey Henry and Arnon Adams. We meet at intervals particularly during the period leading to the start of the tournament to plan things like PR, marketing logistics etc. Apart from this group, the outcomes depend on a rather larger group of diligent "foot soldiers." GEM: Twenty-one years of K&S football, are you surprised that you made it this far? KM: Frankly, no. Though I have to admit that when we started we probably did not envisage the success that we have realised. What we have provided over these years is a product that has been in demand and we have been able to sustain this because each year we have worked to make the tournament better. The reality is that we continue to respond to the needs of an enthusiastic market. GEM: You brought King Pele for your 20th anniversary celebration, how do you plan to better that? KM: Its not really a question of bettering the King Pele visit. That was a signal event that had to do with our 20th anniversary. In the future, we will be looking to provide our fans with another significant moment, another significant event. What we seek to do is to offer the fans something that fits the occasion. GEM: So, football fans wouldn’t be asking too much if they are looking for Maradona, Ronaldinho, Beckham, Ronaldo, Kaka or Cristiano Ronaldo to show up? GEM: Of course not! They deserve to see those football icons. On the other hand its tough to make promises. Bringing the great icons of the game to Guyana requires negotiations that are sometimes difficult as we found out when we were in the process of getting Pele here. Then there is the question of cost. What we can promise is that we will never stop trying to give our fans and to give local football the best that we can. GEM: Seems like the 15,000 capacity Providence Stadium is getting too small for your annual final. KM: There used to be a time when we had no stadium and we had to make do with much smaller venues. We see the stadium as a significant improvement on what existed before. From our perspective it represents growth. Obviously, as our tournament grows and as the
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Photography: Simeon Corbin demand for the game grows, we hope that there will be bigger and better facilities including larger stadia. For the time being, however, we see Providence as a significant improvement on what we had before. GEM: In a business with so much controversy and mistrust, how do you manage to maintain such a lengthy partnership with Aubrey “Shanghai” Major, and what is it like working with him? KM: Mistrust does not emerge in a vacuum, it has to be created. If you begin a partnership with bad intentions or if you become greedy along the way, you breed mistrust and bad blood. The simple truth is, Shanghai and myself share a bond of friendship and a bond of trust, and over time, that bond has proven to be much stronger than any intervening force that would cause us to mistrust each other. With us, it is simply a matter of the quality of our friendship. GEM: Word on the street in some quarters is “K&S make lots of money from football, but they don’t give back enough to the game.” What do you have to say about that? KM: I am not sure what you mean by "word on the street." People believe what they do and we know what we know. Here are some of the things that we know. It's costly, very costly to stage the tournament. The problem is that those people who want to be our accountants, tend to look at our receivables from gates and advertising, for example, without looking at what we spend. Let me give you a simple example. This year we are hoping to have two teams from the Caribbean participating in the tournament. We are going to have to accommodate those
teams of perhaps 25 or 30 players and feed them for the 12 days that we expect them to spend here. We have done this before. Do you know how many people comprise Team Kashif and Shanghai for the purpose of the tournament? In excess of seventy. All of them play a role and all of them have to be compensated. As for giving back to the game, I will simply point to the role that we have played in facilitating the participation of Guyanese players in the semi-professional league in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition to that, I would wish to challenge those who say that we give nothing, to name any other organization in football or in any other sport for that matter, that has created the kind of entertainment spectacle for Guyanese. Frankly, what we have found is that those who make these claims, do so from a perspective of ignorance and that, of course, is entirely their prerogative. GEM: As far as prize money this year, what should the teams expect? KM: I couldn't put a number on that just yet. What I can say is that, as is customary, we will strive to provide bigger and better incentives this year. GEM: If you had to rank the state of football in Guyana from 1 -10 with 1 being terrible and 10 being excellent, what number would apply and why? KM: No better or worse than 5, in my opinion. Football can do better for itself. The truth is that as a country we need to make a decision as to whether we want the game to grow. And having made that decision, we need to back it with effort and with investment. The stakeholder group includes the local Federation, the Clubs, The Officials, the government, the business community and the fans. In my opinion all of these groups can do a good deal better than they are doing at the moment. The other thing, of course, is that we need to have a common goal and to work together towards that common goal. People sometimes disagree too much and that impedes progress. GEM: Which is the most impressive football stadium that you have visited? KM: I would say the AJAX Stadium in Holland. Apart from the fact that it accommodates around 80,000 fans, it has an atmosphere that is magnificent. All of the great football stadia have an atmosphere. Our own finals at Providence lend that stadium an atmosphere and a character of its own. GEM: Greatest football game? KM: That's a tough one. I have seen many games that I have considered outstanding. Perhaps the one that stands out is the Argentina/Germany 1986 World Cup Finals. A game that certainly deserves mention is the Japan/ South Korea Girls Under 17 finals played in Trinidad and Tobago recently. The game ended in a 3-3 draw, but the battle was epic. GEM: How come you always appear to be very cool, calm and collected even in the middle of promoting a major event? KM: That's an interesting question. Sometimes I find that people appear to believe that if you have an important task to complete you somehow need to work yourself up
into a state of seriousness and a high degree of nervous energy. I have found that it is more important to do what is necessary to get the job done and becoming excited is not necessary. In fact it can be a distraction. I believe that the coolest heads are required at the times of greatest challenge. GEM: What are your thoughts on the entertainment industry in Guyana? KM: Entertainment is a business and it has its challenges like any other business. We promote shows and we promote football and both have their challenges. What I can say, however, is that there has been a significant growth in the market for both types of public entertainment and as a businessman I would say, may that continue. Of course, among other things, it is a matter of investing in facilities and the stronger support of corporate Guyana that would cause our entertainment industry to continue to grow. The HJtv Family is making a significant contribution to the upward development of this industry in Guyana. Hats off to them!!! GEM: Seems like the Kashif & Shanghai Organization has found the blue print to promoting mega events. KM: We work hard, we plan carefully, we pay close attention to detail and we try to execute precisely. There is no secret to this. It’s a matter of discipline. Some people have it and some don't. GEM: What has fatherhood thought you? KM: Several things. The one that comes to mind most readily is the really satisfying feeling you get from understanding that you have a responsibility for guiding, protecting and moulding young lives. When you think of it carefully, that is an awesome responsibility. GEM: On any given Saturday night, what would you be doing? KM: Contrary to what people might think, I am not what you would call a party animal. I'm not a drinker. I hang out, I might do the Club depending on if something nice is happening there, watch a movie or I might simply stay at home and relax. I enjoy my TV. GEM: Something about you that will surprise most people? KM: I don't suppose that too many people would know that I grew up like an Amerindian child in Rockstone with my great grandparents where I learnt to hunt and fish and farm. I had a really very ordinary and perhaps even different upbringing. GEM: Any regrets? KM: I don't like to talk about regrets. Life’s experiences are linked one to another and I have found that once you begin to talk about regrets you begin to wish you could live your life over. That, of course, is quite impossible. There are lots and lots of experiences in my life that I prefer to reflect upon much more than others. The thing is, however, that all of those experiences have contributed in one way or another to shaping who I am and I am very happy with who I am. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 15
Anthony N Sabga 2010 Awards for Excellence
L-r: Annette Arjune-Martins, Dr.Anthony Sabga and Sydney Allicock
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n August 27, 2010, at the Georgetown Club, The Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence honoured Rupununi native Sydney Allicock for his public and civic contributions to the preservation of the environment. Dr. Anthony Sabga who is the Patron of the awards and Chairman of the ANSA McAL Foundation, said that Allicock was chosen because of his exemplary work in environment conservation, protecting the interests of the indigenous people and for creating a model of development which allows communities, government and businesses to participate in meaningful national growth. Allicock is the third Caribbean Awards Laureate following in the footsteps of fellow Guyanese Professor David Dabydeen and Annette Arjoon -Martins. The awards which has been in existence since 2006, is the only one of its kind that recognizes individuals in the 16 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
English-speaking Caribbean. Outstanding persons are honored in the categories of Science & Technology, Arts & Letters, and Public & Civic Contributions. The laureates are nominated by Country Nominating Committees from Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Sitting on these Committees are leading professionals, academics and highly respected individuals. Nominations may be made by any person or institution in any of the categories, and persons may nominate themselves. The nominees are then adjudicated and selected by a regional Eminent Persons Panel, after research is done into their achievements and status among their peers, and potential for future work. Ten distinguished persons have been recipients of the Sabga Awards since 2006, and they all received a gold medal valued at TT$500,000 and a citation.
Dr.Anthony Sabga and Dr. Yesu Persaud
L-r: Dr. Ian McDonald, Major General (R’td) Joe Singh and Kit Nascimento
A dance group perform at the event
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Mexico Celebrates
Bicentennial Independence Anniversary Text: Naomi Wright
Photography: Adrian Narine
D
elicious food, romantic folk dances and informative lectures were the highlights of a packed week of activities hosted by the Mexican Embassy in Guyana in honour of their 200th Independence Anniversary celebrations. Seeking to entertain and educate, the embassy presented a stunning selection of folk dances from the Oaxaca, Veracruz and Jalisco regions of Mexico, at the Umana Yana. The dances were performed by Ballet Folklorico de Mexicos dancers, Mr. Juan Carlos Valencia and Ms. Julieta Garcia - a stunning pair who entranced the audience with their good looks as well as dancing skill. Opening the show was a stunning performance from the Oaxaca region which told the romantic Nahua legend of the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes located in the Valley of Mexico, a highlands plateau in central Mexico. Made of rich fabrics like velvet and silk and weighed down with gilt adornment, the costumes were almost as captivating as the dance which told the tale of the tragic lovers, with Popocatepetl’s costume featuring a giant elaborate headpiece made of real peacock feathers.
Brazilian Ambassador to Guyana Luis Gilberto Seixes de Andrade (L) and Mexican Ambassador Fernando Sandoval try the grasshopper delicacy
The next dance also from the Oaxaca region, performed by Garcia told the popular legend of “La Llorona” (crying woman), a woman who killed her children to be with the man she loves, subsequently committed suicide and now roams the earth searching for her children. One of the most anticipated dances was the “La Bamba,” a dance from Veracruz. Performing the “La Bamba,” it is traditional for the woman to wear a white dress and sometimes a black apron. She wears a flower in her hair, on the right if she is single and on the left if she is married. The man wears white as well, accenting his outfit with a red handkerchief and red sash around his waist. Valencia and Garcia stuck strictly to tradition with Valencia even wearing a Guayabera, a shirt that is not only worn as a costume but is commonly worn in warmer climate daily. This dance traditionally climaxes at the end with the couple attempting to tie a red belt into a bow with their feet. This achieved by the dancers who displayed Valencia’s red sash now tied into a perfect bow at the end of the dance Dances from Jalisco, though last on the programme were
Dancers Julieta Garcia and Juan Carlos Valencia
certainly not least, as these dances may have been some of the most recognizable to some in the audience. One such dance was “El Jarabe Tapatio” known popularly as “The Mexican Hat Dance.” Often referred to as the national dance of Mexico, one of the reasons, this dance is special because it was composed in the 20th century by Mexicans to commemorate the successful end of the Mexican Revolution. In the dance, energetically executed by Valencia and Garcia, the male dancer, called a Charro dressed in the traditional charro outfit, a three-piece suit composed of a vest, jacket, and pants bearing silver buttons down the
seam, makes courtship gestures to the female or la china who wears a China Poblana outfit. The couple flirts throughout the beginning of the dance, during which time the man attempts to woo the woman with his zapateado (stamping and tapping) and his machismo. According to the dictates of the dance, just as he has impressed the woman, he will become drunk with glory, and chased away by the woman as a borracho (a drunken person). Eventually he conquers the “China” by throwing his hat to the ground and kicking his leg over his partner's head as she bends down to pick it up. Concluding the dance, the pair do a triumphant march to a military tune called a diana and the dance ends with a romantic turn or the couple hiding their faces behind the man's sombrero in a feigned kiss. At the second Mexican Food festival which was hosted at Pegasus, Grasshoppers - a delicacy in Mexico, created a stir. Chef Gerardo Ramos, who came from Mexico especially for the event, welcomed patrons with a big bowl of the insects called “chapulines” in Mexico.
featuring “Chicken Mole.” Mole is the generic name used for several sauces used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces. Different desserts appeared this time around, there was no cajeta, no bunelos and no flan or churros like last year but there were plenty of other equally interesting desserts, such as the “Obleas” (waffle candy) and “Pepitorias.” The pepitorias made from pumpkin and sesame seeds brought by the Spaniards are sometimes given as gifts in Mexico. These candies were available wrapped in brightly coloured pieces of paper making an eye-catching statement. A two part lecture series on Mexico’s history was hosted at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus and at the Embassy’s Brickdam Headquarters. The lectures delivered by visiting professor, Professor José Roberto Gallegos, traced Mexico’s history from conquest by Spain in 1521 to the current independent state.
The buffet paid tribute to all six regions and featured sumptuous choices such as “Chicken Tinga,” “Chicken Mole,” “Pork in Morita Sauce,” “Cochinta Pibil,” “Beef Slices with Albanil Sauce,” “Burritos,” “Tlayudas,” “Chilaquiles” and salads such as the “Citric Salad” and “Cactus Salad.” One of the versatile dishes on the menu was the “Chicken Tinga”, a shredded chicken dish. The dish contains wide variety of spices including chipotle peppers which are important in Mexican cuisine, sour cream, tomatoes and garlic. It can be eaten with rice, tortillas, tostados or by itself.
Ester Griffith of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (L) and Martha Hernandez Martinez wife of Mexico’s ambassador
Another distinctly Mexican dish was “Cochinita Pibil”, a treat from the Yucatán Península. “Cochinita” refers to a baby pig, so traditionally a whole piglet is roasted after being marinated in strongly acidic citrus juice and coloured with annatto seed. Traditionally, the pig was buried in a pit with a fire at the bottom to roast it. The Mayan word "pibil" means "buried. Like last year, the “moles” (pronounced mo-lay) were back, with the menu Dancers Julieta Garcia and Juan Carlos Valencia during another performance OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 19
Wedding Announcements Congratulations on your special day and may you have a lifetime of love and happiness. Godfrey Munroe and Yolanda Armstrong
Wedding date: July 17, 2010 Bride’s parents: Sherrill and Rendell Armstrong Groom’s parents: Beverly and Sidney Munroe
Rowel Rampersaud and Sohodra Rampersaud
Wedding date: August 8, 2010 Bride’s parents: Dhaniram and Vadewattie Rampersaud Groom’s parents: The late Arnold and Shelly Rampersaud
Terrence Cheddie and Felicia Cadogan
Wedding date: July 31, 2010 Bride’s parents: Monica and Roland Cadogan Groom’s parents: Monica and Keith Cheddie 20 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
Rabindranauth R. Chandarpal and Indira Devi Mattai
Kenneth Jones and Suberina Khan
Anthony Martin and Andreasa Morris
Mark Singh and Shabana Shaw
Wedding date: August 21, 2010 Bride’s parents: Harry R. and V. Bharati Mattai Groom’s parents: Navin and Indira Chandarpal
Wedding date: July 30, 2010 Groom’s parents: Dexter and Loretta Martin Bridge’s parents: Avril Gill and Yvo Morrison
Wedding date: August 28, 2010 Bride's parents: Terry and Gladys Cornelius Groom's parents: Mona Charles and the late Keith Jones
Wedding date: August 1, 2010 Bride’s parents: Amjad Ali Shaw and Shobha Shaw Groom’s parents: Brian and Sandra Singh OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 21
Motor Racing Ace Andrew King The Man and His Passion Text: Rawle Welch
E
ven a horrific motor cycle accident could not derail the ambitions of a young and enthusiastic racing lover by the name of Andrew King.
King’s insatiable craving to drive fast, quickly made him into one of the most formidable opponents to compete against on the racing circuit and this hunger still lingers on to now. The local speedster recently sat down for an interview with GEM where he spoke of his career and how it all got started. “Basically as a youngster attending school I was interested in motor bikes and like every young boy I loved to ride fast on the road. However, that ambition was forcibly changed when I got into a terrible accident and the injury to my foot was so bad that I told myself I was never going to ride motor bikes competitively again,” King informed. King said he decided after recovering from the injury to get involve in racing cars since his love for motor sport had never diminished and it was just a case of waiting for the foot to heal properly.
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Photography: Simeon Corbin “I begun my career driving my father’s Holden and gained a few third places behind drivers such as Gabriel DeFreitas and Bobby Hunter and it was because of those results Cyril Angoy Snr. encouraged me to stick with the sport,” King stated. A former student of Sacred Heart Primary, before he went on to St. Stanislaus, King excelled in most sports that he competed in and perhaps it is this natural athletic ability that he possesses that has manifested itself in his three children Andrea, Kristina and Daina who all went on to represent Guyana in various sports disciplines. King’s genetic makeup coupled with that of his wife Alana must have had a lot to do with their children’s athletic prowess and outstanding achievements. Born to George and Jean King, Andrew has grown into one of the fiercest competitors on both the local and regional circuits of motor racing and is highly respected by all. King disclosed that it was his stunning battles with Cyril Angoy Jnr, who at the time was one of the best drivers locally that earned him much respect among his peers
and even forced Cyril Angoy snr to begin work on his car with the intention of taking it to the next level. According to him, the early positive results which were achieved around 1974-75 signalled the beginning of a long and successful career that currently seems to have no end. “My next car was a Longman Mini which I bought from the late Regan Rodrigues and with that I moved into the Group 2 and 3 categories, racing both here and in Trinidad and Tobago. After that I raced the Parkspeed Mini and gained much success with it until racing went into a decline around 1981 due to economic downturn,” King reflected. When racing restarted in 1985-86 King revealed that he used a Mini Kevin Jeffrey had given him and had to install racing parts from his old car to complete its set up to racing competency. He pointed out that shortly after the resurrection of racing in Guyana he entered into a Suzuki Swift Series which was run in 1990-91, racing alongside the likes of Ray and Jad Rahaman, Keith Correia, Chris Correia and Paul Vieira and totally dominated the races for the two years that it existed. “It was a Series that involved most of the top drivers of that period and that I could be so dominant was testimony to my ability,” King declared. Andrew King OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 23
Motor Racing Ace Andrew King The Man and His Passion He said he then acquired a Mazda RX 3, but struggled with it for almost two years, before he began to win a few races. “At that time, the battle was between myself and Ray (Rahaman), and it had brought some excitement and welcomed vigour to the sport. Eventually I began to beat him and the battle was now between me and the late Gavin Narine, who would go on to win the National Championships in 1999-2000." The soft-spoken speedster then finished runner-up to Jamaica’s David Summerbell Jnr in the Caribbean title race in 1998, adding that it was a good result in the circumstances. Family supportSpeaking about the support of his parents, King said that even at the beginning his father was extremely helpful and that stretched to his wife as well. “She served at the motor racing club as Secretary and Vice President at the time and she was very supportive and has always uttered words of encouragement to me throughout my career,” he stated. Touching on the sacrifices he made to compete in the sport, King recalled the days when he would take out almost every part from his road car to fit up his racing car and would be forced to be without a car after race meets. King beamed about the time when his father was going on a trip to China and his driver has just dropped him off at the Airport, but instead of returning back home decided to go to the Circuit and he simply took the car from the driver added a few extra pounds of air in the tyres, took off the hub caps and competed in the day’s racing. SponsorshipWith regards to sponsorship King indicated that he now enjoys good sponsorship from GT&T, BANKS DIH & SINGER compared to his early days when his racing required great self sacrifice. 24 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
King is all suited-up
Rawle Welch Photo
He mentioned Terrence Roberts, Moses Mangroo, Doodnauth Appanah, Mark Singh and the original Hessie Ramkissoon as those individuals who helped him along the way.
King and his wife Alana on his right, pose with the rest of the team.
Difference in erasCommenting on the difference in the various eras, King said that the current crop of competitors is more up to speed with technology when compared with the time he started. “We were more prepared to compete with sub-standard equipment than the guys now. The guys now are equipped with better cars and are spending huge sums of money to get them reliable. In our time, we fitted our cars with plenty of sub-standard parts, but this is not the case now.” King told this magazine that over the years, being engaged in the sport has given him lots of friends and business connections and if he had to he would do it all over again. “Over the years I’ve made a lot of good friendships in all the places that I’ve competed, T&T, Jamaica, Canada and Barbados and those alliances have helped me tremendously both in terms of my business and career,” King revealed. He has his eyes now set on ensuring that Guyana win this year’s Caribbean Motor Racing Championship even though his chances of winning the individual crown is highly improbable. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 25
Jamzone 2010
Summer Break Goes International with R&B Sensation Ne-Yo Text: Naomi Wright
Photography: Simeon Corbin and Carl Croker
L-r Gregory, Nisha B, Ne-Yo, Ravi B, DJ Rawle, DJ Kerwin and Timeka Marshall
O
ne of the most anticipated events of the year, Jamzone Summer Break has made its mark on Guyana’s entertainment scene. This year, the excitement was upped with the event being an eight day extravaganza featuring high fashion and stunning stage performances by regional and international artistes. Caribbean artistes such as Adesh Samaroo, D’Hitman, De Hunter, Soca Elvis, Sabrina Ragobeer, Guyana’s Shakti Strings and Princess Fiona starred in a chutney super concert at the National Stadium on August 14th, which
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officially started the ball rolling. For many supporters, the climax of this year’s show was the Miss Jamzone Pageant, one of the staples of Jamzone since its start in 2000. The pageant went international this year with Guyanese beauty, Nikita Archer competing with seven other women from various countries in the Caribbean at the inaugural Miss Jamzone International. The public met the competitors for the first time at the swimsuit segment of the pageant which took place at
Amanda Kippins, Donna Shortt-Gill and Natheeah King Ravi Mangar and his entourage
Princess Hotel and Casino poolside on August 15th. Delegates strutted their stuff displaying an Olympia Small-Soneram creation of fluorescent yellow bikinis accented with florescent pink patches and complemented by matching overthrows of fluorescent yellow or pink. The contest featured a “swagger” part where each delegate made her way on stage individually to display her special modeling skills to the appreciative audience.
Cathy and Nigel Hughes
Rising local boy band Y3K did a soulful rendition of the National Anthem followed by performances by Classique, Jumo “Rubber waist” Primo, Don Gialiani, Tennecia Defrietas and Rajesh Dubraj. Also a “Night of Fashion,” the event featured prestigious local designers and fashion houses who displayed trendy summer clothing. Among the featured presenters were EGO Boutique, Street Styles and Glamour. Local designer Keisha Edwards presented “Shasha’s Designs,” a special exhibition of swimwear and party clothing. The delegates faced one of the steepest hurdles in the race for the crown when they had to match brains with beauty while competing in the intelligence segment of the pageant, which was hosted August 18th at the National Cultural Centre. The contestants also, showed their beauty and grace in evening gowns with all eight contestants making their first appearance in gowns created by Caribbean designer Kingley Thorne. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 27
Jamzone 2010 Summer Break Goes International with R&B Sensation Ne-Yo Tennicia De Freitas
Contestants included 22 year old Alcinda Huisden of Suriname, 16 year old Cintia Paula of the Dominican Republic, 20 year old Elizabeth Robinson of Trinidad, 24 year old Nikita Archer of Guyana, 24 year old Joyann Biscette of St. Lucia, 19 year old Je-Meila Maloney of Barbados, 21 year old Lesa Gayle Wee Tom of Jamaica and 22 year old Shari McEwan of Antigua. Later, the delegates reappeared in gowns by various local designers. Robinson of Trinidad was outstanding in a Grecian inspired piece titled “Whisper” a white Grecian style gown, featuring bands of silver that was designed by Jagdeo Rampersaud. Outstanding pieces were also modeled by Archer of Guyana, who wore an orange gown with a bouffant bottom that featured shoulder accents, designed by Sidney François while Biscett of St Lucia also had the same idea with a beautiful gown titled “Sunrise to Sunset” by Elimer McKilton. McEwan of Antigua wore a midriff baring yellow and brown gown by Calvin Southwell entitled, “Dawn of a New Era.” Y3K again provided stunning entertainment, appearing this time doing a medley of love songs. Classique dance troupe, Keisha Thomas - who sang a Norah Jones piece were some of the other classy entertainment acts. Couture pieces were also presented by local design magnate Sonia Noel and upcoming designers. But these all led up to the long awaited part where delegates presented on their respective nation. Professionally dressed in a grey pantsuit, Huisden spoke
L-r: Kayla, Kevin, Denise and Keisha Jeffery 28 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
The Digicel Girls
about the history and attractions of her country, while Robinson dressed in Indian cultural wear, stressed the three “C’s” of Trinidad, namely culture, cuisine and carnival. Biscette dressed in a cultural costume that featured straw and other common materials chose to sell her country St. Lucia through dramatic poetry stressing that her country was “jazz country, spirit country.” Maloney too spoke of her county Barbados, the sea, sand, sun and its wonderful cuisine. Dressed in a light grey skirt suit, Wee Tom, a consistent crowd favorite spoke eloquently about her country’s, water, beaches, jerk cuisine, heroes and received resounding applause for her efforts.
Nisha B of the Karma Band out of Trinidad
Archer had her spiel down pat, speaking about Guyana’s hospitality, cuisine and natural geographic wonders such as Kaieteur Falls and some were convinced that she was the best. Sitting in the audience, it was easy to get the sense that the applause was genuine and not just patriotic. Probably the most unusual approach used to showcase her country was McEwan’s presentation-an instructional piece for the ladies on “catching a man,” which involved going to Antigua and partaking of the beaches, cuisine and so on. At the Regional Night at the National Stadium on August 20th, thousands turned out to see Jamaican Reggae Star Mavado aka “Gully God” perform chart
The Delegates l-r: Miss Jamaica Lesa-Gayle Wee Tom (queen), Miss St. Lucia Joyann Biscette (1st runner-up), Miss Trinidad and Tobago Elizabeth Robinson, Miss Suriname Alcinda Huisden, Miss Dominican Republic Cinthia Paula, Miss Guyana Nikita Archer (2nd runner-up), Miss Barbados Je-Meila Ramona Maloney and Guyanese-born Miss Antigua Shari McEwan (3rd runner-up) OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 29
Jamzone 2010 Summer Break Goes International with R&B Sensation Ne-Yo topping hits such as “Money Changer,” “So Special,” “9 Life,” “Come into my Room” and other hits. The next night saw an even bigger crowd at the National Stadium when American R&B Singer, Songwriter and Producer Ne-Yo gave what was described by some concert goers as a legendary performance. In between performances of chart topping hits such as “Closer” and “Miss Independent,” the singer wooed his audience with roses, champagne and sweet nothings. Well, the long awaited final pageant night finally arrived and Jamzone fans headed to Splashmins Fun Park and Resort. Crowd favourite Wee Tom ultimately carried off the coveted title. In the runner-up positions were Biscette who was first runner-up, Archer in the second runner-up spot, while the third runner up position went to Mc Ewan. Attendees were given a glimpse into the culture and history of each delegate’s motherland when the delegates followed with a presentation of costumes representing different aspects of their respective countries. This year, the pageant included regional delegates as a means of garnering support from Guyana’s neighbors and sustaining integration within the region. Timeka Marshall
Ramnaresh Sarwan and Jumo Primo
Shonnett Moore and Ne-Yo
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Trinidadian chutney artiste D’ Hitman
Malinda Trotman and Nigel Worrell
Jamaican reggae artiste Movado
Trinidadian artiste De Hunter works the crowd Trinidadian chutney artiste Adesh Samaroo with two fans
Gordon Moseley and friends
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Jamzone 2010 Summer Break Goes International with R&B Sensation Ne-Yo
...on Stage
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The 11th ISKF Pan American Karate Championships Text: Rawle Welch Photography: Carl Croker
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Natalie Gibson, women's individual kumite champion
t surely is not classified as one of our mainstream sport, but the positive legacy that was left after Guyana hosted the 11th ISKF Pan American Karate Championships will linger long on the minds of those who participated and attended the event that was held on August 14-15, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. If you’re to judge from the remarks made by Chairman and Technical Director 8th Dan Frank Woon-A-Tai, it would be fair to conclude that it was one of the best organised championships. Woon-A-Tai speaking with this magazine said that the tournament was run beyond all expectations, adding that
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it was the best that he had ever attended. “I’ve been involved in many tournaments all around the world and I have to say with all honesty that this one was the best that I’ve ever attended,” Woon-A-Tai stated. He noted that the hospitality extended to all the teams was second to none and many of them were totally surprised by the warmth and friendly nature of the hosts. The Chairman reporting on the championships said that it met international standards and all the teams reported that they were extremely impressed with the event and all the other related activities that were conducted during their visit.
He mentioned the high standard of karate exhibited by the participants, while the parade from City Hall through the streets of Georgetown that culminated at the Promenade Gardens which was kind of unique were definitely among the highlights of the tour. During the period, they were able to meet with the Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green, who also gave Master Teruyuki Okazaki the keys to the City.
Guyanese boys 10 - 11 team kata 1st and 2nd place winners
Other exercises that highlighted the tour were the Meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo at State House which according to Woo-A-Tai was very fruitful and the appearance of Executive members of the Guyana Karate Association on a TV Show where they attempted to increase the popularity of the sport. Then there was the outstanding performance of a number of karatekas including our own Nathalie Gibson, who grabbed gold in the Individual Kumite, defeating Canada’s Crystal Schatz. Guyana won the overall title by virtue of dominating the championships at the junior level, while Maureen Woon-ATai gained gold in the Individual Kata.
Guyanese girls 12 -13 team kata 1st and 2nd place winners
Eight year-old Aliya Wong won the 8-9 years Kata and Kumite titles, while Mark Wong duplicated her performance by capturing gold in the Individual Kata and Kumite in the 8-9 years group. His teammates Tariq Dundas and Nathan Hackett completed the dominance for the Guyanese in the category, securing silver and bronze respectively. The Guyanese maintained their superiority when they won the Team and Individual Kata contests. Leah Shariff claimed the Girls 10-11 years Individual Kata gold, while she secured bronze in the Kumite segment with another Guyanese Tashana Wong, taking silver.
Boys 14 - 15 kata team, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners
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Exploring the Diaspora
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick
Snapshots of the 2010 Boston Caribbean American Carnival Photography: Colin Sulker
T
he annual Boston Caribbean American Carnival was held on August 28, 2010, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The month long celebration included a church service, Kiddies Carnival, a King & Queen Show, J'Ouvert morning jump-up and a Costume Street Parade.
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GEM's Michelle Corbin OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 37
Snapshots of the 2010 Boston Caribbean American Carnival
100% Guyanese
Kenneth Corbin
Boston Police Department out in numbers 38 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
Time for a touch-up
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I ICON
t is not immediately obvious, but the life of Margery Kirkpatrick is a life of books, pouring over old books and producing new books. Some of the old books are brown with age and some are rare - ‘only copies,’ she says. With the digital age of storage and retrieval, her books will be accessible for aeons to come. Some of her publications include writing on the use of rice flour, the history of St. Saviour Church and ‘From the Middle Kingdom to the New World, Aspects of the Chinese Experience in Migration to British Guiana, Volume 1.’ This is what goes into the equation of making this Chinese woman a remarkable human. There were many other influences at various stages of her life but the chief claim to her attention is research, painstaking research, researching material for her books. Her main interest is recording the history of the Chinese in Guyana and recording the genealogy of the Chinese peoples. She is forever engage in this work; it is at her fingertips – on her lap, a laptop computer storing pages of information. In between minding the shop and other pressing demands on her time, Kirkpatrick hit the keyboard and like magic would appear data, tonnes and tonnes of data. Like magic that data appears on the screen but it has taken her over thirty years to compile and she is still going at it…. Another mark of the measure of the woman – her strength and endurance. There are many demands on her life but Kirkpatrick has an enduring steadfastness and commitment that has brought her success after success. Many of her achievements may not be seen as earth shattering moves but to her
Margery Kirkpatrick The Matriarch of Genealogy Text: Petamber Persaud Photography: Submitted 40 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
and her family they are the things that bring peace to her breast as a mother and a human. Such things like feeding scores and scores of children in her community during hard guava season, things like rewarding students for doing good in class and in examination, things like bringing families together, are balm to a concern soul. Some of those deeds have not gone unnoticed. In 1985, the Government of Guyana honoured her with the Medal of Service for experimenting with local raw materials in order to produce wholesome foods at a time when there was a ban on flour and other essentials. In 2002, the Young Women Christian Association honoured her with the ‘Women of Distinction’ award for Community and Public Service. Margery Kirkpatrick was born in 1938 to Victor and Cicely Ting-a-Kee. She was the first child and only girl in a large family of eight children. She grew up in Garnett Street, Newtown, when it was a pastoral and peaceful community. Her father, Victor, was a jeweller, and her mother, an avid reader, was a stay-home mom until 1953 when she started a catering business. Both parents were born in Guyana. The family was dutifully religious which may have contributed to her love for singing; Kirkpatrick sings soprano at church, and was a member of Bishop’s Old Girls’ Choir and Royal Bank Singers. Her early education was acquired at Mrs. Duggin’s Private School, Robb Street, not far from where Metropole cinema once stood. She finished her formal schooling at Bishop’s High School for girls. Her working experience started at a merchandiser, Alexander Chin, before moving to the Royal Bank of Canada. Here Kirkpatrick functioned in a number of significant roles including Training Officer to all branches in Guyana and as head of Systems and Investigations of Frauds department. Four distinct events happened in her life, accumulating to set the stage of her life’s work and the execution thereof. In 1950, her father died leaving her an invaluable collection of mainly history books, books that were responsible in a big way for her adventure into history. In 1972, she was married to Dougal Kirkpatrick; the union produced three children. In 1979, her mother who was catering for the local parliament died and Margery Kirkpatrick took over the business. And in 1985, her husband ‘started’ the Professional
Kirkpatrick in a 1960 portrait
Guard Service. Kirkpatrick is now the Proprietrix of Kirkpatrick’s Enterprise Limited, Director of the guard service, and researcher/ authority/writer of the history and genealogy of the Chinese in Guyana. Other influences helped her on the way to success. In 1986, she was a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee to President Hoyte and she declared she was responsible in a way for the lifting of the ban of wheaten flour. In 1988, she was made a member of the Guyana Commemoration Commission representing Chinese interest. In 1993, she was appointed a Director of Youth Challenge (Guyana) Limited. So in 2010, she was able in collaboration with the Chinese Association to stage a number of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese Women into Guyana. One of the outstanding events was an exhibition labelled, ‘An Enduring Female Legacy’ of Chinese women who have cracked the glass ceiling. Margery Kirkpatrick is one Chinese woman who has cracked the glass ceiling and is still writing her name in the history of the Chinese and the history of Guyana. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 41
Bikerfest 2010
Granny and her sister on a CBR
Daredevils in Action
T
Photography: Simeon Corbin and Carl Croker
housands of CBR fans converged on the National Park on August 15, to enjoy the thrills and spills provided by daredevils on ATVs, skateboards, BMX Bicycles and CBR 600 CC bikes. The performers included locals, Surinamese and stunts teams from the Pure Bred Riders, Geared Up Bike Club and Pro Impact from the USA.
Jessica Maine
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Bikerfest 2010 Daredevils in Action
Chow Pow having fun
GT&T Girls 44 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
The event clown on his way to winning the burnout competition
DJ Bevaughn interviews the bikers after the show
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GEM
Shoba Age: 25 Sign: Virgo Favourite food: Chicken curry roti and chowmein Favourite colours: Green, blue and white Hobbies: Partying, cooking and meeting people Location: Georgetown
Think you have what it takes to be a GEM Beauty? Then send us a professional quality photo of yourself with the required information to letters@gemmagonline.com. Please include a phone number so we can contact you. YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OR OLDER. 46 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
SAVVY SISTER
Attracting Mr Right Does Body Language Play a Role? Text Coretta Corbin-Rival
S
everal weeks ago I met for lunch with two of my friends who are single, our conversation quickly turned to men, and finding Mr. Right. My friends were frustrated because they felt that for some reason they were magnets for certain kinds of men and could not figure out what they were doing wrong. One of them felt that maybe she needed to change the places she frequented. The other thought that maybe she is unapproachable and thus scares the “handsome” men away. This made me wonder if our body language does play a role in attracting certain types of people to us. According to many communication experts, 90% of our communication is non-verbal. This includes non-verbal facial expressions, hand gestures, eye contact, pitch or tone of voice and our posture. For instance, folding your arms across your chest could mean that you are angry or that you are cold. Not making eye contact with a person while you are conversing with him or her could make you appear rude, lacking interest in the conversation, a sign of timidity or that you are hiding something. Excessively blinking your eyes or touching your face while talking with someone could mean that you are being deceitful. A person could tell a lot about us from our posture. Standing with our shoulders slouched for example, could mean that we are depressed or unhappy. Body language is the way humans unconsciously express their true feelings despite what they may say verbally. As humans, sending and interpreting the body language of others are the main ways in which we connect and communicate with each other. It has always been said that
birds of a feather flock together. Unintentionally giving off the wrong or mixed signals could prevent you from attracting that special person or positive people to you. It could also cause you to loose a good job opportunity or create misunderstanding and misinterpretation of a person’s actions. A good way to learn about the non-verbal messages you are sending, is to seek feedback from a close friend who could give you constructive feedback on what you may be doing wrong. Some experts also suggest that you video tape yourself or tape your voice so that you may see and hear for yourself what you look and sound like. Many times we may think that a person is born with the ability to attract others to them, but this is not true. Socializing is a learned behavior which we pick up from our environment. The best way to develop positive body language that will attract others to you is to look at and learn from those who make it appear easy. Successful politicians and public speakers are masters at using their body language to win others over. Many of them use lots of hand gestures to help animate their speech and keep the audience from feeling bored. They also engage their audience through eye contact and may even call audience members by name. This helps listeners feel valued. Researchers believe that many of us are either visual or auditory learners. Visual people tend to rely more on body language while auditory learners focus on the pitch and tone of how a person says something. It is said that men are more visually stimulated than women. OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 47
FASHION ...has embraced social networking and has recently created a Business Page on Facebook.com (www.facebook.com/ johnlewisstyles) According to Managing Director John Lewis, the page was created in an effort to better interact with its customers and friends especially the younger internet generation by using the conversational marketing technique. It’s also used to keep the company current and maintain brand awareness. He adds that facebook is not only about promoting your brand but it must also be informative, entertaining and you must be able to listen to members. Members have an added benefit and are always first to get the insider info on: * Sale Dates * New Arrivals * Tips on Dressing Better * Facebook Only Offers & Discounts * Special Events & Lots More… In less than 2 months JLS has been able to attract 2500 members and the numbers continue to grow. They launched their most recent television Ad on facebook before it was even on TV. Pictures of New Arrival are posted along with pricing so customers are well informed. Even billboard top 100 songs and familiar classics are posted having some importance or just for pure fun and entertainment. So the next time you’re on the net go check out the John Lewis Styles page on Facebook and tell them what you think. Text & Photography: John Lewis Styles
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HEALTH BEAT
R
Stroke Deciphering the
ecently, a close friend of my family was found in her home unconscious. She was subsequently taken to the hospital where it was discovered that she had suffered a major stroke. This got me to thinking about whether I would be able to decipher the warning signs of a stroke if one of my loved one is in danger of having a stroke. Research says that stroke is caused when blood flow through an artery or vessel is interrupted and the blood cannot travel from the heart to the brain. This could occur when an artery becomes clogged by a clot, or a blood vessel breaks causing hemorrhage or bleeding in the brain. Signs that a person may be in danger of suffering a stroke may range from: • High blood pressure or blood sugar • A sudden severe headache • Neck stiffness or paralysis on one side of the face • Change in vision • Dizziness or vomiting • Problems walking or with balance • Weakness or numbness on one side of the body • Confusion or trouble speaking and understanding simple statements If severe, strokes could affect the brain by causing the cells to die. Depending on the area of the brain where a stroke occurs, a person may have difficulty with his or her speech and mobility on the right or left side of his or her body. Over a period of time, the effects of a stroke may gradually go away in some people, but in some cases and depending on its severity and damage to the brain, it may never completely disappear. It is said that 80% of strokes are preventable, especially if the person receives medical attention within 60 minutes of experiencing the first warning signs. The faster a person receives help for a stroke, the less damage will occur to the brain. A person who suffers a stroke due to clotting in a blood vessel may receive blood thinners to dissolve the clot. Some doctors recommend that older people not already receiving blood thinners could take an aspirin each day to help with blood clots. Blood thinners are not recommended however, for those who have experienced a hemorrhagic stroke. This could cause more bleeding and further damage to the brain. Symptoms of a stroke usually occur suddenly without warning and may be mistaken for other illnesses with
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Warning Signs
similar symptoms. The best thing to do when experiencing symptoms is to get medical help as soon as possible. If you are working in hot and humid conditions, be sure to drink lots of fluids and keep your body as cool as possible. You should take time out of the heat to let your body cool down every couple of hours. Wear light colored and loose fitting clothes which will help air to pass through and keep you cool. You could also protect yourself from the heat and sun by wearing a hat. If you suspect that someone is having a heat stroke, get him or her into a cool shaded place as soon as possible and keep his or her body cool until medical help arrives.
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TRAVEL
Wonders of Guyana
The Demerara Harbour Bridge Photography: Simeon Corbin
Name: The Demerara Harbour Bridge
The entrance and exit to the Harbour Bridge on the east bank side.
Nickname: The Bridge World ranking: The fourth-longest floating bridge. Commissioned: July 2, 1978 Designer: Joseph Holder Location: Peter's Hall, East Bank Demerara and runs across the Demerara River to Schoon Ord on the West Bank.
An aerial view of the bridge
Type: Acrow Panel Floating Bridge Length: 1.15 miles (2.01 km) Purpose: Roadway
Mike Charles Photo
Lanes: Two vehicular lanes plus a pedestrian walkway Operation: A high-level span provides a horizontal clearance of 32.0 metres 105 ft and a vertical clearance of 7.9 metres 26 ft to let small craft pass at all times. To let large craft pass, two retractor spans retract fully to leave a horizontal clearance of 77.4 metres 254 ft. Spans: 61 spans of varying lengths Hours of operation: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Retraction speed: 4 – 5 minutes Pontoons: 122 Decks: 8,000 Material: Galvanized coated steel Traffic: 7,000 vehicles cross daily Maximum capacity per vehicle: 22.4 tonnes with up to 35 tonnes allowed in special circumstances Staff: 100 persons 52 | GEM OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
Tolls (vehicles pay only when heading west and marine toll is required when vessels are headed south or upriver): Cars $200 (US$1), minibuses pay $200 and other vehicles, depending on the tonnage, pay stipulated sums. Marine vessels of the coastal type pay $15,000(US$75) while ocean going vessels pay $50,000 (US$250). Contact phone: 233-7008 x121, to access the bridge schedule and other information. The pedestrian walkway running along the northern side.
An oil tanker makes its way through the opened bridge.
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TRAVEL
Wonders of Guyana The Demerara Harbour Bridge The heavy duty winches seen in blue are used to help open and close the bridge.
The Bridge rests on steel uprights and floating pontoons
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Folk Culture
GEM continues to explore aspects of Guyana’s folk culture
Indo-Guyanese
Kali-Mai and Obeah
Text: Uncle Al
I
n terms of Guyana’s folk practices and heritage, Guyanese of East Indian descent, long the majority race-group in terms of demography and population, HAD to contribute to the nation’s culture in various significant ways. They, after all, were allowed to retain their religious and cultural practices spawned in Mother India. This they did, despite the deadening rigours of indentured life on the colonial sugar plantations and in slave-like logies. In this piece we glimpse at their KALI-MAI and discover East Indians’ premier role and status in the once-African preserve of OBEAH. The Kali-Mai worship-a number of Hindu-like ritualswas brought to Guyana, really early British Guiana (BG), by the East Indian Immigrants who were imported and “bound” to work on the sugar plantations vacated by the freed Africans. Kali-Mai devotees were mainly from the State of Madras. This means that most of them were dark-skinned, African –looking “Indians”. The Kali-Mai brand of religion attracted criticism and ridicule from outsiders. This was because they linked this Hindu-like Indian practice to African Obeah, Spiritism and Devil Worship. And that was because, maybe, that Kali Mai devotees would bring specific offerings; would dress in their saffron, reds, whites and purples; would chastise one another and would slaughter animals and would walk on fire at times! But the Kali Mai devotees worshiped their Mother Kali – a Hindu deity. True believers were/are as honest as any Christian or Muslim. The fact that the Kali Mai rituals---- exorcist chastisement, sacrificial animals, prayers, physical suffering – result in lasting healings from sickness,
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whether mental or otherwise, attracted the attention of conventional medicine and orthodox religionists. Kali Mai Temples (Koilus) in Guyana were located at such places as Better Hope, Albion Front and Timehri – just three of 25 at one time-where their dramatic Pujas were enacted. (MORE LATER). Space determines that we’ll have to return to the question of Indo-Guyanese and Guyanese African Obeahism. The fact is that descendants of those same Indian immigrants established and developed their own practice of Obeah all along Guyana’s Coastal Communities. These Indian practitioners gave their original Afro-Guyanese “experts” a run for their money as all races came to believe in “Indian” reputation and effectiveness. A few prominent Indo-practitioners were BUCKRIDEE, PANDIT, LIL-FOOT BABU, PUNDIT AND COTTON TREE MARAJ. But GEM will return to this folkloric and social phenomenon next time.
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ECIPES
GUYANESE STYLE Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Text & Photography: NAMILCO INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch round baking pans. In a mixer bowl combine Maid Marian Whole Wheat Flour, Maid Marian Toasted Wheatgerm, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add honey, butter, molasses and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in carrots and pecans / walnuts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely. Frost between layers and top with Cream CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: Cheese Frosting. Store covered in the 8 oz. cream cheese, softened refrigerator. 1/2 cup butter Beat cream cheese and butter with a 2 cup icing sugar, sifted mixer until fluffy. Beat in icing sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla vanilla, and honey. Stir in pecans / 1/2 tsp. honey walnuts. If necessary, chill until it is 1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, of spreading consistency (about 30 chopped minutes).
2 cups Maid Marian Whole Wheat Flour 1 tbsp. Maid Marian Toasted Wheatgerm 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1-1/4 cups honey 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 tsp. molasses (optional) 1 tsp. vanilla 4 eggs 3 cups finely shredded carrots 1 cups chopped pecans or walnuts Cream Cheese Frosting
Fresh Fruit Salad Photography: Simeon Corbin INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons lemon juice FRUITS • 3 apple bananas • 4 ripe mangoes sliced • 1 small watermelon cut into ½ inch pieces • 4 cashews sliced • 2 oranges, peeled and sliced • 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces
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PREPERATIONS 1. Pour lemon juice over fruits. 2. In large bowl, toss fruits. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
WERE YOU THERE?
India’s L’il Champs Visit Guyana
Photography: Carl Croker
T
he second time was definitely the charm for the The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha as they finally were able to bring the Lil Champs of India to perform in Guyana. On August 8, 2010 the winners of the 2009 ZEE TV Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs of India – Hemant Brijwasi, Shreyasi Bhattacharjee and Yatharth Ratnum entertained an appreciative audience at the Guyana National Stadium. Lil Champs’ presentation included a diverse selection of songs while members of the Sabha’s Dharmic Nritya Sangh performed as back-up dancers.
Hemant Brijwasi
Afsha Musani
Shreyasi Bhattacharjee
Yatharth Ratnum
Members of the Sabha’s Dharmic Nritya Sangh performed OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 GEM | 59
Last seen here Last seen here Last seen here Last seen here
RANDOM PICS OF EVENTS
Last seen here Last seen here Last seen here Last seen here
WERE YOU THERE? Guyana Lottery Company 14th Anniversary
RANDOM PICS OF EVENTS
T
his year, the Guyana Lottery Company celebrates its 14 years of operation in Guyana with a number of promotions and customer appreciation events around the country.
Photography: Guyana Lottery
GLC staffers celebrated with a cake and drinks for customers
Some of the lucky winners of the 14th Anniversary Countdown Promotion pose with GLC’s General Manager Tracey Lewis ( fourth from left)
NAMILCO Peer Educators Photography: NAMILCO NAMILCO Peer Educators pose after winning the 2010 Awards for Business Excellence - Outstanding Performance by Peer Educators at GBCHA on HIV/AIDS 2010 Awards Gala Dinner last June.
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