Guyana Times Sunday Magazine

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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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OCTOBER 25, 2015

Times Feature

More than thirty years of imparting knowledge about Guyana’s first peoples Diagrams of petroglyphs are found at the entrance of the Amerindian Research Unit

Learn about these indigenous baskets at the ARU, located at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus

E

mphasizing research, the study of different cultures and the way people interact, the Amerindian Research Unit (ARU), previously known as the Amerindian Language Project, provides vital information on the local indigenous culture.

As an integral part of the division of the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of Guyana, the ARU evolved from the Amerindian Languages Project, which was started in the 1970s with an interest in linguistic research.

It began small in 1977 as the Amerindian Language Project, created by Dr Walter Edwards, to document indigenous languages spoken in Guyana; this enabled him to complete three Amerindian language dictionaries.

“Dr Edwards had researchers go into the fields to collect information on the different Amerindian languages…affording them the opportunity to complete dictionaries for the Akawaio, Arecunas and Warau languages – all of which is available in the Unit today,” recalled anthropologist Jennifer Wishart, a founding member and researcher at ARU. Today, ARU is a multidisciplinary unit providing an academic programme, general and specific information, archival documentation, publica-

Louisa Daggers, coordinator of ARU and lecturer for the AST course

tions, research assistance, consultancy and promotion of the interests of the indigenous peoples of Guyana in several areas.

“Janette Bulkan was the coordinator of the Unit when it became the Amerindian Research Unit which evolved out of the Language Project.

She, along with the late Dr Desrey Fox [et al], expanded the research area from just language to other fields of Amerindian life,” Wishart added.

ARU is continuously involved in collaborative research in the field of anthropology and archaeology, providing guest lecturers for interested groups, collecting artefacts and offering a service course - Introduction to Indigenous Peoples of Guyana (AST 1102).

AST 1102 is a course that introduces students to the field of anthropology and archaeology and “captures the way of life of indigenous people both of the past and the present”.

“We review a lot of literaSome indigenous artefacts on display at the Amerindian ture on previous Research Unit documentation

for ethnographic work for anthropology in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, we have field sessions where students get to look at videos, interact with indigenous people and actually visit these indigenous communities,” explained archaeologist Louisa Daggers, AST 1102 course lecturer and coordinator of ARU. Catering for more than 60 students from the faculties of Environmental Studies, Tourism and Forestry, the course covers the indigenous ways of life: past and present, myths, legends, languages and much more are covered for Guyana, the Caribbean and South America.

“Although the AST Course is just tailored for those three categories [Environmental, Tourism and Forestry students] during the semester, interested persons also have the opportunity to apply for the Denis Williams Summer School of Anthropology, for a more hands on, shorter version [of the course],” noted Daggers.

Daggers also mentioned, “sometimes we overlook the significance or importance of things we may call simple…we learn to appreciate the simple things in life and also gain a chance to appreciate other cultures [through this course]”.

The research unit produces a newsletter, ARU egarei (ARU, the Warau word for “bitter cassava” as well as the acronym for the research unit, and egarei, the Akawaio word for “news”), where reports on excavations is published, current activities or achievements of ARU and factual titbits in the field.

Prior to the newsletter, the Unit “worked with medicinal plants and foods, a variety of things all of which were either published on its bulletin or in an occasional paper”. Moreover, ARU boasts a library where a copy of all these documents can be found as well as numerous books on archaeology and anthropology.

“We collect artefacts and items, which are used for display as much as it is used to enhance the course, so when you talk about the matapee, for instance, the students can see one,”

A dream catcher on showcase at ARU

Wishart outlined.

Wishart and Daggers are working towards establishing an Associate Degree in Anthropology; a course not based on the indigenous way of life alone but anthropology on the whole, including various cultures, languages, bio anthropology – just to name a few.

“It is a wonderful field. It changes your view on daily life because it is the study of people; it is not a big field in Guyana but it is around the world. Particularly in human resources and analysis or any field where you work with people and understanding human behaviours and attitudes,” Daggers said.

Anthropology helps in understanding cultures and cultural influence, what is culture, where it comes from and how it develops. The applicability for anthropology is vast, encompassing the health sector, public sector, marketing, human resources, and other areas.

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

Helping educate Guyana I

n 1977, Brian O’Toole, newly qualified as an educational psychologist, travelled to Guyana with a group of UK youths, to assist the Guyana Baha’i community in its outreach activities. This was the beginning of Brian’s love story with Guyana.

Spending two months and falling in love with Guyana and its people spurred Brian to complete his teacher training course the following year and return to Guyana in 1978 to seek employment.

After three months, he secured a job at Lillian Dewar Teacher Training College in Kingston. The three years spent there were some of the happiest times of his 37-year stay. Students, from the all over Guyana invited him, and his new wife Pam, (two weeks before Brian’s departure from the UK) to visit and enjoy the legendary “Guyanese hospitality”.

Weekends spent with students of the teacher training college in the late 70’s and early 80’s forged life-long friendships, and afforded the O’Tooles a wonderful experience of life in the coastal villages: from fishing expeditions, to fruit picking, to crossing flooded trenches on narrow (bouncy) planks, washing clothes in piranha infested waters, cooking on a fireside, learning to clap roti and clean fish – skills that over the years changed the two big-city dwellers into seasoned Guyanese and helped cushion the challenges faced as Guyana in the late 1970s was a far cry from Brian and Pam’s homeland in the UK. Work at Lillian Dewar Teacher Training College was challenging but rewarding, with more than 300 students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Brian taught psychology and supported the students as they undertook their teaching practice under the stern, yet loving eye of Principal Mavis Pollard.

Education beginnings

In 1981 Brian began working at the University of Guyana, lecturing in psychology. During his time there he initiated the Certificate in Special Education course, an extremely popular programme, supported by funding from the Canadian International Development Agency.

During this time Brian also volunteered at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

At one visit he realised there were a number of abandoned children living and growing up in the Children’s Ward.

As they were not attending school, this seemed a perfect group for practical experience for his students in the field of remedial education.

With the help of the students from the University, the 15 children were gradually accepted into regular schools.

In 1984, while, attending a conference on special educational needs in Jamaica, Pamela and Brian O'Toole Brian listened to an enthralling presentation on community-based rehabilitation that was to change his course of service for the next 15 years.

Based on a World Health Organization model that attempted to demystify rehabilitation techniques, the Guyana programme became a world leader in the field. Articles, books, videos and manuals written from knowledge gained on the Guyana CBR Programme were widely read and followed, forging a path for similar programmes worldwide.

During these years, Pam was assisting the Guyana Office of Social and Economic Development of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’i of Guyana with the establishment of almost 100 “bottom-house libraries” throughout Guyana, which were made possible through a donation of more than 40,000 books from the Toronto area Baha’i communities.

From this initiative and the realisation for the need for increased literacy skills in the library users, coupled with the publishing of the Jenning’s Report that up to 89 per cent of out-of-school youths were “functionally illiterate”, attention began to focus on a remedial reading programme.

From fledgling activities within nine Baha’i communities, in 1996 the Wings of Words Programme was conceptualised and funded by the Baha’i international community with additional funding from the Guyana Book Foundation, the German Embassy, the European Union, CIDA, British AID, and UNICEF, among others.

In the late 1980s, the O’Tooles, now comprising Brian, Pam and their two children, left Guyana for a year to pursue further education, with Brian obtaining his PhD and Pam a Masters in Special Education. Although the time spent studying “abroad” was enjoyable, the family was delighted to return to their adopted homeland.

Brian O’Toole (standing) talks on the prevention of HIV and AIDS on behalf of the Baha'i community

School of the Nations

In 1996 Dr. O’Toole visited the heavily populated city of Lome in what was then Togoland, Gulf of Guinea. In the midst of this bustling city sat a school where the children of rival and antagonistic political leaders studied side by side, serving as an example to their parents. Inspired by this experience, within six months after Dr. O’Toole returned to Guyana, School of the Nations was born.

Armed with the support and encouragement of many excited parents who had caught the vision, believed in the possibilities, taken the risk of withdrawing their children from even the most prestigious schools in Georgetown, School of the Nations opened its doors twenty years ago in Parade Street, Kingston, providing educational opportunities from nursery to Form Four, with an initial enrolment of 186.

During the 13 years spent at this location, the school grew and expanded to Fifth and Sixth Form and tertiary education, offering diploma courses in business from Cambridge University. As the years passed, the school decided to offer Cambridge University’s International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) qualifications instead of CSEC and CAPE qualifications.

The make-up of the student body is diverse, with more than 28 nationalities and children of all religious and social groups attending. The school, parents and well-wishers offer almost 30 full or part scholarships to students of diverse backgrounds.

Shortly after the school opened, the manager of Caribbean Molasses offered a scholarship to a student from the interior who, after graduating, went on to teach in her Amerindian community. Dr. Sengupta, a visiting dental surgeon, also offered five-year scholarship support for two students from Tiger Bay who have excelled in the programme. German’s Restaurant offers daily lunches to these scholarship students.

The move from Parade Street six years ago was the cause of some concern to parents, unsure how the school’s proximity to Tiger Bay would affect the functioning of this peaceful school. However,

their fears proved to be unfounded and the move resulted in greater opportunities for service and outreach, with Sixth Formers and teachers from School of Nations beginning a mentoring programme four afternoons a week for more than 40 children each year in the neighbouring Tiger Bay community.

This project is funded by Mings Products & Services LTD, New Thriving Restaurant, Gafoors and numerous parents, and allows afternoon and holiday classes for the children of the neighbourhood in the areas of literacy and numeracy, chess, computer, music, art, and manners and morals. Healthy snacks are also provided each day.

From the first diploma courses offered by Nations University more than ten years ago, the population has grown to more than 1,000 students studying diploma, advanced diploma, degree and master programmes in business, management, law and accounting.

“The motivation behind opening School of Nations was to try and put some principles of the Baha’i faith into practice in seeing education as the fundamental way to bring about progress and development. The motivation behind opening the tertiary part of Nations was to bring internationally recognised courses to Guyana,” Pamela O’Toole told Sunday Times Magazine.

The opportunities given to Brian and Pam in Guyana to be of service in the field of education have been described as “humbling, rewarding, exciting and fulfilling”.

Pamela – Pam – pointed out that staying in the UK, it was unlikely they would have been afforded the opportunities to develop, grow, serve and move into new, exciting and exhilarating areas of education, for which they are extremely grateful.

“Exciting new courses are upcoming in the field of educational leadership and oil and gas. Our future plans are to continue to provide a wide variety of affordable courses from prestigious international institutions and to contribute to the continued development of Guyanese youth and adults to take full advantage of the exciting opportunities to be offered in the years ahead,” she outlined.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Times Feature

By Dmitri Allicock

S

ome of the greatest cities of old and modern times owe their rise and grandeur to their positions in the fork between great rivers, which gave them unrivalled advantages for defence and commerce.

Lyons of France, St Louis in the US and Belgrade of Serbia are three striking examples.

Bartica occupies such a unique natural location in north-central Guyana where the mighty Essequibo, Mazaruni, and Cuyuni rivers meet.

Bartica lies at a junction of the Essequibo River, 50 miles (80 km) inland from

in the area – and probably spawned from the belief, according to the ancient Babylonian Talmud text, that man originated from the earth.

The original site was about a mile to the west of Grove, where a grant of land was obtained from Governor Benjamin D’Urban. The mission was removed to its present position in 1837, where a grant of 560 acres was obtained from the Crown.

Under the fostering care of Rev. Thomas Youd, the mission obtained a certain amount of success. It was visited by Bishop Coleridge of Barbados in 1838 and a church was built, dedicated to St John the Baptist,

One of the streets going uphill

ing entertained.

Bartica's unparalleled natural location is one of the most intriguing sites for a city. To the north stretches a mass of fresh brown water fed by the three river and their tributaries, dotted in all directions with is-

Bartica Grove 1910

the Atlantic Ocean. The town has a population of about 15,000 and remains alaunch pad for Guyana’s gold and diamond miners.

There is no doubt that the bulk of Guyana’s precious gold and diamond reserves are embraced by that wide stretch of highland that is drained by the Essequibo, Cuyuni, the Mazaruni rivers and their tributaries.

The three rivers converge at the area called Bartica, and the vast flood of their united waters is carried by the mighty Essequibo, past her hundred isles, 21 miles wide at her mouth, into the basin of the Atlantic.

Washed on two sides by the waters of the two great rivers, Bartica faces the Atlantic breeze, tempered by a passage of 50 miles of tropical verdure forest.

Bartica was originally granted for religious uses, and was one of the earliest Anglican missionary settlements in the colony under British rule. The name 'Bartica' comes from an indigenous word meaning “red earth” – abundant

the evangelist of the desert, and consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Guiana on January 5,1843, in the presence of Governor Light and distinguished company.

Gold discovery

The major discovery of gold in the l850s, brought many from all over Guiana, including the Caribbean, and led to the formation of the British Guiana Mining Company, whose fortunes were sought in the rich gold and diamond fields of Guyana’s Highlands. It was found necessary to establish a town at the little settlement of Bartica on the Essequibo and an ordinance for that purpose was passed in 1887.

Bartica was chosen and founded as a central depot where the gold industry could be regulated, a place where labourers registered, where boats were inspected and licensed, where magistrates adjudicated upon gold disputes, where hospitals for the sick could be established, a lock-up for the disorderly, where the dead could be buried and the liv-

lands, varying in sizes from the huge Hogg Island called Varken Eiland by the early Dutch, to the lovely Sail Rock, the smallest of the islets. North of Bartica is the ruins of the Dutch fort KykOver-Al, former govern-

ment seat for the County of Essequibo. Bartica is also close to Marshall Falls.

To the south stretches over two thousand miles of pristine rainforest and savannah, intersected by hills, mountains, deep rivers and scores of massive and thundering falls and rapids; forest rich in invaluable hardwood, and lands with bountiful gold. An esteemed land associated with the lost city of Eldorado in 1595 by Sir Walter Raleigh, Captain of her Majesty's Guard, Lord Warden of the Stannaries, and her Highness' Lieutenant General of the County of Cornwall.

The great difficulty with gold mining lay with the tortuous and deadly journey from Bartica to the goldfields of the Guyana highlands. The rivers are filled with countless rapids and dangerous passes, where many lives were lost to the lust for gold. It seems that the ancient Amerindian legends were true where these rushing waters dragged down into their dark depths all those who attempt passage without appeasement.

Many ideas were suggested to avoid loss of life and possessions including a light, narrow-gauge railway from Bartica, up the left bank of the Essequibo, bypassing the rapids to the smoother water up the

Potaro and other gold bearing rivers and creeks. This railway would open the vast areas of valuable timber and a branch could be constructed up the right bank of the Mazaruni, past Calacoon, skirting the Marshall (Marechial) Falls, up to the Puruni gold fields and even

which might have led to an alternative plan, and a railway was indeed constructed in 1897, but from Wismar, Demerara River westward to Rockstone, Essequibo, forming a more direct route to Upper Essequibo and Potaro River, diminishing the prospects and impor-

The first street you meet coming off from the boat landing

connecting with a line from the Yuruari Valley, a branch of the Cuyuni River, bringing the wealth of that great district through the channels of Essequibo to the port of Georgetown.

Perhaps it was the Venezuelan’s border issue or more practicable reasons

British Guiana gold prospectors 1896

tance of Bartica.

Bartica today

Today, Bartica remains a small town and is still associated with gold and diamond mining of Guyana highlands and timber extraction.

Its small population consists of a harmonious mix of Guyanese. The central town is about one square mile and consists of seven avenues and nine streets. The avenues run north to south and the streets east to west.

During the Easter weekend every year, Bartica hosts the famous Bartica Regatta with a growing variety of entertaining holiday activities including water sports, cricket boxing, soccer, talent shows, a street parade, and a Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant. There is also another regatta, which is held annually in August.

As fate and gold would determine the birth and destiny of Bartica, dreams of it becoming a more vibrant gateway to the interior and a larger city were not attained. Perhaps the natural wonder and fork in the river that is uniquely Bartica may yet still bear upon its full potentials and future.

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

I

nspired by her Guyanese culture of caring for people, US-based Guyanese nurse Zorena InshanJagnandan decided to open her own business to provide health care and other muchneeded services.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine , Zorena said her mother was from Dundee, Mahaicony and her father from Golden Fleece, West Coast Berbice.

Zorena lived her early life in Foulis, West Coast Berbice.

“The place I call home now is not my only home; the other one is called Guyana, from which I will never forget. I migrated to America when I was little and lived in Queens Village, New York,” she recalled.

There are many things that motivated Zorena to get

into the medical field, but, she said, caring for people is the main one.

“I remember when I was little and use to visit my grandparents in Dundee.

My grandma, who is in her 90s now, would deliver babies, circumcise boys, pull “nara” and “pallet” back into place; so you can say that it’s in the blood,” she disclosed.

Zorena’s calling to become a nurse also stemmed from taking care of her daughter, Jasmin, who was born prematurely.

To become a nurse, Zorena attended Penn State.

After graduating, Zorena worked in a nursing home where she observed how patients were being cared for.

“I said to myself that I can do this better; that people deserve better health

With her husband and children

T

he Herstelling Women’s Organisation is a recently founded group focused on helping women. The centre operates at the Sumintra Singh Centre, located in the compound of the Herstelling NDC and Providence Nursery School, and strives to help unemployed and abused women. Even the centre in which they operate was built for promoting activities for developing the lives of women. Sumintra Singh, an advocate for the well-being of women and a resident of Herstelling, provided much-needed funds to build the centre, hence the building being named in her honour.

The chairperson of the group, Durmilla Dwarka (known as Gaitree) explained in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine that the aims of the group are to promote cultural, recreational and other creative and healthy activities conducive to women’s development, and to educate women on their rights as well as to raise awareness on how they can play a meaningful role in society.

The organisation hopes to help women

care treatment. In Guyana when people get old they stay home and family take care of them. I wanted to incorporate what I knew from my homeland into what I wanted to do for people in the US,” noted the nurse.

This passion, which was inspired by her Guyanese culture, saw the birth of her company, Angel Hands Home Health. It is a home health agency aimed at providing medical needs for people who want to stay home instead of going to a nursing home.

“That’s why I opened a home health agency. I want to help people. People/patients feel more comfortable and secure being cared for at home. Many patients want to stay at home and studies have shown that. For instance, I had one patient who had cancer and wanted to be home with her family. We were able to grant her wish through the services I provide. In stressful times, like sickness, people should be in a relaxed environment,” she pointed out.

A driven individual, Zorena is also the co-owner of Jasmin Jewellery with her husband David Jagnandan in Tannersville, Pennsylvania.

The medical provider, and entrepreneur, plans to expand her services to other areas, and credits her success to her husband, who wholly supports all her endeavours.

“I also believe in the saying, ‘If you love what you do, you will never have to work another day in your life’. I love what I do, that is being a nurse,” Zorena declared.

For more information on the services Zorena provides, visit www.angelhandshomehealth.com

mentally, emotionally and physically.

“We want women to be independent and strong and to know they are not toys.

Currently, we offer free yoga classes for women. Our group’s plans are to have cake decorating, sewing, hair and nail and computer classes. If any agencies want to help in providing classes such as these we would be very grateful. We are presently focusing on providing help for the elderly and single parents,” Dwarka revealed.

Yoga classes are not restricted to women living in Herstelling. Women from other villages are encouraged to join. Classes are held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 7pm.

Dwarka also urges persons to join her group on October 25 for a grand culture show at the Centre and an afternoon of fun, games and family entertainment.

Then on October 31, a team of 15 doctors will be at the centre to test for diabetes, cancer and cholesterol, and provide other free medical services. All are welcome.

For more information, contact Dwarka on 265-3307.

Zorena (third from left) collects her Certificate of Recognition on the opening day of her business

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Times Book World

The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

The horror genre in Guyanese literature

By Petamber Persaud

M

ove over Frankenstein (Mary Shelly/UK) Move over Jekyll and Hyde (Robert Louis

Stevenson/UK) Move over Dracula (Bram Stoker/UK) Move over Harry Potter (J. K. Rowling/UK) Move over England

Guyanese artist Harold A.Bascom’s drawing of the Baccoo

Make way for Guyana…

Make way for creatures from the black water creeks of Guyana, South America; make way for the Massacooramaan Man and the Fairmaid…

I m a g i n e Massacooramaan - a huge hairy manlike creature suddenly bursting forth from black water creek wreaking havoc on people who invade his sanctuary, especially pork knockers prospecting for gold and diamonds.

Imagine the fairmaid,which is not unlike the more familiarly known mermaid, luring young men to wealth and eventual death which is a result of disclosing his source of good fortune.

Make way for the creatures from the jungles of Guyana; make way for Kanaima…

Imagine this Kanaima an evil shape shifting spirit, changing into any form to get to his victims, inhabiting humans to carry out acts of revenge or allowing humans to invite him into their bodies to kill, main and destroy.

Make way for the masters of the night sky; make way for the Ole Higue…

Imagine an old woman with the ability to shed her skin,

turn into a ball of fire, take to air, hunting for her food.

Her food? Human blood – the blood of babies.

And just imagine the power of this Ole Higue can be stymied by simple circular chalk markings or a line of rice grains. Unable to count the grains, she turns away or unable to break the circle, she is captured.

Make way for the masters of the earth – the Moongazer, mostly seen on a moonlight night. What is his character? He is tall, tall enough to straddle the land like how a rainbow is seen.

All who passes beneath and below are in danger of being crushed. This creature drives fear into man, woman and child, disrupting their normal routine of going to the latrine, drawing water from the canal, and tending to their crops and livestock.

Make way for the masters of the sugar plantation - the ghostly Dutchman riding a white horse at night,keeping guard over his treasure buried under the silk cotton tree; he is sometimes accompanied by a ghostly white lady on ghostly white horse.

Make way for the man in a bottle - Baccoo. Baccoo is a grotesque little man in a bottle ‘that’ could be a good servant or a bad master, yes, just like fire or water.

If you treat him well, and he doesn’t ask for much – some bananas and some milk, on time, every day.

Treat him well and you would be rewarded lots of material wealth – money, jewellery, fine clothing …

Treat him bad, he goes bananas. And the same things he gave you would be taken away. But that’s not all he can torture you by stoning your house, breaking windows, send things crashing to the ground,

Edgar Mittelholzer’s “My Bones and my Flute”

sending you mad. He has the ability to disappear, at will….

Well, it was a pact you made with him, knowing the outcome.

Make way for the masters of the tomb – jumbie popping in anytime to haunt the living daylight out of you.

Make way for the masters of the womb – the churile and the rakhas….

A churile is the spirit of a pregnant woman who died during pregnancy or childbirth; the spirit is depicted as a woman dressed in white, her hair dishevelled, carrying the foetus in arm, wailing in the dead of night.

Miscarriages in the village are blamed on her and physical harm on her husband, if he was bad to her.

A raakhas is a new born, a killing machine, which is

depicted with black complexion, grotesque head, long hair, long finger and toe nails, attacking and killing its parents and those nearby, if not recognized and killed at birth. If it escapes, it continues to kill but its terror is shortlived, dying naturally within hours or days.

There are many small story-like treatments of this horror genre in our literature but it has not evoked the book-length treatment since Mittelholzer’s “My Bones and my Flute”, a novel published in 1955.

It is time to do something – before the midnight hour chimes; before the witching hour overtakes us…

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

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

1913 –1945 A

s most Guyanese would know from school history classes, bauxite mining in Guyana had its genesis in George Mackenzie.

Mackenzie was an American (though some historians say he was Scottish) who had arrived in the-then colony of British Guiana in 1913.

along the Demerara River.

However, one year later he established the Demerara Bauxite Company, and in 1917 Guyana exported its first bauxite ore shipment out of an area known as Three Friends.

Three Friends was a sparsely populated village along the Demerara River,

British Guiana stamp shows mining of bauxite

It has been said that in 1915, after telling land owners he was setting up an orange orchard, Mackenzie (said too to be a geologist) bought up large areas of land

said to have a history going back to 1759 when a land survey established the village, named after its three founding residents – and former naval officers–:

Messrs Spencer, Blount and John Dalgleish Patterson.

According to Guyana. org, Patterson, a contractor for the Dutch colony of Essequibo-Demerara at the time, owned plantation Christianburg, which was a choice place for retirement of British naval officers after 1803.

Geological surveys showing the potential for bauxite in the region can be traced back to the late 19th century.

Bauxite was discovered in a belt stretching across the country from the North West District to the Corentyne River, with large deposits identified in the Pomeroon, the Essequibo around Bartica, Mackenzie, Ituni, Canje, and Orealla.

However, even after a government geologist, Sir John Hamilton, was able to identify the composition of the deposits in 1910, it was not until George Mackenzie founded the Demerara Bauxite Company that the resource was exploited.

A paper presented in London in 1916 on the occurrence of bauxite in Guyana generated such interest in the USA that the Aluminium Company

Town Hall, British Guiana n.d.

Parliament Buildings 1923

Some three miles out of Linden, one of a few “blue lakes” that appeared in some mined out areas during the era when bauxite mining was at its peak.

The name “blue lake” was given to them by Linden residents

of America (Alcoa) in the same year incorporated the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA).

Shortly after, DEMBA secured leases on large areas of bauxite-bearing land in the vicinity of the area purchased by Mackenzie.

In 1916 mining of bauxite started, and hundreds of people from the coastal areas migrated there in search of employment.

Wismar, on the western bank of the Demerara River, was formed by the influx of immigrants from various European countries, mainly Germany. The German settlers named the settlement Wismar after a German town of the same

name.

Some of the Germans who settled there were originally recruited by the British Guiana government as part of an alternative labour supply for the sugar plantations, after most of the freed Africans refused to work there.

It became a larger settlement following emancipation when many former African slaves, who refused to work on the sugar plantations, migrated to live there.

A slump in the bauxite industry between 1930 and 1936 caused much hardship, until trade picked up just before 1939 and particularly during the Second World War of 1939-1945

when the demand for aluminium was high.

The Berbice Bauxite Company, a subsidiary of American Cyanamid, started production of chemical grade bauxite for the manufacture of alum at Kwakwani up the Berbice River in 1942.

In 1943 DEMBA extended its operations to Ituni, about 35 miles south of Mackenzie, and by the end of the decade Guyana was the world's second largest producer, accounting for 17 percent of world production.

With the expansion of mining, the working population grew and most of the workers settled permanently in the area.

8 Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 25, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Travel & Tourism

Rupununi River in southwestern Guyana

T

he Rupununi River runs from near the Brazilian border into the Essequibo River. The river during the flood season actually shares a watershed with the Amazon.

During the rainy season, the river is connected to the Takutu River by the flooded Pirara Creek, draining the vast swamps of the Parima or Amaku Lake.

Early European explorers believed that the Rupununi floodplains were in fact the legendary Lake Parime. The legend tells of El

Dorado – that a king covered in gold lived in a magnificent city by the side of Lake Parime.

The Rupununi River in southwestern Guyana flows north toward the Iwokrama Mountains and in southwestern Guyana is a tributary of the Essequibo River.

Travelers on the Rupununi River in southwestern Guyana disembark at Ginep Landing to access the main highway from Georgetown to Brazil. (Photos by David Stanley) (Cover photo: Black caiman are plentiful along the Rupununi River)

The sun sets over the Rupununi River near Karanambu Lodge in southwestern Guyana

Ginep Landing

Travelling along the river

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

M

any people believe that ‘detoxing’ can boost their energy and that ‘superfoods’ will help in the fight against fatigue. But does scientific evidence support these notions?

Detox doesn’t boost energy

Detox diets are often touted as energy boosters, but the nhs. uk notes that there’s no scientific evidence to support this claim. If you’re eating well, there’s no need to use these diets.

Detox supporters claim that our bodies are overloaded with “toxins” from pollution, smoking, food additives and so on. Detoxing is done through a range of methods, including massage, fasting followed by a strict diet of raw vegetables, fruit and fruit juices, and water; colonic irrigation, and supplements, usually taken over seven to 10 days. Supporters of detox claim this is a way to get rid of the toxins.

But there’s no scientific evidence to show that our bodies need help to get rid of waste products – this is what our kidneys do – and there’s no proof that detox diets work.

The British Dietetic Association has said that detox diets are “marketing myths rather than nutritional reality.”

Some people say they feel more focused and energetic after a detox diet. But this could be because they believe they’re doing something good for their bodies.

For the vast majority of people, a healthy, balanced diet based on starchy carbohydrates (wholegrain where possible), with lots of fruit and vegetables, plus some milk, dairy, meat or other source of lean sources of protein, is a better way to protect your health.

‘Superfoods’ are a myth

Newspapers, magazines and

the internet are full of stories about miracle superfoods. Celery, broccoli, beetroot juice, jam, popcorn, cereals and even the great British cuppa, to name just a few, have all been hyped as superfoods in the past two years.

But the nhs.uk website points out that there is no official definition of a superfood. The EU has banned the use of the word on product packaging, unless the claim is backed up by convincing research.

These claims are almost always exaggerated. It’s actually incredibly difficult to prove that one particular food is better for our health than all the others we eat. Studies on so-called superfoods tend not to do this.

When it comes to keeping healthy, it’s important to eat a variety of foods, rather than concentrate on one food in the hope it will work miracles. Eat a balanced diet containing a range of foods to ensure you get the nutrients your body needs. Limit your intake of alcohol and high-fat, high-sugar and salty foods.

Energy drinks have mixed benefits

Many people turn to energy drinks such as Red Bull and Lucozade Energy for a quick boost.

Energy drinks are loaded with sugar and caffeine (sometimes more than twice the caffeine that’s in a can of cola) so they’ll certainly give you a temporary energy jolt.

However, the boost is short-lived and may be accompanied by other problems.

The caffeine in energy drinks can make you feel irritable and restless. It can increase your blood pressure, while the sugar can contribute to weight gain, especially if you don’t exercise regularly.

Plain water is a better choice than an energy drink. For a quick surge of energy, snack on fruit.

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Part of a health warning on a can of the Austrian Power Horse energy drink states “Consumption of more than two cans in a day may be harmful to your health...”

Vitamin supplements aren’t as good as eating well

Think taking a multivitamin each day will make you feel less tired? Think again.

Most people don’t need to take vitamin supplements, because they can get all the nutrients that they need from a healthy, balanced diet. Popping pills doesn’t offer you the same benefits as eating well.

The Department of Health recommends certain supplements for some groups of people. Read more about who needs to take a vitamin supplement.

As a general rule, it’s better to get your vitamins from food rather than tablets.

Evidence suggests that fruit and vegetables are good for us, not just because of the individual vitamins and minerals they contain, but because of their combination of different nutrients and fibre.

Increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables you eat will benefit your health more than taking supplements will.

Forget the multivitamin packs.

Eat a healthy balanced diet instead. That will give you all the energy you need, as well as being good for your overall health.

lood donation is a voluntary procedure whereby you agree to have blood drawn so that it can be given to someone who needs a blood transfusion says Mayo Clinic.

Millions of people need blood transfusions each year. Some may need blood during surgery. Others depend on it after an accident or because they have a disease that requires blood components.

Blood donation makes all of this possible.

According to Blood Centres of the Pacific, the general requirements of a blood donor include weighing more than 110 lbs and being at least 17 years old. Other essential requirements include general good health. You should also note that a well-balanced meal is recommended within four hours of donation, and you must have valid identification such as an ID card, passport, etc. when you arrive at a donation centre.

There are several types of blood donation, according to Mayo Clinic: Whole blood This is the most common type of blood donation, during which approximately a pint of whole blood is donated. The blood is then separated into its components — red cells, plasma, platelets.

Platelets This type of donation uses a process called aphaeresis. During aphaeresis, the donor is hooked up to a machine that collects the platelets and some of the plasma, and then returns the rest of the blood to the donor.

Plasma Plasma may be collected simultaneously with a platelet donation, or it may be collected without collecting platelets during an aphaeresis donation.

Double red cells Double red cell donation is also done using aphaeresis. In this case, only the red cells are collected.

Blood Centres of the Pacific notes that one donation of red cells can help multiple patients.

Red cells are most needed after significant blood loss from trauma and surgery and are used to treat anaemia and other blood diseases.

Platelets help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, trauma victims, and transplant patients, and plasma donations help trauma victims, burn victims and surgery patients. Plasma is used for clotting deficiencies, intra-vascular volume deficits, bleeding disorders, and burn victims.

Red cells, white cells and platelets are made in the marrow of bones, especially the vertebrae, ribs, hips, skull and sternum. These essential blood cells fight infection, carry oxygen and help control bleeding.

Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts. One of the functions of plasma is to act as a carrier for blood cells, nutrients, enzymes and hormones.

Red cells are disc-shaped cells containing haemoglobin, which enables the cells to pick up and deliver oxygen to all parts of the body.

White cells are the body’s primary defence against infection. They can move out of the blood stream and reach tissues being invaded.

Platelets are small cells in the blood that control bleeding. They form clusters to plug small holes in blood vessels and assist in the clotting process.

There is no substitute for human blood. If patients lose blood from surgery or injury or if their bodies can’t produce enough, there is only one place to turn—volunteer blood donors.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Times Fashion

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ocal jewellery and clothing fashion house Rave Designs is excited to be part of fashion extravaganza, Reflections.

Head designer of Rave Designs, Deborah Mathias, who pursued studies at the Fine Art Department of the University of Guyana and at E R Burrowes, is known for working with leather, clay and fabric, but she is presently committed to designing and producing jewellery made primarily from local semiprecious stones, natural seeds and recycled materials.

Mathias is incorporating the use of textures and rich colours in her designs in or-

Deborah Mathias

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ll ready to display her bespoke, chic pieces, designer Wynetta Jones plans to blaze the catwalk at one of Guyana’s most prestigious fashion shows, Reflections.

Jones attended North Ruimveldt Secondary School to earn passes at CXC level. She went on to study at Critchlow Labour College, where she pursued studies in industrial relations. Later, she received a certificate in accountancy from the Government Technical Institute. At E R Burrowes School of Arts, she gained a Certificate in Textile Design and Leather Work.

Shesubsequentlyattended the University of Guyana for herdiplomas in Computer Science and Accountancy.

In 2010 Jones took part for the first timein Guyana Fashion Weekend.

Motivated by the experience and exposure, she participated in Guyana Fashion Weekend 2011, charity shows for Lions, churches, Queens College, Inter Guiana Festival, Reflection by Nelsion Nurse, and Guyana Fashion Week 2013, to name just a few.

Jones designs under the label Wynetta Jones Fashion and has launched her new collection, Seduction, which is an extension of her Jours sombres de l’été (“Dark Days of Summer”) collection.

“Fashion is unpredictable and cannot be defined. Using my knowledge gained at ER Burrowes School of Arts, I plan to bring this collection [Seduction] alive by using materials such as stretch lace, taffeta, beads, fabric paint.

The colours used in this collection are lime green, orange, white and black and caters for both ladies and gents,” the designer explained to Sunday Times Magazine.

der to create jewellery that is “vibrant, environmentally friendly and, most importantly, pleasing to customers”.

“Our participation last year in Reflections was well received and so we are once again excited to do our part towards making this show a success. We would also like to take this opportunity to extend congratulations to the newly crowned Miss Indigenous Heritage Queen 2015 Miss Sherica Ambrose of St. Ignatius Village Region Nine,” the designer stated.

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 11

Star Times Hollywood

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I M

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mar Samuel Pasley, better known by his stage name OMI, is a Jamaican singer. He is best known for “Cheerleader�, a worldwide hit song. He is currently signed to Ultra Music, a part of Sony Music. OMI had composed "Cheerleader" in 2008. He eventually recorded it and performed and released in 2012. It was released in Jamaica along with a low-budget, high-concept video shot in Oregon during OMI's first trip to the United States, becoming a modest hit in Jamaica and also popular in Hawaii and Dubai. In 2014, the track "Cheerleader" got a second life when Patrick Moxey, the president of Ultra Music, heard the song and liked it, offering to remix the song and relaunch it as a dance track. The remix initially became a huge hit in Sweden, eventually certified five times platinum. Soon the song spread through other European charts, notably France, Italy and Germany. It topped the charts in several European countries and in Australia. In the United Kingdom, OMI made history on May 24, 2015, when "Cheerleader" topped the UK Singles Chart for a fourth week in a row, marking the longest consecutive period any Jamaican artist has held that position on the chart. In the United States, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2015. It later made the top spot of the Hot 100 after 12 weeks in the chart.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 25, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Hollywood

Taylor Swift named world's highest-earning musician

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aylor Swift is the world's highest-earning recording artist, according to the U.K.'s Express. The 25-year-old superstar is said to have pocketed around US$317.8M since January this year, meaning she's been making more than US$1M per day.

In addition to her massively successful "1989" album and the "1989" world tour she's been on, the singer's money came from a handful of lucrative endorsement deals with brands like Elizabeth Arden and Diet Coke.

"Right now, Taylor is untouchable,� said L.A.-based media analyst Mike Raia. "She is so far ahead of everyone else in the industry that she has become not only a powerhouse

entertainer but also an important mover and shaker on the commercial side on the music business."

Prior to the Express report, Forbes announced Swift and her boyfriend Calvin Harris as the world's highest-paid celebrity couple of 2015. With US$146 million they collectively earned over the last year, the duo beat out reigning power couple Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z. Showing no sign of slowing down, Swift is expected to reach billionaire status before she turns 30. (AceShowbiz)

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

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ishwarya Rajesh is a Tamil film actress born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. After winning the reality show "Maanada Mayilada," she made her debut in the film “Avargalum Ivargalum” (2011) and became famous after starring in “Attakathi” (2012). Aishwarya's first release in 2015 was “Kaaka Muttai”. Her portrayal of a slum dweller and mother of two children was lauded by critics.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Times Bollywood

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ctor Randeep Hooda is not nervous about sharing screen

space with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a biopic on Indian death row prisoner

Sarabjit Singh, who died in a jail in Pakistan.

After roping in

Aishwarya for the role of Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur, the makers have chosen Randeep to play the protagonist of the film.

"I work with directors, never work with co-stars apart from being in the

scene. My interest is usually in the director because he is the person I am working with...He is the person (with whom) I am holding myself and my character," Randeep told PTI. "I have little or no inter-

est in who are cast in the film, that is director's job.

Once they (co-actors) are on the job, then it is my job.

Before that I am not worried or nervous about doing this...It wouldn't matter to me," he said, when asked if he is excited or nervous working with Aishwarya.

When further asked to comment on Aishwarya being part of the film, Randeep simply said, "Great."

The movie will narrate the struggle of Dalbir, whose aim in life was to get her brother out of jail who had been imprisoned in Pakistan and convicted of terrorism and spying.

Sarabjit had claimed he was a farmer who strayed into Pakistan from his village located on the border.

The biographical film will be directed by Omung Kumar of “Mary Kom” fame.

It is scheduled to release in May 2016. (Times of India)

Is Katrina insecure over Deepika-Ranbir’s chemistry?

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ecent reports claimed that after watching the sizzling chemistry between her rumoured boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor and his ex-flame Deepika Padukone in “Tamasha”, Katrina Kaif was worried and insecure.

The songs and trailer of Imtiaz Ali’s “Tamasha” are out and have proved to be instant hit online. The movie is slated to hit theatres on November 27.

Refuting the rumours, Katrina’s spokesperson said, “These rumours are clearly someone’s imagination running wild. Though this makes fodder for gossip, it is categorically and entirely untrue. These stories are misleading to the audience and fans in general. Such idle gossip is really avoidable and childish.”

Deepika and Ranbir are returning on the silver screen together after a gap of two years (2013 hit “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”) with “Tamasha”.

The spokesperson further said that Katrina has also not asked filmmaker Anurag

Basu to fire up her chemistry with Ranbir in their upcoming comedy-drama film “Jagga Jasoos”. “Jagga Jasoos”, which is slated to release in June next year, features Katrina and Ranbir together after five years.

(Hindustan Times)

Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra applaud Unicef-ICC partnership

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ollywood A-listers Aamir Khan and Priyanka Chopra have applauded UNICEF's decision to collaborate with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to promote the cause of under privileged children.

The 50-year-old actor, Aamir, who is Unicef Ambassador for South Asia, took to his Twitter page to say, ""Am very happy that the ICC and UNICEF have joined hands to promote the cause of under privileged children across the world. #Unite4Children."

Meanwhile, the “Quantico star”, Priyanka, who is Unicef's ambassador for child rights and adolescence since 2010, tweeted "Children everywhere deserve a world fit for them. Well done @ICC & @ Unicef for joining forces to #unite4children."

It is said that the collaboration between Unicef and ICC aimed at using the popularity of cricket for a good social cause.

(Times of India)

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending Now

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olishing up your spooky costume for the scariest night of the year means paying attention to your ten (or twenty) mini canvases – nails.

It's the spookiest time of year, when nail art is at its most impressive,

Star of the week

taking in influences from films and scary stories to create tiny works of art at the end of your fingers.

Take a look at some nail art that manicurists are scaring up, and see which inspires you to get with the trend.

Black and orange pairs well

Brains nail art

Patchwork Frankenstein

Ghostly nails

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Spooky nails

arlus Persaud, born April 30, 1998 in Georgetown, is a dancer and soon-to-be actor in the highly anticipated locallyproduced drama series, “WHO?” Persaud completed his secondary education at Bishop's High School and is currently pursuing CAPE at the same institution. When he’s taking a break from school, Persaud is either dancing or developing his acting skills. He is a member of the Euphoria Dance Crew, also known as EDC Movement, and is fond of hip hop moves, although he can perform other dance styles. He started to dance five years ago when he entered high school and has been passionate about it ever since.

Persaud is thrilled about his role in “WHO?” in which he is cast as ‘Chris Da Silva’. The young actor and dancer plans to either attend the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago or the University of Guyana, pursuing a degree in civil engineering.

His role model is Chris Brown, but his mother is his inspiration.

Persaud said she struggled to raise and mould himself and his siblings into well-rounded individuals. He advises youths to “be prepared to fail…be prepared to be mistreated and misunderstood”, however he urges them to be determined, humble and dedicated.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 25, 2015

guyanatimesgy.com

Times Art

"Perception" 2013 by Aiesha Scottland. Wool

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ver a century ago a group of women, comprised mostly of expatriates, with some locals, was considered the earliest movers of artistic endeavours by women during Collage by Dominique Hunter Handmade home decor on display at Castellani the colonial period in the-then British today. She questioned the The 27th annual exhibition of the GWAA ly a few of the challenges for the creation of Guiana. inactiveness of general artistic activities in works of art by the GWAA members. is currently ongoing at Castellani House, This group conducted art and craft ex- the colony and single-handedly organized a What informs the artwork of the women Vlissengen Road.

Admission is free. Gallery hibitions and operated out of Main Street massive exhibition which became known as hours are 10am to 5pm on Mondays-Friday artists through the decades is by no means under the establishment known as the the Historic Exhibition of 1930. an accident, but that which exists in the vi- and 2pm to 6pm on Saturdays; the gallery Women’s Self Help Association. Among the This significant occasion led to the rise is closed Sundays and holidays. (Text by Ohene group a Barbadian woman, Golde White, and fall of many very important artistic sual world and the subconscious mind. A Koama, curator) (Cover photo: “Vending” 2015 by Jennifer simple vase of flowers or a market scene betook the initiative, around the late 1920s, groups, associations, exhibitions and other Gibson. Mixed Media) that chartered a new course for the develop- activities that all saw the presence of women comes a subject and, when rendered with a ment of art in colonial Guiana that still exist to varying degrees of involvement through- certain degree of knowledge and authority, it can become a masterpiece worth keeping. out the decades until today. The eventual For the craft makers it has always been the prominent involvement of women artists, of meticulous exploitation of motifs, designs, past and present Guyana, has set the trend shapes or forms sometimes in a repetitive for many artistic establishments such as manner. galleries, gift and craft shops. The very first The staunch effort by the GWAA memprivate art gallery in Guyana, Malcara Art bers to faithfully execute an annual exhiGallery, was owned by a woman artist - a bition is absolutely commendable and worpainter named Syble Douglas. thy of more than applauses. Perseverance The year 1987 saw the formation of the is their guardian word since failure seemed Guyana Women Artist Association (GWAA), never an option for them. Although it was which was credited to Dr. Nesha Z. Hanif, felt that men were dominating the artistic who returned to Guyana into a very vibrant scene in past and present Guyana, the presand active women artists’ scene. In April ence and significant input of women have 1988, she immediately tasked the group certainly impacted the course of developwith a grand retrospective exhibition titled ment, which we can all now boast about to“60 Years of Women Artists in Guyana 1928 day.

— 1988: A Historical Perspective”.

That acclaimed exhibition pays homage to the pioneers of the women artists and their various milestone achievements in Guyana. So successful was that exhibition that the Guyana Women Artists Association was by public demand to hold an annual exhibition to this day, against all odds.

"Flambouyant Mosaic" 2015 by Laurene Allsopp.

New membership to the Guyana Women Ceramic Tiles "Faces in the Tree" 2015 by Myrna C. Bernard.

Artists Association was and still is largeMixed Media ly from the E R Burrowes School of Art graduates and sparingly the University of Guyana. Other women artists in the employ of Caricom and of the wider society also constitute the membership. Membership from the esteemed pioneers and founding members – O’Donna Allsopp, Sheila King and Denuta Radzik – continue to anchor the group.

Demanding professional lives, and for "Heleconia" 2015 by Anna Correia some family responsibilities, are certain-

"Bloom II" 2015 by Tara Bentinck

"Rocks in Barima River" 2013 by O'Donna Allsopp. Acrylic

"Marshall Falls at Sunset" 2015 by O'Donna Allsopp. Acrylic

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Apple launches China Green Initiative A

pple has announced two new programs that it says will reduce the carbon footprint of its manufacturing partners in China.

The two schemes aim to avoid the production of

country's northern, eastern, and southern grid regions, and by partnering with suppliers to install clean energy projects over the coming years.

Apple also announced that it has completed 40

used by Apple's retail stores and operations offices in the country.

Apple says the completion of the projects makes the company carbon neutral in China, but that doesn't factor in the energy used by

more than 20 million metric tons of pollution between now and 2020 by building solar energy sources in the

megawatts of solar projects in China's Sichuan province, capable of producing the same amount of energy

its manufacturers and suppliers.

The two new schemes are intended to offset that

Tech BYTE

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New rifle shoots drones out of the sky

new rifle unveiled earlier this week is a game changer for individuals and organizations looking to protect their privacy and safety by warding off snooping drones, and it doesn’t even fire a single bullet.

Ohio-based non-profit research and development firm Battelle this week unveiled a device it calls the DroneDefender, which it says is “the first portable, accurate, rapid-to-use counter-weapon to stop suspicious or hostile drones in flight, providing critical security protection at home and abroad.”

While it’s not a weapon in the conventional sense, it represents a huge step in the fight against unwanted drone activity.

Not all drones are fun little gadgets.

Drones are used regularly as invasive tools intended to spy on individuals or even top-secret business operations. Beyond that, military, governments and law enforcement are targeted by spy drones on reconnaissance missions.

The device, which looks like a modern rifle with an antenna mechanism attached to the front — because that’s basically what it is — uses targeted radio waves to force drones out of the sky.

The non-destructive tech “utilizes a nonkinetic solution to defend airspace up to 400m

Tech news

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against UAS, such as quadcopters and hexacopters, without compromising safety or risking collateral damage.”

Regulations in many regions obviously prevent people from firing conventional weapons at drones as a means of defence, so the DroneDefender rifle could be an ideal workaround.

The device also has a range of more than 1,300 feet, and that may even improve in future versions.

“It can help us in numerous settings, from the White House lawn to bases and embassies overseas; from prisons and schools to historic sites,” Battelle’s technical director Alex Morrow stated. “It easily and reliably neutralizes the threat.”

Toyota, Scion issue global recall

oyota and Scion have issued a massive recall affecting a total of 6.5 million vehicles worldwide. The cars affected by Toyota's latest recall were built between 2005 and 2010 and include the popular Corolla model, CNN Money reports.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that two million US Toyota and Scion vehicles from the 2007 to 2011 model years are included in the recall.

A manufacturing problem with the power window master switch could in some cases cause a fire.

The problem stems from a lack of lubricant grease on the master switch. Toyota explains that the lack of lubrication can cause the device to short circuit. In some cases, that may make the switch overheat and melt. In some instances, it can result in smoke or even fire.

Three years ago, Toyota issued a similar recall affecting 2.5 million vehicles from the 2007, 2008, and 2009 model years.

Today's expansion affects one Toyota model from that same period, but most vehicles on the list are newer. Toyota believed that the components on these vehicles were immune to the problem because they were lubricated using a different method, but apparently not.

The recall includes the 2007 and 2009 Toyota Camry, 2009-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4, 2009-2011 Toyota Tundra, 2009-2011 Scion xB and 2009-2010 Scion xD. For further information, you're encouraged to visit Toyota.com/recall and run a search for your vehicle's VIN to see if it's affected by this or any other recall. You can also call Toyota Customer Service at 800331-4331 for assistance.

energy usage, producing more than 200 megawatts of electricity through the new solar sources — enough to power 265,000 homes in China for a year — and by helping suppliers build projects that will offer more

Tech BYTE

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than 2 gigawatts of clean energy.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says climate change is real, and the time for action is now. Under Cook, the company has been characterized by a strong stance on envi-

Astronomers spot enormous twin stars heading for cataclysmic end

SO astronomers have discovered a pair of enormous stars, known as an overcontact binary system, that orbit so close to each other that a bridge of stellar ma-

160,000 light-years distant from Earth, will end in spectacular fashion, with the stellar bodies either merging to create a single titanic star, or in a violent supernova, that would birth

Artists impression of twin stars named VFTS 352 (Credit: ESO/L. Calçada)

terial has formed.

Scientists predict that at some point, the strange partnership, situated in the Tarantula Nebula around

Tech news

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ronmental issues, despite investors’ push for Apple to focus less on green initiatives and more on profit.

The clean energy initiative in China aims to reduce the environmental impact of Apple’s suppliers.

a binary black hole system.

Based on previous observations of similar binary systems, this stage in the life of the stellar twins

is likely to be short-lived, at least in cosmic terms.

In time, the close proximity of the stars may result in them merging to form a single enormous stellar body. In this scenario, the vast, rapidly spinning star would most probably end its life in an energetic explosion known as a longduration gamma-ray burst.

The second possibility, predicated on a mixing of material between the two stars interiors via powerful tidal forces, would see the stellar bodies explode in twin supernovae, creating a binary system of black holes – an evolutionary path that would exist outside of standard stellar evolution predictions.

A paper on the findings has been published online in the Astrophysical Journal.

Tesla new ‘autopilot’ feature accidentally steering owners off highways

esla owners are complaining that the new ‘autopilot’ feature is accidentally steering them off highways.

Posting on the forum Tesla Motors Club, user “demendus” wrote that his co-worker’s vehicle has autopilot, and when “going down the highway at around 65 MPH, the AP [autopilot] wanted to exit at every potential exit, when driving in the right lane (not exit exclusive one).”

Other forum posters say they have encountered the same issue. “That occurred to me a few times as well,” responded Stoneymonster. “The mapping over time should improve this.”

Letsgofast says that “I drove past like 100 exits tonight and it never tried to take any of them. On surface streets it tried to take turn lanes repeatedly. Not sure what to make of that.”

Tesla has urged caution when using autopilot, and stressed that it is not a replacement for human driving. “The driver cannot abdicate responsibility,” said CEO Elon Musk.

“That will come at some point in the future.”

On its website, Tesla frames the feature as similar to “the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear,” but makes clear that “the driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car. What’s more, you always have intuitive access to the information

your car is using to inform its actions.”

Autopilot can be overridden by taking control of the wheel at any time.

Autopilot is currently available for compatible Tesla vehicles in North America. Musk said on Twitter that its launch in Europe and Asia is “pending regulatory approval.”

18 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Herb Garlic Bread

Ingredients

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lso known as railings or banisters, balustrades are barriers that serve the practical function of helping prevent falls from balconies or stairs. However, for all the railing’s practicality, they also serve a decorative purpose as well, since most homeowners ensure they don’t sacrifice beauty and style for practicality.

6 large garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup good olive oil 1 large baguette

Balustrades come in a variety of styles and materials like this contemporary frosted glass balustrade

Method

Mixed media: wooden and wrought iron balustrades are a popular choice for homeowners

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the garlic, parsley, basil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley mixture and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic is tender but not browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Slice the baguette lengthwise down the centre, but not all the way through, and spoon the garlic mixture into the bread. Place the bread on a sheet pan and bake for 8 minutes. Slice diagonally and serve warm.

GREATEST COOKING TIPS

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ant to make breakfast, lunch or dinner done quicker? Cut ingredients like potatoes and carrots smaller for a start. Cutting them smaller means there’s more surface area to make contact with the heat. There’s also a shorter distance for the heat to travel as it penetrates the centre of the vegetable.

Equally important to small pieces are uniformly-sized pieces. If half of your sweet potato is chopped in 1-inch cubes, and the other half is centimetres thick, either the big ones will be underdone, the little ones will be burnt, or worse; both.

Boiling or simmering? Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and trap in the heat and steam that will do double-duty on your food. But keep in mind: If you’re trying to reduce and thicken a sauce, keep that lid off so the liquid can evaporate faster.

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HOME HELP

lean the inside of a dirty vase by filling it with vinegar and a handful of dry rice and give it a good swish around.

Clean underneath large appliances by stretching a sock over a stick, then running it under the stove or fridge.

Place an opened box of bicarbonate of soda behind the toilet to absorb nasty odours.

Freshen sinks by popping two fizzy indigestion tablets and 250ml of vinegar down the plug hole.

Shine up your bathroom taps with a dab of white toothpaste. Rub with a cloth and then rinse off.

guyanatimesgy.com

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Manners children should know by age nine

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JOKES You can't take it with you here was a very rich man who was just about to die and he wanted to take some of his wealth with him. So he started negotiations with God about the matter. God was not sure as it had never been done before and he did not want to set a precedence. Finally after long talks God reluctantly agreed to allow him to bring his wealth to heaven.

Just a few days before he died the rich man converted all his money into gold bullion. He died and the funeral home made sure that the suitcases containing the gold bullion went with him. He arrived at the Pearly Gates with his suitcases and there was Peter.

Peter told him he could not bring the suitcases into heaven. But the man said he had already spoken to God and he had said it was OK. So Peter got on the God phone and sure enough it was true.

So Peter was curious as to what was so valuable that the man wanted to bring it into heaven. Peter said, "Could I look in the suitcases?"

So the man opened the suitcases and Peter exclaimed, "Why are you bringing pavement to heaven!"

T

The English Language n celebration of the complexities of the English language, we bring you the following: Let’s face it English is a stupid language.

There is no egg in the eggplant. No ham in the hamburger. And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England. French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted but if we examine its paradoxes we find: - that Quicksand takes you down slowly,boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. If writers write, how come fingers don't fing? If the plural of tooth is teeth shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth? If the teacher taught, why didn't the preacher praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables why don't humanitarians eat human!? Why do people recite at a play yet play at a recital? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can the weather be as hot as hell on one day and as cold as hell on another?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language: - whereby a house can burn up as it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out. A bell is only heard once it goes!

English was invented by people, not computers and it reflects the creativity of the human race (Which of course isn't a race at all)

anner #1: When asking for something, say "Please."

Manner #2: When receiving something, say "Thank you."

Manner #3: Do not interrupt grown-ups who are speaking with each other unless there is an emergency.They will notice you and respond when they are finished talking.

Manner #4: If you do need to get somebody's attention right away, the phrase "excuse me" is the

most polite way for you to enter the conversation.

Manner #5: When you

STORY TIME The donkey and the washerman

S

huddapatu was a washerman, who had a donkey to help him with his chores.

But he could not take proper care of his donkey. The surroundings where he lived, lacked grass; and the washerman did not have enough to offer the donkey to eat. As a result, the donkey had grown lean and weak. Even

I

The Proposal college senior took his new girlfriend to a football game. The young couple found seats in the crowded stadium and were watching the action.

A substitute was put into the game, and as he was running onto the field to take his position, the boy said to his girlfriend, "Take a good look at that fellow. I expect him to be our best man next year."

His girlfriend snuggled closer to him and said, "That's the strangest way I ever heard of for a fellow to propose to a girl. Regardless of how you said it, I accept."

have any doubt about doing something, ask permission first. It can save you from

Shuddapatu was worried with his donkey's health.

One particular day, Shuddapatu was wandering in the jungle, where he came across a dead tiger. He at once struck an idea.

He thought, "It is my luck that I have a dead tiger. I will skin the tiger and take the skin home. I will cover

the donkey with the tiger's skin and let him graze in the nearby barley fields after sunset. The farmers will not dare to come near him fearing my donkey as a tiger. This way, he will be able to eat as much as he wants."

The washerman did so after sunset, and the donkey returned unharmed after he had eaten to his heart's content.

From then onwards, the washerman would cover his donkey with the tiger's skin every night and lead him to the fields. The farmers did spot him, but mistook it for a tiger. They did not even venture out of their homes in fear. All the time, the donkey ate as much as he liked and returned home. In the morning, he would stand in the washerman's stall without anybody suspecting anything.

As time passed, the donkey regained his health, and the washerman did not have to worry about his food.

One night, as he was feeding on the fresh barley crops in the fields, he heard a sound. It was a female donkey braying from a distance. He was attracted and brayed in return.

The farmers, who were watching him from inside for fear of the tiger, heard this and realized that it was a donkey and not a tiger. They came out to observe, it was indeed a donkey dressed in tiger's skin. They chased the donkey with sticks, and killed him.

The wise indeed say: Do not pretend to be what you are not.

many hours of grief later.

Manner #6: The world is not interested in what you dislike. Keep negative opinions to yourself, or between you and your friends, and out of earshot of adults.

Manner #7: Do not comment on other people's physical characteristics unless, of course, it's to compliment them, which is always welcome.

Manner #8: Knock on closed doors -- and wait to see if there's a response -before entering.(To be continued)

Reflections The Ascent of John Edmonstone

(The freed black slave who taught Darwin taxidermy at Edinburgh – 1826) My name rings no bell in the ears of science but footnotes know me well – footnotes where history shows its true colours and passing reference is flesh for I am John Edmonstone, whose name is little known to evolution’s white ladder.

But Darwin will remember me, just say the black man who taught him Egypt’s ancient art of taxidermy.

To think that we should meet in Edinburgh of all places few doors apart on Lothian Street.

No mention then of savage races.

In those days we were two birdstuffers mounting mortality in feathers.

We were each other’s missing link colleagues upright on the chain of being a pair of wingless apes condemned to think.

John Agard, “Alternative Anthem: Selected Poems” (2009)

By Grammar G

Words of the dead

A

W

ith Halloween very near, Grammar G. thought we’d close off the month and our Halloween theme with some “deadly” language.

Death is often one topic that scares

us all yet there are many words i n the English language that relate to death.

The Latin root mort (dead, death) can be found in many English words that relate to death. These include “premortient”: just before death (pre “before”); “postmortem”: taking place, formed, or done after death; “nomomortia”: death by natural causes (nom “law”); “oxymortia”: sudden, unexpected death (oxy “sharp”); “mortuary”: pertaining to death or funerals, or a place where dead bodies are kept until burial or cremation.

Some mort words relate to death in less “concrete” ways: to be “immortal” means not mortal; not liable or subject to death; deathless, undying; living for ever – not just in a human sense since books, movies or art have also been described in such manner. The

word “moribund” means at the point of death or dying, but is more often associated in the sense of having lost all sense of purpose or vitality, and becoming old-fashioned.

The word “mortgage” originally meant a pledge to repay upon the death of one’s father.

In older times, a nobleman’s son would expect to come into an inheritance when his father died, so if he took a loan from someone other than his father (who for some reason refused to give him the loan), he would pledge “mortgage”.

Today, we get a “mortgage” when we borrow money to build our homes from a lending institution and make monthly “mortgage” payments to it, usually pledging our house as security for the loan.

20 Sunday Times Magazine

OCTOBER 25, 2015

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Times Sunday Puzzle

When Luke, the new kid, asked how old Annabelle was, she replied, "In two years, I'll be twice as old as I was five years ago." see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 21

Times Kids

Dot to Dot

GEOZONE

Islands

A

n island is a body of land surrounded by water.

Islands vary greatly in size, climate, and the kinds of organisms that inhabit them.

Some are very small,covering less than half a hectare (one acre)and are often called islets.

Others are extremely large. Greenland, for example, covers an area of about 2,166,000 square kilometres (836,000 square miles) and is the world’s largest island.

National Geographic notes that many islands are little more than barren rock with few plants or animals on them. Others are among the most crowded places on Earth.

Tokyo, one of the world’s largest cities, is on

the island of Honshu in Japan.

Because of isolation, many islands have also been home to some of the world’s most unusual and fascinating wildlife.

Islands are formed in many different ways, including by sea-level change, volcanic activity or ocean currents. The islands of the Bahamas, in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, were formed by coral reefs growing up in thick layers from the seafloor, until breaking the water’s surface.

There are six major kinds of islands: continental islands, tidal islands, barrier islands, oceanic islands, coral islands and artificial islands.

Creature Corner

Crimsoncrested Woodpecker

T

he Crimson-crested Woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos) is one of the most common species of woodpecker not only in Guyana but also from Panama south to northern Argentina, across the Guianas Shield and throughout Amazonia.

It is one of the largest woodpecker species, growing 33–38 cm (13–15 in) long and weighing 180-285 grams (6.4-10 oz.).

It can be found in a variety of habitats: forest to forest edge and light woodland. It usually occurs in pairs or family groups and can be quite noisy.

The Crimson-crested Woodpecker eats mainly wood-boring beetles, larvae, ants, termites and hard-shelled insects, drilling

holes into the trees in which their prey can be found.

The drum, also called tap or drilling, of a woodpecker can be used for communication, to excavate nests or find food.

According to the Smithsonian, woodpeckers drum a tree as fast as 22 times per second. This means they experience something scientists call deceleration, at 1200g, without harming themselves.

By comparison, a human experiences a concussion at 80 to 100g.

The BBC notes that their skulls are cushioned by a matrix of minute pockets of air supported by strengthened bone tissue which provide them with a natural shock absorber.

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order.

Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all please see solution on page 23

digits 1 through 9.

22 Sunday Times Magazine Plague doctors wore a special mask that had a beak filled with herbs, perfumes and spices intended to purify the air that the doctor breathed when near infected patients.

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OCTOBER 25, 2015

Exploring the realms of history, science, nature and technology

THE BLACK

By Laurie Triefeldt

The plague is caused by a rod-shaped bacterium called Yersina pestis.

DEATH

The hat helped identify the man as a doctor.

The disease is initially transmitted through a bite from an infected flea. Yersina pestis works by causing a blockage in the flea’s stomach. The blockage causes the flea to regurgitate bacilli into its host when feeding.

When the host dies, the fleas find a new host.

Also known as the plague, this deadly disease arrived in Europe from Asia in the 14th century.

In just three years, it wiped out between 25 and 50 percent of the populations it came into contact with.

North Sea

The Black Death was called the Great Pestilence, Great Plague or Great Mortality in the Middle Ages.

1350

1350

1349

Victims generally became ill with bubonic plague two to six days after being infected.

1349 England

1349

1348

This map shows the course of the plague across Europe in the 14th century.

Germany

Atlantic Ocean

ASIA

EUROPE 1348

1348

France

The disease followed major trade routes.

Jewish communities were often blamed for causing the plague, even though people of all religions were vulnerable to the disease.

1347 Black Sea

1347 Spain

Italy

1348

Turkey

1347

AFRICA The plague traveled swiftly, carried by rats infested with diseased fleas, and by contact with infected people.

Bubonic plague The bubonic plague was named after the swellings, or buboes, that appeared on a victim’s neck, armpits or groin. These tumors ranged in size from small lumps to the size of an apple. The arrival of small black or purple spots signaled that the end was near; this is why the disease was sometimes called “The Black Death.” The bubonic plague was fatal in nearly all cases.

Mediterranean Sea

Pnuemonic plague

Panic in the streets

In the end

Pneumonic plague attacks the respiratory system and is spread by breathing in the germs of an infected victim. It killed 90 to 95 percent of those infected, and death ensued in one or two days.

The people of medieval Europe did not understand this disease, and many felt it was a punishment from God. In fear, people abandoned sick family members and friends.

So many people were dying that it became difficult to bury them in coffins. Mass graves were dug, while bodies were piled against city walls.

The Black Death of the 14th century was not the first plague pandemic to spread through Europe, but it was the most virulent and deadly. It is estimated that between 75 and 200 million people died from the plague between 1347 and 1350. The plague returned to Europe with smaller outbreaks every few years until the 1600s.

Septicemic plague Septicemic plague causes an infection of the blood and is usually spread by infected flea bites.

It is rarely spread from person to person. Buboes do not develop, and the mortality rate is nearly 100 percent, with no cure to this day.

The poor were most vulnerable, but the nobility also suffered.

The daughter of the King of England, Joan Plantagenet, and King Alfonso XI of Castile both died of the plague.

The plague can still be found in the modern world, although it is rarely fatal. Recent cases have been reported in Asia, Russia and in the U.S. Southwest.

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OCTOBER 25, 2015

Sunday Times Magazine 23

World Times

Inter-faith match: Vatican cricket team plays all-Muslim Yorkshire side On the back cover of the William Burke pocket book is inscribed the date of his execution - 28 January 1829 (Photo: BBC)

I

The Vatican Cricket Team,[dubbed “the Pope’s team”]is an amateur cricket team established by the Vatican to help establish ties between the Catholic Church and countries and regions where the sport is popular, including India and the Caribbean, and to encourage inter-faith dialogue (Wikipedia)

n a first for world sport, the Vatican cricket team took on an all-Muslim side from England on October 17, with the home squad clinching a narrow win in the final minutes.

"It is not about who wins or loses," priest Eamonn O'Higgins, manager of the Vatican team told AFP, after leading the enthusiastic players in a prayer and rousing hymn on the bus journey to the match. "It is about building bridges between different faiths through cricket," he said as they arrived at Rome's Capanelle cricket ground.

The Muslim Mount CC team landed in the Italian capital Thursday and were treated to a tour of St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums prior to the match in hot Roman sunshine.

The two teams were also set to dine together and attend mass at the Vatican on

Sunday. "The hospitality has been outstanding and it is such an honour to be here," said Hanif Mayet, Mount CC's chair.

He founded the club in 1976 after claims of racism in Yorkshire in northern England made joining an all-white cricket club an almost impossible task.

Desperate to play, Mayet put together a team with friends. "Thankfully, nowadays attitudes have improved greatly and where we live racism is no longer a problem. Our club is also open to everyone, we don't discriminate, but it has remained predominantly Muslim," he said.

John McCarthy, Australian Ambassador to the Holy See and founder of the Vatican Cricket club, said the game met "all my expectations and all my hopes about what could be done through interfaith and ecumenical sports associations of this sort".

London's Big Ben could fall silent, cause 'international reputational damage'

T

he most famous clock in the world, London's Big Ben, could fall silent if repairs costing up to

US$84 million are not carried out, leading to "international reputational damage", a UK parliamentary

Brain Teaser Answer Annabelle is twelve.

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

report has warned.

The report found The Great Clock's hand's mechanism, pendulum and Elizabeth tower are in need of refurbishment. "The clock mechanism is at risk of failure with the huge risk of international reputational damage for Parliament," the report said.

"In the event of a clockhand failure, it could take up to a year to repair due to the scaffolding needed."

Problems were also identified with the 156-yearold clock's tower, including cracks in the masonry, and upgrades were also needed to bring the building in line with health and safety regulations, it said.

It has been more than 31 years since this kind of work was last carried out.

A long period without its familiar hourly chimes would be the first since 1976, when it stopped tolling intermittently for 26 days over nine months.

The report comes after clocksmiths admitted that the famous clock had been out by up to six seconds in August this year.

"Committees of both Houses are currently considering the study and will provide advice to inform the business case for how best to proceed," a parliamentary spokeswoman said."No decisions on works, timescales or costs have been agreed."

W

hile it may seem like the stuff of horror movies, an assortment of well-regarded libraries and museums in Europe and the United States own books bound in a very controversial material: human skin.

According to experts, the practice of binding books with human leather –today called anthropodermic bibliopegy – ended around the late 19th century, and there are no known 20th-century examples.

Today, the idea seems disrespectful if not repugnant, and there are often strong objections to the public display of such books, even as historical specimens.

That's why libraries and museums increasingly want to know whether the books in their collections purportedly bound in human skin

are the real thing.

On October 5, staff at the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia announced the results of scientific testing on five of their books whose inscriptions indicated they had been bound in human leather.

The testing proved the bindings really did come from people, making the Mütter home to the largest known collection of books bound in human skin in the United States.

The earliest examples of books bound in human skin date from the 17th century and were produced in Europe and the United States.

According to medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris, the books were generally created for three reasons: punishment, memorialization, and collecting.

Doctors especially want-

ed to create rare items for their personal book collections, while self-confessed criminal James Allen had requested that his skin be used after his death as the cover for two copies of a book chronicling his crimes.

Many of the earliest examples though, relate to punishment.A famous example of such was William Burke, who, with his accomplice William Hare, killed 16 people in a 10-month period in 1828 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and then sold the bodies to medical schools.

After being caught, executed, and dissected, some of Burke's skin was used to make a pocketbook as a final—and lasting—humiliation. The Burke pocketbook is now on display at Surgeon’s Hall Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Philonoist

A name for all time

Q: How did the continents get their names?

Africa Different theories abound about how Africa go its name but the most popular theory is that it was named for a native tribe there—the Afri, with “Africa” then being the feminine form of “Africus”, literally meaning “land of the Afri”.

Antarctica comes from the Greek word “antarktike,” which literally means “opposite to the north.”

Asia derives from the Ancient Greek “σία”, which was used as early as 440 B.C.

by Herodotus in his “Histories”, though the name was in use long before then, though not referring to a whole continent.

Terra Australis Incognita means “the unknown land in the south” in Latin, and rumours of the continent’s existence dated back to Ancient Roman times.The continent was referred to the shortened

Australia by a number of early explorers but it wasn’t until 1824 that the name was officially given to the continent.

Europe was likely named after Europa, one of Zeus’ many lovers in Greek mythology. Another theory suggests it comes from the Akkadian word erebu which means “to go down, set” or the Phoenician ereb which means “evening, west.”

The Americas (North and South) were named after Amerigo Vespucci, a navigator who travelled to “the New World” in 1499 and 1502, recording his travels. In 1507 a cartographer first named South America after Vespucci then in 1538, geographer Gerard Mercator chose to name the entire north and south parts of America as one large “America”, hence “the Americas”.

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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OCTOBER 25, 2015

Fun Times

Archie

Plan a quaint outing with someone special. Some down(March 21time will relieve tension and April 19) help you gain insight into your current situation. Try not to worry excessively; it's bad for your health.

ARIES

TAURUS Tie up loose ends. Resolve (April 20- a relationship issue in order May 20) to gain peace of mind. An elderly friend or relative will require help. The benefits you receive will surprise you.

You have fabulous ideas, GEMINI (May 21- but don't be insulted if someJune 20) one offers critical advice. If you don't overreact, you will be able to see the usefulness of the comments and suggestions made.

Share your feelings with someone you love. Expressing (June 21- your concerns will bring about July 22) healthy changes that will improve your life. Plan a little celebration to show your love and appreciation.

CANCER

Dilbert

LEO Determination and hard work will pay off. Keep trying (July 23Aug. 22) until you find the perfect balance between your career and home lives. An opportunity you have been waiting for will open up.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Keep your life simple. Your future security depends on how you handle your finances. Ask for professional advice regarding investments. Indulgence of any kind will lead to costly consequences.

Do your best to avoid conLIBRA frontations by devoting your (Sept. 23time and attention to someOct. 23) thing that doesn't require collaboration. You are best off letting personal matters unfold naturally.

Peanuts

SCORPIO A serious conversation will (Oct. 24- improve a tricky personal situNov. 22) ation. Once you reveal your position, you will get the support you need to deal with things.

Confidence and assertiveness will work wonders.

Your personal life will be SAGITTARIUS up and down. Concentrating on (Nov. 23your professional goals and fiDec. 21) nancial gains will help to distance you from any emotional turmoil. Bide your time.

Calvin and Hobbes

You have more options CAPRICORN (Dec. 22- than you think. A lecture, Jan. 19) seminar or conference will give you handy tips on how to go about achieving the success you desire. Try something new.

If you do some digging, you AQUARIUS (Jan. 20- will discover what is going on Feb. 19) behind the scenes. Don't let anyone take advantage of your good nature. Delays will wreak havoc on your schedule.

Youngsters will play an PISCES (Feb. 20- important role in helping you March 20) make a personal decision.

Discuss home improvements with those who will be affected by your choices. Romance will improve your personal life.