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2 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 17, 2016

Times Feature

The National Library

N

elson Mandela is reported to have said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world.” Old and young have looked to the Georgetown National Library as one of the places they can go to equip themselves with that “powerful

weapon”.

The National Library has been a place of creativity, where people can access the tools, technology and training essential to the economic and cultural lives of their communities. This has been so since its opening in September 1909.

Named after its main

The National Library at present

donor, American-Scottish philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie under the

Public Free Library, now National Library, British Guiana, circa 1922

Caribbean-wide library expansion initiative, this body has changed its names and functions as the years progressed.

By 1909, Ordinance 12 was entrusted to the Mayor and City Council. At that time, the Library was ready to open its lending services under the supervision of its very first librarian, Emily Murry, it had accumulated some 57,000 books with 5,700 available to its lenders by 1910.

Following these events, in 1940, the library converted its closed access system to open access, allowing members to browse through the collection, increasing its membership tally significantly.

Responsibilities grew for the Library as it began to

expand its reach to other areas of then British Guiana.

On Guyana’s independence year, the Library took responsibility for the prison library service, previously held by the Red Cross.

In 1972, the Library was again given additional responsibilities under the Publication and Newspapers Act to include a depository of newspapers, and had changed its name to the National Library of Guyana, reflecting its responsibilities.

Technology has not evaded this historicalbuildinghowever, as the Library added its first set of computers in 1993, providing free Internet service from 2002.

This prominent entity considerably preserves the

culture of Guyanese heritage by securing a vast majority of historical writings and other literature by Guyanese.

Currently, the Library has more than 400,000 books, andmore than 22,000 members. Its 60-plus staff provides a centralized collection of books for both adults and children.

Today the national library has expanded its wide range of resources to include five other branches in New Amsterdam, established in 1953, with an initial 2,000 books; Linden, formally McKenzie, opened in 1955; Ruimveldt and Bagotville. In 1993, Corriverton was added to their branches.

Call 227-4053 for more information on the Library.

The Public Free Library

Peter Halder

By Peter Halder

T

he year was 1949. Based on my 1948 Government County Examination results, I was offered a scholarship at Enterprise High School then located on Camp Street next to the London Cinema (later Plaza Cinema).

Admitted to Form 3A, “The Heroes”

by Charles Kingsley was one of our study books in the subject of Literature.

The book opened my mind to a new world. The past and adventure invaded my body and my soul. Mortals though they

were, Perseus, Jason and the Argonauts, and Theseus became like gods to my young and fertile mind. Their adventures flooded my blood with adrenalin.

Literature and relatedly, English Language, spontaneously became my pet subjects.

I became so entranced with Greek mythology that I asked my good friend Eustace Forde, who was in Scholarship Form with me at St. Stephen's Church of Scotland School, and who enrolled at Enterprise High with me, how I could advance my interest in the subject.

For us poverty stricken kids who can't afford to buy books and can only afford to go to the Cinema on Boxing Day, the Public Free Library at Main and Church Streets is our pirate's treasure, Forde advised. So with our parents' permission, we both walked: me from Non Pareil Street, Albouystown, and Forde from Princess and Camp Streets, to the Library.

The Library Assistants, we found to our pleasure and delight, were some of the most beautiful and courteous young ladies we had ever met. They were friendly, caring, and helpful. We were given pink Membership Application Cards, advised how to complete them, and told that they should be signed by our parents.

Fervent desire does not procrastinate.

We returned the cards the next day. We received our Membership Cards and proceeded to enter the wonderland of books.

I recall that the main repository for books was straight ahead, eastwards from

the check- out counter. There were rows of shelves encompassing the entire area – there were books on the back east wall, on the right and on the left. On the right were mainly fiction and on the left were non-fiction. There were two side rooms, to the left and to the right, which also had shelves of books including Reference Books, but the centre was the mother lode.

The first book I ever borrowed from the Public Free Library, which is no surprise, was “The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome” by Thomas Bullfinch. It was so huge, it took me weeks to read. I became learned in Greek Mythology. By the end of the year, I had read most of the books in the non-fiction section.

One afternoon, Forde lent me a book he had borrowed. It was “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. Since my family lived just about fifty feet away from the Le Repentir Cemetery, I did not read much of it that night. The sounds of the "who-you" birds in the cemetery, of dogs howling and bats hitting the window panes, bedevilled my mind and forced me to blow out the kerosene lamp and sprint for bed. It was the first time I appreciated my two brothers sleeping in the same bed.

Within another year, I had read many fiction books: “Murder Mysteries” by Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, Earl der Biggers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Wallace, The Hardy Boys” Tarzan, Fu Manchu and so on. You name it and I read it. I moved on to the famous novels by Alexandre Dumas, Daphe du Maurier, Rafael Sabatini and

so on. I went to the Library three times a week, walking all that long distance from Non Pareil Street and back. I read constantly and indiscriminately.

Reading library books inspired and pleasured me into reading my school books – “Coral Island” and “Rodney Stone” are two I recall. Inevitably, I excelled in the Junior Cambridge Examination with Distinctions in English Literature and English Language.

The knowledge I acquired from reading books influenced me to compete in a Double Your Money General Knowledge Programme on Radio Station ZFY and I won $16 – a fortune in those days. I was 13 years old at the time.

Reading expanded my learning and knowledge and laid the foundation for my educational attainments and a successful career in the Guyana Civil Service and internationally.

The Public Free Library, which later became the National Library, opened the world of books to and for me and I explored it to the fullest. I never gave up reading.

Peter Halder is the pen name of Burnett Alexander Halder, a former Guyana ambassador. The vocational corridors he tread took him across various physical and intellectual geographies: from journalist to civil service administrator to ambassador to international relations consultant. In his formal retirement, Halder resumed writing and is now a published novelist. Personal resilience and leadership skills, focused on harmony, are characteristics of his life.

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

O

ne of the fruit trees children always find worth a thorough raiding in Guyana is the dunks tree, especially flourishing in the countryside.

Children shaking dunks trees during ‘dungs season’ for these small but often succulent treats, stuffing their pockets and bags, is a common sight.

Scientifically called the Ziziphus jujuba, the fruit tree originated in China and is known as jujube or tsao/zao. It has been widely grown there for more than 4,000 years in mild-temperate and rather dry areas. The hardier Indian jujube, however, is adapted to warm climates.

This appears to suggest that the dunks, “downce”, or “dungs” tree that every Guyanese child loves to raid is the Indian jujube variety, given the English names Indian plum, or Indian cherry; or “coolie plum” in Jamaica, “dunk or mangustine” in Barbados; “dunks” in Trinidad and Tropical Africa, and “dungs”, “downce”, or “downs” in Guyana.

The Guyanese pronun-

reason for the tree's hardiness and ability to grow in arid zones.

In India also, the tree is held sacred and is included in many religious ceremonies. The fruits are offered to Siva. There is a Jujube tree growing in the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar, which is known as the "Tree which removes sorrow".

Legend also has it that the Goddess Lakshmi took the form of the Indian jujube to provide nourishment to Lord Vishnu during his long penance in the Himalayan climate.

A global fruit

The trees are found in other parts of the West Indies, in Colombia and Venezuela, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Florida. In Florida, in 2008, it was described as an “invasive species”. In Barbados, Jamaica and Puerto Rico the tree is naturalized and forms thickets in uncultivated areas.

While most Guyanese eat the fruit raw, dunks are also made into drink and chutneys, or they are pick-

Green dungs in Guyana

ciation and spelling of the word for the fruit can also be a cause for debate.

History of ‘dungs’

The Indian jujube is native from the Province of Yunnan in southern China to Afghanistan, Malaysia and Queensland, Australia.

It is commercially grown and cultured in India despite the fact that it often becomes a pest. There are more than 90 varieties of the fruit in India.

Jujube is mentioned very often in Indian legends.

According to Ramayana, the tree is hard because Rama blessed the tree for having tried to save Sita, and gave it a boon that no matter how badly it was cut, it will not die, and even if a single root of it was left, it will spring up again... and that is the

led. In India they are stewed as well as candied, while in Africa the dried and fermented pulp is made into cakes that look like gingerbread. Indonesians cook the young leaves, while Venezuelans make a liqueur from the fruit.

Many persons differ on when to eat the fruit. Some prefer the greenish brown and turning- ripe fruit, while others like it ripe; some people find the overripe fruit unpleasant tasting, but there are those who enjoy the taste. Children, on the other hand, will eat it green, “turning or halfgreen” with salt and pepper or ripe.

Uses of the ‘dungs’ tree

In many parts of the world, the fruit is not the only part of the tree that

A local dungs tree

is utilised. The hard, finetextured, and tough redcoloured wood is also valued as firewood; in tropical Africa its flexible branches are used to build the conical structure of thatched hut roofs, and its thorny characteristics help to make corral walls for their livestock.

In addition, the dungs tree wood is hard-grained and takes planing and polishing, making it also suitable for creating everyday items such as agriculture tools, tool handles, yokes, and household utensils, as well as items like golf clubs and boat ribs.

The leaves are also considered nutritious for livestock such as cattle and goats, and are used as food for silkworms. The bark, which makes a cinnamoncoloured dye that does not fade, is used in Kenya, while the purified resin - originating from the lac insect after it sucks the juice from the tree - is the commercial shellac that is used in its low-grade form into sealing wax and varnish. Higher grades are used for fine lacquer work, lithograph-ink, or polishes.

The dunks fruit is said to have several medicinal properties, though actual scientific evidence is not immediately available on its proponents’ claims. Some pharmaceutical companies sell the jujube fruit as pills or tea, and claim it “effectively treats anxiety, insomnia, ulcers, loss of appetite, inflammation, diarrhoea, dry skin and much more’, adding that its therapeutic category makes it an antiallergic, an anti-catarrh, and a tonic (fruit), as well as a sedative (seeds), though they warn that the supplement has not been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Agency.

According to a study published in Volume 103

Issue 2 of the journal, Food Chemistry, jujube contains the potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and calcium as the major minerals. There are also high amounts of sodium, zinc, iron, and copper.

Jujube also contains vitamin c, riboflavin, and thiamine. It contains 20 times the amount of vitamin C as citrus fruits. The vitamin and mineral content of

the fruit helps to soothe the stomach, ease sore throats, suppress the appetite, support cardiovascular health, enhance metabolism and cleanse the blood vessels.

In traditional medicine, almost all parts of the tree is used for a myriad of ailments, including the juice of the root which is believed to alleviate gout; the bitter juice of the bark is said to

The ripened fruit

stop diarrhoea and dysentery, and relieves gingivitis - though strong doses are considered toxic, while the dried ripe fruit is considered a mild laxative. The seeds are also used to stop nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

As with all herbal medicines, consult a medical doctor before taking them.

4

Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 17, 2016

Times Feature

U

Mackenzie Bauxite Plant, British Guiana

p to the end of the nineteenth century, the area around Mackenzie was sparsely populated. Settlement can be traced back to 1759 when a land survey was carried out for the establishment of a township, which later became known as Three Friends.

This township, settled some time after the survey, was named for three friends, Messrs. Spencer, Blount and

hoped to establish a stone quarry at Rockstone and to cut timber in the area.

Wismar, on the western bank of the Demerara River, was formed by the influx of immigrants from various European countries, mainly Germany. It became a larger settlement following emancipation when many former African slaves, who refused to work on the sugar plantations, migrated to live there.

Some of the Germans

es there. Very few persons at that time knew about bauxite and its potential.

In 1915, Mackenzie died and his lands passed into the control of Winthrop C. Nelson.

A paper presented in London in 1916 on the occurrence of bauxite in Guyana generated such interest in the USA that the Aluminium Company of America (Alcoa) in the same year incorporated the Demerara Bauxite

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. The German settlers named the settlement Wismar after a German town of the same name.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, bauxite was discovered in Guyana 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.

In 1913, a Scottish geologist, George Bain Mackenzie, visited the area about 60 miles up the Demerara River and bought lands for mining on the eastern bank of the Demerara River. According to some stories, he was able to purchase unoccupied lands at very cheap prices from the owners, because he claimed he would cultivate orang-

Company (DEMBA). Shortly after, DEMBA secured leases on large areas of bauxitebearing land in the vicinity of the area purchased by Mackenzie.

In 1916, mining of bauxite commenced and hundreds of people from the coastal areas migrated there in search of employment. A settlement known as Cockatar, which grew up in the bauxite mining area, joined up with the Christianburg plantation and became known as Mackenzie. When a village administration was formed in 1918, Wismar, for local government purposes, was linked up to Mackenzie.

DEMBA started production at Akyma on the Demerara River, south of Mackenzie. In 1922 the operation was expanded and processing and shipping facilities were established at Mackenzie, the head of ocean navigation in the Demerara River. In 1929 Alcoa handed over the operations to its Canadian associate, Alcan, and production

Houses in Watooka, Mackenzie

John Dalgleish Patterson who settled there in the late eighteenth century. They were former naval officers who had fought against the French in the Caribbean during the Napoleonic War. 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. At Three Friends, he built a great house which became a guest house for visitors of the early settlement.

When Patterson died in 1842, the British Guiana Government took over his plantation and the great house was later used as a magistrate court. A portion of the plantation was later sold to Sproston's, a prominent company of the period.

The company was interested in the establishment of a railway to Rockstone on the eastern bank of the Essequibo River where there were valuable resources in stone and timber. There it

Mackenzie in the 1960s

continued at a steady rate over the next decade, during which Guyana became the world's third largest bauxite producer after the USA and Surinam.

By 1922 the population of the Mackenzie area was less than one thousand persons.

Employment was dependent on not only bauxite mining, but also the timber industry and some independent gold prospecting. The timber was located along the Essequibo River and transported by railway to the Demerara River.

A slump in the bauxite industry between 1930 and 1936 caused much hardship.

Trade picked up just before 1939 and particularly during the World War of 19391945 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

early 1940s, the workers in the bauxite industry toiled under very harsh working conditions. In 1943, each working day was of 10 hours duration, and each worker had to work six days a week.

By 1947 the working week was reduced to 48 hours.

The company did not support the formation of trade unions, but members of the BG Labour Union from Georgetown were able to recruit bauxite workers as members during meetings at Wismar, away from the mining district.

The union also helped them to organise a strike in 1944 for better working conditions. But the strike collapsed after just three days, and the workers were unable to win any concessions from the bauxite company.

In 1952 Reynolds Metals acquired the Berbice Bauxite Company and started production of metallurgical bauxite at Kwakwani where a small settlement of workers developed. At around the same time DEMBA expanded production of refractory grade and abrasive grade bauxite at Mackenzie, making Guyana the world's most diversified bauxite producer.

In 1956 DEMBA started

proportion was calcined.

With the opening of the alumina plant, a quantity of alumina was extracted and exported.

The royalties and export duties paid to the Government were extremely low, being 25 and 45 cents per long ton respectively.

For the workers, the company established facilities which provided for workers' accommodation, education, health, and recreation. But these amenities were somewhat diminished by the existence of a virtual colour bar between the mainly White expatriate supervisory staff and the Guyanese workers.

The scale of operations grew considerably over the years, with a rapid increase during the Second World War. By 1957 production totalled 2,200,000 tons. Most of this was produced by DEMBA from its mines at Mackenzie.

Although several companies had concessions and exploration licences, the only other company producing bauxite was the Reynolds Metals Company operating at Kwakwani, where production reached 225,023 long tons in 1957. In 195859 production by both com-

Mackenzie Post Office (Photo by JimB on Flickr)

world production.

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

Despite the high profits made by DEMBA during the

construction of the alumina refinery which began production in 1961.

Most of British Guiana's bauxite was shipped as raw ore to the parent companies' plants in Canada and the United States, but a small

panies dropped to 1,675,000 tons because of the United States recession and a local strike. (From “The Guyana Story—From Earliest Times to Independence” by Odeen Ishmael)

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

Mrs. New York International 2016 Faudia Ali-Silletta

A

s she waved from a World War II era jeep to onlookers lining the tiny streets of the New York City suburb she now calls home, a sense of pride overcame Faudia Ali-Silletta as she relished in the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities and being crowned Mrs. New York International 2016 earlier this year.

“I am so honoured to take part in such a wonderful American tradition, especially with my family routing for me,” expressed Faudia.

Faudia in the WWII Jeep on the streets of New York

The beauty will next represent New York in her quest for the title of Mrs. International 2016 on July 22 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Faudia is a native of Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara, and the holder of a master’s degree in Microbiology and Chemistry. Among her accomplishments, she is a proud wife and mother of two adorable boys. She also became a licensed medical technologist in New York only a few years after becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Looking iridescent in her pageant gown (Photo by Seth Litroff)

Growing up in a single-parent household with her mother, Shabeeba, and two brothers, Zaiyad and Frankie, Faudia honed the qualities needed to succeed in life, all the while helping others.

“I’ve always been one to solve problems, and so the medical field, specifically clinical laboratory work with an emphasis in Microbiology and Chemistry, seemed like a natural fit for me,” she mentioned.

Being striking in appearance is only one of the requisites of becoming Mrs. International. The annual pageant is for married women with exceptional personal and professional stories. Additionally, it was developed to promote today’s married women, their accomplishments and commitment to family and marriage.

“I have always been wellgrounded and will not allow all the growing attention coming my way to fog my judgment. This opportunity has changed my life. I appreciate the love and support from those close to me and the public in general.

I have always admired the fashion/modelling industry; I have walked the runway on behalf of several couture clothing designers during New York’s acclaimed Fashion Week as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s campaign against autism,” she outlined.

Faudia is looking to represent the State of New York, the Guyanese population, and the diaspora in the U.S.A., Toronto and the United Kingdom. She plans on visiting Guyana to meet

her Guyanese supporters and to raise awareness and funding for the fight against the homeless, orphans, abused women, drug abuse and teenage delinquency, depression, breast cancer awareness and autism.

“My passion is to help raise awareness and re-

sources to curtail the homeless epidemic, assist battered women, curtail substance abuse and depression as well as eradicate diseases such as cancer and autism,” she declared.

She noted that despite her work ethic and determination, she “never imagined being in a position to

have such a positive impact on others. This proves one should never lose hope and embrace their dreams regardless of age and/or circumstance in life.”

To show your support for Faudia Silletta, visit www.mrsinternational. com. Online voting started April 1, 2016.

6 Sunday Times Magazine

guyanatimesgy.com

APRIL 17, 2016

Times Book World

Guyana’s growing literary scene

By Petamber Persaud

I

t is not without significance that World Poetry Day, World Storytelling Day, National Library Week, and World Book & Copyright Day fall close to each other during a calendar year.

And it is not without significance that Guyana, especially now the country is celebrating its 50th Independence Jubilee, is involved in all of the above.

Basically, all four are literary events covering a wide range of related issues including reading –re-establishing the value of reading, re-establishing the importance of books, recognizing

books as change agents assisting in the fight against illiteracy – writing: the protection of creative writing and the protection of intellectual property which is a catalysis to creativity; reestablishing links to poetry, extending the boundary of poetry and the art of poetry; re-establishing links to storytelling and extending the boundary of storytelling and the art of storytelling; reconnecting to libraries and the custodianships of books and the enhancement of libraries, among other matters in a burgeoning electronic/digital age.

Many of the commonalities are portrayed through

their themes and logos employed down the ages. For instance, the logo for one poetry day was ‘Write, speak, and share the word’ while the theme for National Library Week 2016 is ‘Libraries Transform’.

Two of the four events now fall under the purview of UNESCO: World Poetry Day and World Book & Copyright Day. (Let me hasten to say that poetry and storytelling started long before UNESCO; long before the word ‘organization’ was coined, long before anyone or any entity thought of ‘controlling’ these literary forms. Please note the use of word control in inverted

commas; no one or no entity can control the arts and culture. Some amount of organizing can be exercised, allowed and tolerated. But no control.)

World Book & Copyright Day

The main aim of World Book & Copyright Day is to focus on books, to promote reading, to encourage publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

Copyright is to encourage more creativity, better crafted works and hence more elucidation, learning and entertainment.

C o p y r i g h t breeds innovation. In 1995, World Book and Copyright Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Here is an extract of a message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO for the 2015 event: World Book and Copyright Day is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to change our lives for the better and to support books and those who produce them…..As global symbols of social progress, books – learning and reading -- have become targets for those who denigrate culture and education, who reject dialogue and tolerance…..Literacy is the door to knowledge, essential

to individual self-esteem and empowerment. Books, in all forms, play an essential role here…..Books are invaluable platforms for freedom of expression and the free flow of information – these are essential for all societies today.

The future of the book as a cultural object is inseparable from the role of culture in promoting more inclusive and sustainable pathways to development.

World Poetry Day

UNESCO’s declaration of March 21 as World Poetry Day was to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.”

World Storytelling Day

World Storytelling Day logo

World Storytelling Day is

a manifestation of the new millennium which has its roots in several initiatives started at the end of the previous millennium. For instance, in the early 1990s, Sweden organised an event labelled, “All Storytellers Day”, falling on March 20.

In the late 1990s, storytellers in Perth, Australia, coordinated a five-week long celebration of story, commemorating March 20 as the International Day of Oral Narrators.

Nearer to home (Guyana), it was discovered Mexico and other South American countries were already celebrating March 20 the National Day of Storytellers.

National Library Week

National Library Week now falls under the purview

of the American Library Association (ALA). The first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme ‘Wake Up and Read!’

This event was birthed after it was discovered that less and less people were reading and less and less monies were being spent on books resulting in the ALA and the American Book Publishers forming the National Book Committee in 1954 whose goals ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”

National Library Week 2016 falls on the week of April 10 - 16; generally it is observed during the second full week of April.

Responses to this author telephone (592) 2260065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com W h a t ’ s happening:Coming soon: “Made in Guyana” a new book by Petamber Persaud.

“Made in Guyana” is a pocketbook bursting with a wealth of information and pictures on people, places and events, and on things made in Guyana.

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APRIL 17 , 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

A

ccording to J.G. Cruickshank, the beginnings of the village can be found in the land purchases after emancipation by the “Freedmen of the first of August”.

The purchases generally fell under two categories: plantations whole and undivided, bought by a number of persons, and front lands of plantations purchased by individuals.

“Lock, stock and barrel”

In the Timehri Journal of 1921, Cruickshank writes that the first recorded purchase was made by 83 former slaves, including six women,in November 1839 of the almost 500-acre Plantation Northbrook on the East Coast Demerara for some 30,000 guilders, of which two-thirds was paid in cash.

The guilder was the cur-

rency of British Guiana between 1796 and 1839.

The estate was a former cotton plantation owned by a James Stewart that had fallen into ruin and at the time was being used as a grazing pasture for cows.

The purchase included the “two or three tumbledown houses” that remained.

Transport was passed in January 1841, and after its buyers’ petition was granted, the estate was renamed Pln. Victoria, after the-then reigning British monarch, and eventually Victoria Village.

According to a footnote by Cruickshank, the forefathers of the village are: William Lewis, John Sistenard, Cornwall Porter, Quamina Adam, Michael James, Simon King, Quashie Rodney, Rice Lewis.

Hannah Porter, Welcome James,

Ben Benjamin, Prince Edinborough, John Robson, Wm. Gammell Reavy, James Handy, John Fiddell, Cupidore Hopkinson, Jack Mitchell, Primus Samuel, Bill Williams, Peter Hope, Wm. Negelly, Caesar Solomon, Bristow Barrett, Marlboro Sam, Cicero Hercules, Gamby James, Blackball Lancaster, Belinda Hopkinson, Tom Andrew, Aaron Duke, Nat Williams, Nelson Jackson, John Lewis, Daniel Isaac, Dublin David, Thos. Colin, John Shakspear, John Wheeler, Romeo Isaac, Martin Invarara, Maria Grant, Adam Grant, Scipio Samuel, Ned Mackie, Moses Hopkinson. Pat Murphy, Simon Tate, Samuel Cooper, Thos. Hercules, Hamlet Cato, Quashy Porter. Alex.

Porter, Melville Porter, Sammy Knight, Hall Porter, Valentine Glen,

Roman Catholic Church in Victoria Village, British Guiana (Andrew Jeffery photo)

Wm. Smart, Thos. Baillie, Frank Laurence, John Allen, Charles Hamilton, Colin MacRae, James Mercury, Simon Hanover, Willis Cummings, Simon Scott, John Lion, Cross Summer, John Longham.

Kenric Jarrick, Harry James, Catherine Tom, Dorset Europe, Toby Jonas, Spencer Simon, Stephen Porter, Quashy Beard, Polidore Hutt, Isaac Chapman. Abel Cockfield, Philip Robson, and Samuel

“a few good buildings” one of which was a hospital. It also included a 10,000-gallon iron water tank, while some 160 acres “were still in plantains”.

The new owners renamed it Pln. Buxton and ultimately Buxton Village.

According to Cruickshank however, the Royal Gazette of November 1843 notes: “New Orange Nassau was called Buxton or Boxon before it was renamed New Orange Nassau. The name

land, plantations were being sold “lock, stock and barrel” after emancipation, Cruickshank notes.

He adds that Pln. Fellowship, on the west coast Demerara was purchased by 25 freedmen for $6,000, while on the east coast, besides the three aforementioned, Pln. Plaisance was bought for $39,000 by 65 freed blacks and Pln. Friendship for $80,000 by 170 former slaves.

Demerary & Essequebo10 Joes (220Guilders)(1830s)

North Street, Georgetown, British Guiana

The Fire Brigade and Station on Charlotte Street, Georgetown, British Guiana, next to City Hall, in the year 1922 (Andrew Jeffrey photo)

Burk.

Burk was consigned to receive the transport, says Cruickshank, because he alone among the purchasers could sign his name.

Then in April 1840, Pln. New Orange Nassau, property of a James A. Holmes, was purchased by 128 persons who included former slaves, “labourers on Plns.

Annandale, Nonpareil, Lusignan &c” for $50,000 (the new British Guiana currency that replaced the guilder), of which $28,000 was paid and the remaining agreed to be paid before year-end. An 18-ton schooner was also “taken over” with the almost 380-acre estate.

Transport was duly passed January 1841 of the property which was initially a cotton and plantain plantation but at the time of purchase was overrun with bush, though there were

had nothing to do with the abolitionist.”

Some of the buyers– 16 now-freedmen – had returned to their old estate of New Orange Nassau after being transferred “in former years” to Pln. Met-enMeerzorg on the west coast.

Transport was passed April 15, 1841 for the purchase of Pln. Beterverwagting by 62 former slaves, from a Mr Danckett and Mr Murray.

Their estate was sold for $22,000 and divided among the buyers in various shares totalling 146.

The former cotton estate had reverted to bush at the time of purchase, and faced the threat of flooding, both from sea water and “bush water” due to neglect of its dams. Additionally, although some 70 acres were in plantains, all its buildings were dilapidated.

Throughout the coast-

Pln. Den Amstel was purchased by 125 former slaves who were formerly field labourers on the same WCD estate.

Former slaves also purchased estates in Berbice.

On the west coast, Plns.

Litchfield and Perseverance were purchased,as well as half of Pln. Belladrum. Half of an estate known as Pln. St. John was also purchased by freed blacks; it was renamed Hopetown Village.

On the west bank Berbice, Pln. Ithaca was purchased by freedmen, as was Pln. Zorg-en-hoop.

Zorg-en-hoop was bought by 30 labourers who were former slaves on the estate but during apprenticeship had moved to another estate across the river.

Other purchases include Pln. Gibraltar at Canje and Plns. Rosignol and Liverpool in the Corentyne.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

APRIL 17, 2016

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Times Travel & Tourism

Panoramic view from Turtle Mountain (Photo by Peggy Rehm)

T

urtle Mountain provides one of Iwokrama Forest’s signature vistas. Standing at the summit of the 952 ft. tall mountain, one can see the mighty Essequibo River and endless pristine jungle.

The views of untouched rainforest as far as the eye could see in every direction from the top of the mountain are breathtaking. There is also plenty of wildlife to be seen on top of the mountain.

Black spider monkeys and large troops of Guianan red howler monkeys feeding in the canopy below are just a few scenes. Birds included the rare orange-breasted falcon, macaws, red fan and black headed parrots can also be spotted on this adventure.

Turtle Mountain summit is mildly challenging to climb (about one and a half hours), but the breathtaking views are more than worth the effort. (Cover photo: Iwokrama top of Turtle Mountain from patrece0511.blogspot)

Breathtaking scene from the mountain (Photo by Karina Noriega)

There is solace to be found among the trees on top of the mountain (Photo by Iwokrama)

View of the jungle near Iwokrama with Essequibo River in the distance (Photo from billofthebirds.blogspot.com)

Picturesque view from the mountain summit (Photo from listennmove.wordpress.com)

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

B

eginning your weight loss is not an easy step and takes more than a wish. Losing weight, especially a significant amount, takes commitment and wellthought out planning.

First you need to make a commitment to lose weight after having asked yourself why you want to lose weight.

If you’re going to quit your junk-food habit and change your lifestyle for good, you are going to need a deeper source of motivation than “I want to fit into a size two,” Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., senior science advisor at Elements Behavioral Health and author of “Body for Life for Women” tells Women’s Health magazine.

So ask yourself: Why do you want to fit into a size two? The most motivating reasons are intensely per-

I

sonal, she says. Maybe your best friend has asked you to hike with her; you can’t keep up with your kids any more, or you want to feel better about yourself.

Then consider talking to your health care provider.

He or she can evaluate your height and weight, and explore other weight-related

t’s important to be informed when making healthy decisions. For most people, a successful weight-loss plan has two parts: healthy food choices and physical activity. Understanding the balance between the two and making smart choices can help you lose weight more easily and keep it off.

Portion size versus serving size Portion is how much food you choose to eat at one time, whether in a restaurant, from a package or in your own kitchen. A portion is 100 per cent under our control.

Serving Size is the amount of food listed on a product’s Nutrition Facts label. So all of the nutritional values you see on the label are for the serving size the manufacturer

risk factors you may have.

Ask for a follow-up appointment to monitor changes in your weight or any related health conditions.

Keep a "food diary" for a few days, in which you write down everything you eat, why and when. By doing this, you become more aware of what you are eat-

suggests on the package.

Once we understand the difference, it’s easier to determine how much to serve.

Smart Substitutions Healthy substitutions can help you cut down on saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol, while noticing little, if any, difference in taste. Some examples: Instead of butter (1 tablespoon), use 1 tablespoon soft margarine (low in saturated fat and 0 grams trans fat) or 3/4 tablespoon liquid vegetable oil.

Instead of one whole egg, use 2 egg whites; or choose a commercially made, cholesterol-free egg substitute (1/4 cup).

ing and when you are eating. This awareness can help you avoid mindless eating and when you look back on them during your journey, may help you avoid emotional eating.

Next, examine your current lifestyle. Identify things that might pose challenges to your weight loss efforts.

For example, does your work or travel schedule make it difficult to get enough physical activity? Do you find yourself eating sugary foods because that's what you buy for your children? Think through things you can do to help overcome such challenges.

Think about aspects of your lifestyle that can help you lose weight. For example, is there an area near your workplace where you can take a walk at lunchtime? Is there a place in your community with exercise facilities for you and can you find good child care for your children at this time if necessary?

Next you must set re-

alistic goals; writing them down—and keeping it where you can see it each and every day—keeps it in the forefront of your mind, right up there with your other priorities.

Set yourself up for success with short-term goals such as “I will stop eating out 5 times a week to 2 times next week.” Get specific with these short term goals, such as “I will walk 15 minutes, 3 days a week for the first week.” Promising yourself: “I will exercise more” or “I won’t eat out so often” are not specific goals.

Remember, small changes every day can lead to big results in the long run.

All set to begin, it’s time to avoid temptation and sabotaging yourself. That means cleaning out the refrigerator of trigger foods (foods that will make you go back to those bad eating habits because they are there) and asking family and friends for support by not offering you chicken and chips, pizza, ice cream or a hamburger when they are eating (though they too should be considering their own health).

Because some of us don’t have the time to cook three meals daily from scratch, prepping foods helps reduce the time spent in the kitchen after a harrowing day which might tempt you to just “order in”. Homecooked meals are more often than not healthier than take out, helping you reach your weight loss goals.

Remember to manage

food portions. It’s easy to overeat when you’re served too much food; smaller portions can help prevent this.

Learn the difference between a portion and a serving and how to keep portions reasonable. Make smart substitutions to reduce sodium, saturated fat and added sugar.

Do your own research on reputable websites to discover the lesser known facts such as how to read food labels, how sleep can affect eating and how to make ingredient substitutions for healthier meals, for example.

Diet and exercise together make weight loss easier and is necessary for a healthy lifestyle so it is important that you schedule time for exercise in your weight loss journey. Just as how you won’t break a hairdresser’s appointment, so too you must see your exercise time.

Instead of trying to fit workouts into your free time, plan a week’s worth of workouts today. (Use pen, not pencil). With a health care provider’s advice, know how much exercise is good for you to avoid serious injury. Any injury has the potential to derail your weight loss journey.

When you do reach your goal it has to be maintained or the weight will come right back on.

Remember, these steps lead to life-long healthy eating. They are not a quick-fix diet.

10 Sunday Times Magazine

APRIL 17, 2016

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Times Fashion

I

n celebration of Guyana's 50th independence anniversary, designer Veronica Langford recently launched her Golden Jubilee Collection.

The collection offers stylish footwear, bags, clutches, clothing and more - all handcrafted in Guyana.

Veronica is the founder and managing director of Veeronke Fashions, her boutique located at Cara Lodge.

The designer is known for her distinctive style and fashionable handcrafted pieces. Her designing is influenced by various cultures: for some designs she incorporates Indian and African features.

For more information on the collection, visit Veeronke Fashions on Facebook.

Incorporating the Golden Arrowhead's colours in these pieces

Designer Veronica Langford

This pair is perfect for parties or simple outing Celebrating Guyana's Golden Jubilee by wearing the colours of the country's flag

Matching sandals with bag

Sunday Times Magazine 11 APRIL 17, 2016

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Star Times Hollywood

S

hakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, born February 2, 1977, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer, and model. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she began performing in school, demonstrating Latin American, Arabic, and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities. Shakira released her first studio albums, Magia and Peligro, in the early 1990s, failing to attain commercial success; however, she rose to prominence in Latin America with her major-label debut, Pies Descalzos (1996), and her fourth album, Dónde Están los Ladrones?

(1998). Shakira entered the English-language market with her fifth album, Laundry Service. Its lead single, "Whenever, Wherever", became the best-selling single of 2002. Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time. Shakira has won many awards, including five MTV Video Music Awards, two Grammy Awards, eight Latin Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, 28 Billboard Latin Music Awards and has been Golden Globe-nominated.

She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The songstress is one of the best selling Latin artists of all time. She carries out well-known philanthropic activities through charity work most notably through her Pies Descalzos Foundation. In 2014, she was listed as the 58th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. Shakira is currently in a relationship with the Spanish football player Gerard Piqué, centre back for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. The couple has a three-year-old son, Milan Piqué i Mebarak.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 17, 2016

Times Hollywood

Liam Hemsworth denies Taylor Swift talks about taking a break from music being engaged to Miley Cyrus

I

n a new interview with American “Vogue”, Taylor Swift has addressed the concerns that she's abandoning music.

"I'm always going to be writing songs," she says, as we all wipe the sweat from our forehead. "The thing is, with me, I could very well come up with three things in the next two weeks and then jump back into the studio, and all of a sudden the next record is started. That's an option, too."

The musician and producer Jack Antonoff told the magazine: "Her not being creative is one of the last things I'd ever worry about."

When asked what she is going to do with the rest of her life, she said: "I have no idea.

This is the first time in ten years that I haven't known. I just decided that after the past year, with all of the unbelievable things that happened…I decided I was going to live my life a little bit without the pressure on myself to create something."

She continued: "I would really like to take a little time to learn things…I want to be a well-rounded person who can make a good drink… to be able to save somebody if they're drowning… I do things like this," she says. Once, "I got it in my head that I couldn't do a split, and I was really upset about it. And so I stretched every single day

L

for a year until I could do a split. Somehow I feel better knowing that I can."

"I'm just taking things as they come," Swift says. "I'm in a magical relationship right now. And of course I want it to be ours, and low-key…this is the one thing that's been mine about my personal life."

(Glamour)

iam Hemsworth straight forwardly stated that he's not engaged to Miley Cyrus.

"The Hunger Games" star told Australia's TV Week in an interview conducted on March 31 that he was not attached. "I am not engaged, no," he said.

Rumors of him getting back together with Cyrus began early this year when she was spotted wearing the 3.5 carat engagement ring he gave her before their split in 2013. The said ring was perching on her important finger when she attended New York Knicks' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers last month.

The couple was also frequently seen together in the past few months. She had a lunch date with his family at a Mexican eatery in

Los Angeles last week and attended the premiere of "The Huntsman: Winter's War" with him earlier this week. Hemsworth was seen leaving Cyrus' home in Studio City, Los Angeles on Thursday, April 14.

When asked why he was

laying low in the past few months, Hemsworth told TV Week, "I just don't leave my home...For the last few months because I had a back injury I really couldn't do much. So I have honestly been at my house most of the time." (AceShowbiz)

Selena Gomez talks about Diana Ross involved in a car rehab and struggle with lupus accident before concert

D

iana Ross got into a car crash Wednesday afternoon, April 13. An SUV driven by a 22-year-old New Jersey woman ran a stop sign and crashed into a limo that took the 72-year-old iconic

singer to a performance in Pennsylvania.

In the pictures taken from the scene, the hood of the limo was wrecked in the aftermath of the accident.

Ross was treated at the scene by paramedics after reportedly complaining of head and neck pain while the Lincoln Town Car she was in was towed. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. The singer performed as scheduled at the Sands casino complex in Bethlehem later that day while the SUV driver got a traffic citation from police.

The former member of The Supremes later took it to Twitter to assure fans that she's OK. "I was involved in a car accident yesterday, but I'm fine," so she informed her online followers. "I ask you not to worry. I will see you tonight at the show in Providence :)." (AceShowbiz)

S

elena Gomez was asked about her stay in rehab during an interview for her cover story of GQ's newest edition.

The 23-year-old singer/ actress was initially reluctant to talk about her timeout from spotlight which happened following her Lupus diagnosis. "No, no, no, no, no," so she said while expressing what was described as "frustration and disgust."

According to the magazine, it took a "long" time for the "Hands to Myself" singer before she gave her answer.

It's clearly hard for her to recount the experience as she said, "First off, this is something that everyone always wants to fixate on. I got diagnosed with lupus. My mom had a very public miscarriage. So I had to cancel my tour. I needed time to just be okay."

"I was going through leukemia," she added, most likely referring to chemotherapy, "and I went to two different locations for those treatments. It's really frustrating, because I'm 100 percent allowed to have that, but I think people just want to have some sort of - I understand what you're asking but I'm just saying, I don't think it really matters. My

past seems to be way more fascinating for people than my future, which bums me out..."

Selena kept her health struggle private for a long time until her visit to a children's hospital. "There was this kid that wouldn't look me in the eye at all," she recalled. "And I wear my emotions on my face, as you just have witnessed. And I don't care, that's who I am. I wanted to get his attention, even though maybe it was too much."

"So I just said, 'Ask me anything you want," she went on. "And he was the first person that I told, besides my best friend and family, because he asked me, 'Have you ever dealt with anything like this?'

And I said, 'I have lupus. I was in the ICU for two and a half weeks. I was in this exact same room.' And it was the first time that he looked at me."

She added, "I don't ever really like to sit and dwell on what that experience was.

Was it fun? No. Is it fun to have it? No." Another touchy subject for her was a question about her childhood. "We're easy targets," the former Disney star said about growing up in the public eyes. "Every single kid who was brought up like this is an easy target."

"It's disgusting, because it's interesting to grown adults that these kids go through weird things because they're figuring out, 'Do I like this? Do I love this? Maybe I love this person. Oh, I'm exposed to this, people are reporting my every move and this and that because of Instagram and Twitter and you can find out everything.' There's a difference between being a fan there's a difference between that and what you have to do ... Because it's, I don't know, fun, maybe? It's like watching a car crash as you're driving past it. You want to watch it." (AceShowbiz)

Drake’s huge compliment to Rihanna

T

here has been much chemistry between rapper Drake and songstress Rihanna, especially in Rihanna’s lat-

est hit “Work”.

But their most recent onstage tango, during Rih’s tour stop in Aubrey’s native Toronto on Thursday night (April 14), again upped the ante in this endearing back-andforth they’ve been engaging in for the last few months, possibly years.

“Make some noise,” Drake told his hometown crowd, “for the greatest woman I’ve ever known in my life. She goes by the name of Rihanna.”

Besides his contribution to “Work,” Drake also performed his new single, “One Dance,” which dropped last week, for the first time. (MTV)

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 13

Star Times Bollywood

J

ai Hemant Shroff, March 2, 1990, better known as Tiger Shroff (a name given by his father), is an Indian film actor and martial artist. He is the son of Bollywood veteran actor Jackie Shroff, and made his debut opposite Kriti Sanon in Sajid Nadiadwala's film “Heropanti”.

As of September 2015, Shroff has two big projects on hand: “Baaghi: Rebels in Love” and a superhero film, “A Flying Jatt”.

14 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 17, 2016

Times Bollywood

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on ‘Sarbjit’: ‘I Richa Chadda bags international stay true to director’s vision, narrative’ project A

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icha Chadda has been roped in for the lead role in David Womark's Indo-American production “Love Sonia”.

Richa said she is “honoured” to be part of the “talented international team”.

“I am delighted that I can be part of this project. I really believe in the content and I can say that this film is being made for the right reasons. I am honoured to be part such a talented international team,” Richa said

ctor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan went by the vision and narrative provided by director Omung Kumar for her role of Dalbir Kaur in “Sarbjit” and chose not to meet the real-life woman, whom she is portraying on screen, while preparing for the character.

The 42-year-old actor is playing Dalbir, the sister of Sarabjit Singh, in the biopic on the Punjab-born Indian prisoner. He was in jail for over two decades.

“We (Dalbir and I) don’t look the same but Omung Kumar (director) was clear he wanted me to do it. We had Dalbirji on board, for referencing of her role we had media which had documented things about her... So we took that to gauge mannerisms. I have not spent time with her before shooting for the film... I did not meet her in advance,” Aishwarya told reporters at the trailer launch of “Sarbjit”.

“When I am playing real life characters it is important for me to stay true to director’s vision and narrative.

in a statement.

The film is being directed by Tabrez Noorani and is set to go on floors in May. Womark has previously produced films like “Life of Pi” and has been an executive producer for movies like “The Hulk” and “G.I. Joe Rise of the Cobra”.

“Love Sonia” depicts the brutal realities of human trafficking across the globe and the film will be shot here followed by a schedule in Los Angeles. (TOI)

A

fter keeping mum for a while, Priyanka Chopra has finally addressed the claims of her suicidal past made by her former manager Prakash Jaju.

Jaju’s claims came after the mysterious death of TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee

I have not sat and watched everything of hers but I have stayed true. The lady who has gone through hardships for 23

and he alleged that during her initial acting days, the 33-year-old actress tried committing suicide, reports the Dawn.

Commenting on same, Priyanka said, “This is utter. First of all, it’s so sad that Indian media has given credibility to the man, who was in jail because of harassing me, without checking the history who the person is. So, I have nothing to say because there is no credibility to this person, who media is giving credibility to.”

Further, the Quantico

M

egastar Amitabh Bachchan is all praise for actor Ranbir Kapoor and called him a “huge star” of Bollywood.

years either can lose weight or go other way round (gain weight), Dalbirji has a mole and we have kept that.”

The “Devdas” star insisted she waits to essay such powerful characters. “As actors we wait for opportunities to essay a character in its entirety. It is important to become a character and I always do that... It is important for me.”

The model-turned-actor felt a connection with Sarabjit’s life as she had signed a petition seeking his release from Pakistan prison.

“Dalbir’s character and story was strong. It is rare that we see such sibling commitment and relation. It is some kind of divine calling that I did the film. I remember a petition (seeking release of Sarabjit) was going around and the letter came to me for signature,” she said.

“The moment Omung told me this story I said yes as somehow his life and my life had crossed as I had signed the petition. He did come to India but in coffin.” (PTI)

star expressed her disappointment that people were quick to judge Banerjee without knowing the truth

Bachchan, 73, mentioned the “Tamasha” star in a tweet while writing about his film “Ajooba”, which also starred Ranbir’s father Rishi Kapoor. “Did you see

and said that nobody ever tried to find out what the poor 24-year-old girl was going through. (ANI)

little Ranbir Kapoor in one of the ‘Ajooba’ pictures... !! so cute .. 25 years later, huge star!” the National Awardwinning actor said.

While Bachchan has worked with Rishi in many films, he and Ranbir have so far shared screen space only in one movie, “Bhootnath Returns”, where the 33-yearold actor had a cameo.

On his own work front, Bachchan is currently shooting for Shoojit Sircar’s upcoming thriller “Pink”, where he is playing the role of a lawyer. The film also stars Taapsee Pannu. (PTI)

Farhan Akhtar is not dating anyone

A

ctor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar, who has been linked up to many of his co-stars post his divorce from wife Adhuna, has denied all dating rumours and says that such stories are “fabricated”.

“There is so much untruth in these stories that I don’t know where to start in denying them. Fabricated details of events that did not occur astound me,” Farhan,

who separated from Adhuna in January earlier this year after 16 years of marriage.

The “Rock On” star has requested all to stop speculating about his personal life.

“I sincerely request all who are creating these rumours to please act responsibly and desist from doing so,” he said.

On film front, Farhan will next be seen in “Rock On 2”. (IANS)

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Unicorn Hair Trending NOW

F

orget rainbow hair, and give up on glitter roots, because there's a quirky new hair trend taking social media by storm – unicorn hair.

When you hear “unicorn hair”, you may be thinking of those gorgeous mixtures of pastel pinks, blues and purples, but with this trend, it's all about creating a ponytail on the top of your head, which you'll eventually loop or braid into a cone resembling a horn!

Star of the week

If you're eager to try the trend but are unsure about how to pull it off, never fear.

As with all quirky beauty trends there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube that offer step-by-step instructions on how to replicate the over-the-top look.

YouTuber Venus Angelic has created one such video, in which she actually gives her viewers guidance on how to create an entire unicorn look, from the fashion to the makeup to the hair.

C

hristopher Dion Barnwell, born January 6, 1987, is famously known for his batting skills, playing for major teams such as West Indies, Guyana, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and West Indies A. Barnwell is a rightarm fast bowler in the hit-the-deck mould who can also contribute with the bat. In his first season of domestic cricket, he served notice of both his skills, with a five-wicket haul and half-centuries in the first-class and List A formats. While spinners formed the crux of Guyana's attack in their victorious 2010 Caribbean T20 campaign, Barnwell was their most consistent seamer, impressing with his nagging lengths and clever changes of pace. His spell of 1 for 19 in four overs in the final proved crucial in swinging the momentum Guyana's way after a wayward start. This year, the talented cricketer will once again showcase his batting and bowling skills on the Guyana Amazon Warriors cricket team representing his homeland in the Caribbean Premier League T20 cricket tournament.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 17, 2016

Times Art

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The late Guyanese artist, Donald Locke (Photo by Mark Lee Blackshear)

n honour of the late USbased Guyanese artist Donald Locke, influential New York art gallery, SKOTO Gallery, opened an impressive exhibition of Locke’s Plantation Series: Paintings and Sculptures from the 1970s.

Donald Locke was a versatile and complex artist whose ability to express a vivid interior existence while simul-

taneously opening himself to some of the larger issues of our time is reflected consistently throughout his career.

He had been on a restless intellectual and artistic quest since the late 1940s when he began to study art in his native Guyana.

At the dawn of the independence era in Africa and the Caribbean, in the ‘50s and ‘60s, Locke was a semi-

nal figure for an emergent post-colonial generation. His rich and varied cultural experience was integrated into a critical framework that engaged with issues of history, identity and authenticity.

However, he remained philosophically and stylistically an internationalist whose work reflected his integrative approach to life and art.

This exhibition highlights a selection of paintings and sculpture from the Plantation Series of the 1970's when he was still living in London, which confronts tradition while absorbing the formal tenets of modernism. His mixed media sculpture exponentially expanded the definition of modern ceramics through novel techniques, unusual media, and carefully conceived relationships to surrounding spaces.

Shown together for the first time in New York these early significant works are pure meditations upon the nature of shadow and light, material, texture and lines, and represent important ideas that capture moments of significant aesthetic development of the artist. As stated by Locke in the journal ‘American Visions’: “These are sculptural metaphors where forms are held in strict lines, connected together as If with chains held within a system of metal bars or met-

Another intriguing piece from the Plantation Series being exhibited at SKOTO

'Village Square' ( 1974), a piece from the Plantation Series

al grids, analogous to the system whereby one group of people were kept in economic and political subjugation by another group”.

Over the years, Donald Locke developed a sculptural approach to clay that allowed him to endow familiar forms with significance. An artist who valued the creative process as a system of thinking, his mixed-media ceramic sculpture is all the more arresting because of its intriguing combination of opposites—of freedom and precision, of the texturally marked and smooth, of weight and buoyancy, of mass and space.

Introduced to art in Guyana by E.R. Burrowes, Locke studied at Bath Academy of Arts, Corsham, England, 1954-57 on a British Council scholarship where his teachers included some of Britain's leading avant-garde painters and sculptors including the renowned sculptor James Tower. In 1964 he graduated with honors from the University of Edinburgh,

Scotland, with a masters degree in art. After returning home to Guyana to work and teach for some time, he returned to Europe where he lived and practiced until he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1979. He represented Guyana at the Twelfth Sao Paulo Biennial in 1971 and The World Black Festival of Arts, Lagos, Nigeria, 1977.

He is in several collections including Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Guyana National Collection, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. The Tate Britain recently acquired ‘Trophies of Empire’, an important mixed media work by the artist from 1972-74, which was included in ground breaking exhibition 'The Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post-War Britain' organized

by Rasheed Araeen, 198990 at the Hayward Gallery, London.

US-based Guyanese artist Carl E Hazelwood, Aljira Center for Contemporary Art, New York, said of Locke, “His wide ranging intellectual curiosity is reflected in everything he puts his hand to, be it teaching, writing, making pottery and sculpture, creating complex installations, or simply painting. The circumstances of his Caribbean background as well as his thorough grounding in traditional European modernist principles have given Locke a unique vision.”

The exhibition at SKOTO Gallery will run until May 28, 2016.

Born 1930 in Stewartville, Guyana, Locke died in 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., but will forever be remembered for his captivating artistic talent.

(Information excerpted from text by Skoto Aghahowa)

Published materials featuring Donald Locke (Photo by Carl E. Hazlewood)

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

Apple patent shows how MacBook could be radically redesigned A

pple may have a plan to make its future MacBooks potentially even thinner by completely stripping out the keyboard and replacing it with a large trackpad.

The idea for using a larger trackpad instead of a physical keyboard built into the MacBook was revealed in an Apple patent application filed last year and published earlier this month called “configurable force-sensitive input structure for electronic devices.”

This input structure is known as “zero-travel” because there aren’t any noticeable physi-

Apple might be getting rid of the keyboard in MacBooks (Photo credit: Apple via Forbes)

Tech news

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Microsoft sues over data requests

icrosoft Corp has sued the U.S. government for the right to tell its customers when a federal agency is looking at their emails, the latest in a series of clashes over privacy between the technology industry and Washington.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in federal court in the Western District of Washington, argues that the government is violating the U.S. Constitution by preventing Microsoft from notifying thousands of customers about government requests for their emails and other documents.

The suitraises a fundamental question about the cloud computing era: Can the government force technology companies to remain silent about when and how federal agents search their customers’ data?

Individuals would know if their home or hard drive were searched by investigators, but investigators now have the ability—and are using it in thousands of cases—to keep secret their searches of data

Tech BYTE

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stored on the cloud.

Microsoft says in its suit that it received 5,624 federal demands for customer information in the past 18 months, and nearly half—2,576—came with gag orders preventing the company from telling customers the government was looking at their data.

Although the company “always complies with legally binding orders,” it said that 1,752 of those secrecy orders had no time limit, so it might never be able to tell customers that the government obtained their digital files. “(The) government seeks and executes warrants for electronic communications far more frequently than it sought and executed warrants for physical documents and communications—apparently because it believes it can search and seize those documents and communications under a veil of secrecy,” the suit alleges.

A Justice Department spokeswoman didn’t immediately comment on the lawsuit.

Snapchat now most popular social network among teens, says study

ocial network Snapchat is more popular among its U.S. core demographic —teens — than Twitter, Facebook and now even Instagram.

The Piper Jaffray study "Taking Stock with Teens" polled about 6,500 U.S. teens to see what they felt was the most important social network, and Snapchat took 28 per cent of votes. Instagram came in close-second with 27 per cent, followed by Twitter and Facebook.

According to Mashable, the survey, which is done semi-annually, shows Snapchat's rise over the past year. In the spring 2015 survey, Instagram was the top social network, with Snapchat coming in fourth behind Twitter and Facebook.

In the fall, Snapchat edged out Facebook for third.

The study shows that teens tend to be more interested in viewing pictures and videos rather than text-focused media seen on Twitter and Facebook.

Snapchat has been making the most changes and updates over the last year, introducing things like Snapchat Discover and debuting live coverage at

the Oscars.

The social network has expanded into more entertaining areas like adding in more and more video and picture filters, as well as the popular face swapping feature.

The platform is consistently updating to keep itself interesting and fresh for users, while other social networks have mostly remained unchanged.

Unsurprisingly, Google+ came in last place with 1 per cent of votes from teens, beat by Tumblr and Pinterest which each had a 2 per cent share of votes.

cal mechanism movements taking place when the user presses down on it.

It may be years from now

that Apple considers making this massive design change for its MacBooks. And it is also common for technolo-

gy companies to file patents about ideas that do not end up coming to fruition.

Sharp to launch world's first robot smartphone

S

harp is to launch in May it’s smartphone that's built into a humanoid robot (or you may say it is a humanoid robot with a built-in smartphone).

The RoboHon is said to be the world's first mobile robotic phone, though some previewers doubt it would catch on.

According to ComputerWorld, Robohon is 19.5 centimetres (7.7 inches) tall and weighs 390 grams (13.8 ounces), making it several times the size and weight of a conventional smartphone, and it will cost 198,000 yen, which is just over US$1,800 and more than double the price of a high-end iPhone.

The electronic company had RoboHon on show at Ceatec in Japan in October 2015.

The RoboHon features a 2-inch display on its rear, an 8-megapixel camera and, in its head, a projector that can display HD (1,280 by 720 pixel) quality images. It runs Android 5.0.

The robot can walk on its two legs and will even talk back to its owner, although the extent of its vocabulary and ability to communicate is limited.

In one demonstration when it was previewed last October, the robot displayed a picture of a sunset prompting the owner to remark on how beautiful it was.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” replied the robot.

The conversation functions works through a cloud service which costs an extra 980 yen (US$9) per month. Users who don't pay for that won't get to chat with the robot.

Sharp hopes to sell about 5,000 of the RoboHon each month. It will be available starting May 26 in Japan.

RoboHon was also designed to have character and play a role as a companion for its owner

NASA begins testing electronic sail technology for deep space probes

I

t took Voyager 1 more than 30 years to reach interstellar space, but scientists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, are testing a new technology that could cut that time by two thirds.

The Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transit System (HERTS) or E-sail concept is a novel form of propellant-less propulsion that relies on a series of wires to catch the solar winds.

The technology promises to reduce the travel time from Earth to the heliopause – about 123 AU (18 billion km, 11 billion mi) from the Sun – to under 10 years.

Deep space travel is very slow, with the outer regions of the Solar System taking decades to reach using chemical rockets and complicated slingshot orbits.

One solution is to do away with rockets altogether and replace them with solar sails – giant Mylar sails spread on gossamer threads to catch the solar winds, which are the constant stream of protons and other charged particles that stream from the Sun at 400 to 750 km/s (900,000 to 1.7 million mph).

Based on the work of Dr. Pekka Janhunen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the E-Sail concept consists of a small unmanned payload containing instruments and a power source. From this radiate 10 to 20 electrically-charged, bare aluminium wires that are about one millimetre thick, 12.5 mi (20 km) long and weighing only a few grams.

These wires are extended from the spinning spacecraft after launch.

Centrifugal force causes the wires to extend and stiffen into a large circular web spinning at one revolution per hour, which is electrostatically charged to repel the fast-moving, positively-charged protons. The repulsion pushes the spacecraft along like a sail boat running before the wind.

The idea is already being tested in Earth orbit, but it's not a perfect solution. NASA says that the E-Sail technology is still in its infancy and that it will be over a decade before it becomes practical. In the meantime, more tests and improved models are needed as well as work on developing deployment mechanisms.

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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Times Home & Cooking

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Recipe of the Week

One Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Vegetables

A

s a renter or buyer, persons may find themselves facing an odd-shaped space in their home that leaves them wondering how to decorate. See how enterprising designers and decorators overcome these challenges...

An exposed column in the room is incorporated in the decor to add character to this room

Ingredients 3 tbsp olive oil, divided 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 24 ounces broccoli florets (equal to about 5 cups) 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Method

P

reheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, honey, brown sugar, Dijon, garlic, oregano and basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Place potatoes in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Top with chicken in a single layer and brush each chicken breast with honey mixture.

Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the potatoes).

Stir in broccoli during the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

T Open storage in an odd shaped space makes the most of the space by not becoming an enclosed closet

“Squaring” the wall with cabinets helps make the small oddshaped bathroom corner seem less awkward and provides valuable storage

here is an age-old debate over how to make a perfect cup of tea: whether or not you should put the milk in first or last to optimize the real flavours. Some of us put milk in the cup first before the boiling water but others add the milk in at the end, leaving us all questioning what way is the right way? According to Sebastian Michaelis, a Tetley tea blender who once had his taste buds insured for $1 million, putting the milk in first "inhibits brewing", while putting the teabag in first allows you to control the strength of the brew.

If you are cooking a dish and find the salt you’ve added isn’t enough, try a squirt of lemon juice instead. If you are out of salt or are trying to minimize sodium, you can replace it with half as much lemon juice.

Remove that stubborn coffee stain that rims your mugs with salted citrus peel.

Put a slice of bread in a bag of hard brown sugar and check it a few days later. The brown sugar will soften and become usable again.

Rub onions over silverware to remove rust stains.

Fix those tiny holes in your window screens by painting some clear nail polish over the holes.

Protect your wood floors under wooden rocking chairs by placing masking tape of painter’s tape on the bottom of each rocker.

A clean, dry paintbrush will whisk away dust from the pages of dusty books on your bokshelf.

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Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

How to raise a socially intelligent child CONTINUED

W

JOKES Funny test answers from children

When people run around and around in circles we say they are crazy. When planets do it we say they are orbiting.

For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower than the body until the heart stops.For asphyxiation: Apply artificial respiration until the patient is dead.

We say the cause of perfume disappearing is evaporation.

Evaporation gets blamed for a lot of things people forget to put the top on.

If conditions are not favourable, bacteria go into a period of adolescence.

There is a tremendous weight pushing down on the centre of the Earth because of so much population stomping around up there these days.

Respiration is composed of two acts, first inspiration, and then expectoration.

A vibration is a motion that cannot make up its mind which way it wants to go.

Job application mistakes and typos: How not to get that job

"Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions."

"Education: College, August 1880-May 1984."

"Note: Please don't misconstrue my 14 jobs as jobhopping. I have never quit a job."

"I’m extremely loyal to my present firm, so please don’t let them know of my immediate availability."

"Instrumental in ruining an entire Midwest chain operation." (Perhaps he meant running?)

hile good grades are important for your child’s future, good social skills are also important to help form a well-rounded child and adult.

We live in a complicated world, made even more so now with the advent of technology leading to instant and global media access. Children do not know, just instinctively, how to build good relationships with other children in such a culture of shifting rules.

If children have good relationships at home they have a healthy head start, but they still need your help in learning to navigate a complex social world.

3. Model respectful relating.

Remember that your child will treat others as you treat her. In addition to the obvious everyday respect, that means that you give her criticism in private, not in front of others, includ-

ing her friends. Which means you have to find tactful ways to talk to your young child and other kids about the

STORY TIME

The Story of the Potter CONTINUED

O

n the other hand, the potter was no real warrior, and he feared going into the battleground. All the prepara-

The potter replied, "O king, this scar was not caused by any wound by any sword. Being a potter by profession myself, my home was full of pots. One

Quotes attributed to famous people

“Children are a great comfort in your old age, and they help you reach it faster too.” Lionel Kauffman “If you think you're too small to have an impact try going to bed with a mosquito in the room.” Anita Koddick “When some folks agree with my opinions I begin to suspect I'm wrong.” Kin Hubbard “The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.” Lane Olinghouse “Never feel remorse for what you have thought about your wife; she has thought much worse things about you.”

Jean Rostand, (Le Mariage, 1927) “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” Benjamin Franklin

Bloopers in church bulletins

- The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the audience.

- On a church bulletin during the minister's illness: GOD IS GOOD; Dr. Hargreaves is better.

- The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth into Joy." - The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success.

Special thanks are due to the minister's daughter, who laboured the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

- 22 members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why. - Announcement in the church bulletin for a National PRAYER & FASTING conference: "The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals."

A real news story

Nightclub flirt loses dentures down woman's cleavage A man who tried to chat up a woman in a German nightclub dropped his false teeth down her cleavage.

Shop assistant Tina Lange, 37, who met the man in a disco in Mannheim, said: "I wasn't very interested in him but when I was leaving, he whispered in my ear: 'I hope we'll see each other again.'

"He then dropped something down my cleavage, which I thought was his phone number."

But when she later went to fish it from between her breasts, she found it was a plate of three false teeth.

She said: "If he wants his teeth back, he'll have to ring me."

way they are treating each other, to help them work out difficulties when they play together. (To be continued)

tions for battle made him tense. But he was resolved to prove himself as a warrior in the battleground.

While inspecting, the king noticed the potter. He took him aside and asked, "O Warrior, fighting which battle did you get this deadly scar?"

night, I tripped after drinking more than I should have, I tripped over them that caused this wound.

Due to improper attention, the wound left this big scar."

When the king heard the truth, he felt embarrassed for his earlier deci-

sion. He asked his soldiers, "He is a potter, who has deceived me by pretending to be a warrior. Drive him away from the army!"

The potter fell on his knees, and pleaded to the king, "O King, please do not do this. Have mercy on me, for I am sure I will be able to prove my bravery on the battleground. Please give me a chance to prove my worth."

The king replied, "You may have excellent qualities, and you may be brave.

But you do not possess the qualities required on the battleground. When the other warriors will come to know that you are only a potter, they will ridicule you. You will get yourself killed on the battleground!

It is better if you leave, and return to your home."

The potter understood the king's advice, and left the palace immediately.

The wise indeed say:Continue being what you are, else you pay for it.

By Grammar G

Got snowclones?

A

snowclone is a type of cliché; a mathematical/formulaic type of expression in that new words can be substituted in common clichés to put a new “spin” on an old or familiar expression.

The term was created by linguist Glen Whitman in 2004, inspired by the clichéd expression of Geoff Pullum, “If Eskimos have N words for snow then X must have Y words for Z.” A sort of “fill-in-the-blank” idea.

Snowclones are aplenty, especially in pop culture

and marketing, and can be quite creative. Many persons use snowclones without knowing the term.

Let’s look at the expression, “we put the X in Y”, where substitutions include: “We put the spring in

Springfield” or, “We put the fun in funky”.

And of course we surely have heard of “what happens in X stays in X”. When x= a place.For example: “What happens in the party, stays in the party”…

The Sick Rose

O Rose, thou art sick, The invisible worm That flies in the night In the howling storm Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy; And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy.

William Blake

“What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas” – and many other places to be substituted.

If you can remember the “Got milk?” ads then you know it had to be made into a snowclone. “Got X?” has seen snowclones from “Got Jesus?” to “Got rice?”

“Got rice?” usually refers to Asian American cohesion and pride. Its humour is said to lie in its reference to the staple of Asian cultures.

Other snowclones include the well-known “a few X short of a Y” where the old expression “a few bricks short of a load” (meaning a person is not all too right in the head: crazy) can have all sorts of substitutions such as “a few eggs short of a tray” or “a few arrows short of a quiver” etc...

Here are a few more snowclones for your amusement (and future creativity): To X or not to X? X is the new Y X is my middle name (This is said to be one of the oldest known snowclones, its use reported to go back to 1902 with the expression “Fight is my middle name”.)

20 Sunday Times Magazine

APRIL 17, 2016

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Times Sunday Puzzle

When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.

Example: Begin - Heavenly body.

Answer: Start - Star.

1. Bend out of shape - Armed conflict 2. Muscle contraction - Pack to capacity 3. Pass over; omit - Glide on snow 4. Wet - Large water barrier 5. Marsh; bog - Moved through water see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

T

he tapeti (Sylvilagus brasiliensis), also known as the Brazilian rabbit or forest rabbit, ranges from Central America into northern Argentina in South America, but not in the high altitude regions. They are also classified as cottontails.

Tapeti inhabit forested grasslands and swampy areas where they feed on grasses and green vegetation, but would also eat tree bark and shrubs in leaner times.

GEOZONE

Described as a medium-sized rabbit, the tapeti can weigh between 0.7 kg and 1 kg (1.5 lbs -2.2 lbs). It is active during the day and there have been reports of its ability to swim, something uncommon among other rabbits.

Its predators include the tayra, wild dogs, felines, and birds of prey.

Deforestation and destruction of its habitat by humans is the tapeti’s major threat.

Colouring Fun

T

he Pakaraimas or Pakaraima Mountains are the collection of mountains or the mountain range that lies along the southwest of Guyana, bordering both Brazil and Venezuela, in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region, Region 7.

Also spelt ‘Pacaraimas’ the mountains extend some 800 km (500 mi) east to west, with Mount Roraima, at 2,810

metres (9,220 ft) above sea level, its highest point in Guyana.

It is said to form the drainage divide between the Orinoco Valley to the north and the Amazon Basin to the south and runs some 400 km (250 mi) east to west to form a natural border with Brazil and Venezuela.

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.

Colour and Crossword

22 Sunday Times Magazine

APRIL 17, 2016

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APRIL 17, 2016

Sunday Times Magazine 23

World Times

Lonely Planet publishes toilet guide T ravel guide company Lonely Planet has published a new book and it's all about toilets. “Toilets: A Spotters Guide” is described as “a compendium of some of the globe's most interesting lavatories”.

According to the publication, “As any experienced traveller knows you can tell a whole lot about a place by its bathrooms. Whatever you prefer to call them -- lavatory, loo, bog, khasi, thunderbox, dunny, washroom or water closet -- toilets are a (sometimes opaque, often wideopen) window into the secret soul of a destination".

“It’s not just how well they’re looked after that’s revealing, but where they are positioned and the way they’ve been conceptualised, designed and decorated.

Toilets so often transcend their primary function of being a convenience to become a work of art in their own right, or to make a cultural statement about the priorities, traditions and values of the venues, locations and communities they serve.”

One country’s toilets which seems to have impressed Lonely Planet is New Zealand, the guide has listed eight New Zealand loos in its publication.

Other toilets apparently worthy of mention include the gents’ toilet at UFO Bar in Bratislava, Slovakia that was once a Soviet-built observation tower but now offers its users stunning views of the Danube, and the 4,600m high Barafu Camp toilet quite literally on the edge of a cliff on Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

T

Public toilets in Matakana, Auckland, New Zealand

A

recent study from Harvard Medical School reports that

Rhesus monkeys are able to perform math at an advanced level.

Brain Teaser Answer 1. Warp - War 2. Cramp - Cram 3. Skip - Ski

4. Damp - Dam 5. Swamp - Swam

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

The monkeys were able to determine a greater value for food rewards (water, juice or orange soda) after learning to recognize numerals 0 to 9 and 16 letters.

Are there other creatures in the animal kingdom besides monkeys that can crunch numbers?

Pigeons may get a bad rap but they are brainy.

A new study, which was published in the journal Science, found these birds are similar to primates when it comes to numerical competence.

They can discriminate among different amounts of number-like objects; they can also order pairs and learn abstract mathematical rules. Aside from humans, only rhesus monkeys have exhibited equivalent skills.

Sharks too have math smarts. Reported online in Nature, a 2010 study suggests that some sharks and other marine predators can follow strict mathematical strategies when foraging for dinner.

The work aims to show whether animals sometimes move in a pattern called a Lévy walk.

Unlike random motion -- in which animals take similar-sized steps in any direction, like a drunk stumbling around -- Lévy walks are punctuated by rare, long forays in any di-

hailand’s traditional New Year is marked by the Songkran Festival, known as the Water Festival, celebrated April 11 – April 15.

The water is said to represent purification and washing away of sins and bad luck.It is also a time when Thais visit family and perform religious purification ceremonies.

"Traditionally, Thais would politely pour a bowl of water on members of the

rection. Draw a Lévy walk on a graph, and its squiggly pattern echoes a fractal, the mathematical phenomenon whose shape remains similar no matter the viewing scale.

Dogs understand arithmetic, says Stanley Coren of the University of British Colombia's Department of Psychology.

Studies show, for example, that dogs notice errors in simple computations, such as 1+1=3.

In addition, the average dog, Coren said, can learn 165 words."Super dogs," meaning those in the top 20 percent of canine intelligence, can learn at least 250 words and signals.

Fish can distinguish between larger and smaller quantities, with an additional ability to "count" up to three, according to research on tropical angelfish.

Dolphins may be math geniuses. Dolphins may use complex nonlinear mathematics when hunting, according to a 2012 study.

The math involved is complex. Essentially it relies upon sending out pulses that vary in amplitude.

The first may have a value of 1 while the second is 1/3 that amplitude.

"So, provided the dolphin remembers what the ratios of the two pulses were, and can multiply the

family, their close friends and neighbours [during Songkran]," Bangkok.com stated.

More exuberant celebrationsinclude a traditional water fight between humans and elephants in Thailand’s Ayutthaya province, north of Bangkok.

Colourfully painted elephants spray onlookers with water and they in turn throw water from buckets, bowls, hoses and water guns on the elephants.

However, this year, as the two splashed each other under the scorching sun with the country experiencing a severe drought, waterrelated activities were reduced.

National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) reported that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) decided to reduce Songkran festivities in the city to only three days, instead of four, spanning 12-14 April.

second echo by that and add the echoes together, it can make the fish 'visible' to its sonar," lead author Tim Leighton told Discovery News. "This is detection enhancement."

The studies together indicate that math ability is inborn in many species, with number sense, math-

ematical skills and verbal ability perhaps being separate talents in humans that we later learn to combine.

Fish, as well as dogs, probably have even more advanced mathematical ability, scientists suspect, but we need more methods to better study these animals.

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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APRIL 17, 2016

Fun Times

Archie

If you have something to do, make a point to get it done.

(March 21How you feel about yourself April 19) and your accomplishments will depend on how proactive you are.

ARIES

Get involved in an event or TAURUS activity conducive to mingling (April 20- with people who have someMay 20) thing to offer you personally or professionally. If you share your thoughts, something positive will develop.

An emotional situation GEMINI will catch you off-guard. Don't (May 21let anyone push or bully you June 20) into something you know you shouldn't do. Be true to your conscience.

If you don't follow through with your plans, someone will (June 21- point out your shortcomings.

July 22) Dealing with a friend, relative or partner will require intelligence and honesty to avoid unwanted implications.

CANCER

Bring about change, make LEO suggestions and be the life of (July 23the party. Your bold and unAug. 22) expected actions will keep everyone alert and eager to play on your team. Romance is featured.

Dilbert

Get out and enjoy particiVIRGO (Aug. 23- pating in events or pastimes Sept. 22) that challenge you mentally and encourage interaction with people who motivate and inspire you. Make a point to live, learn and laugh.

Pleasure trips, reunions or LIBRA get-togethers with old friends (Sept. 23or loved ones will inspire you to Oct. 23) bring about changes that will improve your future. Embrace life.

Peanuts

An interesting opportuSCORPIO nity will come about in the (Oct. 24- strangest way. Someone you Nov. 22) are close to will give you an interesting perspective on an offer or idea you are contemplating.

You'll be criticized if you SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23- renege on a promise. A probDec. 21) lem with a friend or relative is addressed amicably. Time spent at home with a loved one is favored.

Calvin and Hobbes

Putting money into your CAPRICORN home or looking at property (Dec. 22- will be tempting. A deal that Jan. 19) is difficult to refuse will be pooh-poohed by those affected by your decision. A dispute is impending.

What you put into an imAQUARIUS relationship will (Jan. 20- portant bring high returns.

Show how Feb. 19) much you care and make suggestions that will ease financial stress and bring you closer to the one you love.

PISCES Don't get upset over some(Feb. 20- thing you cannot change. If Mar. 20) you look for an opportunity to use your skills, knowledge and expertise in diverse and benevolent ways, good things will happen.