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Levi Pereira (Elton John photo)

Sunday, October 11, 2026

Talent beyond the classroom

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

Canadian-based Guyanese representing her country in international pageant

By Frederick Halley CANADIAN-based Guyanese Ebony Narpatty Bridgebassey, MSc, BSc, CPAL, journalist, human rights activist, and model, has been selected to represent Guyana in the 2026 International Pageant, held worldwide through Milestones Worldwide Pageant. The pageant is for career women with a strong educational background, and 35 delegates from several countries are participating in different categories, with first, second, and third prizes awarded in each segment. Ebony grew up in Berbice, doing climate change research on Number 63 Beach, helping her parents with their home resort, Sunsplash, at the time (2000s), and was fiercely dedicated to her schooling. She attended Tagore Memorial Secondary School, Scottsburg Private School, then Line Path Secondary. She later served as valedictorian of Roadside Baptist Church (2006), with distinctions in Computer Studies, Advanced Maths, and English. She took some time off to help the family business, then completed her studies before volunteering for the City of Toronto (six years) while attending York University, where she graduated with a credit in her postgraduate degree certificate in Administration & Law. Through an online course offered by Edinburgh Napier University in the UK – Scot-

education every day, which means feminist empowerment.” Ebony, along with the other contestants, is also doing a fundraiser for girls in India to have a proper, sound educational background. She’s calling on her supporters and friends to vote for her via Narpatty & TikTok / YouTube Miss Ebony N Bridges, where you can look out for the voting link to know when to vote for Guyana. Ebony is also aspiring to become an international court judge and is very peeved over what she described as the grave injustice being meted out over the death of her father, who was brutally murdered in 2019. Ebony and her father had a close relationship, and she recalled the good times they shared. According to Ebony, she enjoyed a beautiful family life with her parents, including long walks on the beach with the dogs splashing in the waves. “Being the first girl growing up on 63 Beach

Ebony Narpatty Bridgebassey

land Yard, Ebony graduated from the prestigious university and earned a Master’s Degree in Business Tourism & Hospitality. She flew over last October to attend her graduation. This year she’ll be in Egypt and, as she puts it,

“representing the magical radiance of women in power, dynamic education flow and what it means to be a single educated career woman to the world, moving mountains, breaking barriers across the world, bringing girls together in unity to strive for a better

itself, I would ride my bicycle to the roadside and catch minibuses, tapirs, hire cars to attend all my schools.” Describing herself as an amazing role model for her community, she worked parttime at the Sunsplash Resort as a DJ, server and cashier while attending school. Her daily chores included feeding the turkeys and guard dogs, cleaning up and packing up the freezers. Ebony hopes many others will follow in her footsteps. She’s calling on her fellow womenfolk to “Aim for the Stars. Be the best possible version of yourself... Don’t keep too many friends or tell people your ideas or business. Be all that you can be on this earth to help and encourage others. Love everyone, hate no one, and leave no stone unturned. Keep smiling.” Ebony has been through a great amount of grief over the years due to her dad’s brutal passing and her sister’s sudden death recently. She is surviving with her 74-year-

old mother. They visit Sunsplash once a year, and she plans to use her education to enhance tourism and hospitality and attract guests back to the resort. She expressed sincere thanks to her parents for everything in life, pointing out that without them she wouldn’t be anything she is today. Ebony will display a phoenix from the ashes, which represents her life, what she’s been through, and what she’s becoming. She will also be presenting her climate change song finally. Ebony’s recent years of modelling began with the High School Sari Pageant, followed by taking part in Style Me Magazine online via Sir Elton John’s platform, bringing her into the top 10. She also loves to sing, draw, write on the side and speak at public forums. Ebony encourages everyone to glide high and be whatever you want to be! Live the Dream!

Talent beyond the classroom

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

By Michel Outridge

LEVI Anthony Pereira, 22, is a resourceful young man determined to think outside the box and upskill himself beyond the classroom for a better future. He attends the Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre in West Coast Demerara, where he is studying motor vehicle repair. He is a notably talented young man who has used his raw talent to become a singer, a hobby that brings

their own way to the rhythm. Pereira told the Guyana Chronicle that he attended Stewartville Secondary School before going on to TVET. EARLY TALENT He grew up in Morashee, East Bank Essequibo, where he attended Morashee Primary School before heading to Stewartville Secondary School on the West Coast Demerara. Pereira remembered starting to sing at a very tender age, in Grade

won five medals over those years. Pereira also represented Stewartville Secondary School in a singing competition themed “In Search of a Star”, where he placed fifth, which he said was due to a small error in his performance. He also represented Leonora Technical and Vocational Institute in both singing and dancing for Mashramani competitions, where he took third place after getting overly excited and forgetting the lyrics to the song he sang. In the dance com-

Levi Pereira

Levi Pereira and his backup singers, fellow students of Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre, on stage during their performance of “One Guyana”, which attendees received well, on September 15, 2026, at the opening of the TVET Fair and Expo 2026 (Elton John photos )

him joy. On September 15, 2026, he was one of the students who took to the stage to sing a song titled “One Guyana”, which was well received by the gathering at the opening ceremony of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Fair and Exposition 2026 at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. There, his talent was on display as he sang. He entertained the crowd with his singing and ability to hold an audience, and his natural aura had almost everyone moving in

One, and it came naturally. He used to sing and still sings in and for church. He described singing as part of his life because he loves it and could sing all day if he got the chance. Pereira used to sing for every school function, whether it was for a cultural programme or a competition, and penned poems and short stories. This young man is also a sports lover, and he represented both Stewartville Secondary School and Leonora Technical Institute at the national schools’ athletics and swimming competition, where he

petition, his team took second place, and although they did not win, they were still grateful. Pereira told the Guyana Chronicle that he has five siblings, two brothers and three sisters, and that he is the third child. He said his father is Ryan Anthony Perreira, from Region One (Barima-Waini), and his mother is Sheron Williams Lalchan, from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). The Naamless Village, East Bank Essequibo, resident stated that he is not like most young men in his community because he has a simple life and focuses on football, hard-

ball cricket, school and his hobbies. THANKFUL Pereira stated that he would like to express his gratitude to God, his parents, his biggest supporters, and, by extension, his family; also Miss Delphine Bakker and the staff at Leonora Technical Institute, and his backup singers (fellow students), for their moral support, encouragement and for always believing in him. The up-and-coming artiste said he leads a simple life, which he reflects on because he wants to be a role model for others in his village, and his favourite quote is “it is better to stand out than to fit in”, which has become his everyday mantra. The lyrics of the song “One

Guyana” were composed by Miss Delphine Bakker, Chief Instructor of LTVTC, two years ago for the Mashramani competition. The theme at the time was to express culture and creativity as “One Guyana”. After completing his TVET training, Pereira wants to open his own motor vehicle workshop, but because he is not from a “well-todo” family, he will have to work and save to buy the tools for his small business. He also sees himself as someone who, once he establishes his workshop, will let other young men from his community visit and learn the trade, helping them become gainfully employed and contribute to society.

Farmer Prepares for Small Ruminant Show 2026

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

– Is confident of returning the trophy to his farm and Region 3 this year

By Michel Outridge FOR Ricardo Bhagnath, preparing for the Small Ruminant Show 2026 means more than selecting his finest sheep and goats. It is a chance to show how a modest beginning, rooted in family tradition, has grown into a livestock enterprise through improved breeding, careful management, and sustained commitment. The 36-year-old farmer, who operates in the backdam of Orangestein Village, East Bank Essequibo, is among those preparing for the Guyana Livestock Development Authority’s (GLDA) second annual show. The event, scheduled for October 11, 2026, at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, will bring farmers together to exhibit their animals and exchange experiences. Having earned recognition at the inaugural show in 2025, Bhagnath is returning with renewed confidence. He said last year’s participation provided valuable exposure through interactions with other farmers and social media attention, which helped raise his business’s profile.

Small ruminant farmer Ricardo Bhagnath at his farm

“I want to come to the show bigger and better. This year, I will bring all my best breeds of sheep and goats to participate, and I have already identified four good breeds to win prizes and showcase my animals,” he said. That ambition stems from a farming journey shaped by

Some of the sheep reared by the small ruminant farmer

family experience. Bhagnath told the Guyana Chronicle that he grew up in a family that raised sheep and goats for a living.

After he married, his mother-in-law gave him a few sheep, laying the foundation for his own enterprise. As his flock expanded, so did his interest in improving the quality of his animals. He began researching livestock genetics online and seeking information on pedigree breeding stock, recognising the potential to strengthen his farm through more deliberate breeding decisions. Despite the challenges, he acquired Boer goats and imported sheep breeds, including Dorper, primarily for breeding. He regards investment in quality breeding stock as one of the most significant decisions in developing an enterprise that now comprises approximately 100 sheep and 40 goats. However, Bhagnath attributes his progress to more than genetics. Access to grazing, supplemental feeding, and suitable housing have also been central to maintaining his animals. Following GLDA’s ad-

vice, he adopted an elevated pen design to keep the animals above wet ground. He said this investment has proved especially valuable during the rainy season, keeping the animals dry and protecting the flock from flooding. According to Bhagnath, his animals have remained free of foot rot. His experience has reinforced his confidence in applying technical guidance to the practical challenges of livestock farming. That attention to management extends to record-keeping. He documents births and other information about his animals, supported by photographs of individual flock members. These records help him track their development and inform breeding decisions. He also emphasised the importance of complying with official requirements when importing livestock, including obtaining the necessary licences, observing quarantine procedures, and following animal health guid-

ance. Bhagnath said GLDA helps farmers with the import licensing process, while extension personnel conduct farm visits and provide technical support. Although he undertakes much of the routine care himself, he seeks veterinary assistance when his animals require vaccination. Maintaining these standards nevertheless demands considerable effort. The farm’s remote location creates transportation difficulties, and Bhagnath said he cannot afford to employ additional workers at present. He therefore handles most daily responsibilities, with help from his wife and their two children, aged 12 and 13. Farming, he explained, requires attention throughout the day, seven days a week. His family’s support is consequently essential to keeping the operation running. Alongside these responsibilities, he is working to TURN TO PAGE VIII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

From Setback to Service:

Shellon Andrews Builds a Legacy of Opportunity in the Parika Community Through catering and free skills training, a mother of four is helping women and young people gain the confidence and qualifications to build better futures

Written By Andrea Hendricks SHELLON Andrews knows what it means to begin again—and how difficult it can be to move forward without formal qualifications. Raised in the village of Anna Catherina, she attended Cornelia Ida Primary School and Edinburgh Community High School. After taking up nursing, she left the field in 2020 following the nurses’ strike and started catering. Her own experience of leaving school early with limited qualification, and the barriers she encountered

when seeking work, shaped the community mission that followed. Andrews saw that many people lacked formal education and wanted to help create better opportunities in the community where she grew up. That commitment led her to partner with the Open Gate community to provide free training and certification in cooking, cosmetology, IT and Art & Craft. The aim is practical: to give women and young people skills, confidence and a stronger chance to build better lives for themselves and their families. The pilot course began in January 2026 with 43

students in its first cohort, all aged 16 and older. The number marks a significant starting point for an initiative intended to grow, with particular attention to school dropouts and single mothers. Participants receive vocational instruction as well as maths and English at the facility, recognising that foundational subjects can support progress in a chosen craft. A food-processing course is under way, with cake decorating to follow. “We equip you to go out into society certified in your craft of training,” Andrews told this publication. As the Open Gate com-

Staff of Shellon Elite Catering & Waitress Service at one of their event service

Shellon Andrews, founder of Shellon Elite Catering & Waitress Service, community leader & Entrepreneur

munity lasion coordinator, Andrews says the need for this kind of support is urgent. She knows the difficulty of seeking employment without the necessary qualifications or work experience. That experience helps explain why she values opportunities that can lead to further development. “I did some courses with the WIIN program under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to further assist my career development, and it was of significant help to my journey,” she said. The programme’s early impact is already visible in the story of a young woman who trained in food preparation and went on to become the owner of a food establishment in the area of Vergenoegen. Her progress offers a practical example several persons who would have benefited from the skills training

and how their training can move from classroom learning into a livelihood. Andrews is also concerned about unemployed young people who lack certification. She says many are on the streets, abusing harmful substances or being misled by friends, and need support to find meaningful work. For her, the issue is not only training but the chance to redirect lives towards purpose and employment. Her mission for her community runs deeps beyond any barriers and she intends to do all she can to make a difference where it matters the most. “With support from other businesses and sponsorships, we can bring those young people off the streets,” she added. She is urging corporate Guyana to help and partner in providing whatever they can; a facility, finances and other necessary need

to preserve the programme to reach more people in the community of the West Coast Demerara of Region 3. Cooking is both a passion and a practical response to a lasting need for Andrews. She believes food will always be needed, and her desire to provide tasty, healthy meals led her to establish Shellon’s Elite Catering and Waitress Service located In Uitvulgt, West Coast of Demerara. The catering business and the training initiative reinforce each other. A support team helps coordinate the day-to-day catering operation, including preparing for events, managing service responsibilities and handling tasks that keep the enterprise running smoothly. By delegating these responsibilities, Andrews has the flexibility to conduct training while maintaining oversight of her business TURN TO PAGE VII

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

Zai Production Brings Guyanese Folklore to the Big Screen with ‘Ol Higue’

By Andrea Hendricks An animated short film based on the Guyanese folklore figure Ol Higue marked a successful debut for the creative team behind it and helped lay the foundation for Zai Production. The company was formed after the film’s production as a marketing agency focused on cinematic promotional content for businesses locally and abroad. Its wider ambition is to create work that feels authentic, with a particular interest in Guyanese film and stories rooted in local experience. The project brings together a young Guyanese creative team with different responsibilities and a shared interest in storytelling. Carissa Vandoimen, a young Guyanese writer and creative with a passion for storytelling and the arts, is expanding her creative work into filmmaking as an actress in “Ol Higue”. Isaiah Thomas is the graphic designer and the film’s director, and he also founded Zai Production. Khristian Khaleel is the marketing manager and also works in film production and content creation. Alyssa Mc Donald handles administration. She is also creative but prefers to work behind the scenes, supporting the production team wherever needed. Thomas’s interest in thriller and psychological films shaped the creative direction. He believed the team could explore a similar genre through Guyanese folklore, selecting Ol Higue because it is widely known and could connect a familiar story with the cinematic experience. Thomas said: “Growing up in Guyana, there are a lot of stories, so I chose Ol Higue because it is more popular and would allow locals to view a story they have heard about on the big screen.” After researching the idea, Thomas sought to give the folklore figure a fresh twist while keeping the story distinctly Guyanese. The

Carissa VanDoimen, actress and creative producer

making the project an early undertaking for a new start-up company. Technology helped the team manage

some difficulties throughout the production process. “Thank heaven for technology; it would have alleviated

some of the challenges from pre-production into post-production,” Thomas told the TURN TO PAGE VII

Khristian Khaleel, video editor and marketing manager

research also considered that Ol Higue is not unique to Guyana. The team examined those details before scriptwriting, filming, and pre-production, then moved into post-production for video editing. In the film, Ol Higue is portrayed as a character who lives in a neighbourhood and preys on unsuspecting people. Vandoimen plays the role in the short film, bringing together her work as a writer and creative with her emerging experience as a filmmaker. The project therefore reflects both the team’s interest in local stories and its effort to translate those stories into a genre shaped by suspense and psychological tension. Across Guyana and the wider Caribbean, Ol Higue is a supernatural figure sustained through oral tradition. In many tellings, she appears by day as an ordinary, often older woman, then removes her skin at night and travels

as a ball of fire in search of blood, particularly from infants and young children. Guyanese versions often place the figure at the edge of a village or community. Some tell of rice, salt or other grains placed near a doorway to make her stop and count them. The story has served to explain illness, danger, and the unknown, while passing on warnings about children’s welfare and vigilance. Its details shift across regions and generations, making Ol Higue both a shared Caribbean archetype and a distinctly Guyanese cultural symbol. An “Ol Higue” directed at older, widowed, isolated or socially marginalised women. The legend therefore speaks not only to supernatural fear, but also to suspicion and power within communities. The production was completed amid challenges involving filming locations and limited financial resources. Zai Production was founded after producing “Ol Higue”,

Isaiah Thomas (cap on), director of “Ol Higue”, writer and founder of Zai Production

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

From Setback to Service...

and community mission. The catering facility also provides a practical environment where skills are taught and practical sessions can be applied, allowing learners to connect classroom instruction with the demands of real work. Her advice is grounded in her own journey: “I came from nothing, and today I am something: the owner of Shellon’s Elite Catering and Waitress Service. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t make it,” she told this publication. “Reach out to the right sources for help, and don’t give up,” she further added.

As a mother of four, Andrews practises what she preaches. Her family motivates her, and she leads by example, turning a personal goal into a growing business and a platform for community service. “It makes me feel satisfied to see the growth of my business as it thrives and flourishes,” she said. For Andrews, success is not measured only by personal achievement. “Success is not just what you accomplish in your life; it’s about what you inspire others to do.” That philosophy guides her as she balances motherhood, entrepreneurship and community service.

Looking ahead, Andrews hopes to expand her training programmes to include more diverse skill sets and reach an even broader audience. She envisions a community where every individual has the opportunity to thrive and succeed, regardless of background or circumstance. From a village in Anna Catherina in the Region 3 community to a business built on service, Andrews is creating more than a livelihood. Her resilience, determination and commitment to others are turning personal experience into a legacy of opportunity—one person, one skill and one step at a time.

Zai Production Brings Guyanese Folklore...

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publication. The team also worked together to resolve communication issues as they arose. Skilled members of the production team and supporters on set helped with casting and filming, and their contributions helped bring the vision to life. For Thomas, those obstacles are not reasons for aspiring filmmakers to step away from their goals. He urged fellow filmmakers not to back down because of the challenges they expect to face, but to use those experiences as motivation to pursue their dreams of seeing their work on the big screen. That ambition is closely connected to the film’s cultural purpose. By recording folklore and stories from Guyanese culture, the team hopes to allow younger generations to see on screen the stories they have traditionally heard over the years. “There are many opportunities to have the work of filmmakers displayed locally, and while stories fade away, the film will remain,” Thomas said. Vandoimen also sees film as a way to create connection. “Filming brings people

together and helps them to relate to something common, to celebrate our culture together,” she said. The team hopes to leave audiences with a lasting impression of excitement while encouraging others to explore similar creative work. “I am hoping that the launch of Ol Higue will be a momentous occasion for people to be inspired to do something similar,” Vandoimen added. Khaleel said the film’s launch would offer another opportunity to highlight local creative ability. “The launch of the short film Ol Higue would be an opportunity for people to see what Guyanese are capable of in the film industry. I believe Guyanese culture as a whole needs visibility when compared with other Caribbean countries,” he said. Zai Production is already looking ahead. Two original films are in the pipeline: “Index” and “The Centre of a Sunflower”. Alongside these projects, the company hopes to expand its work in cinematic commercials for businesses in need of its services. Its current offerings include

graphic design, posters, business promotional commercials, and film production. You can find information about the company on Instagram (@graphicsandZai) and TikTok (@Officicalzaiflims). The launch of “Ol Higue” is scheduled for 8–14 October 2026 at the Movietown Theatre, with screenings beginning daily at 6:30 p.m. For the team behind the film, the occasion represents more than the arrival of a debut project: it is an opportunity to place a Guyanese story before audiences and to encourage further filmmaking rooted in the country’s culture. “Ol Higue” is an early expression of what Zai Production hopes to build: work grounded in Guyanese cultural memory, shaped by collaboration, and made with wider audiences in mind. As the team develops its ambitions in film and cinematic storytelling, the project offers a measured reminder that local stories can preserve heritage while finding a place beyond the communities in which they began.

She remains committed to expanding practical training encouraging corporate Guyana, businesses and sponsors to support the facilities with their mission and assist with the needed resources to reach more women and young peo-

ple in the Parika area and other close by communities. Shellon’s Elite Catering and Waitress Service provides catering, waitstaff services, ushers, bar attendants and after-event clean-up for events and

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functions. For more information on how to support the community work of skills and academic training opportunities or any of the event-planning services, contact (592) 698-8698, 6027433 or 639-4233.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

A Betrayal of Beauty

IMAGINE standing at the precipice of a tall cliff. Looking down, you can see clear, blue waters reaching up to you with a beckoning motion. In the swirling waters, you can see the promise of an extraordinary memory: the thrill of soft coolness enveloping you after the rush of plummeting down a cliff with nothing but optimistic faith tucked away in your heart. So, you leap. Moments before you reach the water, you realise something. The water is going to be neither soft nor cool. You see, right under the blue waves, a crooked row of jagged rocks grinning at you. The water’s beauty has betrayed you.

You trusted it unwittingly, and so will dozens of people standing at the very cliff you leapt from. Life often carries unwarranted betrayal in its most beautiful moments. Sometimes, you are called to have faith in its beauty and are rewarded with hardship or grief. The trust you have in the world is chipped away in moments like these, and the next time you face a door, you are less likely to believe there are beautiful things behind it. As we continue to grow, we may eventually lose all of our optimism and begin to approach life with a general feeling of contempt and distrust. Oftentimes, in today’s

world, when we recognise beauty, we are afraid to reciprocate it, or even to accept it in the first place. We feel the warmth of a smile and wonder what is hidden behind it. We receive the gift of a compliment and worry about what is expected in return. When we experience kindness, we also experience an unconquerable urge to tap on it to check for hollowness. All the beautiful things in the world become tainted by one poor experience, and we let distrust guide our every choice until it becomes an instinct. Long before we were sophisticated creatures living in a world like this one, we sur-

vived purely on instinct. We depended on past memories of mishaps or pain to decide what to do next. When our survival was at stake, it didn’t matter whether our choices brought joy or pleasure; it did matter whether they would harm us. This meant our brains needed to store memories of pain or unpleasantness more deeply and impactfully than they stored pleasure or happiness. So, even if you found yourself in a field of the most gorgeous, fragrant flowers, you would remember being stung by a bee in a field of flowers, and you would feel an incessant need to leave as soon as possible. Of course, as we have

Farmer Prepares for...

evolved, survival is not the only goal of our lives, and such instincts are no longer useful. However, part of us still functions the same way, creating a phenomenon psychologists call the “Negativity Bias”. Negativity bias describes our natural tendency to remember negative experiences and feelings more strongly than positive ones. Often, this means that even if we had a beautiful day, we might remember a minor accident or inconvenience we experienced for a few minutes more intensely than the warm happiness we felt for the rest of the day. So, when what we had was a bad moment, we trick ourselves into believing

we had a bad day. In an era when survival was key, the “Negativity Bias” would have been a useful way to perceive the world. Now, however, it limits our happiness and what we can achieve. Beauty might occasionally betray us. Life may disappoint us time and again. Yet we may also encounter marvellous surprises. Sometimes, when we take a leap of faith, what awaits us is not a row of jagged rocks, but a whole new extraordinary world. Being willing to try again will not always lead to the same failure or the same poor experiences. Optimism is not the same as naïveté.

FROM PAGE IV

strengthen farm biosecurity. As a farmer registered with GLDA and the Ministry of Agriculture, he limits visitor access and plans to install a footbath as an additional precaution. The demands of daily care

have intensified during the hot conditions Bhagnath associates with El Niño. With his animals spending time outdoors grazing, he pays particular attention to signs of discomfort and to their access to drinking water and shade.

“I noticed the animals are panting for breath when they are out to graze, so I know it is hot for them. I try to give them enough water and shade to keep them safe in these humid conditions,” he said. Although he has not yet

established a comprehensive heat-management system, Bhagnath is responding with the resources he has. Providing enough water and access to shaded areas has become an important part of his routine, especially

Ricardo Bhagnath and one of his most prized goats

when he sees the animals becoming uncomfortable in the open. These efforts add another dimension to sustaining his enterprise. Alongside feeding, breeding, and maintaining suitable housing, he must adjust his daily care to changing weather and his flock’s needs. As the October show approaches, that consistent attention underpins his preparations. The animals he intends to exhibit represent years of investment and learning,

supported by a family whose contribution remains central to the farm’s development. Another prize would be welcome, but Bhagnath also sees the show as a chance to build on last year’s exposure and engage with fellow farmers. He will arrive with his selected animals and a story of steady progress, from a few sheep his mother-inlaw gifted him to a growing enterprise shaped by improved breeding and daily commitment.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

Managing Challenges in Your Home

Every family is unique! Challenges in each family may vary, since their directions and needs may differ

Providing for the family THE needs of each family vary. The proportion of things needed for one family will differ from that of another family. Family size also differs. For example, one family may comprise a husband, a wife and two children. That family may be considered a small family. On the other hand, some families comprise a husband, a wife and six children. That family may be considered a large family. The needs of a small family differ from the needs of a large family. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate each family using the same criteria. A small family may find it easier to meet its needs. However, a large family has greater needs and sometimes depends on others for support. Parents who must provide for large families may have to work long hours or hold several jobs because they have more family members to support. Creating a family budget Even when family earnings are small, families should still establish a budget. The budget will guide them. Wherever possible, they should seek to work closely with their budget. Families with fixed earnings should plan beyond monthly budgets and create yearly budgets. As they plan for the year, they will project

their expenditure based on their fixed earnings. If they expect some expenses to increase, they may need to reduce others. If they cannot do this, they can consider increasing their earnings. No family should be satisfied with expenses higher than their earnings. They must take deliberate action to manage their earnings and expenses. Some people, when they hear the word “budget”, think of something complex. However, they are expected to plan how they will use their income and manage their family’s expenses. They should also consider saving a proportion of their earnings. If parents have children who are attending school, then they must include all expenses relating to their children’s learning in the family’s budget. If children attend private schools, parents are expected to allocate more funds to their children’s learning, since private education is more expensive than government education. People who have to repay vehicle loans and mortgages must include those amounts in their budgets. As far as possible, people must account for all possible earnings and expenditures when they prepare their budget. If families plan to engage in regular entertainment, they should estimate the cost and include it in their budget.

Preparing meals Not everyone likes to prepare meals, since it takes time and requires skill. Many people will travel long distances to buy meals they love; they eat delicious meals and feel satisfied. An important skill people need to have when preparing meals is coordination. You cannot cook or bake all items at the same time. When meals are prepared without coordination, they will not taste delicious, since different ingredients must be cooked at different times. Timing is important when preparing a meal. Some meals require a slow fire, while other meals need a lot of heat. When you add the

right ingredients at the right time and keep the heat right, the meal will satisfy many people.

Cleaning the house In some homes, some family members do not like to clean the house. They are comfortable shopping for groceries and cooking, but they do not feel like cleaning. When toddlers and teenagers live in the house, parents often have a lot of cleaning to do. Teenagers and other young people often don’t realise how much cleaning they put their parents through. Washing dirty dishes Keeping the dishes clean

is important for every family, and they must do it daily. This task cannot be put off. If each family member takes a turn washing the dirty dishes, the house and sink will stay clean. Washing dishes is not one person’s job; everyone should take a turn keeping the kitchen clean.

Maintaining the house People often build beautiful houses but struggle to maintain them or neglect them. Some people do not pay much attention to their buildings because they believe they will remain beautiful without their involvement. Others enjoy the beauty of buildings they built several years ago because they main-

tained them well. Several people may recognise that when one problem with a house is identified, other problems suddenly appear. For example, a leaking pipe may be followed by a leaking roof. Other people go from one electrical problem to another. A small issue, if not addressed promptly, can also lead to much larger issues. For more information about Geary Reid and his books, please use this contact information: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ author/gearyreid, Website: www.reidnlearn.com, Facebook: Reid n Learn, Email: info@reidnlearn.com, Mobile #: 592-645-2240.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

SOME BOYHOOD EXPERIENCES TEACH A FEARSOME LESSON THAT WE MUST EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND BEYOND OUR FEARS TO TEACH WHAT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND FULLY NOW… SOME years ago, over the Christmas holidays, a friend and I visited our tailor to get ready for the Boxing Night party. Our tailor was our regular tailor; we called him that, and he was honest enough to tell us that he was packed for overseas, so we were ready. We saw a small crowd at his place. Some were guys we knew;

others looked like relatives. As we approached, I saw some females who looked even more like relatives. A bigger guy that we knew blocked us as we edged up the step, so we queried, “Wha going on, boss?” The big brother looked at us. “Deh got a problem, but hang around, yuh gon get yuh stuff. Ah know the two of yo.”

“Wait! Deh break de man place? A mean, everybody know that he was flying out over the holidays.” The old boxer said, “But something else happen, youth man.” “He brother kill he self?” We both were shocked. We had no answer. “Wha?! Fuh wuh?” “We ent know. Somebody feel that he expected to fly out too.” “I can’t believe it, but

they was joking up to two, three days ago.” “Things happen, youth man, all the time. Don’t fret. Just now, when the Babylon come, yoh gon get yuh threads. Don’t freak out, just chill.” “Suh he brother deh?” “Yeah, deh carry he to the hospital.” “Fuh wha?” “Just fuh run some checks. He try fuh tek he self out now he brother gone foreign. Leh we stay

pon the bright side and wish de pray.” “Fuh real.” We shook our heads and, after a long time, prayed for real… “Ah know alyuh and the tailor man does keep tight records. Leh we just pray inside and always inform yuh people whey we going when yuh left the house. Learn from how we’re feeling now?”

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Bone Soup and Other Tales by Elly Niland

ELLY Niland is a significant Guyanese writer. Her mellifluous, lyrical poetry collections, In Retrospect, Cornerstones, and East of Centre, have sharp angles that surprise and delight. Niland’s poetry is characterised by a fine, granular attention to nebulous emotions, coming close to what we feel but often find difficult to describe in words. Hers is a poetry of surprise, candour, and deadpan humour, in which the punch line arrives as an afterthought, or in which a situation, often serious, contains its own comedy. She brings the same lyricism and emotional sensitivity to the ten stories in her Guyana Prize-winning short story collection, Bone Soup and Other Tales (MJN Press, 2016), which in structure and subject occasionally resemble the stories in Jamaica Kincaid’s At the Bottom of the River, with something, too, of Jan Carew’s The Guyanese Wanderer. In Niland’s tales, however, there is nostalgia, not the mordantly sentimental kind, but a nostalgia in which the past is excavated and examined, stirring up uncomfortable truths. Here, the extraordinary is found in the mundane, which acquires the quality of something never before seen because those who inhabit this world have rarely stopped to analyse or observe it. It is not surprising that most of the stories concern children, mostly boys, or mothers. Fathers are rarely central; at best, they remain peripheral, somewhere at the edge of the story or entirely off the page. These are not happy stories, per se. Their lyricism often belies the harsh realities beneath them. The title story, “Bone Soup”, has the compressed feel of carefully edited prose and a sting in its tail. Its reveal is surprising, but the stronger effect comes not from the surprise itself, but

from recognising a familiar and painfully realistic experience of poor people. Every Sunday, the nameless narrator’s mother sends him to the local butcher shop to beg for bones and scraps for their dog. Each time, the butcher provides them, wrapping them neatly for the boy to take home to his mother. The meat, of course, is not for the dog. The boy and his mother have none for themselves. The butcher may know this. But he plays along, helping preserve their dignity. No one needs to humiliate poor people. The small families in these stories live in tightly knit coastal communities in Guyana, where everyone knows everyone else. Niland’s eye for realistic description is remarkably attentive; even the finest details of the mundane are captured. When the boy in “Bone Soup” goes to see the butcher, we see the clotting blood of freshly cut meat, the carcasses hanging from hooks; we hear the buzzing flies and smell the rankness of the butchery. The boy, of course, is familiar with these realities, so what he sees comes across as matter-of-fact rather than revelatory. Something similar occurs in “Market Day”, in which another boy goes to market with his mother and discovers that there is more to be found there than food. The story is ultimately about people rather than things. The boy’s interactions with the sellers, and their genuine concern for him, are poignant and protective, knitting him more firmly into the community and into the fabric of place. The stories enshrine indelible relationships and connections. These filial and tutorial relationships feel like “passing the torch”, with knowledge, skill, and tradition moving from one generation to another. “A Chef’s Table” is an explicit TURN TO PAGE XXV

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THERE’S A ROOM IV

A story submitted to the Guyana Prize for Literature 2024

HE got up and went out onto the verandah, where he could see part of a building at the back of the house that had been the servants’ quarters in colonial days. Just behind that building was the huge mango tree in his mother’s sketchpad. Shaan took a deep breath and said, “It’s time to unlock

this story.” He exited the house quietly, making his way cautiously to the old servants’ quarters. The door was padlocked, so he climbed the mango tree carefully, reached the window, and pried it open. The room was in semi-darkness, but Shaan could see it was the same

room in his mother’s sketchpad. A shiver passed through his body as he stood there, where her life was destroyed, and he said, his voice choking with emotion, “I-I found the room, Mum.” He didn’t sleep at all that night and went downstairs late that morning with a plan.

Uncle Jarred was on the porch smoking, and Shaan rested the urn on the living room table and went outside to join him. “You slept late. Feeling better?” “Nope,” Shaan answered as he poured a glass of orange juice. “I keep thinking about

my m-m-mother’s life here, how she lived and why she left such a-a beautiful place.” Uncle Jarred said nothing, keeping a steady gaze across the farmlands. “I wonder why she ran away from home and self-destructed in the way she did,” Shaan continued. Uncle Jarred looked at

Shaan and remarked, “You may be challenged, but you ask smart questions.” “My mother said I’m s-ssmart and s-she believed in me.” Uncle Jarred smiled wryly. “She was smart too, but made a poor choice in having a rebellious boyfriend. That’s TURN TO PAGE XVI

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The Wisdom to Know What to Do When Google Has No Useful Answer

WE live in an age of information. A person can learn the symptoms of a rare disease before breakfast, compare twelve brands of cooking oil before lunch and receive a confident opinion on international politics from someone whose qualifications appear to be owning a smartphone. Artificial intelligence has made this situation even more impressive and occasionally more alarming. We now have machines that can write essays, summarise books, analyse documents and produce an answer before a human being has finished asking the question. However, one difficulty remains: information can tell us what is possible, but it cannot always tell us what is wise. This is where an ancient Greek concept takes on a modern form. The concept is phronesis, usually translated as “practical wisdom”. It refers to the ability to understand a complicated situation, recognise what matters morally and practically, and choose an appropriate course of action. In simple language, phronesis is knowing what to do when there is no convenient button marked “correct answer”. Phronesis is sometimes treated as an impressive word for common sense. It is a modest description, of course. Common sense may tell us not to walk into a busy road while staring at our phone. Phronesis becomes more important when two good principles collide, when the facts are incomplete, or when a decision’s consequences will affect other people. A person may be highly educated and still lack practical wisdom. Someone may know the law but apply it cruelly. Another person may

understand medical science but speak to a frightened patient as though to a malfunctioning filing cabinet. A journalist may know how to attract attention but not when publicity could cause unnecessary harm. Phronesis involves knowledge, but it also requires judgement, moral sensitivity, emotional control and the ability to adapt to circumstances. Contemporary psychology describes it as a context-sensitive capacity for reaching morally good outcomes in complicated situations. It goes beyond logical problem-solving because it asks what is good, not merely what is efficient. Now, this is increasingly important in an era that admires speed. A quick decision is not necessarily a wise decision. Sometimes it is simply a bad decision wearing sports shoes. The concept’s central source is Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. In Book VI, Aristotle distinguishes practical wisdom from other forms of knowledge. Scientific knowledge concerns truths that can be demonstrated. Technical knowledge concerns the ability to make or produce something. Theoretical wisdom concerns profound and universal questions. Phronesis, however, concerns human action in a changing world. Aristotle describes the practically wise person as someone able to “deliberate well” about what is good and advantageous for human life. In another translation, practical wisdom is described as “a true and reasoned state of capacity to act about the things that are good or bad for man”. The phrase “deliberate well” is crucial. Aristotle does not mean endlessly worrying, holding a committee meeting inside one’s

head or making a spreadsheet with seventeen colour-coded columns. He means thinking carefully about the purpose of an action, the circumstances surrounding it and the conse-

quences likely to follow. For Aristotle, phronesis could not be separated from moral character. Courage, justice, compassion and honesty are valuable virtues,

but they must be applied intelligently. Courage without judgement can become recklessness; honesty without compassion can become cruelty; compassion without

fairness can become favouritism, and so on. Phronesis is the mental and moral ability to decide which virtue matters most in a particular TURN TO PAGE XVII

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THERE’S A ROOM IV

why our father cut short her studies at the university and brought her home.” Shaan shook his head, a puzzled look on his face, trying to put the pieces together. Uncle Jarred got up and looked at him curiously as he crushed his cigarette in the ashtray. “The night my mum died,” Shaan told him in a steady voice, “I sat by her bedside, watching her take her last b-br-breath, and the last words she said w-were, ‘There’s a room.’” Uncle Jarred paused in lighting a new cigarette and gave Shaan a perplexed look. “What room?” “The r-r-room where she was imprisoned and abused for m-m-onths before she escaped.” Uncle Jarred scoffed, his expression shifting to subtle anger. “She probably lost her mind due to the years of being an alcoholic, because she had a family who loved and cared for her.” “She did not lose her mind,” Shaan rebutted, “because on m-m-my eighteenth birthday, her lawyer read her will to m-me and left a letter and sketchpad detailing what h-happened to her.” Shaan paused and, taking a deep breath, he said, “I

came back, and I found the r-r-room.” The silence was so heavy it felt suffocating. Then Uncle Jarred said, a deep edge in his voice: “That could point a finger at anyone and create a problem within the family, so I think you should leave and never come back here.” Shaan shook his head, saying boldly, “This is my m-mother’s birth home that will belong to me, so you can’t s-t-t-op me from coming here.” Uncle Jarred looked at Shaan for a long moment, then said with deep disdain, “You are not normal; you’re a challenged boy who is unfit to own anything and to carry the legacy of this family!” “My m-m-mother recognised in me what no one else did so that no insults could h-h-h-hurt me.” Shaan looked at his uncle’s hand and stated, “T-tthat’s one of the things I saw in the sketches t-t-that points to y-you being in the room.” “What?!” Shaan pointed to Uncle Jarred’s wristwatch. “And a full ashtray of cigarette butts under the bed.” A darkness unfurled across Uncle Jarred’s face, and he said in a low, deadly

tone, “You think you can make such an accusation and stand in front of me, boy? You have a death wish?” “No, I just want justice for my m-mother.” “Justice?!” He lunged at Shaan, but Shaan swiftly moved back, pulled out a sharp machete he had hidden under the breakfast table, and slammed it against the table as a warning. That stopped Uncle Jarred, for though he was a big man, he knew of the

boy’s ability. “You will answer me,” Shaan demanded. “Why did you abuse your s-s-sister? What kind of m-monster are you?” “She was not my real sister!” Uncle Jarred shouted angrily. “I was born to a servant woman through our father’s infidelity, living my life between those servants’ quarters and this home.” He took a deep breath, a bitter tone in his voice. “I watched her grow up, so sweet and pretty, always wanting to be closer to her,

wanting to share my life with her, and I waited. But when she went away to university and started a relationship with a stranger, I couldn’t take it.” His eyes suddenly went wild, and with a swift movement, he punched the wall. “I couldn’t take it; she was supposed to be with me!” “S-she was s-still your sister,” Shaan stated, wary of the man making any more sudden moves. “No, she was my soulmate. So, when she was brought back home, and the family went out one night, I told her about my feelings, but she got scared and tried to run away from me. But I caught her, knocked her unconscious and took her to my old room.” He paused, hugging his head, then he hit the wall again, viciously. “She didn’t want me; she rejected me, but she had to be mine. I made her mine!” Shaan’s hand tightened on the handle of the machete, and he said with a deep, incensed feeling, “Your evil and s-sick desire ruined her life. S-s-she was so scared she couldn’t return home a-and drowned her pain in alcohol while you watched her parents die slowly in grief.”

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He looked at Shaan with no remorse. “I felt no pity for them, but I missed the love of my life.” “She was n-n-never your love, you monster!” Shaan screamed, enraged, and swung the machete so fast that Uncle Jarred didn’t see it coming. The first chop took off a piece of his ear, then following strikes left deep gashes on his shoulder and arms as he tried to ward off the blows. “This is for what you did to my mother, you evil man.” Uncle Jarred fell to the ground, trembling, blood flowing out of his wounds, yet he did not say sorry for his sins. Shaan lifted the machete as though to deliver a fatal chop but held back, saying, “Death is too good for you.” The rest of the family arrived at the said time, late, for he had sent a copy of his mother’s letter to them, and they stared, shocked, at the bloody scene. Shaan went inside and came back out with the urn that held his mother’s ashes and, sitting down, he hugged it close to his body and broke down in tears. “I got the truth, Mum; I got justice for you. Now you can rest in peace.”

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situation and how much of it is appropriate. Modern psychology has become interested in phronesis because people often know what is right but fail to do it. Public-health campaigns can explain the dangers of smoking, excessive alcohol use or untreated hypertension. Yet knowledge alone does not automatically change behaviour. A person may know that patience is valuable and still lose their temper in a traffic line. A professional may understand an ethical code and still bend it under institutional pressure. A citizen may support fairness in principle, then demand special treatment when personally inconvenienced. This is known as the knowledge-action gap, the distance between knowing a principle and putting it into practice. Researchers studying phronesis examine how people move from abstract moral knowledge to concrete behaviour. Their work examines perception, emotion, motivation, habit, experience and self-regulation. Phronesis therefore begins before the final decision. It involves noticing what is ethically significant. Two people may witness the same event, but only one may recognise that a vulnerable person is being humiliated, that a policy is being applied unfairly or that a seemingly small choice could create serious harm. In psychological language, this involves moral perception, moral reasoning, emotional regulation and motivation. Darnell, Fowers and Kristjánsson identify four related functions of phronesis: recognising the moral features of a situation, integrating competing considerations, regulating emotion and maintaining a vision of the good life or common good. This is a substantial workload for one mental faculty. Phronesis is practically the brain’s senior management department, assuming senior management is awake, listening and not secretly scrolling through social media. Aristotle was the original major teacher of phronesis, but he was not the last. Thomas Aquinas later developed the idea through the Latin concept prudentia, or prudence. Aquinas described prudence as “wisdom about human affairs” and linked it to the capacity to take good counsel. His prudence was not cowardice or excessive caution. It was the intellectual virtue that helps a person

reason well about human action. Martin Heidegger gave the concept a more existential interpretation. His reading of Aristotle emphasised the importance of lived situations. Human beings do not make decisions from a detached laboratory; they act in a world filled with relationships, pressures, expectations and uncertainty. Later scholars have therefore understood phronesis as a kind of practical perception: the ability to grasp what a situation demands while living through it. In modern psychology and social theory, Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe have been especially influential. Their article “Practical Wisdom: Aristotle Meets Positive Psychology” appeared in 2006, and their book Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing followed in 2010. Schwartz and Sharpe argue that rules and incentives cannot guide every human decision. Rules are necessary, but they are general. Human beings are specific. An institution may have a discipline policy, a hospital may have a treatment protocol, and a newsroom may have ethical guidelines. None can predict every possible circumstance. A rule may tell a teacher that students should be treated equally. Practical wisdom helps the teacher understand that treating students equally does not always mean treating them identically. A child dealing with hunger, grief, disability or violence may require a different response, not because standards should disappear, but because fairness sometimes requires attention to unequal circumstances. Education offers a clear example of practical wisdom because teaching is more than delivering information while trying to prevent students from testing the structural limits of classroom furniture. A teacher must decide when to correct, when to encourage, when to discipline and when to investigate. A student who refuses to participate may be bored, defiant, bullied, anxious, hungry or struggling with a problem at home. The behaviour is visible; the cause may not be. A purely technical model of teaching might apply the same punishment every time. A teacher with phronesis asks what response will protect the learning environment while also respecting the student’s dignity and circumstances. Educational scholars have increasingly challenged the idea that

teachers are merely technicians who apply standard methods. Research now gives greater attention to teachers’ professional judgement, moral character and ability to respond intelligently to complex situations. Recent scholarship describes Aristotelian practical wisdom as central to the ethics of teaching because no policy manual can replace thoughtful judgement in every classroom. This is not an argument for teachers to ignore rules and follow personal moods. It is an argument for understanding the purpose of rules. A wise teacher does not ask only, “What does the policy say?” but also, “What is this policy trying to protect, and how can I apply it fairly here?” The rise of artificial intelligence makes phronesis more relevant, not less. AI systems can process enormous quantities of data, identify patterns and produce fluent language. They can also make errors with the confidence of a person who has never been corrected in public. More importantly, AI can generate a recommendation without possessing a human understanding of dignity, grief, responsibility or the lived consequences of its output. Current discussions of AI and ethics distinguish practical wisdom from goal-directed problem-solving and logical inference. Phronesis involves moral sensitivity, judgement, motivation and the regulation of emotional responses, capacities that cannot be reduced to calculation alone. Consider an AI system that helps screen job applicants, assess medical risks, or identify students who may need support. The system may produce a ranking, but a human being must still ask whether the data are biased, whether the decision is proportionate and whether the people affected have been treated fairly. AI may tell us which applicant resembles previous successful candidates. It cannot, by that fact alone, tell us whether previous hiring practices were fair. It may identify a patient as highrisk. It cannot automatically understand the patient’s fears, family responsibilities or ability to afford treatment. The machine may provide information. Phronesis is required to decide what to do with it. You can apply phronesis in any situation, but I think you already get the point. It does not mean always choosing the softest option. Sometimes wisdom demands firmness. Sometimes it demands courage. Sometimes it demands saying no.

And sometimes it requires admitting that the person who has been speaking confidently for twenty minutes does not, in fact, know what they are talking about. Phronesis can be developed, but not through memorising a list of inspirational quotations and placing them over one’s desk. It grows through experience, reflection, mentorship, moral practice and honest examination of mistakes. A person can strengthen practical judgement by asking questions like: What is really at stake here? Who may be affected by my decision? Which values conflict? Am I applying a rule fairly or hiding behind it? What important fact might I be missing? What response is proportionate to the situation? What are the likely consequences for the most vulnerable person involved? These questions do not provide a mechanical answer. They improve the quality of thought that precedes action. Phronesis also requires emotional regulation. Anger may reveal that something is wrong, but anger alone is not a decision-making system. Fear may signal danger, but it should not always dictate policy. Compassion may inspire assistance, but it must be balanced with fairness. The practically wise person does not eliminate emotion. Instead, that person learns to bring emotion, reason and moral purpose into a workable relationship. Phronesis may sound like an ancient philosophical ornament, but it addresses a central problem of modern life. We have more information than ever, more systems, more experts, more algorithms and more opportunities to express opinions at astonishing speed. What we do not always have is the judgement to know which information matters, which rule applies, which virtue should guide us and when restraint is more responsible than action. Aristotle’s insight remains useful because it reminds us that wisdom is not measured only by what a person knows. It is also measured by what that person does with knowledge when circumstances become difficult. In the classroom, the hospital, the newsroom, the public office and the family home, phronesis asks a demanding question: What is the right thing to do here, with these people, under these conditions, and for the right reasons? No search engine, policy manual, or artifi-

cial-intelligence system will answer this question. And perhaps that is precisely why it remains a human responsibility. Here is this week’s poetry piece. Phronesis A brilliant mind can catalogue the known, Yet wisdom enters where the maps have flown; For life presents its riddles without keys, And judgment bends with circumstance and degrees. A truth may heal, or leave a tender scar, Depending on who hears it, when and where we are; A merciful tongue may sometimes need to speak, While strength may wear the face of something meek. Experience seasons judgment, grain by grain, Through consequence, through pleasure, loss and pain; Until the mind can sense, beneath the show, What circumstance demands it ought to know. No principle survives untouched by life, For justice meets compassion in the strife; And loyalty, when stripped of wiser sight, Can turn devotion into borrowed night. Phronesis is neither instinct nor decree, But reason tempered by what eyes can see; It weighs the particular against the whole, Then chooses with a conscience, not a role. Perhaps the wiser mind has learned to pause, To question even its most sacred cause; For certainty can make the clever blind, While disciplined doubt keeps judgment refined. So let us gather knowledge, deep and wide, But leave some room for circumstance to guide; For wisdom is not knowing every score, But knowing what the living moment asks for. Romella Dasratt

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Bone Soup and Other Tales by Elly Niland

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amalgam of this idea. The child, taught how to prepare a dish, is being inducted into a tradition, not through formal instruction, but sideways and gently, through correction and direction. It is a distinctly Caribbean pedagogy of practical home economics, in which knowledge is absorbed through participation rather than formally imparted. All the tales deftly dispense with extravagant exposition, leaving on the page a precise rendering of the characters’ perceptions. What they see, the reader sees, and their gaze is particular and fierce. This is especially evident in their observations of where they live and work and in their sense of place. Niland sketches the coastal villages in a few deft sentences that ring true, touching on what is seen, heard, smelled, and even tasted. Nowhere is this more evident than in “Market Day”, where the women’s language, rendered in East Indian Creole, is as authentic as the description of the market environment itself. Language and landscape exist in seamless congeniality.

Most of the stories read like snatches of autobiography, and many are narrated in the first person, offering a singular perspective through which everything is seen and known. This point of view is not always successful. Because the world is apprehended almost entirely through the narrator’s eyes, the perspective can become limiting, sometimes too outward-looking, seeing everything except the self. In “Holiday”, a nostalgic story, the narrator laments that “now that life is nearly done”, suggesting that she is an older woman reflecting on an idealised childhood spent in the countryside during long school holidays. The narrator comes from “town”, and she shows a genuine sense of wonder at country things, country people, and the country way of life. The narrator is never named, but we might call her Elly. Her nostalgia is that of a child, one without an understanding of the history behind what she sees. When she watches a woman washing clothes by hand, for instance, she does not con-

sider that machines can do such backbreaking work. The adult narrator later punctures this idealised balloon. The youthful gaze gives way to adult reality and to a more circumspect awareness of gossip, poverty, religious wrongdoing, and the vulgar realities of life. A particular issue with these stories is that we do not always get to know the characters, their inner lives, their cares, their fears. They are outward-looking people whose gazes extend beyond themselves, with insufficient self-reflection. This may be because many of the central characters are children, whose lives have not yet accumulated enough experience to examine. But even what they do possess is often subsumed beneath the abundance of things they notice in the world around them. Much comes from without and comparatively little from within. We rarely encounter their physicality or receive enough personal detail to construct a fully realised picture of the “I” who tells each story. Many characters remain unnamed or are described only minimally.

The stories consequently leave the reader wanting more. But this is hoping for more than the author needs to supply. After all, this is a book of “tales”, as the title makes explicit, and tales are sufficiently distinct from “short stories”. These tales adhere to the conventions of the genre: they exemplify the oral tradition of storytelling, employ familiar tropes of folklore, and possess a distinctly didactic inclination. The best tales in the collection sustain a lyricism that exists beyond character and carries the reader along, as good prose should. At times, the rhythm and language take us down another road, making us almost forget the characters themselves. Jamaica Kincaid’s incantatory prose in “Girl” and “In the Night” does something similar. This quality also appears in “A Chef’s Table”, “A Mother’s Tale”, and “Know It All”, though not always with the same sustained force. These are tales of childhood in a particular time and place: a British Guiana of the past, before independence.

They have many charms, are often funny, and are told with consistent lyricism. Yet the characters sometimes pale in comparison to their settings and the excellent detail with which those settings are rendered. They are mostly lookers, their gazes directed outward. The reader does not always get to know them sufficiently from within. Some of the strongest narratives, “Money Hawk” and “Fish Tales”, for example, create characters of atmosphere that are almost as compelling as the human beings in the tales. They possess an eliding quality, in which place appears almost on the fly as the narrator passes through a town, his eyes alighting with poetic precision on people, buildings, birds, and trees. The effect is sometimes almost haiku-like in its brevity and imaginative compression. There is something of the tourist’s perspective here: the eye moves quickly across the landscape, registering details and impressions without necessarily penetrating deeply into the lives of those being observed. “Money Hawk”, in par-

ticular, employs a framing narrative that invites the reader on a journey through the village. The landscape and its landmarks are pointed out, along with some of the inhabitants and fragments of their histories. The result is less a conventional narrative than a guided passage through a remembered place. The collection is ultimately about time and place: a pre-independence Guyana and, more specifically, the coastal villages that constitute its social and imaginative landscape. Niland’s rendering of place is indelible and authentic, filled with the rituals, habits, speech, and realistic details of everyday village life. For this reason, the tales are a joy to read. Yet one cannot help wishing some were longer, allowing the characters and their motivations to develop more fully. A wonderful lyricism runs through the collection, consistent without becoming monotonous, and this lyricism, along with Niland’s extraordinary eye for the details of place, remains one of the book’s greatest pleasures.

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October 11th, 2026 STUDY SUCCESS Welcome, dear friend. You did your best under examination conditions and succeeded. Your weapon: first-rate confidence, thorough preparation, excellent tutelage, and effective

stress-management skills served you well. There is no need to keep questioning your chances. Stop doubting your prospects. Take time to breathe; pursue meaningful, lowstress activities: learn life

skills, apply for a job or higher education, begin a passion project, or try a new hobby. Now that the results are out, move forward wisely. With love. THE PASSAGE

The text and good composition writing Note: This text is chosen to help you see how dialogue enhances writing; how thoughts are captured in dialogue. Dialogue does not have to proliferate your story to be an effective tool. Dialogue is about what, how and why characters speak in composition writing. In the passage, beside its use of dialogue, notice how the writer is revealing the happening in simple terms, yet being quite effective. You, the reader, feel what is coming even before it comes along. Read the piece that is prepared and grasp the feeling of love, courage, and insight that shape its atmosphere. Respond to the five questions based on the passage. In the house where I grew up, my brother was on his back in his bed for almost 33 years, in the same corner of his room, under the same window, beside the same yellow walls. Oliver was blind and mute. His legs were twisted. He did not have the strength to lift his head or the intelligence to learn anything. … When my mother was pregnant with Oliver, she was overcome by fumes from a leaking coal-burning stove. My father pulled her outside where she revived quickly. On April 20, 1947, Oliver was born. A healthy-looking plump, beautiful boy. A few months later, my mother brought him to a window and held him in the sunlight. Oliver looked directly into the sun and my mother realised that her baby was blind. My parents learned, with the passing months, that blindness was part of the problem. The doctor at Mt. Sinai hospital, in New York City, told my mother and father there was absolutely nothing that could be done for Oliver. He did not want my parents to grasp at false hope. “You could place him in an institution,” he said. “But it is our son,” my parents replied. “We will take Oliver home, of course.” The good doctor said, “Then take him home and love him.” … (Christopher De Vinck’s “The Power of My Powerless Brother”) 1. In what point of view

What’s been said is enough for anyone with sense.

PLAUTUS (d. c.184 B.C.) “Persa” is the story written? Clearly give your supporting points. 2. Explain the following phrases: blind and mute; did not have the intelligence to learn anything; overcome by fumes; healthy-looking; part of the problem; grasp at false hope. 3. Of what effect do you find the use of dialogue in the passage? 4. What do you know about a coal-burning stove? Respond in a short paragraph. 5. Oliver lived for nearly 33 years. Explain how love, courage, and insight shaped his home environment. READING Looking at context clues Hurricane Charley, a category four storm with winds up to 145 miles per hour, moved in from the Gulf of Mexico and struck southwest Florida on August 13, 2004. Before it hit, newscasters warned residents that the formidable storm was approaching. People who lived in certain areas had to evacuate to be safe. The hurricane made landfall at Fort Myers, a southwest Florida city, and then tracked across the state. Then, the hurricane moved out into the Atlantic and northward along the eastcoast. 1. What does “formidable” mean? (A) forthcoming; (B) disturbing; (C) powerful; (D) tropical 2. All the context clues help you determine the meaning of “formidable” EXCEPT (A) residents had to evacuate to be safe (B) 145 mph winds (C) the direction of the storm was northeast (D) newscasters issuing a warning to residents. THE PASSAGE

Careful reading – reading the printed word repeatedly When I was a boy, there was an old German merchant, who lived in a little cottage in our town. On Sundays, he used to go out and knock chips off the limestone ledges along the Mississippi, and he had a great tonnage of these chips, all labelled, and catalogued. The chips contained little fossil stems of some defunct water creatures called crinoids. The townspeople regarded this gentle fellow as just a little bit abnormal, but harmless. One day the newspaper reported the arrival of certain titled strangers. It was whispered that these visitors were great scientists. Some of them were from foreign lands, and some among the world’s leading paleontologists. They came to visit the harmless old man and hear his pronouncements on crinoids, and they accepted these pronouncements as law. When the old German died, the town awoke to the fact that he was a world authority on his subject, a creator of knowledge, a maker of scientific history. He was a great man – a man beside whom the local captains of industry were mere bushwhackers. His collection went to a national museum, and his name is known in all the nations of the earth. (Aldo Leopold’s, “Sand County Almanac”) Read the passage from Sand County Almanac, and then do the following exercises: (i) Compare and contrast what the German merchant was like with that which the townspeople thought he was like. (ii) Summarise Leopold’s main point(s) in telling the story.

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CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026

Bruxism (teeth grinding)

BRUXISM is linked to psychological stress as a necessary component. While mental tension provides the spark to start this habit and the fuel to continue it, this energy comes from the individual’s genetically determined drives and needs. Any unsatisfied need or interference with one’s satisfaction, which may be experienced as frustration, anger or fear, may result in tension and the possibility of teeth grinding. The phenomenon is primarily involuntary or unconscious. Sometimes it occurs when the person is awake and may be linked to anxiety or deep concentration while driving or working. Other causes, such as epilepsy and high fillings, have been implicated, but their relation to psychological tension should be obvious. So, while mental stress may manifest itself anywhere in the body, in this case, the structures in and around the mouth appear to be the focus of this tension. The reason the mouth is selected for this habit is best understood by reflecting on the infant’s activities. Since the mouth is the means of receiving food and the earliest method of exploring the environment, it is intimately tied to emotions such as satisfaction, frustration, anger and anxiety. These early associations are

significant and seem to last a lifetime, and they explain why the mature individual reverts to the oral cavity during periods of stress by smoking, eating, chewing gum, and grinding teeth. For bruxism to occur, the chewing muscles must receive psychological tension for discharge. The first reaction to anxiety is increased tonicity (contraction) in preparation for either fight or flight. Other stress inducers, such as pain or the physical exertion of lifting heavy objects, may also cause muscular tension. The net effect of this uptightness and movement is a vicious circle. Suppressing our emotions during the day for socio-cultural reasons may cause clenching or grinding of the teeth, which in turn increases tension. If grinding movements during sleep reduce tension, the habit may be helpful. But unfortunately, this type of discharge is highly inefficient, and the tension may accumulate. Incidentally, bruxism may be practised even by people without teeth. What are the effects of teeth grinding? Most symptoms in the lower jaw joints are a consequence of muscle spasm caused by bruxism. The areas in front of the ears become painful and tender to the touch. In addition to localised discomfort, pain may refer to neighbouring muscles

in the scalp, neck, shoulder, and back. The mouth may not open fully because fatigued muscles remain contracted. This leads to tissue breakdown and, with it, an inflammatory response. You may also have worn, flattened, or chipped enamel, along with tooth sensitivity.

Grooves on the teeth near the gum line are caused by unconscious clenching during episodes of anxiety and social stress. Blunting and wearing down (attrition) of the enamel and dentine can lead to periodontal abscesses and eventual extraction. Treatment includes a cus-

tom mouth guard professionally fitted to the patient. This is the standard solution. The objective is to absorb biting forces and prevent tooth damage using the mouth guard and splints. Additionally, managing the underlying cause is vital. You may take short-du-

ration muscle relaxants before bedtime, as prescribed by your doctor. Also, there are cognitive behavioural therapy (conducted by a physiotherapist), meditation, regular exercise (for stress), reducing alcohol intake, caffeine and cigarette smoking at night.

CHRONICLE PEPPERPOT ― Sunday, October 11, 2026